This weekend is exceptionally busy with openings and events at Lumber Room, Art Gym, Place, Rock's Box, PSU, Nationale etc. Lumber Room (already posted about) and Art Gym are my two top picks (Tori is under the weather) but here are the rest.



Still from Kelly Rauer's Weight

On Sunday the Art Gym presents probably the most highly anticipated exhibition to kick off the new year. The dual offering of Kelly Rauer's Weight and Samantha Wall's Laid to Rest is an inspired pairing of two of Portland's best observer/translators of human physiography. The shows are separate but related. Rauer is presenting her most ambitious multi-channel video installation to date. Like Rauer, Wall focuses on a single female figure and "has created a set of drawings that draw on selected video stills as they explore the emotional and cultural underpinnings of gesture." Let's see how the stack up against Robert Longo and Sam Taylor-Wood?

Reception: January 13, 3 - 5PM
Runs Through February 15th
Gallery talk: January 31, 12pm
The Art Gym (third floor of the B.P. John Administration Building on the Marylhurst University campus)




See You Next Tuesday at PSU's Autzen gallery

On Friday Night at PSU, See You Next Tuesday is guest curated by Jennifer Locke looks like a potentially interesting group show.

The exhibition features, "the work of fourteen artists from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City with diverse practices and modes of production and a shared coalescence in their work through training and interest in performance art; examining and expounding upon their investigation of 'the body' and the politics of the contemporary regarding preconceived notions of gender, sexuality, and self-identity." I see a theme developing for this weekend...

The artists:Christine Ancalmo, SF, CA, Nao Baustamante, NY, NY, Monet Clark, LA, CA, Ana Teresa Fernandez, SF, CA, Stephanie Halmos, SF, CA, Keke Hunt, SF, CA, Laura Kim, SF, CA, Amanda Kirkhuff, SF,CA, Whitney Lynn, SF, CA, Ray Mack, SF,CA, Nicole McClure, SF, CA Anne McGuire, SF,CA, Karla Milosevich, SF, CA, Laura Swanson, NY, NY.

Opening Reception: Friday, January 11 4-6PM (runs through February 22, 2013)
Portland State University Galleries | Autzen Gallery, Neuberger Hall, 2nd floor, Room 205, MK and AB lobby galleries as well


Chris Fraser

San Francisco's Chris Fraser is one of the new generation of light and space artists who are trying very hard to do something in the wake of giants like Robert Irwin, James Turrell and Doug Wheeler. Most just come off as lower rent versions and we will see if this comes off like last year's curious Peter Halley show (simultaneously Disjecta's best show ever... and the worst Peter Halley show I've ever seen...). The Real problem though is how these new light and space artists seem to be retracing the steps of the greats without anything new... which is fine if you only want to be OK to good and never any better. I believe it is the less demanding nature of this newer generation and their willingness to borrow so heavily from their elders (Irwin is the smartest human being I've ever encountered and he takes huge risks + demands more of presenting institutions).

In Passing: Chris Fraser
Opening Reception: January 12th 6-10PM
@ Disjecta through March 3rd



Lindsay Kennedy @ Nationale

For you painting fans, Nationale presents Lindsay Kennedy's Pattern Assembly on your busy Saturday Night, evoking the pastel and pattern filled heaven/hell that was the hallmark of the late 80's. Buy some Aquanet, make your hair real big, put on some moon boots and check this out. In many ways I wish May would just call up Duane Sorenson and get him to back them and buy the prime Pulliam Gallery space in the Pearl District (now for sale). Nationale has had great taste showing Carson Ellis, Midori Hirose, Oregon Painting Society and Amy Bernstein etc. over the years. The Pearl could use some of the freshness that Nationale seems to find so effortlessly achieve in a serious, well funded gallery that can concentrate on the big picture not just hand to mouth sales (i.e. expect to lose money for 3+ years).


Pattern Assembly | Lindsay Kennedy| runs through February 17th
Opening Reception January 12th 6-9PM
@ Nationale 811 E Burnside