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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Saturday 12.31.05 Happy New Year from PORT 2005 was a great year for art in Portland. As for PORT, we thived (not bad for an experimental form of art macroblog). Our monthly readership has more than doubled since our debut in June and even then we were pretty excited just how many thousands of readers we had. Since June our readership has steadily increased, a good sign. In Miami during the art fairs I was inundated with an impressive number of readers from afar, thanks for the compliments.
While at the fairs I also compared notes with a lot of other art writers and bloggers. I was surprised that we get a lot more daily and monthly readers than many of the New York based blogs, clearly there is a need for PORT and we thank our readers and sponsors for this success. Monday I'll post my "best of" lists along with input from our readers...until then, here is a link to my latest Critical i article. Till then, Happy New Year from all of us at PORT Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 31, 2005 at 15:39 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.30.05 Artists using Clothes part 2 - Ghosttown The new Red 76 project, Ghosttown had its official consolidation last night, launching the Ghosttown clothing exchange.
The space is located at 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR Hours of Operation Wednesday- Sunday 12pm - 7pm This address is at the corner of Flanders and 6th in Northwest, an unremarkable retail space temporarily converted into a "store" by Red 76 masterminds Kris Soden and Sam Gould. The space infiltrates its surroundings. It is a quotidian brick storefront with large sheets of paper covering the windows. The way to find it is to look for the tiny drawing of a ghost on the glass door that opens directly onto the corner of the block. 
Upon entering Ghosttown, one discovers that it is indeed a store. Ghosttown operates on an alternative economy, based not on the government supported symbolism of money, but rather on the currency of interpersonal emotional interaction. Which to many, myself included, is distinctly more valuable.... Posted by Isaac Peterson on December 30, 2005 at 15:24 | Comments (1) PermalinkArtists using Clothes part 1- Chandra Bocci Two significant works, one having just closed and the other just about to open, have involved artists using clothes as a sculptural material or as a vehicle for interaction. These are Chandra Bocci's Clothes Towers and Ghosttown.
You may not have seen the Clothes Towers, because I wasn't quick witted enough to blog it while it was up, but having been around PNCA while it was being constructed I photographed the whole process. So now I can give you some idea of it through a retro-active photoblog, even though it has already been de-installed. Organized by student services and the student activities council at PNCA, it was designed by Chandra Bocci and cooperatively constructed by the student body at PNCA. 
This installation is easy to locate within Bocci's general artistic phenomenology. Clothes are organized according to the spectrum and attached to freestanding wooden center structures. The towers are arranged in the space organically, giving the appearance of "just having grown there."... Posted by Isaac Peterson on December 30, 2005 at 15:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.28.05 Anna Fidler - Oblivious Peninsulas Anna
Fidler's new body of work at Pulliam Deffenbaugh is entitled Oblivious Peninsulas. Oblivious Peninsulas represents a point of expansion for the artist as she moves elegantly from cut paper collages into painting, while preserving her personal direction intact through the medium shift.
I haven't been in town long enough to have seen her earlier work, but thanks to my trusty research staff I have been able to get some idea of how this show represents significant growth for the artist. It is significant that peninsulas are places to jump from, and this metaphor elucidates not only this particular point in Fidler's career, but also the relationships she creates between washy, flowing, glittery, lurid, fields of paint and the accreted materiality of the "peninsulas" as objects. Fidler is a polymath... Posted by Isaac Peterson on December 28, 2005 at 14:32 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 12.26.05 2005 your best and worst picks *Note, due to the holidays posting on PORT will be more sporadic than our usual daily coverage until Jan 2 2006. Still, there will be some fun stuff to blog on between now and then.
Also, at PORT we value our readers and wouldn't consider subjecting you to the typical and nearly unavoidable slant of some multiple choice survey. Instead, we will listen to the squeaky wheel (a Portland tradition). In lieu of some faux scientific survey, simply email me your lists of the best and worst things in the Portland art scene or art world in general (use jeffATportlandart.net). I can't promise I'll publish everything (particularly the rantings of drunken monomaniacs) but whether I agree with it or not I'll add it to a series of end of the year compilations I'm doing. Of course all contributions except mine will remain anonymous and after the list comes out you can add to the discussion via our comments. Some suggestions: Best solo show Most disappointing solo show Worst show title Most worn out idea Most improved gallery Hippest gallery Most annoying art personality Worst art review Best art review Best new artist of 2005 Most improved artist Artist in the biggest rut Gallery in a rut Institution in a rut Suggestion list in a rut… etc, etc. Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 26, 2005 at 21:15 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 12.23.05 A Distinguished Guest Yes, the Portland Art Museum has been moving things around a bit by reconfiguring the Duchamp etc... But this distinguished guest, Rothko's Homage to Matisse is too good not to take note of. Mark Rothko is Portland's most famous artist and the relationship between Rothko's use of volumes and Matisse's couldn't be clearer than in this painting, plus there are the color choices and a certain sort of unsettling brushtroke they both liked to employ. It probably won't be here long so check it out at the Jubitz center.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 23, 2005 at 12:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 12.22.05 Mona Hatoum at Cooley 
Although comprised of object-based work ranging from large-scale sculpture to delicate waxed paper impressions, Mona Hatoum's work at the Cooley Gallery revolves around a desire to craft encounters - sometimes uncomfortable - between viewer and object. A contemporary of the YBAs, Hatoum shares only marginal similarities to the shock tactics of her pop culture obsessed peers. Hatoum's mode of working deals with personal, political, visceral and violent content through conceptually-driven art that rests on a solid foundation of formal consideration of how her practice manifests itself within the gallery. Her work bears more resemblance to 80s era Rosemarie Trockel or Christian Boltanski than to Damien Hirst's perversions of minimalism or Sarah Lucas' general bawdiness. The ominous profile of La Grande Broyeuse - literally, the big grinder - dominates the gallery. This major piece is an impressive inclusion in the Cooley's modestly scaled gallery and provides a key visual and conceptual foundation that informs the entire exhibition. It is at once threatening and playful. Manifesting itself through high and low, sublime and mundane, La Grande Broyeuse speaks to a lineage of modernism, yet doesn't stray far from the personal and geopolitical themes that emerge repeatedly in Hatoum's work. The French title brings to mind the lingering presence of French influences in Lebanon, where Hatoum was born, but more importantly, references Marcel Duchamp's lingering influence in contemporary art. Both form and title recall Duchamp's iconic la Broyeuse de chocolat. The cavity of Hatoum's grinder is large enough for a human body, and the sculpture at times seems like a threatening insect-like torture device. Yet, it's at root a humorously glorified utensil, based on an archaic grinder from the kitchen cupboards of the artist's mother. A more contemporary counterpoint can be found in its resemblance to the monumental geometries of industrial male sculptors like Mark di Suvero and Anthony Caro. La Grande Broyeuse forms a complex of meanings, but handled within the scope of Hatoum's sharp practice, these meanings avoid becoming convoluted, instead, neatly intersecting through the formal qualities of the sculpture itself... Through December 23 • Cooley Art Gallery Hauser Memorial Library at Reed College • 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 22, 2005 at 8:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.21.05 Van Sant and Cramer on KBOO Be sure to tune into Art Focus on KBOO
radio (90.7 FM) at 10:30 AM on Thursday Dec 22nd. Guest host Tom
Cramer (arguably Portland's Artist Laureate) will be chatting with Gus
Van Sant. If you are outside of Portland's listening area you can stream it
here.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 21, 2005 at 19:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkNew Found Land - Cynthia Lahti at PDX Cynthia Lahti's new work at PDX Contemporary Art is a body of ephemeral ink drawings and delicate sculpture. Lahti creates work that is consciously fragile. The drawings look less framed and more contained; as one would preserve and display an exotic butterfly.
brown bow Lahti's drawings are mostly composed around a butterfly-like symmetry. She draws in ink on tissue paper and folds the paper in half through the drawing. The ink so saturates the paper that it tends to destroy it, in addition to bleeding out in near uncontrollable directions. Lahti chooses subject matter she responds to emotionally from diverse sources. Mostly the images seem to come from magazines and deal with nostalgic representations of idealized childhood. Lahti's drawing method is uncorrectable, she must accept errors as compositional devices or throw the drawing away. Further, Lahti seems to relish the idea of error as an artistic device. The inclusion of error in an artist's program generates unsettled objects. Lahti's drawings (as well as her sculpture) are on the way to completion, but never arrive. The object is in transit; almost, but not quite yet, a drawing. The elegance of the drawing has been overmastered by the brutal, stupid force of her main compositional solution: folding the drawing in half to create a Rorschach test. Symmetry provides the looked for solution; indelibly solidifying the image. 
Spin Symmetry stills the motion of the unfinished drawing and introduces layers of meaning unrelated to the subject matter. Images of idyllic childhood fancy are multiplied, corroded, frozen and preserved by the symmetry. Lahti's Rorschach test acknowledges that childhood was an ego-constructed fantasy after all, but nevertheless one worth preserving. Ultimately, Lahti's work speaks to the fragility of the ego itself, as well the often transparently superficial means by which it composes and constructs memories. It is with extreme selectivity that the adult mind sifts through the experiences of childhood, emphasizing... Posted by Isaac Peterson on December 21, 2005 at 8:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.20.05 Holiday Art Consultant You've got a couple of days left before Christmas and maybe you want to buy some amazing art. Yes, art is highly subjective so this is tricky.... but regardless here's a little holiday gift guide for serious collectors.
I Have Hunger, by Kiki Smith at Elizabeth Leach Gallery I just love this editioned print on a one of a kind antique mirror. Look, somebody has to buy this before I do. I'm buying a new car and a new laptop... yet this is relatively inexpensive (ohh the pain). Please buy this so I no longer feel tempted. 
Ornithology by Carson Ellis at Motel 2005 was a big year for her, being the... Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 20, 2005 at 6:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkGrin and Bear It 
Tonight at Small A Projects, Joe Sola discusses his work. Sola is a L.A. based artist who uses images, structures, and spectacles from Hollywood films to create artwork in film, video, performance and watercolor. For several years, Sola has been mining the history of Hollywood films as a source for imagery of masculinity and power. Tonight he talks onhis past and present work and his upcoming solo projects at the Atlanta College of Art Gallery and the Wexner. There will even be comfortable seating as well as cookies and delicious beverages! Grin and Bear It, Joe Sola discusses his work Tuesday, December 20th • 8p Small A Projects •1430 SE Third Ave Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 20, 2005 at 0:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 12.19.05 Discussion alert Now this is an active discussion, once again from Edward Winkleman. Really, I don't think critics are the issue here. Instead, it is just that the often dubious value of contemporary art is being undermined by the fact that some of it has become a good investment. It's the problem Peter Pan faces when he leaves Never Never Land. Most everyone is on too good of behavior on the intellectual front and the lack of radical ideas facilitates artist behavior and work that tries too hard to please those that hold their leashes.
What you want is a few out on a limb collectors that work with out on a limb artists to produce extremes that defy existing marketing logic. Sure it creates another market but it makes the tame stuff seem tame by comparison. Commerce in itself isn't bad so long as there are some entities that push the envelope and keep the system honest. Dave Hickey called these communities of desire... and maybe the problem is that the desires are too easilly sated? Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 19, 2005 at 19:19 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.17.05 Le Happy est Cinq!  Everyone's favorite frenchie crêperie celebrates its 5th Anniversary with much fanfare including an anniversary group show featuring art stars Wesley Younie, Caitlin Troutman, Natascha Snellman, John Roos, Corrina Repp, Marne Lucas, Cecilia Hallinan, Ty Ennis, Bruce Conkle and John Brodie. Le Happy always has great stuff hanging on their red walls. I even scouted an artist for the gallery there myself once. Come out for the opening party on Sunday. As an added bonus, all Nutella crêpes are 50% off during the entire month of December! We ♥ Le Happy. Bon anniversaire! Opening Reception • December 18, 6 to 9p Le Happy • 1011 Northwest 16th Avenue • Tel. 503.226.1258 Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 17, 2005 at 13:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkOut on the web I've, said it before... and Ill say it again Edward Winkleman's blog site has the best content oriented art posts on the internet, here is a lengthy discussion about purity
of medium in photography. I finally got to meet him in Miami and want to congratulate him on his gallery's move from Brooklyn to Chelsea.
Tyler Green has been on fire with his assault on Pixar's show at MoMA. Also, make certain to check out his Miami picks (I'll have an illustrated essay involving Miami and all sorts of other art world sediments in my next monthly NWdrizzle magazine article). Back in the neighborhood Chas Bowie is writing about art a lot again in the Mercury, we fling critical poo at eachother occasionally but I miss his voice in the art scene when he's writing about hipster tripe instead. Here he jinxes several good artists for the upcoming Oregon Biennial (funny thing was, most of these people [*correction who were living here at the time] applied to the last one except for Hildur who isn't eligible because she lives in freakin Iceland). Maybe, I'll make a list and jinx all the other decent eligible artists too! Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 17, 2005 at 11:54 | Comments (7) PermalinkFriday 12.16.05 Breaking News: New Curator Bruce
Guenther just announced PAM's
Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art this morning at the City
Club. And she is... Jennifer Gately. Gately was formerly the Visual
Arts Director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. One of Gately's first
tasks will be the curation of the Oregon
Biennial.
Welcome aboard! **(update) David Row was on the ball and the Oregonian put this web exclusive up this morning.-jj Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 16, 2005 at 14:45 | Comments (2) PermalinkThursday 12.15.05 Prints for PICA  Saturday afternoon and evening marks the all-day print marathon and studio sale, Prints for PICA. More than 50 artists spend the day creating and collaborating for a floor-to-ceiling jam packed studio sale. Prints range in price from $100-250, and are sold on a first come, first served basis. Expect hidden gems and steals-of-a-deal! All proceeds benefit PICA and the artists. Prints for PICA • December 17, 4 to 9 p Studio 333 : 333 NE Hancock (@ MLK) Participating: Patrick Abbey, Kevin Abell, Brad Adkins, Rachel Allen, Nat Andreini, Megan Atiyeh, Josh Berger, Philippe Blanc, Patricia Boas, Christine Bourdette, Katherine Bovee, Michael Boyle, John Brodie, Chris Buckingham, Liz Calderon, Bruce Collin, Nan Curtis, Tim Dalbow, Laurie Daniel, Daniel Duford, Ty Ennis, Karen Esler, Alexander Felton, Shawna Ferreira, Anna Fidler, Harrell Fletcher, Gilles Foisy, Carla Forte, Kay French, Ken Frink, Scott Gallatly, Pedro Galvan, Robert Gamblin, Chris Gander, Ellen George, Emily Ginsburg, Ellen Goldschmidt, Cecilia Hallinan, Rob Halverson, Levi Hanes, Bob Hanson, Stephen Hayes, Sean Healy, Midori Hirose, Joe Hockett, Robin Hoffmeister, Deborah Horell, Marty Houston, Chris Hutchinson, David Inkpen, Joe Thurston, Kristan Kennedy, Una Kim, Kendra Larson, Patrick Long, Mark Mahaffey, Rae Mahaffey, Khaela Maricich, Mike McGovern, Bill Park, Nathaniel Price, Scott Porter, Driscoll Reid, Blair Saxon-Hill, Randell Sims, Stephen Slappe, Marty Schnapf, Stephanie Snyder, Adam Sorensen, Johanna Seligman, Blake Stellyes, BarbTetenbaum, Storm Tharp, Andrea U'ren, Elise Wagner. Morgan Walker, Heather Watkins, Marie Watt, Stephanie Wilson, Christopher Young, Fredrick Zal, Renee Zangara Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 15, 2005 at 17:49 | Comments (0) PermalinkVideo Lib, Now! Small A Projects is blasting into the new year with a new endeavor... a video
library. According the Laurel Gitlen, "The library will function as a resource
for artists, students, educators, curators, writers and the public-at-large."
Housed in the gallery, the library will include a viewing area for public use
during open hours and an up-to-date catalog of holdings that will be available
via the website as well as in person.
The even better news... they are now accepting submissions! "Video submissions may include (but are not limited to) video art, documentation of performances, interviews, films, etc. Bootlegged or unauthorized copies of videos will not be accepted. Submissions to the video library may be either VHS or DVD and should be clearly labeled as VIEWING COPIES. Submissions should be accompanied by documentation and cataloguing instructions (see attached form). Artists may stipulate whether their video can be borrowed or viewed in-house only... With your help, Small A Projects hopes to open the video library to the public in February, 2006." You can download the complete specs at small A's site. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 15, 2005 at 15:54 | Comments (2) PermalinkBenefit Bash Ultra
gives the scoop on Gallery 500's going out/blowing out holiday benefit party.
Maybe we'll see you there...
Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 15, 2005 at 15:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.14.05 Exposette Last Sunday, the Oregonian ran a long story exposing the dubious record of Lance Robbins, the developer backing Bryan Suereth's optimistically ambitious plans to set up shop in the Templeton Building on East Burnside. It turns out that Robbins, who began developing residential property in LA in the late 70s, has been quite successful turning rundown buildings into artist pads, but his tactics have earned him nicknames from local press such as "L.A.'s reigning slum king." Over the past two decades, Robbins has faced repeated charges of fraud and tenant abuse and most recently, is battling the revocation of his California real estate license. Shut out of the California market for the time being, Robbins and his partners have turned their sights towards out-of-state ventures like Portland's Templeton Building.
The sleuthing of writer Erin Hoover Barnett and researcher Lynne Palombo dug up facts that were new to Suereth and the Disjecta Board. The organization faces a daunting task of raising six figure sums for build-out and operations with a thin history of fundraising. Plus, the O reported that Disjecta will be asked for $200,000 to secure the building within the next several months. One Disjecta board member, Marshall Runkel, admitted to the serious implications that these new developments may have for Disjecta's ability to rally potential donors in this critical phase. And I'm not sure how many donors and members of the art community will be comforted by Suereth's assurances that the project rests on his own integrity or that it's a good opportunity for Robbins to clear his name. Arts organizations can still get away with cavalier strategies in grass roots circles, but it's clear that as Portland's art scene is rocketing towards a newfound maturity, its serious supporters are going to need much more than just casual assurances. Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 14, 2005 at 1:53 | Comments (20) PermalinkTuesday 12.13.05 Backyard Icing The new show by PNCA artist in residence Jenene Nagy is entitled Backyard Icing and uses unusual materials and subtle gestures to create imagery somewhere between botany, topography, and cake decoration.
Nagy inverts and complicates the basic vocabulary of art making, and materials and concepts constantly switch places. Nails become a visual end product, rather than an intermediary of construction. Throughout her compositions, Nagy uses nails painted soft pink and green; aggregated in the sculptures as though they were delicate flower petals... Posted by Isaac Peterson on December 13, 2005 at 7:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 12.11.05 Toughlove for the Portland Art Center  Director Gavin Shettler at the Portland Art Center's new home in Chinatown On December 8th the still unproven Portland Art Center unveiled its plans for its new home in Chinatown to a good crowd on a cold night. So far they have sold one enormous $10,000 painting by Cecilia Hallinan but lots of nice work and some cheesy stuff is still for sale though. Thankfully, the artists get 60% of the proceeds here. There will be at least three galleries within the complex, each with a focus on installation art, young unsigned talent and one rental space for other visual art organizations, respectively. More on the galleries later, but I think there needs to be some tough talk regarding PAC that needs to be addressed. Let's see how they handle the tough love. Wearing a suit in Portland says you... Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 11, 2005 at 23:22 | Comments (3) PermalinkSaturday 12.10.05 Reeding the Oregonian Reed curator Stephanie Snyder takes Oregonian critic D.K. (Death) Row to task about his Mona Hatoum review here. Often I'm flummoxed as to why curators, artists and gallerists feel they can't critique the critics (I'm currently trying to find time to respond to a response to a response I have been having with one local artist [p.s. artist, I'll get back to you soon]). It's healthy on both sides and this instance plays into my old saw about the Oregonian punishing artists who have relevance outside of Portland, possibly because of that relevance. I believe this is the case for globe trotting Northwest artists; Kornberg, Wojick, Ehlis, Healy, Conkle, Cowie and Picton (some of the most adept, intelligent, refined and most importantly "challenging" artist on the West Coast). Now we can add an international star like Mona Hatoum. Now this isn't a jihad like the WWeek would like to call it... but I'm firm on this. Sophistication and mastery of one's subject is not a crime. Part of the subtlety of artist like Hatoum, Ehlis, Kornberg and Picton is the fact that their work has mastered technique to a point where one isn't supposed to see some grand struggle in materials that gives personal clues into the artists' lives. Instead it is a more universal and internationally readable (i.e. neutral) presentation that doesn't foreground the artist or process as much as the content that accrues. These artists have been called slick or inscrutable but what they really are is confident and not patronizing. They allow the art to speak for itself but its nice that at least two people have been moved enough to discuss Hatoum's work publicly. It's all part of Portland's growing pains and I think polarizing reviews are important. After the mendacity and malaise of Miami the fact that Hatoum can get this kind of reaction in Portland is invigorating. DK does some good things though and I like his cynical but engaged attitude. Still he hasn't been the only author of the reviews in question at the O. It seems like an editorial policy to treat Portland like "the town" is isn't. Cities exist to discover, define and disseminate talent and Portland is in high geear even if the main newspaper wants to increase its appeal to the burbs by taking shots at the cosmopolitan changes in town. Those very real changes are being lead by the art scene in Portand and it's important to note the Orgonian has done an admirable job of providing coverage. The question is what kind of stance are they taking? Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 10, 2005 at 15:03 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 12.09.05 Weekend Events  Tomiko Jones @ NewspaceNewspace strays from the pack this month with a mid-month opening. Tomiko Jones presents Landscapes, a reinterpretation of the female gaze, "destabiliz[ing] the viewer momentarily by placing them in an unexpected private view in what might normally be portrayed as a public neutral view". These luscious b/w landscapes and portraits are executed with a formal and technical precision and some unexpected subject matter. Opening Reception • Friday, December 9 • 7 to 10p • *artist will be in attendance Artist Lecture and Workshop • Saturday, December 10 • 1 to 4 p • $35 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th Ave.• Tel. 503.963.1935 Radius Studio holds over their 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Sale for two more weekends "featuring an eclectic assortment of unique hand-crafted gifts from Radius Studio artists and Portland community artisans." Including pottery, sculptural ceramics, paintings, prints and more! Priced between $1 and $50, there is something for everyone... Saturday & Sunday, December 10 & 11 • 12p to 5p Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18 • 12p to 5p Radius Studio • 2515 SE 22nd Ave (at Division) • Tel. 503.231.4145 And, P.S., I don't have anything against PAC. I didn't remember their benefit last night because they didn't send me a press release. To be considered for the PORT Openings & Events listings, send all press releases to calendar@portlandart.net at least 2 weeks prior. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 09, 2005 at 10:29 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.08.05 Art + Craft + Christmas  Ultra qualifies as one of my favorite bloggy pleasures. This week, they're full of news about lots of great holiday sales going on around town, including the Winter Art Bazaar tonight at Homestar and the official O.G. PDX Handmade Bazaar this weekend at the Wonder Ballroom. If you'd like to give the gift of handcrafted delights this season, you can also drop by Portland's many shops featuring handmade/locally made goods including Seaplane, Motel, Relish, Reading Frenzy, Memoir and more. Keep checking Ultra for other seasonal sales for a happy handmade holiday! Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 08, 2005 at 0:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 12.07.05 Reality is the alternate reality The alternate reality of the art world is ... reality (of course) and on the internet there is a parallel version of the art world: Richard Prince asks some interesting questions about the nature of plagerism... how appropriate is that? Dave Hickey in the real world has gone all CEO and COO Tyler Green was a pro baseball player... so that's how he hits it out of the park so often? Elizabeth Murray is a fine gardener and painter, it figures! This Mary Boone is also an editor's dream... maybe it's the name? Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 07, 2005 at 6:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 12.06.05 Electro-week Electronic music has historically had a fruitful relationship to visual art. Experimental pioneer John Cage had a deep influence on his cohorts at Black Mountain College in the 50s and there's a more recent wave of crossover between electronica and art. We've seen an influx of ex-art students as musicians, like Fischerspooner and Chicks on Speed, and DJs as artists, like Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) and Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner). Carsten Nicolai produces some of the most sublime and thorough artwork dealing with electronic music, down to his dry, repetitive aesthetic tendencies.
This afternoon at Reed College, you can hear about the history and evolution of electronic music from visiting composer Bruce Bennet, who currently teaches at UC-Berkeley. Then, tomorrow, hear one of the best artists-as-musicians, Wynne Greenwood (Tracy and the Plastics) take the stage at Holocene with her alter-egos, beamed onstage via Greenwood's delightfully lowbrow videos. Some of us probably caught Greenwood at a truncated performance at PICA's late night venue during tba. Let's hope the crowd suits her better this time so she'll give us a longer show! Bruce Bennet, "The History of Electronic Music" Tuesday, December 6th • 4:15p • free Reed College, Psychology Auditorium • 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard Tracy and the Plastics Wednesday, December 7th • 9p • $8 advance Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison • 503.239.7639 Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 06, 2005 at 9:56 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 12.05.05 Whit-nay The Whitney has released its roster
for the 2006 biennial. Seems to be very East Coast-heavy (surprise). At
MAN, Tyler Green questions its relevance. Especially coming off the market-driven
art fairs. My favorite jab, "The Whitney will have 100 or so artists in
a show that sounds Seinfeldian, like it will be about nothing."
**Update: additional info on the the "WB" can be found on this participant's blog. It all sounds a bit paternally Euro-centric and the inclusion of Europeans might really backfire. Besides there was just a show in Oslo on this same theme, lots of the same artists too. Although, Portland is more in line with this European worldview. Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 05, 2005 at 17:38 | Comments (1) PermalinkOn the Big Screen Tomorrow night, the Guild Theater hosts Take it EZ, a collection of
animation and video works by innovative local artists, orchestrated by Jeffrey
Kriksciun. Zach Reno, Hooliganship, WYLDFILE (E*Rock and Paperrad), Ryan Alexander-Tanner,
and Eliza Fernand sweep the screen with pieces ranging from hand-drawn to computer
driven to experimental.
Wednesday, December 7th • 7p • $3 Guild Theater • 829 SW 9th Ave Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 05, 2005 at 17:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkPints for PICA  Tonight you can throw one back for a good cause. The Low Brow Lounge is opening their bar to benefit PICA. For one night only, half of every beverage sold will benefit PICA's artistic programming. The benefit runs all night from 3p to 2:30a. From 4:30 to 11p, there will be PICA memberships and merch for sale, with a chance to win two Flex Passes for TBA:06 and a showcase of short films selected by the PICA staff. Grab a frosty one for a good cause! Monday, December 5 • All night long PICA @ the Low Brow Lounge • 1036 NW Hoyt Street Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 05, 2005 at 10:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkArt Basel Miami Beach 2005 
Barbara Kruger at Art Basel Miami Beach Art Basel isn't all that challenging as far as viewing goes (nearly all of it is museum approved) but it does serve as a good barometer for what is overripe and what art world staples remain fresh. The Aqua and Pulse fairs were a lot fresher and with more interesting work... I'll post on those others plus NADA soon. Let's just say NADA is both trying too hard and not hard enough... Although there were a few good things there. For those who missed it here is a ABMB tour of the better stuff. In person it was a far more punishing viewing endurance experience. 
Two artists that never seem to grow stale are... Posted by Jeff Jahn on December 05, 2005 at 2:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 12.03.05 ABMB by Proxy If you are reading PORT this weekend, chances are you are far, far away from the madness in Miami. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you want to be out of the loop. And fortunately, ArtInfo has been giving juicy coverage of the event. With the Ultimate Basel Blog, they get down to the nitty gritty of who, what and for how much. In "Day 2", they even give props to Portland-tied galleries (Liz Leach) and artists (Malia Jensen) with a mention of the Affair. According to the articles, booths are selling out right and left at Basel and NADA with sales above and beyond expectations. Ah yes, the art bubble continues to expand...
(Thanks to the OC Art Blog for the tip.) Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 03, 2005 at 0:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 12.02.05 First Friday  Marne Lucas at HomestarThe Eastside wraps up a drippy week with a strong showing from the young ones. In what must be a bona fide East Burnside art revival, Moshi Moshi opens next to Denwave (formerly Fix) and Renowned with Rainbow Connection, a group show featuring Meredith Dittmar, Guy Burwell, Tyson Summers, APAK, and Justin "Scrappers" Morrison. Opening Reception • December 2 • 6 to9 p Moshi Moshi • 811 E. Burnside For Renowned’s second exhibition they present Hold Me, Please new work by Casey Watson (PDX) and Isaac Lin (PDX). Opening Reception • December 2 • 6 to10 p • artists will be in attendance Renowned • 811 E Burnside Suite 111 • tel. 503.445.9924 With Denwave, Renowned and Moshi Moshi are all in the same building, I am hoping they'll come up with a name for themselves as a group (something other than LoBu, please). While you're in the 'hood, don't miss Bailey Winters' paintings and Greg Simons' multimedia installation at NAAU. Winters shoots Hi-8 and still photographs which elaborates into expressionist paintings which bear a quiet isolation. Opening reception • December 2 • 7 to 10 p NAAU • 922 SE Ankeny Street • tel. 503.231.8294 Marne Lucas presents Amusement, a series of color photographs from road trips and travels at Homestar. "Humorous self portraiture, an eye for the unusual and quirky use of animal figurines express a sense of discovery and playfulness she experiences while traveling." Also, in the back room, the Velour Girls Pin Up Lounge, Lucas' latest Pin Up photographs of women in a boudoir atmosphere. Opening Reception • December 2 • 7-10p Homestar • 4747 SE Hawthorne Blvd • tel. 503.235.0349  Bailey Winters @ NAAU Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 02, 2005 at 13:57 | Comments (0) PermalinkPortland Building 2007 Installation Proposals 
RACC is accepting proprosals for the 2007 Portland Building Installation series. One of a handful of spaces in town dedicated to installation art, this pocket sized installation space in the lobby of the Portland Building has an impressive roster of artists who have shown there since the series began in 1994. Chandra Bocci, Bruce Conkle, Cynthia Lahti, Amos Latteier and dozens of other artists have turned this space into a spot where one can expect to find interesting work on a regular basis. Proposals must be delivered to RACC by Monday, December 5 at 5pm, so get to work! Best of all, RACC has finally entered the digital age and is accepting JPG submissions this year. Link to submission requirements. Posted by Katherine Bovee on December 02, 2005 at 11:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 12.01.05 First Thursday Round Up  Cythia Lahti @ PDXLots going on tonight. We'll just have to see how the weather pans out, right now they're forcasting a winter storm. Happy Holiday arting! Cynthia Lahti • New Found Land (New Sculptures and Drawings) I lahve Cynthia's work. Hopefully she'll have more of those beautiful Rorschach types she's been doing recently. If I wasn't working tonight, I'd be there. Then again, maybe Jane isn't holding a reception... PDX • 925 NW Flanders • Tel. 503.222.0063 Anna Fidler • Oblivious Peninsulas (Paintings, Collages, Film and Soundtrack) Saw this one at the preview last night, loved it too. The colors are sublime Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery • 929 NW Flanders Street • Tel. 503.228.6665 Jenene Nagy (PNCA Artist-In-Residence) • Backyard Icing (Sculpture) Manuel Izquierdo Gallery • Pacific NW College of Art • 825 NW 13th Avenue Hap Tivey • Leukos Transit (LED light, acrylic and painted surfaces) Elizabeth Leach • 417 NW 9th Avenue Four Squared (Group Show) Small works on paper (4" x 4") by 22 young up and comers including Tauba Auerbach, Chris Duncan, Nikki McClure, Bwana Spoons, Harrison Haynes and Katherine Bovee. Motel • NW Couch between 5th & 6th • Tel. 503.222.6699 Hear Me Roar (Group Show) Featuring Cicci & Sulley, Jilliam Tamaki, Lesley Reppeteaux, Amunisim and Anna Cangialosi. Compound • 107 NW 5th Ave • Tel. 503.796.2733 Wid Chambers and Abi Spring • Process (Paintings) Chambers • 207 S.W. Pine Street Crack Press turns ten with a retrospective at Berbati's including collaborations with Portland movers and shakers. Berbati's Restaurant • 19 SW 2nd, Portland OR • Tel. 503.248.4579 • 7 to 10p New Gallery Opening... We've reported on Rake before. Tonight they're opening a permanent space in the Everett Station Lofts with a giant group show. 325 NW 6th Ave • Tel.503.750.0754 • 6 to 11p  Chris Duncan @ Motel Posted by Jennifer Armbrust on December 01, 2005 at 0:04 | Comments (0) Permalink |
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Site Design: Jennifer Armbrust | • | Site Development: Philippe Blanc & Katherine Bovee | |