Storm Tharp, The Duke of Albuquerque, 2006

At PDX, the always-impressive Storm Tharp shows new ink and gouache works inflected with touches of psychadelia and japonisme. Carrie Iverson shows Survey, an installation dealing with memory and surveillance, in the PDX Window Project.
Opening Reception • 6-8pm • January 2-27
PDX Contemporary Art • 925 NW Flanders • Tel. 503.222.0063


Robert Hanson, Front (5.17.2006)

Right around the corner at Elizabeth Leach, Robert Hanson offers another show of strong figurative drawings--reminiscent of David Hockney's graphic work, Hanson's langourous demoiselles also conjure up Degas and Lautrec. Additionally showing at Elizabeth Leach: oil paintings by Willy Heeks and selected shorts by Alyse Emdur in the video window, beginning a three month cycle of video window curation by Harrell Fletcher.
Opening Reception • 5-8pm • Robert Hanson's Three Graces runs Jan. 4-27
Elizabeth Leach Gallery • 417 NW 9th • Tel. 503.224.0521


Elizabeth Weinberg, ben and josh backstage at the fillmore, san francisco

Sugar Gallery features Elizabeth Weinberg's photography, a mixture of personal work and images of musicians created on tour. Her website reveals an interesting, if uneven, body of work, with a handful of superb standouts highlighting the sensuality and ennui of life on the road.
Opening Reception • 6-10pm • Jan. 4-30
Sugar Gallery • 625 NW Everett #108 • Tel. 503.425.9628


Second Skin at PAC

"6,000 earplugs...11,000 cigarette butts...865 pried open beer cans...1,000 pounds of clay...16 animal hides....tire tread, rose petals, human hair, fake fur, cross cut fir, pond liner, antlers, and leaves" are some of the raw materials that went into Second Skin, an installation at the Portland Art Center by JD Perkins and Anne Thompson. From the press release: "Second Skin does not attempt to be 'pro' or 'anti' anything; it merely raises questions to ponder, while providing a surreal campsite foray." Also at PAC....
• Main Gallery: THE OTHER PORTLAND: Art & Ecology in the 5th Quadrant, a group show
• Light and Sound Gallery: Many Pairs Sounding by Dan Senn.
• Switched on Goth "an evening of music inspired by the Chateau of Fontainebleau and all those who lost their heads" will be performed by Paint and Copter on Thursday evening from 6-10. Free.
Opening Reception • 6-10pm • Jan. 4-Feb. 24
Portland Art Center • 32 NW 5th • Tel. 503.236.3322


Michael Brophy at Laura Russo

Laura Russo shows Michael Brophy's haunting new series of landscape paintings, Scenes from an Imaginary Western.
Opening Reception • 5-8pm • Jan. 4-27
Laura Russo • 805 NW 21st Ave. • Tel. 503.226.2754


Shawn Records, from the series at a loss

"These photographs aren't about drawing the line between natural and artificial, but instead, they take a step back and ask why the distinction matters? What is it that we're really hoping to find in nature and is that experience any less authentic with a paid admission? Whether at the zoo, or at the ocean, or in a plastic lawn chair in my own backyard, my sense of enchantment in the natural world is still sincere. " Shawn Records shows his gift for creating subtle images of deapan poignancy at the Nine Gallery.
Opening Reception • 6-9pm • Jan.4-29
Nine Gallery • 1231 NW Hoyt • Tel. 503.225.0210

Motel presents The Cavernous Reflection, paintings, installation and sculpture by Emily Counts. "Continuing her ongoing explorations through self portraiture, Counts makes visual reference to young detective novels, Victorian excess and the mysteries of the natural world in this latest body of work."
Opening Reception • 6:30-9:30 • Jan. 4-27
Motel • between 5th and 6th on Couch • 503.222.6699

The Hilliard show at Quality pictures will be worth checking out. Also hanging around for a second month Steven Tamiesie's Salton Sea photos at Pushdot and (my new non profit) Organism's Jarrett Mitchell show will be up for their second and final month.

Both have gotten some nice critical attention and if you were in Miami, this gives y'all a chance.

Storm's show is the best Ive ever seen at PDX Gallery. A very high caliber eye-opener, I think Robert Storr would really dig these weirdly beautiful grotesques. The label "virtuoso" isn't misplaced here.

Storm Tharp's latest is among the three or so best commercial shows I have seen in Portland. Ever. I could barely catch my breath from awe. I am curious why he isn't showing nationally or internationally (soon?).

This was a pretty impressive month in general for PDX (and I recall January being kinda sleepy before)- the shows at PAC are ambitious and mostly good, and it seems like every time I go to Motel they are doing increasingly ambitious things with a tiny space.

Agreed, my review will be up in a few hours, gotta have lunch first though.