Recent Stories in Visual Arts

It's just as well that I can't afford to collect Andy Warhol. One piece just doesn't do it. You can fill half of Paris's Grand Palais with portraits and a museum in Pittsburgh with assorted pieces and still not see the same piece twice.

Or you can stay closer to home: love fear pleasure lust pain glamour death opened yesterday at SAM. It's a smart, focused selection of Warhol pieces curated by Marisa Sánchez.

She steers away from the overly familiar and focuses on Warhol's non-paintings—photobooth strips, Polaroids, sewn portraits, screen tests—and non-iconic subjects. No Marilyns, no soup cans, no neon-cow wallpaper.

Warhol's genius—or was it just a knack?—was taking a simple set of rules and milking them for all they were worth. He repeated ideas the way Letterman repeates punchlines, and was just as successful at making lightning strike the same place twice, three times, four times, or more, long after you'd think that spot had no spark left in it.

A case in point is the highlight of the show: twenty of Warhol's Screen Tests. The idea behind the Screen Tests was simple: Sit someone in front of a nondescript background and film them for three minutes. Just sitting there. Doing not much. Project the films at 16 frames per second so they last four and a half minutes.

The first time I saw any Screen Tests was last year at SAM, when Dean & Britta played their collection of songs composed for 13 Most Beautiful. "Most beautiful" was an apt title, and not just because Jane Holzer brings the hubba hubba. The Screen Tests are some of the loveliest films I've seen, but it's maddeningly hard trying to pin down why, because for the most part nothing happens. But nothing makes me feel more like L.B. Jeffries, James Stewart's character in Rear Window, and at their best they give Warhol's subjects a moment where they're as lovely as Grace Kelly's entrance in that film.... (more)

The sign says "No Minors," but we're pretty sure they'll make an exception for Didi. Thanks to photocoyote for putting this cute Georgetown shot into The SunBreak Flickr pool.

Strangers in the night, exchanging glances.... Thanks to seadevi for delicately placing this example of the cross-species love that dare not speak its name in our Flickr pool.

Wednesday is for dog and (hot dog) lovers.  Thanks to zenobia_joy for throwing this big pug tongue into The SunBreak Flickr pool.

If you saw Exit Through the Gift Shop, you might want to check out the work of Pranksky, like the photo above, as well as the rest of their series Turf Wars. After all, they bombed our Flickr pool.

Love the way the depth of field lets the blossom's pink pop against that mustard background. And the line of the branch bisecting the background...well! That's what you get when you go GypsyFae Photography, apparently. Who knew Wallingford had so much to offer?

Like peanut butter and chocolate, fashion and art are two great tastes that go great together.  Tomorrow night, the two become one at Belltown bar Amber in Jewels, with the couture gowns of (friend of The SunBreak) Cameron Levin and the fashion-inspired paintings by Seattle cityscape and portrait artist Ethan Jack Harrington. Take a look at the video above for a glimpse of the works in progress.

As per the title, both the fashion and the art draw from precious gems, with vivid gowns of Pearls, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Black Diamonds, Jade, and Topaz.  Tomorrow night, the paintings will be revealed first, and then the gowns, with the girls in the portraits modeling the dresses in a fashion show.

The event also features music by DJ Johnny Fever, hors d'oeuvres, and drink specials. It's a singles party, ladies! Doors open at 5 p.m., with the fashion show right around 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with all ticket proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Affiliate. Also, 20 percent of any purchase of Harrington's paintings or Levin's dresses will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Sunbreak Flickr pool contributor shawnmebo gets up close and personal with an bunch of spring flowers with just enough haziness that you can imagine having forgotten your allergy medications.

Nareshe brings one of Seattle's vortexes where similarly named streets intersect to the Sunbreak's Flickr pool. This one occurs at the Pike Place Market, where anyone befuddled by the city planning will be find themselves in the company of tourists and plenty of options for fresh snacks while regaining their bearings.

Every year Sasquatch commissions poster artists and graphic designers to create artwork to showcase the wide array of performers lined up to draw fans to the Gorge for a Memorial Day weekend. Tickets to the festival sold out weeks ago, but unlike previous years, a caravan to the dry middle of the state won't be necessary to get a glimpse at the gorgeous screen prints. Instead, only a stroll to a friendly neighborhood wine bar and art gallery will be required.

Opening tonight at Vermillion, the collected posters will be on exhibit until May 8. On Saturday night, though, they'll be getting the gala treatment from 6 to 10 p.m. DJ Darwin from Mad Rad will provide the soundtrack to graphic appreciation and either feelings of festival excitement or a sense of heartbreak over not having purchased passes.

• "Sasquatch! Posters!" Exhibition and Gala. Vermillion Art Gallery & Wine Bar (1508 11th Ave). May 1, 6-10 p.m., free.

This isn't the first time that Sunbreak Flickr Pool contributor Slightlynorth has showcased the combined power of an iPhone camera, a nifty app, and a great eye to capture a compelling image. This time, it's by way of Pictone and an emergency situation in Pioneer Square.

Sunbreak Flickr Pool contributor Russ invites you to contemplate Seattle's summer good looks from a well-placed chair on the banks of the University District.

The SunBreak's Flickr pool celebrates the eye of seadevi this morning, with this "found" multimedia art project. It's gorgeous, isn't it? For more on graffiti, there's this new Seattle Times series on the high cost of cleaning up after it. No records on what the "donated" public art that people enjoy is worth, though. Also, Exit Through the Gift Shop is showing at the Harvard Exit. And that's our Monday graffiti check-in. Back to the studio!

Thank ozmafan for the sunny scene and thank Mother Nature for the clean, bright days. I love this time of year when one moment the sky opens up to rain and the next to sun. Have a splendid weekend, everyone.

Thanks to zenobia joy for reminding me that today is the grand opening of Elliott Bay Book Company's new location in Capitol Hill!

The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a Grand Opening Block Party today starting at 4:00 p.m. They say the parking garage won't be ready until next weekend, but in the meantime, validated parking is available in the lot on 10th Avenue between Pike and Union.

See you there!

Nearly all of what Seattle is can be found in this photo. From the construction staging, to the aging concrete, to our relationship (whether real or perceived) with the natural beauty and wildlife around us. Only in this case, nature is isolated within the urban, which, let's face it, seems to be our ambition. Thanks to photocoyote for being such a prolific contributor to our Flickr pool.

Monster thanks to JeanineAnderson for sharing this awesome scene with us.

It's not all that often I feel like I missed a great sermon, but this sign, noticed by our Flickr pool's scarequotes, has me wondering if the Mount Baker Park Presbyters offer podcasts.

What with all this crazy weather we've been having--yesterday I had to look up graupel--I'd almost forgotten April is typically considered springtime. It's also considered a good time to hoof it northward for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here is a preview, courtesy of SunBreak Flickr pool member joshc, that illustrates the brighter side of regimented fascist displays. Oh, how I want to tiptoe!

zenobia_joy says she spotted this "Irish water spaniel (I think)" at the St. Patrick's Day parade this year. I think it's a small boy in a dog suit. Look at those paws! And that ridiculous toupée. Still you have to like the candid snap, catching the dog's expression and his fly-away-hair day.

This shot is a gift from Flickr pool ragazzo photocoyote. I like how the depth of field keeps the classical stonework brushing up against a hydrant and a street full of cars. By the time this fish learns to blink, the cars will all be gone. Not sure about the hydrant.

I very much like the contrast between the aliens-walk-among-us impression you get at first glance here, followed by the crushing banality of living somewhere you have to pressure-wash moss off your roof. Thanks to ChristineMphotos, in our Flickr photo pool, for this artfully blurred step into life in our rainforest.

Our Flickr pool stalwart Slightlynorth found this hornèd beast guarding a cubicle and snapped a shot, no doubt at great risk to his life. You can see the thing is just about ready to charge.

It's the weekend, and you know what that means: it's time to throw down. In fact, the caption of stacymariedavis' image in the SunBreak Flickr pool reads: "this kid took down the whole team of adults. it was pretty awesome."  Now that's inspiring.  MOST IMPRESSIVE.

SunBreak Flickr pool member shawnmebo has taken it upon herself to scan and upload images of her family taken over the past hundred years.  That's one form of spring cleaning.  You can check out everything she's done so far in this Flickr folder, but for now just focus on the above sweet-looking thing in a dress, which just so happens to be her dad. (April Fool's Day?)  Let's just say that times (and fashion) were different then.