Paper is one of the oldest of human-made mediums that we use. It was first developed in East Asia around 105 CE. It is one of the first arts materials we are introduced to as children and plays an important role throughout our lives. It is so ubiquitous in our everyday routine that we often overlook it or take it for granted, but the current show at Childhood’s End invites us to look anew at this most versatile material. Paper Trails profiles the paper works, or works on paper journeys of Lisa Sweet, Mimi Williams, Sun Watkins, Nikki McClure and Helga Winter.
Lisa Sweet is an emeritus professor of printmaking, working in intaglio. She generally uses surrealism and caricatures with exaggerated features in atmospheric settings for political and social commentary. Her work is nostalgic and reminiscent of the old political commentary art like that of Ruby Dyson and Thomas Nast. Sweet’s work is highly produced, her observational skills are stellar, and her knowledge of her discipline is exemplary. Showing in the gallery are two much more meditative pieces but they are every bit as intriguing. Both are polyptychs; one has twenty images, the other has nine. They consist of small, framed squares of colored intaglio print designs; patterns of natural foliage and flower designs, geometric and organic styles superimposed with occasional subtle added emphases and metallic ink. The colors work beautifully together, and each image holds its own mood. They are intimate and mesmerizing.
Mimi Williams uses highly contrasted textured block print and collage; her images are of wooded settings. Her compositions use lyrical flowing lines, her warped perspectives are often delivered with a surprise comedic twist. Showing are a number of collaged block prints that look like flattened papercut pop-up scenes, the layering of the collaged prints add to the perspective and playfulness in her images. Her subjects seem to have their own personality, be it a tree, or an animal with a “get off my lawn” expression. In one scene filled with foliage a small quail with dangling head-feather looks back at you, he makes you wonder what he’s thinking; another almost blends in with the background, minding its own business. In Madrona, the one madrone tree seems to be embracing the evergreens around it. A small unframed postcard-like, print on the wall to the right shows the coastline from California to Washington, prominently displayed in the image is a US 101 highway symbol. The image is filled with highlights from the journey in varied textures, twisted perspective with boats and seagulls off the coast. There is a lot of love, comfort and humor in these scenes with a quirky surrealism mixed in.
Sun Watkins is a sumi painter and a member of the Puget Sound Sumi Society.
Sumi is an art form that involves black ink prepared from solid sticks. Her skillfully executed ink paintings capture the elegant untamed grace of frolicking horses, alternatively serene studies of flourishing foliage, blossoms and birds in nature. Many are on rice paper and presented on scrolls of textured silk. There is depth and passion in her work with well-balanced compositions and old school sumi deftness and charm. Sumi is a notoriously difficult discipline. Every brushstroke matters as nothing is erasable. There is no undoing. In the finished art piece, what you see is the product of many, many hours of practice and perfecting, the realization of which makes the viewer appreciate these large-scale dynamic paintings all the more. They make quite the impact across the room as you walk into the show and are equally arresting with layering of brushstrokes and textures when you look up close.
Nikki McClure is our much-loved internationally famous local artist. In this show, her usual high contrast black-on-white papercuts are joined by some more atmospheric painterly layers with watercolor textures using ink. She has a huge passion and respect for nature and environmental issues and much of her work reflects this. She is also a great advocate for family and community living in the beauty and simple life we love so much here in the PNW. Her papercuts are of nature, or people immersed in nature, free from the pressure of social media and television. They joyfully draw us back to what is important and keep us grounded. Her figures are well observed in her own particular style, they are busy and engaged, living their best life. They remind us we need to go outside.
On table Helga Winters: Uncertain Journey. Little Joy 4. The Things We Leave Unsaid.
Helgar Williams is a German American artist who works small, exquisite paper sculptures. They look like a cross between small, mischievous sea creatures, or maybe nouvelle cuisine servings. Many are delicately textured multimedia offerings with delightfully varied compositions, intricately stitched or held together with wax. They are mostly earth tones with an occasional pop of color. Some are made from book pages, a magazine page, a map, or printed paper which adds to the narrative. Some are dioramas made from twisted paper or wire and paper dividers with smaller creations sitting on top. Many have an eggshell appearance. Inside some of the eggs are arrangements made from delicately crinkled paper; others appear empty but hold intimate secrets to be explored inside. They are nestled in small bird nests made from woven twisted twigs, enhancing the serving or offering-up aspect to these exquisite sculptures.
Artfully curated by Jonathan Happ and beautifully hung by Kristen Etmund, this show is visually impressive and stimulating and yet simultaneously very relaxing to be with, demonstrating the versatility, and diversity of the medium. The variety of styles and skills of the artists are cohesively unified by their shared love of the material. The show is one that should not be hurried in viewing.
Photos courtesy of Childhood’s End Gallery and Lynette Charters Serembe.
WHAT:
Paper Trails, an art exhibit
WHEN:
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Sat : 10 – 7; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23, closed Christmas day
WHERE:
Childhood’s End Gallery. 222 4th Ave., Olympia
LEARN MORE:
info@childhoods-end-gallery.com, (360) 943-3724