Preparing a new body of work for my June show.  Opens June 6th, 2013 at Hall Spassov Gallery, Bellevue Washington. 

The pursuit of art is often an antisocial one.  An artist has a singular voice and the purpose of their art is to express a singular idea.  With that being said, art is nebulous.  The rules associated with that singular pursuit can be set aside to allow the viewer to meet Gretchen Gammell and Amy Spassov where they met each other; on common imaginative ground.
 
Mars and Pony is the collective name of this duo’s mixed media works and is a culmination of three years spent collaborating on a shared voice. The work is a dialogue of mutual inspiration and challenges.  By relinquishing control and ego, their joint trust in one another allows a new voice to emerge.  Together, these artists blur the line between where a painting begins and finally comes to completion.  

"Nouns" the debut solo show for Mars and Pony opens April 4th, 2013 at Hall Spassov Gallery. View the work

collage and paint on paper 

There is a genuine curiosity in the work of Amy Spassov.  It seems spontaneous and impulsive yet is anchored by its style and the elements found within.  It is as if Spassov is trying to convey message in a language derived from one we understand but don’t fully grasp other than knowing it is captivating and beautifully inquisitive.  
 
The artist uses familiarity and a disarming pallet to entice the viewer.  However, if one can momentarily set aside this comfort another truth of the work is revealed; a plot twist if you will.  It is a well-executed artistic MacGuffin meant to obscure intention and allow for alternative outcomes.  If the exhibit feels nostalgic, tensioned or theatrical it is due in large part to the Hitchcockian flare with which each piece was completed and as irony would have it the man himself makes a cameo.
 
While the exhibit is a subtle departure for Spassov the artist has decisively claimed identity and purpose with her most recent offering.  Amy Spassov’s work is certain and affecting and is her most mature work to date.