Ah Xian - Cloisonné Bust
The Bellevue Art Museum is currently featuring a show titled, Über Portrait, so I took a day off from the studio this week to see some art and recharge my creative batteries. One of the most compelling works was by artist, Ledelle Moe, (still waiting for a photo image of Moe's work) who creates concrete head forms and sculptures on an enormous scale. Her piece featured in this show is bigger than a VW bug. Click here to visit her website and see amazing sculptures from Ledelle Moe. 
Portrait of Madam C.J. Walker by Sonya Clark - Black Plastic Hair Combs
Another large scale piece that impressed me is this portrait by Sonya Clark. It’s made entirely from black plastic hair combs. Fitting material I'd say for a portrait of Madam C.J. Walker. She made her fortune in the hair care and beauty products industry and was the first black woman to become a millionaire.
Sound Suits by Nick Cave - Foreground suit is made entirely of buttons and an abacus face mask
and the back right suit is made out of handbags.
And I can not forget the “Sound Suits” from Nick Cave. These are meticulously constructed “suits” that make there own unique sounds as the wearer swishes back and forth in them. The BAM has a video clip that plays on a loop showing a wide range of Cave’s work in motion. There are only three suites on display so I was a little disappointed but the details on them are amazing with lots of hand sewn embellishments. 
If you want to see the suits in action visit this clip: Nick Cave on YouTube.
On the second floor of the BAM is a lovely exhibit of Judy Hill’s work called The Self Transparent, from the Collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Hill combines cast glass and ceramic to create autobiographical figures.
Judy Hill, Sour Grapes, 1994 - Kiln cast glass and raku ceramic 22.5 x 7.5 x 4.5 in. Photo: Harold Wood
And artist Michael Peterson takes wood carving to the sublime with his show Evolution / Revolution. He makes his wood sculptures look like they are made from paper or ceramic.
Michael Peterson , Coastal Stack V, 2008 - 46” x 34” x 30” - Carved, sandblasted, bleached, pigmented wood.
Collection of the Artist - Photo: Rex Rystedt
The Über Portrait show runs June 16 thru October 18 2009
Judy Hill - The Self Transparent runs May 19 to Jan 3, 2010
Michael Peterson’s Evolution / Revolution runs April 9 thru September 20, 2009
Hope you get the chance to see some of these talented artists work!
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