Portland has record breaking heat this weekend, here are the coolest things to check out:


Installation view of a Clyfford Still painting and models of the Still Museum at PAM

Brad Cloepfil and his firm Allied Works Architecture are the most notable building design firm from Portland Oregon... leading Portlands transformative path from architectural underachievers to an emerging design capital. It is great that the Portland Art Museum is presenting this exhibition chronicling past and current projects. Unlike most architecture model exhibition it isnt merely models but a kind of catalog of material/spatial test cases that the firm uses to understand and design structures developed with an inherent and essential understanding that arose from playing with these materials and spaces. What's more the models have mostly been displayed in wunderkammern display cabinets... making the viewer's experience more intimate and playful as one discovers the architect's own discovery process.

PORT has covered Brad's career extensively... perhaps more so than any other publication has, here are some of the major pieces: Interview's part 1 and 2 reviews of the PNCA's 511 part 1 and 2, Sokol Blosser winery and an early exhibition at PDX Contemporary, whose galleries they designed.

There will also be a talk on Sunday June 5th and we are curious how this exhibition might influence any expansion plans the museum might have in the near future... currently the museum does not make good relationship to the South Park Blocks.

Case Work | June 4 - September 5th 2016
Opening Talk: June 5th 2 - 3PM
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park



Gretchen Bennett at Indivisible

Indivisible is an exciting house gallery in a great neighborhood and will feature Seattle-based artist Gretchen Bennett. Bennett, "combines large-format color pencil drawings with everyday life moments and gestures. Recently, she has been converting her drawings to photographs and exploring personal essay." There will be a reading of the essay on June 24th.

Gretchen Bennett: a message for the passerby; a record or report | June 4-25
Opening reception: June 4th, 6-9PM
Artist reading: June 24th, 7PM
Additional viewing June 11, 18, and 25th, noon to 5PM
Indivisible
2544 SE 26th






Maria Lassnig, Self Portrait Under Plastic (1972, photo Peter Cox)

There is a lot of discussion about how the art world needs to develop new ways of evaluating and discussing work, especially since most academic language prioritizes traditional male-dominated criteria. I've long thought the issue is one that doesn't value the body and experience, Some male artists like Donald Judd, Robert Irwin, Anish Kapoor and Matthew Barney do this but by relegating the discussion to often massive installations instead of smaller more intimate forms like painting it still favors male access to funding (Louise Bourgeois and Anne Hamilton being the rare exceptions). Enter Maria Lasnig, whose paintings exploring body awareness are crucial, (there should be numerous gender neutral exhibitions exploring body awareness to develop more discourse and keep the discussion from being a female ghetto, though I believe women have an edge on the subject). That said, it is your last day to catch the screenings of The Ballad of Maria Lassnig, Kantate (Maria Lassnig, 1992, 8min) at Lumber Room. The film is on loop where its lilting score permeates the room.

Open Sesame | Maria Lassnig June 4 5-8PM
Lumber Room
419 NW 9th