Denzil Hurley, Coupled Glyph #1, 2016, oil on linen with brown stick attachment, 14 x 26 inches
Denzil Hurley, Strip Glyph #1, 2019, oil on linen, 28 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches
Indie Folk identifies a group of contemporary artists working in this unique and rugged part of North America whose works in mediums include collage, quilting, painting, and video explore history, folklore, craft traditions, and ideas of community. Whether artisanal or rough-hewn, works are patiently handmade and range from meticulous woodwork and woven baskets to homespun ceramics and textiles. A sense of place is apparent throughout the work of the seventeen featured artists, who labor under an ethos of “making-do,” as often found in working class and rural communities.
Chris Johanson, Within Time (With Connectivity and Isolation) Are We, 2020, acrylic on recycled paper, 19 15/16 x 24 3/4 inches
Chris Johanson, Then, 2020, acrylic on recycled paper, 8 1/2 x 11 inches
Blair Saxon-Hill, On Deck, 2018, LA metal, wash cloth, tin can, railing element, wood, rain jacket, fiber reinforced plaster, gouache, foam, 84 x 48 x 8 inches / Blair Saxon-Hill, With All That Is Near, 2018, wood, found paint strainer, foam, fiber reinforced plaster, cement, cloth, foam, metal, gouache, pigment, 69 x 23 x 1 inches
D.E. May, Untitled #273, 2019, ink, gouache, found papers, tape and graphite on cardboard, 7 1/4 x 5 x 1 3/4
D.E. May, Untitled, 2006, mixed media, 5 7/8 x 4 inches
D.E. May, Untitled, 2015, graphite, colored pencil and ink on found postcard, 3 1/2 x 5 3/8 inches
Cascadian themes of self-reliance and environmentalism – including a focus on land use, domesticity, recycling, and the everyday – are displayed in many of the artists’ practices, which often involve salvaged materials such as damaged paper and old clothes and now rare techniques such as stone-cut etched glass and fretwork. Indie Folk is the first exhibition to identify this thrifty, folksy, do-it-yourself aesthetic that has emerged as a defining feature of art from the Pacific Northwest.
Eirik Johnson, Scrapped Train, Arlington, Washington, 2006, archival pigment print, 24 x 30 inches, edition of 10
Eirik Johnson, The Road to Forks, Washington, 2006, archival pigment print, 24 x 30 inches, edition of 10
Eirik Johnson, Destruction Island, off the Coast of Washington, 2007, archival pigment print, 24 x 30 inches, edition of 10
Gaylen Hansen, White Fish and Blue Glove, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 inches
Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Butterfly Kiss, 2019, flashe and acrylic and wood stain on board with glazed ceramic, 11 3/4 x 15 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches
Featured artists: Brian Beck, Marita Dingus, Warren Dykeman, Joe Feddersen, Gaylen Hansen, Sky Hopinka, Denzil Hurley, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Johanna Jackson, Chris Johanson, Eirik Johnson, D.E. May, Jeffry Mitchell, Blair Saxon-Hill, Whiting Tennis, Cappy Thompson and Joey Veltkamp.
A playlist of indie folk music from the area compiled by Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records accompanies the exhibition.
Whiting Tennis, Untitled, 2018, pastel and collage on paper, 18 x 9 inches
Joey Veltkamp, The Blue Angels, 2018, fabric, thread, 72 x 91 inches
Whiting Tennis, Feral Cat, 2019, acrylic and collage on canvas, 45 x 33 inches
About the Curator
Along with her ongoing work as an independent curator and writer, Melissa E. Feldman held positions for the last several years as Distinguished Visiting Faculty at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, and Director of the Neddy Artist Awards.
Indie Folk: New Art from the Pacific Northwest
Curated by Melissa E. Feldman
May 8 – June 13, 2020 / Online, Adams and Ollman
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