Sunday, March 26, 2017

You're Invited: Exhibition - Lighting Up Spring. First Friday Artwalk, April 7, 2017

Time to brush off the winter gloom and seek spring in all its glory, with lovely changing light and blossoms preparing to burst into bloom.  Here's one way to start afresh:  Visit the Gallery on First Friday to celebrate the season with our upcoming Gallery event, Lighting Up Spring.  Here's all the info you need:




Sean Carleton
L. Wendy Dunder
KT Hancock

April 7 – 30, 2017

Opening Reception with the Artists:

First Friday, April 7, 6-8 pm

In the Front Space:
Introducing Bainbridge Island Monotype Artist
Meg Hartwell

IMAGES SHOWN ABOVE:
No. 62 Emerald City Lantern.  Sean Carleton and KT Hancock.  Steel and glass.  41” x 30” x 68”
Harper’s Bazaar, Illuminated Sculpture.  L. Wendy Dunder.  Wood and paper.  25” t x 19”w
No. 54 Light in the Dark.  Sean Carleton.  Steel and glass.  3' x 3' x 9'

About the Show:

One-of-a-kind sculptural illuminations that enhance daily living, made from wood and paper, steel and glass, for indoor and outdoor use. 

In the Front Space:  Introducing Meg Hartwell and her recent abstract monotypes.

About the Artists:

Sean Carleton (Bothell, Washington)

Sean Carleton is a multi-disciplinary artist creating work in Bothell, Washington. A Washington native who has a lifelong passion for creating with his hands, his work ranges from unobtrusive yet sophisticated metalwork which supports beautiful Northwest hardwoods, to sculpturally artistic, dramatic metalwork as the emphasis of the piece. Carleton has been recognized for furniture design and quality by the Bellevue Art Museum and Northwest Woodworkers Gallery.

Sean gives us the background on two of his pieces:

no. 54 Light in the Dark

In 2015 I dreamt of this series of sculptures while sleeping. My entire life has been dedicated to passionate work with my hands and this piece is one of my highest achievements. I am passionate about the environment and I believe that understanding is not only extracted from literature but from physical objects. "Light in the Dark" depicts many aspects of my young life as well as the struggle and transformation which I have undergone and will continue to pursue for the rest of my life. I wanted to build a piece that would draw the viewer in and upon closer inspection reveal the beautiful power of the stored sunlight in batteries and transmitted through silica melted into glass form. These elements are supported in an iron cage that is intended to unfurl as the petals of a flower. Each of earth's elements work in concert to remind us of the infinite beauty of the world around us and that we shall preserve this wonderful place we call home. These beacons and vessels will illuminate around the world as the sun sets demonstrating connectivity between each one of us as we move toward our bright future. 

The framework is constructed in rolled steel tubing. The center of the piece has an illumination column that runs vertically giving upward motion to the piece as well as corresponding glass color as light moves upward. Each light is powered by a small battery pack which stores the sun's energy from the daylight and illuminates the pieces throughout the night. 

no. 62 Emerald City Lantern 

Starting my life as a Craftsman in the Seattle trades was a challenging beginning. A fellow student in one of my metallurgy classes told me to quit now before I wasted my life; it was my first week of school. I quickly developed a strong skill set and made a point to continually change the type of work that I was perfecting to stay engaged. As Seattle began to change and develop a more upwardly mobile class structure the craft work that I had once been able to support myself on was becoming harder to come by. Many of my colleagues pursued other career choices while I delved further into the diverse world of craft and magical realms of industrial Seattle. This lantern signifies the guiding light in the dark to inspire the Craftsmen, Craftswomen, and the Blue Collar workers in the trying times which the tech world has imposed on us. 

The process of constructing this Lantern was a culmination of months of planning and design. In 2015 I met KT Hancock who is an established glass artist, and former Chihuly student based in Queen Anne. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, KT moved to Seattle in 2015 to pursue her glass career in the Emerald City. We had a chance meeting that has now inspired several pieces incorporating Hancock's Emeralds. I designed this object of illumination around KT's beautiful glass work which was blown by Taylor Ames at the Pratt Fine Arts Center and cold worked by Karsten Oaks in Ballard. We all worked together tirelessly on this piece and I thank you for spending time with our work.
  
L. Wendy Dunder (Portland, Oregon)

Wendy is a professional watercolor and acrylic painter, known for depicting landscapes, still life, animals, and people. Recently, however, her focus has shifted to creating sculptural lamps of bent wood and laminated paper.  As a certified teacher and Artist in Residence in schools in her area she is also deeply involved in creating curriculum-based murals.  A hallmark of her work is the involvement of her students in the process, and together they have created permanent outdoor municipal murals of concrete, stone, tile, glass, and paint.

Created from multiple layers of tissue paper glued in place over frameworks of materials such as thin-cut and bent wood, reed, bamboo, and welding rod, these illuminated sculptures spring to life as glowing wall sconces, table lamps and hanging lamps. Delicate and graceful in appearance, they are amazingly strong and functional.

Wendy was recently called upon to test her art skills with a huge installation, which she describes below:

One snowy day in January I received a call asking if I could build 40 football lamps in three weeks. My sister and I flew out of Portland on the day the city was closed by snow. We set up a workshop in Houston and applied tissue paper and glue to football shaped balloons in 12 hour days. For the show the footballs were lit by color changing LEDs, and moved up and down on little servo motors controlled by the soundboard.

The grand gala event that featured her football lamps, entitled Luminaries of the Game, was held February 1 in Houston, Texas, hosted by the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, and was one of the events included in the city’s run-up to Super Bowl LI.  Here is the dramatic result, unfortunately without the delightful movement created by her 40 “dancing” footballs:

Forty Footballs.  L. Wendy Dunder.  Installation, Houston, Texas


KT Hancock (Seattle, Washington)

KT Hancock is an emerging artist based in Seattle, Washington. With a background in metalsmithing and glassblowing, she incorporates both mediums into her work. Her pieces demonstrate an interest in the idea of preciousness. The gem-shaped objects convey an idealized adornment piece for the body.  Although not wearable, these objects reflect an inherent cultural, physical and sentimental value.  KT has a Bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing and sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and has also attended and worked at Pilchuck Glass School, an educational institution founded by Dale Chihuly.  She has continued her practice as a freelance designer and maker. 

For the art works featured in this show, KT has teamed with fellow artist Sean Carleton to produce fascinating illuminated sculptures created from glass and steel.

Meg Hartwell (Bainbridge Island, Washington)

I was an operating room scrub nurse for fifteen years, passing scissor, clamp, even saws to help fix the human body. I was privileged to see and hold body organs, and x-ray images. Music was always playing in the background.  The atmosphere in the room had a calm control in the midst of chaos. Tools or surgical instruments had a specific purpose and fascinated me. This experience influenced my art and shaped my life.

The monoprinting process allows me to embrace happy accidents and mark making with an array of tools.  I am creating a visual language inspired by vibrant colors, pop art, and abstract expressionism to evoke a sense of controlled calmness. I tear and cut, and approximate the printed tissue paper pieces into a final composition.
Blue and Pink with Plaid.  Monotype.  Meg Hartwell


Established in 2002, The Island Gallery features internationally recognized artists whose work takes traditional art  forms in exciting new directions:  studio furniture and sculpture;  museum quality textile art  and wearables; wood fired ceramics from the finest potters in America; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Our monthly exhibitions include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk, chamber music and performance art.  This, along with its reputation for excellence, makes The Island Gallery a destination spot on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, and steps from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

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Event Location: 

The Island Gallery, 400 Winslow Way E, #120, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Underground parking is available at The Winslow off Ericksen Avenue.