JULIE ALPERT - Splat!

Julie ALPERT, a Seattle-based artist/painter, exhibits a partially collaborative show of work called SPLAT at the Archer Gallery inside Clark College (Vancouver, WA). I love the work for its use of color, whimsy, pattern and arrangement within the gallery.

The show is based around one image, essentially an icon or symbol of layers of colorful splattered paint as it drips down the canvas/paper. The splats are created in a variety of materials: paint, paper, pen, and incorporate pattern, another reoccurring theme in Alpert's work. The splats are organized often in a grid-like pattern, perhaps alluding to organized chaos. The idea of the splat itself could certanly be related to a feeling or action: angst, whimsy, fun or simply the act of irreverence (or all at once).

In terms of the show, half of it was a residency where she taught students and half was her own. (I have posted only her work.) I appreciated her working with students, giving them an opportunity to see the workings of a gallery while incorporating her Splat idea. 

My only gripe is that I want in on the fun too. (I want an interactive Splat corner where I get to experience splatting!)

 Image source: cynthia mosser