Asymmetric Memory ::: Emily Joesph

We're pleased to extend the experience beyond music-and into the realm of visual art- with Asymmetric Memory: An Exhibit by Emily Joesph, in the Musicquarium, for the month of January. Emily Joesph captures the recollections of her past, and their environments, through intricate geometric grids and colors schemes based on hues of hair, eyes and flesh. 

We interviewed Emily to skim the surface of her experience as an artist. 

The Triple Door: What inspires you to create?
Emily Joesph: That is one of the hardest questions to answer, because I really believe that the inspiration to create comes from something innate, a need to create. I am so inspired by people, places, objects, and experiences everyday. I enjoy looking at the works of other artists to inspire me to develop my own visual language, yet looking at old photographs, walking around the city, or listening to memorable music can inspire me to draw, paint or design new works.

TD: Who's artwork are you diggin' right now?
EJ: I have been influenced by so many amazing artists, but I am really loving the work of Francesca DiMattio and local painter, Mary Iverson, at the moment.

TD: How long does it take for you to complete a piece?
EJ: Completion of a piece varies widely between my work. The larger the work, the longer it takes, definitely. There are a few paintings I have spent several months working on, layering, until I get to the point that I think the piece can exist on its own for a while. I like to let the work rest and step away for a while before I really decide if it is complete. Most of the smaller pieces, including the printmaking, develop more as a fluid experiment with new ideas.

TD: Do you listen to music while you create? Do you choose music to fit your artistic mood, or do you choose music to create an artistic mood?
EJ: I do listen to music while I am working. I usually pick something to fit whatever mood I'm in when I get to the studio, but generally, if I want to get a lot of work done, I have to pick a long and cohesive playlist. I don't like stopping to change the song because it is something that has pulled me out of the moment.

TD: What is your favorite gallery/museum in Seattle? The world? Why?
EJ: In the Seattle art scene, I am really loving the Henry Gallery. They have had some really great contemporary work come through, usually intermingled with more classic work through a common theme. I thought the Jeffrey Mitchell show was fantastic! Out of the museums and galleries in the world, that might be an impossible task to pick a favorite... Going to museums and galleries is one of the best feelings, spending time quietly by yourself or discussing the experience with a friend. I am really lucky to have traveled quite a bit- visiting a lot of the big museums and galleries- I have a soft spot for Mass Moca, because it is one of the first contemporary museums I ever experienced as a young girl.

Join us for our First Thursday Art Opening w/ Asymmetric Memory: An Exhibit by Emily Joesph on January 3 at 5PM, with extended happy hour specials until 9PM {21+}. RSVP here>> 

A note from Emily: "Windows are used as a means of observation, a way of looking in or out of a space in a specific place and time. The foundation for my work is built upon a succession of windows formed through fragmented portraiture and recollections of the past. Each image is an intricate geometric grid based on hues of hair, eye, and flesh. The grid itself forms an abstracted visual system for displaying memories from the past that have been fractured and re-remembered over time. Figures and their environments are pared down and woven into a lattice of tonal color. Formally, through the systematic de-construction of images and the layering of the basic chromatic components, I aim to pull selected hues from the body and its environment out into columns in space. Geometric grids developed out of his practice form stratified windows that systematically frame the memories form my personal history."

The Burlesque POP-OUT show

In conjunction with the illustrious spectacle of glitzy, glam at the beloved Land of Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker, we're pleased to showcase the visual wittiness of Kelly Portfolio Illustrations in the Musicquarium for the month of December. To celebrate, join us for The Burlesque POP-OUT show opening on First Thursday, December 6th, at 8pm in the Musicquarium. 

We chatted with Kelly Brownlee, creator of Kelly Portfolio Illustrations, to see what inspires some of Seattle's most playful burlesque illustrations. 

The Triple Door: What part of the burlesque culture inspires your designs?

Kelly Brownlee: Visually, of course, I am drawn to the amazing costumes and vibrancy these women and men bring to the stage. They put an incredible amount of thought and energy into creating a wonderful show. But to me, it's also about identifying with the performers and what they create on stage. A few years ago I saw The Shanghai Pearl perform. I had never seen burlesque before. I remember feeling, for the first time, that I could relate as a woman, as an artist, to burlesque. There was beauty, strength and humor that was front and center in these acts. These performers exuded confidence and grace, being immersed in everything womanhood can represent. Loving your body. I became an instant fan of burlesque and boylesque. There's a playfulness and power in burlesque that inspires me. And who doesn't love copious amounts of sparkle?

TD: Describe Seattle's Burlesque scene in 3 words:

KB: Sparkle, beauty, humor

TD: Describe your work in 3 words:

KB: sexy, candy, wit

TD: What are some of your other artistic outlets?

KB: Collecting vintage dresses and antique furniture. I also got into playing the banjo last year and fell head over heels in love with the instrument. Cooking, making delicious pastries with my daughter. Making greeting cards and jewelry from my illustrations. 

TD: Being a music venue, this questions must be asked: Do you listen to music while you create? If so, who?

KB: Always. It depends on what I'm creating. If I am creating something with a vintage feeling. I listen to Julie London, Anita Goodman, Marilyn Monroe and old swing jazz. If I am in a time crunch and I need to work fast, I listen to 80's metal or The Pogues. I also really enjoy the banjo music. No one can be sad while playing or listening to the banjo, in my opinion. My musical tastes are all over the place and I don't rule anything out, but in general, I love to match my music to whatever I am creating. 

TD: If you could have a drink with any visual artist, living or dead, who would it be?

KB: Maurice Sendak- hands down

TD: What would you ask him?

KB: What he likes to eat for breakfast. And what inspired him daily. Artists have an ability to channel inspiration from somewhere and I am always fascinated by where people draw their inspiration from.

TD: What is your favorite historical artistic movement?

KB: I love pop art. I would have loved to have lived in NYC in the 80's. I'm also a fan of the Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism movements for the decadence and color palate. 

TD: What is your favorite color?

KB: Red. I love it so much I wear the same red lipstick and nail polish daily.

RSVP for The Burlesque POP-OUT show on Facebook here>> 

Third Dimension ::: Marianne Maksirisombat

Seattle artist, Marianne Maksirisombat, believes in bold, rich color and this is demonstrated in her work. Marianne captures the essence of color, as an independent form instead of an attribute of another object, through three dimensional canvases. The Triple Door chatted with Marianne Maksirisombat to gain insight into her artistic mind.

The Triple Door: Where do you find inspiration for your art?
Marianne Maksirisombat: I travel a lot. The colors, and forms, of earth I have experienced directly affect my art product. The three dimensional canvas is usually a reflection of hills and valleys I have seen, presented in an abstract way and paired with the colors of the region I have been to.

TD: If you could have dinner with any visual artist, living or dead, who would it be? What would you ask him/her?
MM: A visual artist I admire, but whom was also an architectural genius, is Antonio Gaui. I would ask him how he communicated nature so well with so little, as well as how he approached creating load bearing structure with organic lines and no right angles. That is my goal, and he did a magnificent job with it.

TD: Describe your work in three words:
MM: Color, Form and Flow

TD: What is your favorite historical artistic movement?
MM: Art Nouveau

TD: What are some of your other artistic outlets?
MM: I play the violin, guitar and piano, but have also done trash fashion runway shows and I currently have been doing album covers for local bands.

TD: Who do you listen to while you create?
MM: I am greatly influence by music. I am voracious for it. If you are on spotify.. check out my mix grittie indie and you will see exactly what kind of music I listen to while I create. Some favorites are The Black Angels, Led Zeppelin, Black rebel Motorcycle Club, WU LYF and Brian Jonestown Massacre.

TD: What is your favorite color?

MM: Anything deep and rich

TD: Describe Seattle's art scene in three words:MM: Lively, current, and graphic-focused

Marianne Maksirisombat's Third Dimension exhibition will be in the Musicquarium for the month of November with an opening party on November 1 from 5-8pm. RSVP on Facebook here>>

Quiet Observations: New Photography from Cameron Nagashima

Quiet Observations: New Photography from Cameron Nagashima will be showing for the month of September, with an opening night rendezvous on Thursday, September 6 from 5pm-8pm in the Musicquarium Lounge. Join us!

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Cameron Nagashima, Seattle photographer and overall delight, to briefly see the world through his lenses.    

The Triple Door: Where do you find inspiration for your art?
Cameron Nagashima: I am inspired by what I see. Time, place, light, subject, and mood, all have an effect on why I take any given picture. Also, the creative people around me keep me inspired to continue taking pictures. Their motivation motivates me and I like to believe it is the same for them.

TD: If you could have a drink with any visual artist, living or dead, who would it be? What would you ask him/her?
CN: Dali or Robert and Shauna Parke-Harrison. I'd rather enjoy the drink and ask how they are, and then see how the conversation evolved. Especially would love to hear about the Parke-Harrison's process, such a rustic elegance to their surrealism. I'd also love to go backpacking through Europe with Henri Cartier-Bresson.

TD: Who is your favorite artist?
CN: Visually, Gustav Klimt takes the cake as far as subject and composition. But, I do love the work of Robert Frank, Andre Kertesz specifically Distortions, Sally Mann's opinion on critics, and Connie Imboden's Reflections. I'm also a huge fan of local artists such as Redd Walitzki, Carl Faulkner, and Jeff "Weirdo".

TD: What is your favorite historical artistic movement?
CN: Hard to say, there are so many with such great art from each. I love surrealism, but my favorite has to be our generation. Call it the Contemporary Renaissance.

TD: What are some of your other artistic outlets?
CN: Drawing, dancing, painting, Sushi

TD: Do you listen to music while you create? If so, who do you listen to?
CN: During my post-production and most of the day, while creating or relaxing, I am listening to music. I enjoy electronic music while working the most. It allows my mind to move freely through my work as I find patterns in my pictures. Some of my favorites are Amon Tobin, Trenemoller, Bonobo, Deru, and Diagrams of a Suburban Chaos. I don't listen to headphones while out in the city though. I like hearing the beat and orchestral compositions created by my surroundings and some sounds will draw my attention or push me down a different path.

TD: Describe Seattle's art scene in three words:
CN: Small, Growing, Original

TD: Your work conveys a parallel between nature and the human condition. Can you elaborate?
CN: That notion is a consistent theme in my photography and is hard to avoid while living in the Northwest. With trees and parks, mountains and oceans, we in Seattle have a beautiful connection to nature. As much as I am for the preservation of Earth, I'm not making a statement on the relationship of man and nature, but I am observing that it exists and documenting my observations.

TD: Let's chat more about your artistic background. When was the first time you realized your love for photography? 
CN: I was drawn to photography at an early age. When we would visit our grandparents in Kirkland, Wa from Spokane, I loved looking through their slides of old images of my family with the slide viewer. Years worth of photos never printed. I would hide under the stairs, like Harry Potter, and look at them for hours. The idea of time and place, and the captured moment of my family standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or wherever, was interesting. It was a visual family history and I liked that.

TD: What is your favorite color?
CN: Plaid

Find more information on, and RSVP for, Quiet Observations: New Photography from Cameron Nagashima here>> 

Walls Doused in Concert Photos

From an early age Mat Hayward loved loud music, however, it was clear from the beginning he simply had no rhythm. He couldn't keep a beat to save his life. As a result, Mat turned to his other passion.. photography. At 8-year-old, he started snapping pics and he hasn't stopped yet. He's shot a diverse selection of subjects from wild animals in East Africa to weddings, portraits to food, and more.

He has gone full circle and found an outlet for the pent up rock n' roll he's had in him since childhood. Instead of torturing listeners as he unabashedly bangs on his guitar, Mat uses his creative eye to showcase the photo pit at the base of the stage. Mat can be seen at a number of venues around the Puget Sound, including The Triple Door, shooting a diverse mix of music. The louder the better! In addition to his photography career, Mat is also the General Manager at Wild Ginger at The Bravern in Bellevue, proudly serving the Eastside the great flavors of authentic Southeast Asian cuisine.

Over 100 of Mat's photos are hanging on the Musicquarium walls selling for $25 a pop. You can get a glimpse of these lively snapshots of Cake, The Black Keys, Montey Crue, The XX, Henry Rollins, Phantogram, Mumford & Sons, Snoop Dogg + a jillion more until the end of May!

Seattle Serial Muralist

Those vibrantly colored murals that brighten any rainy Seattle day by popping up, seemingly out of nowhere, on the side of buildings, houses, and even vans are the doings of a Seattle serial muralist, Ryan "Henry" Ward. The Triple Door will showcase Henry's colorful, quirky and surreal characters on canvases of imagination hanging throughout the Musicquarium for the month of February.

Join us for our First Thursday ::: Ryan "Henry" Ward event on February 2nd from 5-7 pm. Happy hour will be extended for an artist meet and greet; so come call first dibs on a Henry piece. Henry has been known to stop by, unannounced, throughout his exhibitions at The Triple Door, to paint live. Hopefully, he'll surprise us again this month...