Dana Schutz Again

If you are a fan of Dana Schutz than you may want to set aside a block of time to watch her interviewed by Keith Mayerson in the fall of 2011. In it Schutz explains her approach to painting from paradigms.

Before beginning the painting "Swimming, Smoking, Crying" Schutz considered what three verbs cannot possibly be performed at the same time. After some thought she concluded that smoking, swimming and crying inexplicably work together. Her "Face-eating" series depicts the final stages of this act, and as strange as it sounds the paintings make so much sense to me. This is definitely weird stuff, and I suspect you'll get no argument from Schutz on that score. The challenge for her seems to lie in depicting the impossible. Fortunately for us she does it so well.

In the interview Schutz also discusses how issues of time and narrative impact her work, artists who have influenced her, and much more. The interview is about an hour long so make popcorn and get comfortable.

Robert Yoder at Platform Gallery

Thick and thin. Light and dark. Robert Yoder's paintings and collages in a show he calls DILF at Platform Gallery are often compelling in their graphic contrasts and elegance. Details have been fondled but not overworked. The result is a show that is a little bit coy. The work draws you in but reveals not quite enough. Ultimately you are left wondering and yet vaguely satisfied, well not satisfied enough to stop thinking about them. It's a lovely show.

WHAT: DILF
WHO: Robert Yoder
WHERE: Platform Gallery in Pioneer Square
WHEN: Through June 16, 2012

Images were taken with the permission of the gallery.

Q & A: More with Tod Gangler

Tod Gangler of Art and Soul Photography, agreed to answer a few more questions about his thought process and the process of color carbon printing as a follow-up the original interview I posted on April 6.

SD: What is the first thing you do as you begin your work?

TG: With my work being my photography, I start each new project by researching old ideas. I like to have a foundation of ideas, and I like to use photo images to explore themes from art history. I don't look at images from art history as much as read, including biographies of dead artists. Then, as I start to make the first few pictures in a new body of work, I look hard to see what the pictures show that I've completely overlooked- there's always plenty! The project then usually goes in new directions, suggested by the pictures themselves.

Eirik Johnson at G. Gibon Gallery

Johnson's current exhibition of photographs, Camps and Cabins, at G. Gibson Gallery, up through May 26, are full of the pinny richness of Eastern Oregon mountains, and rough structures in the cool arctic landscape. It will come as no surprise that the structures appeal to me. The cabins and houses, some incomplete or abandoned, others roughly built, are full of possibilities while containing elements of sadness, of dreams unfulfilled. And home. The images speak of home and all weighty emotions contained within. Go see the show. Even better, tomorrow, Saturday, May 19, at 2:00 hear Johnson speak. You know I'll be there.

Red Matter

Red Matter, 18"x18", mixed-media, 2012

Where did the concept of painting in series originate? Was it inspired by a gallery owner looking to satisfy an audience or simply born out of the process of painting because the artist got snagged by an idea and couldn't let it go? Wherever it came from, there has often been a gnome who resides on my right shoulder scolding me, reminding me that I'd better put together a series of work. On the other shoulder is the gnome that says, "Hey Sue! Chill, baby. Just work and the rest will take care of itself."
Red Matter is part of what has emerged to be a series of work done while chilling out. The value of becoming a student again, which I hadn't anticipated, is the distraction it provides while working in the studio. Put another way, I forgot about the whole painting in series concept. It wasn't until a recent studio session of cleaning, reorganizing, and putting the newest work on the wall that this new series became evident. That moment when matter coalesces into something new is dang exciting. It's one of the reasons that I paint.

Cool! - Van Gogh Watercolor

 1882 water color of a pollard willow by Vincent van Gogh from his early Dutch period. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam unveiled the painting Thursday.

Dreaming Home at Art & Soul This Saturday

Paintings from my Dreaming Home series will be on display at Art & Soul Gallery (2860 NW Market, Seattle) through the first week of June. The opening is this Saturday from 6-8 pm. The gallery is open Mon-Fri, 9-5 pm. Please stop by.

Shades of Gray, acrylic, 36"x36", 2011

Intersections

During the installation of Radiant Flux (Combined Selves) with Lori Koshork and artist, Therese Buckmiller, who created the piece.

A few weeks ago I had the honor of helping my friend and artist, Therese Buchmiller, and her partner, Lori Koshork, with the installation of Radiant Flux (Combined Selves) as part of Intersections: Interpretations and Reflections of Queer Artists that was on exhibition until yesterday at the Viking Gallery on the Campus of Western Washington University in Bellingham. Other exhibiting artists were Adrain Chesser, Timothy White Eagle, Paul D. McKee, Garth Amundson, Pierre Gour and Steven Miller. It is unfortunate that I didn't get a post here before the show ended. Luckily you can view a video here. Curator, Ashley Hollender, did a nice job of pulling together strong work that intelligently explores identity.

Radiant Flux is a piece that I first saw in March of 2011 at Rock DeMent Gallery. It is a visual feast, a cohesive whole made up of colorful and mysterious objects generated from re-purposed objects and packaging material that are suggestive, or outright representative, of female body parts, from eyes to breasts. Radiant Flux (Combined Selves) reflects a complex yet humorous exploration into identity that is life affirming. For my part, I had a blast getting to experience the recombining.

New One

Pink Square, acrylic, 9"x11", 2012

As I mentioned before, I've started back to school and am beginning to develop a routine that better balances time between studio and homework. When life gets crazy, hopefully, we figure it out and gain a sort of equilibrium. That has been the case for me during the past week so it feels good to share some of new paintings that first appeared on twocoatsofpaint.com following Sharon Butler's visit to Building C Studios. Here is the first one, Pink Square.