May 2013 Gallery Picks Newsletter

May is settling in nicely here on Bainbridge Island, blossoms popping everywhere in their welcome arrays of soon-to-be-summer color.  We've even spotted some here in the Gallery, so we feel we must share these new glorious pieces of art with you in our monthly Gallery Picks Newsletter.

For more information on each item, click on its title; you will be transported, web-style, to our online shop.  Or wander into the Gallery for the real-life, close-up experience!

So... what were we saying about blossoms...

Nasturtium.  Illuminated Sculpture

This hanging lamp, made of bent wood and layers of tissue paper,
is simply delightful, bringing the glowing beauty of summer nasturtiums
right into your home.
We have several other new lamps as well, including a colorful
sconce, and always welcome commission requests. 

Elements.  Isnia

Silk Batik Reverse Applique

 An amazing creation from Isnia, this striking silk batik reverse applique
wallhanging is a vibrant depiction of the Four Elements on one side, and a
cooler expanse of what might be aquatic blooms on the other.  It is part
of the current Isnia exhibition on display at the Gallery.
Unfortunately, we're down to the last few days of this gorgeous show;
the pieces will come down next weekend.  Their next stop is Leipzig, Germany,
where they will be displayed in a museum.

Oober Poncho, White.  Amy Brill

The perfect wrap, this clever sleeved poncho is hand-knit from linen
and rayon yarns.  It goes beautifully with just about any outfit you fancy -
over jeans, perhaps, or a lightweight dress.  We've paired it here with
Carol Lee Shanks' deep purple crinkle silk tunic dress and skirt, perfect
 for a cool lady on a warm summer night, and draped it with two silk
batik beaded textile necklaces from Isnia's Red Lotus jewelry line.
Gorgeous!

Silk chiffon Shibori Scarf, Purples.  Carter Smith

We admit it.  We are infatuated with our recent Carter Smith arrivals.
And they've become so popular that we can barely keep them
photographed and posted in the shop.  Carter's artistry is in
full bloom in this incredible silk chiffon shibori scarf in tones of
purple, fuschia, navy blue, and copper.  Drape this over a white
or cream top and see how far you can go without drawing admiring
stares and compliments!  Of course, don't fret if purple isn't in your
color-scheme of things:  simply click on the link above, head
over to the Gallery's online shop, and you'll see many
different sizes and colors, with more to come.
Oh, and you might want to hold onto your heart!

Memory, Myth, Motif.  Eric Nelsen

Wood Fired Ceramic

A remarkable sculpture by Vashon Island artist Eric Nelsen.
Eric's intricate wood-fired pieces sometimes defy the laws of gravity
while drawing one's eye to every nook and cranny, each element
begging to be explored and contemplated by the viewer.  The effects
of the wood kiln (anagama) add to the "ancient artifact" quality of his work,
painstakingly executed in clay and flame, its very survival in the five-day firing
an amazing accomplishment, and a tribute to the artist. 

Silk Batik Mini-Scarf, Pinks.  Red Lotus for Isnia

We mentioned Isnia's silk batik textile jewelry line above; here's a closer look.
They are made from silk that has been hand-batiked in Isnia's Yogyakarta, Java,
studio, which is then sewn into various styles and embellished with gemstones,
freshwater pearls and tiny Delicata beads, as well as other delightful textile elements,
like silk-covered wooden beads.  They come in a variety of styles and lengths,
including multi-strand mini-scarves that can be tossed saucily over the
shoulders for a look that would make Isadora Duncan drool.
 

Eggshell Bowl #3.  Robin Hominiuk

A glowing Eggshell!
 This tiny wood-fired bowl is made of porcelain and rests in its own
rustic nest (wood-fired stoneware), happy to sit near you and
simply radiate light.  We have just received three of these
lovely sculptures, each a bit different in size and coloration,
all beautiful.  The exterior shows the warm touch of the
kiln's fire; the interior surprises, with a touch of rosy color and
a cheerful puddle of blue-green crackle glaze.

Sterling Silver Disk Earrings.  Gitana/Agnes Seebass

These are wonderful!  Simple, at first glance, but  they are more complex in design
than one might think, and at two and a half inches long make quite a statement.
(They also whimsically remind us of either errant UFOs or our local
landmark and beloved icon, the Seattle Space Needle!)
Sterling silver, delicately hammered, on secure posts, they are just dazzling.
(We actually think they'd like to escape, and zip around the skies at night;
either that, or visit the Needle for dinner with their Very Best Friend...)

This summer promises to be exciting, including the return of the Beau Metro Quartet to the Gallery in June!  We'll be posting reminder notices about that, and more, soon.  If you'd like to receive a reminder e-card directly in your inbox to let you know what's happening at the Gallery, simply send your e-mail address to sr@theislandgallery.net and we'll sign you up.  Otherwise, you can add us to you RSS feed by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page. 

May 2013 First Friday Artwalk: You're Invited!

We have an unusual schedule between now and late May:  Because the month's batik textile exhibit is "traveling" and must depart before the end of May, we have scheduled a week of early previews leading up to the First Friday Artwalk on May 3rd.  The Artists' Reception will be held on May 10th from 6-8 pm, when Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam will join us for the evening.  (See past postings for more information on the artists.)

For textile and batik afficionados everywhere, here's a tantalizing detail from one of the large batik art pieces in the show, Tumbuh, showing lots of lively flora and fauna in its Aboriginal symbols and earthy colors:

Tumbuh, 2009 (Detail).  Batik on Silk. 

Collaboration, Agus Ismoyo & Nia Fliam with Ernabella Arts

For First Friday, we again welcome Peter Spencer & Friends!  This month will feature fiddler Sarah Comer and appearances by three of Peter's guitar students:  JD Stahl, Natasha Stearns, and Willa Jones-Irwin.  The concert is free and will be, we have no doubt, fabulous!

To follow us, subscribe to our blog feed (go to the bottom of the page for link) or send an e-mail to sr@theislandgallery.net to be put on our mailing list and receive a notice in your inbox for the monthly Gallery Picks Newsletter, exhibits, sales, and musical events.

ISNIA Exhibit: About the Artists

ISNIA stands for the collaborative team of Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam, renowned for their intricate, nuanced and time-intensive textiles. They are widely acknowledged as the first artists in Indonesia to go beyond the boundaries of modern batik painting and extensively explore the medium of Javanese batik as contemporary textile art. Ismoyo’s ancestors produced batik for the royal court of Surakarta in Central Java; Fliam was born in the United States and studied at the Pratt Institute, New York, traveling to Indonesia in 1983 to study batik, where she has lived since. In 1985 they established the batik studio Brahma Tirta Sari (“Creativity is the source of all knowledge”) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Semar Jalan-Jalan, 2009.  Batik on Silk

Embracing artistic traditions and philosophical ideas that span continents, Ismoyo and Fliam have conducted numerous workshops in Indonesia, Africa, the United States (including Bainbridge Island, Washington), and Australia, working in collaboration with Australian Aboriginals, Native Americans and Asian artists. Their collaborative work in Australia, Africa and Indonesia has had the sponsorship of the Ford Foundation and the American Embassy in Indonesia. One notable collaboration, with a group of Aboriginal artists from the Utopia Community in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, began in March 1999 and continued for more than two years, producing 20 large batik art pieces subsequently exhibited around the world, including a 2005 exhibit at The Island Gallery, Bainbridge Island. This series, along with the consistent quality and scope of their entire body of work, has garnered Ismoyo and Fliam critical acclaim for successfully exploring their own creativity while pursuing a broader understanding of the value, role and meaning of tradition in the development of world culture.

Ismoyo and Nia explain:

“Our world culture is, in fact, one, and has arisen from the strength of ‘budi’ or human intelligence, and the spirit of humankind motivates this intelligence. This spirit is the oneness or unity we speak of. In any creative work, an awareness of our position within its framework is of utmost importance. With this in mind, it is our commitment in our creative work to devote ourselves to the work of the spirit in exploring aspects of the heritage of our world culture and its role in the shaping of contemporary culture. At the heart of it our ancient cultural traditions are the roadmap of the future.”

The duo has exhibited extensively in Indonesia and at many prestigious locations around the world. Most recently they were recipients of a Fulbright Scholarship, which brought them to Michigan in 2007-2008. During this time they presented “Fiber Face”, a very well-received exhibition of their works, at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., where their work is part of the permanent collection. This exhibition has also shown at the Netzorg and Kerr Gallery, Richmond Center for the Visual Arts, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., here at The Island Gallery, and at the cultural center of Taman Budaya, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia.  Their current exhibit, Out of Southeast Asia:  Art that Sustains, opened Friday, April 12, 2013, at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., and runs through October 13, 2013.

Their adjunct show here at the Gallery is Symbols of Nature & Man:  A Journey of 40,000 Years.  It will run May 3-24, 2013 with works available for Preview from April 26th.  The official opening is First Friday, May 3 (featuring Peter Spencer & Friends in concert; more on that shortly); the artists themselves will join us for a reception on May 10th, 6-8 pm.

ISNIA Exhibit Coming to Bainbridge Island

The Gallery is delighted to announce an upcoming exhibition of major works by world-renowned batik artists Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam of Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia.


Fire Flower
Batik on Silk
7' x 3'

Symbols of Nature & Man:

A Journey of 40,000 Years

May 3 - 24, 2013

Previews Begin Friday, April 26th

Artists' Reception Friday, May 10th, 6-8 pm

Currently in exhibition at the Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., these extraordinary artists will travel across the country to Bainbridge Island, with previews of their related show beginning in the Gallery on April 26th.  (The D.C. exhibit, Out of Southeast Asia: Art that Sustains, opened Friday, April 12th and runs through October 13th.)

Commentary on the exhibit from The Washington Post:

The exhibit, which opened Friday, is the final one before the Textile Museum relocates to the George Washington University campus as the cornerstone of its new museum in 2014.  It centers on Indonesia and Laos and examines how four contemporary artists draw inspiration from ancient artistic techniques in a way that also allows them to customize and reinterpret the art — and help keep it relevant.

The 42-item exhibition pairs handmade batiks and ethnic weaving, and includes 17 pieces from the museum’s collection to help demonstrate the linkages through time.

There are over 1,000 ethnic groups in Southeast Asian, and most of them have some sort of textile tradition, says exhibit curator Mattiebelle Gittinger. A woman on the north coast of Java in a dark blue sarong is in mourning. Certain motifs in blue and white are worn in another region for weddings. The textiles are “made to be specific. They have a great deal of validity,” says Gittinger. “When contemporary artists go in search of inspiration, they sense this validity and that’s what they respond to.”

The husband-and-wife team Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam focus primarily on Indonesian batik (a pattern created by covering parts of the cloth with removable wax to keep them from being dyed). Batik motifs are politically and spiritually powerful and the couple uses the Kawung (a cosmological symbol of overlapping circles), Parang (knife) and Tree of Life throughout the smooth commercially woven cloths that provide the foundation for their patterning. They experiment with techniques: Appliqué and layers of cloth are melded together to create the varicolored forms in the hanging piece “Extended Family”; “Trash Can of Tradition” uses Javanese puppet figures and the Kawang and Parang motifs to express fear over losing the underpinnings of Indonesian cultural history.

Excerpted from: "Textile Museum displays ethnic weaving from Southeast Asia before its move to GW campus"

Lonnae O'Neal Parker, The Washington Post, April 12, 2013

Dates for related events will be announced shortly.  Please visit this blog for all the latest information.

March 2013 Gallery Picks

Happy March... MARCH??!

Actually, somehow, it's already the middle of March, which means it's time for our Gallery Picks Newsletter to hit the presses.  For more information, click on the title of any individual piece for a quick visit to our web shop.  Enjoy!

(By the way. if you'd like a monthly reminder that the Gallery Picks Newsletter is viewable here at the Blog, plus notices of upcoming shows, sales, and musical events sent directly to your inbox, send a note to sr@theislandgallery.net to subscribe.)

Sycamore Table with Black Steel Legs
Dimensions:  76" x 36" x 2"

If you've never seen quartersawn hardwood before, this table is a perfect example
of the beauty of this particular cut.  Quartersawn lumber became very popular
during the arts and crafts movement of the early 1900s.  It is a process in which logs
are cut into quarters and then the boards are sawn at an angle away from
the center of the log. This causes the growth rings or "grains” to pass through
the boards at a more perfect 90 degree angle. The benefits of quartersawn boards
have been known to Europeans for at least 600 years: Quartersawn boards
are not as prone to twist, warp or cup as they age, very important in bygone days
before modern wood treatment was an option; they are also stronger,
hold a finish better and do not allow liquids to easily pass through.

The honey/butter tone of the sycamore is beautifully set off by dramatic round
black steel legs, which add to the contemporary look of the live-edge table top.

Tree of Life VI.  Isnia
Batik on Silk Reverse Applique
150 x 80 cm

This magnificent wallhanging is a double-sided reverse applique collaboration by
Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam (Isnia) of Yogjakarta, Java, Indonesia.
Generally speaking, reverse applique is a sewing or "quilting" process in which
two or more layers of cloth are stacked one over the other, each layer being
cut away in turn to reveal the one below.  In this case, the artists first batik their
silk fabric, then cut, place, and sew the pieces together using variations in thread
colors, producing a vivacious 3-D artwork that is quite different on either side.
In this case, the artists have used cool teals and moss greens on one side,
with flaming reds and intense blues on the other.

A motif seen with almost complete universality across cultures and religions,
the Tree of Life alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet.
This motif is frequently seen in the work of Isnia.

Early warning:  This particular wallhanging and a number of Isnia's other
extraordinary pieces will be available for viewing in the Gallery during a special
May 2013 exhibition, which will be attended by the artists themselves.
More details will be available soon.  Stay tuned!



Basic Short Black K Dress.  Carter Smith
Black Leather Capelet.  Mabel Mae Designs

We've sung Carter Smith's praises many times here on the blog, and it's hard to find
more superlatives for this artist's consistent and gorgeous work; but let's face it,
this go-with-anything bias-cut mid-calf length dress in silk georgette is ready to
take you dancing!  Cut to conform to any woman's body, its voluminous skirt is
flowing and swirly - a great look with heels or your most spectacular
boots - and is available in S/M/L/XL sizes.

We've paired it with Mabel Mae's soft-as-silk black leather capelet, a lovely
little accessory with a magnetic button closure and edges subtly studded in pearls.
 
When they say you're looking good, simply reply, "What, in this old thing?"



Small Madrone Bowls.  Curt Minier
Dimensions (bowl on left): 5" x 4-3/4"

The Pacific Northwest is home to many amazing wood artists, and we love them.

Curt lives on Vashon Island, and after an illustrious career in furniture-making that included

apprenticing at the Baulines Crafts Guild in California where he studied the Espenet

style, a contemporary California craft movement, then being a founder of Northwest Fine

Woodworking in Seattle, he is happy to explore new forms and styles.

These madrone bowls are turned end grain, dyed, with clear lacquer finish.  Sounds

easy enough, but how does he do this:  They seem to glow, as if some inner light

is trying to escape the slender walls of the vessels.

Is it magic?

We're not quite sure...



Walnut Hall Table
Dimensions:  58" x 33" x 1-1/4"

Stunning!

This live-edge walnut hall table is a beauty, with its simple, modern feel
and Pacific Rim sensibilities.  Created from local salvaged hardwood, it has
a conversion varnish finish.  We have three of these currently on display in the Gallery,
which the artist dubbed Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear; this one is the mid-size.
Each is different in wood grain and markings.  For further information on this one
(Mama Bear), click on the title above to visit our online shop.

Or stop in at the Gallery and say hello to the whole family!



"Duchess".  Carol Campbell

Ascot, anyone?  A quick turn around the manor grounds, perhaps?  A spot of tea in the parlor?

It's almost impossible to look at Carol's marvelous hats and not feel a tug of
nostalgia for long English summer days, swans swimming in castle ponds, or a
Royal Wedding or two - even if we've never personally experienced any of those things!
We can always turn on the telly and dream, can't we?
(We can also hope for Easter Bonnet weather, which so far proves elusive.)

Carol has graced us with a must-see collection of her chapeaux - variously
described as Picture Hats, Perchers, Skimmers, and Sculptural Sinamay, among
others - possibly in hopes that we're all off to the Kentucky Derby shortly, or might
contemplate cruising around Bainbridge In Bloom (our island's popular July garden event)
replete in blooms of our own.  And why not?  If the ladies of Downton Abbey can
wear fabulous hats, we can do it, too!

(The butler, however, did NOT do it...)

Cotton Batik Scarf.  David Mendoza
Dimensions:  74" x 14"

We've carried David's work in the Gallery for all of its eleven-years' span
(yes, we're in our eleventh year).  All this time later, his artistry continues to evolve
and is always deeply satisfying.  This beautiful scarf is part of his recently arrived
shipment, and is perfect for spring and summer wear.  Long, lightweight and breezy
cotton in black and white hand-stamped batik with touches
of indigo... well, it's sheer delight.

A little about David:

David Mendoza is a native of the Seattle area who now lives on Bali
where he designs clothing and jewelry.  After thirty years of working in the
arts and cultural politics he decided to take a short break and in 1998 went off
to Bali for a 10-day holiday.  Four months later he had found a piece of land on
which it seemed he was about to build a house. David returned to Seattle for
a month to get his bearings and find out if he had lost his mind. Then he
returned to Bali to begin building his house.  He became interested in
Indonesian textiles, particularly natural plant dyes which before the invention
of chemical dyes were traditionally used to give color to yarns and textiles.
Some of the plants used for dyeing were growing on his land, so he began to
experiment.  He now has a studio near Ubud, and we see the results of
his efforts with continuing pleasure.



"Stripes", Vintage Black and White Bead Necklace.  Virginia Paquette
Dimensions:  32" long

It's difficult to take a glance through the jewelry cases here at the Gallery
and not come away breathless over Virginia Paquette's jewelry.  Her broad range
of styles, from classic gemstone pieces to vintage and ancient beads, is pretty
impressive.   We'd love to rummage through her bead and gemstone stash!

This necklace is particularly striking with its weighty wooden vintage beads,
painted black and white and strung simply on linen cord.  The beads float freely
on the cord, and would  make a statement whether worn with a casual outfit
or in a more formal setting.  The cord is quite long at 32 inches, but
could be shortened quite easily if desired.

Click on the item's title above to visit our web shop for more information on Virginia,
and to view her beautiful work!



Felted Wool Basket with Speckled Feathers.  Doriane Nieburgs
Dimensions:  approximately 3" tall x 4" in diameter

Not your usual Easter basket... but imagine how sweet this would be on the
Easter table, for something a little different.  Doriane always makes these lovely
felted wool baskets with little surprises on or inside them, ready to delight even
the crustiest among us.  We can imagine a line of these on a shelf,
dining table or sideboard, perhaps containing one or more of those
elusive eggs we hunt for this time of year.  Or start a collection for
yourself or a youngster, to keep and cherish forever.

Visit the web shop or stop in at the Gallery for more information, and to see
a selection of Doriane's delightful, colorful baskets, both bigger and smaller!


Be sure to bookmark this page, and don't forget:  if you'd like a reminder sent directly to your mailbox, send a note to sr@theislandgallery.net; we'll sign you up right away.  And keep an eye on the blog for brand new information on our upcoming musical series!