You Might Live, You Most Certainly Will Die.

We maintain that a successful piece of art conveys the message it was meant to convey and that a successful artist is, indeed, trying to say something with their art.  That is to say that if one creates a piece of art that was meant to convey fear and that fear is never felt by the viewer then that art is not successful.  Of course it is more complicated than that.  It relies heavily on the viewer’s personal experience, education and open-mindedness.  

Does it need to have broad appeal or reach just one person?  Are its meanings varied?  Deduction of these questions leads me to believe, and I whole-heartedly do, that an artwork is successful if it cannot be ignored.  It does not have to be loved or believed.  It may be hated or even feared.  The inability to disregard the art becomes the measure of the art’s success.  It’s even better when it calls into question the very personal choices we make for our own lives.  It is in this place that we have found the success of Dylan Neuwirth’s work titled You Might Live, You Most Certainly Will Die.

The gallery in Seattle did not have ideal windows to display traditional paintings.  We tasked ourselves with finding artwork that would come to define our Seattle gallery and us.  It would make relic of the traditional sign and speak to our personal beliefs.   After meeting with Neuwirth it became clear to us that he was the right artist to produce such a piece. You Might Live, You Most Certainly Will Die, is a reminder that focusing intently on personal choices, pursuing passions and embracing risk are necessary in ones comfort with the inevitable and as such represents our gallery and our purpose perfectly.

The neon sculpture hovers permanently in our window in Seattle.  The piece was mounted on a custom lathe and plaster backing that the artist and gallery collaborated on.

The lathe plaster boards and mounts.

Interior view.  Neon sculpture by Dylan Neuwirth, "Imagine a Relaxing Email" 

Thank you Seattle Magazine!

Bellevue Art Gallery Opening Second Location, in Pioneer Square

A Bellevue-based gallery dares to cross the great divide

Brangien Davis  |   July 2014   |  FROM THE PRINT EDITION

Amy Spassov and Erik Hall in their Bellevue space. They’ll open a second gallery in Pioneer Square this month

PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW VANASSE

While we applaud the sudden wealth of delectable restaurants opening willy-nilly in Pioneer Square, it’s refreshing to learn that there are also some non-food-focused efforts entering the mix. Exhibit A: Hall Spassov Gallery (319 Third Ave. S; hallspassov.com) a contemporary gallery that has operated in Bellevue since 2006. In July, the gallery opens a second location in the building formerly occupied by Grover/Thurston Gallery. Bellevue-based husband and wife Erik Hall and Amy Spassov, both artists themselves, represent approximately 30 emerging and established artists, including local painters Francesca Sundsten and Alicia Tormey. The gallery will debut in the neighborhood with User Profile (7/3–7/31), a group exhibition that reveals the gallery’s aesthetic, which Hall describes as straddling the line between visually pleasing and “challenging.” The duo is excited about being in the midst of so many other galleries (the Bellevue space is in the heart of the shopping district) and the loyal First Thursday crowds. “Seattle has a built-in curiosity about art that will drive our foot traffic,” Hall says. But what about the new commute? “People act as if the bridges are the Great Wall of China,” he jokes. “I guess we are going to find out what nomadic invaders of the Ming Dynasty were up against.”

Seattle Location

Behind the scene shots at our second location in Seattle's Pioneer Square. On June 1st we took over the space formerly occupied by Grover Thurston Gallery, located at the corner of 3rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street. Since then, we've been working hard at making some changes; putting our stamp on it so to speak.  If you are familiar with the space you'll recognize the updates that have been made and we're very excited to show you. Come for a visit on July 3rd for our grand opening during the First Thursday Art Walk. We'll introduce you to our new digs, as well as our talented roster of artists during our first group exhibition in Seattle titled, User Profile. 

Day one. 

We shook hands with Richard Thurston and Susan Grover who ran one of Seattle's most respected galleries for over two decades, received our keys and the space officially became ours that day.

Day 3, demo. We took out the desk, amongst a few other things.

Day 5, building new walls

The essentials 

Framework built for the new rotating wall 

Rotating wall installed

Day 14 and counting...

Jay's Fly Tying Bench

First things first…  I don't know much about fly fishing or tying flies.  I have however, learned a great deal from my father-in-law Jay Spassov.  He is a great guy, an accomplished fly fisherman, a protector of nature and to me a friend and fellow artist.  While our medium is different our care and consideration for our craft is the same.

I have a state-of-the art easel I use daily for painting.  I have arranged my studio with attention to how I work, move and feel in it.  The best investments I make are the ones I make in the equipment I use for my art.  My easel, what I use to hold my canvas, was by far the most important. 

It was the glorious Super Bowl last year (Ravens 34  vs. Niners 31) that I decided to build Jay a new "Easel".  I did tons of research to figure out what a fly tier might need in the way of tool storage, structure and workability.  What I discovered was that most fly benches are stable, but that stability had a downside.  The generally accepted designs offered nothing in the way of adjustability.  I thought for months about how I wanted to approach the build so that I could balance adjustability with stability.

The live edge and the spalted Maple mimicked waves, water and the shore.  

I knew I wanted to use live edge wood to help keep the feeling of nature in the bench that would develop to include many mechanical parts.

Those mechanical parts I mentioned…

I got some wheels off of a funky old lamp.  Wheels on a lamp are strange, wheels on a fly ting bench… more strange.

I added in a few other innovations.  The magnetic strip in the front right side is my favorite.  I watched Jay tie many flies and always noticed him setting scissors, pliers and other tools down and awkwardly reaching for them again as he held a fly.  This keeps the tools front and to the right near his working hand.

Adjustability came in the form of multiple tool holder sizes, but was most apparent in the rolling tool arms.  The bench expands from 0 inches to 72 inches allowing plenty of room to spread out feathers, furs, tools and thread.  It can also divide into two separate work stations.  The wood is White Maple and Zebrawood.  The thread dowels are made out of polished aluminum.

Blondie Bench

Our good friend, Paul collects vintage cars.  He has an affinity for old Citroens.  During the course of restoring one of these beautiful cars he ordered blue leather that when viewed in person was clearly the wrong color for the car.  It was, however, the perfect color to make some "left of center" benches.  This highlights the first of them.

Like the "Beast" bench previously documented in our blog.  This bench was intended to mix the old and new.  The intention was to develop a modern shape, but add in classic details in the cushion.  What I came up with Amy named the "Blondie Bench".

I used deep tufting on the cushion to create the early classical feel.  It was interesting to see what would dominate the look, the color or the tufting.

I wanted to keep the design as simple as possible.  The risers for the glass are in the same proportion as the tufting.

The height of the glass lines up generally with that of the leather.

Making the glass tempered gave the edge of a slightly blue green hue.

The risers were constructed in three pieces.  Each has a bolt, polished metal sleeve and a pad.

Looks good in the studio too.

Affordable Art Fair Seattle 2013

Join us at the fair, November 6th - 10th, 2013. 

The Affordable Art Fair is returning to Seattle for its second year.  The AAF is an internationally recognized art fair that produces exhibitions in New York, Hong Kong, Milan and London.  These events allow new and established art collectors to view, in one location, the works of emerging and established artists.  Moreover, all of these works are under $10K with most coming in under $5K by rule. The AAF presents a great opportunity for us to work with galleries from our region and around the world.  What is better is that it opens the door for new collectors to enter the market and established collectors to view works of great pedigree.  

Hall Spassov Gallery is participating again in 2013.   We will feature new work from our existing roster of artists such as James Key, Daniel Ochoa, Mars and Pony and Amy Spassov among others.  The Affordable Art Fair is a great forum to introduce new artists that have shown great potential.  Raul Campos, from Mexico, paints poignant, striking human imagery devoid of non-essential information and Sherri Gamble, from Washington, is a glass artist whose work is a salient reminder of our connection with nature.

Below is an interview done by The Affordable Art Fair. 

Seattle collectors series with Erik Hall & Amy Spassov

October 28, 2013

This week we have been chatting to Erik Hall and Amy Spassov, the husband and wife duo who run the Hall Spassov Gallery. Erik and Amy started the gallery in 2006 in Bellevue, WA. Here they reveal why collecting art is all about the hunt, as well as give their top tips for starting a collection from scratch. The Affordable Art Fair is returning to Seattle for its second year.  The AAF is an internationally recognized art fair that produces exhibitions in New York, Hong Kong, Milan and London.  

Where did your passion for art begin?Amy: My first experience with art started with visits to my Uncle’s home in NW Portland. He has a distinguished and eclectic style; good taste in my opinion.  He has thoughtfully collected art for many years. In those early visits I made a connection with his art and through the years I would gain new insight from each piece. I may have not realized the importance at the time, but those moments, in hindsight, are where I found my deep interest for original artwork and the need for it in my life.

What’s the best thing about collecting?Erik: I have a few things I collect and what I enjoy about each of them is the hunt. Finding and acquiring an exquisite piece of art, vintage motorcycle, or rare piece of furniture is easily one of the most satisfying things I do.

Amy: I share the same sentiment with Erik, though my emotional connection with a piece of work plays a huge role in why I collect and the majority of time this rules my decision to purchase a piece.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a collection?Erik: Take your time! Those walls don’t need to be filled up today, tomorrow or even in the next ten years. Your taste will inevitably change and if you go too hard too fast you are going to waste money and time. Acquire pieces that haunt your thoughts and let one or two get away so you can understand how bad it feels when they do. It will help guide your future purchases.

“We have a piece being done by Gretchen Gammell for above our buffet, who is one of my personal favorites, and we have a few of her other works in our collection including this piece which is called ‘A Complicated Sounding.’” (Amy)

What was the very first piece of art you bought?
Amy: My first piece was purchased from a photographer named Amy Postle. She and I admired one another’s work and we collectively decided to do a trade. Her piece hangs in our bathroom and my affection for it is still as strong as when I received it years ago.

Erik: The first piece of art I purchased was from an artist who had her work up in a coffee shop. It was a big piece that belied its price, as it was only $800. I still have it and I still like it.

Any top tips for displaying your art?Erik: This is where I become forcefully opinionated! Creating a union between two of the most personal things in your life, your home and your art, is as important a task as any.  I give each piece room to breath. I make sure each piece has been lit correctly and is at a height were an average size person can access the middle of the painting at eye level. It is always a disappointment to see works crammed together, dark and at heights that don’t allow a viewer to engage and connect with it.

Amy: Erik and I have hung a lot of artwork in our lifetime. These guidelines are very helpful. Finding a good center on a piece is the key and will make it easier as you add work to your walls.  Of course there are times when the rules can be broken. Some pieces of art were meant to be rebels and you can have a little more fun with placement.

“Another piece we love by Daniel Ochoa, ‘Moreno and Blanco.’” (Amy)

Do you have favorite piece in your collection?Erik: At the risk of sounding politically correct, I like them all equally. If someone said I had to pick one…a portrait of Waris Ahluwalia by my wife, Amy Spassov. It is equal parts cool, sexy and inventive…I love it!

Amy: Glad you like it Erik. Naming your favorite piece of art is similar to naming your favorite kid. I just can’t do it!

"Beast" Bench, 2013

Amy and I will often go to antique stores on Sundays.  On a recent Sunday I found an older fireplace guard  and all I could see was a bench.  This is the sketch I made after purchasing the piece.

A few weeks later Amy and I found ourselves in yet another antique store.  This time we were after an old chair or table we could steal some legs from.  This poor chair had no idea that its life was about to end.  I pulled the legs and stripped the finish to reveal some nice looking mahogany.

 

Once the legs were off the challenge quickly became how to fit them to the new wood.  The frame of the bench left few options to attach the legs, but this is how it went down.

This is what the side would eventually look like.  The whole idea of the bench was to be classic and antiquated in the back (the claw foot) and modern in the front (clean line maple).

More fitting and mock-ups...

I had to make a template based on the shape of the fireplace guard.  It was not easy as the fireplace guard was not symmetrical, but the bench needed to be.  Clamping the round edge was no picnic either.

This got really tricky as I had to keep the legs parallel to each other and perpendicular to the bench top as I clamped the sides on.  This is some serious duct tape and peanut butter stuff here, but it worked until the glue set up.

Here is the bench pre-sanded and pre-stained.  Now the fun stuff starts...

I wanted the back to be black and the front to be more stained wood.   I dyed the entire bench with a black aniline dye.  After it dried I sanded the wood back where I did not want the black to be.

Here is the backside after the dye and first sanding.

Erik Hall, "Beast", Leather Wood Iron,  2013