Gregory Grenon, Back Stage Girls, 2010. Oil on glass. H 21, W 10 in. courtesy: Traver Gallery
Some sense of the extraordinary range of artists represented by the Traver Gallery was evident with last night’s opening of three solo exhibitions of three very different works by artists Gregory Grenon, Richard Marquis, and Nick Mount. All three shows will run through the end of this month.
The reverse paintings on glass featured in Grenon’s exhibition, entitled “dreamland circus,” offer the viewer an eerie overview of downtrodden circus performers, a twisted sort of visual take on the atmosphere created in the Sherwood Anderson short story collection 
Richard Marquis, Mr. Peanut with Red and Yellow Cylinder, 2010. Blown glass, granulare technique, found object (plastic Mr. Peanut salt). H 7 1/2, W 9 1/2, D 5 1/2 in. courtesy: Traver Gallery.
Richard Marquis’ exhibition, a selection of work gathered under the title “then and now,” is a good deal more playful. A series of cylinders and quirky found objects — the artist is known for collecting knickknacks, many of which appear in his work — atop dough-like domes of glass figures prominently in “then and now,” as do four altered vintage chemistry sets juxtaposed with reticello or zanfirico beakers that Marquis refers to as “retorts.”
Nick Mount, Reclining Bob (Right), 2010. Blown glass, cut, assembled. H 16, W 6, D 6 in. Courtesy: Traver Gallery.
Finally, the sleek black-and-white bottles and pointed bobs included in the punning exhibition title “me and bob“ highlight Mount’s interest in the traditional perfume bottle, an inspiration from which the artist has drawn for over a decade. The tone of Mount’s work is decidedly more subdued than those of the other exhibitions. The deliberate positioning of the sculptural bobs — some are hanging, others recline — brings to mind the Japanese aesthetic principles of shizen (naturalness) and seijaku (energized calm), a far cry from the grim world of Grenon’s subjects and the tongue-in-cheek technical flourishes of Marquis.
—Grace Duggan
IF YOU GO: “dreamland circus” Gregory Grenon solo exhibition “then and now” Richard Marquis solo exhibition “me and bob” Nick Mount solo exhibition October 8 – 31, 2010 Traver Gallery 110 Union Street, Ste. 200 Seattle, Washington 98101 Tel: 206 587 6501 E-mail: info@travergallery.com
Website: www.travergallery.com