California: William Rushton & Troy Pillow June 1, 2006

California is the name of the June exhibition at Donna Seager Gallery and the title fits. The paintings of William Rushton
owe their roots to the history of California painting. These are painterly paintings with figures as open to the air as the painter often was when he made them. The colors are bright and uninhibited. They are a celebration of the California painting and lifestyle. The work will be shown with the kinetic and colorful sculpture of Troy Pillow whose work is also an out-of-doors celebration of the open air. Pillows sculptures interact with the landscape. They are graceful in movement, sturdy in their steel strength, and elegant in their simplicity. They are never overly busy or clumsy. He seems to intuit nature in his unerring instinct for balance without rigidity. The exhibition will run from June 1 through June 30. There will be a reception for the artists on Saturday, June 17 from 6 to 8pm. The gallery is located at 851 Fourth Street in San Rafael and is open from 11 to 6, Tuesday through Saturday with extended hours till 8pm every Thursday evening. 415-454-4229, www.donnaseagergallery.com.


California has always attracted artists who are inspired by the beauty, majesty, light and air of the environment. As early as the innovation of oil paint in tubes (and even earlier) painters have dotted the landscape of California attempting to capture its mystery. Inspired by the early Impressionist works shown at the 1915 Pan American Exposition, six painters from the East Bay formed The Society of Six in 1917, transforming plein air work into exuberant colorful canvases that explored the California landscape in ways not seen before. With the 40s explosion of Abstract Expressionism, plein air painting fell out of favor until the 70s when then curator and painter Terry St. John put together an exhibition of the Society of Six at the Oakland Museum. He encouraged surviving member Louis Siegriest to lead a group of students which included artist Pam Glover to the locales favored by the artists. Glover continued the tradition and became, along with William Rushton, Nikki Basch-Davis, Warren Dreher, Ray Jackson, Judy Molyneux, Randy Sexton and Jerrold Turner the group now known as The Outsiders. These painters incorporated the style and painterliness of the Society of Six with Bay Area Figuration, continuing an exploration of the genre unique to northern California. William Rushton?s enthusiasm for painting and pure joy in the process consumed a great deal of his free time apart from his teaching. He has since retired and is able to devote his full attention to painting and this exhibition is a celebration of his efforts.


Troy Pillow is a force unto himself. A Colorado native, Pillow lived until recently in California and was successful in creating the moving interactive sculpture which has become a fixture in many environments in the area. Pillow?s sculpture is often playful like that of Calder or Miro, but there is a restraint that is more related to George Rickey. Each design is distilled to its simplest elements. The sculptures play with the air around them. His work can be found in corporate collections, public art projects, select galleries and private collections throughout the country. Troy Pillow moved to Seattle in November of 2005 to further his career and has since become involved in commissions for larger installations up to 16 feet in height. He has been selected to exhibit a 14 foot sculpture in the upcoming Sculpture Show at the Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington.

Official Website: http://www.donnaseagergallery.com/exhibition_archives/rushton-pillow.html