Before too much time goes by, I have to mention a great show that is up right now at Seattle’s new Platform Gallery. They are exhibiting Carlee Fernandez & Keith Yurdana until October 14th (which means extra time for viewing than your usual monthly cycle).

I am especially taken with Los Angeles artist Carlee Fernandez work. Some people I guess have found her work disturbing, but I think her taxidermy embellishments are beautiful. Her sculptures are strange extensions of what you might find in a Natural History museum.

Here is an excerpt from the Spring 03 West issue of Modern Painters article by Mat Gleason:

“A planned protest by the American group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) at a Carlee Fernandez exhibit fizzled out. There is a certain anticlimax in her materials being purchased from a taxidermist. The dirty deeds done to the animals in her hybrid works was most likely perpetuated by Mother Nature, preserved only afterwards by humans. With apologies to McLuhan and Morrissey, the medium is not the message: there is no meat, so there is no murder. Fernandez is no vegetarian or activist, but in an interview with Germany’s Arte Channel (viewable at under her biography as a QT link) she did happily grant that satirical bulls in her work could point to the inherent hypocrisy of the non-hunting carnivore.”

Two more things about Platform.

1) They are participating in the Portland art fair AFFAIR this weekend.

2) They will have artist flat files on their premises.

Flatfiles have became a popular format for galleries to show affordable works by artists. Probably best known by the successful Pierogi gallery in Brooklyn, but also seen in Boston at the Boston Drawing Project, Manhattan at the Matzo Files, and Chicago’s Flatfile. I am sure there are many more I don’t know about.

To Leave A Mark = Nice blog! Check out Canadian Mark Dixon’s art blog, where he posts on going works. That was my original intent for my own personal blog and have some how strayed from the idea….intend on working my way back to it. See his beautiful paintings as well under his Portfolio link, the Online sketchbook is his blog.

And Ah Ha! 2004 Stranger Genius awards- the cat’s out of the bag.