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First Weekend Picks July 2009
The New Faces of the Portland Art Scene
First Thursday Picks July 2009
Links of perception
Last chance for Green Oregon
in a dream of free space
calling: photographers and local artists
floating world animation festival
Linked
The Strategy of Sur-Distinction
Entropy is good for art links
Bridging some gaps in the discussion

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Friday 07.03.09

 

First Weekend Picks July 2009

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Ty Ennis

NAAU presents the next installation in the Couture series: Ty Ennis' You'll Love It Here: The Lilac City Track Murders '96-'98, a multimedia installation of drawing, photography, and sculpture. Ennis' "preparation for this exhibit has involved one of the most thorough examinations to date of Spokane's most infamous serial killer, Robert Lee Yates. His nearly 2 year endeavor documenting murder sites, scouring of all available literature and fleshing out the lives effected during this capsule of time in Spokane, demonstrate a type of artistic discovery that questions the role art can play in the historical record. By lending a sympathetic and informed eye to the memory of events more so remembered through hard-line fact alone, Ty builds a revisionist history using unique visual and written documents."

Opening reception • 6-9pm • July 3
New American Art Union • 922 SE Ankeny • 503.231.8294


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Jennifer Locke presents CRISIS 40, a performance at Rocksbox. The exhibition will remain up through August 2.

Opening performance • 9pm • July 4
Rocksbox Fine Art • 6540 N Interstate • 503.516.4777


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on July 02, 2009 at 9:57 | Comments (0)


The New Faces of the Portland Art Scene

Whether the economy is bubbling or collapsing Portland continues to attract new faces (often with new spaces). With more and more leaders to our ever growing and evolving scene there is most certainly yet another new wave in effect. Here are just a few of the new faces everyone should have on their radar (I'm certain there are many more... it's impossible to keep track of the in flow so feel free to nominate them in the comments).

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The attention getting Jhordan Dahl caught our attention as an artist in 2007 at the Affair at the Jupiter hotel in Mark Woolley's bathroom (while still a PNCA student) and her most recent curatorial effort White Noise. She's serious, smart and sweats the details with a lot of edge... setting her apart from most of the softer slacker/hipster wannabe artists we spend a lot of time ignoring. I'd like to go on the record stating there haven't been enough young, independent female curators active in Portland... (a few years ago it seemed overbalanced with to many alpha male efforts.. many of which were more alpha male territorial exercises than concerted curatorial efforts). Let's hope she pulls together a solo show of her own work or another group show this summer.


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Justin Bland is a 2008 PNCA graduate who has been very active as a curator of shows like Monster at Appendix Project space and the impressively professional Green Oregon (a much bigger survey like this is in order). In Miami's 2008 art fair he participated in Deitch Projects... (much more)


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on July 01, 2009 at 15:00 | Comments (2)


First Thursday Picks July 2009

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Michael Brophy, "Start"

Michael Brophy presents Silence, an exhibition of recent paintings at Laura Russo.

Opening reception • 5-8pm • July 2
Laura Russo Gallery • 805 NW 21st • 503.226.2754

(More.)


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 30, 2009 at 9:02 | Comments (1)


Links of perception

The NYT's takes on the Walker/MOCA developed Dan Graham show now that it has hit eastern shores.

Sanford Wurmfeld's very interesting painting/installation.

Eva Rothschild's work reminds me of this months show at Tractor.

Needless to say perceptual/kinesthetic experience art is everywhere again. Arguably, the three artists mostly responsible for this renewed interest are Robert Irwin, James Turrell and Olafur Elliason. A lot of interest in Portland for this kind of work as well.


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 29, 2009 at 10:21 | Comments (0)


Last chance for Green Oregon

There are a lot of smart shows coming down tomorrow like Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulson's Pearl District debut and the Lesbian Art Show, but Green Oregon at PNCA's Izquierdo Gallery deserves special mention.


Green Oregon on opening night

What's more, Green Oregon is a tightly curated show in a interesting space with some excellent artists like Robert Adams, Patrick Rock, Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, PORT's own Ryan Pierce, Marne Lucas and the region's dean of eco art Bruce Conkle, etc. For me Bailey Winter's painting is the standout. It is anguished over the environment, just plain weird... conjuring both David Lynch and John Wesley and most likely extremely stoned. The effect is troubling, frank, omnipresent and a bit overwhelming... which is exactly like having a discussion about ecology and art the related to it in Oregon. Check it out.

The Manuel Izquierdo Gallery is located in PNCA's 3D Building (825 NW 13th)
and will be open Thursday - Sunday, 1pm to 5PM or by appointment. (hint ring the buzzer)


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 26, 2009 at 12:31 | Comments (1)


in a dream of free space

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From Jeremiah Zagar's "In a Dream"

This weekend, the Northwest Film Center presents the first of their summer artist spotlights. They're screening In a Dream, a film directed by Jeremiah Zagar about his father, artist Isaiah Zagar. They'll be showing it twice on Saturday and once on Sunday.

Film screening • July 27 & 28
NW Film Center • 1219 SW Park • Whitsell Auditorium


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Varnithorn Christopher

Varnithorn Christopher presents Free Space at PSU's MK Gallery. The project is "is a non-curated gallery experiment by based on the belief that everyone is an artist. From Monday, June 29, 2009 to Thursday, July 9, 2009, Christopher invites anyone to come and exhibit their artwork at the MK gallery." A complete catalog will be created at the end of the exhibition.

Exhibition • M-F, 9am-5pm • June 29 - July 9
MK Gallery • 2000 SW 5th Avenue • Art Building, 2nd floor rm 210


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 26, 2009 at 9:52 | Comments (1)


calling: photographers and local artists

Newspace is seeking submissions for their first juried members exhibition, showing in September 2009. Current Newspace members working in any photographic theme or process can submit work until July 17. More details can be found here.


Becca Bernstein is seeking submissions for her new project, the Emerson Art Observatory. For one year (start date TBA), she'll be showing rotating works in the ground-floor and clerestory windows of a dedicated art space at 30th & NE Emerson. All mediums and formats will be considered. Works can be for sale, but they don't have to be. Proposals are due by September 30. Get more info here.


Added: Seattle's Crawlspace Gallery is seeking submissions for solo exhibitions, group shows, or curatorial projects. Their current deadline is August 1. Directions and details here.


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 25, 2009 at 11:12 | Comments (0)


floating world animation festival

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Floating World Comics presents the 3rd annual animation festival at the Holocene, featuring "mind melting video art and psychedelic animation from the secret world of motionography." Visit their website for more info on the 3+ hour line up of Flaspar, Deelay Ceelay, Show Cave Best of Videocation and more.

Animation festival • 8pm • June 25
Holocene • 1001 SE Morrison


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 24, 2009 at 11:07 | Comments (0)


Linked

I really liked Michael Kimmelman's piece on the Elgin Marbles in the Times... for once having New York's supposedly chief art critic in Europe pays off. What's more the writing is sharp, with the kinds of critical angles he seems to soften when writing at home.

Lisa Radon's excellent review of Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulson's Pearl District debut speaks volumes to Portland's sizable booklovers crowd.

Jerry Saltz describes a Portland-esque art experiment... 'cept we've been developing this way for years. Here it isn't a single site, it's the way our scene operates and it is different if the art develops this way instead of an episodic situation.

MoCC's Call and Response website gives everyone a chance to respond to the changes we've seen in the Portland art scene over the past decade. I'll be making a presentation on this at another museum this summer as well, so my response was quite brief.


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 24, 2009 at 10:28 | Comments (2)


The Strategy of Sur-Distinction

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The ever-changing art at Store for a Month

The final week of John Brodie's Store for a Month is kicking off with a lecture by Philippe Le Blanc. "The Strategy of Sur-Distinction: building a cathedral inside the megastore" is loosely based on Le Blanc's work for sale at The Store, I Win, You Lose: The art of Art in capitalist culture. If you haven't made it down to the store yet, don't miss your chance - its last days are Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 12-7pm.

Artist lecture • 7pm • June 24
Store for a Month • 1216 SE Division • 503.235.8029


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Posted by Megan Driscoll on June 23, 2009 at 11:36 | Comments (0)


Entropy is good for art links

Things are tough for art galleries and The New York Times chronicles the shift to a market that favors collectors vs speculators. When I was in New York last March I noticed a vulnerability I've not noticed before... frankly this might be a good thing because though the art market boomed during the past 7 years it has produced little art of consequence. At least Portland galleries have lower rents and aren't used to selling unknown artists for 10K+.

Edward Winkleman discussed the NYT's gallery woes article from his own very personal angle.

In Venice Bruce Nauman surprised no one by being top of the heap.

Jerry Saltz discusses how a phase of art that is dying in Venice might be a good thing.


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 23, 2009 at 11:36 | Comments (0)


Bridging some gaps in the discussion

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Architect Donald MacDondald's "Refined" Cable Stay design, up for review today

Once again, discussion of the Willamette river transit bridge has heated up in anticipation of today's meeting for the final choice of bridge type. In my opinion it isn't bridge type that matters... it is the detailing of whatever design chosen that will determine how usable, environmentally sensitive, pride inducing, and ultimately successful the design will be. To bring everyone up to speed... PORT pretty much started the civic discussion over this bridge with our totally unofficial design competition, later we broke the images of the rather nice hybrid design that now seems out of favor with the committees. Frankly, I like pure cable stayed designs, they have generally cleaner lines and can span longer distances which can make for a smaller environmentally footprint... but the details have to be good and the discussion around them needs to be relevant to produce sensitive designs.

The stakes for this project are huge. In many ways Trimet and Portland's alt-city reputation as a green, civically progressive oasis in America is on the line. It's understandable but should Trimet really try to come in way under budget on what will likely be their most visible project ever?... (more)


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Posted by Jeff Jahn on June 22, 2009 at 11:00 | Comments (0)


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