Uses of History
June 29- August 4, 2019 Jeremy Deller, London, UK
Haris Epaminonda, Berlin, Germany
Denzil Hurley, Seattle, WA
Abbas Kowsari, Tehran, Iran
Jacob Lawrence 1917 (Atlantic City, NJ) - 2000 (Seattle, WA)
Ellen Lesperance, Portland, OR
D.E. May 1952-2019, Salem, OR
Danielle Morsette(Stó: lō/Suquamish) , Bainbridge Island, WA
Kathy Slade,Vancouver B.C.
Heather Kai Smith, Vancouver B.C.
Cappy Thompson, Seattle, WA
studio e gallery is pleased to present Uses of History, on view from through August 4th, an exhibition guest curated by Melissa E. Feldman exploring ways in which contemporary artists, hailing from the Pacific Northwest and points beyond, engage with history and the past. Excavating episodes, imagery, and cultural expressions, the artists revisit histories that haunt the present, seeking connection--or a reckoning--with the past. Their diverse approaches include re-appropriating vintage materials and decorative motifs, recounting historic events, and reviving indigenous or traditional artisanal techniques. Others find inspiration in popular culture and the fine arts of yore, and the cultural ethos they ultimately signify. An illustrated catalogue with text by Feldman accompanies the exhibition.
Artists include Jeremy Deller (UK), Abbas Kowsari (Iran) and Cypriot Haris Epaminonda--all exhibiting in the Pacific Northwest for the first time-- as well as Denzil Hurley, Jacob Lawrence, Ellen Lesperance, D.E. May, Kathy Slade, Cappy Thompson, and others based in the region. Uses of History represents the North American debut of new films by Turner-prize winner Deller, one of the most important British artists of his generation, and Epaminonda’s Chimera (2019) currently on view at the Venice Biennale where she was recently awarded the Silver Lion.
Guest curator Melissa E. Feldman is an independent curator and writer and was formerly director of the Neddy Artist Awards and Visiting Faculty at Cornish College of the Arts. Recent exhibitions include Push Play (2014-18) organized by Independent Curator’s International, Another Minimalism: Art after California Light and Space (The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and Mead Gallery, University of Warwick, UK, 2014-15) and Dance Rehearsal: Karen Kilimnik’s World of Ballet and Theatre (Mills College Art Museum, Oakland and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, 2012-13). Feldman has been a frequent contributor to Art in America, Frieze, Third Text, and Aperture, among other publications.
