By OLIVIA PIERCE FREEMAN
The Kittredge Gallery opened two new exhibits by artists Randy Bolton and Holly Senn on Monday of this week.
Randy Bolton has worked in many visiting artist positions across the country and currently works as the Head of the Print Media Department and the Artist in Residence at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.
His artistic approach is one intended to lure the viewer in on a second glance. His art is inspired by illustrations from children’s books and science texts, as he recognizes the power these images have in molding children’s perceptions of the world.
They elicit a sense of childhood nostalgia that then, upon reflection and further observation, twists into disturbing undertones of uncertainty that begin to counteract the initial feelings as comfort and familiarity flee.
Bolton incorporates darker elements into his pieces, which act as metaphors for the idea that there are threatening forces in this world, toward which we are both unaware and powerless.
His work can be seen displayed in Kittredge’s large gallery.
Local Tacoma artist Holly Senn’s show is being held in the small gallery.
Senn’s recent work as a librarian has influenced her passion for experiential artwork.
Her installations and sculptures are inspired by her exploration of the elements of the natural world and their regenerative cycles.
Using discarded library books, Senn explains that her art creates “contemplative environments” which displace the viewer from modern distractions and put them into an artistic expression integrating both the intellectual and natural world.
The artists’ exhibits were welcomed with a reception in Kittredge on Oct. 9 from 5-7 p.m., giving the viewers the first chance to experience these new exhibits. The displays will be in place until Nov. 9, which gives everyone plenty of time to visit Kittredge to take in these unique artistic expressions.
