I first heard about the work and retail of Lisa Kinoshita a few years ago from glass blower and embroidery genius Shannon Eakins. Since then I have heard her named dropped here and there, always with a sense of reverence attributed to “true” artists. Having encountered her work on the necks of many local sophisticates, I am not inclined to argue with this idea. However, not being much of a fancy earring and necklace guy, until this past Third Thursday Art Walk I had never made the trek to the Dome District in order to ponder her work en masse through the glass cases I correctly imagined lined the periphery of her Mineral space. 

 

What drew me out of my normal central downtown art route this time was the headline: Mineral presents Bombfroilcatnek by Jeremiah Maddock. For those of you who don’t know, Maddock is somewhat of a legend in this town. Many “working artists” that I know have his early paintings hanging prominently in their living rooms and his influence can be seen in many of our still local up-and-coming art stars. Sean Alexander, Geoff Weeg, Zachary Marvic and now Los Angeles native John Clinton all have work that is extremely similar to the complex mesmeric fine lines of the increasingly (world) famous Maddock signature. All art inspires art, and I’m sure that the gentlemen I have listed above influenced Maddock’s work just as positively as he did theirs. However, one cannot deny a certain leadership, a groundbreaking type of boldness even in his earlier works. There is confidence in the work I saw hanging at Kinoshita’s Mineral shop. This work makes no apologies and is wholly and uniquely comfortable in its own frame.

 

Strikingly similar, there was a no-questions, matter-of-fact strength to the jewelry demanding attention from the cases below. Some of Kinoshita’s jewelry is downright massive, but despite the size it was the type of fashion statement that says, “Yes I do realize how many buffalo horns are around my neck. Do you not know the power of the water buffalo?” I was delighted and inspired by every single piece of work I saw in her store. Mineral will definitely be on my permanent art walk itinerary from now on. Kinoshita is very down to earth and exceedingly easy to talk to. I suggest you make it to see both her and Maddock’s world class work sometime soon.

[Mineral, hours vary, call ahead, 301 Puyallup Ave., Tacoma, 253.250.7745, www.lisakinoshita.com]