Tam - The Surrealist Impulse Artist Bios

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) You can also see artworks by many of the following artists if you search for them by surname on www.artisttrust.org. Gloria Bornstein Born New York, New York, 1937 The artist's statement about her work: "My artworks explore the archaeology of place. I make art from the unique elements that give a place its multi-faceted identity, considering the hidden voices of a place, its natural phenomena, and its program in the built environment. My artworks are objects for people to use - in, on and around. I am fascinated by the identities of people and places – in both the global city, inhabited by different cultures and social groups coming together and drifting apart, and in the historical city as a place of collective memory." (from http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1FZG) Jana Brevick Born Ogden, Utah, 1970 Her Flickr, with many photos of her work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/janabrevick “Jana Brevick, creator of the silver and cast-iron ring, is one of them. She describes most of her work as "concept driven." It includes a bladderlike brooch she assembled with a squeaker salvaged from a dog toy and a piece of coral she painted red. It's wearable art guaranteed to invite conversation. Brevick, cited in Metalsmith magazine as one of the six most progressive jewelry artists in this country, studied fashion and jewelry design before returning to the University of Washington in the 1990s for a degree in metal design. Unlike some colleagues who focus on fine metals, Brevick works both sides of the bench, so to speak. While some pieces may be whimsical -the male and female rings that can be screwed together, for example -another ring is composed of gold/silver/platinum and palladium in a more traditional design.” (from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/251895_artjewelry.html?searchpag efrom=1&searchdiff=27) More info: www.janabrevick.com Salvador Dalí Born Figueras, Catalunya 1904; Died Figueras, Catalunya, 1989 Dalí is one of the most well-known surrealists as well as one of the most influential 20th century artists. Dalí is known primarily as a painter, but his artistic works come from every media imaginable; he wrote a novel, Page 1 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) created sculpture, made scene designs for theater, did photography, and so on. Trivia- he designed the chupa chups logo. The pieces featured in this exhibition (The Song of Songs of King Solomon) are a series of etchings from the later period of his life, when he had returned to his hometown and was becoming increasingly religious. These etchings feature the same dreamlike vision familiar to Dalí’s paintings, but their simple, elegant lines differentiate them from the carefully modulated paintings most Dalí scholars know well. All the familiar Dalí themes are present- fruit and insects to symbolize sexual desire, and constant reference to earlier art such as Greek sculpture and the post-impressionist movement. More info: http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/history/biography.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Dal%C3%AD Scott Fife Born Moscow, Idaho, 1949 (Scott Fife is the artist responsible for Leroy) EDUCATION 1972 University of Idaho, Bachelors of Architecture 1976 Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Bachelor of Art Here’s an interview with him: http://platformgallery.com/artist_pages/Fife/Fife_interview.html. In it, he discusses his thoughts on his work, its connection to the Northwest, and the influence that many great modernist painters have on him. More info: http://platformgallery.com/artist_pages/Fife/Fife.html http://platformgallery.com/artist_pages/Fife/Truegrit_A.html Claudia Fitch Born Palo Alto, California 1952 A review of her work that gives a good sense of her art: http://www.artdish.com/ubbcgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000357 “Claudia Fitch wants her work to "be as beautiful as Lucille Ball." This desire both reveals and conceals the complex character of her artistic strategy; this beauty is the beauty of Formica finishes, Maybellinelacquered fingernails, and the loveliness of the home-perm. Although Fitch is unwilling to conceive of beauty in sublime terms, her work is a demonstration of Baudelaire’s statement, "the beautiful is always strange." Beauty, for Fitch, is not some mysterious, refined quantity; it is strangely familiar, deeply accessible, and full of humor and pathos.” (from http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag98/fitch/sm-fitch.shtml) More info: Page 2 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) http://www.gregkucera.com/fitch.htm http://www.4culture.org/publicart/registry/sites/sites_artist.asp?Artist ID=22 http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag98/fitch/sm-fitch.shtml sculptures at Qwest Field: http://www.qwestfield.com/venue/stadiumFacts.aspx?id=600 Nöle Giulini Born Heidelberg, Germany 1958 “The conceptual context of my work is about the subtle tension created between material, process and form. Matter regarded as flawed, without value, or no longer useful is given significance and meaning through the creative process. Something unwanted, perhaps offensive, can be discovered to be sacred and complete. Out of debris and its psychological companions, I find the one thread--and I follow it. My intention is neither to decorate or please nor to irritate or repulse. It is my life's calling to climb into the interior and wait silently. Within these mossy walls I get to, once again, turn over rocks to see what lives underneath. Ultimately the effort lies in trusting what is already here to unfold.” (artist’s statement from her very nice website: http://www.ngiulini.com/) Joseph Goldberg Born Seattle, Washington, 1947 “Goldberg is an encaustic painter. He binds beeswax to linen by means of industrial heat and presses powdered pigments into the still-warm surfaces, using a palette knife, a brush and sometimes his fingers.” From a page of reviews that sum up his work pretty well: http://www.gregkucera.com/goldberg_reviews.htm Morris Graves Born Fox Valley, Oregon, 1910; Died Loleta, California, 2001. • The wiki article on Graves, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Graves, has a well-written biography. • A quick factsheet with a variety of information is here: www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/ArtistKeywords.aspx?artist=892 14 • “It has been said that many of Graves's paintings sprang from visions received in meditation. It might be more accurate to say that for Graves, painting was itself a meditative process.” (from http://historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5205) Page 3 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) Blake Haygood Born Athens, Georgia, 1966 He is one of the co-owners and curators at Platform Gallery in Seattle. Information on his past exhibitions: 2005 review by Regina Hackett: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/209654_visual28.html 2005: http://platformgallery.com/artist_pages/Haygood/Buck.html More info: www.blakehaygood.com www.platformgallery.com www.platformgallery.com/artist_pages/Haygood/Haygood.html Group shows: 2008 The Terrible Twos: A Lawrimore Project Biennial, Seattle, WA 2007 Perfect Landscape: Painting Broken Down, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA Solo show: 2007 Depending on Your Perspective Everything Might be OK, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT Jared Pappas-Kelley Born Olympia, Washington, 1974 He is “the co-creator and publisher of Toby Room magazine. His direction of the arts organization ArtRod led to the creation of the Tollbooth Gallery, which he co-created and curated with fellow artist Michael Lent. PappasKelley is a filmmaker and curator who studied at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. From 2006 to 2007, Pappas-Kelley taught screenwriting, video, and film, at Tacoma School of the Arts. He currently lives in New York.“ From the wiki article on him (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_PappasKelley). • Here is his artist’s statement, on his personal site: http://pappaskelley.com/art/Artist_Statement.html • Here is a review of the work that will be featured in the exhibition, Some Say She Lost Her Head: http://www.pappaskelley.com/art/Writing_Interviews/Entries/2007/12/19_Some_Say_She_L ost_Her_Head.html Anya Kivarkis Born Chicago, Illinois, 1975 Here is her artist’s statement: “My interest is in disrupting how jewelry operates as a signifier of access to luxury, as excessive embellishment has historically signaled wealth and civility. The work responds to Page 4 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) emerging social and economic conditions, and the effects of those conditions on the material culture that we collectively desire.” More info: http://anyakivarkis.com/ http://art-uo.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=faculty&page=akivarkis http://www.siennagallery.com/exhibitions_kivarkis.php Mary Ann Peters Born Beaumont, Texas, 1949 “Mary Ann Peters is a Seattle artist whose studio work, public art projects, and arts activism have made noted contributions in the Northwest and nationally for over 25 years. While she has used various materials in her projects (cement, cold rolled steel, wood), paint is the consistent vehicle for her ideas. Cultural history, architecture, science, politics, family stories of migration, and questions of perception have all played a part in Mary Ann's conceptual reasoning. These various sources have been the foundation for her studio work as well as for her public art projects and installations. Mary Ann's public art projects are created on site in full few of the public. Doing so allows her to interact with members of the community and to benefit from their feedback as the project progresses. Her public art projects can be seen at the Port of Seattle Headquarters, the University of Washington Medical Center, and the University of Texas, San Antonio. She has also worked extensively with architects Olson/Sundberg/Kundig/Allen on various private projects.” (from http://www.4culture.org/publicart/registry/sites/sites_artist.asp?ArtistID=6 3) More info: http://www.maryann-peters.com/ http://www.jamesharrisgallery.com/Previous%20Exhibitions/peters01 2006.htm Jim Riswold Born Seattle, Washington, 1957 He “was once the creative director for Portland, Oregon based advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. He created the advertising campaigns such as the Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee) & Michael Jordan commercials for Nike. Riswold creates another famous pairing for Jordan with Bugs Bunny. He also created the Bo Knows campaign for Nike featuring Bo Jackson, and the Tiger Woods commercial, entitled "I Am Tiger Woods”. He retired from Wieden+Kennedy after being diagnosed with leukemia. Riswold now works as a contemporary artist in Portland, Oregon. A summation of his Page 5 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) art philosophy and life after advertising can be found in the Esquire article, "Hitler Saved My Life." Riswold received three bachelors’ degrees, in communications, history and philosophy, from the University of Washington in 1983.” (From his wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Riswold) More info: www.jimriswold.com Essays by Jim Riswold on Jim Riswold: http://www.jimriswold.com/musings.html Bertil Vallien Born Stockholm, Sweden, 1938 Here is a biography and short description of his work: http://www.bertilvallien.com/bertil.htm A really informative interview with him: http://www.nordicway.com/Downloads/SweDish-PreSS%202006-01/Pag20Interview1.pdf Karen Willenbrink-Johnson Born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1960 "I was raised in southwest Ohio, the naturalist daughter of a naturalist father. Many a day were spent on the forays through the woods, exploring fossils, animals and trees-all the while being imbued with a love of the natural world. I’m constantly inspired, revitalized and awed by the power of nature. My ever-evolving experience with glass began after I received my BFA in sculpture from Ohio University and glass soon became the driving force in my life. I spent several years developing my skills in the Catskill Mountain region of New York, and have lived and worked since 1987 near the Cascade Mountain range in Washington State. Sixteen years of working with glass artist William Morris has taught me to follow my own unique vision and let the enthusiasm of my spirit guide my ideas. My passion for the nature that surrounds me has taken root in my work, forming an indelible kinship. I have a natural inclination for adventure, and have traveled North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, drawing on the diverse environments of these regions as inspiration for my work. I also find a creative spark in observing diverse varieties of animals, complex interaction with humans, and their relationship with each other. Venues such as dog shows, a rodeo, or an intense bird-watching expedition, most always provides a burst of lasting creative energy. As I have developed as a glass artist, my conceptual urges have become intrinsic-my work arises from a need to experience and acknowledge the essence of living things. It is the passion that drives me to further explore Page 6 of 7

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009) and intensify the expression of my craft." After earning her BFA in sculpture from Ohio University, glass quickly became the driving force in Karen’s life. She moved to Washington State in 1987, and soon afterward she began working as an assistant to the legendary glass artist William Morris. Karen’s unique vision and passion for glass is evident in her work, which has been shown extensively in galleries and museums throughout the country. She co-teaches sculpting classes throughout the world with her husband and collaborator, Jasen Johnsen. More info: www.travergallery.com/gallery_artist_details/Willenbrink-JohnsenJohnsen.aspx www.willenbrinkjohnsen.com Amanda Wojick Born Rochester, New York, 1974 “Wojick has an inventive mind which she puts to good use by creating fragile yet vibrant abstractions that all but transport the admirer to another realm. Her technique is self professed casual and while her art appears to be self-generating, some have perceived it as metaphorical of the landscape.” (from http://www.buffalorising.com/story/the_return_of_amanda_wojick) More info: www.amandawojick.com http://www.elizabethleach.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=139 Darren Waterston Born Fresno, California, 1965 On his site, here: http://www.darrenwaterston.com/essaysandreviews.shtml, there are a number of reviews that capture his style. “The key is a vigorous formal sensibility and a breathtaking mastery of technique. These are thoroughly absorbing paintings, filled with spatial and textural variety, and continually surprising: hard–edged slivers of black scatter across blurry, luminous pools of green; soft, broad, feathery strokes alternate with perfect, hair–thin outlines and craggy silhouettes; circular lumps of white paint cling like barnacles to thin, translucent washes; human fingerprints pop up occasionally throughout.” (from http://www.gregkucera.com/waterston_reviews.htm) More info: www.darrenwaterston.com

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