I've been to a number of beach resort towns, and I almost never go into the art galleries. I used to, but the multitudinous schlocky landscapes and first-year-art-school figure drawings broke me of the habit. However, I accidentally went to a gallery in Port Townsend yesterday that pleasantly surprised me.
Yesterday was our first visit to picturesque Port Townsend, and we started our day there by exploring the main strip of shops on Water Street. A shop called Sideshow Variety, filled with the kinds of novelty items Oscar loves as well as the kitschy and retro-type items I love, drew us in like a magnet, but I was most intrigued by the Max Grover Gallery, located in a separate room in the back of the store. At first glance, I didn't think much of the paintings...but on closer inspection, I really started liking them a lot! The artist incorporates all types of small labels, stamps, and memorabilia into the paintings, so they've got a nostalgic quality that I love while still feeling quite modern, and they've got a very unpolished folk-art look that I also really like. Grover, who was there at the gallery, said he's been collecting the trinkets incorporated into the art for his whole life, and I love the idea of using these collections to create artwork. Check it out!
This is a detail of the painting at the top:
And here are some details from the hula dancer painting:
