Exhibits by two local artists, James Martin and Dr. Ben Thal, open Nov. 3. In anticipation, the City of Edmonds provided this preview.

James Martin and Dr. Ben Thal share many similarities. Both Edmonds residents enjoy telling a good story, whether it’s in person or in their artwork.  Paired together in these two exhibits, both artists invite the viewer to unravel and enjoy the stories depicted in their characters.  The Edmonds Arts Commission is pleased to present Martin’s paintings at the Edmonds Library and Thal’s Whirligigs in the EAC Display Case at the Frances Anderson Center from November 3 – December 13, 2012.

James Martin enjoys telling a good story, in person and in his paintings.  According to Martin his visual narratives have “hidden meaning unrelated to the common relationship” and the viewer is invited to unravel and enjoy the stories depicted by his characters.  James Martin is a long time Edmonds resident and a Pacific Northwest native. As a student at Ballard High School in the 1940’s, Martin was seeking something adventurous and outside the standard.  Discontent with daily school work, Martin frequently cut class and headed to the heart of downtown to take in the sights and sounds of the Rivoli Theater on Seattle’s First Avenue. Inspired by the surrealism of the burlesque shows, Martin began expressing the ambiguities of burlesque and slapstick humor in his writings and paintings.  Martin graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Creative Writing. In his paintings, he frequently blends disguised self-portraits with notable historical figures and Martin’s ambiguous take on popular culture, draws viewers in and shakes up common perceptions.  His cast of characters includes Shakespeare, Mona Lisa, Vincent Van Gogh, the lion and the monkey among others.  Martin’s intends for this work to surprise audiences and draws them in to think outside the box and hopefully have a good laugh at the same time.

Dr. Ben Thal is trained as a surgeon and is a self-taught artist.  Nearing retirement he transitioned from a scalpel to a carving knife. He acquired skill in mechanics by dismantling stuff in his father’s junk shop in Bellingham. Before tackling whirligigs, he invented and patented instruments for ear surgery.  Thal’s whirligigs are inventions too. He says carving is difficult for him because he hasn’t had any wood carving or art training, but making them move is easy. Some people enjoy seeing how the gears, pulleys and camshafts produce action and others enjoy the story they tell and sometimes the surprising ending.  Each whirligig has a theme that he hopes will make viewers laugh.  His work has been shown around the country including at New York’s Museum of American Folk Art, the Bellevue Art Museum and Seattle Center’s Folklife Festival.

The two exhibits in Edmonds will be on display from November 3 – December 13.  Martin’s exhibit will be shown in the Edmonds Library, 650 Main St, features Martin’s work courtesy of Foster White Gallery in Seattle. Thal’s Whirligig exhibit will be shown in the EAC Display in the Frances Anderson Center at 700 Main St.  For more information contact the Edmonds Arts Office, 425-771-0228.