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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Wednesday 08.30.06 Road Trip: Portland at the Henry  Storm Tharp, Old Sport, 2006, Ink on paper, Courtesy of the Artist and PDX Contemporary Art PORT's Northern readers won't have to experience Portland vicariously anymore (at least for a night)—Reed curator Stephanie Snyder, Oregon Biennial artists Kristan Kennedy and Storm Tharp, and several other Portland-based artists including Dana Dart-McLean and MK Guth will converge in Seattle this Thursday to discuss what's going on down here. The timing is appropriate, as Portland is already beginning to feel the rumbling of activity that could only mean one thing: it's Fall here in Portland, and we're about ready to begin a non-stop line-up that begins with time-based art, continues with a month of solid gallery shows and peaks in early October with our very own art fair. From the press release: "Check out the latest in art made just to the south. Stephanie Snyder joins special guests to discuss new activities in Portland and consider the work of Portland-based artists Kevin Abell, Dana Dart-McLean, Alex Felton, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Kristan Kennedy, MK Guth, Storm Tharp, and others. Part of what Snyder describes as Portland's 'representational imaginary,' the evening will consider an intergenerational group of Portland artists that explore 'self' through experimental film, drawing, painting, sculpture and social practice. These imagined and constructed self-discoveries are often created in dialog with art history, popular culture, and an interdisciplinary media practice signature to Portland's scene." The Return of Projections: Portland · Thursday, August 31st · 7 pm Henry Art Gallery · Henry Auditorium · University of Washington 15th Avenue NE & NE 41st Street, Seattle · Tel. 206.543.2280 Posted by Katherine Bovee on August 30, 2006 at 19:47 | Comments (1) PermalinkOld Joy at Cinema 21  Time is running out for you to catch the very Portland feeling Old Joy at Cinema 21. Based on a short story by writer, curator, and critic Jonathan Raymond, Old Joy not only sports some local landmarks but manages to truly capture the essence of living in Portland. Originally conceived as a book in collaboration with photographer Justine Kurland, the film retains the sumptuous beauty of the photos on which the story is based. Featuring musician Will Oldham and directed by Kelly Reichardt. Old Joy • Cinema 21 Last night Thursday Aug.31 616 NW 21st Ave • Portland, OR GA $7 (cash or check only) Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 30, 2006 at 14:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkHuyghe the entertainer? Read this op-bit about Pierre
Huyghe on the Contemporary London Art blog because he will be having a show
at the Portland Art Museum starting on September 23rd. It reminds me of the
debate
about entertainment art started when"Let's
Entertain" rolled through the Portland Art Museum in 2000.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 30, 2006 at 12:16 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 08.29.06 Free Dennis Nyback Screening Tonight  Portland artist Mac McFarlan and film archivist Dennis Nyback have teamed up for this year's TBA festival presented by PICA. Entitled The Portland That Was, their collaboration looks quite promising. Tonight, as a thank you for all those who participated in the making of this project, McFarlan and Nyback along with Anne Richardson are presenting a special screening of films from Nyback's collection. The theme of the evening is Request Night and several people were asked what films Nyback should dig up. Included in the evening will be a 1960's American Cancer Society film featuring the television cast of Mission Impossible in which Peter Graves goes to the proctologist, along with many other gems. Thank You Screening for THE PORTLAND THAT WAS Whitsell Auditorium Tuesday, Aug. 29 • 7:30 PM 1219 SW Park • Portland, OR FREE Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 29, 2006 at 15:32 | Comments (0) PermalinkHeidi Cody makes trouble in Nature Valley 
Heidi Cody's Mixed Signals from Nature Valley I've always been a fan of Heidi Cody's work and her latest piece at the Illegal Art show in PNCA's Feldman Gallery is really excellent. The piece, "Mixed Signals from Nature Valley" takes on the vernaculars from all those exploitive roadsigns and turns them on their heads. When you press the button two puffs of smoke (aka smoke signals) rise from behind the feathers. It's exploitation art that had me considering all those car manufacturers who name their vehicles after words from First Nation tribes like, Pontiac, Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Cherokee etc. Clearly the whitewashed cartoon version of the "Indians" (nothing like being defined by a misnomer by some guy who thought he had reached Asia) is supposed to sardonically imply that the message isnt all "happy" from the valley but it also studies the very appealing conventions of classic sign design as well. The appalling appeal that doesn't turn into some shrill dogmatic bombast is the really its strength and the way it implicates the viewer through entertaining interaction makes it particularly successful. In Cody's hands's pop eats itself. The show opened yesterday and if you are in the Pearl district definitely check it out at PNCA. Through October 21st, 1241 NW Johnson Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 29, 2006 at 10:03 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 08.28.06 The effect? Yes, Ill have that review of the Oregon Biennial soon but it's really involved
and I want to hammer a few more details, mostly because it's the kind of feedback
I like to get when I curate a large group show. It's funny but only after the
show's been up for a week or two do all the unforeseen emergent properties of
a show become apparent to the person who put it together. Curators are a bit
like surfers except they choose the elements and shape of the wave.... only
after they have ridden the complex thing does a more full understanding come.
In many ways it's the best part of the curatorial practice, there is this expansive
feeling that you've really learned something. That's what happens when thousands
of minds in a city explore a show, the combined civic intelligence (as opposed
to mass idiocy) is something we often take for granted but is revealed when you survey
a bunch of artists. It's a massive study in civic behavior and I think some of the artists deserve a more in-depth look too.
Till then check out Tyler Green's take on LA version of the traveling Rauschenberg combine show. Of course it's better in LA, the Smithson show a few years ago certainly was too. Also, the Portland's Future Awesome blog has a lot of worthy recent posts... green buildings, Portland voted the only "most successful city" in the US by the Europeans etc. Those Europeans are always flattering us as a way to critique the rest of the US. Can't fault em. Elsewhere,Edward Winkleman takes on the Stuckists. Ive been thinking about them a lot recently and maybe it's how reactionary they seemed right at the height of the YBA's dominance, like the YBA's were the boat and they were part of the wake? If artists can't produce their own effect without reacting to a more protean artist or group then aren't they essentially a sideshow? A spent force? Supporting actors? Not that it's a bad thing but in the end it becomes important to determine who the leaders are. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 28, 2006 at 10:46 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 08.25.06 What to see?  James and Joey Lavadour at PDX Contemporary Art What should you absolutely see this weekend? If you haven't caught James and Joey Lavadour's show at PDX gallery, do so. If you've seen it already, go and see it again, it's James' best to date. Look for a full on review next week from another PORT staffer (I've already called him the best abstract landscape painter alive today, what else can I say?... OK maybe that Joey's baskets work perfectly with this show too and should be reviewed together). D.K. "Death" Row reviews him favorably in the O's A&E... but some of the artists he compares him to seem more than a bit forced, there is nobody like Lavadour. Also, what's up with the Arthurian comparisons? The Columbia River Gorge etc. looks nothing like England or the north of France... (oh well) Also, make a point to check out the multi-channel video piece by Dan and Bean Gilsdorf at Portland Modern's tiny but excellent corporate headquarters at 1715 NW Lovejoy....(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 25, 2006 at 10:26 | Comments (3) PermalinkThursday 08.24.06 Weekly Web Roundup 
This week’s roundup is short and sweet. A couple of items that are curiously linked made their way across the information super highway to the sprawling offices of PORT. First, an article in the New York Times on Saturday got me thinking about politically/socially engaged art as a catalyst for change and how that change doesn’t always equal the artist’s enthusiasm for the cause. Though the man in the article, Duraid Lahham, is an actor his sentiments cross genres. In context with the announcement, at the end of the Roundup, that PICA sent out, it seems a perfect opportunity to engage in a dialogue about political art and the expectations that artists have for their work...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on August 24, 2006 at 7:41 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 08.22.06 New Director of the Portland Art Museum is Brian Ferriso The new director of the Portland Art Museum is Brian Ferriso.
Joseph Gallivan at the Tribune has a long article and a picture. Earlier, DK Row at the Oregonian had a heads up article and broke the story. Thankfully this ends months of sometimes ridiculous speculation and I like a lot of things about this guy already: He's young and ambitious and gathering from Gallivan's article he is coming here because Portland is dynamic, smart man. He used to be at the deputy director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the place were I cut my teeth in the visual arts (their collection is suprising and superb btw). He was director of curatorial affairs before that and I think many will like the fact that he has more than just administrative knowledge. He was most recently the director of Tulsa's Philbrook Museum, which has upgraded its contemporary collections and seems to know what a God Josiah McElheny is.... just bring McElheny here and watch attendance levels beat the dead French art shows we have been innundated with. Welcome to Portland, its a testament to Portland's strength that the position was filled this quickly. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 22, 2006 at 16:02 | Comments (0) Permalink2006 Oregon Biennial Awards Announced From the museum's press release
"The Portland Art Museum has announced the 2006 Oregon Biennial Juror Awards. The winners were selected by the Museum's curators based on the quality, intention, and presentation of the artists' work currently showing in the Biennial exhibition. The awards include cash prizes to encourage the continued creation of art and to help sustain the artists' careers. Matthew Picton of Ashland, Ore., who received a prize of $1,000. Picton's large to-scale drawing and intricate cut-out of the cracks found in a Medford alleyway reflect the tension between man and nature and their effect on each other. Pat Boas of Beaverton, Ore., received a prize of $500. The Biennial includes a series of Boas's highly detailed drawings of imaginary reptilian forms. Her work revolves around observation of signs and means of communication. David Eckard of Portland, Ore., received a prize of $500. Eckard is known for his welded-metal sculptural forms and recent engagement with performance art. Eckard's latest sculptural performance can be seen as part of PICA's TBA festival. About the Biennial Juried and curated by Jennifer A. Gately, the Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art, the Biennial surveys trends and directions in contemporary art in Oregon. This year's exhibition showcases a spectrum of contemporary artwork including painting, photography, video, digital media, installation, performance, sculpture, and drawing. The exhibition runs through October 8." All good picks who were way overdue for recognition...(PS Jesse Hayward and I will be on KBOO radio Thursday at 10:30 AM to discuss the biennial) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 22, 2006 at 15:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkBlogging the process Biennial artist David Eckard is blogging his
latest project "Float", which will be part of the upcoming TBA
festival. The thing looks like a collision between a Survivor set piece
and a county fair ride... It might need a more formal PT
Barnum-esque feel to come off properly.
Anyways, blogs are a great way to publicly disseminate the process part of being an artist and it's also rather savvy of PNCA to have their profs blogging. I hear PNCA's enrollment is way way up too. Portland's higher profile in the blogosphere can't be hurting. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 22, 2006 at 10:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.21.06 Surf's up on charisma? Here are some of the better recent art bits involving charisma out there:
The sarcastically charismatic Joe Queenan writes about Ron English in the Guardian. Donald Kuspit's Girodet piece on Art Net raised my appreciation for the artist and his use of "charisma" but I'll still take David any day. This kind of pandering still makes me queezy. This thread on Art Dish about Portland's proliferation of art radio and its various cults of personality is interesting for its discussion of things that Portlanders' take for granted (and sometime bemoan). Cults of personality only have meaning when serious ideas are behind them, then act as advertised or better yet, exceed expectations... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 21, 2006 at 11:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 08.18.06 Biennial Artists Speak #2  Work by Storm TharpThe Biennial fun just doesn't end and this weekend you will get another chance to see more of the artists from the exhibit talk about their work. The second installment of the Portland Art Museum's "Biennial Artists Speak" lecture series hosts a strong group featuring Kristan Kennedy, Storm Tharp, and David Eckard. These talks provide an interesting opportunity to gain a greater understanding of individuals and their practice while establishing links between the artists as well. Biennial Artists Speak • Portland Art Museum Sunday August 20 • 2-3p 1219 SW Park Ave • Portland, Or Free to members or with museum admission. Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 18, 2006 at 15:36 | Comments (1) PermalinkIron Artist IV  Last year's winner of "Most Materials Used" Award This Saturday check out one of the most original fundraisers in town, Iron Artist IV benefiting SCRAP (The School and Community Reuse Action Project). The event features performances by the Sprockettes (all female mini-bike dance troop), March Fourth, and a beer garden. The main attraction of this high-energy celebration of creative reuse is a timed three-hour sculpt-off where 10 teams of scrap artists create sculptures from reused materials provided by SCRAP and other local reuse organizations such as The ReBuilding Center, Free Geek and the ReStore. Each team will receive boxes of similar materials and race against the clock to create their masterpiece. A theme for the sculptures will be announced when the competition begins, and in the end, a panel of local celebrity judges, including PORT's own, Jeff Jahn, will critique the final pieces and award the coveted Cup du SCRAP, a gold trash can adorned with Mardi Gras beads. Beyond just being a cool event to attend, SCRAP works to promote creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community. So get out there and show a little love. Iron Artist IV, SCRAP Benefit August 19th, 2006 • 12:30pm - 8:00pm In the Lot on the Corner of North Vancouver and Failing $5-20 sliding scale Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 18, 2006 at 13:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkNorth + South at the Albina Press 
Antarctica Photograph by Michelle Ott Part of what makes Portland such a vibrant art city is the massive # of venues, which isn't hurt by its massive # of cafe's and coffee houses. As public meeting places and zones of bohemian elan they are big part of why Portland is more European and civic minded than other US cities. It also gives artists a way to develop in public in a way that MFA programs cannot. Both have their place but there is something about the harsh indifference and poor viewing circumstances in cafes that is more than just some cliched romantic notion. This month, North+South, a duo show by Gretchen Vaudt and Michelle Ott at the Albina Press...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 18, 2006 at 11:03 | Comments (0) PermalinkReport from Tacoma: Fresh at Museum of Glass  Hanna Liden (Swedish, born 1976) Black Flag Burner, 2005 Chromogenic color print, Artist Proof (Edition of 3), 30 x 40 x 2 1/2 Courtesy of the artist and Rivington Arms, New York City The exploration of nature through allegory in art may be a centuries-old concept, but it has been approached with renewed interest by artists who have recaptured the romantic impulse in art. References to nature are prevalent in the recent influx of Goth-inspired imagery, decorative work with origins in graphic design trends and work that indulges in Baroque excess. Fresh: Contemporary Takes on Nature & Allegory, the first exhibition of the Context series at Tacoma's Museum of Glass, surveys fifteen artists who address nature and allegory in a thoroughly contemporary manner... Posted by Katherine Bovee on August 18, 2006 at 1:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.16.06 Gragg's Slag Dangerous Chunky responds to the infinitely curmudgeonly Randy
Gragg pretending to be Portland here. It was started by this, Randy's
latest stab at labeling Portland a village in the Stranger.
Let's get this straight Randy, Portland is a city. It just isnt one with an imperial sensibility and besides a city is defined more by its people than its skyline (I said something similar to this in my interview in Sunday's Oregonian, I wish they had printed that quote). Cities exist to do one thing and that is nurture, coordinate and expose talented individuals in close proximity to one another, the more active the better. Portland does that, so does Seattle and it's a ridiculous debate to indicate either one isn't a valid metropolis (Florence though less grand than Rome certainly was a city too, duh). But in the spirit of countering retrograde, practically moot ridiculousness Ill debate it, any time, any place... despite the fact that horse was dead years ago! Update: Obviously Gragg's piece in the Stranger is a kind of double-edged series of backhanded compliments for both Seattle and Portland but that very odd article does make slightly more sense in light of his piece in the Oregonian today. Still, denyng Portland as a city is an outmoded crutch, besides the Oregonian's own Spencer Heinz argument about duck-transportation makes a rather hilarious case here with this quote,"Any speculation that Portland is not a major-league town collapses now that duck-themed rides have arrived." Nothing better than a silly assertion to counter another silly statement. Brian Libby over at Portland Architecture has picked up a much more productive argument. Words like affordable and experimental should be used in Portland much more often... "Jean" & "Nouvel" aren't bad either. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 16, 2006 at 17:43 | Comments (1) PermalinkWeekly Web Roundup There are a lot of great resources for researching art and ideas online and around town. Academic, as well as public libraries hold an incredible supply of information in the greater Portland area. In addition, online resources grow daily and the ability to peruse through a catalog in New York or LA is incredibly easy. Please feel free share the resources that you know of by adding them to the list below in the comments that follow this entry...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on August 16, 2006 at 8:00 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 08.15.06 Last Chance  This week is your last chance to head down to Chinatown and see Wind Inside by Liz Harris at Motel. The gallery space proper is taken over by a pink and blue tape web, shifting the perception of the space. Accompanying the installation is a series of really nice works on paper where marks accumulate forming mass and structure. Hard fine lines of black pen intersect, jump and intertwine with gently ominous and organic spills of black iridescent ink. The black and white pieces play with optical perception where the close proximity of the multitudinous lines causes the drawings to “move” of their own accord. Originally hailing from Northern California, Harris is a recent PDX transplant that I am sure we will see much more of. Liz Harris, Wind Inside • Motel Through August 19, 2006 19 NW 5th Avenue, Suite C • Portland, Oregon 97209 Located on NW Couch Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 15, 2006 at 15:11 | Comments (2) PermalinkGame Show Deadline Reminder Tomorrow, Tuesday August 15 (postmark date) is the last day to apply to the
Game Show exhibition at Contemporary Craft Museum and Gallery. Since taking
the helm, curator Namita Wiggers has been expanding the scope of CCMG
and this show serves as an example. Mixed-media works and
non-traditional materials are welcome. All works must be original, hand-made, available for sale, produced within the last two years, and not previously exhibited at CCMG. A $500
best of show prize will be awarded. For more information check out www.contemporarycrafts.org
The Game Show @ Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery 3934 SW Corbett Avenue • Portland, OR 97239 Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 15, 2006 at 1:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.14.06 Tillmans in Chicago  Tillmans' Deer Hirsch 1995 Wolfgang Tillmans large show at the MCA in Chicago ended yesterday. It travels to UCLA's Hammer Museum next and it wasn't so much of a revelation as an interesting way to revisit the already familiar. What I mean by that is his nonchalant fashion shots for magazines like Interview etc. and often highly staged subculture scenes seem ubiquitous and have been so adopted or used previously by other photographers that all sense of individual style seems to have evaporated from them. Everything photographed by Tillmans seems exhausted, like the viewer just missed something much better...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 14, 2006 at 13:22 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 08.13.06 O! Vey There is a Q
& A interview with me in The Oregonian today in reference to my new organization
Organism (we updated the site significantly in the last week). The interview also has some bits about PORT as well. Yes, this will probably raise a few eyebrows, which is good. There has been a lot of talk in Portland and there has been an avalanche of press... and although talk is very cheap, it does help frame the civic discussion. With that in mind
I'd love to hear what you have to say and if you want to continue the discussion privately I'd be happy to fill you in, you can email
me your questions here.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 13, 2006 at 13:07 PermalinkFriday 08.11.06 Drop in if you are in the neighborhood?  Bruce Conkle's latest show, conveniently located in nearby Iceland? If you just so happen to find yourself in Iceland this weekend Bruce Conkle will be gracing Reykjavik's Living Art Museum with his latest show, "Landscape and Assassination." It opens tomorrow. Bruce has been talking about JFK's assassination, whale blubber and alumninum smelting so prepare yourself. Also, I love that visit Iceland website which contains statements like, "Iceland is not only closer than you think..." Uh, no it isn't, it's actually really far from the US and that's part of the attraction... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 11, 2006 at 12:41 | Comments (4) PermalinkThursday 08.10.06 Weekly Web Roundup
Though it may have seemed that the recent question about those selected for the 8th Northwest Biennial in the comments area was sloughed off, it got me to thinking. Often the question of gender comes up when a list like this comes out. In an effort to allow ourselves to judge the quality of the work rather than the quantity of men vs. women, I thought I’d try to gather some visual information...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on August 10, 2006 at 22:08 | Comments (12) PermalinkPAM acquires video art from Biennial  Still From Jo Jackson's History: the Complete Drawings Surprise, the Portland Art Museum will acquire video art from the Oregon Biennial. Last night in a very close vote, 65 members of the museum's Contemporary Art Council (disclosure I am one of the Co-VP's) gave the nod to Jo Jackson's, "History: the Complete Drawings." Its an excellent piece, chronicling the birth and death of various nation states. It's 45 minutes long and is flash based. Curators, Bruce Guenther and Jennifer Gately seemed very excited about the acquisition and the technical challenges of maintaining the work when the computer that runs it needs to be replaced in 5 years or so. The council was very interested in the # of video works in the collection and this decision certainly adds to its holdings significantly. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 10, 2006 at 11:34 | Comments (1) PermalinkBiennial Artist Talk  Donut Shop by Brittany Powell Tommorow night kicks off the first of a series of weekly gallery talks led by Biennial artists. Artists will discuss their working process, influences, and philosophies as they relate to the works presented in the Biennial. This week's talk features Brittany Powell, Jesse Hayward, and Pat Boas. The Oregon Biennial will be on exhibit at the Portland Art Museum until October 8.  Jesse Hayward  Pat Boas Biennial Artists Speak • Oregon Biennial Thursday Aug. 10 • 6-7pm Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park • Portland, Oregon Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 10, 2006 at 0:24 | Comments (3) PermalinkWednesday 08.09.06 A sense of scale  image and thermogram from current Mt. St. Helens eruption For those who might be taking the erupting volcano in Portland's backyard for granted, check this out (that's less than a month folks and the area is massive)... Richard Serra's got nothing on Mt. St. Helens, but who does? Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 09, 2006 at 1:03 | Comments (1) PermalinkTuesday 08.08.06 9/11's effect on art? Edward Winkleman has a great post on whether
or how 9/11 positively and negatively effected art today, here.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 08, 2006 at 10:50 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 08.07.06 Saturated Pasture 
This is the final week to view Jenene Nagy’s Saturated Pasture at the Portland Building. Here she re-evaluates the constructed landscape and our relationship to it through the use of ordinary materials such as house paint, Styrofoam and painted nails in her installation in the second floor gallery. Saturated Pasture by Jenene Nagy • The Portland Building 1120 SW 5th Avenue • 7a - 6p • Monday - Friday Closes August 11 Posted by Melia Donovan on August 07, 2006 at 21:22 | Comments (0) Permalink8th Northwest Biennial at Tacoma Art Museum 
8th Northwest Biennial at Tacoma Art Museum The wait is over, the artists have been chosen. Out of 900 submissions (a 100% increase over previous biennial submissions), 41 artists were selected for the “visual impact of the images, the scope of each artist’s contributions, and the stage of the artist’s career.” ...(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on August 07, 2006 at 20:50 | Comments (6) PermalinkSunday 08.06.06 inClover Report  unidentified bird of prey in Mt Scott Park Saturday August 5th Ok it was a modified form of "art in a park" and on paper it sounded like a potentially terrible event, but it wasn't. Sure, some of the work was iffy but some was pretty good to excellent (Michael Keenan, Ellen George, Carolyn Zick, Harvest Henderson, Jacqueline Ehlis, Justin Oswald, TJ Norris+Abi Spring and a few others all had particularly strong works). Many had a lot of interesting references to Robert Smithson's work, utilizing a reflective/dislocating surface (Ehlis, TJ+Abi) and Harvest made a circle akin to the spiral jetty made of salad (with a name like "Harvest" it's unavoidable I guess). The fact that a couple of what I think were falcons (of the gyr variety? in Portland?) were hanging out in the park only made it... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 06, 2006 at 20:58 | Comments (3) PermalinkFriday 08.04.06 inClover  Small Herd by Brenda MalloryTomorrow is the one day open-air art show inClover curated by Portland artist Scott Wayne Indiana. Indiana selected inClover’s roster of artists for the thoughtful spatial engagement of their work; featured media include installation, illustration, painting and photography. Artists involved were encouraged to investigate and engage the exhibit’s outdoor environs within the brevity of the show’s run – one day only – while responding to the theme of the show’s summery title, inClover, which means “Living a carefree life of ease, comfort or prosperity.” (...more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on August 04, 2006 at 19:21 | Comments (1) PermalinkAugust First Friday  Alex Gross at Renowned Gallery Group Show • New Expressions in Fine Art Printmaking A diverse mix of etching, wood-blocks, screen-printing, xerox tansfers, and photo-gravures combined with storytelling, landscapes, and abstracted photography. Curated by Erik Sandberg of Los Angeles. Renowned Gallery • 811 e burnside 111 portland, or 97214 Opening Reception: 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Friday August 4. Closes August 31, 2006. Group Show • The Influence of Motorcycle on Contemporary Art This exhibit revs up the motorcycle culture through visual images. Curated by Rachel Sanders Fine Art and Design Inc. Guestroom 128 ne russell st portand, or 97212 • 503. 284.8378 Opening Reception: 5pm, Friday August 4. Closes September 16, 2006. ...(more) Posted by Nicky Kriara on August 04, 2006 at 11:14 | Comments (0) PermalinkWeekly Web Roundup The 2006 Oregon Biennial For this week’s Weekly Web Roundup the focus is on the 2006 Oregon Biennial. I haven’t been in to see it yet. Lame, I know, but I’m going on Saturday. So, with that, it seems to me that a collection of the reviews might be in order. Much like the discussion surrounding the artist statement, reading a review beforehand can have a similar effect. Will it taint the way one thinks about the work and the exhibition as a whole? Surely, they will call up issues that one might not have noticed going in cold. Posted by Melia Donovan on August 04, 2006 at 10:56 | Comments (4) PermalinkAvoiding tunnel vision Of course, all of the art writing out there this week isn't about the Oregon Biennial (but Port will have some very substantial stuff for you soon), instead you can
check out Brian Libby's piece on
John Brodie in the O today.
Also, because its important not to have Oregon tunnel vision the Guardian has a bit on one of my favorite artists Olafur Elliason. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 04, 2006 at 10:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 08.02.06 Rhoades Tragedy The art world is abuzz
with the sad news that Jason Rhoades has died. Some wrongly allege
this happened in Portland. Yes the new non profit I'm working on, Organism, was organizing a soiree with Rhoades
for August 12th in Portland. Organism has a short statement on their site
but the first place we saw anything "written" on it was art.blogging.la. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and loved ones.
Update: The LA Times has a piece on Rhoades untimely death and points out a number of very important things (you will have to register). Rhoades was a West Coast artist with West Coast sensibilities. His all out assault on puritanical baggage is just one of his legacies, some of the others being his interest in religion, utopian ideas, putting a cosmopolitan sensibility over political correctness and generally making art that wasn't so easily comodified. Where others sought mostly to please, Rhoades would challenge by riding every fence imaginable. By all accounts he was very smart and an intense workaholic. He was really looking forward to the event in Portland and as the LAT mentions, some of the supplies (lube that approximates human bile, etc) that were to be used here will end up in a shrine in Joshua Tree. The curator for the event, Majorie Myers (a close personal friend of the artist) is grieving and as I mentioned before our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Myself, I considered him the most gifted of the recent deluge of artists who utilize inexpensive materials, a leader. He was one of the three main artists who I believe defined that recent trend, Sarah Sze and Rachel Harrison being the other two and he burst on the scene much earlier. Definitely, he's an artist in the lineage of... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 02, 2006 at 10:20 | Comments (3) PermalinkTuesday 08.01.06 First Thursday August 2006  James Lavadour's Boarder Camp, 2006 Sun Spots • James Lavadour • painting Lavadour exhibits a series of oil paintings based on landscapes and architectural under-paintings, which were layered and manipulated over the past six years. PDX Contemporary Art 925 nw flanders st pdx 97209 • 503.222.3068 Opening Reception: Aug 3, from 6 to 8p. Black and White • group show Compare and contrast black and white galore (!) from Linda Hutchins line drawings to Richard Serra's Etchings. Also Featuring Richard Diebenkorn, Brian Borrello, Richmond Burton, Greg Chann, G. Lewis Clevenger, Jerry Iverson, Marc Katano, Peter Millett, James Siena, Jeffery Simmons, Heather Larkin Timken, and Terry Winters. Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery 929 nw flanders st pdx 97209 • 503.228.6665 Preview Reception: August 2 from 5:30 to 7:30p. All My Clothes • Alicia Cortney Eggert • drawings, sculpture & installation This show reflects a series of studies relating to the ideas of ownership and identity that focus on the artist's personal wardrobe. Using common household objects and accessible materials, her artwork explores the essence of human nature in modern society. Valentines 232 se ankeny pdx Opening Reception: Aug 3, from 6 to 10p. Show ends Aug 31, 2006. Posted by Nicky Kriara on August 01, 2006 at 19:59 | Comments (1) PermalinkFeedback Loops We will have all sorts of interesting and useful news shortly. Including our
1st Thursday guide.
Till then lets read the Guardian who wonders why the British can't paint... which isn't true... journalists never try to to invent a crisis eh? Tyler Green reports on how Elisabeth Sussman is helping to make the upcoming Gordon Matta Clark retrospective a success. Would love for this or the Andrea Zittel show to come through the Portland Art Museum. In fact, putting Zittel in the context of Clark is interesting brain fodder. Also, just because its interesting Portland artist Scott Wayne Indiana reacts to the review of his piece in grey|area PORT published last week. Its true these publicly accessible feedback loops are an interesting part of the online revolution. There is a video piece in the Oregon biennial by Andrew Ellmacher & Mark Brandau that exploits a similar art discourse wank fest but there is something fresh about the call and response on the Internet and something so BFA thesis show about doing it as a video piece (granted Andrew and Mark were going for this, although maybe it simply accomplishes its aims all too easily in a Council of Trent, # of angels on the head of a pin way). Discourse is only its own reward only when it doesn't run on already well traveled rails. Complaining that there is nothing original left to do smacks of the fellow who wanted to close the US Patent Office over a hundred years ago because there was nothing new. Complaint art is often tedious but reacting to reviews always seems to bring out something honest or at least revealing. Posted by Jeff Jahn on August 01, 2006 at 14:40 | Comments (9) Permalink |
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