Dream Catchers: Religion and Empire - paintings by Alan Fulle

We're honored to present the richly detailed and luminous work of Alan Fulle in a two-day exhibition of his series, Dream Catchers: Religion and Empire.

Free!
April 11 and 12, 3-7:00 pm both days
3001 21st Ave A, Seattle 98144
On Beacon Hill

Also on view at the WUG: Alan Fulle’s Dreamcatchers video installation
April 1 – May 2, 2026

Artist statement by Alan Fulle

Dream Catchers is a series of abstract paintings that explore consciousness, history, and the hidden patterns that shape human civilization. Each painting functions as a kind of cosmological diagram composed of concentric structures and geometric fields. The works emerge from years of studio experimentation combined with a deep study of religion, philosophy, and empire.

The paintings are built slowly through many layers of color and structure. Underpaintings made with water-based polyurethane establish the architectural geometry, while oil glazes and washes accumulate over time to create depth and luminosity. The resulting surfaces capture both precision and atmosphere, hard-edged abstraction with fields of vibrating color.

Formally, the paintings reference modernist abstraction, pointillism, and color-field painting. Conceptually, they operate like mandalas or meditation diagrams. Many of the compositions contain three symbolic zones: an outer field representing the complexity of the world, a darker ring acting as a threshold or filter, and a central space that suggests a realm of possibility, transformation, or utopian imagination.

The series emerged during a period of intense intellectual study. Over the past several years I have immersed myself in the history of religions and philosophical traditions, exploring how belief systems shape empires and societies. These ideas inform the structure of the paintings, which become visual meditations on the ways human cultures organize meaning.

Each dot within the paintings can be understood as a sentient presence—an individual life within a vast pattern. Together they form networks of relationship, suggesting both the fragmentation and unity of existence.

Dream Catchers ultimately proposes painting as a contemplative technology. These works are not images to decode but environments to enter. Through color, geometry, and repetition, they invite the viewer to pause, reflect, and consider the deeper structures that connect personal experience with the long arc of human history.
See more at https://alanfulle.com

Artist bio
Alan Fulle is a Seattle-based interdisciplinary artist working in painting, sculpture, and video. His work explores the relationship between architecture, nature, color, and philosophical inquiry.

Fulle received a BFA in painting from the University of Washington in 1989 and later completed certification in film and video production at the same institution. His practice integrates material experimentation with conceptual research, combining hard-edged abstraction, sculptural surfaces, and layered color structures.

Throughout his career he has developed numerous series that expand the boundaries of painting into spatial and sculptural territory. Early works embedded color strips in translucent resin to create three-dimensional abstract compositions, while later projects incorporated large sculptural towers and installation environments.

Fulle’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including shows in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, and the Netherlands. His projects have appeared at venues such as the Bellevue Arts Museum, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, and the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle.

Recent series include Spiritual Maximalism, Neo Geo, and Dream Catchers, a body of meditative paintings exploring geometry, cosmology, and the cultural histories that shape human consciousness.

In addition to his studio practice, Fulle produces Alan Fulle’s Art Interviews, a video series documenting conversations with artists from the Pacific Northwest.

He lives and works in Seattle, Washington.

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