Kernal with Fire and Wolves, 1984. Oil on canvas, 60 x 72 in. Collection of Heidi Oberheide.

It's hard to imagine that at one time Gaylen Hansen painted conventional abstractions—nice but, well, abstract and unfamiliar—nothing like the tall tales he's painted for the past 30 years. That's when he joined the Kernal and began his journey through a magical Palouse populated with magpies—lots of magpies—bison, trout, lots of dogs, and wolves. And grasshoppers. Big, red grasshoppers. And tulips. Hansen, who retired from Washington State University in 1982, continues to paint in Palouse. A 30-year retrospective of his work, organized by the Museum of Art in Pullman, will open simultaneously at the latter museum and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane. The exhibit will then move on to the Seattle Art Museum in fall 2007.

February 16 - April 8
Museum of Art, Pullman
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, Spokane

Fall 2007
Seattle Art Museum

Contortionists, 1990. Oil on canvas, 60 x 72 in. Collection of the artist.

Blue Fish, 2006. Oil on canvas, 72 x 108 in. Collection of Scott and Laurie Oki.

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