Special Exhibit at SAM June 21 - Sept 2

“IT WAS ALMOST LIKE ANTI-ART. . . A REBELLION.”– Patti Warashina

Tune in to an alternative art history you may not know. Organized by the Seattle Art Museum, Poke in the Eye celebrates the aesthetic practices that emerged across the West Coast in the 1960s and ’70s. Reacting against the sleekness, formality, and coldness of East Coast movements like Pop Art and minimalism, artists on the West Coast—particularly in Seattle and the Bay Area—began creating artwork that was intentionally offbeat. These artists used traditional craft techniques and bold color, centered figuration and narrative, and often employed an irreverent sense of humor. "Poke in the Eye" draws primarily on SAM’s collection to present an inclusive view of this countercultural style that continues to reverberate today.