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morph meaning “move”) presents both artistic and unsettling elements that come with this macabre time of the year.
Upon strolling into the small gallery that the Shilshole Bay Beach Club accommodates, one is greeted by the neo-gothic head sculptures of Ben Hirschoff. Entitled “Play Decay Series.” The work is enough to make viewers
want the classic European
gargoyles, if only due to the fact that even those are more comforting than Hirschoff’s decaying heads. Both disturbing and exciting, Hirschoff made me wish that I had the cash in my pocket to scare trick-or-treat-ers away with these ghoulish deformities.
Katharine Houpt’s work follows, and was decidedly out of place amongst the sinister creations of her fellow exhibitors. Being more politically infused motel art than anything else, I had a hard time figuring out what her work was doing among the likes of dirt-covered babies, terrifying clowns and a few (delightfully) Tim Burton-esque works. One of her creations, entitled
“Fishing Squirrel” was the most confusing of the bunch. “What’s creepy about a squirrel fishing for koi?” asked Lindsay Ginn. I didn’t have an answer.
The work of Roger Wheeler was at once contrived
and inspiring. The aforementioned clown was his work, but it was straight out of the Stephen
King novel “It” accompanied
by eyebrows that seemed to have been stolen from a Sesame Street puppet. However, his “Mortified Monk” that hung over the exit was wonderful. It was similar to Hirschoff’s “Play Decay
Series,” but served to be more of an omen and left a lasting impression as visitors left the exhibit. With a gaping mouth and ghostly eyes, it achieved its purpose perfectly. It was enough to leave an impression of the exhibit, and perhaps ensure that the nightmares you’re bound to incur from this show actually present themselves.
The highlight of the exhibit
was undoubtedly the photography of Margot Quan Knight. Her photograph
of “Dirt Baby” is featured on the museum’s website, and with good reason. The haunting blue eyes that peer out of a baby’s dirt-covered face - eyes you can’t seem to look away from - embody the ambiance of Halloween: mysterious, spine-chilling beauty. Another work of hers shows two women in a lily pad-ridden lake. A blonde presents orbs containing
seemingly dead fetuses to a brunette, who is posed cautiously on the edge of a dock. The blonde floats tranquilly among lily pads, pulling the disquieting
spheres from beneath
the supposedly innocent
surface of a lake.
For those of you who are short on time (or simply short on attention span) but would still like to get a little culture out of the haunting season, Necromorph
is the show for you. Short, effective and lovely, it resonates adequately with the soul and perfectly with Halloween.
Artists being featured at Necromorph:
Jeff Hengst,
Ben Hirschkoff,
Katharine Houpt,
Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley,
Margot Quan Knight,
Andrea Rogalski,
Darin Shuler,
Roger Wheeler
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