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James Allen “Fashion,” Book Excavation Series, Collage
Admiration
Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery has mounted an exhibition titled “Argot” and curated by Steve Tremble, recent past executive director of the Gallery. The show includes work by the 2019 Amy Award recipient Natalie Godfrey, Sarah Mottaghinejad, Cecilia Ross-Gotta, Mark Smith, and James Allen.
“Argot” means jargon or slang, and Tremble says: “The focus in on the language these artists use that is very much their own special language – color, pattern, texture, materials, process…their particular language building blocks.” He says another goal was also to bring new artists to BAC.
I find the work of James Allen of particular interest this month. The exhibition includes work from his “Excavation Series.” These smallish works go between collages and low sculptural reliefs. He chooses a book and “excavates” it. He creates a collage/relief built upon image and word fragments from one book at a time. As he states, he “enjoys how these excavations turn the linear format of a book into a flat window through which to observe many images at once.”
Allen “creates a new version of the book’s content.” The works begin with a book, and Allen’s filtering of each book’s available images turns into quite interesting and fun visual journeys. He must interact with the subject, splice through physically and narratively, which most likely plays with his creative synapses to select and compose each artwork. His gallery talk will be Saturday, October 3rd at 1p.m. You must call to reserve a spot.
And, because we are a community, one that enjoys and supports the arts, I’d like to welcome Debra Ruzinsky to Bainbridge Arts and Crafts as its new executive director. She began her tenure at BAC in September. She comes from the Appalachian Center for Crafts (Smithville, Tennessee), which has a wonderful reputation, and she brings her skills, understanding and care to fold into the fabric of our art community.
Bonus Admiration #1
Two months ago, I celebrated the opening of two new cultural businesses, [link to August column] the Danna Tartaglia Gallery and the Bainbridge Apothecary and Tea Shop. I want to further celebrate The Apothecary as they have made it part of their mission to offer an “artist of the month” along with carrying several other local artists.
Among the artists they have shown already are Karen Moskowitz, Sam Hamrick, and Pam Christiansen. Some of the artists are young or new to artmaking, driven to make sense of our perilous times artistically. For October, they will feature photographer Nicole Vani. If seeing and experiencing all the offerings this special apothecary brings us did not already seem enough, add original artwork from local artists and wow! What a wonderful new business.
Administration
Since the pandemic hit us all by mid-March this year, many businesses have hunkered down trying to remain active under changing rules and restrictions. It has been difficult to know who is offering what, and how to access our local businesses if at all. It is commendable that our businesses have been so strong and creative trying to keep our economy going. I am certainly a proponent of buying local to keep our community as close to “normal” as possible. I can understand that it may be confusing to know what is open, or safe to go to or into, for shopping or browsing. This includes our art galleries.
Those who have not regularly read this column may not realize that a number of our art galleries have in fact been open and offering pared down and careful versions of First Friday Gallery Openings since July. BIMA was able to join this activity in September. Along the way, some like BIMA and Winslow Art Center have been extremely engaged in offering lectures and classes online. I think they have expanded well beyond what they used to think they could offer us. Surprisingly, we also welcomed a new gallery, the Danna Tartaglia Fine Art Gallery.
Since some have not understood that our galleries are actually open, the title of the column has confused them and there was a request that it not be used. As we all ride out this current of uncertain times, we all continue to adjust. Thus, perhaps, Ebb and Flow could be the new title. Suggestions are welcome.
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ABOUT BILL BARAN-MICKLE: 2020 Island Treasure Awardee . Recently, Bill has enjoyed exhibiting in several international art biennial exhibitions. Of the three in which he has participated, he won Third Place for Sculpture from the European Confederation of Art Critics in the Chianciamo Biennale, at the Chianciano Art Museum in Italy in 2011, and First Place in Applied Arts in the London Biennale of 2013. In 2013 alone, he will have participated in eight exhibitions: from London to a two-person exhibition near home. In addition, Bill was asked to be a representative for CCAC’s exhibition celebrating 100 years of the Metals Department, and a mix of group shows in New York City, Miami, Seattle and Las Vegas. Bill is the designer of the 10 foot Equitorial Bowstring Sundial located at the Richie Observatory in Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island, WA and completed in 2015.