Current Exhibition

July

Little and Lewis: Transitions

July 3-August 5

NOTE: Reception Friday, July 10

Conversation in the Gallery:

George Little and David Lewis,

Sat., July 11, 1 p.m.

In the four years since their last BAC exhibition, George Little and David Lewis have made substantial changes in their lives and work, including closing their internationally known garden gallery, moving to a new house ("a clean canvas"), and spending several months each year in Mexico.

Since that move last year, they have the time now to revisit and reinvent their favorite themes of nearly twenty years of collaborative work. The new, smaller, more intimate work in color-washed concrete speaks of transition to a less hectic and more private life. George and David write, "While we carefully ponder the direction of our next chapter, there is no doubt that we will include the parts from the last that gave us both joy and inspiration; Mexico, gardening, our studio work, and friends."

IMAGE: Little and Lewis, Untitled, 2009. Color-washed concrete. Photo courtesy of the artists.

The Swimming Pool

July 3-August 5

NOTE: Reception: Friday, July 10

Artist Karen Buhler says that that nothing is more luxurious than being in the water. Her glass swimmers “have names, an air of sophistication, and a graceful and humorous demeanor. I work alone; they are my friends.”

Karen's swimmers result from her knowledge of art history, her interest in visual forms in many mediums, and her great skill with glass. She writes, "My sculptural work is figurative and reflects the world around me. I like to browse through  Roman & Greek art and mythology, Art Nouveau & Art Deco figurines, pre-Columbian pottery, people-watching in Seattle, athletes and their crowds, Google Images and aqua-musical films of the 50’s. I stuff my back pockets with Picasso, Takamori, Fay Jones, and comics from the New Yorker. In my striving for aesthetic appeal and classical elegance, I can’t help but inject a little humor, fun, and the joy of the human experience.

I slow down and relax when flameworking glass in my studio, and this state of mind enables me to patiently and meticulous craft these complex hollow forms. Borosilicate glass allows careful approach. Also known as Pyrex and hard glass, its most valuable quality is that it has a very low Coefficient of Expansion and so can withstand larger temperature swings that would cause other formulas of glass to crack. In addition, hard glass can be heated, manipulated and joined in the flame of a bench burner, melting together quickly and completely."

Photographer Colleen Meacham takes her camera to the swimming pool and finds abstract patterns of space, color, and light. Colleen takes the visual elements of the pool and created a peaceful meditation in her Scattered Light series. Colleeen writes, "I found the change in color, diffusion and other changes of refracted light in the pool enhanced the joy of photographing while swimming (and swimming while photographing)."   

Sally Robison evokes the pleasure of midnight skinny-dipping in her art and in her artful statement: "What is it about a swimming pool that returns you so swiftly to your youth?  Is it the splash of cold waves on your sweaty body? Is it your smooth strokes, cutting the water as you zip along? Or is it a prohibited dip at midnight with a partner under a silvery moon? I look back on all of the above and hope to convey these moments of joy under skies filled with dawn, with sun so hot you rushed over scalding feet to reach relief, and, of course, the excitement of a secret meeting under black skies with only stars to witness your youth."

The exhibition includes painting, digital prints, collage, photography, and assemblage. Artists include Karen Buhler, Kari Bergstrom-MacKenzie, Jeannie Grisham, Penny Grist, PC Harper, Anne Lewis, Linnea Lundmark, Colleen Meacham, Elizabeth Moga, and Sally Robison.

IMAGES: Karen Buhler, A Day at the Pool, 2009. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Colleen Meacham, Scattered Light 2, 2009. Photograph.

Sally Robison, Night Pool, 2009. Digital print.