Alan Corkery Hahn
Perception of Touch

Paul Metivier
Submerse

Casey Curren
New Works

November 6th - November 30th, 2008

Opening reception Thursday, November 6th, 6 - 8pm

Gallery IMA is pleased to present a three person show featuring Alan Corkery Hahn, Paul Metivier and Casey Curran!

Local conceptual artist Alan Corkery Hahn showcases the understated simplicity of his clever and playful needlepoint drawings, inviting viewers along as he navigates the connective thread of The Persistence of Touch.
“This work deals variously with the following topics—text and its fluid meanings, the primacy of human touch, authorship/ownership and art as a commodity, Wabi-sabi and the aesthetics of imperfection, personal identity, gender roles and subjectivity.  … There is a continuous return to the notion that our marks contain the illusory promise of permanence beyond ourselves.  Is that enough?  Ultimately, that is all we have.”
Alan Corkery Hahn has enjoyed success both in the Pacific Northwest, with collections at the Nordstrom and the University of Washington, as well as internationally.

Paul Metivier, Henchman, Terra Cotta, 16” x  8” x 10”

Paul Metivier, Submerse
“More than a couple of decades ago, on a grim winter morning in southern California- I was walking near the shore while leering into the storm surf.  Focused on the receding surge I stepped bare-footed, on a partially decomposed crow, that I assume, died at sea and washed ashore with the passing storm-tide.  When navigating through the surf- I found that I couldn’t shake the visceral feelings of the crow’s bones cracking beneath my feet - leaving a psychological stain in the arch of my foot.”
In the vein of the powerful imagery of this anecdote from Metivier, the artist employs strong, thought-provoking, and often disturbing visual narratives through sculpture to explore his interest in three central themes: the human head, the vessel and, of course, the crow.  Through carving and staining effects, Metivier transforms the ceramic medium into a creature brimming with life, personality, and a fascinating story to tell.
Paul Metivier has shown his work throughout the West Coast and abroad.

Casey Curran, Seascape 3, Mixed Media, 30” x 24”

We are proud to welcome Casey Curran to Gallery IMA!  A recent graduate of Cornish College of the Arts, Curran is a local artist whose intricate kinetic wire sculptures are inspired by his observations of “the juxtaposition of such natural beauty framed in the sooty glass and steel world” of life in the Seattle.  “These landscapes,” he continues, “manifest in the lyrical properties of life, the way it groups together and moves from one state to the next.”  Through a series of delightfully interactive machines, Casey breaks through the barrier between art and viewer, relying on our participation to set his pieces into motion.