Oliver Boberg, "Seite 5 / Page 5"

Quality Pictures has scored the first Northwest exhibition of German artist Oliver Boberg. He will be showing large-format photographs from his Seiten/Pages series in their west gallery, as well as films from his Nacht-Orte / Night Sites series in their rear project space. Boberg draws inspiration from comic book traditions in his use of multiple-image layouts that explore how the very meaning of an image is altered by its relationship to other imagery. Boberg forces the viewer to draw connections between the images in each piece, creating an alternate reality through his careful construction of object, scene, and perspective.

Don't miss his lunchtime lecture at noon on Friday, November 2 at the Weiden + Kennedy building. This lecture is a free PICA event.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 1
Quality Pictures Contemporary Art • 916 NW Hoyt • 503.227.5060



Isaac Lin, "Myth and Mystery (detail)"

The Elizabeth Leach Gallery will be closing out 2007 with a celebration of the California College of the Arts centennial. Coming Up: New Work by Recent Graduates of the California College of the Arts is curated by Lawrence Rinder, and features a wide range of CCA alums, from polished exhibitors to brand new grads: Desiree Holman, Isaac Lin, Celia Manley, Kyle Mock, Jay Nelson, Mitzi Pederson, Laura Plageman, Paul Schiek, Pascal Shirley and Anna Von Mertens. The work includes video installation, site specific drawing, sculpture, collage, a zine, and more.

Rinder will be speaking about the show at 7pm on Friday, November 2 at PNCA, and he will join the artists for a public gallery walk-through at 11am on Saturday, November 3.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 1
Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th AVE • 503.224.0521



Marie Sivack, "Pneuma"

Marie Sivack will be exhibiting her sculpture and drawing at the Laura Russo Gallery this month. Mnemosyne's Mnemonic utilizes the symbolism of the Greek goddess of memory to explore the potential for quotidian objects to spark imagination and inspire "poetic memory." Blending the solid and the ephemeral to a delicate and sometimes haunting effect, Sivack seeks to expose the connection between "emotional and analytical perceptions."

Opening reception • 5-8pm • November 1
Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754



Stephen Slappe & Matt McCormick

For the month of November, Tilt is featuring Character, a collaborative project by Stephen Slappe. Twenty different west coast artists and filmmakers have joined Slappe to create a "visual archive" of pop characters and icons. The process begins with a conversation exploring their relationship to pop culture, and ends with the recreation of a character on a single sheet of paper, exposing the "mistakes and successes of memory" that become the final piece. A limited edition book documenting the project will accompany the exhibition.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 1
Tilt Gallery and Project Space • 625 NW Everett #106 • 908.616.5477



Karen Esler, "Untitled"

Karen Esler's Recent Paintings and Drawings will be on view this month at the Mark Woolley gallery. This body of work is through the lens of "the last vacation before divorce," utilizing soft monochromatic images to convey the beauty and pain of loss and familial love in quotidian surroundings.

Opening reception • 6-9pm • November 1
Mark Woolley Gallery • 817 SW 2nd AVE • 503.224.5475




This month, the Museum of Contemporary Craft is bringing the fabulous Crafty Wonderland to First Thursday. This arts and crafts "extravaganza," which normally convenes monthly at the Doug Fir, features the work of over 20 skilled crafts vendors, as well as a special free Dia de los Muertos DIY table where you can make and paint your own clay skeleton.

Special event • 5-8pm • November 1
Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654

Portland is very popular with post CCA grads as a place to live and work... Harrell Fletcher, Jesse Hayward, Brittney Powell Jesse Rose Vala, Bailey Winters, the guys down at Jace Gace... and Isaac Lin who is in the show.

And go see Yoshi Kitai at Pulliam Deffenbaugh.

Actually, Isaac Lin has been living in Philly for the past year or two after a year-long stint in Portland. But yes, there are a slew of CCA grads living here; a couple more: Jill Bliss and Emily Counts.

I definitely second Storm's recommendation of Yoshi's show.

And the Oliver Boberg shows looks exciting. I'm not too familiar with his work, but what I have seen looks beautiful.

And I hate to self-promote here on PORT, but my show at PNCA is opening on First Thursday as well. I really only mention this here, because I am excited to be showing in the city in the same month as Yoshi Kitai, because our work seems to speak to each other. Come out and let me know what you think.

Also, check out Harvest's show at Ogle.

Now that's how the comments can be used well (thanks y'all).

About Lin... I was trying to find out if he was still here ironic that he had to move to philly to get a show at Liz's... he was in a Portland Modern and had a show at Reknown so he's definitely a known quantity here too. Mitzi Pederson seems to turn up at least once a year in Portland somewhere... but 2007 it's twice. kinda kicking myself for not buying that lil piece of hers at Pulliam deffenbaugh back in 2005? Katherine noted it here: http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2005/09/treasure_huntin.html

It will be interesting to see if Rinder's show has the same feel.

Beth Campbell at PNCA should be one to watch too.

"Now that's how the comments can be used well..."

I'm confused. You actually want people to use PORT to self-promote? It seems to me that this will to open the floodgates...

One of the resons I read PORT is because it's an edited site. If it stops being edited for content, I'll stop reading.

Honestly, I'd rather see a debate about PAC's role, or ethics, or analysis, or just about anything else over the old "I hate to self-promote" routine. No one who self-promotes hates to do it (if they did hate it, they would refrain...that's what the rest of us do). It's really boring and amateurish.

Thanks

We only edit personal attacks, egregious misuse or abusive comments.

Also, Storm was definitely not self promoting. He's a well known and respected so he's adding something here. Ive got no problem with an artist pointng out an artist they are really struck by.

Lastly, I think people now sense they have to have a little decorum here so though in theory the flood gates could haved opened in a bad way... they didn't.

Oh, yes, I agree, I wasn't talking about Storm. I was commenting specifically on the last paragraph of Calvin Ross Carl's posting, and of symplvision's posting about his girlfriend's show. That's what I meant by the floodgates...you're right that no one else took advantage of the comments section like that, but I'm worried that if you condone it---"...comments can be well used..."---that PORT will be overwhelmed with squeaky postings from the Peanut Gallery: "Hey! What about MY show!!!" I like PORT and want to see it get better and better, not more and more mundane.

Comment #3 on "the PAC at the crossroads" thread is a personal attack, is most egregious and abusive.....yet it remains!!

Please support your very own Portland Art Center.
As my Directv junk mail puts it, "HBO for only 30cents a day".
By my calculations, you could be a fully paid up card carrying PAC member for only one cent per day....with fourteen or fifteen days for free.
Hey for that price,I'll take my chances.

Chris Brown.

Chris Brown

Strong views either way are fine... this isn't candy land.

Considering the issue I'm happy it has been so civil. Less baby sitting for me.

examples: personal name calling that goes beyond the issue at hand goes to far. Calling someone foolish or lame is ok, calling them a drug addict or sexual predator is not. One can be critical and cutting while being civil and appropriate to the PORT forum.

I come from academia where professors often have heated debates and frequently tell one enother they are nuts, all wrong etc. Yet they can sit down over a beer later, they agree to disagree. Critics, journalists and profs have to compartmentalize their opinions away from their more core beliefs to operate.

I think the operating determination of abuse is whether they have built a relevant case or not and to what degree they attack a person vs. their efforts. Commentors have questioned our critics' judgements (which is good) and we tend to answer those directly. PORT's writers are all very intelligent and realize they have to defend their positions.

It's part of the reason a critic isn't just merely an opinionist. They are informed and must engage the history and context surounding the work to hold up to the heightened scrutiny that criticism invites.