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Openings: “Incantation” @ Roq La Rue

Posted by x43x, January 20, 2015

From candlelit backrooms to small forest clearings, Incantation sees Roq la Rue Conjuring up a group show based on ritual and mysticism. Occultism is often seen as heretical to mainstream society, but the beliefs and practices are centuries old and firmly rooted in nature and our surroundings. The exhibition features artwork from over a dozen artists, including a few sculptural pieces like Mandy Greer’s black feathered Huldra Adornment. Other artists took the opportunity to bring the subject matter out of the darkness like Jeff Jacobson’s Opulent Hex and Redd […]

Openings: John Brophy & Stacey Rozich – “The Saddest Heart on the Holy Mountain” & “Shine” @ Roq La Rue

Posted by x43x, December 15, 2014

Roq La Rue welcomed back one of the gallery favorites John Brophy to a packed house on December 4th. These new works, entitled The Saddest Heart on the Holy Mountain, continues the artist’s commentary on the juxtaposition between religious imagery and science. The Venus of Willendorf takes flight in several pieces, including a set of three works each painted in their own element, literally. Brophy also has expanded upon his technique of painting portraiture to experiment with the full figured Waiting for the Miracle. The paint […]

Openings: Handiedan & Sail – “Vesica Piscis” & “Canna Intrat” @ Roq La Rue

Posted by x43x, October 12, 2014

Handiedan’s (interviewed) Vesica Piscis and Canna Intrat from Sail (featured) opened on October 2nd as Roq La Rue welcomed back both artists to the Seattle gallery. Handiedan was able to make the trip from Amsterdam to talk with fans and guests wanting to know more about the intricate nature of her collage pieces. Iconic tattoo infused pin-up girls are featured while she explores astrology and planetary movement in the surrounding space. The sold out Vesica Piscis features the enormous piece Pentade, complete with several pin-ups and phases of the Earth or […]

Openings: Casey Weldon & Femke Hiemstra – “Novel Relic” & “Warten am Walderand” @ Roq La Rue

Posted by x43x, August 18, 2014

Casey Weldon’s Novel Relic opened earlier this month, his first solo show at Roq La Rue. AM caught up with Weldon a few days prior to the open for a studio visit as he finished up a couple paintings. With all of the completed pieces hanging in the gallery, it was nice to see that his hard work paid off and you can’t go wrong with hipster monkeys! Femke Hiemstra continued her mastery of tiny details in Warten am Waldrand (translates to Waiting at The Edge […]

Studio Visits/Previews: Casey Weldon – “Novel Relic” @ Roq la Rue

Posted by x43x, August 4, 2014

Nestled deep in the foothills of the Cascades, Casey Weldon paints diligently to finish up several pieces for his solo show Novel Relic, opening at the Roq la Rue Gallery in Seattle on August 7th. Themes of nature and old technology collide with a color palette borrowed directly from the television color bars seen in several pieces. The serene scenery around the lakeside property has had a heavy influence in these new paintings, as a native flower morphs into a gramophone and ferns become television […]

Openings: Chie Yoshii & Casey Curran – “In The Darkness of Mere Being” & “Indeterminate Apotheosis” @ Roq La Rue

Posted by x43x, July 13, 2014

In The Darkness of Mere Being, Chie Yoshii’s first solo show, opened at Roq la Rue in Seattle on July 3rd. Titled after a quote from the great Carl Jung, the art explores many of the Swiss psychotherapist’s hypotheses about the psyche and our subconscious – rich colors emerging from the darkened forest to subjects bathed in moon light. Individuality was a large part of Jung’s work in psychology, and is represented here by a different animal in each piece. While some are bold and dominant, […]

Openings: Andy Kehoe – “Inner Mystic” @ Roq la Rue

Posted by x43x, June 15, 2014

It’s been a few years since Andy Kehoe’s last show at Roq la Rue, but to say he’s been busy would be an understatement. With several shows since then, the Pittsburgh-based painter continues to hone his skills and evolve as an artist. Woodland animals and anthropomorphized creatures are a mainstay in his work, but his use of resin has really raised the level of dimension, quite literally. Layers of clear resin are poured into a sealed frame, with each layer painted in a unique fashion, making […]

Openings: Redd Walitzki – “When We Break” @ Roq la Rue

Posted by x43x, June 13, 2014

Redd Walitzki didn’t have to go to far for her first solo show at Roq la Rue as her studio is mere blocks away from the gallery. When We Break intertwines seemingly vulnerable subjects with nature and small animals, as flowers erupt from the skin and melt into the milky backgrounds. Some manage to fly out of the panel itself. Aiding in the scenery are intricate panels cut with lasers and what isn’t better with lasers? A few even have adornments making them into three-dimensional displays. […]

Openings: Martin Wittfooth & Jean Labourdette – “De Anima” @ Roq la Rue Gallery

Posted by x43x, May 9, 2014

In their second collaboration, artists Martin Wittfooth (interviewed) and Jean Labourdette have created captivating new works for De Amina, which opened at Roq la Rue on May 1st. Hidden meanings and symbolism are used heavily between the two works, with animals playing a heavy role in defusing the messages of consumerism and our culture’s constant need to upgrade. Visually less obvious is the commentary on our psyche. The show title itself lends us clues as De Anima translates to “the soul”, which also references writings by […]

Openings: Camille Rose Garcia – “La Danse Macabre” @ Roq la Rue

Posted by x43x, April 9, 2014

On April 3rd, Camille Rose Garcia (interviewed) opened her latest solo show at Roq la Rue, titled La Danse Macabre, which translates to Dance of Death, a theme originated in the late middle ages to remind us that no one escapes the hand of death. Camille’s trademark style is on display as Death serenades its future victims Ghost moths and severed hands adorned with black glitter abound as the ghastly images contrast with the neon induced paint. Surroundings of flowers and mushrooms explode with color over […]