KAC's "Three Dimensional Line" Explores Art's Most Basic Element

LINE IS ART'S most basic element; the intuitive tool used to define an edge. Children first scribble nonsensical chaos until they learn how to draw “for real.” But the two-dimensional line can be so much more than simply an edge enclosing a shape. “The Three-Dimensional Line: volume, scale, illusion and emotion,” at the Kirkland Arts Center gallery, curated by Ellen Ziegler, is just such a demonstration.

Eleven artists, many of whom have educational ties to the Seattle area, created pieces pushing the boundaries of line. The first pieces a viewer sees when entering the gallery are the two long wire-knitted sculptures called “Fascia” by Amy Hamblin and the delicate red knotted lines of Diem Chau’s piece “In Between.”

“Fascia” is an examination of implicit mass. Though the voluminous pieces from Hamblin’s “Diaphanous Organs” body of work resemble portions of a Dr. Suess-esque landscape, it contains nothing but air; its weight evident only through the elongated pull of the ceiling-to-floor wire.

Interested in stories passed from one generation to the next, artist Chau created a visual manifestation of Morse Code; with slip knots for dashes and dead knots for dots. The loopy lines are literally stories climbing the gallery walls.

Upstairs is a piece immediately recognizable. Sean M. Johnson’s table and chairs, entitled “Tension at the Dinner Table,” is a work about balance. It is the tension of the string between nails that elevates the furniture off the ground in a precarious sort of moment. In his bio, Johnson states, “The tenuous grasp we have on a moment, the richness of the experience, and the romance of the memory teeter on the brink of being lost before the viewer’s very eyes.” The clever title belies the deeper meaning.

Eight other pieces wait to stimulate imagination, challenge the mind regarding the line between dimensions and provide new excitement from an oft overlooked element in art. The show will be up through May 28. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

IN ADDITION to this exhibit, the arts center will be hosting a community and fundraising event entitled “Locavore” on Saturday, April 30, from 4-7 p.m. Fifty local artists have each donated a piece that will be up for auction; among them, Kirkland Artist Studio Tour (KAST) co-founder Joanne Shellan, Christine Sharp, Coralyn Whitney and Mary MacDahlke.

Though KAC’s special events and volunteer director Aarti Khanna says it has been a bit challenging to locate local restaurants willing to donate time and food to the event, she has managed to secure a good number of Kirkland favorites. Look for food provided by Hector’s and Lynn’s Bistro; desserts by The Crab Cracker, Hoffman’s Fine Cakes and Pastries and Sweetcakes. The event will also feature three wineries: Airfield Estates, Northwest Cellars and Gallery Wine and Art, making this an “adult-only” activity.

Tickets to the event are $25 and space is limited to 200 people. The Kirkland Arts Center is looking forward to reaching a broader audience from the greater Eastside.