'It's No Secret' (oil and enamel on wood, 48" x 42", 2008). One of many Terry Turrell paintings and sculptures on exhibit at the Grover/Thurston Gallery in Pioneer Square

It was a tough choice, but we decided to watch the vice-presidential debate instead of visiting galleries in Pioneer Square on First Thursday Art Walk, and missed the opening night reception for Seattle artist Terry Turrell.

We found out about Terry Turrell’s exhibit when we read ‘Overwhelmed with Inspiration’ in Art Access, written by artist and arts writer Molly Norris (we also viewed Molly’s current exhibit - ‘Paper Cuts: Works by Kate Sweeney and Molly Morris’, at Gallery 110 in Pioneer Square. Be sure to see this exhibit, too, when you take in Terry Turrell’s show). Molly’s article and the accompanying photos were compelling - we marked our calendar for Saturday, Oct 4th.

Terry Turrell is a self-taught artist. 27 years ago he sold painted tee shirts from a stall in the Pike Place Market. Fast forward to today, which just happens to be Terry’s 62nd birthday, and the day we viewed his solo show of recent paintings and sculpture at the Grover/Thurston Gallery in Pioneer Square. This is one of the most exciting shows by a contemporary artist I’ve ever seen. And it’s a BIG show - lots and lots of mixed-media paintings and sculptures, constructed from wood, linen, tin, wire, found objects, and oil and enamel paints, with some encaustic paintings thrown in for good measure. WOW!

Terry Turrell is an absolute master at creating rich, narrative surfaces that compel the viewer to explore every square inch in depth for partially obscured words and images. The show is a luscious, visual feast, and Terry’s incredible surface treatments made me want to explore his works not only with my eyes but with my hands - they are incredibly tactile!

The Terry Turrell show runs October 2nd - November 1st, 2008. Mark your calendar now!

Click here to read an informative article about Terry Turrell, written in 1998 by Robin Updike, Art Critic for the Seattle Times.