 We have all seen them. On the bus, in the street, at the Library or in the mall. They are totemic
icons of the unfettered masses which populate the city. February 16th marked the opening of
the second exhibition of works on paper by Keith Tilford at the James Harris Gallery.
The eleven drawings are derived from photographs of crowd scenes downloaded via
the internet. The images are manipulated with Photoshop to redact and reconfigure them into
a new form, context and meaning.Through this process an new visual typology emerges
The exhibition runs through April 1,2006.
The James Harris Gallery is located at 309A 3rd Ave. S. Seattle, WA, 98104
Phone: 206-903-6220
Hours Wed. - Sat. 11:00am - 5:00pm, Tues. by appointment
 Back in the 1950's Guy DeBord and the Situationalist International used the same concept of
"de-torne". Replacing the historical context of the original photo with a new
aesthetic context that mixes down the visual static noise of the composition. What then
remains is the skeleton of the form in which swift, yet meticulous marks compose small
forms which repeat and combine to reveal a figure. These representations of essence or icon
appear to hover and dissolve off the paper as the viewer approaches them up close. As
skilled and elegant in their form, the content each of the works has a deep philosophical
dimension. This epistemological discourse equates the artistic process as a neural path
like any other mode of philosophical inquiry.
 The leader of the Italian Futurist movement, Fillipo Tomaso Marinetti, once noted
"Language is the mother lode of all culture",
a thus pointed out the nature of the essential text, porous as it may be. Tilford takes on
this challenge of difference and multiplicity by dissecting the different elements
of: hierarchy, identity, and representation using drawing as a vehicle for am unique
typology. His compositions reflect the transitive property of aesthetics which recognizes
that the only constant in any part of a world is the constant state of flux. As Tilford
states "what remains is the uncertainty of the face... an uncertainty as to whether it is
coming together or breaking apart."
 The drawings are simply and elegantly presented floating in space with minimal white frames
and no other color to manipulate the viewer into false emotional states. In each drawing
every stroke is like the movement of a conductor's baton making a symphony, making the
composition sing. Visual Art, when done well, is like good music, it can transport you into
other realms. It takes us outside of ourselves and our selfishness. It can move us a micro
meter into becoming something a little bit better than we once were. It is for these reasons
that artists like Keith Tilford exist.
 The meaning of this exhibition rests in its exsistence. The artist is the conductor of the
orchestral harmony which has been culled from the constant visual assault that we experience
in our every day lives. In his careful investigation of humanity, Keith Tillford demonstrates
a new way of writing the story of our lives. His profound sensibility leads the viewer into
new conceptual countries and states of the imagination. The power of the pen married to the
strength of the paper has never been so competently demonstrated. This is an exhibition you
have to see to believe.Visit the James Harris Gallery on the web here.
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