Staff Picks
From glowing ghosts in a new downtown art space to monochrome whispers of grief and many-eyed forest creatures at Seattle galleries: Is spooky season back for another round? Here are some haunting exhibits to see over the next month, along with dance and performance by up-and-coming creators and shows that engage with art and personal history in fresh ways.
“Emily Counts: So Familiar”
Wherever you look, a coterie of eyes follows your every move. Some glow with a hot pink luminosity, others scream in the shape of vampire mouths backlit by piercing purple. Counts’ ominous and whimsical creatures — ceramic spiders, moths, cats and robed matriarchs, or women depicted in gouache and watercolor — are all eyes, mystical portals into a different world steeped in mauves, burgundies and ochres. In just a few years, the Seattle-based Counts has become a beloved local artist (and a recognizable brand, in a way). In this show, she deepens and builds on her previous work in ways that push her style and storytelling in directions both familiar and magically new.
Through Dec. 23; studio e, 609 S. Brandon St., Seattle; free; 206-762-3322, studioegallery.net
“Closer to the Bone”
Emily Gherard’s ethereal paintings echo with the ghosts of grief and the specter of art history. In her latest series, the Seattle-based painter and printmaker paints layers of wispy white, gossamer gray and vertiginous black on transparent fabric stretched over wooden frames in unorthodox shapes. Gherard created these in response to Käthe Kollwitz’s iconic drawing, “The Mothers” (1921-22), which depicts the grief of those left behind by the ravages of war. Gherard’s works are abstract, but their titles — like “Shrouding” or “Sister of the Artist According to Vuillard,” a reference to an 1893 painting by French artist Édouard Vuillard of his widowed mother — hint at their visual and thematic forebears. By leaving sections of the paintings’ “bones” bare and uncovered, Gherard powerfully evokes the vast hollowness of loss, a void impossible to paint over.
Through Dec. 23; J. Rinehart Gallery, 319 Third Ave. S., Seattle; free; 206-467-4508, jrinehartgallery.com
“Elizabeth Malaska: All Be Your Mirror”
A thought exercise: Think of some of the most famous artworks in history. How many of them picture naked women, painted by men? In her paintings, Portland artist Elizabeth Malaska flips the script on the male gaze in large tableaux featuring, yes, naked women. In a new series, on view at the Seattle Art Museum (in honor of Malaska’s 2022 Betty Bowen Award, SAM’s annual award honoring a Northwest artist), Malaska depicts women, as well as a variety of felines, with masklike gray faces reclining and stretching and getting painted while shadows and body doubles lurk. Malaska’s brushwork is at once vigorous, detailed and patterned, then loose and almost abstract or even droopy and distorted. The result is beautiful, unsettling and varied — and paints a much more interesting picture.
Through June 16, 2024; Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle; $19.99-$29.99; 206-654-3100, seattleartmuseum.org
“As I Saw It”
Two sets of high-heeled plastic legs — one in shiny tights, the other in blue pants — seem locked in a dance on a background of sparkles. It almost seems like a real photo, but the skin sheen is just too artificial, the shoes a tad too flimsy. The image is a piece of art by Portland-based artist Grace Weston, who stages and photographs vintage Barbie dolls in film noir scenarios. Weston’s work is part of an engaging group show that questions reality and perception. Los Angeles artist Diane Meyer embroiders family photos like distorted pixelations to ask questions about memory. San Francisco’s Kirsten Tradowsky bases paintings off found vintage photos, and Arkansas-based Jan Waldon stitches intricate patterns over pictures of mountain ranges.
Through Jan. 14; AMcE Creative Arts, 612 19th Ave. E., Seattle; free; 206-518-1046, amcecreativearts.com
“Ghosts of Belltown”
After years of vacancy, the former Bergman Luggage store on the edge of downtown and Belltown is getting a new life as an art space. Local artist Nick Ferderer is transforming the building into an exhibition space with two dozen artist studios. Ahead of Base Camp Studios 2’s official opening early next year, artists have been roaming the property and making art with what was left behind to honor the space’s history and future. Seattle artist Amanda Manitach works textual and textural magic by etching mirrors and reassembling detritus from the space into various installations. Seattle muralist Brady Black is (spray) painting massive portraits on the walls while Ferderer is building an immersive installation. Yale Wolf’s vibrant, Pac-Man-inspired neon pieces will cast everything in a colorful glow.
Dec. 7-Jan. 13, 2024 (open 5-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays except Dec. 22-23; opening reception 5-10 p.m. Dec. 7); Base Camp Studios 2, 1901 Third Ave., Seattle; pay what you can, $15 suggested donation; basecamp206.com
Contemporary dance and performance
Choosing to attend contemporary dance and performances by up-and-coming artists may feel like a gamble, but you may just see some of the most cutting-edge art.
To consider this month: 12 Minutes Max, a recurring showcase by local dance nonprofit BASE, focuses on a dozen minutes of dance, theater, music and multimedia by a half-dozen artists. (Dec. 3-4; BASE, 6520 Fifth Ave. S., #122, Seattle; $15-$25; thisisbase.org)
Velocity’s Next Fest NW, dedicated to experimental new dance works, showcases four intriguing regional artists to watch. (Dec. 7-9 and 14-16; 12th Avenue Arts, 1620 12th Ave., #203, Seattle; $20-$50; velocitydancecenter.org)
Local dance company EL SUEÑO is putting on “Mestizo: Breaking the Caste,” a performance that will include film, music, dance, ceremony and visual arts with stories of the Mexican American experience. (Dec. 8-9; Mini Mart City Park, 6525 Ellis Ave. S., Seattle; $15-$40; aliciamullikin.com)
