The Heart

As I wandered through The Old Cracker building, Terrain’s new headquarters, I found myself drawn to works of non-typical mediums. From interactive videos to unique metal sculptures, Terrain hosts a wide variety of works both from local and distant artists.

The piece which most caught my attention was a large wooden lion’s head. “The Heart” by Sarah Moeser, was a mosaic of individually cut and stained wood pieces. The pieces were arranged in the shape of a lion’s head using different shades of stain to depict different regions of the head. In addition to the unique shapes and shades of each wooden cutout, Moeser used a layering effect to add depth, and catch the viewer’s eye.

I enjoyed this piece most, of all the works at Terrain, because the artist used a very unique style to portray the head of the lion. I have never seen this style used before, and thought it was a very exceptional method to illustrate the inner beauty of such a fierce animal. Needless to say, if I had an additional $600 to spend, “The Heart” would have become the newest installment in my personal collection.

197 Ill Intentions Hidden in Public View

Jessica Earle

            As I stood by the dream catcher I noticed people going in and out of a dark little passageway into an even darker room to what seemed like another installation but I was hesitant to check it out myself. That is, until I heard a few people say “wow, that was amazing” or “that was really worth checking out!”. Titled 197 Ill Intentions Hidden in Public View by Jessica Earle, I was puzzled by what could possibly be displayed inside this brick cave. When I ducked under the doorway and took a few steps inside, my attention was directed towards the far corner walls where a looped video was being projected onto the corner of the small dark and dusty room. On the left side of the video was a naked woman wrapping ropes around her body in a tight and somewhat tangled manner. On the other part of the video the same woman was trying to take off the same ropes she had just wrapped around herself. There were also ropes lying on the floor just in front of the wall where the video was being projected. It hit me instantly how vulnerable and restricted we all can become within a situation. We continue to layer on the ropes, tangling ourselves up in something that will only keep restricting us. But then we realize how capable we are of getting ourselves out of a "dark brick cave, covered in ropes" on our own, as did the woman on the right who had started taking the ropes off of her body. And then, feeling hopeful and inspired, I turned around and walked back out into the rest of the old beautifully lit building full of people who love art. Well done Jessica Earle. 

Psychedelic stay-at-home Butterfly Girl.

I asked her if I could take the unburned cigarette in the orange glass ashtray.

"I have no idea how that got there. People keep leaving them I think."
"Really. Can I have one then?"
"Go ahead, my friend."

When I smoked it outside by the burrito cart I realized I'd never been in a butterfly's house before. Damn. Should have left something instead of taking. Then again. What could I possibly have that a shy, stay-at-home Butterfly girl would want?

Everything in her living room reflected her: her wings, her style, her person. Do I seriously envy a lonely bug? She had something though. Created a space in which she was completely herself. And that is pretty fucking hard to do.

                                                                                                                             annie 

Band-Aid

This piece hangs on the wall without much introduction, just a rectangle of either canvas or heavy weight paper, and a rough white border framing yellow – sometimes solid color, sometimes swaths.  The yellow itself lies beneath a single object, the Band-Aid, floating just above center and taking up the length of this background.  Large, sloppy brush strokes of the primary color discontinue so that a particular patch in the bottom middle shows white.  

Drips interrupt this blank space.  Drips from the Band-Aid, and drips from the yellow, at times combining or sliding next to each other to form color combinations, like the muddy green and the brown-orange pooling on the edge of the bottom white border to leak into each other and mix new colors.

An additional medium is introduced on top of this muted palette and loose painting.  Rough grid lines, more uniform to the right side of the Band-Aid and more like scratches to the left, provide dimension to an otherwise almost monochromatic piece.  The Band-Aid feels weighted in the space, the yellow behind at once bleeding through and adding the foundational layer to an object set apart.  In keeping with the looseness of the painting, the lines themselves however rigid do not fall precisely into the borders of the object, but instead bleed past.  This mimics the function of paint drips in a uniquely non-paint way.  

In combination with materials used, the piece seems to have a formal element of geometry.   The Band-Aid is an interesting yet seemingly oval shape, playing off of the repeated circles in the Band-Aids center surrounded by a rectangle, while this shape is in turn reflected in the somewhat linear, sometimes square ended brushstrokes.  In this sense the paint drips provide an interesting contrast, since although messy by nature they still act somewhat like lines.

           *    *    * 

I enjoy a piece of artwork that can combine a beautiful and pleasing aesthetic experience with disturbing or off-putting subject matter.  I also enjoyed this piece because it felt accessible.  I have less of a context for things like installation or performance art, and so often feel like I’m not sure how to approach it.  A painting I’ve seen before, so I sometimes feel more ready to engage with one. 

 I was initially drawn to this piece by the use of color, and remained intrigued because of the combined subject matter and painting style.  A Band-Aid is an inherently gross object, yet at the same time sterile, meant for healing and keeping clean.  The colors of deep yellow and browns combined with murky green feel like an illness. On the other hand, they are beautiful, a color combination I am often drawn to in other contexts.  

My immediate associations with Band-Aids are weird and nasty: public pools at summer camp, scraped knees, ripping off skin, the elementary school secretary’s office.  However, I also associate Band-Aids with choosing which fun cartoon image I will use to declare a new battle scar to fellow childhood playmates.   

The more I looked at this piece, the more disgusting and the more beautiful the Band-Aid became – this is why I loved it. 

*Note: My personal photo made it impossible to read the name of the artist and piece's title. I apologize! I've included an Inlander photo bellow, but if anyone knows the artist's info please share! 

image via Inlander

Patchwork

Walking through Terrain’s main event on Friday night was an exhilarating experience. As someone who grew up in Spokane, it was great to see so many familiar faces coming together to experience and appreciate the Spokane art community. There were definitely some good vibes going on throughout the place. 

My favorite art pieces were two watercolor and ink paintings by Jacob Miller. The one that really caught my eye was the piece titled Patchwork. I was drawn to this piece purely by fascination and inspiration. Through its medley of watercolor painting and ink (painting, blotting and ink blowing techniques I’m guessing), Jacob Miller was able to capture a woman’s facial features in an abstract and beautiful manner. I was really drawn to his techniques as inspiration for the work I hope to create one day. I have always loved the combination of watercolor and ink. The way he was able to make the piece so subtle, yet so dynamic, and so fun, yet so serious, made Patchwork most striking to me. The bright and airy blues against the striking black and brown splashes made for a captivating contrast. I was able to stand and stare at the piece for quite a while. It definitely left a mark on my brain as a source of inspiration and motivation for my future creations. 

"Bassinet" from Terrain

While at Terrain, I found myself pleasantly overwhelmed at all the artwork represented. Knowing that the artists hold the memories and emotions that create the art is incredible and frightening at the same time! One of the most noteworthy artworks for me was “Bassinet” by Megan Riffe. 

Her piece was displayed on a white mat with a baby bassinet woven with several products on a stool, with a rope leading out of the bassinet attaching to a spool. Her mediums consisted of moving blanket, truck rope, wire, a stepladder, and a spool. The colors featured are bluish purple, black, orange, and mixed speckles in the moving blanket. 

I believe this piece stood out to me because it wasn’t too scarring, but also left me with an uneasy feeling. My mind went straight to the message that the piece is supposed to portray, and what it ended up portraying to me. To me thoughts of industrialism, and attachment were prominent. 

I especially wondered about the spool attaching the rope into the bassinet, perhaps symbolizing an umbilical cord. There are several directions my mind took me after that observation, whether it was a message of attachment, or more specific topics such as abortion. While passing by the pieces I was in awe of the talent, creativity, and power they held.

Fragile Stability

Terrain is an exceptionally lively event downtown Spokane. As a newcomer to the city, I had no idea of Spokane’s incredible art scene. There were hundreds of local works of art in every medium you could think of, an incredible sight indeed. I was overwhelmed with the talent and livelihood of Spokane’s biggest art event, and was proud to think this city was my new home. I was unable to attend Terrain’s main event on Friday evening, however I did attend the artist reception. During the event, one piece in particular stood out to me: a collection of ceramic and lace pieces draped over vintage furniture. The ceramic pieces were of a light salmon color and formed in a manner that resembles coral. The lace was incorporated through out the pieces and helped the fluidity of the overall piece.  Each furniture piece was paired with a coral cluster in varying sizes, though the balance of ceramic and furniture was seamless. As I had gone to the artist reception instead of the main event, the name card for this particular piece was not placed, and thus I am unaware of the artists name and work title. Though I found the mystery of the title to further intrigue me in understanding this work of art. I loved the delicateness the pieces portrayed, especially next to the aged furniture. I found the paring to be complimentary and the whole piece aesthetically fluid.  The contrast of soft and rigid drew me to the piece, as often furniture is associated with comfort and leisure. The coral aesthetic of the pieces created a visual alien like appearance, drawing the viewer in to examine the piece and create a more personal connection. Most interesting was the idea of taking something fragile and paring it with stable furniture, removing the element of comfort from a home setting and instead adding the element of fragility.