Moses Lake art via satellite

Artist renders view from above in oil and acrylic

MOSES LAKE — In the latest offering of work from Scott Bailey, the artist from Grand Coulee explores the world via satellite. The series of paintings that will be hung at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center (MAC) showcase Moses Lake and the surrounding area in 100 linear feet of paintings.

Bailey envisioned the exhibit after returning from Cairo, Egypt, where he was unable to take photos of bridges, buildings or anything that could be construed as a possibly vulnerable structure. Ironically, he was able to return home and access the images he wished to photograph via satellite on the Internet.

"No place on Earth is not visibly accessible," said Bailey. He went on to say that he found the prospect both exciting and intrusive.

Bailey's start in the area is what drew him back to the landscape here. He received his bachelor of art from Gonzaga University and has traveled abroad for most of the last decade. However, the landscape here held his attention and in lieu of sitting to paint landscape portraits, which Bailey admits he is unable to do, he chose to view eastern Washington from above.

The images and colors in the paintings Bailey plans to display are inspired by the satellite images he has.

"The satellite program applies blue for water, green for vegetation," Bailey said. "The paintings are somewhat photo-realistic because of the images I have."

Far from the position he now holds as director of the art program at Wenatchee Valley College, Bailey has been influenced by his stays in Japan and Egypt, as well as visits to several other places around the world.

"There is such a thing as reverse culture shock," Bailey said. "I didn't realized that while I was away I had changed, and so had other people."

Bailey has slowly adjusted to being back in the United States and still finds certain aspects of this area difficult to deal with.

"I've had to deal with cultural isolation. I can't just go to a museum or gallery opening," said Bailey.

Bailey will be able to alleviate some of that isolation when his exhibit opens at the MAC. The official opening will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 23.

"It was really important to me to have the show in Moses Lake. I think it's something about my own roots. People I know will have their first chance to see my artistic work," Bailey said.

In conjunction with the paintings there will be a catalogue on display. The first page of the catalogue is a brief history of Bailey. The second page, written by Derek Sheffield, is a meditation on the paintings that begins with a quotation from Theodore Roethke, "All natural shapes blazing unnatural light." The final page of the written work is an essay on the paintings written by Bailey.

To get a glimpse of Bailey's works, visit his Web site at www.wenval.cc/scottbailey or stop by the MAC Sept. 23.