Convergence
of the Summer Dragons at B2
The Weekly Volcano, Aug. 9, 2012
by Alec Clayton
What
a wonderful title for an art exhibition! The word “convergence” in the title
must refer to a bringing together of Eastern and Western traditions. Asian and
American artists show works influenced by the Japanese art of sumi with both
Western and Eastern traditions in landscape and abstraction.
Featured
are the works of Faye Clerget, Bill Colby, Fumiko Kimura, Sheri Neville and Jun
Kang Ye.
"Beautiful Buddha," digital photograph by Sheri Neville |
Following
on the heels of the bombastic Ric Hall and Ron Schmitt show, this one is quiet,
contemplative and restful. Where the Hall and Schmitt was like a jaw-droppingly
surrealistic movie this show is like a book of lyric poetry to be savored in a
quiet mood.
The
first works to be seen as you enter the gallery are a group of three Chinese
brushstroke landscapes by Jun Kang Ye. They consist of horizontal sweeps of
tree lines and buildings set against the horizon, mostly in muted tones of gray
(ink washes, I presume) with occasional spots of color. These are nice little
paintings, but a little too stiff and formal for my taste. The better of these
is one called “Red Bridge,” which has looser brushstrokes except for on the
bridge — the only spot of color — which lacks the delightfully impromptu look
of the rest of the painting.
There
are about seven more similar paintings by Ye in the back hallway. The best of
these is one called “Passage Through Oregon I.”
"Cliffside II," sumi by Bill Colby |
Also
in the front gallery are three sumi-style paintings by Bill Colby — a very well
known name in the Tacoma art scene. I’ve seen a lot of Colby’s work in print
media, but can’t recall if I’ve ever seen any sumi paintings. These are
excellent, with a delicate balance between open spaces and density of paint and
between abstraction and representation. The best of these is one called
“Cliffside II.”
Colby
is also showing some of his Helix series prints, which were shown last year at
Flow. And there are more works from Colby in the back rooms of the gallery
including watercolors, sumi and woodblocks. He adds a lot of variety to the
show in terms of style as well as media.
Sheri
Neville is showing a group of digital photographs of Buddhas which appear to
have been computer-manipulated. There are overlapping images and fascinating
textures — not literal textures, no bumps or ridges to be felt, but illusory
textures so that the images seem to have been projected onto rocks and leaves.
Faye
Clerget is showing some sumi and pastel works that have smoothly flowing forms
in soft colors that remind me of oil on water in sunshine — very soothing
imagery. Clerget also has a group of six sumi watercolors of flowers nice
brushwork and balance and placement of figure and ground. And one excellent
little ink drawing of a bird’s nest in tree branches that reminds me of a Franz
Kline but more delicate.
Finally,
Fumiko Kimura has two of the finest works in the show. They are small sumi
paintings in the back hall with square and rectangular shapes floating over and
within atmospheric swirls of soft black and gray ink. I like the contrasts of
hard and soft edges, openness and density. There is controlled energy here.
[B2 Fine Art Gallery, 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and till 8 p.m. Third Thursdays, through Sept. 28, 711
St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma, 253.238.5065]
M
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