Santiago Cucullu
EAST GALLERY
December 17, 2005 – March 12, 2006


Santiago Cucullu. The Illicit Movements of Severino Di Giaovanni Preceding His Arrest by Edmundo De Amicci (installation at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis). 2004. Contact paper on wall. Courtesy of the artist & Perry Rubenstein Gallery, New York. Photo: Cameron Wittig.

Santiago Cucullu has created an immersive environment in the Henry’s East Gallery. His installation centers on a grandly scaled wall drawing made of colorful contact paper. Inspired by the German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the drawing sets the stage for an expanded perception of the gallery’s usual white-walled architecture. Just as the silent film’s sets appeared animated and collapsible, Cucullu’s interventions fold the gallery into an alternative reality, where an enlivened architecture envelopes us. Several sculptures made of aluminum, wood, airline blankets, and pillows populate the space and interrupt our usual pathways through it. Composed of everyday materials, they exude a spontaneous theatricality that engages the viewer and fuses art and life.

Santiago Cucullu. Entrance Into Otherwise (installation at the Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis). 2000. Contact paper on wall. Courtesy of the artist & Perry Rubenstein Gallery, New York. Photo: Dan Dennehy.


Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski and generously supported by ArtsFund, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In-kind support provided by Hotel Max.

Hershmanlandia: The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson
November 5, 2005 - January 29, 2006

Lynn Hershman Leeson. Roberta’s Construction Chart #1, 1974.
Dye transferred print. Courtesy the artist.

For thirty-five years, San Francisco artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson has explored vision, spectacle, spectatorship, and their roles in the construction of sexed subjectivity. With Hershmanlandia: The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson, the Henry Art Gallery will present the first major survey of this important American artist. Prolifically expressed in drawings, paintings, photographs, performances, robotic works, digital art, videos, films, interactive multimedia installations, and artificial intelligence works, Hershman Leeson's project of self-analysis and self-mythification multiplies and refracts fictional identities through her artwork to the point of exploding any stable notion of identity. The trajectory of her work provides a vivid artistic mirror of issues related to fragmented human subjectivity in our time.

Hershmanlandia is a space both real and virtual. It is populated by the multiple female personas and agents that have embodied Hershman Leeson's key concepts and concerns: the construction of sexed identity in relation to vision, spectacle and spectatorship; interactivity; the relationship between bodies and machines; and shifting ideas of the real and the virtual. While past exhibitions have often focused on the artist's technological innovations in new media, Hershmanlandia elaborates these themes which have preoccupied Hershman Leeson throughout her career.

For decades, Hershman Leeson has maintained separate practices in visual arts and film. Recently, she has brought these two streams together in compelling ways by linking the character Ruby from Teknolust, her recent feature film, with Agent Ruby, an artificially intelligent Web agent that exists on a multitude of platforms. Hershmanlandia provides a timely reassessment of Hershman Leeson's contributions to contemporary art, feminist theory, emerging technologies, and the full range of 21st-century creative endeavor.

Robin Held
Associate Curator, Henry Art Gallery

Accompanying the exhibition is The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson: Secret Agents, Private I, a major co-publication of the University of California Press and the Henry Art Gallery, to be distributed by University of California Press. This catalogue is the first critical monograph on the artist, and features a foreword by Hershmanlandia curator Robin Held and critical essays on Hershman Leeson's visual art, new media, and film by art historians/curators Amelia Jones, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Jean Gagnon, Steve Dietz, and Meredith Tromble, and by film theorists David E. James, Marsha Kinder, and B. Ruby Rich.

Hershmanlandia: The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson is organized for the Henry Art Gallery by Robin Held. Major support for this exhibition has been provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle; the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; and donors to the Henry Art Gallery Contemporary Art Fund. In-kind support is provided by Grand Hyatt Seattle, Pyramid Breweries, The Stranger and KEXP 90.3 FM. Special thanks to Donald M. Hess and the Hess Collection.

Sign Language
NORTH GALLERIES
October 8, 2005 – January 15, 2006

Bill Kane. Wall 876543B (from the Out of State portfolio). 1978. Gelatin silver print. Henry Art Gallery, Monsen Study Collection of Photography, gift of Joseph and Elaine Monsen.

Where there are people, there are signs. Announcing, selling, directing, locating, signs are ubiquitous in our populated landscapes. Signs offer rich communication of a culture’s needs and desires and have attracted the keen eyes of many photographers, past and present. This exhibition drawn from the Henry's Monsen Collection of Photography highlights John Gutmann, Walker Evans, Aaron Siskind, Weegee, and many others.

Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski.

150 Works of Art
STROUM GALLERY
October 1, 2005 – February 26, 2006

Jennifer and Kevin McCoy. Soft Rains #4 (The Loft). 2003. Mixed media with DVD.
Photo courtesy Postmasters Gallery and the artists.

In lieu of permanent installations of the museum's collection, the Henry Art Gallery regularly organizes temporary exhibitions with and from its collections. 150 Works of Art departs from expectations of thematic and chronological installations to feature each painting, photograph, and other work as a special object worthy of contemplation in its own right. The installation is at once a dramatic new conceptual work by the Seattle architecture and design team Lead Pencil Studio and a new approach to presenting and experiencing pictorial works. The surprising and unexpected design of the exhibition encourages viewers to enjoy individual objects, to explore a chronological sweep from around 1825 to the present, or to compare diverse works in a dynamic mix.

Homer Dodge Martin. On Lake Ontario. 1875. Oil on canvas. Henry Art Gallery, Horace C. Henry Collection.
Photo: Richard Nicol.

Organized for the Henry Art Gallery by Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown. Exhibition design concept by Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo of Lead Pencil Studio. Generously supported by ArtsFund and donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Minus Space: Lead Pencil Studio
EAST GALLERY
August 19 – November 20, 2005

Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo. Billboard Sketch #7 (project for Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, Vancouver, BC). 2004. Pencil on paper. Image courtesy of the artists.

Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo, Seattle artist-architects who collaborate as Lead Pencil Studio, transformed the Henry's East Gallery with Minus Space, a site-specific installation. The exhibition includes photographs by Mihalyo (awarded The Betty Bowen Memorial Award for Wood Burners, published by Princeton Architectural Press) and sketches from the studio’s inventive architecture. This exhibition is the first to explore their practice across a wide range of media. Lead Pencil Studio was also commissioned by the Henry Art Gallery to design the exhibition 150 Works of Art.

Curated by Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown and generously supported by donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Seeing the Unseen
NORTH GALLERIES
July 2 – October 2, 2005

Above: E.C. Le Grice. X-Ray Whelk Shell. Circa 1895-1896, printed 1910. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy of Getty Images.

Showcasing the extensive holdings of Getty Images’ Hulton Archives, Seeing the Unseen examines pivotal developments in the history of photography. Imagine seeing the strange beauty of an X-ray or the wonders of time-lapse photography, for the first time. Such images, first created in the late 19th century by pioneers of scientific and documentary photography, radically changed humankind’s vision of the physical world and quickly inspired startling changes in the visual arts.

Seeing the Unseen includes rare vintage prints by Nadar, Etienne- Jules Marey, Eadweard Muybridge, and Edward Charles LeGrice, some never before shown publicly. The achievements of these innovators and the work of other lesser known scientists and photographers exhibited here mark a moment in time when science and art converged to make visible the invisible, at once delighting and informing the human eye with wondrous images that were previously beyond imagining. The exhibition includes images from the Henry’s Joseph and Elaine Monsen Collection of Photography.

Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski with Benjamin Fels. Exhibition concept by Benjamin Fels. Special research assistance provided by Helen Drew for Getty Images, Hulton Archive. Seeing the Unseen is generously supported by ArtsFund, 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax Fund, The Boeing Company, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Arts Commission, Paul and Debbi Brainerd, and donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Trimpin: Phffft
NORTH GALLERIES
July 2 – October 2, 2005

Installation view. Trimpin. Phffft. 1992/2005. Wood, metal, plastic, and electronic components. Photo: Richard Nicol.

Nearly 200 air-activated reeds, flutes, pitched pipes, whistles, and other instruments hung from the gallery ceiling in the immersive acoustic environment of Trimpin’s Phffft. Kicking off a year-long regional survey of Seattle-based composer and sound artist Trimpin’s career, this exhibition recreated an historic sound work from 1992. Triggered by the gallery visitor, a computer programmed with original compositions conducts the sculptures. As they rotate gently, the instruments generate air flumes, musical undercurrents, bursts of sound, and sustained harmonics. Several of Trimpin’s unique scores and notational drawings for various sculptures and performances also on view. The Henry joined Consolidated Works, The Museum of Glass, Washington State University Museum of Art, Suyama Space, The Frye Art Museum, Vancouver Jazz Festival, and The Tacoma Art Museum to showcase the work of this inventive artist.

Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski and generously supported by ArtsFund, 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax Fund, The Boeing Company, PONCHO, and donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Doug Aitken: interiors
STROUM GALLERY
March 26 - July 10, 2005

Doug Aitken. interiors (production still). 2002. 3-channel video intallation and environment. Image courtesy of the artist and 303 Gallery, New York.

Four scenes cycle across three screens in Doug Aitken's mesmerizing video installation, interiors. Individual actors wander through a range of stark landscapes and interiors: industrial lands, a helicopter factory, a locker room, an auction hall. For the most part alone, these figures prepare for various activities. A young woman suits up to play handball; a Japanese auctioneer warms up his voice. Suddenly, their unrelated activities intersect in a strange, intense piece of music composed for tap dancer, auctioneer, handball player, and rapper (OutKast's Andre Benjamin). Just as the viewer is drawn into the song, it collapses, restarts, and dissolves. Built of mysterious yet recognizable elements, Aitken's installation achieves a surprising, stunning synthesis. As a document, it captures a broad, inclusive picture of modern life through an accumulation of moments.

Doug Aitken has emerged as a leader in the rethinking of traditional video and video installation art. interiors is an installation of videos projected onto architectural fabric structures. This departure from the flat frame allows the artist to explore the traditional boundaries of narrative structure. interiors features a series of seemingly disparate narratives, which are eventually joined through a fusion of visuals and sound. Characters move through vivid environments and landscapes, including a Tokyo penthouse, an urban junkyard, and a Los Angeles helicopter factory.

In 2000, Aitken received the Aldrich Award from the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, CT. His installation Electric Earth was one of the highlights of the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, 2000 and was awarded the International Prize at the Venice Biennale, 1999.

This project was organized by the Fabric Workshop and supported by a grant from the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative, a program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Major support was also provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The National Endowment for the Arts provided additional funding for Aitken’s residency at The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

Doug Aitken: interiors is organized for the Henry Art Gallery by Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown. Support for this exhibition has been provided by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, William and Ruth True, and donors to the Henry Art Gallery Contemporary Art Fund. In-kind support provided by the Grand Hyatt Seattle, Pyramid Breweries, The Stranger, and KEXP 90.3 FM.

Playtime
EAST GALLERY
March 11 - July 10, 2005

Deborah Brown. Untitled (Wailing Tiger Diva). 1994
Assemblage (doll parts and feathers)
Henry Art Gallery, gift of Peter Norton, 2000.18 A&B

Playtime gathers recent additions to the permanent collection that privilege whimsical, playful imagery. Toys, trinkets, and games are combined in absurd but highly sculptural ways. Grown-up configurations of youthful pleasures, pastimes, and preoccupations, these works by Deborah Brown, Nicole Eisenman, Fabrice Hybert, Jon Kessler, Sean Landers, Larry Mantello, and others provide a wide-ranging examination of childhood experiences.


Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski and former Assistant Curator Pamela Meredith, and generously supported by donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Celebrity Skin
NORTH GALLERIES
February 25 – May 8, 2005

Alice Wheeler. Kurt Cobain at MTV’s Live and Loud, Pier 63, Seattle. 1993, printed 2003.
Chromogenic print. Image courtesy of the artist.

Celebrity Skin examines how celebrity identities are constructed through the widespread circulation of photographic images in popular culture. In an innovative pairing, this exhibition features images from La Galerie Contemporaine, a late 19th-century French portfolio of celebrated artistic, literary and political figures, alongside Seattle artist Alice Wheeler’s photographs of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and their fans. In the Paris and Seattle of their respective times, the photographers brought glimpses of creative subcultures to the forefront of contemporary consciousness.

Curated by former Associate Curator Robin Held and generously supported by donors to the Contemporary Art Fund. Special thanks to Greg Kucera Gallery.

Short Stories : Contemporary Selections
NORTH GALLERIES
March 4 – May 1, 2005

Dora Garcia. La Leccion Respiratoria (The Breathing Lesson). 2001
Henry Art Gallery, Henry Contemporary Acquisition Fund Purchase, 2002.3

Short Stories at the Henry Art Gallery are curatorial inquiries using the museum's collection as a catalyst. This exhibition features recent acquisitions of works by vibrant young artists that have entered the collection through the research, passion, and generosity of the Friends of the Henry who attend the annual Contemporaries Acquisition Event. Following a mandate to choose significant, cutting-edge artworks that complement or enhance the collection, these lively evenings and resulting donations have brought over a dozen new works in a wide variety of media into the collection over the last five years. Works on view by Claire Cowie, Dora Garcia, Elizabeth Jameson, Brian Jungen, Cameron Martin, and Santiago Sierra exemplify the Henry’s continuing support of up-and-coming artists.

Curated by Assistant Curator Sara Krajewski and generously supported by donors to the Contemporary Art Fund.

Axel Lieber: Release
NORTH GALLERIES
December 4, 2004 - April 17, 2005

Axel Lieber. Release, 2003. Wood, plastic, metal, paint. Approximately
2.5 x 3 x 3 meters. Courtesy Gallery Rolf Hengesbach, Cologne, Germany.

Lieber's sculptural works are inspired by objects within our habitual domestic environments: furniture, food, and clothing, to name a few. His works are often concerned with the contrast between inside and outside, creating fullness where one expects emptiness and vice versa. Skin is made a solid structure while robust scaffolding appears to be a delicate fragment. Lieber strips structure bare and makes visible by creating new structures and manipulating our perception of the familiar.

The exhibition will feature two of Axel Lieber's monumental Release sculptures, first exhibited at Basel's Art Unlimited in 2003. These hanging structures are composed of the many components of a model house for a train set - walls, doors, window frames, etc - but significantly enlarged and rearranged to appear as if exploding. Lieber will be in residence at the museum for approximately two weeks, creating a new work in the Open Studio format to exhibit alongside Release.

Lieber was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1960 and remained there until 1994 when he relocated to Sweden and began teaching sculpture at the Art Academy of Malmö. He has exhibited extensively in European galleries and museums. This is Lieber’s first exhibition in the Pacific Northwest. He was previously included in exhibitions at the Headlands Center for the Arts in San Francisco and in Artists Imagine Architecture at the ICA in Boston.

Axel Lieber is organized for the Henry Art Gallery by Assistant Curator Pamela Meredith. Support for this exhibition has been provided by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, and donors to the Henry Art Gallery Contemporary Art Fund. In-kind support provided by the Grand Hyatt Seattle. Special funding provided by IASPIS, Sweden.

WOW  (The Work of the Work)
NORTH, EAST, STROUM GALLERIES, and WESTERN BRIDGE
November 6, 2004 – February 6, 2005

How does a compelling work of art work on us? Henry Art Gallery Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown developedThe Work of the Work to explore the variety of ways in which works of art can engage a viewer. A person's response to artwork may be intellectual, visceral, purely aesthetic, or emotional – often it is a combination of these things. Such responses are critical to the effectiveness of most, if not all, works of art. WOW intends to be an investigation of both our immediate and our lasting responses to contemporary art.

WOW presents significant work by an international group of prominent artists — Anne Appleby, Candice Breitz, Olafur Eliasson, Callum Innes, Carsten Höller, Gary Hill, Mike Kelley, Kimsooja, Wolfgang Laib, Steve McQueen, Juan Munoz, James Turrell, Hannah Villiger, and Catherine Yass – working in painting, sculpture, video, installation, and photography. Their works represent many different points on the spectrum of artistic affect. The works of Anne Appleby, Callum Innes, Wolfgang Laib, Kimsooja, and James Turrell draw a viewer toward meditation and contemplation. Candice Breitz, Mike Kelley, Carsten Höller, and Steve McQueen make work that is emphatically destabilizing. Olafur Eliasson, Gary Hill, Juan Muñoz, and Catherine Yass seemingly alternate between the serene and the wild. WOW evokes this full range of moods.

WOW invites viewers simply to focus on their own responses. As with responses to the greatest literature, affective reactions to works of visual art help one to embrace the endless variety and richness of the human experience. The best contemporary art functions within shifting realms of sensation and interpretation. It can embrace both mystery and comprehension. Come see (and feel, and think) for yourself.

The Henry collaborated with Western Bridge in the presentation of WOW. Western Bridge hosted a significant portion of this innovative exhibition.

WOW was organized for the Henry Art Gallery by Chief Curator Elizabeth A. Brown. Support for this exhibition has been provided by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, PONCHO, William and Ruth True, John and Shari Behnke, Amy and Joseph Morel, Susan R. Moseley, H.S. Wright III and Katherine Ann Janeway, Liz and Anders Hejlsberg, Beverly and George Martin, Lynn J. Loacker, April and James A. Allison, Michele and Steve Heller and donors to the Contemporary Art Fund. In-kind support provided by the Grand Hyatt Seattle, Western Bridge, Producing Future, The Stranger and KEXP 90.3 FM. Public support provided by Pro Helvetia, Arts Council of Switzerland and 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax Fund.