Onn/Off art festival

Seattle needs more of this kind of thing.

The Onn/Off art festival, happening this weekend (through 7pm today, you can still go!) has been a fantastic success.  I'm very impressed with Jim Demetre, Sierra Stinson and Susan Robb who worked hard to create this massive warehouse show and put together such a fantastic event.  Their aim, for this light-based art show,  was to:

" create an environment that not only lets people escape the cold and solitude that comes with Seattle’s winter season but to build a warm and energizing experience that might produce enough radiance to help see Seattle through the rest of the winter."

They did that and then some.  There was something wonderful about going to an art opening of local emerging and established artists, full of life and innovation, with workshops and performances in addition to the art pieces, in such a large, space.  Really, it's that large space that makes all the difference. 

Most non-museum art openings in this town are in small galleries, where we are often elbow to elbow, spending energy to avoid bumping as opposed to being able to actually view work.  Sure you can come back and see the shows when its not the reception, but 90% of your audience will come during those opening/closing events.  A huge warehouse show like this allows for the party (and a party it was - with a beer garden and an amazing, fun performance by the delightful Bran Flakes) and for folks to actually see the work. 

There are a lot of empty warehouses in this city.  With all the great enterprising curators and artists in this town, we have the opportunity to create many more events like this. 

Here's some pics from the events.  I didn't get all the info on the art/artists this time, so just enjoy the images:

(also, I haven't really mastered my low light shooting ability with this camera...oh well)

Molo at the Movies - Haywire

2012 is starting out with a stylish action thriller from Steven Soderbergh, no less, staring ex-American Gladiator Gina Carano as a bad-ass ex-marine turned merc...think Bourne/Bond/Transporter/Seagal/and any number of such things.  Yes, we have been down this road before.  But not with Soderbergh at the helm, and not with this cast.  Michael Douglas, Ewan McGreggor, Michael Fassbender, and even Antonio Bandares - who can really grow a handsome grey beard these days - distinguished.  Hell, between his grey beard, and Clooney's grey beard, I'm thinking there should be a bearded movie with all these aging gents...beard erotica....but I digress...

This film, is about Gina Carano beating the shit out of a lot of people, including Channing Tatum, who is suddenly showing up in every other flick (prepping for a career as the new big action star?  I think so...then again, 21 Jump Street is his next thing....), but doing it in as about a realistic manner as you can imagine from such things.  There's a very Soderbergh moment when her dad witnesses her dispatching a bad guy, when you see his face processing who his daughter has really become, that is precious.  As my friend Trevor said, there's none of that Bourne bullshit in this - the films is a gritty, and it feels real.  Sorry, not million dollar explosions here.

Haywire -  3.5 Molos

Uprising - Rick Araluce and Steve Peters at Suyama Space

I braved the mushy mess on the streets tonight and headed to Belltown to catch the opening for Uprising at Suyama Space.  I've been keeping tabs on Rick Araluce ever since I became familiar with his amazing little dioramas.  Rick has an amazing ability to create realistic rooms in the smallest scale, but it was never the simple technical skill of his works that attracted it to me, it was the stories he would tell with these little scenes.  He crates drama in small spaces.  However, Suyama Space is not small, not in the least - so like many at the lively opening, I wanted to see what he would do with it - Rick told me he had never worked large like this before, not on a strictly art based project (he has worked in set design professionally).  In any case, he and Steve Peters came up with this trompe l'oeil idea of creating a network of pipes coming out of the floor, walls, ceiling, with the occasional open end harboring some mysterious sounds.   Steve did all the sound work himself.  Rick the fantastic job with making pvc pipes and who knows what other materials, look like iron works 100 years old.  Truly a visual delight.

Here's some photos from the evening - remember, there is no metal - these are all plastic pipes, painted by Rick.

The Art of Snow, or Art in the Snow

Just some picks of my outdoor sculptures enjoying the elements, and a few other First Hill snow shots.

 

anyone for a swim?  Jan 15

 Sunday January 15th

MOLORAZZI - Sharon Arnold in Georgetown and Vignettes

Here's a few photos from Sharon Arnold's show at the Firm, in Georgetown, Mapping an Irretrievable Field of Memory and Sean McElroy's We are Happy to Serve You, at Vignettes


I was going to head to Season today, for You've Got A Smile Left in your Hand but Seattle shuts down when it snows...so I'll have to catch it soon! 

 Jim Demetre and Trevor Johnson at The Firm

Top 10: Best Music of 2011

Normally, I make a big deal about compiling my year-end list but frankly this year I just haven't been keeping up on music at all.  [so who is this Adele person people keep speaking of?] I think when one is going through some health issues, in general just feeling lousy, one tends to listen to comfort music.  At least that's how I felt most of this year.  It can take a bit of effort to get into new stuff, so I would choose things that have been staples for me for years, and on the mellower side.

But the last few months I have been catching up more and more with the albums I missed, and the albums I bought, but didn't listen to much, and 2011 was an excellent year for music.  I wouldn't say there's one album that just blew away the rest, but more like there were a lot of strong releases by band I enjoy, as well as some good new stuff too.  So here's a brief, dirty list of my favorite albums of 2011.  Likely I'll feel very different about this list in 6 months.

You know what?  I'm going to have to invoke "in no particular order" for a change.  Here's my favorite 10 albums I have been exposed to that were released in 2011: