OPENING: Dante Marioni, Rik Allen at Traver Gallery

New work by Dante Marioni and Rik Allen is being unveiled at Traver Gallery in Seattle this evening. Marioni is continuing to push scale and precision in his newest work that features bravura canework patterning rendered at unforvingly large scale. A 39-inch-tall blue leaf, titled Standing Reticello Leaf (2015) is a further exploration of his attempts to push traditional technique to new levels, marrying it to a decidedly contemporary color scheme. The outsized scale takes this work out of the realm of design in a bid to make a monumental statement on technical skill and skills passed down for centuries.

Allen's work comes from a very different aesthetic, but like Marinio, he continues to advance his established body of work. In Allen's case, it's not an homage to tradition, but to an outdated vision of the future, a rusting and antique utopia  from an early-20th century era. Though the early jet-age curves of his spaceships might be dated, the themes Allen explores -- alientation, solitude, decay -- are perfectly in tune with current issues of how human experience can be subordinated to technology, as we live through a rapid digital revolution that is transforming every aspect of our lives. Allen's newest work reveals a darker and more intricate rendering of his figures, which take on insect-like form, with an increasing ratio of metal to glass, which give the work added depth and resonance.

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