FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 31, 2009 -- SEATTLE - Why would four painters decide to paint the industrial waterfront—awe of massive machinery? Attraction to oxidation? Environmental awareness? Puget Sound is renowned for its natural beauty, prompting countless traditional landscape paintings But these four artists find meaning in places known more for productivity and grime than postcard views—the colors and textures of tankers and bulk carriers, the grandeur of industrial structures, the complex interplay between the man-made and natural world. The exhibit at Port of Seattle headquarters illustrates the beauty found in wear and tear, rust, journey, maintenance and survival – objects that helped support generations of families who found their livelihoods on the working waterfront.

Catherine Gill, Melinda

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Art shows beauty found in workaday objects

Hannigan, Robin Siegl and Suze Woolf show 39 paintings across a wide range of media, size, focal distance, color, all united by this common subject matter. The exhibit is on display at Pier 69 from November 10, 2009 to February 6, 2010. An opening reception takes place on November 10 from 5-7 pm. Paintings in the lobby are on view Monday-Friday 8am – 5pm; viewing works in the building’s Conference Center is by invitation. An online slide show of the exhibit is available.

“…the artists of Purposeful Surfaces take on the industrial subject matter of the port primarily because of its striking visual qualities” says art commentator Gary Faigin. “In an urban landscape that is often chaotic, repetitive, garish, or banal, the working port offers the artist

an environment with far more visual integrity. The movement of goods from land to sea has led to the development of a host of specialized structures and machinery whose straightforward lines and rugged materials delight the trained eye and reward the patient observer, as the present exhibition amply demonstrates.”

Catherine Gill has been exhibiting and teaching painting and printmaking in Seattle and internationally for 25 years. She is at work on a book for North Light Press. Melinda Hannigan has been featured in exhibits in galleries and museums in both the United States and Europe, and is represented by Fetherston Gallery and SAM Gallery in Seattle. Robin Siegl and Suze Woolf are emerging artists with a track record of displays and sales at local and regional venues.

Gary Faigin is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Gage Academy of Art in Seattle. He is the monthly art critic on Seattle’s NPR station, KUOW. A retrospective of his paintings was presented at the Frye Art Museum in 2001.

About the Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle operates several major facilities in King County, supporting nearly 200,000 jobs in the Puget Sound region and generate more than $12 billion in business revenue and $626 million in state and local taxes annually. The Port plays a key role in bringing international trade, transportation and travel to the Pacific Northwest, and supports industries as diverse as tourism and commercial fishing.