Gertrud and Otto Natzler

Gertrude and Otto Natzler, "pioneers in modern ceramics," have been collaborating for almost forty years. They came to California in 1938 after fleeing from Austria during WWII, and have since produced over 25,000 works out of their LA studio. MoCC presents The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler, a retrospective and tribute. If you missed the members-only preview, come by MoCC next week during First Thursday.

Exhibition • August 2, 2008 - January 25, 2009
Museum of Contemporary Craft • 724 NW Davis • 503.223.2654

Jesse Hayward's installation in progress

Jáce Gáce describes Hayward's character as one "in the spirit of throwing caution to the wind and letting the chips fall where they lay," and in The Nursed Meeting of Fallen Renewal he "has created a situation of controlled chaos." His work breaks boundaries and allows the viewer to reset them, building a "living installation that will inevitably change throughout the course of the month."

Opening reception • 6-10pm • August 1
Closing reception • 6-10pm • August 29
Jáce Gáce • 2045 SE Belmont • 503.239.1887

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Andy Warhol, "Marilyn" (1981)

The Maryhill Museum of Art is exhibiting Andy Warhol and Other Famous Faces. The show features an impressive collection of Warhol's pop icon portraits. It also traces his influence on pop and contemporary art, including portraits by Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Takashi Murakami, Robert Rauschenberg, and many more. It's worth the trek - the museum is open 7 days a week, including all holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through November 15.

Exhibition • July 19 - November 15
Maryhill Museum • 35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, Washington • 509.773.3733

Oscar Tuazon, winner of 2007 Betty Bowen award, "Coming Soon" (2002)

The Seattle Art Museum is seeking applicants for its 30th annual Betty Bowen award. The award is a large, unrestricted cash grant to any single artist working in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. The award is in the spirit of Bowen's declaration, "There is still a young genius among us who has been overlooked!" The jury includes a rotating board of local artists, so even just applying is an excellent chance to increase exposure of your work and receive critique from your peers. The deadline is August 15, learn more here.

Several more opportunities behind the cut.

The New York Times Sunday Book Review did its thing on Erin Hogan's book, "SPIRAL JETTA A Road Trip Through the Land Art of the American West. " It is a cute title that in its own irreverence reifies a certain reverence for these often not so roadside attractions. I got a kick out of Vanderbilt's review and the book itself is probably targeted for the overeducated who haven't spent much time alone in a car and suspect they are missing something of the American experience (they are).... it's no wonder the Jetty is replaced by the Jetta. Artvergugen?

Holland Cotter takes on the expected onslaught of summer group shows. The funny thing about Portland is we have a lot of good solo shows in the summer. We get a lot of Bay Area and New York tourists during July and August so it's worth putting on good solo shows.

BS Houston has had it with Red Bull. How does this compare to BMW's art cars?

PNCA's PDXplore#2 on July 22nd 2008

In case you missed it like me, here is a transcription of last Tuesday's PDXplore discussion at PNCA. Ahh the question is... will Portland grow a pair or simply take a prophylactic approach to the coming population surge? Eunuch is eunuch... no more complacency ok? Portland isn't defined by Portland's past... it can only direct those redefining outside forces.

Alexis Pike, "Red Chairs, Bliss, Idaho"

Photolucida promotes dialog and development in the photography community through annual spring Portfolio Review sessions between photographers and reviewers. This year, they've added a summer review session, and this weekend you can check out the work of participating photographers in the Portfolio Walk. Half the photographers will present from 6-7:30, and the other half will present from 7:30-9. In addition to the portfolios, the winners of Photolucida's first Oregon Awards (M. Bruce Hall, Alexis Pike, and Sika Stanton) will be exhibiting their work.

Portfolio Walk • 6-9pm • July 26
Art Institute of Portland • NW Davis & 11th • 2nd Floor

Brian Borrello installation view

Brian Borrello will talk about his wonderful current exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculpture, Ars Brevis, Vita Longa Saturday, July 26, 11:30 at Pulliam Deffenbaugh.

A quintessential Portlander, I often run into him in coffee shops. He is also the author of some of the most successful public art in the city, like his Max train yellow-line stops.

Here's his statement,"My work is an interpretation of the relationship between nature and man's place in its continuum. I look for the evidence of the becoming, the existence and the death of the living being - the marks and residual signs of the activity of life."

This post is a bit of an experiment but I have been thinking a lot about the way a photo can tell a story a about specific time and place. The photograph becomes an embodiement of an idea that is sometimes separate from the work itself. This essay is a study about the way that certain photos become more than just about the visual records of experience that exist in the worlds of art and architecture.

At the same time, I would like to add that the photograph undermines any emphasis on any geographical location outside of the field of view of the camera. Images are one of the few things that available to everyone because all you need to have is a camera and access to the internet. The reason that I chose these images in the post is that they all convey a story. They seem to be closer to conveying an idea about a person or work rather simply documenting an experience. The ideas in these photographs seem to me to be essentially about place.

A camera is extremely specific, it can only record what is in its field of view. If it is outside the field of view of the lens, it wouldn't be recorded. For me, that means that a camera is essentially about a specific place at a specific moment. The great thing is that that place can be anywhere now and availible to anyone. Everybody has the opportunity to participate. In a world that is becoming increasingly universal, there is still something compelling about the specific. The camera also separates the viewer from the event. The image can be used to convey a specific idea which might be different than the experience of the actual event.

This post is probably closer to a slide lecture that happens to be on the internet rather than a normal post. There are plenty of artists with a few architects and architecture thrown in. It is worth noting that a piece of architecture is not easily relocated. Unless people make the effort to visit it, it will only exist for most people as an image. For me that is important lesson for artists. Within the confines of a camera you can create your own world that may or may not have anything to do with where you live on the planet. The camera is a great equalizer.

As I was doing research for this post I was surprised that artists and architects have been using images this way since the very beginning.






A self portrait of Brancusi in his studio. The idea behind the photo is the integration of a man and his work. In this photograph he is completely subordinate to his work, his figure barely fills up a third of the image. It is a photograph about the juxtaposition about his sculpture Bird in Space and himself. The rest of the studio comes into focus through our periperal vision and the long exposure also gives the studio an otherworldly light. He is literally one with his work. More...

Cat Clifford

Cat Clifford, one of the recipients of the recent Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, will be speaking as part of the NW Film Center's Northwest Tracking series. She'll discuss, and screen excerpts from, her influences, from Joan Jonas' Wind (1968) to The Wizard of Oz.

Artist lecture • 6pm • July 24 • $7
NW Film Center • Whitsell Auditorium • 1219 SW Park AVE


Also, for you early birds: Happening today: Interested in learning more about Portland's alternative art venues? Rererato is chatting with Cyrus Smith on KPSU this afternoon. They'll be talking about the art space, Rererato the movie, Rererato TV, and more...

Rererato on the air! • NOON - 1pm • July 21
KPSU • 1450 AM or streaming on their website

Guernica suffered a lot of wear and tear during it's travels... but this time the condition report has a political angle. IMHO, Guernica and Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner are the two most successful pieces of political art ever.

Powerslice enjoys some cool things.

Edward Winkleman is clamping down on his comments... in the past his site has had some of the most lively debates about art in his comment section, but lately its gone south. It's true, moderating comments is a drain on time but there is an interesting dynamic to having reader feedback; it often reveals more facets to the story. About this time last year I was seriously considering removing comments altogether from PORT but after a period of clamping down I think people have gotten the gist... strong opinions are fine but no personal attacks.

Last but not least mayor elect and current transpo comish Sam Adam's liked my post on a better bridge design. A lot of other people did too.

My post was simple common sense from an aesthetictician, with the added power of some decent pictures. Even the Oregonian's editorial board has started to play catch up (Calatrava is good but we need something more radical like Hadid, UN Studio etc., Calatrava has already peaked and less likely to reinvent the bridge for the 21st century... he already reinvented it for the late 20th.). Actually what the O really needs is an architecture critic. Hire Brian Libby, simply using him freelance isn't enough, it's the difference between a personal body guard and a rent a cop... for the O to do it's job during this major design upheaval in Portland it needs someone who would take a bullet. Randy Gragg did heroic things like insist on a design competition for the Tram. BTW that's exactly what we need for the I-5 bridge, scrape together a couple of hundred grand and invite Hadid, UN Studio, Foster, Cloepfil, Toyo Ito and Monolab etc. The ideas and buzz it will generate will be more than worth it, giving the finalist and all of us a much better bridge. If an architect from outside the area is chosen no big deal, most big jobs have a local firm partnered as well.

Barnett Newman's Canto #7, full set on display now

The Portland Art Museum has shuffled more than a little bit around with some very distinguished guests including Barnett Newman and Andy Warhol (a more sweeping rehang of the nearly 3 year old Jubitz Center for Contemporary Art should be expected an a year or two). Also, There's the new Marc Dombrosky show at Apex (I found it underwhelming; crafty sewing + human desperation has been done with more legitimacy and personal investment by Tracey Emin). Check it out though, it's kinda fun to sharpen one's teeth on (BTW what's with all the attention paid to weak examples of Seattle art at PAM lately?). That said the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards and the awesome Ed Ruscha show are absolutely worth a trip, even from out of state.

Besides the programming you gotta check out:

A complete set of Barnett Newman's 18 Cantos 1963-64. These are no ordinary prints, this is a complete set of the most important prints in the last 108 years. Simply sublime, they are fittingly are on display in the Greenberg room of the Jubitz Center beneath the Calder.

Ursula Von Rydingsvard's P's and Q's is a compelling addition to PAM's strong sculpture collection (nice that PAM has made a point of collecting from artists in its two solo show exhibition series).

There is also a tiny Andy Warhol shadow painting on the third floor of the Jubitz center.

Other things worth ferreting out:...(much more)