Henry Art Gallery

Having attended a lecture recently by Stephen Shore, I got a strong sense that his best days were behind him…maybe decades behind him. It’s great that he’s still active and experimental with his photography (remixing his own photographs, toying with cheap digital cameras, etc), but the new stuff he showed just wasn’t…well, good. Finally catching the show hanging at the Henry was a nice reminder that it doesn’t matter if he’s doing good work anymore. He’s already done as much as a single photographer needs to. What’s amazing is that any deliberate, large-format photographer can produce work that feels so alive and uncontrived. Fantastic stuff. Very little filler in this killer show.

Kahn and Selesnick were pretty charming guys, brainy in the British way and seemingly endlessly creative. I’d never heard of them before finding out that there was a lecture by two guys who did “pseudo-historical narratives”, and I was simply intrigued by that phrase. I doubt that I’d ever attempt work like theirs, but I found their unflinchingly creative lives, interdisciplinary approach, and broad curiosity inspiring. It’s helpful to remind myself sometimes that setting a goal to build a decent fine art photography portfolio might be relegating myself to the pedestrian. After only a year studying photography, it feels more and more like the popular genres I thought I’d ultimately gravitate toward (music and street photography) are riddled with cliché. Kahn and Selesnick certainly defy cliché, and I was grateful to learn about their lives and their work.

The place was smaller than I expected. If I hadn’t gotten in for free because I’m a student, I might have felt ripped off. The permanent exhibit was particularly uninspiring. Still, the x-ray photography exhibit was really fun and it’s right on campus, so you can just stop in, look around, and continue with your day.

is one of the best contemporary art galleries in the Pacific NW.