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Press Release
For immediate release: Aug. 4, 2015
Media contact: Andrea Foust
Membership and Public Relations Manager
Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University | 503-370-6867
Public contact: 503-370-6855 | museum-art@willamette.edu
“Stilleven” exhibition takes a fresh look at still life genre within the Pacific Northwest
SALEM, Ore. — The Hallie Ford Museum of Art presents “Stilleven: Contemporary Still Life” opening Sept. 12 and continuing through Dec. 20, 2015 in the Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery. Organized by Director John Olbrantz and Collection Curator Jonathan Bucci, “Stilleven” (the Dutch word for still life) explores the richness, diversity and relevancy of this important yet largely overlooked theme in the contemporary art of the Pacific Northwest.
The exhibition features work by 27 contemporary artists from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia and includes work by Rob Bibler, John Buck, Eric Elliott, Wendy Given, David Kroll, Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick, Kim Osgood and Rene Rickabaugh, among others. Through a variety of media including paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, glass, and mixed media, “Stilleven” presents contemporary work that reaffirms and in some cases challenges the traditional notion of still life.
With origins in antiquity and the late Gothic period, still life painting emerged as an important theme in Western painting by the late 16th and early 17th centuries. While still life reached its zenith in the hands of the Dutch and Flemish masters of the 17th century, it has continued to be an important if under-recognized genre for the past three centuries.
Beginning in the 20th century still life expanded beyond the simple observation of inanimate objects to embrace a variety of approaches and intents. Some of the artists in this exhibition, such as Norman Lundin, use still life to explore formalist issues of atmosphere and light, while others such as Amjad Faur use it to make social or political statements. David Giese has created wildly fanciful and improbable still life compositions, and Karen Hackenberg and John Feodorov use still life themes to address environmental issues such as pollution, the importance of recycling and waste. Ben Frank Moss and Margie Livingston use the simple concept of arranged objects as a means for the exploration of materials and processes.
For many artists in the exhibition, art historical references abound. Dutch-born Portland painter Henk Pander references traditional Dutch still life in his work, while Portland artists Katherine Ace and Sarah Fagan create still life paintings that recall the work of 19th century American trompe l’oeil (a French term that means “to trick or fool the eye”) painters John F. Peto and William Harnett. Seattle mixed media artist Whiting Tennis and Portland artist Blair Saxon Hill have both been heavily influenced by cubist collage, while Portland painter Sherrie Wolf juxtaposes traditional still life objects with Old Master themes to offer a fresh approach to the still life genre.
Financial support for this exhibition has been provided by general operating support grants from the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds and the Oregon Arts Commission.
For more information visit willamette.edu/go/hfma or call 503-370-6855.
Exhibition Related Events
Lecture | Stealing Art: Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal
Friday, September 11, 2015 at 5 p.m.
Paulus Lecture Hall, Willamette University College of Law
245 Winter St. SE
Free and open to the public
Portland painter and printmaker Sherrie Wolf will discuss her work over the past 35 years; Wolf is featured in a small solo exhibition “Sherrie Wolf: Object Lessons” in the Study Gallery and Print Study Center as well as being included in the “Stilleven” exhibition.
Evening for Educators
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, 4:30 - 6 p.m.
The Maribeth Collins Lobby and Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Educators are invited to join Elizabeth Garrison, The Cameron Paulin Curator of Education, for a preview of the exhibition, “Stilleven: Contemporary Still Life” at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. This workshop is designed to help teachers prepare students for a field trip to the exhibition, as well as broaden curriculum concepts for use in the classroom. The exhibition continues through Dec. 20. Advance registration for this free workshop is required by Sept. 28 by calling 503-370-6855.
Family Activity Day
Saturday, October 11, 2015, noon - 4:00 p.m.
The Maribeth Collins Lobby and Melvin Henderson Rubio Gallery
Family Activity Day includes a number of still life art projects for children and their families.
Admission is complimentary.
Tuesday Gallery Talks
Complimentary guided tours of the exhibition will be held every Tuesday starting Sept. 15 and continuing through Dec. 15. Tours commence at 12:30 p.m.
Artists
Katherine Ace (Portland, Ore.)
Holly Andres (Portland, Ore.)
Rob Bibler (Salem, Ore.)
John Buck (Bozeman, Mont.)
Eric Elliott (Seattle, Wash.)
Sarah Fagan (Portland, Ore.)
Amjad Faur (Olympia, Wash.)
John Feodorov (Seattle, Wash.)
David F Giese (Moscow, Idaho)
Wendy Given (Portland, Ore.)
Karen Hackenberg (Port Townsend, Wash.)
David Kroll (Vashon, Wash.)
Margie Livingston (Seattle, Wash.)
Norman Lundin (Seattle, Wash.)
Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick (Seattle, Wash.)
Ben Frank Moss (Valley, Wash.)
Mel Katz (Portland, Ore.)
Damian Moppett (Vancouver, B.C.)
Royal Nebeker (Astoria, Ore., deceased)
Kim Osgood (Portland, Ore.)
Henk Pander (Portland, Ore.)
Chris Rauschenberg (Portland, Ore.)
Rene Rickabaugh (Portland, Ore.)
Blair Saxon-Hill (Portland, Ore.)
Whiting Tennis (Seattle, Wash.)
Sherrie Wolf (Portland, Ore.)
About the Hallie Ford Museum of Art
As one of Oregon's largest art museums, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art features works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists, and includes a diverse collection of traditional European, American and Asian art, as well as artifacts that date from antiquity. Frequently changing exhibitions include lectures, special events, tours, artist demonstrations and educational opportunities for children and adults.
The museum is located at 700 State St. in Salem. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed on Monday. General admission is $6, $4 for seniors and $3 for students 18 and older. Students 17 and under and children are admitted free. Admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays. For more information call 503-370-6855 or visit willamette.edu/go/hfma.
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High Resolution Photos for Media
Copyright Notice:
The following images posted on this page are for publicity purposes only, intended for use by journalists in media-related publications. Use of any image must be accompanied by its credit line. Use of these images by any other parties or for any other purposes, private or commercial, is strictly prohibited unless the express written consent is obtained directly from Hallie Ford Museum of Art. For information regarding educational, personal and commercial use of images, please visit our Copyrights & Reproductions page.
For high resolution images or assistance contact Andrea Foust 503-370-6867 or at afoust@willamette.edu.
Flora Mace (American, b. 1949)/Joey Kirkpatrick (American, b. 1952), "Still Life," 2000, blown glass and wood, 28 x 45 in., courtesy of the artists, Seattle, Washington. Photo: Rob Vinnedge.
IMAGE
David F Giese (American, b. 1944 ), "The Adulation of Flowers Attended by Spring and Summer, from the Piano Nobile of the Palazzo Zuccari," 2008, concrete, paint, flotage and mixed media, 68 x 85 x 12 in., courtesy of the artist, Moscow, Idaho. Photo: University of Idaho Photo Center
John Buck (American, b. 1946), "Choir Boy," 2011, Ed. 15, woodblock print, 60 x 37 in., collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Maribeth Collins Art Acquisition Fund, 2015.015. Photo: Buck-Butterfield, Inc.
Katherine Ace (American, b. 1953), "Once Upon a Time," 2013, oil, alkyd, and mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48 in., courtesy of the artist and Froelick Gallery, Portland, Oregon. Photo: Jim Lommasson.
Henk Pander (American, born the Netherlands, 1937), "Flight," 2009, oil on linen, 81 x 142 in., courtesy of the artist, Portland, Oregon. Photo: courtesy of the artist.
Karen Hackenberg (American, b. 1955), "Amphorae ca. 2010," 2011, oil on canvas 24 x 48 in., private collection Port Townsend, Washington. Photo: Craig Wester.
Wendy Given (American, b. 1971), "Of the Garden: Vitis," 2014, Ed. 3, C print, 40 x 40 in., courtesy of the artist, Portland, Oregon.
Norman Lundin (American, b. 1938), "Kitchen with Green Chair," 2015, oil on canvas, 40 x 48 in., courtesy of the Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, Washington. Photo: courtesy of the artist.
Interview Opportunities
To discuss interview opportunities, please contact Andrea Foust 503-370-6867 or at afoust@willamette.edu.