Michael Dailey
For the month of October Russo Lee Gallery will present A Survey by Michael Dailey. For decades Dailey pursued an exploration of atmospheric abstraction. Working in layers of color washes, his work suggests landscape shrouded in light. This exhibition features intimate oils on paper from 1976, plus a large work that takes up an entire wall. Originally from Iowa, Michael Dailey made Seattle, Washington his home from 1963 until his death in 2009. Dailey's work is in numerous public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.; the Seattle Art Museum, Washington; the Portland Art Museum, OR; and the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland.
Dailey was respected throughout the Northwest for his subtle, abstract interpretations of
sea, land, and sky, alluding to atmosphere and light through delicate variations of color.
While he was especially known for his large paintings on canvas, a foundation of his work
always could be seen in his smaller scale works on paper. The work quietly asserts tranquil
and meditative qualities that are created out of a sophisticated use of color and line. His
luminous and subtle creations are like no other.