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Exhibitions

Dendroica Gallery presents “Abstract Alternatives”

Opening April 14. 2016,  Dendroica Gallery presents “Abstract Alternatives” – new work by Jeff Mihalyo, a Seattle-based artist. Known for his mastery of multiple mediums and styles, Mihalyo’s current exhibit is a series of black and white abstract drawings using interlocking natural shapes and fractal patterns.

This new set of drawings offer formalist compositions that showcase the surrealist elements in the pieces. Each composition uses depth and focus to convey subjects in dimensional space without representationalism. Like electron microscope images of alien objects, these compositions present worlds made from ideas as much as interwoven shapes.

Mihalyo’s international art career spans over a quarter of a century, and he is known for creating everything from large-scale fantastical flowing and glowing landscapes (sometimes including levitating cities) to video installations where his bearded visage overpowers the screen, to cast-paint objects.

Exhibit Review by Cincinnati arts journal ÆQAI:

http://aeqai.com/main/2016/04/the-formal-behind-the-surreal-abstract-alternatives-jeff-mihalyo-dendroica-gallery/

View of OK Hotel mural installation at Axis Gallery in May 2015 Mihalyo

The year of the Fire Monkey provides good inspiration…

Enzyme Magazine and OK Hotel Mural
The cover of Enzyme Arts Magazine – issue one, and a selection of the OK Hotel bar mural

So far it¹s a year characterized by a rolling series of deadlines. The events listed bellow is a sap-shot of the last 10 days.

My six foot painting “Pyramid” was on the cover of the fist issue of Enzyme Arts Magazine and coincides with a nine page article about my work and studio practice. The magazine is available as a download and print-on-demand.

The original 20-foot OK Hotel bar mural was installed at the Royal Room for the OK Hotel Family Reunion. The event celebrated the venue’s cultural legacy by compressing fifteen years of Seattle music history into four days. The OK Hotel closed in 2001 due to the Nisquallie earthquake, but the reunion drew people from around the country to attend and/or play music at something like a high school reunion for Seattle’s Grunge era. Many recordings are already available on Youtube.

Giant Steps
Giant Steps publicity graphic and competition submission for$10k award.

So far it¹s a year characterized by a rolling series of deadlines. The events listed bellow My submission to deploy Nitinol (memory metal) structures resembling mid-century modern architecture in a cul-d-sac arrangement for Giant Steps opens March 3rd at Seattle¹s King Street Station. The exhibition is also a competition for an artist residency on the moon. Fifty artists/artist groups compete for $10k and will be selected by a committee of scientists. Winner announced at the opening. More info at http://www.giantsteps.space

COCA and Beard Video
COCA 35Live member show with beard video.

I will be presenting a selection from my Beard Video project in three locations with Seattle¹s Center on Contemporary Art (COCA). Also opening March 3rd. COCA 35 Live is an exhibit in three locations celebrating 35 years of contemporary art with a member show including 185 artists. More info at:  http://www.cocaseattle.org/

Next up:
My unconventional travel photography including image-manipulations, composite photography, and in-camera effects will be included at Black Lab Gallery’s inaugural group exhibit opening March 17th. More info at: http://www.blacklabonlinegallery.com/

A new body of abstract drawings will be on display at Dendroica Gallery opening April 14th. More info at:  http://dendroica.gallery/

Mihalyo

Happy New Year from Mihalyo Studios

View of OK Hotel mural installation at Axis Gallery in May 2015
View of OK Hotel mural installation at Axis Gallery in May 2015

What a Year!

My 2015 artistic adventures began with a February exhibit of cast-paint egg assemblages at Shoreline City Hall in north Seattle. It was followed by a large event in May at Axis gallery that coincided with a 5-page artist-feature in Weave Magazine (#5). Simultaneously, exhibit artwork was printed on the cover of Seattle’s arts tabloid The Stranger. Two weeks later a second article in The Stranger covered the history of my OK Hotel bar mural that was completed in 1999. A third feature by City Arts Magazine presented an exposé of this artist in the studio.

A collage of 2015 publication art.
A collage of 2015 publication art.

My work was included in two themed group shows at Linda Hodges Gallery, and also as a twenty-year survey at Ida Culver House. In October a compressed version of my ongoing Beard Project video was selected for inclusion in 12 Seconds-Max at The Factory. All three shows happend in Seattle.

I also joined two galleries. Dendroica Gallery located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and RiverSea Gallery in downtown Astoria Oregon.

Selected photos of art activities from 2015
Selected photos of art activities from 2015

In late summer I worked with a crew of artist to restore the Astoria Column, in Astoria Oregon. The restoration of the 140 foot tall historic landmark by Italian artist Attilio Pusterla was originally create in 1926. We finished the project just before winter weather began, and the official unveiling will occur in the summer of 2016.

During the early months of 2016 I will present three shows of new works in abstract drawings, composite-photography, and narrative painting.  This fall I will be included in the international visionary exhibit concurrent with the Seattle Art Fair. Presently in the works are an on-line magazine-feature, an Augmented-Reality publication, and more. There are exciting creative adventures in the year ahead. Look for more information in future announcements by adding yourself to my e-mail list at Mihalyo.com

Thank you for following along and for your support.
Have a safe and happy New Year!

-Jeff Mihalyo

Pantheon Ceiling, 35mm film, 2006 Architecture

Sacred Ceilings

Sacred Ceiling 28
Sacred Ceiling composites from Rome Italy.
Sacred Ceiling 27
Sacred Ceiling composite from Granada Spain and Beijing China.
Sacred Ceiling 20
Sacred Ceiling composite from Seville Spain and Hangzhou China.
Sacred Ceiling 6
Sacred Ceiling composite from Seville and Granada Spain.

Whenever I travel I make sure to visit spiritual sites. These sites often have spectacular ceilings that I like to photograph. While doing so I have witnessed a desire among humans to represent the spiritual experience through architecture. These structures share a common  thread regardless of faith or geo-location. They are meant to impress and to inspire the spirit. Although not immediately evident they also share stunning similarities in mathematics, and fractal design, in a coded language that seeks to induce a transcendence of space-time.

This notion is evident when composite photographs of these spaces are layered with partial transparency. Regardless of faith, architectural ethnicity, or  structural scale, a kaleidoscopic symmetry is made manifest. Combinations appear infinite. Hinting at deeper meaning of human spiritual depth.

The above ceiling combinations are from Rome Italy, Seville Spain, Granada Spain, Beijing China, and Hangzhou China.

Artist

Painting sold and Blog started

grainery_wranglers

Sometimes it takes longer than expected to get things done. Today I was able to achieve two such year-end goals in one day. They took all week to orchestrate. Gratefully, I closed a sale on a painting that was placed back in May,  and I finally created this blog using secure techniques in order to expand art-business functionality.  Both experiences have had similar start/stop creation stories. I’ve created and deactivated numerous blogs over the years, and the painting had been under development since 2008.   Its provenance began at the Spanish Steps show at Gallery 6311. It was reworked in 2015, and now the oil on pine titled Agrow (aka; Grainery Wranglers)  has a new home in Seattle. …And I have new place to post content about such things. Onward.