Friday, January 29th, 2010
I have 3 upcoming exhibits…
Opens February 27th
1022 First Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98134
March 6- April 18
651 W. Main St.
Riverhead, NY
and…
A solo show at Corridor Gallery (I’m no longer the curator, so I can show there now) opening March 4. I can’t give away the name yet, as it’s going to be part of an Internet launch that I hope makes some big waves. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Detail: Madonna of The Electro-shock Belt
I’ve added new work and I’ve optimized the site for the now ubiquitous larger resolution monitors. It’s about time I caught up I suppose.
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Here are some shots of my show at Form/Space Atelier.
Form/Space is essentially a made-over giant entryway complete with grand staircase. I’m glad Paul has some mountain goat proclivities because hanging work here is not to be attempted by the height phobic.
Gallery View
The only way to hang The Frenchman (on the right) on concrete was with bindery clips. I’ve seen many hanging systems for paper over the years. I especially like using magnets, but they would not hold this time. Framing the massive piece would have blown my art show budget for the year, it is 54 by 116 inches. The painting to the left is not a small work either.
Gallery View
"The 4 Corners (Corrupted Over Time)" Pastel on drafting film, embroidery thread, 2009
This is my favorite piece, though the subtle grey is difficult to capture in a photograph. In studio I had drawn the dark black lines behind the film overlay directly on the wall. In the gallery, I used a beautiful black embroidery thread to create the lines.
Detail: The 4 Corners (Corrupted Over Time) Pastel on drafting film, colored paper, embroidery thread.
"And Then He Asked" oil on linen, canvas, board, embroidery thread, 2009
Earlier this summer I had the idea of creating multiple “help” messages in multiple mediums, some quick and temporary, some permanent, as if I had casually drawn or written the word help in many instances over many years. The idea did not last through a production phase and so I ended up with this one being incorporated into a grouping of other small works.
"Black Thumb", oil on canvas, embroidery thread, 2009
The rest of the small works on various support materials refer to memories and impacts associated with certain body parts, my own and my friend Su’s, as well as her death.
"Program the Artist"
In a small exercise, I invited viewers to recite a series of words or string of characters to me, or as I termed it, to “program me” on opening night. I moved around a lot as a child, and my friends and I would send each other letters. I have an entire box full of them. I collected about 30 envelopes from these letters, selected a dozen or so from different time periods, and wrote on the back of each a “code phrase” that had particular associations for me. Once the viewer read the code phrase, I would speak as required or evidence a change in outward behavior. Regardless of the personal associations for me, which I was not overt about, I hoped to broach the idea of quantifying the effect of a powerful mnemonic.
"Tween" oil on canvas, 2009
This is a new piece I created for the show.
Detail: "Tween", oil on canvas, 2009
"Headless" oil on canvas, 89" x 68", 2009
I began this painting on the back wall of my studio in the summer of ‘08. I was resolved to finally finish and frame it after all of that time.
"Little Handmaiden", Pastel on drafting film, 2009
For more about this piece, see this post: First Thursday May: Parts
There is a thread of meaning running through all of these seemingly disparate works. The show title hints at it, but otherwise I chose this time not to be overly explicit. It’s a bit of a relief.
“Program” remains up through October 4, please come and sign the guest book.
Monday, August 31st, 2009
Detail: “The 4 Corners, (Corrupted Over Time)” Pastel on drafting film and colored paper, 6’ x 6’ 2009
September 11 – October 4, 2009
Belltown Second Friday Artwalk, September 11, 2009, 6 – 9 PM
Hours: Wednesdays-Sundays 12-4 PM
Form/Space Atelier
2407 First Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
“Program” is a collection of Lynn Schirmer’s autobiographical large-scale figurative paintings, drawings, and other products. These recent works explore in more detail methods of external control, identity, and how experiences impact our sense of physicality. At the reception, audiences will have the opportunity to program Schirmer, or alter her mental state, by interacting with the elements in one particular piece.
I hope you can attend.
http://formspaceatelier.blogspot.com/
http://www.formspaceatelier.com/
The very same night, right around the corner onto Second Ave., City Hostel will again be open to the public.
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
Towards the end of July, my friend Jen Vertz approached me about the project she’d volunteered to curate. Taking the lead from San Francisco’s Hotel des Arts and similar projects, City Hostel Seattle reached out to Jen and her partner, spray-paint maestro Jeff Jacobson aka “Weirdo”. Jen’s job: to quickly find some 50 artists to each take a room, and the rooms had to be completed in time to open on August 14. Needless to say it was a whirlwind of activity, during which I was also reconnecting with half a dozen friends from my 1st high school in the deep South via Facebook, plus I got into a bit of excitement with, and I can’t publish it, a man friend.
The hostel project was a joy. I arranged to have some days off of client work towards the end and it was fantastic. Painting all day and being in the company of so many other artists was just about as much fun as I could handle. I could fill a few blog posts on the issue of compensation and the sad state of a society that encourages an unquestioning willingness in artists to essentially volunteer for a for-profit project. Two factors motivated me, however, one was the opportunity to paint directly onto the walls of a room. I painted a small trompe l’oeil in the sink nook. I could never get away with that at a gallery show, it would be panned as low brow, but in this context, the audiences seemed rather pleased, and that’s the other factor. This work has a guaranteed audience for several years to come. I took great delight in creating imagery reflecting the purpose of the room. I felt a responsibility to create pleasing and thought provoking work and I liked feeling that sense of responsibility. It’s art with a purpose that has some longevity. One of the artists had a Warhol quote hanging in his space: “Why do people think artists are special? It’s just another job.” I felt that blue collar around my neck and was proud. Now we just need to foment a labor movement so that we can get paid.
Here are some photos of my room at City Hostel:
Sleeper dreams of a battle over the light switch.
Mirror nook
Trompe l'oeil in the sink nook, can you read what it says?
Sleepers above the headboard
Sleeper's helper pulls up on the floor of the room.
Ceiling
Window sill
Window lovers into trees
Sleeper pulls on the window moulding
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