On a windy Saturday afternoon in Mount Vernon before Christmas, it became clear to me Christian Carlson has been on the right side of history.
When the ambitious Seattle architect took early “retirement” to the smaller Skagit city six years ago, he wanted to focus on his art. But he had more on his mind than painting – he wanted to help transform downtown Mount Vernon into the popular destination it deserved to be, to build on its vibrant Skagit Food Co-op and scenic main street of small shops anchored by the historic Lincoln Theatre.
Now the sidewalks throng with shoppers. For many of them, Perry and Carlson Gallery and its adjacent gift shop will be their destination. And Carlson’s artistic vision has widened. From painting in the tradition of strict abstraction, he’s found his way to depicting “something unnamable,” perhaps arising from glimpses of islands he studies from the ferry on his weekly commutes to his family’s second home on Orcas Island. Hence the title of his latest exhibit, “At Sea Level,” showing through Monday, Jan. 2.
“Heavy Sky 1” offers delightful reflections in the near foreground from a bright channel between headlands under a darkening evening. (Photo by Stephen Hunter)
Sixteen large works in acrylic and graphite on panel line the walls. Half a dozen share a similar pattern: a light foreground pinched off by rectangles forming a narrow opening to something beyond.
In “Narrow Harbor,” the foreground is layered with reflections suggesting ocean swells. With “Heavy Light Over the Bay,” we gaze over nearby blocks or hills and calm, green water to dark enclosing headlands, beyond and above which a vast sweep of azure sky promises fine weather.
“Heavy Sky 1” offers delightful reflections in the near foreground from a bright channel between headlands under a darkening evening. “Light on the Water” challenges the pattern. The foreground is wide and dark but a friendly brilliance beckons beyond the headlands. “Wide Bend in the Skagit” plays with different symbols. We find a yellow-orange river, sluggish beneath a grey sky. You may turn either left or right but not go forward, as the gap in the background is closed by trees on the bank.
With “Stillness 1,” we are back to the water, but here the rectangles overlap, closing any gap. The sky is yellowish above the green water. “Frost at Night” plays with the elements of the water series, but here the foreground is a field and the opening beyond, guarded by trees.
“Stillness III” is a relaxing water view, azure above, indigo beneath. An energetic, minimalist abstract, “Valley in Snow,” sweeps us up a dark road over a hill beneath a brooding sky.
Nine small, untitled monochromes are refreshingly varied and reasonably priced. Most of these suggest trees or clouds. My favorite is the one with a row of trees backed by an outline of a mountain, which upon closer inspection, proves to be created from torn paper — the effect is very free and whimsical.
“At Sea Level” will be on view until Monday, Jan. 2. See it from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in Mount Vernon at 504 S. First St. If you can’t make it in person, the entire exhibit is online at perryandcarlson.com/gallery.
See these exhibits before they’re gone
John D’Onofrio’s stunning photograph of a heron at Governors Point is part of “Illuminations: The Photographers of Cascadia,” showing at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden through Friday, Jan. 6. The expansive exhibit features more than 100 nature- and landscape-inspired photographs throughout the arts space. (Photo courtesy of John D’Onofrio)
“Skagit Red” can be viewed for the final weekend at i.e. gallery in Edison. The collection features the rarely exhibited series of drip paintings from the final year of artist Jay Steensma’s life. Gallery owner Mary Lavelle said she first saw the works by the iconic Northwest painter when she opened the space eight years ago. “I was stunned when I saw them and have been excited to get them out in the public eye ever since,” she said. “I had seen many beautiful abstract paintings Jay had done over the years but never any that were left without any image or writing at all.” See the unique works from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 30–31, at 5800 Cains Court. Info: ieedison.com.
“Illuminations: The Photographers of Cascadia,” showing at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden though Friday, Jan. 6, is described as an “unprecedented celebration of the sublime landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.” With more than 100 images displayed throughout the arts venue, works by 19 nature photographers bring the outside in, and show off the magic of the place we live. Curator and photographer John D’Onofrio — who’s also the publisher of Adventures Northwest magazine — said he’s “excited to be a part of this epic exhibition.” The “J” is closed through Jan. 2, so the last time to see photographs is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 3–5, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 at 321 Front St. Info: jansenartcenter.org.
“Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art” and “Andrea Joyce Heimer: Holy Mountain” will be ending their months-long runs at Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building on Jan. 8. Both exhibits highlight artists’ connections with nature, but “Un/Natural Selections” — on loan from the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming — covers a wider array of topics addressing humanity’s interconnectedness and ever-changing relationship with the natural world. From a sculpture featuring a trio of stacked rhinoceroses to an elephant head, paintings, glassworks, multimedia pieces and much more, the exhibit is a jaw-dropping, chills-inducing experience that promises to make viewers think deeply about wildlife and animals’ connection to climate change and deeper existential pondering. From noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Jan. 8, see the two shows at 205 Flora St. Info: whatcommuseum.org.
— Amy Kepferle
