Outliers; Buck & Quave take Seattle by Storm!

The Outliers show by Buck and Quave has been on peoples minds for months, for months they got teased with unfinished work and on the August 7th weekend, the collectors descended upon Seattle for the festivities. There has been lots of speculation and rumors regarding what happened in the line so let me give you the testimonial from someone in line (6th spot).

JQuave x Buck – Yellow Standing Klein Fish – Double row of teeth

 

T’was the night before the storm around 10pm that the first collectors went to start lining up for the Outliers show in Seattle. The location had not even been announced yet, but some collectors took a gamble and went to last year’s location, to be pleasantly surprised it was in the same spot. That was a group of 4 collectors, immediately upon hearing this, another collector and myself went to the location. We were 5th and 6th in line, with a crowd forming behind us with each passing minute. By the time 1 hour rolled around there was already over 20 people outside all camping out in their chairs. By the time 12:30am rolled around, over 30 people had formed the line.

With that in mind, tensions started getting really high when people counted how many Quave pieces and Buck pieces could be seen through the front window, revealing that there were about 20-25 pieces to be bought. Add the additional tension of 90% of those attending coming to get themselves a klein, with only half of that total being kleins, It got tense quick in line. People were trying to buy others spot in line to guarantee a klein, people were trying to buy and sell kleins in line, and the mood changed once people realized not everyone is getting a klein. (Side note: at that time I was the most relaxed, because I came for Bucks new body of work) Around 1am one of the show curators, Netta, came out and explained to all the people lined up that this is a dangerous neighborhood at night, and in order to protect the collectors they would be creating a list who’s order was based on the order we had lined up in. Everyone was more than ready to stay the night, but it was relieving news to say the least. Show entry would be based on this list, and then would switch to the physical line the day of the show.

Quave x Buck – The Krystal Skull – clear Sabertooth skull with klein!

Finally, THE SHOW!

August 7th at 1pm the doors opened, and people were let in one by one based on the list then by physical line. I was 6th in line, and all solo Quave kleins were already sold out (Some VIP collectors were selected for pre-dibs the day before so they were already marked sold) just to give you an idea of how many were really available! The demand was high, and with great reason. Quave brought a great array of his work, showcasing many techniques on a very loved canvas he has perfected. From disc flips, to fuming, to wigwags; Quave made sure to show everyone his ability to be multi-faceted with techniques. My personal favorite was the klein done for GZ1, which featured his classic Bartfield drawing on it. What was even cooler in my opinion is the manner in which Kevin did this! Instead of a traditional disc flip, he essentially drew this image then sleeved it with a colored tube, in a sense doing a “stuff and puff” with a drawing, WOW! Quave brought a body of work and also kept his collectors hungry for more!

Buck – The Darkness Skull – smallest and most detailed brought

Buck came with an absolutely incredible new body of work with the primary focus being the Feline skull. Buck is very well known for his fish pieces, and recently we have seen him stepping outside of that comfort zone and really showing people how amazing his vision and execution are. He brought a few Sabertooth skulls, which were really outstanding and stood apart from his regular work! He also brought one full body dinosaur that was absolutely immaculate, and a few fish to reflect his amazing love for fishing. Buck also brought THE showstopper piece, Cecil the Golden Lion, which was a chandelier featuring a removable functional piece done in tribute to Cecil the Lion. When an artist can combine function and form this well, it truly is a piece of world-class art. From the way in which it looked on display, to the way in which you could take it down and enjoy it with friends, it really showed you how the functional glass industry will make its way into the mainstream art collecting culture. Our hats off as always to Buck for pushing the boundary of Borosilicate glass art, we truly believe he will be one of the artists helping functional glass claim a stake in the high-end art world.

Buck – Cecil the Golden Lion – in all his glory! Immortalized

 

As far as the show itself, everything was meticulously laid out and presented properly. The venue was well lit, there was swag for everyone to buy (GZ1 and both artists did a collaborative t-shirt on hemp fabric, great shirt!) and the drinks & Food were flowing freely! One feature that was really appreciated and needs to be utilized at more shows, is a room in which all big purchases are handled privately. It’s a great feature that lets you personalize with the collectors 1 on 1, handle payment privately, and receive all your necessary documentation. Kudos to all the staff involved, without you this show would not have been as fun as it was!

We will see everyone back in Seattle for The Pipe Masters as we do full press coverage of the event daily! Make sure you stay tuned with us for that!

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All pictures courtesy of www.glassrivers.com

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