Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Visit: Suyama Space

After attending the lecture Panel: Distillations and Eruptions: Installation at NCECA, I was compelled to visit Suyama Space. 

It was my last day in Seattle and I was finally alone since my hotel roommates left by car for California.  I had about 6 hours to kill before my flight and top on the list of things to see was Suyama Space.  So, in the rain I walked and walked until I came upon it.  I almost thought I was in the wrong place since I didn't know that you actually had to go through the architectural office of  Suyama Peterson Deguchi to get to the gallery.  Fortunately, I ventured in. 


Boy oh boy, it didn't disappoint.  The curator, Beth Sellars, let me in and for about an hour,  I stood, listened, explored, and soaked up what was in front of me, while a gentle rain seemed to wash away time. The sight specific instillation that was up, Uprising by Rick Araluce and Steve Peters , might seem unimpressive to the uninformed eye but closer inspection revealed much deeper thought.  PVC pipe painted in a Trompe l'oeil style to resemble old cast iron pipes echoed the turn-of-the-century industrial feel of the interior.  Prior to the pipe being installed, several recordings were made within the space, capturing the squeeks and moans of the old wooden building.  These recordings were played in different pipes, depending on which pipe you listened to. 



When I pressed my ear to the pipe and listened I was blown away.  It was as if the building was talking, whispering stories of its long past in a language long forgotten.  The only word that came to mind: genius.  With the begnin objects of pipes, paint, and a recording , they created an experience that I will so not forget and I have never experienced anything quite like it. 

At Suyama Space, there is no shortage of genius.  So many of the past shows seemed to offer this unparalleled exchange between art and viewer.   Here are a few of their past shows:

The instillation Nascant, by artist Gerri Sayler, created of just long strands of hot glue just screamed simple beauty.
 

 Seeps of Winter by John Grade whos encounter with a dead humback whale inspired the recreated whale skin texture out of cast paper, cellulose and glassine.




Grotesque Arabesque, by Dan Corson


The lecture and visit has really called me to question the self imposed limitations with in my own work.  These instillations, if nothing else, transform the space they are in were viewer becomes participant; art becomes experience.  I need some of that! 

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