FIRST THURSDAY refresh

I can not tell you how many time when chatting with a fellow artist that I hear "Oh, First Thursday, I haven't been to that in years..."  

Well, I go out. I find it important to know what is going on outside of the studio in my own city, even if it is uncomfortable or disappointing, and sometime it is a disappointment. I am pleased to say that February's events brought artistic delights!

A refreshing range, variety and the new. Here are the highlight for those of you that missed out on the sights: 

PDX Contemporary Art: Night & Day  Jeffry Mitchell January 12, 2016 to February 27

Museum of Contemporary Craft: Work Time by  Rowland Ricketts January 29, 2016 – April 23

Immerse yourself fully in the world of indigo! These huge swaths of cloth hang on the celling overhead, obscuring the spotlights at night one was enveloping in blue.  

Pond Gallery: Wild Apple Girl by  Rebecca Artemisa 

NEW gallery UNION KNOTT: Wages of Fear by Sean Croghan

So new fresh and tiny that there is not a web page yet but this is a hip and authenintic space @ 2726 mlk jr blvd portland, oregon


Fantastic Feathers

Feathers are natures fashion. The riot of colors are symbols of lust and the length of the plumes show your status.

This shoot from "W" Magazine has Jeniffer Lawrence showing of the best of both worlds.

Accompanied by other expressions of wings.

Taking great inspiration from Wesley Younie's solo show "Dark Paradise" at Mark Whoolley Gallery. Up now until March 15th.  Wesley is a fellow feather lover.

You know what the say about flocking together.

See many more of my favorite feathered loves at  BIRDS IN COMMON.

an Art Talk with Christopher Russell

Dissonance, Coincidence & Errant Gradations of Light  "altered Photography" was showing last month at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery.

It was one of those Saturday mornings where it was difficult to leave the house but I am so glad I made it to Russel's artist talk.

He has quite the affinity for the written word (which may be apparent by the title of the show). Because of this he has an elegant way of describing his work and navigating the world of making with both frailty and bravery. He is all ready well know in the art world having work bought for museum collections and exhibiting solo around the world.

It was one of those art meeting where I felt like our work and approach was so similar I was wrapped and highly engaged, sensing that I all ready understood intrinsically what he meant (however more elegant he was at expressing it) yet different enough that I clearly had so much to learn.

Christopher Russell created his work in a kind of balancing act between writing (by making large handmade image based books and act of child like story telling for every show) and altered photography (in which he diligently folds and scratches ornate designs into a pigment print). These are such different processes but he needs both in order to creatively feel satisfied.

What drew me to his work is the use these baroque or ornate designs. I myself use damask patterns to accent my paintings of nature. For me it is a layer that goes beyond aesthetics (all thought beautiful).  I have always had a difficult time expressing what moves me to use these reoccurring motifs. Russell summed up his usage of motifs as: "everyday affirmations of something special, each motif is a like a portrait of an individual and it is important to think about these designs as an expression of who we want to be a way to glorify our status, beauty and uniqueness."



San Francisco made my Art -Heart skip a Beat

Every time I go to San Francisco I love it even more!

This last trip was a short one but oh so perfect. It truly was a four-day art immersion. While planning my trip I had my doubts that I was going see the high quality of art that I have come to revere in that Bay town. The SFMO is closed for awhile and a lot of the Geary Street Galleries have moved or closed.

In an ever changing city scape you need an insider to guide you. I was lucky enough to meet just that person. Alicia Escott a friend, of a friend, met us all for drinks at Bourbon and Branch where we discussed the art scene at large. Topics ranging from what is happening locally in San Francisco, to comparisons between Portland (our lack there of) and all about what she is making right now! For a first time art bonding it was the most one could ever want!

The next day she sent me a long list of must see art sites and so I set out to navigate these tucked nooks and carnies. If it's one thing I learned about galleries in different cities, ether they are flaunted like intimidating shinny marbles or the disguised so cleverly you can easily walk right by the unmarked door. San Francisco is mostly the later. So, it makes all the difference if you know where you are going. Thank you again, Alicia!

Overall, I saw way more than my eyeballs could contain and I left with a heavy heart full of inspiration and desire. What follows is a list of the best of the galleries I saw and there imitate neighborhoods:

Down Town:

111 Minna features artist that have that illustrative/ street art style down. Much like Juxtapose or Hi-Frutose. Very youthful a modern approach to a gallery with a lively event space and coffee shop.

Patricia Sweetow a last standing great of the Geary Gallery blocks. It is not as stuffy, with bright swaths of color and joy. My favorite works there where paintings made entirely of glitter. You could tell these artist featured where further in their careers but were pulsing with vitality. Pushing materials to there (almost cheesy) soaring heights! (couldn't find glitter artist online but if anyone know there name tell me.)

SoMa:

Jessica Siverman Gallery  This gallery is pretty posh and shiny, considering it's outside landscape, nearing the Tenderloin. This is contemporary art flexing it intellect with large scale works By Matt Lipps "The Populist Camera" that drew form art history. I was not an emotional show but one of a continued dialog of visual Libraries.

Bash Contemporary  In the similar vain to 111 Minna this was young contemporary with a heavy does of masculine grotesque, a more kick in the teeth street art style. Again, close to the Tenderloin a duoses of this bad-ass vibe lets you feel adventitious enough to try the Pakistani food around the corner.

Deeper into SoMa Where two great galleries:

1amsf This was amazingly fun gallery with a friendly staff member and a more integrated approach to the street art scene with graffiti artist that showed off with great skill their applicability to make fine art as well. The show I wittiness entitled "a MA-JOR minority" had small works by approx 50 artist, a feast for our eyes. My artist friend and I were delightfully overwhelmed. Another great take away from 1amsf  is this galleries' APP, called 1AM it works as an Instagram like tracker for art instillation on the streets telling you what is near or allowing you to socialize with your own photos of cleaver tags.

Alterspace Talk about unmarked door. This charming little space contains makers that dapple in the political realm. I was lucky enough to see Alica Escotts' work draped in the window, her lite butterfly piece on recycled plastic was an inspired balance of politico and finery.

New HOOD for galleries:  FUSED SPACE 

This was a fun new area of San Francisco to explore a lot of industrial works shops and large spaced galleries. My dear friend that works near by was kind enough to meet me for coffee as we waxed about comparisons between where we were standing (a stumptown coffee cart) and the beginnings of "The Pearl" in Portland.

Hostfelt Gallery

This was the best in this hood. It was such a large space and contained two such completely different artist, that it could have been separate galleries. The fact that they were so different only strengthened there visual intrigue, keeping me refreshed and engaged for over an hour. The first artist I saw at Hostfelt Gallery was Reed Danziger "The Edge of Chaos" . His work has an ascetic, in light, graphite, gouache, mixed media, that matches my current material process. Then, Ben McLoughin "Night Sky"  paintings varied such in size that they told a beautifully haunting story that you as a viewer experience tiny vignette of intimacy and vast landscapes of solitude.  His delicate story telling coupled with the soft clouds of oil paint made me want to paint in oil again!

Clark Gallery Featured a political show about how we live with and process our food, with the added element of a an scheduled art dinning event looming for later. I was flatted by acheiveing "local status" with my own friendly invite. But the true art treasures of this gallery were stored in the backroom, in particular a  Juile Heffernan piece. She has been one of my long time favorite painters.

Right next door where  Bright happy squares at Brian Gross

Just up the street George Lawson Gallery with a show featuring large abstract, gestural, portraits. Right next door is Jack Fisher Gallery. This was one of my must stops on previous trips in it's old location on Geary street and will continue to be a must in its' new location. The main exhibition was not to my taste, this time, but there was such a great variety of well edited artist in the backroom I was more than satisfied.

The Mission:

The day I spent in the Mission was Monday so most galleries were closed. But do not feel sorry for me, the sun was beaming....So burritos at La Taqueria followed by giant macaws in Daloris Park got me though the day until I found...

Camp Fire Gallery part retail space, mostly gallery. A charmingly detailed shop.

NOLA Now I KNOW

This town is real.

Such a great art scene in this vibrant city of texture & history. These are my favorites artists and take a ways, plus a few of my own photos of the trip.

Brian Borello actually a Portland Artist

Teresa Cole, Nora Lovell, ED Smith, Hanna Chalew

Even a few of the galleries in the overly touristy french quarter were great:

TRESOR , Gallery Orange,

Mel Chin 

Is the toast on New Orleans art scene this month the a solo show at Jonathan Ferrarra contemporary gallery and a huge retrospect at NOMA entitled “Rematch.” I got to really delve in to his work and I was completely taken away. His work is very thought provoking without being to political, using element of myth history and artifact. The pieces and instillation's themselves were simple, beautiful and yet transportive. His work was very much influenced by Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, but really he picks up where Duchamp left off, challenging the viewer but leaving them with the sublime;

"Beauty is only the fist touch of terror we can still bear and it awes us so much because it is so coolly disdain to destroy us." -Jung quote used in conjunction Mel Chin's "Rike's Razor" a straight razor with the blade cut in the shape of the solute of Venus De Milo.

The other piece that greatly impacted me was an installation entitled "Operation of the Sun Through the Cult of the Hand” a mini universe with the planets represented in their elemental forms.

 

MY STREET VIEWS OF NEW ORLEANS!