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Portland art blog + news + exhibition reviews + galleries + contemporary northwest art
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Thursday 05.31.12 First Weekend June 2012 Cracked Memex, Carl Diehl, 2012, desk retrofit with audio patchbay, incoming audio-visual feeds, monitor, contextual datums Although the lovely little holes below the Imago Theatre are still charmingly pristine, Half/Dozen will host their last exhibition tonight in Left/Right. They happen to be closing on a high note (or should I say frequency) exhibiting the fantastically fictoquizzical works of Carl Diehl. "In this exhibit, Carl Diehl draws from the rich history of UFO lore to develop speculative models of Drone Kitsch. At once a repository for technological anxiety, the darling of postwar science fiction and a stylistic mentor to the UAV, Diehl uses the UFO rhetorically as a means for imagining nostalgic objects from an estranged futurity." Drone Kitsch | Carl Diehl Closing Reception | June 1st | 6-9PM Half/Dozen | 722 E Burnside Basement, Entrance on SE 8th Ave. (Also, Guts at Ditch Projects and Andre Filipek at FOCO gallery) Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 31, 2012 at 22:36 | Comments (0) PermalinkFor Heaven's Sake Arnold ...and the likely winner of this year's Joseph Kosuth award for minimalist PR is:
Arnold J. Kemp | FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE MEΣ(s) A Project Space 923 SE 13th Ave. Apt.#4, Portland, OR 97214 RECEPTION: THURSDAY, May 31 | 6 - 9PM Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 31, 2012 at 11:08 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.30.12 Feral Children turned loose on Last Thursday 
Video still from Children's Games by Seth Nehil (2011) Well it is a video of feral children (and would a real pack of feral children really be that surprising on Last Thursday?)... So here is the PR for Gavin Shettler's inaugural video window featuring Seth Nehil's Children's Games. Here is the PR: "Seth Nehil's Children's Games looks at Brueghel's 1560 oil painting of the same name to imagine a world without adults. These short video pieces imagine a self-created society of runaway teens, hidden deep in the woods. Isolated from society, they lose their use of language, play timeless games and invent ritual interactions. Children's Games continues Seth Nehil's interest in performance systems and sonic environments." Reception: Seth Nehil's Children's Games | 6-9 PM Thursday, May 31st Last Thursday at Living Room Realtors | NE Alberta Office 1422 NE Alberta St, Portland OR Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 30, 2012 at 23:43 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.29.12 Olaf Breuning Lecture  Still from Home 3 footage, Olaf Breuning, 2012 Olaf Breuning's talk tomorrow will prove invaluable for all of those attracted to sardonic undertones embedded in video and performance work. Home 3 continues to unravel the result of homelessness, fetishization, tourism, and "cultural" conditioning on the Global citizen. "Swiss-born artist Olaf Breuning makes art that combines a large dose of dark humor with a critical eye for present-day faux-pas and missteps. In Home 2, a hapless protagonist caricatures the Western obsession with the authentically "exotic" through a series of awkward travelogues. Home 3, Breuning's most recent film, continues his series, focusing on the relationship between modern man and his technological environment." Home 3 | West Coast Premier & Artist Talk Co-presented with PSU MFA Studio Lecture Series May 30th | 7pm | Free 5th Avenue Cinema | 510 SW Hall Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 29, 2012 at 13:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday Links I hope everyone had a great weekend and if you were in Portland did not miss the Rothko show. Here are some links.
Roberta Smith goes on about fun house art. As I wrote last year, I agree that some artists like Carsten Holler and Olafur Elliason do make fun house work that doesn't demand much of the viewer. Then there are artists like Alfredo Jaar, Robert Irwin, Richard Serra who push institutions and viewers to their limits. That isn't a fun house it is to rigorous and demanding for that and the distinction needs to be made. BTW the fun house stuff likely started with Salvatore Dali's World's Fair pavillion. It's all a question of how much pandering the work does towards the viewer's expectations. Here's an article on the "Try-Again-Ennials" from Modern Painters. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 29, 2012 at 10:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.28.12 Final Thoughts on Rothko 
Mark Rothko retrospective at the Portland Art Museum (all photos Jeff Jahn) It is the last day for the Rothko Retrospective at the Portland Art Museum and though I've written on the Rothko retrospective frequently, and discussed on OPB's Think Out Loud radio program, even taught a seminar on the subject... it never becomes exhausted. Though it is a very main line even predictable retrospective....read that as a Christopher Rothko style focus on the singular stylistic development achievements rather than a more complicated look at how artists and other thinkers like Miro, Matisse, Milton Avery, Adolf Gottlieb and Clyfford Still all played a part in his still singular breakthrough, it is arguably the most important show the Portland Art Museum has put since Rothko's first solo show in 1933 at that same institution. You should see it right now if you haven't already.... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 28, 2012 at 12:47 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.25.12 Last Weekend of May 2012 
Christian Oldham at Appendix The notifications sent out attracting people to Christian "Megazord" Oldham's Chat with Flowers at Appendix typically give little away. It might be frustrating to stab in the dark, but I implore you to make the jaunt up North to investigate the work of my favorite of the ultra-trendy-90s-core-net-based-dudes whose work is maturing faster than Erin Jobs. Although the boys have little to say about the show at the moment, we were left with this lovely little link. Chat with Flowers May 29 - 30th and June 1st - 3rd | 7-10 P.M. Appendix | south alley between 26th & 27th, off NE Alberta  Warm for Your Form, Bobbi Woods, 2011, Enamel on Poster You won't have to sift through as many layers of shadowy "conceptualism" (or at least yard debris) to get to Bobbi Woods' opening at Fourteen30 tonight, but you will be confronted with some form of obfuscation. Here, the view of 1970s-era posters is almost totally covered by blankets of enamel. Fourteen30 writes, "Through an environment of repetition, in which the viewer is able to move easily between correlative works, Woods creates an experience predicated upon visual pleasure, desire, and obfuscation." Warm For Your Form Opening Reception | Friday, May 25th, 6-8pm May 26 - July 15th, 2012 Fourteen30 | 1501 SW Market St. Posted by Tori Abernathy on May 25, 2012 at 17:19 | Comments (1) PermalinkFriday News Kanye West has a pyramid designed by OMA dedicated to him for Cannes Film Fest. Sure he believes his pyramid is the greatest of all time but it is in fact a tent... an awesome big-assed tent but a tent none the less. Interesting viewing environment though.
In the least shocking news of the week, longtime Museum of Contemporary Craft curator Namita Wiggers was named director. I've always described Wiggers as MoCC's #1 asset, even above its building and collection so this makes sense and I suppose it took this long to happen because she is such a force as a curator and thinker. She succeeds my friend Jeffrey Thomas, whom was interim director for a year and stepped down a few months ago. My read on this is that his tenure was a way to allow Namita to transition and to get the museum on firmer ground with old Portland and national level funding sources... while she got the programming back on solid ground. Normally, I'd be concerned about the quality of programming with such a shift but shows curated by others like the recent Northwest Modern show were excellent historical efforts. Namita's current Betty Feves retrospective wont be her last effort either. Frankly, she's one my favorite art people in Portland and this is good news. It is the last weekend for the Mark Rothko retrospective at PAM (and it's free tonight from 5-8PM) so catch it. Yes it has been extended through Monday the 28th. I'll have more on this later weekend. And last but not least think about attending this event documenting the history of experimental film making in Portland on Sunday for EFF. Jim Blashfield, Matt McCormick etc... Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 25, 2012 at 12:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.24.12 Rumblings for EFF at Gallery Homeland I've always liked the video installation art shows that the Portland Experimental Film Festival has done each year because there is nothing like a big dark crowded room full of video screens and projections. This year is no exception and though nothing strikes me a particularly outstanding this effort put on by Gallery Homeland and Grand Detour is very solid affair.
 Wierd Fiction performing at Rumblings What's more it has all the frenetic yet soldid energy everyone seemed to want from the 2011 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards and the Portland2012... but did not get. What's more with a bag of Bollywood (chutney flavored) popcorn this show delivered the kind of festival atmosphere/art that larger scale art scene's like Portland require (17,000+ artists last I heard) of its institutions. It is a kind of social "get out of the studio" mixer that such rambling group shows become venues for. Here are some thoughts: ...(more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 24, 2012 at 12:53 | Comments (1) PermalinkWednesday 05.23.12 From Portland to Houston, Madrid, Berlin and Back 
Though Portland's media reportage for culture can be insulated and frequently decades out of touch, the Portland art scene itself gets around quite nicely as ever more important art hubs always tend to behave. Perhaps, let's discuss the way we frame the discussion... instead of wondering "whether"... simply pay attention to what is already going on. Here's a prime example... Paul Middendorf's Gallery Homeland has already done projects in Istanbul, Berlin and Houston. Yet a lack of support (& credit, aka attaboys) perhaps drove him to move to Houston where he's working on another branch of the organization while keeping the Portland office open too. Now Paul is back for the week and leading a discussion at Froelick Gallery tonight called From Portland to Houston, Madrid, Berlin and Back. Here's the PR: "Please join us for an impromptu discussion about the current FROELICK exhibitions and comparisons of contemporary art scenes in Portland, Texas & Europe. Take part in an ongoing dialogue between artists Terrell James, Laura Ross-Paul & Victor Maldonado with Paul Middendorf, co director of Gallery Homeland & curator of Southern Pacific. Please RSVP by email to rebecca@froelickgallery.com" To foreground a difference I find very important, Houston has a very coherent... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 23, 2012 at 12:48 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.22.12 Rumblings of the Eff-ing volcano at Gallery Homeland 
Tonight is the night for Rumblings and I highly recommend it! In the past Gallery Homeland has hosted major portions of Portland's Experimental Film Festival and it has always been an exciting/well attended event. So it is time to "Rumble" tonight and the lineup is heavy on programming that could be considered either video art and video installation art as a form as experimental film. Frankly making the distinctions between those three terms is exasperating but I can say that video installation is a major strength of the Portland art scene that gets international attention. Here is the lineup: Cathy Fairbanks: Transference is a Tough Row to Hoe Lydia Greer: A Self-Made House Jason Gutz: Sequence Shawn Patrick Higgins: Fortune Ajna Lichau: ON DEMAND Neil Ira Needleman: Loud Loop Julie Perini: Video Projection with Movement Kelly Rauer: POV (reflexive) Christina Santa Cruz: Gorgeous Media Performances by Weird Fiction and Future Death Toll and this exhibition is sponsored in part by The Historic Ford Building, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Ford Food and Drink, and RACC's Project Grant RUMBLINGS @ galleryHOMELAND Opening: May 22 6 - 9PM 2505 SE 11th Ave. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 22, 2012 at 10:06 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.21.12 Art and Real Estate links The New York Times covered the out of the way Maryhill Museum. Interesting comparing the writing on it in the local paper. The O certainly has its work cut out for it when all this local stuff is of national interest... i.e. look sharp and never ever use irrelevant terms like "Big City"... Look, the area has an idiosyncratic appeal so pay attention to those aspects which are making them stand out nationally/internationally. Basically, beware of familiarity breeding contempt. We have natural advantages here but you have to be looking for them to see how special they are to outsiders. Basically don't take the area's pioneering pluck for granted, sometimes it is much more valuable than simple dollar signs.
And speaking of idiosyncratic museums, collections and benefactors Christopher Knight gets right down to it on the whole Barnes Foundation debacle. Oh and with everything else going on I forgot to link to Brian Libby's discussion of PNCA's new residence hall on the North Park Blocks. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 21, 2012 at 11:07 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.18.12 Saturday options  
PLACE gets in on the EFF-ing action and in collaboration with Grand Detour presents EFFPortland: FISSURE VENTS featuring San Francisco based experimental filmmaker Kerry Laitala, Brent Coughenour and Portland's Leo Daedalus who will premiere Low Mass in Screen. Here's the PR: "This summer, we've invited Grand Detour's EFFPortland to transform our Black gallery into a showcase of stunning and ambitious video work. FISSURE VENTS features three installations that deconstruct, reconstruct, and send up familiar and found footage, creating hallucinatory and immersive environments of light and sound as provocative as they are seductive." Opening, May 19th 5-8 PM PLACE | Pioneer Place Mall atrium building 3rd floor 
Tom Cramer's latest at Laura Russo Gallery For you early risers there is a Tom Cramer talk at Laura Russo Gallery. Yes 11:00 AM is early for the tragically hip crowd in Portland, though it might have more to do with holding down 2-4 jobs than being party animals??? Either way Tom is the artist who connects the newer waves to the older 60's scene in Portland and therefore his work is nothing like that from either demographic (when will the LR gallery finally look at some of the later waves, some who have been here for 15+ years?). Anyway, hear Tom talk about his latest show, which contains some of his most accomplished works to date. Artist Talk: Tom Cramer Laura Russo Gallery 805 NW 21st Ave. May 19th, 11:00 AM Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 18, 2012 at 12:17 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.16.12 Heidi Schwegler's The Known World at Chambers  Heidi Schwegler's This is You (FG), (BG right) Popular Delusion "He did not think of himself as a tourist; he was a traveler. The difference is partly one of time, he would explain. Whereas the tourist generally hurries back home at the end of a few weeks or months, the traveler, belonging no more to one place than the next, moves slowly, over periods of years, from one part of the earth to another. Indeed, he would have found it difficult to tell, among the many places he had lived, precisely where it was he felt most at home." Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky That passage from the Sheltering Sky remains the penultimate dissection of the varied perceptual vortex of travel. It also provides a good deal of insight into Heidi Schwegler's purposefully disconnected solo show The Known World at Chambers 916. All of which is is poetic because it marks her return to the Pearl District after a long silent period and then a series of uneven non profit exhibitions. I've been watching her closely since she was the star of the 1999 Oregon Biennial... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 16, 2012 at 22:23 | Comments (0) PermalinkTuesday 05.15.12 Paul Pfeiffer lecture at PSU  Paul Pfeiffer's Vitruvian Figure (2009) The Paul Pfeiffer lecture on Thursday looks like a winner for Portland artists interested in architecture and multimedia technology (a large portion of the scene), here's the PR: "New York-based multimedia artist Paul Pfeiffer will deliver the final presentation in the inaugural lecture series, titled 'Firsts,' given by the Department of Architecture, Portland State University. Paul Pfeiffer will speak on Thursday, May 17, at 7pm, at Shattuck Hall Annex (at SW Broadway and Hall Streets) on the Portland State University campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Paul Pfeiffer is a New York–based artist whose groundbreaking work in video, sculpture and photography uses recent computer technologies to examine the role that the mass media plays in shaping consciousness. Pfeiffer prompts audiences to reconsider attitudes about the body, race, identity, faith and architectural space in contemporary society. His work has been exhibited internationally at renowned museums and galleries and is in private and public collections worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous awards and, notably, he is the inaugural recipient of the Bucksbaum Award, given by the Whitney Museum of American Art (2000)." Artist Lecture: Paul Pfeiffer PSU Department of Architecture Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 7:00pm Shattuck Hall Annex Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 15, 2012 at 11:44 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.14.12 Barnes Storming  Interior of the original Barnes Foundation I've discussed the Barnes Collection numerous times over the years, and now it is open to the public in a new building in downtown Philly. I haven't seen it yet but on principle I believe it is important to weigh in. Christopher Hawthorne of the LA Times doesn't dig the building. Frankly it was an impossible commission, part of the charm is the destination, the old building smells, creaky floors and less than perfect light. But even more fascinating is this very well written piece by Jerry Saltz that I nearly completely disagree with. Though I generally applaud Jerry's sentiment that no collector should dictate the terms for best viewing the art (especially after they die) in this case I can't agree. Very few collectors deserve equal billing with artists but in this case I believe the incredibly idiosyncratic Barnes did. What is lost by creating a pseudo structure that makes the works more accessible is to lose part of the story of modern art and thus the roots of how we decoupled the power of the image (art, advertising etc.) from the institution and the state... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 14, 2012 at 12:24 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.11.12 Friday Links I have expanded my thoughts on Peter Plagens' article in the Wall Street Journal. The repercussions of which should be felt for years because Portland does a lot of great things as an incubator and needs to consolidate those successes with rethinking its support structure and the way institutions calibrate their eye on the scene's often very unrelated strata.
Tyler Green takes a look at some fantastic Rembrandt self portraits. Brian Libby looks at the most exciting new building in Portland's skyline... did I just type those words? Yes, Portland actually has an exciting new addition to its skyline. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 11, 2012 at 17:02 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.10.12 Chase Biado at PSU's White Gallery  Chase Biado has a truly enigmatic sense of delivery and it comes through in his work. A while back he presented a video of a hilarious talking mushroom performing a long, off the wall diatribe (by Tom Cruise) at 12128 so I'm very curious to see his latest solo show at PSU's White Gallery, Spider Veins. There is an opening tonight 5-8PM. To give you the flavor here is his Press release statement: "I've been seeking out a certain line, a vein. It's a squiggly line ~~~~~ an uneconomic line, like an excess of time allowed for the line to be dragged. The pencil is held with slack. The line meanders towards its destination. The spider vein is the wandering line that is too old to care ~ that has lost a destination and keeps going. The spider crawls up the wall ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ spider dance. The spider makes a line that is not necessarily choice. The drawn squiggly is not necessarily a choice, but tension held in the body. I've tried to draw a line like veins crawling up the legs of old men and old ladies in their old swimsuits on the old beach, getting older. This is not a streamline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's a relationship in the line between time and tension. The spider vein is on vacation time. Its tension is drawstring tension. The line defines the relationship: body to out-of-body, bound-self to unbound projection. The line says, 'I am the spider, you are the web.' varicose ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ varicose ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ varicose Spider Veins Artist's Reception: May 10 5-8PM Littman & White Galleries| Portland State University 1825 SW Broadway #250 | 503 725-5656 Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 10, 2012 at 12:45 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.09.12 Monograph turns two 
Sure Portland has some great big bookstores but there's this little one just off NE Alberta that has my heart... So join Monograph Bookwerks for their second anniversary. There will be Prosecco beverages and snax, book giveaways, friends and cheer to celebrate Monograph as it enters its "terrible twos"... never grow up little one and may everyone be lucky enough to witness an art book tantrum! Monograph Bookwerks B'Day Party: Thursday May 10th 7-10PM 5005 NE 27th ave at Alberta Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 09, 2012 at 20:12 | Comments (0) PermalinkMonday 05.07.12 Opportunities knocking In New Orleans the Jonathan Ferrara gallery is doing their 16th annual No Dead
Artists exhibition and they are pretty keen on having a look at some Portland
artists and increasing exchange between our fair cities. Deadline is May 15th
with high level jurors and a solo show for the grand prize. Follow this
link for full details. There's a connection here too as they represent Portland's
Brian Borello already.
With a deadline of May 8th is a call for contemporary portrait photography for a show titled Mirror Mirror at Black Box. Juror is Holly Andres. Calling all PNCA alums... the call for the 2012 Alumni exhibition looks like a doosey this year. Jurors are Randy Gragg, Namita Gupta-Wiggers, Sarah Miller-Meigs, Deanne Rubinstein and Stephanie Snyder. Open to all undergrad, graduate and CE certificate holders. Deadline is June 24th. PICA is hiring a box office manager. Deadline is June 1st for the second annual Industry and Art show down at Swan Island. Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 07, 2012 at 13:34 | Comments (0) PermalinkFriday 05.04.12 First Friday Picks May 2012 
Nathaniel Thayer Moss in progress at Worksound's Perceptual Control We've been waiting for three months for Worksound's latest show Perceptual Control and it has been worthwhile seeing it develop over a series of talks... but it's time to see where this residency with, Nathanael Thayer Moss, Emily Nachison, Kyle Raquipiso, Jamie Marie Waelchli and PORTstar Amy Bernstein all ends up. The theme of, "exploring transcendence and perception," seems right on time. Opening Reception: 7:00PM - 10:00PM | May 4th Worksound 820 SE Alder Street ... (more: Customary Clothing and Dan Gilsdorf at 12128) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 04, 2012 at 11:16 | Comments (0) PermalinkThursday 05.03.12 First Thursday Picks May 3rd 2012 Tori is a little busy graduating from Reed right now so I'll take this round of picks... you'll be seeing more of her sparkling contributions in the near future. From last month there are some very strong holdovers like Day Job at PNCA and Laura Fritz's Entorus. Here is what is new:
History lesson, in 1999 Heidi Schwegler's kinky work was the star of the most influential art show in Portland's recent history, the 1999 Oregon Biennial curated by Katherine Kanjo (it included video and installation art and made old timers crazy because there wasn't enough whittling, other stars Storm Tharp, Kristan Kennedy, Tom Cramer, Nan Curtis, Jacqueline Ehlis, Sean Healy etc. took part... it remade Portland's scene). Later, Heidi made a splash at the most ambitious Pearl District gallery Portland has ever seen, Savage. Then she kinda disappeared, much to my chagrin. Lately, she's turned up at the Hallie Ford Museum and snagged a well deserved Ford Fellowship. Which is all a round about way to say, welcome back to the Pearl District with this new tourism driven show The Known World... After April, The Pearl is a place that sorely needs any show that doesn't sport an endless barrage of landscape paintings. Chambers@916 Opening Reception: 6-9 PM | May 3rd May 3rd - June 23rd 916 NW Flanders (...more with; Light, Ryan Pierce, Tom Cramer and LITE BOX) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 03, 2012 at 13:11 | Comments (0) PermalinkWednesday 05.02.12 WSJ asks if Portland is America's next art capital?  Peter Plagens visiting 12128 2 weeks ago The Wall Street Journal has just published a fascinating report on the Portland art scene by noted art critic Peter Plagens. I was his Sacagawea, er... guide... so yes he's seen infinitely more of Portland's scene than DK Row (or any institutional curator besides Cris Moss and Blake Shell). So yes odds are he probably saw your show if it was up two weeks ago in an established venue. Plagens is a machine and a tough discerning customer who doesn't buy any BS. The first day alone we took in 9 shows scattered throughout the city. There will be some images in the print edition tomorrow but let's just take a quick once over the words right now. Nice that he reiterated the "Capital of Conscience" term that I coined in an Op Ed for the Portland Tribune a few months ago. Because Portland is not a financial capital, NO we wont be a traditional art center like London, New York or Paris of yore. Instead, think of Portland like Weimar during during the Bauhaus years or perhaps Leipzig (the best 25 artists are definitely world class discoveries to be made, maybe only 6 are already known in Chelsea). Overall Portland is full of idealistic people doing idealistic things for the sake of ideals... giving things time to develop before money kicks in and changes things (for good and bad). Portland is a rebel base where art for art's sake is made. We have international art stars who live here too because it is a good environment to work and enjoy the company of other like mindeds. Accurate in that it discussed Portland as a city where creatives work very hard... not just a bunch of slow paced hipsters who are already retired and eat Voodoo Donuts. The truth is most are working very hard to stay afloat and make work... yet some are carrying on an international career. It is true, the alternative spaces are so much more adventurous than the commercial galleries... that could be said of most cities but it's my sense that many retreated quite far in 2008 when the market crashed. Instead of trying to drum up excitement by trying new artists (when nothing was selling anyways) they went for safer stuff. Honestly that makes sense, the gallery business is so difficult but perhaps this article will catalyze a way to narrow the schizm? Collectors might be more involved if they knew what Portland's larger scene was like? As it stands Plagens has seen more of Portland than most Portland collectors, curators and art dealers and he's right the installation art and some video is our strongest suit. He loved Crystal Schenk's Artifacts of Memory (the last show we saw) and Laura Fritz's Entorus (he spent an hour with it... 45 minutes in silence), because frankly they are two superlative exhibitions that outclass everything but the Rothko show at PAM (yeah that good). They would stand out in Chelsea and you can still catch them both, do so. He gives Joe Macca... hell. It's karma time Joey??? PORT's Patrick Collier just reviewed Macca's show too, and didn't go easy on him. He did think Ralph Pugay was hilarious so there you go.... (more) Posted by Jeff Jahn on May 02, 2012 at 14:53 | Comments (2) PermalinkTuesday 05.01.12 Among Friends; Joe Macca's Two Man Show at Marylhurst's Art Gym 
If one were to take the two Cs in Joe Macca's last name, rotate them clockwise 90 degrees and smoosh them together, his name might then read as "Joe Mama," calling to mind the type of joke that relies on tasteless creativity in pursuit of one-upmanship. Stupid, ugly, poor, fat, or any other derogatory term these slams are built around, in the wrong setting are fightin' words. But these jokes don't always lead to violence. In organized "Yo Mama" contests, opponents compete to see who can come up with the vilest yet creative analogy. An agreement among like-minded practitioners to participate implies camaraderie and the understanding that by engaging in the activity, one must endure the abuse along with the risk that an element of truth lays therein. And even though brashness counts, if the teller of the joke fails in delivery or creativity, that would-be comedian then becomes the object of ridicule... (more) Posted by Patrick Collier on May 01, 2012 at 21:02 | Comments (0) Permalink |
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