Our 25th Anniversary!
group show
May 6th - 27th 2023
Opening night reception May 6th 6-9pm ~ with DJ Marvelette - All are welcome to attend
WHEW! Its seems like we just opened a few years ago and then again it seems like a hundred years have passed. We have been through a lot, and we are ready to celebrate this important milestone.
Roq La Rue 25th Anniversary Show opens Saturday May 6th 6-9 pm and features an array of artists the gallery has shown through the decades! Because we have worked with so many artists, this show is Part 1 of our celebration, Part 2 will open in October 2023 with a different roster of artists.
Featuring: Peter Ferguson, Travis Louie, Madeline Von Foerster, Femke Hiemstra, Brian Despain, Lindsey Carr, Alessandra Maria, Eric Fortune, John Brophy, Lori Early, Hannah Flowers, Jean Labourdette, Bella Ormseth, Kari-Lise Alexander, and Laurie Lee Brom
Roq La Rue was started in 1998 by Kirsten Anderson. Seeking to create a space in Seattle for for the rising “Low Brow” art scene, the gallery showed everything from Kustom Kulture art, outsider art, prison art, Polynesian Pop art, work by underground cartoonists, anything that was sub-culturally influenced and provocative from an art world point of view. Known for it’s raucous late night “kegger” opening parties full of artists and fans of the work, the gallery embraced its outsider status and eschewed art world norms. What started as an experiment in a cheap space in an space about to be torn down for development, the gallery was actually successful enough to move into a location, eventually drawing in a few art loving investors. These developments helped the gallery survive long enough to get on it’s feet and quickly start supporting itself. As the gallery grew and the artists in the scene started to be less transgressive but more refined and sophisticated, trading kitsch for symbolism infused magical realism and more nuanced storytelling, the scene shifted into calling itself “Pop Surrealism” (incidentally named after Anderson’s book of the same name, “Pop Surrealism” (2004), the first survey of this burgeoning movement and re-naming the entire genre). Roq La Rue was on the cutting edge of this new movement, exhibiting the best artists in the genre and discovering new talents. This led to gaining not only an international roster of artists and collectors, but a reputation for being highly discerning. Over the years the gallery has moved 7 times, most recently landing in a beautiful space in the Madison Valley neighborhood in Seattle, and Kirsten now has full ownership of the gallery. The gallery currently shows emerging and mid-career artists who excel at merging thoughtful fantastical symbolism and meaning, magical realism, and technical excellence.
All works are framed and framed images are at the bottom of this page.
Eric Fortune “Torches of Freedom” acrylic on watercolor paper 17.5” x 20” (image size) $6000
Peter Ferguson “Surrender Humans” oil on panel 18” x 24” (image size) SOLD
Femke Hiemstra “F*ckers” graphite on paper image size SOLD
Bella Ormseth “Dinner Party” oil on panel 24” x 36” (image size) SOLD
Lindsey Carr “Life Form” oil on cradled panel 8.5” x 8.5” SOLD
Hannah Flowers “The Satyr’s Garden” oil on panel with one of a kind hand-sculpted golden frame (made by Hannah) approx 11.5” x 18.5” (including frame) SOLD
Laurie Lee Brom “Daisy” oil on canvas 24” x 36” (image size) SOLD
Madeline Von Foerster “Natura Gemma Vera” oil, egg tempera on panel 12” x 16” (image size) N/A
Lori Earley “New Day” oil on canvas 16” x 20” (image size) SOLD
Lori Earley “Self Portrait” graphite on paper 11” x 14” (image size) SOLD
Kari-Lise Alexander “Break Through” oil on canvas 16” x 20” (image size) SOLD
Brian Despain “The King Is Dead” oil on panel 10” x 16” (image size) SOLD
Alessandra Maria “Lilia” Charcoal, carbon pencil, ink, paint, gold paint, and 23 karat gold leaf on stained paper 12” x 12” (image size) SOLD
Travis Louie “Louis The Lemur” acrylic on board (framed 8” x 10” with convex glass) SOLD
John Brophy “Star Child” oil on panel 14” x 19.5” SOLD
Click below to see a gallery of framed images…(click thumbnail to enlarge)
