Massimo Guerrera (2009) Meeting, Ink, pencil and acrylic on paper, 54" x 44"

After six years of operation, the artist-run Crawl Space Gallery in Seattle has decided to close its doors and end their impressive programming of exhibitions, residencies, public forums, publications, and experimental projects. The gallery is currently presenting Stranger Circumstances as their final exhibition. The show features Crawl Space artist in residency, Massimo Guerrera as well as artists Alana Riley, Ron Tran with performances during the opening by the Seattle-based artist collective PDL, featuring Jason Puccinelli, Jed Dunkerley and Greg Lundgren.

Alana Riley (2004) Stephan from the series Support System, C-print

As the press release mentions, “Stranger Circumstances, brings together artists who devise strategies to connect with people they would otherwise never encounter.” Resident artist Massimo Guerrera explores the methods in which people communicate using language, meditation, exertion and sharing by collaborating with strangers to create artworks through a variety of media. During his time at Crawl Space, the artist collaborated with a dozen participates to create what he calls “a living installation.”  Alana Riley documents short performative interactions with strangers. Her exhibited works involve the artist asking participants to either lie on top of her, placing their full body weight as they see fit, or allow her to carry them piggie-back throughout their workspace. Ron Tran documents strangers within close range to observe particular gestures and interactions. Whether through collaboration, perforative acts or documentation, each artist is using the uncontrolled actions of strangers as a cornerstone of their conceptual practice.

Stranger Circumstances is curated by Jennifer Campbell and will be on view through November 29th.