the balance

This exhibition, Feinstein’s first solo show in Seattle, combines two of his series: Breathers and What it Means to Be Alive, using the city’s lush landscape to make sense of death, memory loss, and joy.

Breathers is an emotional typology of Pacific Northwest trees and their relationship to Jon’s late mother-in-law, who suffered from early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The trees, often filled with holes and breaks that reflect cognitive decline, hover over homes, set against skies that isolate them in space.

Punctuating Breathers’ large-scale prints are smaller, intimate prints from What it Means to Be Alive – portraits of dandelions from Feinstein’s backyard. These images symbolize the process of balancing this loss, the sudden death of his sister, and the death of other close family members with the daily sparks of joy in Jon’s two young daughters, and his ongoing search for clarity.

Together, these series are a bridge between memorializing death and finding the bright spots that keep us going – and ultimately, scattering them about.