Tom Burrows, Elisha Bay, polymer resin, 48 x 48 inches

TOM BURROWS
THE CURVE OF TIME V
March 3 - 26, 2022
Opening First Thursday, March 3, 6 - 8 pm - Artist in Attendance
Artist Talk: Saturday March 5, 12:30 pm 

The artwork included in The Curve of Time series by Tom Burrows are named after bodies of water and landmarks from the Inside Passage (Puget Sound near Seattle up to Alaska). The Curve of Time by Wylie Blanchet is inspiration for the series and it takes place in the Inside Passage.  This book recounts Blanchet's summer sailing adventures with her five children and dog in the 1930s and 40s.

After realizing that many places along the Inside Passage were named for the admiralty of the explorers, Burrows decided that he could just as well name them after some of his family who have enjoyed their cabins in the British Columbia waterway for a few generations. Elisha Bay is named for his son, Elisha; the two sail together, and the piece is a rich blue. Other pieces with family names are Gina Rocks, Josh Cove and Yasmine Arm.

Burrows approaches his work with an open, intellectual thoughtfulness. His artworks embody concepts through color, exuding presence and luminosity. Each piece provides its own space for meditative encounter and reflection. The Curve of Time V was born of Burrows observations of and experiences within a familiar region he has long inhabited, but which in some ways has changed noticeably. Surrounded by the Salish Sea, Burrows spends much of the year at his island studio, where the effects of climate change are clear. 

Tom Burrows, Okisollo Channel,  polymer resin, 48 x 48 inches

In his artist statement, Burrows shares “Very early in the summer of 2021, a searing heat dome hung over the island for days emphasizing the presence of a record drought that by mid-August had lowered the local aquifer to the level that my pump failed. We had no water for the first time in fifty years on that island. A third of my planned studio production had to be abandoned.  Luckily, we were spared most of the smoke wafting from the burning mainland forests as I fumbled about trying to reconstruct the plumbing. By November the highest recorded rainfall for that time of year had finally penetrated the heat-baked soil and the aquifer began to rise. Water re-emerged from the faucets.

We live in a time of crisis. The sheltered interconnected seas and channels that line the Northwest coast from Puget Sound to Alaska offer protection from the vast powers of the open Pacific. If one attempts to read the ever-changing light of that inner passage, its tidal surge, the spawn of its creatures, there is a possible solace. The Curve of Time V (a series now in its fifth year), strives to portray the luminosity of those inner coastal waters in its subtle variance."

It is indeed this notion of solace that Burrows so aptly captures and shares. With subtlety and exactitude, Burrows allows his artworks to appear effortless; each is filled with character, highlighting the sublime colors of the natural world from which Burrows draws comfort. Yet far from being static, the wall sculptures contain within their fields of color gentle insistence that we pay attention; to ensure that what inspires us today exists in perpetuity.

 Tom Burrows, Beazley Passage and Sockeye, both polymer resin, both 48 x 30 inches

Throughout his career, Tom Burrows has explored a myriad of sculptural materials and styles, ranging from performative, site-specific installation work to two-dimensional pieces. His work has always been concerned with drawing attention to social and environmental issues; he has presented research-driven artist responses to homelessness, housing, and displacement, and more recently refers to the increasingly evident negative impacts of climate change. Having developed a unique process through his explorations in casting polymer resin, Burrows’ resulting wall sculptures showcase color as an entity, light as an active participant, and stillness as essential.

Tom Burrows has a BA in Art History from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, and studied Sculpture at St. Martin’s College, London, UK. He has shown his work internationally, at galleries across North America, and at places like the Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, Belgium; Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, France; and Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC. His work is part of collections including the Canadian Embassy to Japan, Tokyo; Government of Ontario Art Collection, Toronto, ON; the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; and Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, ON among others.

Click here to learn more and see available works.

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GROUP EXHIBITION
ELEMENTS: FIRE
Opening November 4, 2021

The second of four group exhibitions grounded by the elements, Elements: Fire opens at Foster/White Gallery on November 4, 2021. A wide range of interpretations, the artwork in this grouping includes explorations of the increasing frequency of forest fires and their implications, the raw violence of fire, and the beauty of a flame; we are reminded of water's power against an inferno, given images of death and rebirth, of natural cycles, and of the devastation left in a fire's wake. And, despite the impact of that devastation, many of us have deeply cherished memories attached to fire - it can represent gathering with loved ones, staring into embers beneath starry skies, learning to make a s'more for the first time, or warming cold hands after hours in the snow. 

Historically relied upon to sustain life - warmth, light, the daily preparation of meals - fire has taken a lesser role in our lives in modern society; its domestic presence is typically limited to the infrequent hearth, reserved for back-yard fire pits, and camping trips. Still, collectively we acknowledge the power and mystique of its immense force; one that we control when we can, and are lost to when we cannot. 

Elements: Fire is a challenging exhibition in light of the current reality and impact of forest fires around the world, but beautiful in its diverse perspectives. We grapple with the knowledge that this combustion often stems from the negative impacts of our race on the natural world, while also navigating the inherent truth of an environmental  cycle that includes fire and its effects as part of a healthy rhythm. In a world that has changed so significantly in the past fifty years, we have yet to find a balance between ourselves and some of the most constant and elemental forces of our planet. Seeking to master fire, we are as yet subject to its tendencies, despite how drastically our own have changed.

Says participating artist Sarah Winkler,

"In the Smoke Signals paintings, I want to capture the explosive dance of the wildfire. Emit the heat of the moment. The splatters of smoke and lines of a blaze where the almost amorphous land forms appear to melt. A wildfire is an event which demonstrates both nature's violence and its vulnerability. Though this environment is nothing but hostile for human life, through choice of color these images have a sensuality, a sense of calmness. A pure celebration of the power of nature."

Shar Coulson, Fauna Flora Figure 173, 48 x 40 inches, $8,300

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Opening October 7, 2021

Julie Himel’s work explores the space between our connection with and distance from the natural world. Her first solo exhibition at Foster/White Gallery, Broken Beautiful is an exploration driven by the artists close ties with the natural world; favored places become recognizable to us as the artist returns to them, perhaps in different seasons, capturing changes in light, emotion, and growth. Himel also invites us into imagined places, using color and contrast to draw us into the dreamlike spaces she creates.
 
Says Himel, "On all levels of human experience there is the coexistence of two ends of the cycle. At this time, we are facing massive environmental change, and watching the way things were shift to a new reality. The reason for that shift and for what is broken is human interaction with the environment. The title of this exhibition is an acceptance of needing to let nature be, and honoring the beautiful adaptations."

Julie Himel, It Was Written in the Sky, mixed media on canvas, 48 x 40 inches

Click here to view collection.

Will Robinson, Andantino, stone, 32.5 x 22 x 15 inches 

Will Robinson

Tapestry | Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair 

August 5 - 28, 2021 

Achieving warmth and softness with unforgiving stone, Robinson breathes life into each of his pieces, revealing the innate qualities of the natural medium he works with. His sculptures are as much about discovery as they are reflections of the artist’s intuition. 

Finding boulders and slabs across the Pacific Northwest is the beginning of his artistic process. From the exterior it is often impossible to determine the characteristics and mineral properties within each stone. It is only after he has begun to carve through each piece that he discovers intricacies and attributes to highlight through sculptural form. Within his newest body of work, Robinson weaves a diverse array of sculptures together through the common thread of his pursuit of beauty.

Will Robinson, Ripple in Time, stone, 66 x 32 x 21 inches

Will Robinson studied History at the University of Washington. His work has been shown across North America, including at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT; SOFA Exposition, Chicago, IL; Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, ON, and around the Pacific Northwest. His sculptures were selected by jury for exhibitions such as the City of Woodinville’s Juried Invitational Exhibition, Woodinville, WA and the Bainbridge Island Invitational Classic for the Arts, Bainbridge Island, WA. Robinson’s sculptures have been selected for numerous public art collections and site-specific sculpture commissions such as for Swedish Medical Center, Issaquah, WA; the Las Vegas Cleveland Clinic designed by Frank Gehry, Las Vegas, NV, and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Memorial Plaza, Bremerton, WA. His work has also been included in dozens of corporate and private collections across North America.

To learn more about Will Robinson and to see available works please visit his page.

Robert Marchessault, Pupuri, acrylic and oil on canvas stretched on panel, 60 x 48 inches

Robert Marchessault

Grow / Re-Grow
July 1 - 24, 2021

Robert Marchessault, Arcs, oil and acrylic on panel, 52 x 40 inches

Says the artist, "For many years, my landscapes, and in particular my images of trees, have been a visual metaphor for overcoming difficulties and thriving in adversity. I am in wonder at how trees are able to take root and grow in spite of forces aligned against them.  Wind, drought, rocks, pollution, pests and disease make survival a struggle. Yet, in the face of the misery; trees adapt, change, bend, re-grow and thrive."

Robert Marchessault received a Visual Arts Diploma from Dawson College, Montreal, QC, a BFA from Concordia University, Montreal, QC and an MA from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. His work has been shown internationally including at Gotland Museum, Visby, Sweden, and many galleries across North America. He’s been the recipient of dozens of awards including a Canada Council Travel Grant. Marchessault’s paintings are in dozens of art collections including 20th Century Fox, Bank of Montreal, Rothschilds Inc, and Royal Bank, among many others.

To learn more about Robert Marchessault and to see available works, please visit his page.

Alden Mason

A Teacher's Legacy 

Through July 24, 2021

"I took many independent studies with Alden. The 4 & 5 year painting students shared a classroom where we could set up our spaces and leave them. Professors would come to this space and talk with us about our work. When we started, Alden thought my work was too dark and brooding. He encouraged me to have humor and color - a sense of fun. It's always in my mind as I work."

- Allison Collins

“[...] He always seemed to be just back from, or heading out for a fishing trip, and always wore his Fred Flintstone style fishing hat in the building. The class was loosely based on the landscape, and I remember him telling us that the ground was usually and surprisingly lighter than the background - or sky because of the light coming from above. He was very amusing and lighthearted, but took the act of art-making very seriously, and I think he made a good impression on all of us.” - Whiting Tennis

"[...]He asked everyone to gather around and instructed us that we were to paint something unique that resonated with our own personal perspective. The constraints he said, were that we could use only three colors, black, white and gray and that we could only paint the objects he provided. This he said was often the challenge in life, to make something beautiful out of what life provides and be prepared to change course. It was this lesson, more than any others, that stuck with me over the years and provided the key to solving enumerable quandaries. [...]" - Deb Hunter

"[...] His entire being danced with such energy, that he seemed to shake with life. His voice would shudder with laughter,
even as he gave a student the most devastating of criticism. [...]"

- Linda Beaumont

"[...] He loved sharing the joy of making art with all of us, his students, colleagues and friends. He had ambition for himself, and for all of us as well...he wanted every one of us to have a successful career. [...]"

- Gene Gentry McMahon

Alden Mason’s retrospective exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum, Fly Your Own Thing, is on view through October 10, 2021. Greg Kucera Gallery will be showing a selection of Mason's painting and drawing through- July 10, 2021, as well as watercolor paintings by Ray Hill, Mason’s instructor and mentor.