Something happens when you’re surrounded by the collaborative paintings of Ron Schmitt and Ric Hall. The walls throb with stories, surreal tales of humans striving to connect with each other, sometimes doing so, sometimes not. There’s an ache in the artwork, a feeling of loneliness, but also humor, color and joy. The paintings might remind you of dreams, those nightly narratives that highlight our deepest longings.
“This work needs to be seen by more than the 120 people who attended the opening,” said Tobin Ropes, owner of the new Tobin Gallery in downtown Tacoma, which is showing Schmitt & Hall: Collaborative Improvisations through August 15. While the exhibit had an opening reception in June, two more public events are planned: a mezzanine opening from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 26, and a closing show from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. All are invited.
Thirty-one Schmitt/Hall paintings are on display in the gallery, mostly figurative, most telling a story. While the artists cite German expressionists such as Max Beckmann as an influence, they’ve veered away from the darkness of expressionist paintings. Rather, these works feature color.
“I like the snappy colors,” said Schmitt recently. “The colors lure you in, saying, ‘Come on in, take a look around.’ Then the devil will bite you. We don’t worry about the devil or danger, we bring it out front.”
What’s most unusual about the Schmitt/Hall paintings is the process of creating them. The two men, college roommates almost 50 years ago in the art department of Western Washington University, paint together, side by side. They began doing so in the 1980s, not intentionally at the time, but trying to understand each other’s process. A pivotal moment took place in 1993, when Schmitt, after losing his leg in an industrial accident, stopped painting. But with Hall’s support, he began again. Over time, their collaboration became purposeful, and now they meet once a week in Schmitt’s Seattle studio to create a painting together.
“We start out with a big mess,” Schmitt said. “It’s like looking up into clouds. Eventually, something reveals itself.”
While the men experimented with a variety of media, they settled on pastels because they’re “quick and flexible,” according to Hall. The artists, who never have a plan when they begin, are mostly silent as they paint. They see what images the strokes suggest, and go with them.
“There’s little communication until it’s apparent the piece is developing a direction,” Hall said.
But even then, the men don’t talk much. Rather, according to Schmitt, they do a “strange dance” of gently elbowing each other to get where they need to be. When they start applying color, the painting begins to emerge.
“We have a high level of trust due to the long history of working together,” Hall said. And according to Schmitt, “The painting isn’t done until both of us say it is.”
Over the years, Schmitt believes he and Hall have become better at creating narratives in their art, and also bolder with color. He’s bolder in other ways, too. “When I’m painting alone,” Schmitt says, “I’m not as fearless.”
About finished pieces, Hall said, “I’m pretty much always surprised.” And since improvisation is key to the process, he agrees with a friend who described the Schmitt/Hall paintings as “jazz in color.”
The artists’ attention to detail is illustrated by the fixative they use to build their paintings by layers. Dissatisfied with current products, they researched the one used by Degas, the 19th-century French impressionist. While the exact components aren’t available, the men found substitutes and created their own, using ethyl alcohol and shellac.
“It’s been a sweetheart,” Schmitt said.
The Tobin Gallery is adjacent to the recently re-located Mad Hat Tea Company, a downtown Tacoma business also owned by Tobin Ropes, who goes by Tobin. He’s thrilled to now have the gallery’s 1,500 square feet in which to spotlight art, since for years he’s harbored the dream of having a “museum-quality space” with white walls and good lighting. While downtown Tacoma, until recent years, had a lively art district, many galleries shut down during Covid. Tobin aims to bring an art focus back to downtown.
“I’m not going to TRY to do it,” he said recently. “I’m going to do it.”
With this exhibit, he’s on his way.
Photos courtesy of Henry Hall.
WHAT:
Schmitt & Hall: Collaborative Improvisations
WHERE:
The Tobin Gallery, 924 Broadway, Suite A, Tacoma
WHEN:
Events: Mezzanine opening Saturday, July 26, 5 to 9 p.m., closing show Saturday, August 15, 6 to 9 p.m.
Exhibit open: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays noon to 4 p.m. Sundays
COST:
Free
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.thetobingallery.art/