Gallery B612 02. Freedom

Gallery B612 Presents

Freedom

Art Exhibition 2023

On June 22nd, 2023, Gallery B612 held their second Artist Reception. They featured over 15 artists, 36 art pieces, and four performing artists at this show.

The artists were able to attend the reception and connect with the fellow art community of local artists, art collectors, and friends alike.

The works seen in here in Issue 02 are available at Gallery B612. If you would like to get in touch with any of the art pieces seen here, please contact the Gallery B612 Team.

G a l l e r y B 6 1 2 ’s St o r y Initially founded in mid 2020 under Prince and Fox, LLC, Gallery B612 aspires to be a gathering place for artists, dancers, fashion designers and creatives from all walks of life.

Gallery B612 is a literary reference to Asteroid B612 in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book ‘The Little Prince.’ Gallery B612 is our “art planet:” our gallery and studio, in the Seattle SODO neighborhood.

We believe it’s important to provide space for artist to share their voice in a physical representation where others can view and discuss the pieces as well as mingle with each other. In our modern American world, there are less and less public spaces for people to spend their free time. Here, we will hope to provide safety and connection for the Seattle community.

At Gallery B612, you can find original works of MiYoung Margolis, as well as monthly juried exhibitions of work by local and international artists.

Gallery Founder Gallery Curator and Co-Founder Assistant Curator

Jeffrey Margolis Miyoung Margolis Aleen Caeli

Contents Susan Bagrationoff

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Henry Caserotti 4 Yilin Dong 5 Parisa Ghaderi 6 Dmitriy Godlevski

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Gretchen Van Horn Hansen 11 Tatum Herman 13 Steven Jensen 14 T. Lilja 16 Tom McIntire 18 Marzy Rahrovi 21 Kaleigh Roberts 23 Martha Shade 26 Brittnee Sylvester 29 Randall Vemer 32

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Susan M. Bagrationoff is a professional, surrealist artist whose body of work focuses on mythology and mysterious creatures. Faeries and other folklore are most often the subjects of her creations using the beauty of nature for realistic reference. She works with multiple layers of acrylic paint in brilliant hues, often using metallic mediums to give the ‘vibe’ of her works. Her Faerie Folk Portrait paintings are always hung up in her teaching studio in Downtown Kent, Washington, observing her art students as their conjure their own works.

Susan Bagrationoff

Emergence (2022) Acrylic 0.3 (lbs.)

18 x 24 x 0.5

This 24" x 18" original acrylic painting captures the moment an ethereal entity emerges from the darkness. This mysterious creature was conjured primarily using palette knife techniques with some brush work here and there to emphasize a ghost-like essence. Modeling paste was utilized in specific areas to enhance the three dimension illusion of the being. When viewed in person, the iridescent medium on the face of this being illuminates slightly, giving this soul a captivating glow.

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Henry Caserotti is an artist based in the Pacific Northwest. He has lived and worked in many places which has given him many wonderful opportunities, including designing the cover of a Playbill for an off-Broadway production in New York City to installing a life size painted fiberglass horse in the Outer Banks, NC. For the last several years he has found his inspiration in the mountains and rivers of the western United States. After moving to Idaho in 2013, and doing a fair amount of hiking and rafting, he soon began thinking about how he could capture in paint the rugged and vast terrain he was quickly becoming enamored of. Over time Caserotti developed a process using the same elements that had created the geography itself, water, wind and gravity, to create work with great depth of detail without losing a sense of immediacy.

Henry Caserotti The New Bohemians (2010)

Oil on canvas, 4 (lbs.)

30 x 40 x 1.5 The New Bohemians is a portrait, of sorts, of two close friends of mine when they were young adults and we were sharing an apartment in Chicago. We were poor, but free. Free to dream. Free to be whoever and whatever we wished.

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Yilin was born in China in 1994 and has lived in China, Europe and the United States. She is a self-taught artist who received a college education in computer science and had worked for multiple years as a software engineer. She currently lives in Seattle, WA.

Yilin Dong Crawl (2022)

Acrylic on Canvas, 1 (lbs.)

5 x 7 x 1.5

In late 2022, amid stringent COVID policies and a series of tragedies stemming for the lockdowns, Chinese university students confined to their campuses chose to engage in some curious forms of "extracurricular activities", crawling in public and walking "cardboard pets".

For the artist, this is not simply a ludicrous act of despair but a creative form of protest, and she uses this illustration to document the struggle for freedom in her distant homeland.

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Parisa Ghaderi, born and raised in Iran, is a visual artist, curator, educator, and filmmaker who earned her B.A. in Visual Communications from Art & Architecture University (Tehran, Iran) and her M.F.A. in Art and Design from the University of Michigan.

She moved to the US in 2009.

Ghaderi has had various multimedia works, one of which “Not Far From Here,” screened Iranian video artists at Eli and Edythe Broad Museum. Her recent curatorial project, “Address Unknown,” was an exhibition of eight immigrant artists from India, Columbia, Kosovo, Mexico, Honduras, Surinam, and London who now work and live in the Detroit area. All these exhibitions and events were well received by the community and fostered dialogues around immigration, diversity, and minority beyond stereotypical cliches.

Parisa Ghaderi

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Naturalizer (2019)

Homeland Organizer (2019)

Photograph 20 x 16 x 5

Photograph 20 x 16 x 5

Artist Statement As an Iranian emigre, I am intrigued by the notion of home, personal and social freedom, and how our body, as our first home, assimilates and interacts with the new space. Home is not merely a “place” with walls, windows, and furniture. Instead, home is a “space” that retains our memories and protects our dreams. It is an existential construction.

But where is home? An immigrant/refugee is a home-less who searches for a place to belong. They are aliens who leave their homes behind and continuously try to find a place to become home. They “buy” new objects and furniture in the hope of transforming the non-place into a “home.”

That is why this project happens at the IKEA store, where it employs, exploits, reconstructs, and “sells” an idea of home.

In this staged photography project "Go Home!", shot at the IKEA store, not only do I explore how new objects become familiar, but I also investigate how everyday objects transform the unfamiliar space into a familiar one. I also alter the usage of an object to shed some light on the unforeseen aspects of immigrants’ life while they are adjusting: a thermal blanket becomes a hair towel wrap; Immigrants’ means of survival unexpectedly become an aesthetic object. Finally, I photograph my subjects’ relationship with objects, furniture, corners, and closets to re-imagine the nuanced images of togetherness and loneliness, desire and hesitation, comfort and distress, to re-imagine an image of a lost home.

Isolution (2022)

Photograph 30 x 20

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Dmitriy Godlevski is a Ukrainian-born, US-based photo artist whose works have been featured in several exhibitions across the globe. His early exploratory works in both digital and analog black and white photography were displayed in multiple group shows and culminated in his personal exhibition "Freedom of a Canary" in 2009. The exhibition delved into the concept of freedom and the role of external circumstances in achieving it, specifically focusing on the crucial role of barriers in perceiving, understanding, and pursuing freedom.

Dmitriy Godlevski Currents down from far ago (2022)

Photograph, 1 (lbs.)

20 x 30 x 0.1

This artwork comes with annotation and relates to letting yourself loose of the self-imposed acquired limitations and giving in to inner currents leading to your true self and place for it to be.

Making step and pushing chairs, Hanging ties, and simply falling; Currents down from far ago

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Artist Statement

"Intraverses", a photo project featuring women wearing gas masks, captured amidst natural elements, is an inquiry into the mind labyrinth of perception, a glimpse into the surreal or real-yet-magical layer of the happening. The gas mask serves as a potent symbol, representing both a cautionary tale of a potential future if we neglect collective responsibility and a reflection on the modern world of masked identities and disconnectedness prevalent in today's global society. This duality emphasizes the need to foster a deeper connection to our environment and one another.

The series showcases women as givers of life and nurturers, embodying the resilience and vulnerability of our planet.

Augmented by the presence of water, a fundamental component of all living beings, “Intraverses” symbolizes the interconnectedness of life and the importance of preserving the delicate balance of our world. The relationship between women and water in the photographs underscores their essential role in the ongoing cycle of life.

Much like the Earth itself, the abstract figure of "She" embodies both vulnerability and resilience, highlighting the crucial role women play in society and the natural world under the ever-shifting paradigms of modernity.

Through this synthesis of symbols, elements, and the intricate connections they share, I aim to create visually striking images that penetrate the viewer's mind, provoke thoughtful reflection, and ultimately inspire change.

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Surrender (2021)

Serenity (2021)

Photograph, 1 (lbs.)

24 x 36 x 0.1

Photograph, 1 (lbs.)

24 x 36 x 0.1

This artwork comes with annotation and relates to

This artwork relates the freedom of serenity that comes withdrawal from the pressure of time and connecting with inner nature of life, happening and time.

surrendering the masks we wear to defend from social influences and taking a risk of revealing our tender and intimate self.

In tired violence Underneath ones skin There is an end and the beginning Looking to surrender

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Endless race To gain a world Just to give it up With your name on it

At the University of Washington, while pursuing a major in French and minor in early-childhood education, I was only permitted to pursue three art courses (as a non-major), but delighted to draw horses and the human figure. Some of my earliest sketchbooks are filled with scenes from the streets of Paris. While attending La Sorbonne 1968—1969 (ostensibly studying literature), I’d wander through the Jardin de Luxembourg to draw the fountain, or capture an encounter between a swan and an old fisherman at the lake of the Bois De Boulogne.

Gretchen Van Horn Hansen Bird Watching (2004)

Drawing 22 x 18 x 1 It’s so exciting to watch a bird in flight during the summer.

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Artist Statement My illustrations are my attempts to distill the wonders of childhood, to touch lightly upon its essence in the ephemeral moments before they fade. I hope to bring to you the mystery and magic of local children in their everyday and holiday activities.

Watching Fireworks (2014)

Painting 5 (lbs.)

31 x 24 Two young girls become American citizens and enjoy watching the fireworks on Independence Day.

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Tatum Herman, born in Renton Washington. She began art at a young age, never knowing it could be a career. Out of high school she went to school to get a license for barber and hair styling. She studied fashion design but dropped out after a house fire took her portfolio and most of her art. She quit painting and drawing and decided hair was best to pursue financially.

She moved to Los Angeles California to further her career. She met a woman in LA who invited her to her art studio where she fell in love with art again. She began to paint again.

Tatum Herman Time

Multimedia Triptych 60 x 24 x 1.5

Artist Statement Creativity works through us, a purity beautifully tainted by the eyes of our human perspective.I’ve been in love with getting lost in its grips since I can remember. I grew up in dysfunction, and came to realize creativity as the only outlet for the pain.I work in the medium of what calls me, most of it with elements from nature fused in.

Nature is our answer, she is the giver of life, and the road home.I think art should speak to the parts of us we can only feel, the parts where words don’t suffice.Art should inspire the cracks in our hearts to let more light through.It should help us cry and help us dream.

Born and raised in Washington state, I am a lover of the trees.They are my muse. the strength of there roots and the flexibility of their branches.they breathe our exhale and we breathe theirs... the beauty in the symbiotic relationship allows my heart to access the reverence that bows the body.

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Steve Jensen has been a working artist for over 40 years. His current body of work, “VOYAGER” are boats that are meant to symbolize a voyage or journey, perhaps it is the voyage to the other side, or the journey into the unknown. Steve comes from a long tradition of Scandinavian fisherman and boat builders. He grew up on and around his father and grandfather’s fishing boats in the Seattle shipyards. From 2015 through 2022, Steve has solo exhibited at several exhibitions in Washington state.

Steve Jensen Sunken Ship with Skull (2023)

recycled glass, boat resin, found beach steel 38 (lbs.)

14 x 11 x 2

Artist Statement In an age of global warming, this work gives me the freedom to express my anger and frustrations on the slow death of our planet.

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Spar Vare Sjeler (2023)

recycled glass, boat resin, wood, bottle, melted ice from Norway 65 (lbs) 9x 24 x 9

Voyage To Valhalla (2021)

steel found on beach, rope, sea salt, recycled glass, resin 32 (lbs.)

9x 30 x 9 15

T. Lilja is a mixed media artist working in the realms of romanticism.

They’ve shown and published in variety of space and medium, including a one-time Time Travel Museum in Seattle’s Central District (curated by Hollow Earth Radio). ‘Time’ as a method of connecting disparate themes and relating to family stories of immigration and historical conflict. Hip hop, another passion, for its power of association and ethos of making art with what you have.

T. Lilja Early Risers (2021)

Digital collage on metal 0.5 (lbs.)

12 x 12 x 0.25

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Artist Statement Collage is a habit I developed out of frustration. For artists who work impulsively, the challenge is capturing thoughts before they’re fleeting. By eliminating time spent rendering, everything becomes composition - comparisons and relationships.

I tend to focus on history, but the truth’s that my art is romanticism. A bit ridiculous maybe, but part of this is avoiding the active process of ‘creating’ or aiming for originality. If you’re receptive to emotions (e.g. of a photographer or subject) the way you converse with images allows them to arrange themselves. Why you’ve made certain associations can speak to things you fear or long for - not unlike tarot or trying to make sense of dreams.

Saga (2021)

Digital collage on metal 0.5 (lbs.)

20 x 10 x 0.5

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Raised on the East Coast of the United States, Tom lived in the Desert Southwest for nearly a decade but has spent most of his life in the Pacific Northwest.

While recovering from a head injury several years ago, Tom spent a summer observing the crows, hummingbirds and squirrels from his deck as they made their wild lives in the green spaces between built structures.

The recovery experience inspired him to pivot to focus more fully on his first love in the arts, painting, and to move away from activities that take place mainly at a screen and keyboard.

Tom McIntire Beach 36 - Time and Labor (2022)

A figure striving in a fantastical landscape to grasp time as it passes Acrylic on cradled wood panel 1 (lbs.)

12 x 12 x 1.5

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Lyric 2 - Swimmers (2022) Acrylic on cradled wood panel 2 (lbs.)

16 x 16 x 1.5

Inspired by the Zero 7 song lyric.

Birds and humans spring free from a container ship-like framework to their own kinds of freedom.

Beach 9: Saint Richard Loves Pastels (2021) Acrylic on cradled wood panel 1 (lbs.)

12 x 12 x 2

Lighthearted fantastical beach scene.

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Jun Oem, a photographer originally from South Korea, with an eye for detail and a curiosity for life’s mysteries, Jun seeks out the hidden clues that reveal themselves in the places he visits and captures the world through his lens, revealing a distinctive perspective that transcends borders. Influenced by his cultural heritage, his evocative photographs provoke introspection and celebrate the beauty of the human experience.

Jun Oem In Lak'ech (2014)

Photograph on metal 0.5 (lbs.)

20 x 30

Artist Statement In this photograph, a young Native American woman emerges from prayer, traversing the desert in solitude. Through the lens, her solitary journey becomes a powerful symbol of resilience, spirituality, and introspection. The vast expanse of the desert echoes the depth of her inner world, while her presence embodies the enduring strength and connection to ancestral traditions. This image invites viewers to contemplate the sacredness of personal reflection and the profound connection between individuals and their spiritual landscapes.

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I’ve been creating work for more than 30 years. I’ve always enjoyed art and design and have since I was a young child. I often use various textures and colors to convey my feelings.

Because I put a piece of myself into each of my works, that is what makes my art unique.

My intense desire for love and the incredible individuals I encounter every day inspire me. The majority of my art shows how there is always light, and I hope to encourage others to see the positive aspects of life. to develop and learn in trying circumstances. This is why there are so many representations of flowers and other natural elements in my artwork—they are what introduce light into this world.

Marzy Rahrovi Gham (2023)

Sadness is depicted in this painting. Being resilient when you're depressed is important. The calligraphy conveys sadness and depicts gloomy, depressing days, but everything can be changed if we so choose. It's called texture drawing.

Mixed Media 4 (lbs.)

26 x 26 x 1.5 21

Freedom (2022) Mixed Media 6 (lbs.)

48 x 60 x 1.5 This art expresses the courage and bravery of the woman in Iran who are fighting for their human rights. The hair braid symbolizes the deep sorrow faced by all women in Iran. The bloody hair tie embodies all the lives lost in Iran’s current tragedy.

In the middle, one can see two flowers on either side of the struggle, those who are standing resilient and those who have fallen. The women who have lost their lives in this tragedy are represented by the blood and fallen flower. Their sacrifice has helped break free future women from the chains of the past.

Solitude (2022) Acrylic on cradled wood panel 6 (lbs.)

24 x 24 If you don’t want to be alone, watch your surroundings for light and freedom.

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Kaleigh was born in Michigan and started her art education under both of her parents who went to art school. From a young age, Roberts has enjoyed oil painting in particular. After receiving her first commission at the age of 12, she continued to accept many more commissions, including large murals, until she graduated high school.

In the Fall of 2021, after she moved to Washington, she decided to go back into painting and has explored many styles since then. Her main gear of her artwork has been centered around empowering women who come from abuse.

Kaleigh Roberts Risen (2022)

Made with a plethora of mediums including acrylic paint, silver leaf, oil pastels, and chalk, this painting has been years of healing in the making. A symbol of rising from the ashes and diving into the things that you love despite your background. The phoenix is often a symbol of those who has been abused, and here it represents rising from that abuse and rising to your calling.

Painting 2.5 (lbs.)

20 x 16 x 1

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Lost In the Trees (2023)

Upon hearing the quote “Hurt an artist, and you will see masterpieces of what you’ve done”, this oil painting had its beginning. This painting was started in bitterness, and the fierce determined look in the woman’s eye reflects that. But as the process went on, healing began, and the soft bluish greens came into play. This is a story of healing from the hurt that others has caused. A painting of remaining an evergreen down to the very soul. A story of freedom from the chains others have wrapped around her, and now she’s finally free.

Painting 3 (lbs.)

32 x 24 x 1

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Evangeline (2023)

This oil painting is a statement of understanding worth and value of oneself, despite the views of others. Evangeline was meant to be set in roses, but behold, she was not a rose, she was something else entirely. And, although others did not see the value in anything but the roses they wanted, Evangeline was beautiful in her own way. No, she isn’t a rose, but she is bold and bright and beautiful all the same. She embraces her uniqueness, and does not allow anyone to infringe on her worth, even if she is not what they wanted. She is free to be herself, know her worth, and love who she is.

Painting 1 (lbs.)

24 x 18 x 0.75

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Martha Shade is a mixed-media fiber artist in Seattle. Working in both thread and paper, her main focus is hand-stitching colorful and intricate embroidery tapestries. Shade studied printmaking at the University of Arizona and ceramics at Louisiana State University. After a move to the Pacific Northwest, her early art career found her showcasing ceramic and paper-pulp sculptures at MIA Gallery, Bellevue Art Museum, Bumbershoot, and more.

Martha Shade Sphinx Tapestry (Addendum) (2021)

Hand-stitched cotton embroidery floss on linen 1.5 (lbs.)

25 x 16 The sphinx, made up of bomb shapes, sits on a coffin decorated with stylized hemlock. Four symbols embedded into the background of water drops surround the figure. The hourglass and the bell denote a sense of urgency, and the saw and the circle point to our lowest and highest potential as humans.

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Artist Statement

The ancient Greeks asked questions about the nature of truth, and what it means to be a good person. My hand-stitched embroidery tapestries contain mythological characters brought into a contemporary context that reflect some of those same questions. They blend classical characters and symbols with current issues like modern warfare and our connection with the natural environment.

I’m interested in the cultural moment we find ourselves in and its challenges for our shared humanity. These pieces are very labor intensive and take months to complete, and my joy and passion for the process have never wavered.

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Eris/Discordia (2021) Hand-stitched embroidery floss on dish towel remnant 1 (lbs.)

14.5 x 14.5

Hand-stitched tapestry, inspired by Afghan War Rugs. This piece contemporizes the myth of Eris, the Greek Goddess of strife and discord.

The figure is referenced from an ancient Greek ceramic painting and surrounded by the machines of war.

Potnia Theron of Pandemics (2021) Hand-stitched cotton embroidery floss on dish towel remnant 1 (lbs.)

75 x 5

This piece contemporizes the myth of Potnia Theron (Mistress of Animals) in the context of not only a possible zoonotic connection to the covid 19 pandemic but to our treatment and exploitation of animals in general. I exchanged the traditional Panther and Stag with a Pangolin and Mink.

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Brittnee is an uprooted artist living on the outskirts of Seattle Washington. She was born and raised in Southern California, where she had a life full of adventure and exploration surrounded by her brothers and sister. She graduated from Milan Art Institute and is now a successful professional artist.

While you find that even under the chaotic layers, a honest and encouraging final product represents a beautiful, peaceful, free and full life ahead. Brittnee says,“I believe that artist hold the power in this world to not only influence our peers, but also promote emotion and connection with each other through the beauty of art.”

Brittnee Sylvester Freed (2021)

Bird Set Free (2021)

Mixed media, oil on stretched canvas 3.5 (lbs.)

20 x 20 x 1.5

Mixed media, oil on stretched canvas 3.5 (lbs.)

24 x 20 x 1.5

A crow is a bird people often associate with ravens. And with ravens they associate with death or bad omens. But the truth is, the crow is a representation of change and transformation. The crow is one of my favorite birds from their clever minds to their free lives, and the inspiration behind this painting.

This painting is inspired by the feelings of of how it must feel to be set free from all of the people and things in one’s life

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Artist Statement My art represents hidden and unseen beauty with a simple, minimalistic and organic development. I provoke emotions and safety in a natural and peaceful way. I try to inspire connection and calmness within ones self, and the acceptance of one’s imperfections being the most beautiful attribute to ourselves.

Traveling Luggage (2022)

This piece is inspired by one coming into who they truly are.

Mixed media oil abstract on stretched canvas. Heavily textured with gold leaf accents and hand embroidery.

3.5 (lbs.)

24 x 18 x 1.5

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Frida (2023)

Frida is one of the biggest icons in the art world, but also for her country. Being Hispanic myself, I have found comfort in the knowledge that she was unashamedly herself, she had a strong will and was vocal about her community while being widely successful.

Mixed media, oil on stretched canvas With gold leaf, and hand embroidered 3.5 (lbs.)

24 x 18 x 1.5

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Randall Vemer has been a professional violinist/violist for 20 years; playing in orchestras around the world. He was Principal Viola of The Oregon Symphony for 20 years playing with the greatest soloists of our time. He transitioned from Classical Music to Classical Painting; culminating in the multimedia project MusArt exhibited in Portland, Seattle, Napa, and Aspen.

Randall Vemer Thunderbird Soaring (2018)

Painting 0.3 (lbs.)

18 x 24 x 1.5 Pacific NW indigenous peoples have been longtime erecting Totems reaching towards the heavens. In doing so they honor their traditions sculpting trees, and upon completion install their art mimicking those same trees.

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My Body Sacrosanct (2018)

We live in times where politics hold bodies hostage; both physically and mentally. This particularly is occurring in authoritarian countries hostile to women.

Sadly; rights are disappearing for many women rich and poor in our own country.

Painting 3 (lbs.)

24 x 18 x 1.5

Invitation To Creativity (2018)

With kids spending up to 3 /12 hours a day staring at small screens, it’s no wonder Creativity along with critical thinking are disappearing to everyone’s detriment. Some kids find a passion through the Arts; finding a joy others sadly won’t experience.

Painting 0.3 (lbs.)

24 x 18 x 1.5

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Gallery B612 Prince and Fox, LLC.

This artist issue was created for Gallery B612’s Freedom Art Exhibition for the days of June 22nd through July 21st of 2023.

Designed by Aleen Caeli

www.galleryb612.com