The Museum of Art/WSU announces a retrospective journey in a Fine Arts Faculty Focus Exhibition by artist Chris Watts, Aug. 22– Sept. 17. An opening reception will be held 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in the Museum of Art gallery with a talk given by the artist at 7 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
The Museum of Art has a long-standing tradition of presenting work by department of Fine Arts faculty members. Since 2004, these exhibits have alternated large group shows with a biennial exhibit showcasing a recently retired faculty member. This year the museum presents a retrospective exhibit of Chris Watts’ work, who retired in 2015, after 27 years of teaching at WSU.
Chris Watts’ work represents a long-term interest in patterning, order and to a certain degree spiritual or esoteric ideas. His images use numbers to explore location and sequential relationships often based on spiral, diagonal and horizontal forms. Viewers often become involved in the process of uncovering how his images are formed and he is very interested in exploring those deeper contemplative moments where the viewer’s thoughts drift inward—perhaps into their own interpretation as to the place that patterns of all types have on our experience. In an effort to broaden the influence that order, placement, and patterning have had on the evolution of his inquiries, Chris takes interest in subjects such as Bronze Age stone monuments, spirals and mazes, Pythagoras, counting processes, scientific structures, bell ringing, Theosophy, sound, the geometrical tradition in art, and of course pattern.
The Museum of Art is located on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium in the Fine Arts Center on the WSU Pullman campus. Gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and closed on Sundays. For more information please contact the museum at 509-335-1910 or visit our website at https://museum.wsu.edu.
This exhibit is funded by the Members of the Museum of Art and the Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Arts Endowment.
