“Video and Photography from Western Bridge,” the Museum of Art at Washington State University’s first exhibit of 2007, will run from Jan. 5 to Feb. 11. There will be a public reception at the museum at 6 p.m. on Jan. 11.
In a two-part presentation, the museum will exhibit room-size video projections and complementary photo-based works. Part one of the exhibit will run Jan. 5 – 26, featuring artists Amy Adler, Christian Marclay, Nicholas Nixon and Cindy Sherman. The second installment of the exhibit will be displayed Jan. 27 – Feb. 11 and will feature artists Rodney Graham, Timothy Hutchings and Catherine Yass.
Founded by collectors Bill and Ruth True, Western Bridge is a non-profit space in Seattle dedicated to recent developments in contemporary art. The True Collection contains important works in video, photography and other media created by an international roster of both established and emerging artists.
When asked what attracts him to collecting art, Bill True says, “Collecting allows us to live with and share the art we love.”
“Western Bridge is one of Seattle’s lesser-known cultural treasures,” said Chris Bruce, WSU museum director. “We are fortunate to have a number of people in the Northwest who collect art with a passion. The result is a rich gallery scene and arts institutions that are diverse and high in quality. But there are few people who do what Bill and Ruth True do anywhere. Not only do they collect some of the most “uncollectible” forms of art – large scale installations, video and conceptual art – but they also established a place for the community to see it in the warehouse district south of downtown Seattle.”
In each section of the WSU museum exhibit there will be a featured artist displayed on a room-size video projection. Part one will feature internationally recognized artist, Christian Marclay, whose work explores sound as its subject. In many of his pieces, what is seen and what is heard may be distorted, altered or out of order – as a result viewers become sensitive to the way information is received and processed.
Part two will feature the work of internationally recognized artist Catherine Yass. Yass’ film, “Descent” (2002), was produced by raising herself and her camera 800 ft. in the air in a crane above a construction site in London and then lowered through thick fog. The film was then reversed and slowed down to achieve a sense of disorientation.
“We are fortunate that Bill and Ruth have opened their collection for our community so that we might experience a sampling of recent directions in video and photography,” said Bruce.
Funding for this exhibition is provided by the Friends of the Museum of Art and the Washington State Arts Commission.
For more information, please contact the Museum of Art/WSU at (509) 335-1910. Visit the WSU Museum of Art website at www.wsu.edu/artmuse.
