Melinda Hurst Frye and Jenny Riffle

Picturing Trails

The distinct photographic perspectives of Melinda Hurst Frye and Jenny Riffle bring King County’s Regional Trails System to life in Picturing Trails.

Melinda Hurst Frye. Arboretum Trail, 2018. Archival Inkjet print. 30 x 40 inches

February 6 - 27, 2020
Opening: Thursday, February 6

The King County Regional Trails System (RTS), one of the nation’s most extensive off-road networks, offers more than 300 miles of terrain for public recreation and active transportation. Inspired by the photographs of Johsel Namkung who documented area parks in the early 80s, Melinda Hurst Frye and Jenny Riffle have explored and captured the zeitgeist of these trails through dramatic variations in site, season, and light.

Picturing Trails, commissioned by 4Culture and King County Parks, comprises a suite of 36 unique images that will become part of the county’s art collection after exhibition at Gallery 4Culture. Hurst Frye’s work highlights the ecosystems of the RTS in 12 intimate vignettes. She used a flatbed scanner (in addition to a camera) to reveal scenes above and below ground. Riffle’s complement of 24 photographs celebrates the mystery and dreaminess of our Pacific Northwest landscape, emphasizing the border between the urban and natural worlds.

About the Artists

Melinda Hurst Frye
Melinda Hurst Frye is a Seattle-based artist and educator. By way of observation, experimentation, and slow investigation, her practice centers themes of ecology and place in photographs of the Pacific Northwest landscape. She holds an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art. Hurst Frye’s work has been featured on Humble Arts Foundation, Lenscratch, and WIRED Photo and exhibited widely throughout the United States. She is represented by J. Rinehart Gallery.

Jenny Riffle
Jenny Riffle was born in Washington and currently lives in Seattle. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts and a BA from Bard College. Riffle’s photographs have been exhibited internationally and featured in numerous publications including Photo District News (PDN), The Independent, Zeit Campus, and Yen Magazine; her monograph Scavenger: Adventures in Treasure Hunting was published by Zatara Press in 2015. In addition to her art practice, she teaches at Photographic Center Northwest and shoots editorial assignments for The New York Times, The Guardian, Telegraph Magazine, Glamour Magazine, and NPR, among others.