Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts to host 'Dirty Laundry 2' in March 

The Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts will run the multigenerational artistic experience "Dirty Laundry 2" at 120 Olympia Ave NE in March.

The show kicks off with an opening ceremony on March 1, from 6-10 p.m., and runs until March 29.

“Repetition, domiciliary fascination, and pattern lead you through this gallery-turned-abode,” a museum’s news release states. 

Dirty Laundry 2 puts the work of John and Riley Kendig, JP, Tiffany Glover, Kevin Rainsberry and Lando in the spotlight.  

Appointment scheduling is available via email at info@tcmofa.org or via Instagram DM @tcmofa. 

Below are excerpts from the show’s featured artists, an insight into the ideation and installation of Dirty Laundry 2. 

“A colorful room” asks the artist and viewer to question the rigidity- the lineation of sequence, that which arises from the perception of pattern, value, color and shape. How and where does sequence intersect with imagination? At what point does form become unrecognizable?  

“A colorful room” in the Rorschach of desire- unusable, impractical, fantastical. A mockery of perception- the pseudo science of artistic merit. When does pattern unveil itself and become interpretive- unaffixed to rule or habitual lineation? What occupies the space between the concrete and abstract? 

- Tiffany Glover 

John James Kendig (1964 – 2006) was a legally blind painter, former resident of Olympia, and father of Riley Kendig (born 1990). During John’s short life, he produced a body of work exploring psychedelia, vision, sex, religion, trauma, healthcare institutions, dreams, and more. As a teen his eyesight started to fade due to diabetic retinopathy, a degenerative eye condition. His son, Riley Kendig, grew up watching his father paint in the basement of the family home, and has maintained his own artistic practice since he was a toddler. This retrospective show will include work by both John and Riley Kendig. This is the first exhibition of John Kendig’s work since his death in 2006. 

- John and Riley Kendig: A Retrospective 

“No supervision: the theme is neglect. Lack of nurturing is a result of love withheld or denied. It is the worst form of recycling. This exhibit is a testament reflecting places, people, items, ideas and beyond often regarded as undesired or undeserving of care. A focus on how to see beauty and function, not for what’s intended, but just how it is.”  
- JP 

 "No plan. No common path. What may emerge from the mud and heat and a sky breaking open into this dull and dusty dimension may just bring a joy enough to continue. To sit." 

- Kevin Rainsberry 

Repetition... 

Repetition is a key element in my latest work.. I have worked in the field of a commercial screen printer for 20 years.. and every part of the job seems to be about repetition.. Colors are repeated. Volume is repeated and sizing and so on. Art is repeated. 

Pattern is also a key element that shows up after the repetition... as the same element shows up over and over... patterns start to form…the pattern of doing the laundry... it is an element of a 3D pattern that we can not avoid... or it can disrupt other patterns. 

Cubes are a fun object to explore... and repeating a cube pattern eventually evolves into other shapes.... but one cube that has been around for a while is the washer and dryer cube... Sometimes they are stacked.. but mostly they are stored and used side by side... Dirty Laundry and Cubes and Washing Machines are things we constantly are dancing around.. but are we thinking about them much? 

How often do you think about washer and dryers??? How often do you use them? Do you have to pay with a plastic card? Or do you use quarters. Do you visit your sisters or uncle's house to use their facilities???? 

We all have stories and patterns that are centered around clean laundry vs dirty laundry. We all have stories about the trials and tribulations of keeping our wardrobe in wearable and fashionable shape. Do we share these stories often? Do people have funny stories from the Laundr-omat they frequent? I am sure they do. Do they share the stories? Or do they go home and vent immediately... ? Or keep them a secret until the end of time.... 

I don't know if the art I do has anything to do with laundromats or laundry.. but as soon as I start thinking about washer and dryers... I realize that each and all of us have a daily obligation to uphold... and that is to not stink too much.  

- Landon