Amplified Growth, at the Second Space Gallery

The Second Space Gallery is currently showing a series of mixed media paintings by Jessica LaPrade. The show is well named “Amplified Growth.” All of her works are teaming with energy, and patterns that seem to grow off of the canvas. The images of bees and flowers, and the bright colors and repeating square and hexagonal patterns all give a sense of the repetition and renewal of life. According to LaParade this series “reinterprets the natural world, by integrating technological and urban, contrivances into textural studies of nature.”
LaPrade’s largest piece in the exhibit, “The Last Colony” was a triptych. It has hexagons of various blues, greens, yellows and browns creating a pattern continuing throughout the patting. In Large gaps left by the painting you can see a royal blue sky and in the middle panel on the right side a bright yellow hive that takes up almost a third of the middle canvas. The tree that the hive hangs from is right of the hive, but its long branches continue onto all three of the canvases. The texture of the work defines the hexagonal spaces and the hive. The drippy paint and Impressionistic style mix communicated an energy as well as an uneasiness to me as the viewer. It was though I was looking at a real hive, it is amazing to see but there was also something about it that made me uneasy. I liked her work, even if this piece made me uneasy, because it all got a reaction out of me.
LaPrade grew up in Virginia, but came to Washington to get her degree from Eastern Washington University. She graduated with her bachelors of art in 2008. I know that I certainly like seeing a locally taught artist doing well in the community. Normally when I think of local artist I think of older ladies and gentlemen painting quintessential scenes of local historical landmarks. I like seeing local artist that are creating works that reflect contemporary art ideals and have some deeply conceptual ideas. I think that the community also enjoys seeing art like this and I think that it is good to how this art because it helps teach the community about what contemporary art is doing as well as draws them into see work by someone in there community.
Do you also think that seeing local artist with a working knowledge of contemporary art is more beneficial for the community?