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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Friday 05.30.08 Keith Boadwee's This is a low. at Rock's Box  Unitled (piss in mouth) Detail Keith Boadwee is a bit of a legend… hmm where to start? Probably the enema paintings of the 90's…. At the time they seemed like a logical abuse of art history and a performance art taunt directed at the fuzzy notions of good and bad taste. Many loved it because it seemed to be a great way to try and kill off "painting" once and for all (nice try), some thought it was talentless drivel, while others saw it as a necessary icon of queer culture. As a series they certainly got everyone talking but... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 30, 2008 at 17:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkKlaus Moje at PAM  Klaus Moje, "The Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry" (detail) PAM's Klaus Moje retrospective opens this weekend. Spanning thirty years of his career, the exhibition explores his extensive work in glass, "from his early carved crystal glass pieces, to the development of layered patterned glass vessels, to his recent multi-panel fused works." In preparation for the show, Moje has been working at Bullseye Glass to create a special installation, The Portland Panels: Choreographed Geometry. This massive four-panel work, composed of more than 22,000 strips of fused glass, is "a stunning technical achievement." Exhibition • May 31 - September 7, 2008 Portland Art Museum • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 In June, Ted Sawyer, Director of Research and Education at Bullseye Glass Company, will lecture on the Portland Panels and their relationship to Moje's body of work. Lecture • 2-3pm • June 8 • $10 PAM • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 In July, Rae Mahaffey, Martha Pfanschmidt and Tom Prochaska will lead a panel discussion exploring their own work in glass, and how it relates to Moje's work and the greater context of glass art. Panel discussion • 6pm • July 10 • $10 PAM • 1219 SW Park AVE • 503.226.2811 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 30, 2008 at 11:18 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday links In the
New York Times Roberta Smith gave a nod to Portland's Jessica Jackson Hutchins (scroll down),
bringing up many of the same things I pointed out in PORT's
review of her show at Small A Projects last February. Her show at Derek
Eller looks a lot more filled in than the Portland show, but that makes
sense... experiment at home and tune the idea for the New York showcase. The
homey subject matter definitely isn't your typical NYC fare.
Adrian Searle loves "Psycho Buildings" at the Hayward Gallery in London. This is a definitely a show I'd love to catch. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 30, 2008 at 10:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.29.08 T'ai Chi for 1,000  Horatio Hung-Yan Law, "T'ai Chi for 1,000" As part of the South Waterfront's Artist in Residence program, Horatio Hung-Yan Law presents China-on-Willamette. The project, which was exhibited for the month of May, consists of two installations, Chopsticks Terrace Rice Field and Bamboo Great Wall. With these installations, Law has sought to explore how Portland might have developed if the Chinese population hadn't been driven out by the anti-immigrations laws passed by Congress in 1882. The project culminates this weekend with a final installation, T'ai Chi for 1,000. This is a rain or shine participation event for people of all ages and levels of T'ai Chi experience - wear comfortable clothing and shoes! Closing event • 10-11:30am • May 31 South Waterfront Park • SW Moody & Curry Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 29, 2008 at 8:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.28.08 Mad Performances!  Back in February, NE art, music, and delightful mayhem space Rererato was in serious danger due to zoning issues. They closed up shop for a while, but in the last few weeks they've reemerged with their experimental music series. This Friday, the art space makes its triumphant return with An Evening of Mad Science. This multimedia performance features "the off-kilter music, collaborative stage props, storytelling and thespianism of local Portland bands Les Flaneurs, Dr. Something and the Poppin' Fresh Love Engines and Spirit Duplicator." Music, drama, and audience-participating quiz shows - they're back with a vengeance. Multimedia performance • 7pm • May 30 • $4 Rererato • 5135 NE 42nd AVE • info@rererato.com  Sean Carney, attribution unspecified 'Tis the week for exciting and eccentric performances. The Pancake Clubhouse presents Sean Carney's lecture on "the lost species Madids." The lecture is part of Carney's Modern Conditions of Production, a series of performances aimed at "retaliat[ing] against the mundane nature of our day to day lives." Carney keeps a blog of his projects here. Performance Presentation • 8pm • May 30 Pancake Clubhouse Historic Township • 906a NE 24th AVE • 503.936.6513 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 28, 2008 at 10:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkWho's the big bad wolf now? Sorry we've been a little quiet, don't worry PORT is about to unleash a deluge of interesting content as we approach our 3rd year (June 1st). As a calm before the PORT in a storm here are two fine things from the New Yorker: Peter Schjeldahl's take on Action Painting and abstraction show at the Jewish Museum discusses the how writers got mixed up in all of that paint. Greenberg, being the most important has a Portland tie in of course... his personal collection forms the cornerstone of the Portland Art Museum's modern holdings. Yet there are gaps, we dont have a major Pollock, Still or most naggingly a major Rothko... despite the fact that Rothko grew up here and had hist first solo show at PAM. I love the fact that we have a very good Krasner and Richard Pousette-Dart on view though. PAM's current display doesn't exactly follow Greenberg's dictums but an expanded worldview. It is interesting that Greenberg is no longer considered the big bad wolf of modernism, the art museum world is no longer made of straw. Paul Goldberger looks at Chinese architecture and the message it sends. Note the China Design Now show will come to PAM October 2009. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 28, 2008 at 8:09 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.26.08 Dyne at MoCC  Melissa Dyne, from "Glass" Melissa's Dyne's Glass opens this week at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Using industrially produced skyscraper glass, Dyne explores "the line between art and craft," through the properties of the window pane, glass in its simplest form. Exhibition • May 29 - August 10 Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654 There will be a series of related events this summer at MoCC. This Thursday, there will be a panel discussion led by the Cooley Gallery's Stephanie Snyder. From Idea to Production: Craft in Conceptual Art Making features Melissa Dyne, M.K. Guth, and Namita Gupta Wiggers as they discuss "the relationship between concept-driven art, industry and craft." Thursday, May 29, 7pm. Free. Three more Dyne events below the cut. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 26, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.23.08 Friday links Stay tuned, Ill have an exhaustive Sam Adams/Portland zeitgeist post coming
soon.
Till then here's: Zaha Hadid's new skyscraper for Warsaw Poland it was just announced that her design is the winner. A very well written review of TJ Norris' Infinitus show at NAAU by Richard Speer. BTW the WWeek is starting to have more art coverage again and I think ditching the listings for a few short reviews is better... it's about time, what about some features? Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 23, 2008 at 14:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.22.08 Boadwee at Rocksbox  Keith Boadwee, "Intersection" Rocksbox presents This is a New Low, by shock artist Keith Boadwee. (In)famous for anal painting and a general obsession with his genital region, Boadwee's work has been described as "intelligent and irritating, repulsive and appealing". Intensely, inescapably physical, Boadwee toys with, and perhaps overextends, the visceral metaphors of the body. It is, indeed, an "uneasy alliance." Opening reception • 7-11pm • May 24 Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N. Interstate Ave. • 971.506.8938 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 22, 2008 at 9:25 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.21.08 Art on OPB  Louis Bunce mural at PDX, 1953, from the Portland Public Art blog There's some interesting art programming happening this week on OPB television. The Art Makers explores the idea that Modern art is a century old in Portland. Although critics have a habit of positing a radical split - even conflict - between the young Portland art scene and preceding generations, the truth is that Portland has been an edge-of-contemporary art city for many, many years, and today's artists are deeply rooted in that history. The Art Makers goes back to the early 20th century to explore how Portland became such an "art-friendly place," drawing a relationship between early innovators such as Harry Wentz, C.S. Price, and Louis Bunce, and modern artists (interviewed) such as Lucinda Parker, George Johanson, Jack McLarty and the late Mike Russo. It airs at 9pm on Thursday, May 22, on OPB TV. Earlier in the evening, you can catch this week's Art Beat, Everybody's Art. The episode explores the role of public art in Portland's community: "Whether you love it or hate it, or don't even notice it, public art is all around us. Where does it come from, who makes it, and what does it add to our communities and our state?" The show first airs at 8pm on Thursday, May 22, on OPB TV. It will re-run on Sunday, May 25, at 2am and 6pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 21, 2008 at 9:40 | Comments (5) PermalinkTuesday 05.20.08 From Portland, OR to Portland, ME  Matthew Robbins The project "Art All Around" is seeking submissions for public art in Portland, ME. They're looking for artists of "any nationality and any age" to build "a major public art work using Portland, Maine's Sprague Energy Corporation 16 of more than 35 above-ground storage tanks as a canvas." There are large cash prizes for 5 semi-finalists, as well as travel accommodations and an even bigger cash prize for one finalist, "whose vision will be applied to 16 of the tanks." The application deadline is June 25 - learn more about it here. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 20, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.19.08 Connecting excellence  Last Friday the City Club hosted Tom Manley with Brad Cloepfil and Sohrab Vossoughi of Ziba Design to discuss Portland's "Creative Grid". Basically it was about networking Portland's creative institutions, firms and individuals. You can listen to it here. Overall this is an important shift in Portland's strategic future as the city is networking the hell out of itself in a way that lets creative types get in on the ground floor. I liked several things about this rather 19th century style public forum at the City Club. First the word "excellence" was used frequently (if only both of our Mayoral candidates did the same, whoever gets the job needs to take their cues from these 3 Portlanders and a few others...). Second, Brad Cloepfil made a great point about being honest about our goals and instead of trying to do it all (like some arts institutions attempt) we need to focus on what we can do that is truly excellent. Finally, the best bit was when Cloepfil responded to a the question about money and funding (a red herring) by stating that Portland needs to "Get Over It" and should focus on doing things at a high level instead (I suspect that will bring more money in 5-10 years). The trick is to not get self satified or think that spending lots of money leads to excellence. I've been saying the same thing for years, the actual amount of money matters less than how it is used. We simply need to ask better questions like my favorite gripe, "are the projects and institutions we are funding raising the level or of discussion, ideas and execution rather than simply existing to create communities of mediocrity. Communities are good but they matter most when they challenge themselves to be better rather than self-congratulatory. Roberta Smith looked at a show of artistic mash-ups. Sounds like people are looking for something new and trying to see what happens when 2 artists are artificially put together. Of course when its not artificial as in Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg (rivals, lovers etc.) that's when art gets radicalized in exciting ways. I don't think those days are gone. Last but not least Art Blogging LA has unleashed its redesigned site. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 19, 2008 at 10:28 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.16.08 CA @ PCVA "There is no true way except for that which is true for oneself. My way does not invalidate the way of anyone else."
-Carl Andre in an interview with Paul Sutinen in 1980  Carl Andre 144 Blocks & Stones, 1973 (Detail) Concrete blocks and found and store bought rocks and minerals Installed at the Portland Center for Visual Arts in March 1973 Image courtesy the PCVA Archive at the Portland Art Museum (c) Carl Andre 2008 Here are ten questions that I asked Carl Andre about his installation 144 Blocks & Stones at the Portland Center for Visual Arts, March-February 1973. In the early correspondence for the exhibition at the PCVA, the installation was described as a "scavenger" show. When did you decide to use river stones and concrete blocks for the installation? When I arrived in Portland. When you were looking for river stones, what qualities were you looking for? The found river stones were complemented by specific geological samples purchased from stores. How did you decide which samples to buy? Do you remember where you found the river stones? I selected ones that interested me. I found them in the local river.  Looking for stones by a local river for the installation at PCVA Image courtesy the PCVA Archive at the Portland Art Museum (more) Posted by Arcy Douglass on May 16, 2008 at 0:22 | Comments (3) PermalinkThursday 05.15.08 Journal of Short Film, Vol. 11  From the Journal of Short Film The Ohio-based quarterly DVD series The Journal of Short Film has featured over a hundred filmmakers in its first ten volumes, exploring a wide range of genre and video style. The first geographically-themed collection, the eleventh volume features Portland's extraordinary film culture. It was assembled by local film maker and curator Karl Lind, and will be released on May 20. The NW film center will screen the DVD at 7pm on May 28 at the Whitesell Auditorium. There will be an after-screening party at 9pm at Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 15, 2008 at 18:07 | Comments (1) PermalinkWindows on many world views  Photo: © Gerhard Richter, Koln / Dombauarchiv Koln, Matz and Schenk Recently, Peter Schjeldahl took a fascinating look at two stained glass window projects by Sigmar Polke and Gerhard Richter. Here's the Koln Cathedral's webpage for the Richter project. Personally, I've always loved stained glass and learned how to execute art deco designs when I was 8 because my Mother was doing the same. Later, I was near contentiously exposed to Frank Lloyd Wright's work and eventually boned up on historical examples like Chartres, La Sainte-Chapelle and Matisse's project in Vence. As for the sacred/secular debate, I don't think it matters much... many Christian artists were pretty heretical while pursuing their work. I also think there is an odd double standard, nobody cares if an architect of a church like Philip Johnson, Moneo or Frank Lloyd Wright were religiously compatible with the congregation's beliefs. I always appreciate it when churches choose to employ top talent, it is a civic responsibility and the poetics of talent producing tolerance are undeniable. Brian Libby over at Portland Architecture gave a welcome recap of Brad Cloepfil's chat at Jimmy Mak's. Interesting how he appreciated the Pearl District as a decent effort that sets the stage for some possibly superb buildings in the future. Right now the only above average architecture is his W+K headquarters, a couple of galleries and the Holst architects projects of PNCA (with a stellar paintjob by Randy Higgins) and Rivertek. With the 511 building and Holst's Ziba Design HQ's there is a sense that some exiciting work is about to be built. Also, what is Powells gonna do with their remodel/addition? The Portland art scene can always use more interesting exhibition spaces and even the new condo's have interesting lobby installation opportunities. The Mercury reviewed the Jess show. After the Cornell retrospective at SFMOMA last year and an unrelenting string of lesser shows in Portland I'm gonna have trouble taking in more collage art. Still, this sounds promisingly obsessive. With collage art I remain wary... "more" seldom is MORE, with Cornell being the benchmark for how to do it right. After Rauschenberg's death I'm feeling even more picky, though Anna Fidler is really starting to take off. Come to think of it collage is a lot like making a stained glass window. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 15, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkAlberta  From the scavenger hunt The students of the PSU MFA Social Practice Program are launching a weekly summer events series, A lot of ______. The events will take place each Sunday, May 18 - June 29, at Neighborhood Projects, a vacant lot on 15th & Alberta made available by architect Matthew Beitz as an off-site classroom space for the MFA students. The series aims to "engage the surrounding neighborhood by providing a platform for communication and collaboration." The first event is the Pepsi Rocket Ship Moon Voyage Launch!, hosted by Cyrus Smith. The full schedule of events is behind the cut. Weekly Event • 3pm • Sundays, May 18 - June 29 Neighborhood Projects • 15th & Alberta • cyruswsmith@yahoo.com Also happening this weekend on Alberta: Art on Alberta's Art Hop. The festival features four musical stages, as well as over 150 artists, guilds, face painters, and street performers. The three featured artists this year are Adrienne Cruz, Tripper Dungan, and Analee Fuentes. Alberta will be closed off for the festival between 12th and 30th on Saturday, 11am-7pm. The parade starts at 3pm. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 15, 2008 at 8:55 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.14.08 More Jess  Jess, "Echo's Wake" In conjunction with the Cooley Gallery's Jess exhibition, the back room and Cinema Project present Jess: An evening of experimental film, music, food, and conversation. Bring your own dinner, and come discuss the work of seminal Beat artist Jess Collins, before previewing a series of films "directly or indirectly inspired by Jess." Film presentation • Doors at 6:30, Film at 7:30 • May 16 • $6 Cinema Project • Podkrepa Hall • 2116 N. Killingsworth Also: Come down to Reed this weekend for a public tour of the Jess exhibition with curator Stephanie Snyder. Curator tour • 2pm • May 17 & 18 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Reed College Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 14, 2008 at 12:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.13.08 Remembering Robert Rauschenberg  Canyon, 1959, Combine on canvas, 81 3/4 x 70 x 24 in. Robert Rauschenberg has passed away at age 82 of heart failure, here is the New York Times obit. A great artist and massively influential, PORT's thoughts are with his friends and family. With his ultra influential combines and even moreso silk-screens, Rauschenberg's place in history is secure as one of art's great alchemists. Without Rauschenbergs's mental muscle and protean reinvention you wouldn't have Warhol (silk-screen), Johns or even Sigmar Polke (silk-screen), Anselm Kiefer (combines) and Jean Michel Basquiat whose cypher-like pictorial organization owed much to seminal works like Factum I and II. My favorite Rauschenberg would have to be Canyon, a work so loaded of with rich associative properties it may be the most telling American representative of Post WWII... it's simply all there; ironic nationalism, stylistic conflicts, poetic hypocrisy, personal asides etc. Hilariously, the fact that Rauchenberg used a bald eagle insures that the work cannot be bought and sold (a protected animal). Also, turning that eagle into a magpie.. a predator turned into imposter... a symbol becomes a chameleon etc.. is simply unbeatable when discussing art and American politics/life. I think the best recent piece of writing on him was Jerry Saltz's Our Picasso? review of the combine show. >Feel free to leave your thoughts on the man and his art here... (more Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 13, 2008 at 10:58 | Comments (6) PermalinkOCAC Thesis Show  Cyan Bott Each year at the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC) ends in the undergraduate thesis and Post-baccalaureate exhibitions. The exhibition showcases the culmination of work developed during the students' education at the college, displaying a wide range of media and multidisciplinary approaches. Because there are forty students exhibiting this year, the show has been split into two venues. BFA Thesis: May 5 - 27 Opening reception • 4-7pm • May 16 Worksound PDX • 820 SE Alder • mojomodou@gmail.com Post-baccalaureate: May 5 - 27 Opening reception • 4-7pm • May 15 OCAC Hoffman Gallery • 8245 SW Barnes Rd. • 503.297.5544 Also happening soon at OCAC: The Metal & Ceramics Sale. "Buy local and support Portland artists" - the sale features functional ceramic pieces and affordable handmade jewelry created by OCAC students. Art sale • 10am-5pm • May 17 & 18 OCAC • 8245 SW Barnes Rd. • 503.297.5544 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 13, 2008 at 10:35 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.12.08 DIVA call for proposals  Current installation at the DIVA space Eugene's Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA) is seeking submissions for its January - June 2009 exhibition season. The arts center, billed as the "visual arts hub of downtown Eugene," has six galleries. They're seeking submissions from Oregon artists and artist groups who are presenting "innovative approaches" on "relevant and meaningful" topics. The submission deadline for proposals is June 7. For more information, you can download their application here (PDF). Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 12, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkCloepfil jams out at Jimmy Mak's tonight  Cloepfil's Anne Sachs building in NW Portland Tonight, local starchitect Brad Cloepfil will be the guest for Portland Spaces' bright lights discussion series. It all goes down at 6:00 at Jimmy Mak's, no cover... Doors open at 5:30 (get there early). Will Cloepfil and Gragg jam out? ....on kazoo's? ...or at least have a drummer for wise-ass rimshots? Let's hope the increasingly bleak design outlook for the I-5 interstate bridge is addressed. We need a serious architect to shepherd this increasingly penny-wise pound foolish project... the only way to insure the billions of dollars spent on the largest new bridge project on the west coast doesn't simply become a XXL overpass. How... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 12, 2008 at 10:05 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.09.08 Something to chew on for the weekend Portland Architecture has a great post on PSU's Social
Practice classroom on Alberta. An innovative project, the structure will
be designed to be moved from site to site, interracting with the various neighborhoods
that Portland is famous for.
 Nan Curtis at Linfield (detail) It's that last weekend for The Dancer at PAM (an excellent scholarly effort) and Saturday is the last day for Nan Curtis' show at Linfield College, always worth the drive and extra fun if you work in some wine tasting in the area. Roberta Smith chimes in on the 55th Carnegie International... her complaint is its lack of teeth. Tyler Green seems to have seen a different show, partly because the Vija Celmins did something for him. (Celmins usually delivers but what about the newer names?) The elephant in the room is this question, "are all these international shows the same uninspired show created through a preapproved list of familiar names and or ideas? Has brand, inclusivity of various practices and global ubiquity trumped the shock of the new?" Look, it's a change election year and similarly I suspect many people simply want a different art world... the Carnegie is proabbly allright but when they went to Mars it looks like they brought the same old artists. All of the biennials are suffering from a fatigue of the overly familiar (brought on by a smaller world and a lot of shows). Artblog also has some nice coverage. Oh and in case you missed it Jerry Saltz wrote about a restaging of a seminal Dan Flavin show... back when real ground was being broken. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 09, 2008 at 17:04 | Comments (0) PermalinkPCC's ArtBeat  Harry Widman, "Mother and Daughter" PCC's ArtBeat Week starts next Monday. The annual festival, which has run since 1989, boasts over 80 events on PCC's five campuses, all of which are free and open to the public. This year's featured artist is internationally recognized painter Harry Widman, whose work Mother and Daughter (above) has been added to PCC's permanent collection. The festival runs May 12 - 16 on the Cascade, Rock Creek, Southeast Center, and Sylvania campuses. For a list of artists and activities and a schedule of events, visit the ArtBeat website. Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 09, 2008 at 11:50 | Comments (1) PermalinkThursday 05.08.08 Infinitus  TJ Norris, "Infinitus" (still) The next Couture exhibition opened this week at NAAU. TJ Norris' Infinitus, the third and final component to the installation series Tribryd, is a "multimedia video lounge" that asks you to experience "the entire globe manifesting itself through interconnected man-made mini malls." The show runs May 7 - June 22, with an opening reception this weekend. Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 10 New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny St. • 503.231.8294 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 08, 2008 at 13:53 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.07.08 Jess  Jess Collins Reed's Cooley Gallery presents an exhibition of work by seminal Beat Generation artist Jess Collins, known simply as "Jess" (1923-2004). Originally a chemist who worked on the Manhattan Project, Jess abandoned science and became an artist to protest nuclear weapons. Jess: To and From the Printed Page explores his relationship with printed materials, "as food and inspiration for his literary, esoteric vision." The traveling exhibition was organized by iCI. Exhibition • Tue-Sun 12-5pm • May 9 - July 20 Cooley Gallery • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. • Reed College Also: Don't miss the artist talk by Margot Voorhies Thompson at Laura Russo, in conjunction with her Inventing/Adapting exhibition. Artist talk • 11am • May 10 • Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st AVE • 503.226.2754 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 07, 2008 at 13:15 | Comments (0) PermalinkNew Sponsors You may have noticed PORT's many new sponsors over the past 6 months and it's
time to point them out if you haven't. Our sponsors are important part of what
we do, making informed art writing like this, this and this possible as well
as our constant stream of news, openings and other events. Portland is a busy
art city, that has only gotten busier and more serious in just the last 6 months,
even our list of new sponsors tells that story.
Portland Art Focus is a coalition of for profit and non profit art exhibitors (PAM, PADA, Reed, MoCC, PICA, OCAC, Lewis and Clark, PNCA etc.) dedicated to increasing Portland's profile as visual art destination on the international stage. You'll be seeing ads in the New Yorker and Art in America shortly and you might have already seen ads in Art Ltd. Also, important is PAF's connection to Travel Portland bringing package deals to The Rose City. Cultural tourism is a major and growing industry for Portland (and a little known fact, Portland's weather is incredibly nice from mid May-mid October). Art Media and Utrecht are two of the most popular art supply stores in Portland (a city full of artists) and we are proud to have both of them on board as sponsors as well. Not just businesses, they are often where artists neighborly run into eachother. Thanks to all of our sponors, you make PORT possible... check them out at the right of the screen. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 07, 2008 at 10:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.06.08 Judy Cooke and Amanda Wojick at Elizabeth Leach Gallery  Judy Cooke, Oil, 2007 rubber, aluminum and oil on wood 43 x 38.5 x 2" Black Rubber has many connotations. Some of us might think tires, others its uses as a shock absorber/ dampener and others, well how should I say it, something more entertaining. According to Wikipedia, natural rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer that naturally occurs as milky colloidal suspension, or latex, in the sap of some plants. In other words, rubber is a natural substance that has found lots of uses in industrial applications: tires, tubes, gaskets, etc. We use rubber to make sure our cars stay on the road and to make sure that when we connect to pipes that don't leak. Not to overstate the obvious but rubber is flexible, it adapts... (more) Posted by Arcy Douglass on May 06, 2008 at 9:46 | Comments (1) PermalinkStorytelling  Leigh Ledare Opening this week at Small A: Every Picture Tells a Story... Or At Least is a Picture, curated by Jo Jackson and Chris Johanson, featuring the work of twelve contemporary artists. Opening reception • 6-8pm • May 8 Small A Projects • 1430 SE 3rd • 503.234.7993 Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 06, 2008 at 9:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.05.08 Lectures  Justine Kurland Photographer Justine Kurland is lecturing at PNCA this week. Kurland became well known after her participating in the 1999 group show Another Girl, Another Planet, in which she displayed "large tableau pictures of neo-romantic landscapes inhabited by teenaged girls." Her work continues to explore issues of feminine identity, including her PICA exhibition in 2005. We're lucky to have Kurland around these parts quite frequently. Artist lecture • 12:30pm • May 7 PNCA • 1241 NW Johnson St. • 503.226.4391 Also: Roger Ballen is lecturing in conjunction with his exhibition at QPCA. Artist lecture • 7pm • May 7 • $5 PICA • 224 NW 13th AVE Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 05, 2008 at 17:26 | Comments (0) PermalinkLooking around Andrew Goldstein wonders what
P.S.1 will be like without Alanna Heiss? As of late the institution has been
morphing into more of an establishment venue with the Greater New York shows
etc. and a connection to MoMA... it's the way things tend to go. Really anything
that isn't a fusty musty academic institution will tend
to fall victim to its own successes (see MoMA, Dia, Guggenheim) and it's why
Judd took to Marfa and even that outpost has become a fetish of remoteness.
Look, if Walter Hopps could somehow mellow and take on an old sage-like patina in his last
years anyone and any institution can...it's just part of the metabolism of culture.
Speaking of Judd, Tyler Green is still in the running for Judd head of the month, both bits are interesting, especially the bits on why Smithson was more favored in the academy. Kim Davenport of Rice University has 10 bits of sound advice regarding installation art. You definitely have to take a greater leap of faith and trust the atrist more for site specific projects... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 05, 2008 at 11:38 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.02.08 Paul Sutinen at the Nine Gallery  Detail of Paul Sutinen's Sculpture in the Form of a Small Building in the Distance at the Nine Gallery Unless you are camping or a cave dweller, buildings are the main stage for most human activities. We humans are essentially hive dwellers and buildings are our honeycomb. Because of this, Paul Sutinen's Sculpture in the Form of a Small Building in the Distance at the Nine Gallery collective (located inside Blue Sky in the Desoto Building) was a welcome respite from all of the sculpture du jour (self conscious with a light touch) on view for May's First Thursday... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 02, 2008 at 14:37 | Comments (0) PermalinkA "Cross-Cultural Encounter" at OSU  Heejung Kim, "Karma" This Monday, two exhibitions curated by Midori Yoshimoto are opening at OSU's Galleries. The combination of Heejung Kim's series The World Between and Sarah Pucill's video installation Stages of Mourning creates "an unexpected, cross-cultural encounter of two women artists." Kim's sculptures and handmade books, in the Fairbanks Gallery, use unusual materials to create objects that explore Buddhist symbolism and Kim's own meditations on the great questions: meaning of life, meaning of death, meaning of existence... In the adjacent West Gallery, Pucill's video installation takes a Western approach to the symbolism of death, exploring the depth of psychological anguish one experiences when trying to cope with the loss of a loved one. Opening reception • 11:30-1:30 • May 5 Fairbanks Gallery • 106 Fairbanks Hall • OSU Campus Curator lecture • 6pm Reception 7pm Lecture • May 7 LaSells Stewart Center • 100 LaSells Stewart Center • OSU Campus Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 02, 2008 at 10:55 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.01.08 First Friday Picks May 2008  Joe Glasglow Newspace presents Peripheral Vision by the Inner Light Group. Founded in 1986 by Shedrich Williames, the photography group now includes over 20 members working in a wide variety of styles. This exhibition explores the physical and metaphorical possibilities when considering our visual periphery: "Does it exist only in the mind of the photographer? Or is seeing with peripheral vision a physical process that keeps one alert to all that may be happening in the corners and around the edges of an image." Opening reception • 6-9pm • May 2 Newspace Center for Photography • 1632 SE 10th AVE • 503.963.1935 (more) Posted by Megan Driscoll on May 01, 2008 at 11:45 | Comments (0) Permalink |
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Site Design: Jennifer Armbrust | • | Site Development: Philippe Blanc & Katherine Bovee | |