Century 21: Dealer’s Choice is a display of the 49 Washington
artists that Seattle art dealers (with the exceptions of Scott
Lawrimore and the fellows of Platform Gallery) believe are the best. It
is intended to be a historic occasion. The membership of the
Seattle Art Dealers Association has never created an exhibition before,
but beyond that the show turns out not to be particularly historic, or
even particularly meaningful. It is conservative, narrow, and doesn’t
come close to capturing the dimension or ambition of what’s happening
on the ground.
A few older artists seem to have been rescued from obscurity merely
to satisfy the vagary of a dealer’s personal taste. (I can think of no
other reason why Mark Rediske, Richard Hutter, and David French, with
their pleasing but generic semi-abstractions, would be included
on a list of the state’s best artists when Dan Webb, Alex Schweder,
Gary Hill, Isaac Layman, Susan Robb, Wynne Greenwood, Gretchen Bennett,
Deb Baxter—should I go on?—SuttonBeresCuller, Shawn Patrick
Landis, Anne Mathern, and the entire Fantagraphics crew are not.)
There’s nothing new here, but how could there be? The youngest artist
in the show is 33; 26 of the 49 artists are over 50. From this
bias one can presume, whether or not it’s true, that Seattle dealers
have not been doing much homework for a very long time, which is a
depressing thought.
To enjoy the show, it’s best to let go of the unpleasant notion that
this lineup represents your state’s entire all-star team. Instead, take
what you like and leave the rest. I like a twisting slab of steel
called Weeping Woman by Peter Millett, which finds its male
counterpart in a mesmerizing building-creature painted by Whiting
Tennis; the glowing rings of Jeffrey Simmons; curly black ceramic
foo dogs by Jeffry Mitchell; a Joe Park painting of a magazine
reproduction of a Winogrand photograph; majestic, tiny black watercolor
figures laboring in a world of snow by Samantha Scherer. The
installation, bookended by veterans Alden Mason and Gaylen Hansen, has
beautiful moments (a tiny James Martin zoo lion juxtaposed with a
similarly hued giant 1977 abstraction by Mason is one). And there is
the occasional nice recent work, especially a bright, vigorous painting
by Claire Cowie.
It’s also nice to see what others see. Saya Moriyasu’s work looks
more raw, more elemental, having been selected by outsider-art
venue Garde Rail Gallery. James Harris’s choice of an immaculate gem of
metaphysical surrealism by the late Robert Helm reflects back on the
young artists Harris represents. William Traver’s choices of
interactive works by Trimpin and Lead Pencil Studio reflect his
questing, experimental nature more than his own gallery’s shows do.
There are stories here—just not the one the dealers intended.
oh snap
Quote “There’s nothing new here, but how could there be? The youngest artist in the show is 33; 26 of the 49 artists are over 50. From this bias one can presume, whether or not it’s true, that Seattle dealers have not been doing much homework for a very long time, which is a depressing thought.”
Speaking of biases…. what is wrong with having half the artists in the mature phase of their lives ?? If most working artists are productive from age 25 to age 75, then 50 seems like a representative midpoint.
Not so long ago, say, even as late as the 70’s, artists were expected to mature a bit to produce their most thoughtful, profound work. Now the art world is so intent on creating the next art-star…. and profiting from that creation….
Quote “There’s nothing new here, but how could there be? The youngest artist in the show is 33; 26 of the 49 artists are over 50. From this bias one can presume, whether or not it’s true, that Seattle dealers have not been doing much homework for a very long time, which is a depressing thought.”
Speaking of biases…. what is wrong with having half the artists in the mature phase of their lives ?? If most working artists are productive from age 25 to age 75, then 50 seems like a representative midpoint.
Not so long ago, say, even as late as the 70’s, artists were expected to mature a bit to produce their most thoughtful, profound work. Now the art world is so intent on creating the next art-star…. and profiting from that creation….