It's a notable achievement. In September, the Ballard/ Fetherston Gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary. In anticipation, the gallery was closed during July and August for a major facelift.
The summer months were spent expanding into a newly vacant adjacent space into what is now the largest commercial gallery on Capitol Hill. The sumptuous tinted cement floor, installed by Chris Roberts and gallery artist Tina Randolph, complements the crisp, white walls. The previous incarnation of the space always felt cramped; the new space breathes effortlessly allowing the viewer to look at the art in an appropriate setting.
Another change that will streamline its image is a change in name. The gallery has dropped "Ballard" and now announces itself as the Fetherston Gallery. Ballard Fetherston name represented the partnership of Betsy Fetherston and Carmen Ballard. Ballard dissolved her interest in the gallery in order to move to Portland and open the new RC Gallery. The rebadged Fetherston Gallery plans to continue presenting the same exciting regional and national painters that have created such a successful niche. The expansion also allows the introduction of an expanded program with more sculpture, works on paper and art for collectors at different economic strata.
Since opening the gallery in 1997, it has become a reference point on the Hill. The gallery is now part of the direction that Capitol Hill is taking and fits in well with the neighborhood's many new restaurants, its parks, quirky retail stores as well as dense urban housing.
For the Fetherston Gallery's newest program, Tina Randolph, Adde Russell and Rory Burke are featured in the exhibit "Deconstruction, Immortalization, Evocation." The program debuts on Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 22.
Wisconsin sculptor Rory Burke creates figurative/conceptual sculptural installations made of mixed media and glass, mounted on steel and wood. Sculpture Magazine named Rory Burke one of its Top Ten Sculptors to Watch in 2007. Seattle artist Tina Randolph uses mixed-media techniques in a thoroughly modern aesthetic, combining tinted cement with wax and plaster on metal. Randolph has work in the collections of Roseanne Cash, Bell Hooks and the Swedish Medical Center. Tina Randolph is to be featured in the January issue of Northwest Home and Garden as Seattle Best Artisan.
The real excitement in this trio is in the new works by Adde Russell. She has been creating a new direction in her work during the past years. Using classical oil painting materials and techniques, Russell creates paintings that challenge the context of traditional figurative paintings. Russell holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, where she video art and learned painting techniques from her peers and not from the painting faculty at that institution.
It seems appropriate that Russell is showing at a gallery celebrating its 10th anniversary. Ten years ago in Bellingham, Ben Gibbard joined forces with Chris Walla to form the band "Death Cab for Cutie." In 2003, they released "Transatlanticism," which became the band's top-selling album. Russell provided the artwork for that album and subsequently for their first major label release, "PLANS." Her artwork can also be found on the covers of local legends Rocky Votolato, [The Brag & Cuss] and The Long Winters, [Putting The Days To Bed].
Her new series of canvases for the gallery reflect a deepening maturity and a ripening delight over life's anomalies. Gone are the bright blue backgrounds and the muted earth tones; instead she gives us a white absence set against dark backgrounds.
"Tokyo to Fairbanks," created in 2007, is an oil-on-canvas diptych measuring 60" x 40" with each panel being 30" x 40." The right panel contains two portraits of cows floating in darkened space beneath a disco ball. The left panel contains the continuation of the left cow body and the negative form of a boat anchor. When put together, the image combines to let the viewer see both what is there and not there.
"Ludwig Flood" also was created in 2007. Also a diptych, the left panel contains the head of an 18-point stag along with a drum kit, which continues onto the right panel. The negative white on the dark background suggest the cymbals upside down from the very same kit. You can tell from this work that the artist also plays drums.
The palette tone composition of these works show the influence of the Italian master Caravaggio and the contemporary Norse master Odd Nerdrum. The difference with Russell is that she is more interested in the ironic placement of presence and erasure than she is into the poetry of the pathetic. The skill in which the figure is executed should require you to sit up and take notice. When Russell speaks, people should listen.
Celebrate these artists and the Fetherston Gallery by attending the opening artist reception on Nov. 16, 5-7pm.
The Fetherston Gallery is located at 818 E. Pike St. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
Steven Vroom writes about the visual arts monthly for the Capitol Hill Times. He is the host of the visual art pod cast "Art Radio Seattle" at www.VroomJournal.com He can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com[[In-content Ad]]
