Due to trecherous weather and driving conditions, we have moved our Drinks + Discussion event to this Saturday at 5pm. We hope to see you there. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Untitled
2011
Concrete and glitter
Dimensions vary. This orientation: 247” x 251”x 23” high
A brief understanding of glitter.
The blueprint-like arrangement of concrete blocks in Mitzi Pederson’s the still night air leaves no rest for one’s eyes. Multiple shades of glitter catch what little sunlight beams in from our large windows, and many cannot help but be entranced by the juxtaposition of hard, cold, rough-edged concrete and shiny, animated glitter. Surface quality is transformed.
What is our fascination with glitter that renders some of us giddy and childlike, or makes us think of glamour and glitz? Certainly there is quite a bit of cultural space between Pederson’s piece for Open Satellite and My Little Pony, Mariah Carey, Goldshläger, Lurex, eyeshaddow, etc. Perhaps some socio-historical tidbits would be of interest:
The use of the word glitter can be traced back to the 14th century. It comes from Germanic glit-, denoting ‘shining, bright’. Additionally, the etymology can be traced to Middle English gliteren, perhaps from Old Norse glitra.*
Glitter is roughly 1mm2 in size, and fabricated from paper, glass, or plastic. General consensus is that it was invented sometime around World War II by Henry Ruschmann.**
Since the 1960s, glitter has been used to create shimmery silhouettes in fashion and cosmetics. Each decade has its glitter champions—think Ziggy Stardust, 80s hair bands, Sparkle Motion, and those gel pens that gained popularity in the early 2000s.***
Undeniably glitter has a strong presence in our cultural history. It’s also stunningly beautiful, as is Mitzi Pederson’s work. Come see it for yourself before the still night air closes March 19th.
- Katy Loeb, Open Satellite Communications Intern
*Sources: www.merriam-webster.com, www.word-origins.com.
**Wikipedia.org
***Inspired by NY Magazine’s article: http://nymag.com/shopping/features/38914/
Thursday event cancelled, moved to Saturday at 5pm
Drinks + Discussion
Tomorrow (Feb. 24th): 7-9 p.m.
Open Satellite and the Henry Art Gallery present a casual discussion in the gallery with Henry Art Gallery Curator Sara Krajewski, Michael Van Horn and Mitzi Pederson. You are invited to join us as Sara Krajewski takes guests through the exhibition of Pederson’s work. Guest curator Michael Van Horn and Mitzi Pederson will be in attendance and available for conversation after the discussion.
**We’ll be watching the weather, and will post any updates online.**
Opening Friday, Feb. 18th, 2011
Mitzi Pederson
the still night air
Celebration 6-9 p.m. at Open Satellite
Work in progress…
Mitzi Pederson is hard at work in the gallery. Our excitement builds as she carts in new and diverse materials. Every day things look markedly different and nuanced. Stay tuned…
Mark you calendars for the opening: Friday, Feb. 18th, 6-9 p.m.
Learn about Mitzi Pederson’s work
In rapt anticipation of Open Satellite’s next exhibition, we are publishing a series of Tumblr posts to inspire you to learn more about Mitzi Pederson’s work, as well as guest curator Michael Van Horn.
Pederson’s visually compelling collages and three-dimensional constructions explore and emphasize chance, tension and balance. Pederson manipulates and combines diverse common materials such as cinder block, plywood, cellophane, photographs, glue, string and glitter – exploring each component’s tendencies and inherent physical properties. Line, color, material and space are used to emphasize her desire to blend drawing and sculpture. When complete, her work balances and highlights the properties of the component materials to create a tenuous state of equilibrium and potential movement.
Here are some links to get you started on your information quest:
Hammer Museum (from Pederson’s 2008 Hammer Projects exhibition)
Art Slant (review of Hammer Projects exhibition)
Whitney Museum of American Art (from Whitney Biennial 2008)
Artforum (review of 2010 show at Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery)
Our next post will include a short interview with exhibition curator Michael Van Horn.
Mitzi’s finally here!
Despite the dreariness of the Seattle-area winter grey, Mitzi Pederson is lighting up the gallery. She arrived last week and is already at work. Throughout her residency we will be sharing information and insights about Mitzi’s artwork and guest curator Michael Van Horn.
Mark your calendars:
Friday, Feb. 18th: Opening celebration at Open Satellite
Thursday, Feb. 24th: Drinks and discussion at Open Satellite
As part of our ongoing partnership with Henry Art Gallery, we will be co-hosting a casual discussion about Mitzi Pederson’s work in the exhibition space. Henry curator Sara Krajewski will share her insights, as will Michael Van Horn. Mitzi will be in attendance.
We’re excited to have such a talented artist and curator in our midst, and even more thrilled about our publication that we will release after the show opens.
Stay tuned for more information about programs and Mitzi’s residency.
Attendees of our 2010 Northwest Artist Edition Launch Party on Nov. 20th examine Northwest Field Recording (Extended Play) by Victoria Haven.
Hand painted broaches by Maki Tamura (various titles).
I’m Holding On To This For You series by Elias Hansen.
Director Yoko Ott next to one of Isaac Layman’s Liquor Store.
You’re cordially invited…
to our second annual Northwest Artist Edition Program launch party, Saturday, Nov. 20th, 7-10 p.m. This year we’ve commissioned artwork by four local artists: Elias Hansen, Victoria Haven, Isaac Layman and Maki Tamura.
We invite you to join us for a one-night celebration to showcase the new artwork and congratulate the participating artists. The evening features live spinning by DJ WD4D along with autumnal cocktails, treats and sweets.
Elias Hansen created 10 unique glassblown works. Each varies in color combination. His work has been shown at Maccarone Gallery, NYC, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, The Company, LA, and Seattle Art Museum.
Victoria Haven’s work has appeared at Greg Kucera Gallery and Howard House in Seattle and PDX Contemporary Art in Portland, OR.
Issac Layman created 8 prints, each of which is framed in frames handcrafted by the artist. His hyper-real works have been exhibited at Lawrimore Project, Tacoma Art Museum, Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, and at Aqua Art Miami.For more information on Layman, please visit www.lawrimoreproject.com.
Maki Tamura has created 12 hand painted broaches. Her elaborate, romantic work has shown most recently at James Harris Gallery in Seattle, WA, with an upcoming exhibition there in December 2010. For more information on her work, please visit www.jamesharrisgallery.com
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Isaac Layman
Liquor Store
2010
Archival inkjet print
18” x 13”
Edition of 8
All artists receive a production stipend and fifty percent of the sales revenue. The remaining proceeds support Open Satellite’s core residency program. Editions are available exclusively from Open Satellite.
One week left…
Don’t miss Primitivo Suarez-Wolfe’s installation Set-apart from Memory by Time.
This show will close Saturday, November 13th.
Read Jen Graves’ review in The Stranger.
