"Couples in Collaboration"

Meet the artists, Sat., Nov. 17, 5 - 8 pm

(the exhibit continues through 2007. The gallery is open by appointment. Please call 360/629-4933)

Artists generally marry one of three types: the muse; the patron; or another artist. Each marriage has its risks. The movie director marries his muse; but the muse is fickle or fleeting. The artist marries a patron but becomes so successful that the patron is not needed. The artists marries another artist, but they can become jealous or competitive. On the other hand, any one or all of these relationships can work, and sometimes a relationship can combine all three roles. This show represents three different forms of artistic "co-existence" between couples. .

Mark and Vicki Dodge are photographers, among other talents. They often work side by side on their travels. Their work is informed not only by their photographic aesthetic but also by their other forms of expression. Patrick Arthur and Ella Hope work as artist and model, yet the model has a lot of input in choosing locations, poses, even theme. Their collaborative work combines the landscape and the nude and is keyed in to the environment. Chaim Bezalel and Yonnah Ben Levy, who are hosting the exhibit at Stanwood House Gallery, are the third couple. They are showing Skagit River Triptych I & II from their "Pacific Scrolls" series, which combine his photography and her painting, a multi-stage process in which they hand off the work to each other until completion.