5 x 5 - Have Your Say!

5 x 5, five local artists, five national curators

Hello!

As you may have seen, we have been working on an exciting exhibition for the months of April and May. After much hard work, we have acquired 88 fabulous artist submissions and have
posted them here on our blog.

Now is the chance for you to have your say!
If you could pick 5 of them, who would you pick to be in the show? Why?

What defines “emerging art” and what is the importance of it in a healthy arts community? In 5 x 5 we seek to open a dialogue about the significance of emerging arts and the people involved in supporting it. Our national curators offer a fresh eye to Seattle arts – giving us an outside perspective and definition of what quality emerging art is. This exterior influence provides a foundation for further development of the Seattle aesthetic and a sounding board for Seattle artists to investigate their role within a national spectrum.

The premise of 5 x 5 is to offer five local emerging artists an opportunity to exhibit their work within a professional gallery setting while gaining exposure in their community as well as with nationally recognized artists and curators.

We encourage the public to open a conversation about emerging arts in the Northwest and how it is viewed through the eyes of those from other corners of the country. The exhibition will inspire critical investigation into questions such as – What is the significance of having national curators select the artists for this show? How do galleries support diversity in the arts and provide opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their work? How does the Northwest emerging art scene in this region differ from other areas? And what is currently considered “emerging art”?

The development of this exhibition has been intentionally open for public view and comments to encourage dialogue and provide a window into the process. 5 x 5 was instigated by a few people discussing “emerging art” and wanting to take that conversation to a broader place.

Participating national curators include:
Edward Goldman, National Public Radio affiliated station, KCRW 89.9 fm - Los Angeles
Steve Kursh, Artist – Woodstock, NY
Bob Nugent Artist and Curator – San Francisco, CA
Ford Crull Artist – New York, NY
and Sheila Elias Artist – Miami, FL.

5 x 5 will open Thursday April 8th, 2010 and run through June 5th, 2010. An opening reception is schedule for April 8th, 2010 from 5pm until 9pm.

Grey Gallery and Lounge is dedicated to supporting the innovation and experimentation of artists. It is open everyday from 4pm to 2am, by appointment or by chance.
Email luara@greygalleryandlounge.com with questions about 5 x 5 .

Parallel Universe gets a stellar review!

Our current show Parallel Universe has received a glowing review from the esteemed Regina Hackett. The review can be read here: Parallel Universe

Another Bouncing Ball is an excellent source for that arts and in our opinion should be read diligently!

Enjoy.
Grey Gallery and Lounge

5 x 5 Submission 89 - Lauren Wallace

Lauren Wallace
Lauren Wallace's website
BIO:

Born in South Carolina, I've lived in Washington for almost 20 years, a Pacific Northwesterner at heart. I am a graduate of the Graphic Design Production program at Western Washington University, class of 2009, where I had the opportunity to study abroad in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at the University of Alberta under the renowned First Nations artist Jane Ash Poitras. This experience greatly shaped my artistic vision and elements of the experience can be seen in almost all the art I create. I work as a designer by trade and freelance (www.laurenwallacedesign.com), and a painter by love. My work is part of private collections in cities across the United States, including Boulder, CO; Pittsburgh, PA; Asheville, NC; and of course Seattle, WA.

5 x 5 Submission 88 - Sean Alexander

Sean Alexander
statement:

I like drawing animals, sick people, cube stuff, the working class, drunks, cowboys, ice cubes, children etc... the list is always growing and being revisited again and again. I don't know why I draw this stuff, but it is what I want to draw apparently. When working with an idea I almost never refer to any source material for posturing or correctness.As a result, things end up being a little off most of the time. Sometimes styles will mesh oddly as well. Part of a drawing will look mid-cartoony while other parts are kind more refined. I want everything to look tight in my drawings but also want them to have the heart of a doodle.

Regarding art and society, there is no great purpose for my work. I merely hope that the drawings function well as drawings, meaning they are interesting to look at, descriptive, moody, and look nice hanging in interiors. I think that a good picture is a great thing.

bio:

Sean Alexander lives on his mom’s rental farm in Longbranch, Washington. From 2006 to 2008 he co-owned a small, progressive art space in Tacoma called ‘The Helm.’ His hobbies and creative ventures include making pictures, writing songs, watching football, playing scrabble, making coffee, drinking juice and spending time with his girlfriend. His most recent exhibition took place at Public Space One in Iowa City. He is currently brainstorming for future projects and enjoying spending time with good people again.

We love the Bus

We hope you can make it to the third Olympia in a Can event at Grey this Wednesday at 6pm! There will be music, awards and talk about legislators! For more information go to the Washington Bus' blog by clicking here.

5 x 5 Submission 87 - Anne Cho

Anne Cho
Anne Cho's website

5 x 5 Submission 86 - Marie Gagnon

Marie Gagnon
Marie Gagnon's website
Bio
Marie is a painter, culture warrior and an avid observer. She was born to a painter and a physician and grew up in Western MA. Her first painting lessons came from her mother. There were many stops and starts in Marie's journey as a painter as she struggled with the practicality of pursuing such a life. But the pull of her passion was strong and at 36 she completed her BFA in painting at the University of New Hampshire. Marie currently has a studio in the 619 Western building here in Seattle.

5 x 5 Submission 85 - Jim Cleary

Jim Cleary

Biography

Jim Cleary is an amateur photographer whose interest was sparked by an unexpected Nikon D40 camera from Santa in 2008. After graduating from college at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC in 2008, Jim moved to Seattle to pursue a career in marketing and explore the west coast. He was born in Detroit, MI but grew up in Charlotte, NC. Jim enjoys exploring new places - especially by road trip - photographing his travels along the way.

Jim began shooting photographs at college in the mountains of North Carolina. He photographed his travels throughout the South, followed by trips to the Midwest, Hawaii, British Columbia, Scandinavia and Tokyo. Jim enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest because of its seemingly endless supply of photo opportunities.

Jim enjoys the minimalist aspects of landscape as well as the simple thrill of capturing a spectacular moment in time. He is excited to continue learning about photography techniques while exploring additional parts of the world and taking photos along the way.

5 x 5 Submission 84 - Elise Richman

Elise Richman
Elise Richman's website
BIOGRAPHY
Elise Richman received a BFA from the University of Washington and an MFA from American University. She has shown extensively in the Mid-Atlantic and Northwest regions in commercial galleries, university galleries, and alternative art spaces. Her work is part of private collections in a number of cities including Washington, DC, Baltimore MD, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Seattle, WA. Elise is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Puget Sound. She lives and works in Tacoma, WA

5 x 5 Submission 83 - Tamara Stephas

Tamara Stephas
Tamara Stephas' website
About My Work

We have been shaped by our environment for millennia. Likewise we shape our environment in return. Since the first pit was dug to trap a mastodon, we have been clearing fields, erecting walls, building dams, adopting or exterminating entire species.

In the context of this era of breathtaking change, I am compelled to examine the relationship between humans and our environment in my artwork.

Sometimes that relationship is benign and sheltering, sometimes it is one-sided or antagonistic. Often it is ambiguous. I am interested in how our architectural spaces reflect us. I am likewise interested in the tension between the built and the grown, the manmade and the natural. That is why my landscapes display confusion between a bucolic natural scene and the other side of the gallery wall; and why my sculptural houses grow legs.

Artist Bio

Like many in the Northwest, I am influenced by a mixture of urban and rural culture: mountains and freeway interchanges; hiking and bicycling and digital algorithms. My art and the themes that concern me reflect these influences.

Originally from Vancouver BC, I grew up in Oregon and studied art and computer science in Oregon and Toronto. After realizing that traditional artistic mediums were even more intriguing to me than computer graphics, I studied for several years at Gage Academy of Art, and now live in Seattle. I work in a variety of media, primarily oil painting and wood sculpture.

5 x 5 Submission 82 - Loewyn Young

Loewyn Young
I am engulfed by the idea of suffering and where the motivation in causing it comes from. Fruit is my victim, because it is miraculous and beautiful and patient. It’s important to me that this work is open to interpretation, but for me this series evokes feelings of empathy and also satisfaction.

Loewyn was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on January 7^th, 1983. After 13 years in Massachusetts her mother relocated her and her sister to Washington, far far away from their father. Eventually settled in Shoreline Loewyn struggled to meet people she could relate to and make new friends. She first entered her school’s darkroom at age fourteen and has since dedicated herself to voraciously studying the art of photography. For her, photography has become a tool not only for capturing the unfolding story of her own life, but also a voice for the often macabre meditations that would otherwise remain dormant in her mind. She is a Master silver gelatin printer and is equally proficient with color and digital.

5 x 5 Submission 81 - Anouk Rawkson

Anouk Rawkson
Anouk Rawkson's website
The artist featured here, Anouk Rawkson has been well-received within Seattle’s artistic community. Over the past couple of years, his work has been shown with great success in various area galleries and stores.

His art is best associated with the Lowbrow visual art movement, with various influences ranging from punk music and underground comics to B-movies and other subcultures. As a kind of rebellion against the classics, such art is also recognized as having a distinct sense of humor. In fact, Rawkson’s goal with his art is to express his sense of irony, the darker subtext underneath an initially perceived innocent image.

“First and foremost, when people first look at my art, I want them to feel happy,” Rawkson says. “But then when they get closer and really look at the details of it, the darker side of the cuteness, I want it to make them think.”
Unable to confine his creativity to just one medium, Rawkson has also devoted much time to the creation of a line of plushies/voodoo dolls. He is also planning sometime in the near future to design and attach his name to a line of apparel, handbags and other accessories.