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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Tuesday 10.31.06 First Thursday Picks for November 
Jesse Durost at Elizabeth Leach Every so often, Jesse Durost surfaces somewhere in Portland to reveal the striking visual results of his experimentation in the realms of atmospherics and semiotics. With Hole in the Sky, Durost takes on the big subjects of Flag and Country. Catch him while you can during his 5-day turn in Elizabeth Leach's main gallery. MK Guth's Growing Stories has been extended and will occupy Leach's smaller space through November 4. Later in the month, Elizabeth Leach Gallery will commemorate 25 years in the art business with A Century of Collage, a survey show in which works by renowned artists Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Motherwell and Kiki Smith will share wall space with collages by locals Judy Cooke, Lee Kelly and Michelle Ross. A Century of Collage runs Nov. 11-Dec. 30. Reception for Hole In the Sky • Nov. 2, 6-9pm • Oct. 31-Nov.4 Elizabeth Leach • 417 NW 9th Ave. • Tel. 503.224.0501 ...(more) Posted by Jessica Bromer on October 31, 2006 at 19:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkPlease allow me to introduce myself... Hi, I'm Jessica. I've worked with several regional art organizations over the past two years, most intensively with Posted by Jessica Bromer on October 31, 2006 at 16:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkNew Directions @ the Archer Gallery  Daniel Barron Once again, Marjorie Hirsch makes it so worth your while to make the trip north. Following the huge success of the Margie Livingston exhibition, this month the Archer Gallery is showing Current Photography: New Directions, featuring the work of eight very up and coming artists. Not to be missed are the sexy, milky images of Daniel Barron and some really fresh work from Portlander Liz Haley. Also included in the exhibition are Holly Andres, Blake Andrews, Amy Archer, Mark Hooper, Tamara Lischka, and Grace Weston. The boundaries of the photographic medium are reevaluated and reapplied, with each artist demonstrating a conceptual prowess that delivers maximum results. Opening reception with many of the artists in attendance, Wednesday November 1, 4-7p. Exhibition runs until December 1. Regular gallery hours are: Tues. – Thurs., 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sat & Sun 1 – 5 p.m. Current Photography: New Directions Archer Gallery • Penguin Student Union Building, Clark College Ft. Vancouver Way • Vancouver, WA Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 31, 2006 at 14:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkRolling Out The Welcome Wagon Some of PORT's very attentive readers have noticed there is a new name in the
contributor's list, it has been a busy time and once again the site has shattered
it's readership records. Thank you readers!
So yes, later today Jessica Bromer will be making her first posts as PORT's new 1st Thursday and Friday "listings" poster as well as our newest critic. She knows the Portland scene well having worked as exhibition coordinator for Portland Modern. While cutting her teeth blogging for PICA during TBA I was impressed with her handling of Matthew Day Jackson's show calling it, "a bit Kountry Kosy." (From Schjeldahl to myself a lot of critics find his work a bit too cursory considering his source iconography.) Jessica rightly called him on it.... only to go a couple of rounds with the artist (successfully) in the comments. Needlesss to say, like all of PORT's staffers she is unafraid to present her opinions and true to our mission she has a lot of free reign to explore that critical stance. Welcome Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 31, 2006 at 11:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 10.30.06 APEX: Roy McMakin  Roy McMakin, "paintings with chairs & sculptures of chairs", 2006, installation view Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery, New York and James Harris Gallery, Seattle, Photo: Mark Woods Melding furniture design with formal art practice, functional with sculptural, Seattle-based artist Roy McMakin challenges the segregation of art and design, an investigation that has occupied his practice throughout the last twenty-five years. In a small show of paintings with chairs & sculptures of chairs—currently on view at the Portland Art Museum as part of the new APEX series organized by Curator of Northwest Art Jennifer Gately—McMakin continues his inquiry into the intersection between art and design. Using a generic-looking chair of his own design, appropriately deemed the Simple Chair, McMakin here situates his furniture design within a more conceptually rooted art practice through the most minimal alterations... Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 30, 2006 at 1:19 | Comments (2) PermalinkSunday 10.29.06 All of tomorrow's art-y's, W's first art issue  W magazine's first ever art issue is out with a feature spread involving Richard Tuttle, whom I admire a lot and reviewed a few months ago here. Let's just say the Eden photoshoot is mostly window dressing and its saturated glossyness seems more typical of Pipilotti Rist than Tuttle's earthier and dryer sense of humor. His work demands a simple, more elemental aesthetic in order to be successful and I don't see that here. True, the fashion world and art have a lot in common, especially these days but one has to ask, does anything stimulating come of it? In Tuttle's case...maybe not. Better than the magazine spread, here is a video documenting the production. Then there is the whole issue of the diluting popularity of the art world.... which I'm on a fence or two about. Will popular mechanics have an art issue next? Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 29, 2006 at 19:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.28.06 Last chance to go solo in October: Guth, McCormick, Pack etc.  MK Guth's Braid at Elizabeth Leach Gallery Group shows are important as social mixers and as an opportunity to see a lot of different artists but now Portland's ever-maturing art scene's focus has increasingly shifted to solo shows where artists are truly gauged. Even the Oregon Biennial was quickly supplanted attention-wise by numerous solo shows this summer. That said it is the last day for these worthy solo shows: MK Guth's Growing Stories at Elizabeth Leach Gallery marked the return of one of Portland's brightest installation artists after years of collaboration and video work. There was a palpable buzz of excitement at the opening but its best to catch this work in less crowded circumstances during its last day today. Growing Stories focuses on pop culture, expectations and the sort of personalized fairytales that people tell themselves to get through the daily existential grind. The familiar fairytale "Rapunzel" with her famously long hair in a tower is the thread that quite literally ties it all together. The most direct piece in the show is a...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 28, 2006 at 10:47 | Comments (2) PermalinkFriday 10.27.06 Apply! Here is my latest list of opportunities for you to consider. If you would like to submit an opportunity to be considered for posting, click here. Get out there and good luck!...(more)
Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 27, 2006 at 18:10 | Comments (0) PermalinkVanessa Renwick at PSU  Vanessa Renwick, Portrait #2: Trojan Filmmaker Vanessa Renwick will be the next guest in PSU's MFA Monday Night Lecture Series. Renwick's Portrait #2: Trojan, her elegy to the formidable architectural presence of the recently demolished Trojan nuclear power plant, recently gained accolades as part of the 2006 Oregon Biennial and was screened at the Austrian Viennale earlier this month. Renwick's current projects include Critter, a feature length documentary about the reintroduction of grey wolves into the West, slated for release sometime next year. Next in the series: Jessica Jackson Hutchins on Nov 6th Lecture · Monday, October 30th · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 27, 2006 at 8:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.25.06 PICA Artist in Residence to Lecture Tonight 
Current PICA artist in residence Viktor Popovic will lecture on his work tonight in PICA’s Resource Room. From Croatia, Mr. Popovic creates temporal, glowing installations using light, found and industrial materials....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 25, 2006 at 13:31 | Comments (0) PermalinkFavorite Buildings in Portland? 
The Portland Tribune suddenly has a lot of stories on architecture and the quality of buildings in town this week. Strange, yes we have Graves' Portland Building but generally the city is more interested in people, books, food, music, art and complaining about the lack of architecture rather than architectural excellence itself. Still there has been a shift in the last 2 years. One sign of the change in attitude is this Trib piece on local architects picking their favorite buildings in Portland (yes it's a quiet bunch of buildings, wait till the aerial tram is done for big a paradigm shift in the outward profile of architecture in Portland). Not surprisingly, the Sacks house on NW Glisan by Brad Cloepfil took top honors. What would PORT's readers pick? My pick is the Adidas campus by BOORA or the Fox Tower (the lobby is really superb) by Thompson Vaivoda and Associates... maybe the train station even. At the Organism's Gertrude salon last night many thought the Union Bank of California Tower deserved the nod, I agree it's an under-recognized gem. Let us know what your pick; Belmont Lofts, PNCA's interior, the Doug Fir, the St. Johns Theater & Pub? The aerial tram isn't completed yet and yes I wish the giant World's Fair log cabin (Oregon State Forestry Center 1905) still existed. Then the Trib had this piece on the Frank Gehry that never happened. Good to remind people of that and overall it seems like Portlander's are demanding more quality from the architecture. I've been working on a series of atypical architectural photographs for the last 5 years so I have my own selfish reasons for this, 9/10ths of the photos are of buildings outside of Portland. Design-wise the city does seem to be wide awake now, let's see what comes of it in terms of buildings. Also worth a look, the Portland Architecture blog had this nice post on a couple of interesting new fire stations a while back. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 25, 2006 at 11:32 | Comments (10) PermalinkMonday 10.23.06 Welcoming PAM's new chief 
Today, Brian Ferriso started his new job as director of the Portland Art Museum, the big kahuna on Oregon's cultural scene. The O had an interview yesterday, with a lot of thoughtfully measured answers by Ferriso. There was also the paper's general attempt at creating a huge hullabaloo over the cost of the Mark building's renovation. Let's just say Ferriso has worked (with grace) under much more difficult financial situations. Although he wasn't the man in charge, the Milwaukee Art Museum's gorgeous but hugely expensive 100 million dollar +??? Santiago Calatrava expansion caused them to take truly drastic actions. Under that kind of difficult situation he was eventually promoted from senior director of curatorial affairs to deputy director. The message, this is a talented guy who can make lemonade with lemons. PAM's situation is much better. Here are some long and short term things to consider...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 23, 2006 at 21:55 | Comments (6) PermalinkTwo Opportunities to Hear Karrie Jacobs Speak
Karrie Jacobs, co-author
of The
Perfect $100,000 House: A Trip Across America and Back in Pursuit of a Place to
Call Home (published by Viking), contributing editor at Metropolis
Magazine, regular contributor to Travel
+ Leisure, and founding editor-in-chief of Dwell
will be in Portland for two engagements....(more)
Posted by Melia Donovan on October 23, 2006 at 9:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkSaturday 10.21.06 Jeffry Mitchell at PSU 
Seattle-based artist Jeffry Mitchell will be the next PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture series guest. Mitchell's decorative ceramics and delicate drawings revel in the cute and the kitsch and his solo show at Pulliam Deffenbaugh last March showed off his ongoing fascination with the high/low dialectic... Lecture · Monday, October 23rd · 8:15 p PSU 5th Avenue Cinema · 510 SW Hall St. Room 92 (on the corner of 5th & Hall) Funded in part by PICA, PNCA, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 21, 2006 at 7:59 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 10.20.06 McMakin Lecture at Portland Art Museum  Roy McMakin, A Slatback Chair, 1998. Eastern Maple with enamel, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery and James Harris Gallery, Photo: Mark Woods Jennifer Gately's first post-Biennial endeavor as the Portland Art Museum's Curator of Northwest Art, the APEX series, was initiated earlier this month with the opening of an exhibition of work by Roy McMakin. Focusing on small shows highlighting the work of Northwest artists, the series will allow the Museum to have the kind of responsiveness to contemporary art of this region that the community has been demanding for quite some time now. This Sunday marks the first in a series of lectures associated with APEX, bringing in this Seattle-based artist for a discussion of his work, which plays between object and concept through work in both traditional media, furniture design and architecture. APEX lecture with Roy McMakin · Sunday, October 22nd · 2 pm Portland Art Museum · 1219 SW Park Ave · Tel. 503.226.0973 Admission: $5 Members, $10 Non-Members (includes museum admission) Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 20, 2006 at 16:40 | Comments (0) PermalinkTee Time  What could possibly be cooler than mini-golf? How about artist-designed mini-golf in one of the hippest bars in the city? That's right folks; Holocene will host its 3rd annual Mini Golf Art Invitational next Tuesday and Wednesday. The high ceiling converted warehouse is a perfect setting for this art and design spectacle...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 20, 2006 at 16:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.18.06 Sincerely John Head with Foghat and a Ford Ranchero  The collective, Sincerely John Head is obsessed with obsession, hanging out and finding a niche within well worn niches. It goes beyond nostalgia and occupies a sweet spot where irony becomes a worn out celebration, worn out critique and an inside joke with a big old welcome mat. Some might call it catching the hipster wave but there is a little more going on here than building a consensus of awesome irony. Still, it had a certain familiarity of purpose that made writing about this smart but too acessible one day project more complicated than it would have been had it been a wierder event. The now mid-career artist Richard Prince does similar sorts of things with his Camero hoods and Marlborough man photos, it's a wistful kind of corporate innocence that retains some element of critique. Similar to Prince, SJH loves anachronism and lowbrow is the preferred brow. The difference here is audience participation; SJH requires participation in order to get the organs of fandom pumping with new blood and oxygen again....(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 18, 2006 at 19:52 | Comments (8) PermalinkTuesday 10.17.06 Save the Date! Art Book Sale! 
If you’re anything like me, you hoard, collect and squirrel away art books and catalogues. The perfect opportunity to expand your holdings is coming up this Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4. The Portland Art Museum’s Crumpacker Family Library will be selling hundreds of new and used art books at reasonable prices....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 17, 2006 at 19:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkIllegal Art panel discussion Thursday October 19th Just a heads up, I'm taking part in a panel discussion for the Illegal Art Show at PNCA on Thursday October 19th. The topics will range from; copyright and art, symbolic economies, intellectual
property vs. freedom of expression, fair use laws, and much more. It's a good
show that I reviewed in part here.
The panel features; Carrie Mclaren (moderator, main curator for the Illegal Art Show and founder of Stay Free Magazine), John Calvelli (PNCA Faculty, Design Dept.), Kohel M Haver (Partner in Swider Medeiros Haver LLP, Portland Oregon, specializing in all types of arts, copyright, publishing, arts and entertainment law), Jeff Jahn (co-founder of PORT, artist and director/curator for Organism), Lydia Loren (Dean and Professor of Law Lewis and Clark College), Jim Riswold (artist and longtime creative director for Portland ad agency Wieden & Kennedy). Should be fun... I plan to work counterfeiting and Las Vegas' appropriation of other cities skylines for the purpose of tourism into the mix as well. Thursday Oct. 19th 7pm @ Swigert Commons PNCA 1241 NW Johnson St. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 17, 2006 at 11:35 | Comments (1) PermalinkSunday 10.15.06 Calls, Calls, and More Calls... To further serve you, the Portland art community and beyond, I will be researching and posting on interesting Calls to Artists that offer opportunities regionally, nationally, and internationally. If you are a gallery, arts organization, or other who would like to see your Call to Artists featured here on PORT, you can email them to me directly at callsforartists@portlandart.net
Please keep in mind the lists I post will be selective and sending an announcement does not guarantee it will be posted. Here are a few to consider for now:...(more) Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 15, 2006 at 19:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkSaturday 10.14.06 On Nuclear Time: Julia Bryan-Wilson at PSU 
Last week, Houston-based artist Robert Pruitt kicked off the PSU MFA Monday Night Lecture series. Working with materials and ideas that he mines from the African-American communities that he grew up in, Pruitt forces a confrontation between the white box and black identity. Pruitt toes the line between his use of stereotypes and true cultural artifacts, citing rap culture, gold chains and Air Jordans alongside tongue-in-cheek allusions to everything from 70s conceptual art practice to Duchamp's ready-mades and Koons' love of commodity... This Monday, Julia Bryan-Wilson will give a lecture entitled On Nuclear Time. Though the press release did not reveal much detail about the talk, it appears to be part of an ongoing project looking at the social implications of nuclear technology... Posted by Katherine Bovee on October 14, 2006 at 10:51 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 10.13.06 End of an Era  Sadly, this weekend is the last annual open house party at the famous 333 Studios. The building has been a creative hotbed for ten years and their annual party is always excellent. Beyond the space being super arty and gorgeous, the building houses excellent artists including John Brodie, David Eckard, Carol Ferris, Gilles Foisy, Cecilia Hallinan, Stephen Hayes, Robin Hoffmeister, David Inkpen, Una Kim, Blair Saxon-Hill and Marty Schnapf. Stop by and show some support to a great group of artists who will soon start the awful process of finding a new, affordable home. 333 Open Studio Party 4-9PM Saturday • 12-4PM Sunday 333 NE Hancock, upstairs • Portland, Or Free Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 13, 2006 at 17:50 | Comments (2) Permalinkopening at small A projects tonight  Surface to Air, 2006 Opening reception tonight at small A projects that will include a *nightviewing* at 8:30p of Diana Puntar’s show “An Hour On The Sun”....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 13, 2006 at 10:57 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 10.12.06 Artists and Specimens at Lewis and Clark College  Cornelia Hesse-Honegger Lady Bird Beetle from Richland, Washington (1998) Be sure to make the trek up Palatine Hill to see the Artists and Specimens show at the the Hoffman Gallery; it will give historical documentation, classification, and our beloved pioneers new identity. This show is one of savvy mimicry and rich, kaleidoscopical commentary. It is funny and profound and makes you think twice about Audubon and Lewis and Clark and even Ranger Rick. All of a sudden these... (more) Posted by Amy Bernstein on October 12, 2006 at 21:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkAmy Berstein's Bio After spending the past year painting in Berlin, Germany, Amy
Bernstein moved to Portland to become a part of the burgeoning
Northwest art community. Originally from Atlanta, Amy recieved her
B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design where she studied
painting. Amy enjoys making art, the strongest of coffees, and
haggling over the interpretations of riddles. She looks forward to the testing Portland will bring to all of her philosophies and how it will thus alter her art practice.
You will find her listening enraptured in the midst of odd local circles, amazed to suddenly find herself where she is. Posted by Amy Bernstein on October 12, 2006 at 20:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkPORT's latest addition Just a quick note, later today PORT will be introducing our newest critic, Amy Bernstein. She's a firecracker with international experience whose opinionated
nature seemed perfectly suited for art criticism. Since Port's audience and Portland's scene
continues to expand quickly, we felt that another voice would allow the four of us to better devote ourselves to in-depth reviews.
Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 12, 2006 at 11:30 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.11.06 Brandland at Powell's Books 
Burger Christ Brandland at Powell's Books Basil Hallward Gallery was put together by the ad giant Weiden and Kennedy's W+K 12 school so one has to consider this student work. An entertaining romp, it is good for laughs at things most of us already know about art and advertising. For instance "Burger Christ" runs on cognitive dissonance, it's a one liner repeated over and over again, and not quite as good as seen on the Family Guy or someone like Banksy. Still, it works because like a lot of advertising its broadly targeted inside joke resonates with most everyone of a nonchristian & nonfast-food background, creating a sense of sneering belonging. It doesn't try to be great art, its entertainment and group cohesion, which can only be distinguished from art in that it fades away faster and costs less. The verdict...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 11, 2006 at 12:35 | Comments (1) PermalinkPaula Rebsom's Debut at Tilt Gallery 
Paula Rebsom's Howling Coyote (2006) Probably the best local show up this month is "When I can't be here, I go there" at Tilt gallery (run by PORT's own Jenene Nagy, I just can't ignore this gem, which comes on the heels of several other decent to good shows). In addition, "WICBTIGT" is the auspicious debut of recent University of Oregon MFA grad Paula Rebsom who seems to have become ten times the artist she was 6 months ago. With just two large format images Rebsom constructs...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 11, 2006 at 11:48 | Comments (4) PermalinkMonday 10.09.06 What Is Kymaerica?  "Tunnel", 2003, Kymaerica series Artist and geographer-at-large, Eames Demetrios (grandson of the great Charles and Ray) has created what he considers a "three-dimensional stroytelling experience" consisting of installations, performances, songs, and lectures. Nicely wrapped up in a dense website, Demetrios has invented an alertnative universe as a way to see past a world we think is inevitable. Noteworthy Kymaerican sites accross America "discoved" by Demetrios have been recogonized with plaques, describing the site and its revelance to Kymaerica. This Tuesday night is a chance for you to see one of these sites in person and participate in the dedication ceremony. All this sound strange? Yes, to me too, but just strange enough to be intriguing. That and the event is being graciously hosted by Portland artist Brenda Mallory. Kymaerica Dedication Tuesday, October 10 • 6:30pm Sidewalk in front of 2136 NE 10th Ave • Portland, Or RSVP: brenda@brendamallory.com Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 09, 2006 at 23:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkAffair followup It is good to hear what outsiders say about events in Portland and Carrie Scott took on the Affair at the Jupiter Hotel in the latest Visual Codec. Alice
Wheeler also photoblogged it, as did Eva Lake. Interesting how they differed from our photoblog coverage.
One notable sentiment, the idea that there is some sort of inherent gulf in quality between Portland art and New York, LA etc., has pretty much died (it's more a question of frequency, specific artists discussed and the venues now). As to the event itself, obviously there are many improvements that can be made (some sort of major draw artist etc.) speak up if you have any ideas. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 09, 2006 at 10:25 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday 10.06.06 Do Something Nice  Start you weekend off right and feel good about yourself by helping others. The Children's Heart Foundation is holding their 2nd annual fundraiser, PULSE. Watch as 40 artists work for eight hours to make a piece that will later be available to bid on at a live auction. The impressive list of artists include Mark Andres, Troy Briggs, Rebecca Scheer, and Andi Kovel to name a few. $100 will get you into the preview party that features food by local favs clarklewis and Andina as well as an opportunity for secure bidding. $45 will get you into the Pulse party at 7pm. Pulse • Children's Heart Foundation fundraiser Saturday October 7 Preview Party • $100 • 5p Pulse Party • $45 • 7p 2537 NW 29th • Portland, Or Posted by Jenene Nagy on October 06, 2006 at 22:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkNorth Mississippi growing pains   Brian Libby at Portland Architecture has a great post on the fate of Holst's new building on North Mississippi. Both sides have good points this time but cant they work things out? Will this BDS decision have a withering effect on good design in the city and lead to a bunch of crummy, designer outlet store approved faux historic travesties? Or can the anarchists and design gurus make nice by realizing that modern design can actually highlight the funkier historic buildings in a kind of anachronistic-modern tango? The middle of the road way leads to homogenized aesthetics and Brian is right to be concerned. What is at stake here is what I call Portland's "Freak Factor" and I think everyone needs to stop thinking purely in terms of, "what fits?" That kind of thinking leads to self-parody and the apple store decision on NW 23rd was simply sad. Instead, decisions should emphasize what stands out. A modern building coexisting next to an anachronist collective just slays me, it should happen and would be sooo Portland. Holst architecture does very sharp yet inviting work and previous projects like the Belmont lofts look great on that funky street in the SE... so why not in NoPo with a few possible changes? Look, change is coming it can either celebrate excellence or mediocrity. As Brian pointed out: the Portland Landmarks Commission will hear an appeal of the BDS rejection on Monday at 1:30pm (1900 SW Fourth Avenue, 4th floor - be there.) Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 06, 2006 at 16:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkRound Up 
Randomly Random A bit ago, there was mention of Damien Hirst not exactly following directions resulting in the need to replace the shark in “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living”. On the Time’s website there’s a video of the removal of the shark, which is somewhat fascinating....(more) Posted by Melia Donovan on October 06, 2006 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 10.04.06 First Friday October 2006 
The 2005 National Juried Exhibition Winners at Newspace are J.Sofford of Portland, Jeffery Milstien of New York and Siri Kaur of LA. See their photographs on display as Newspace celebrates its fourth birthday. Opening reception: Friday October 6th, 7 to 10p. • Through October 27, 2006. Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 se 10th ave • 503.963.1935 The New American Art Union has recreated the studio space of artist Rose Willow McCormick inside the gallery. Each Saturday during the month of October she will complete a live painting in the duplicated studio. The Bushwick Paintings includes work on display from a year-long sabbatical in Brooklyn . Colorful, familiar, tranquil but loud, and varied. Show runs September 30 to October 29, 2006 • First Friday Reception: (time not listed) NAAU • 922 se ankeny st • 503.231.8294 more.... Posted by Nicky Kriara on October 04, 2006 at 23:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkPSU’s MFA Monday Night Lecture Series Begins Robert
A. Pruitt to open the series October 9th
 Low Rider Art, 2004 stool, crushed velvet, bicycle wheel, chrome 57 1/2" x 16 1/4" x 9" Posted by Melia Donovan on October 04, 2006 at 20:18 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 10.03.06 October First Thursday 2006 
Mark Zirpel, Eye Chart, kilnformed glass, 2005. Bullseye Gallery. The International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art, or SOFA , is an annual exhibition that takes place next month in Chicago. The Bullseye Gallery is one of 90 galleries invited to participate. This month the gallery is hosting a SOFA/Chicago 2006 Preview of the work heading to the Midwest. The preview consists of fourteen artists who have shaped glass at North Lands Creative Glass in Scotland. Preview Reception: October 3, 5:30 to 7:30p • Exhibition runs September 19 - October 21, 2006. First Thursday Reception: October 5, 5 to 8p Bullseye Gallery • 300 nw 13th ave • 503.227.0222 MK Guth is showing at Elizabeth Leach . Her work combines a narrative of fairytale (often the disturbing parts, not the happily ever afters) with video art. In Growing Stories, she "explores life through the context of a fable using footage from popular films and sitcoms as a backdrop." Preview Reception: October 4, from 6 to 8p • First Thursday Reception: October 5, from 6 to 9p Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 nw 9th • 503.224.0521 more..... Posted by Nicky Kriara on October 03, 2006 at 13:23 | Comments (1) PermalinkLast Chance  Biswas at Reed There are several important shows closing this weekend so make certain to catch any of these that you may have missed: The Portland Art Museum's 2006 Oregon Biennial. A good, if elegantly tame show by Portland's new standards. Yes, that is a good development on the elegance factor and the tame problem stems from the too abbreviated installations (Brittany Powell is the biggest victim, girl needs more than one wall) and an overabundance of works under glass. Portland has one of the most spatially activated scene's out there and we normally only see this much glass at the Affair Art Fair. Next time everyone will expect major installation "environments" and video art that isn't ghettoized in the back. Still, it's a good show especially if you arent an avid art scene aficionado, a good bit of catch up. Just know that installation art in Portland isn't normally so limited space wise. The show succeeds as the dignified museum show everyone had been asking for. Next time the museum needs to challenge expectations not just meet them. Ends Sunday October 8th. Sutapa Biswas: Birdsong at Reed College's Cooley Gallery. I really enjoyed the first video "Magnesium Bird"... it is perfection, and although the new dual channel video "Birdsong" has its moments it feels a bit overcooked. The purposefully out of synch video images in Birdsong work particularly well when zoomed in close to the child's face but by actually showing the horse it spoils the mystery and uneasy mood, more Bruckheimer than Hitchcock. The narrative seems to have imbedded imperatives that are choking the art. It is worth seeing though, I loved the green room with bird paintings as one enters the gallery as well. Ends Sunday October 8th. Also, don't miss the PICA TBA holdovers. If you miss Harrell Fletcher's The American War, you've missed one of the best contemporary art shows on the planet. Maria Abramovic's Balkan Erotic Epic may be the weakest art she has ever produced (by turning director, the performance artist is branching out) which gives you some idea of how great she is because this rates well as good festival fodder (still more tolerable than anything Bill Viola has done). Theo Angell, Red 76, PORT's own Katherine Bovee and Philippe Blanc and Matthew Day Jackson's work are on display through this week as well. Ends Friday October 6th except Blanc and Bovee on Saturday October 7th. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 03, 2006 at 10:47 | Comments (1) PermalinkMonday 10.02.06 Because brilliance still matters 
Drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (image © Queen Elizabeth II/V&A) Here are a few things that rise above the current (but ever popular) cult of mediocrity: Walter Robinson points out out why Murakami kicks just so much ass on ArtNet, the secret to his talent is his G E N E R O S I T Y. He doesn't put on airs of passive aggressive shyness and gives others a chance to shine. One can be great and generous, no other living artist on the planet comes close to this kind of effect and Ill be there for his mid career retrospective at MOCA a year from now. Where Americans got all soft when adopting the kawaii (cute) culture, Murakami (and the original Japanese version) had teeth. Also, Artinfo had an interview with John McCracken a while back, a brilliant artist of the asymptote (lines that reference infinity). And last but not least Leonardo's (no not the Ninja Turtle) show at the V & A gives Adrain Searle a mental workout. Somehow da Vinci makes others raise the bar for themselves and Searle's quick phrase of "knight'-move thinker" has me smiling. In these times when people consider mere sincerity an adequate stand in for intellectual acuity this does my heart some good. Posted by Jeff Jahn on October 02, 2006 at 10:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkSunday 10.01.06 An Affair to Remember ... Jupiter Gala Rocks
 - Photography by Sarah Henderson - 
 more ... Posted by Sarah Henderson on October 01, 2006 at 0:03 | Comments (3) Permalink |
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