July has become a major month for artists, galleries, and art appreciators in Seattle these past few years. Many regional art galleries share the work of their artists at the Seattle Art Fair, which is returning for its seventh year from July 27-30, and take advantage of the event and general enthusiasm for the local art scene to bring more visitors to their physical gallery space. Through July 15, J. Rinehart Gallery exhibits the work of two artists at the gallery: Anne Hirondelle and Shaun Kardinal. Both artists utilize geometric abstraction in their work, but with different results and tactics.

In contrast, in August, the gallery exhibits Junko Yamamoto’s more organic and interconnected paintings. All three artists have a connection to the Northwest and interestingly play with form and space in truly unique ways. The work of each artist demonstrates the breadth of abstraction and illustrates the various ways that humans interact with each other, the natural world, and the physical structures that make up our daily lives.

Anne Hirondelle started her artistic career as a sculptor, and her mastery of the 3-dimensional form is ever present in her drawings and paper-folded artworks. Hirondelle grew up in Washington State and received her BFA from the University of Washington. Her work has been highlighted in many solo and group exhibitions during her long and celebrated career, including a recent solo exhibition at the Jefferson Museum of Art and History in Port Townsend, Washington in 2020.

The exhibition included artworks from various eras of the artist’s career and detailed the evolution of Hirondelle’s work to its current manifestation: folded tracing paper. The exhibition at J. Rinehart Gallery is the artist’s first at the gallery and features her recent work from 2023. Many of her early folded paper pieces previously had limited color, but the current exhibition is bursting with vibrant orange, red, and teal. The color adds another dimension to work that already feels 3-dimensional on a 2-dimensional plane. One remarkable aspect of Hirondelle’s folded paper constructions is that they are created by the hands and mind of a sculptor; what appears to be on a flat plane really is a deconstructed 3-dimensional object.

While Hirondelle dissects the 3-dimensional form, Shaun Kardinal gives depth to a 2-dimensional landscape using embroidery to bind the scenery elements together. In doing so, Kardinal provides a geometric, structural overlay which organizes the scene for the viewer and draws attention to the flat plane of the paper. They are instantly aware of two key elements: the landscape is an illusion or replica of the original and the paper is being reinforced due to its fragile state. What does it mean to “see” an object? How can we truly understand an object or scene with multiple parts and angles on a 2-dimensional plane? Both Hirondelle and Kardinal address these questions in their work. For both, abstracting the physical is a path toward the answer.

In keeping with the theme of abstraction, J. Rinehart Gallery features an exhibition of paintings by Junko Yamamoto in the month of August. Yamamoto’s artworks provide an in-depth view of the elements that make up our world. The artist articulates the individual buildings blocks of life and reality with layers of paint and shapes. Some forms bare a resemblance to known forms, while others provide energy through color and depth. Like Hirondelle and Kardinal, Yamamoto asks the fundamental questions about our reality. What can we know about our world and how do we connect with it?

Yamamoto’s vibrant and painterly artworks are sure to be a welcome experience during the month of August, and visitors can also visit Deborah Butterfield’s exhibition at Greg Kucera Gallery only a block away during the same trip. This summer is sure to be a busy one for the Seattle art community with many institutions and galleries welcoming excellent exhibitions.

Visitors can enjoy the work of two artists at J. Rinehart Gallery through July 15 and a solo exhibition of energetic paintings by Yamamoto from August 3-26. It is also worth noting that the gallery is also bringing the work of their artists to the Seattle Art Fair along with many other regional galleries. Visitors can delight in considering the various curatorial approaches to displaying art by their favorite local artists while also hopefully discovering new artists and work through the experience. For the exhibitions at J. Rinehart Gallery, summer brings an opportunity to compare and contrast the work of three artists asking big questions about our perception and experience in the world.

Chloé Dye Sherpe

Chloé Dye Sherpe is a curator and art professional based in Washington State.

Anne Hirondelle’s “In Layers” and Shaun Kardinal’s “This is How We Learn” exhibits are on view through July 17 and Junko Yamamoto’s “Cosmic Web” exhibition from August 3-26. J. Rinehart Gallery, located at 319 3rd Avenue South in Seattle, Washington, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. For more information, visit www.jrinehartgallery.com.