We love scotch.

still alive!!!

2010-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

patient readers,

i have not fallen off the face of the planet. in fact, contrary to what this blog may imply, i've been writing more than i have in quite some time.

i have refocused my energy on writing for a site called curbs & stoops, headed up by my lovely friend jeffrey, a grad student at risd.

though i may occasionally post here on party, i now have a full time job as well as a number of other responsibilities, so creating content for more than one site would be an awfully full plate. please visit curbs & stoops to read about contemporary art happenings all around the united states. it's like party like an art star... but with less typos....

Jon MacNair Interview

2010-01-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Jon MacNair, Mobile Home, ink on paper

Jon MacNair is an illustator living in Michigan. Originally born in South Korea, Jon grew up in South East Michigan. He received a BFA in illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Party Like an Art Star: You attended the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, but recently moved back to Michigan where you grew up. How are you liking being back in Michigan? How does it compare to Baltimore in terms of environment, art scene, and sources of inspiration?

Jon MacNair: It's been a big change. I lived in Baltimore for 8 years and being back in Michigan again is kind of odd. People asked me "Why are you going there? The job market is terrible." Really, I am back here because of my family and to be in a place where I have a support system while I figure out where to go next. I'm very much in what you'd call a "transitional period." I live in a very suburban area at the moment and there is not much to do around here. I feel myself craving the activity of a larger, livelier city. The art scene is pretty non-existent, so I haven't really been to any art events lately. I can't say that I've been all that influenced or inspired by my current surroundings. However, if you take into consideration the type of mood your environment puts you in, I guess on a subconscious level it's playing some part in my work.

Party Like an Art Star: Your work is highly detailed. Tell me a bit about your process. Do you do a lot of preliminary sketches, or do you just go for it? Your compositions are often very complex, and fill the page with such grace and precision, is every inch preplanned?

Jon MacNair, Evicted process shot, ink and graphite on paper

Jon MacNair: I don't do a ton of preliminary work. I jot down words, phrases, and thumbnail sketches in notebooks. Usually it's just one rough thumbnail that only I can decipher, or sometimes no sketch at all. When I'm ready to begin the final, I'll rough it out in pencil on the paper (to get it right compositionally), then go back in and refine that sketch. Then I ink it or paint it. I wouldn't say every inch is preplanned. I find that a lot of the time I will take things out of the compositional at a later point because I realize they are unnecessary or there's just too much going on.

Party Like an Art Star: Most of your work that I've seen in person and on the internet, other than your graphic design work, is black and white. What is it that draws you to such a minimal palette? Do you ever work in color when doing personal work?

Jon MacNair, Collection Day, ink on paper

Jon MacNair: Yes, I'm trying to introduce more color to my work. I recently did three works for a show overseas that had some color in them (watercolor and gouache). In the past I've used color quite a bit, but with the development of this particular style and body of work, it's been more gradual. I'm still trying to find the right materials and palette to fit this style. I started with black and white initially because I was using black ink as my main medium and wanted to get comfortable with that material.

Party Like an Art Star: I read some where that you are working on painting more. Are your paintings much different from you illustration style? Is the content similar?

Jon MacNair, Amber Moon, mixed media, 5"x8"

Jon MacNair: My paintings (so far mostly on paper) are pretty much the same stylistically as my drawings. The content is the same as well.

Party Like an Art Star: Your images are have a haunting narrative quality, almost like illustrations for uber-warped fairytales. Where does your inspiration come from?

Jon MacNair: It's a big range. Everything from German expressionist films to plants that I come across walking in the park. I'm really into Russian animation these days and love the work of Jan Svankmajer. I also find a lot in inspiration in medieval and renaissance art, particularly tapestries and illuminated manuscripts. There's a certain flatness and awkward perspective in these that I enjoy.

Jon MacNair, Man With Intricate Headdress, india ink, colored in and collage on paper, 9"x6.75"

Party Like an Art Star: Having mentioned that your work has a sort of fairytale, folkloric vibe, are you a big reader? What are your favorite kinds of stories?

Jon MacNair, Man With Spear, graphite on found paper, 4.5"x8"

Jon MacNair: I love to read, but these days I don't have a whole lot of time to. I listen to a lot of audio books though, which allow me to draw and "read" at the same time. One of my favorite writers is Shirley Jackson. She has a whole range of work, from humorous to terrifying, with a lot of subtle psychological stuff going on in her stories. I enjoy endings that are kind of ambiguous too, which she certainly implements in her work.

Parrt Like an Art Star: You obviously possess a fantastic imagination, what are your most beloved ways to exercise it other than visual art?

Jon MacNair: Well, I remember using my imagination a lot as a kid when playing in the backyard or the woods. There was a lot of living room fort building and stuff being made out of cardboard boxes going on back then. I guess now instead of that I use my imagination to draw.

Party Like an Art Star: If you could be any fictional character for a day, who would you be?

Jon MacNair, Under Skin detail, ink on paper

Jon MacNair: Well, if gender doesn't matter, I'd be Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That just seems like one crazy ride of a dream. I've read the book many, many times and listened to the audio book numerous times too.

Party Like an Art Star: You are an impressively prolific artist, especially considering the highly detailed nature of your work. Do you have a good work ethic when it comes to concentrating on your art? What do you do to get over the hump when you have a day where you're feeling less than inspired?

Jon MacNair: I think I've acquired a good work ethic. I make my deadlines and have learned to manage my time efficiently over the years. I have a lot of written lists that help keep me on track with what's next. If I'm working on something and it's going well, it's easy to stay motivated. It's when things are not going well that you really need to buckle down and tell yourself to stick with it. Most of the time it works out in the end. This is probably not the most interesting answer, but the pressure of deadlines often gets me over my creative hump. If it's not a matter of deadlines, drawing in my sketchbook sometimes helps.

Jon MacNair, The Pool, india ink on paper, 18"x24"

Party Like an Art Star: Finally, since we've now collaborated on two shows here on the West Coast, and you've had other works in shows here in Portland and elsewhere in the area, when will you be gracing us Left Coasters with your presence?

Jon MacNair: It will happen eventually. I'd love to come to Portland and check out the city. Perhaps when I get a solo show out there on the coast I'll make an appearance. Hopefully before then though!

Update: Recently, Jon made the trip to Portland, OR to attend the opening of the Portland Print show at Gallery 1910 (Greg at Hungry Eyeball has some great shots of the show as well as a ton of other amazing 2010 PDX openings on his Flickr), where he met a number of artists who joined me and Jon and I's friend Ellen in our quest to convince him to move out West (you can see pictures of the opening at Jon's blog Scritchy Scraps). It sounds like Jon had a lovely trip, including a visit to the Zoo, the Oregon coast, and several great art openings. We also had a chance to try Pho out on 82nd, which was delicious but very tricky to eat. Here's hoping that if myself and Jon's other admirers weren't able to convince him to move out here, the beef noodle soup did.

You can see Jon's work in a constantly growing number of shows, galleries and publications too long to list here. Visit his website, his lovely blog, or his Society6 page to get up to date information on what he's doing, where to see his work, or to buy prints!

Ashley Sloan: Like a Unicorn Pricess with a Mane of Twinkles and Cupcakes... Only Cuter

2010-01-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ashley Sloan, Untitled, graphite on paper, 20"x26"

Ashley Sloan was born in Albany, OR. She received her BFA at the University of Oregon, and now lives and works in PDX. In her short time here, Ashley has been wasting no time getting her art into some of the hottest galleries in the city, and getting her hands dirty with a wide variety of creative projects in the area. It doesn't hurt that she's cute as a button and exceptionally charming to boot.

When she's not working in her studio, Ashley helps out at OPENWIDEpdx, as well as contributing art to the Home School Art Shop, a fantastic project organized by the lovely Jacqueline and Jess.

Party Like an Art Star: You were born in Albany, OR. Have you always wanted to be an artist? When you were young were you a creative child? What did you drawn inspiration from in central Oregon?

Ashley Sloan: I always knew that I was good at and loved to make art, but I can’t say I always knew I wanted to be an artist. That didn’t come until I was a bit older, maybe even until I was 18 or so. But I definitely have always been creative and have always loved making art. In third grade my mom got me a watercolor set and it really took off from there. I would also do art projects for any school project, regardless of topic. In 5th grade I did a science report on fire ants and my mom and I sculpted a bunch of huge ants as my presentation. Another time I sculpted the head of Gandhi for a history project. I was always creating opportunities for myself to make art.

Interestingly enough, I didn’t think growing up in Albany was relevant to my work. But the more I think about it, it is a huge part of my inspiration. As an adult I look back on it as a small, boring town, but it was surprisingly inspiring as a child. It was safe enough for my parents to let me run around without supervision at anytime of the day. I lived next to a forest where I had tree forts and would sleep outside during the summer. It was a big surprise for me to move to a city where I didn’t know everyone and had to actually lock my doors. I had what would be considered the perfect, quintessential American childhood. Coming from that background of security and happiness is what creates my strong sense of nostalgia today and what made such a forced transition in my adult life.

Party Like an Art Star: You got an art degree from the University of Oregon. How did your experience at U of O influence your work? Any particularly inspiring faculty members?

Ashley Sloan: Honestly, I’m not yet sure how going to the University of Oregon influenced my work. I have a degree in digital art, but now that I’m out of school I barely touch my computer for artistic purposes. So I’m not sure what that means. I think what influenced me most about school was the people I went to school with and the faculty members I worked with. A lot of people in my program are amazing artists who have now turned into collaborators, co-workers and good friends.

As far as professors go, I can easily say Michael Salter had the most impact on the shaping of my experience. He’s an amazingly inspiring and encouraging professor who had complete confidence in me. I think that’s what I needed most in school, added confidence. He was the first person to tell me that what I was doing was totally valid and that I should pursue it. Honest critiques were also something he invaluably added to my education. I feel like a lot of art classes I took were almost too positive, to a fault even. He was the first person to challenge me and to give me constructive, honest criticism.

Party Like an Art Star: I read through your C.V. and found a show called The Cute Institute at Perfect Attendance in Eugene, OR. I lived in Eugene and went to U of O and I'm not familiar with the venue Perfect Attendance. I saw the installation photos, they are so cool! Can you tell me about this project, I'm fascinated!

Ashley Sloan, Cute Institute installation detail

Ashley Sloan: Perfect Attendance was actually a group show of all the final thesis projects from my graduating class. We rented an empty storefront in downtown Eugene and pretty much got to do whatever we wanted with the space. My thesis project was The Cute Institute where I created an imaginary world where I attempted to scientifically examine cute creatures/objects. I think a lot of this project was also about reconciling what role femininity played in my life at that time. Finally being okay with making work that was unapologetically feminine. That body of work is really what has led me to the place I am today in my artwork.

Party Like an Art Star: Since graduating and moving to Portland you've shown at some of PDX's hippest galleries. How did you go about getting your work out there?

Ashley Sloan, Untitled, graphite on paper, 22"x30"

Ashley Sloan: Well now I’m flattered. The simplest answer I can come up with is that I know a lot of people in the Portland art scene. And it’s an easy transition from being friends with artists to working professionally with them. Over a year ago I started contributing to the website http://www.openwidepdx.com/, and through that I’ve met many of the galleries and curators I’ve shown with. And honestly, many of the galleries I’ve worked with are owned by people I went to college with, such as Tractor Gallery, Chump Change Gallery and Lump West. So I guess as cliché as it is, for me it’s all been about who I know socially and professionally.

Party Like an Art Star: Many of the illustrations that you've done in 2009 deal with incomplete figures. Can you tell me about what this series means to you?

Ashley Sloan: Most of the time with my art, I don’t really know what I’m working through until I have about a year’s space to look back. As strange as it sounds, I often look at past work and with hindsight can understand what it was really about, not necessarily what I thought it was about at the time. I recently read Anne of Green Gables and think this sums up a lot of what this series means to me. “That’s the worst of growing up, and I’m beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don’t seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.”

Party Like an Art Star: You work a lot in graphite. What is it about the media that draws you to it? Do you have other favorite media?

Ashley Sloan: I’m not sure what it is about graphite that I’m so drawn to, but it’s certainly my favorite medium. Sumi ink, colored pencils, acrylic paint and watercolors are also some of my favorites. It just depends on what kind of project I’m working on. I think another part of the story is that I was embarrassed for a long time in school to do graphite drawings. At the time I thought drawing was dead and that I should be using new and different techniques more suitable for the 21st century. But now that I’m out of school and left to my own devices I’ve reclaimed this medium for myself. Graphite drawings were almost a secret indulgence, but I feel most comfortable with a pencil in my hand and there’s nothing wrong with that. It was certainly a shock to most of my peers when my “Wish” show came out. Almost all of them thought that the series came out of nowhere, but really I’d just been hiding that part of my work for 4 years.

Party Like an Art Star: Portland is awash in artistic talent. Who are some of your favorite local artists, and where do you like to go to see art?

Ashley Sloan: Agreed. There are so many amazing artists working in Portland right now and it’s really almost impossible to choose my favorites. Some people that come to mind presently are MK Guth, Storm Tharp, Joe Thurston, Holly Andres, Damien Gilley and Mia Nolting. As for favorite galleries I’d have to say Appendix, PDX Contemporary, Tractor, Half Dozen, Fontanelle, New American Art Union, galleryHOMELAND, Rocksbox and Fourteen30. I would also like to mention two galleries that aren’t in Portland but are, in my opinion, some of the best galleries in the Northwest. Seattle’s Western Bridge and Eugene’s Ditch Projects are really amazing spaces I try to visit a couple times a year.

Party Like an Art Star: Ugh, yes Ditch Projects! I'm from Eugene, and worked in a gallery there for three years. Ditch Projects was the space I always wanted to create and that I always believed the Eugene/Springfield community deserved. Kudos to Ditch Projects!! (Really click their link!) Your artists statement explains that your art "portrays the moment when one involuntarily shakes off the shroud of stability and carelessness, to a reveal an adult life of hope, disappointment, and realistic worldview." We're less than a month apart in age. I felt like your statement pretty eloquently summed up the feeling of being in your mid-20s. How do you harness the tremendous energy of change and evolution that characterizes this phase of our life into mature artistic output?

Ashley Sloan: I think I ended up where I’m at right now unwittingly. Coming from post-college emptiness, I unintentionally tapped into this huge source of inspiration. No one told me what it was like after college and that almost everyone faces a sort of abyss where childhood and adulthood clash in your mid 20’s. But through my work I’ve started to identify these emotions in myself as well as in others. I try to make work that other people can relate to while also telling my own story. And I think with that in mind is where the mature artistic output comes from for me.

Party Like an Art Star: Do you feel like your recent artistic experiences have allowed you to grow out of the dogpaddle-sh feeling of the mid20s or wallow in it?

Ashley Sloan: I think identifying the problem is half the battle, so for me making this work is definitely a growing process. Identifying where I’m coming from, embracing that feeling, but also seeing what’s wrong with it has been a huge part of my life and art. And that’s where I try to instill my work with a certain amount of hopefulness. It’s okay to be nostalgic for the past but you have to be an adult at some point and that hard transition also hopefully includes a certain amount of optimism.

Ashley Sloan, The Best Night of Your Life, graphite on paper, 3.5'x7'

Party Like an Art Star: Much of your recent work focuses on the sort of accoutrements of femininity - dresses, ponytails... Are you a girly girl? Or is the isolation of these elements within the compositions a sort of rejection of their importance?

Ashley Sloan: Not surprisingly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a girlier girl than myself. In return, my work fully embraces all things girly. I love frilly dresses, bows, heels, and tulle, but that certainly wasn’t always the case. For years I rejected all traditional femininity. To me , being a feminist meant that I had to reject everything associated with girliness. But the last year of college I worked at the university’s Women Center and realized that embracing being a woman didn’t have to mean giving up girly things. I think that the work I’ve created since that time has been a personal evolution of accepting the validity of femininity. So as much as my work is about becoming an adult and putting away childish parts of myself, I simultaneously embrace aesthetics associated with young girls.

Party Like an Art Star: Wow, I can certainly identify with that. Growing up in a hyper liberal community I always felt that the most acceptable form of femininity was a sort of starched, hard-nosed state with no bells and whistles. It took me years to understand that my strength was in my actions not the stoicism of my dress. I was so happy to move to Portland where I could go out in heels and a pencil skirt without being asked if I was on my way to a funeral.

What are your artistic goals for the coming years?

Ashley Sloan: I think to just keep making art is my main goal for the future. New year’s Resolution: I want to make art my main priority. It’s easy for me to get distracted with everyday busyness; it takes a concerted effort for me to make a new body of work. But I recently got an art studio, and think that will contribute to me making art on a more regular basis. Other than that, I’d love to expand beyond Portland and have more shows around the country. I’m also thinking about getting an MFA in the next five years.

Party Like an Art Star: I really love your sculptural and installation work. Do you tend to work in 2D and 3D simultaneously or do you work in phases?

Ashley Sloan: I’m not sure if I have a regular way of working between 2D and 3D. With The Cute Institute, I made the stuffed animals before anything else and then created the paintings and installation. But even those started out as a sketch, so I think I almost always start with a sketch whether it’s for a 2D piece or 3D piece and go from there. I haven’t been doing a lot of 3D pieces lately, but am starting to work on some large-scale sculptures as part of an installation I’m creating.

Party Like an Art Star: Portland has a huge number of creative types trying to make a go at being a professional working artist. You seem to have done very well for yourself in the Portland scene in a short amount of time. Do you have any advice for artists just arriving in Portland?What is your best advice for how to stand out in the very large crowd of PDX artists?

Ashley Sloan: I think just getting involved in the art scene is the most important first step to standing out. When I first arrived I made a list of galleries and people whose interests somehow intersected mine and contacted them. Despite the fact that there are tons of artists in Portland there’s also a huge amount of venues and opportunities available to emerging artists. That’s what I love about the Portland art scene, it’s pretty easy to immediately become involved. I also think having an art website is huge. Without a website it’s a lot harder for people to become interested in your work.

Party Like an Art Star: If you were a crayon what color would you be?

Ashley Sloan: Hmm…not sure about crayon color; maybe the Cotton Candy crayon from Crayola. It’s a good light-colored, airy pink. Perfectly summing up my feminine indulgences.

Ashley Sloan, The Best Night of Your Life detail, graphite on paper, 3.5'x7'

Party Like an Art Star: Favorite way to reward yourself when you complete a new piece?

Ashley Sloan: Unfortunately for my health, I definitely reward myself with sweet things. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth (as can be seen in some of my past art) and can pretty much be convinced to do anything if I get a dessert as reward.

Play for Keeps Opening a Complete Success!

2010-01-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

we were told again and again that january was a hard month for first thursday in portland. the weather is too cold for most to brave, and many are financially tapped out after the holidays. elizabeth and i approached the opening last week with excitement mixed with trepidation. despite my uncertainty i chose to go into it without expectations, because in my experience expectations often lead to disappointment.

in the final hours of the day, approaching 6'o'clock when we would throw open the doors, i felt nervous. the show looked amazing, it filled the space well, and all our ducks were in order, yet i couldn't help but feel a bit anxious simply because it mattered to me so much. i'm a social person, but i get nervous in large crowds of people and openings have been notoriously hard for me. i'm not sure where it came from, but in the final minutes before we opening i managed to stumble on a rather significant well of confidence, and when people started streaming in i felt like a million bucks.

luckily, this feeling of elation was not only engendered by how amazing i felt in my little black dress. from the very beginning the public's reception to the show was amazing, and the room filled quickly! for almost four hours the tribute gallery was packed wall to wall. though i did spend a good chunk of time pouring beer (generously donated by our friends at ninkasi brewing) and leveling pieces that were gently jostled by the lively crowd, i managed to have a number of wonderful conversations with people about art, curation and the tribute gallery.

we sold six originals the first night, which is great for a january first thursday! and more importantly an impressive number of portland's art lovers got the chance to see play for keeps in all its opening night glory. tribute gallery was the most hopping spot on the block without a question. while other galleries hosted beautiful openings with plenty of breathing room, the play for keeps opening could only be described as HOT. the body heat alone was enough to send me running (more like slowly making my way) out the door into the cold january night every few laps. elizabeth and i got some of the greatest compliments. one man told me that it was the best group art show that he had been to since living in portland, and someone said to elizabeth that they saw more pieces in the show that they would hang in their bedroom than any other show they'd seen (bedroom art is personal! that's a big compliment!)

all of the pictures that i've posted here were taken by jon macnair's friend ellen, who was a delight to talk to, and took some amazing pictures! i will hopefully have more to post soon. you can see more at jon macnair's blog scritchy scraps.

cope2 online gallery at curbs and stoops!

2009-12-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

my good friend jeffrey over at curbs and stoops just put up an online gallery of exclusive new works from world famous cope2! we also collaborated on an interview with the legend that should be up soon. i'll keep ya'll posted.

Cope2 grew up in the public housing projects in the late 1970s. He
came to graffiti like everyone else in those days, at an age when
young men and women began to explore the urban labyrinth where we all
lived. Active in the graffiti scene since 1978, Cope2 has grown to
become an ambassador for New York graffiti. Cope2 has a roster of
accomplishment including commissions by Time Life Magazine, an
apperance in Marc Ecko’s 2006 video game, Getting Up: Contents Under
Pressure and a documentary on his life. Despite his success, Cope2
remains the same rugged graffiti artist he was in the 1980s.

You can find the interactive gallery show at :
http://www.curbsandstoops.com/blog/?page_id=64

Any help in spreading the word would be appreciated.

About Curbs and Stoops:
Curbs and Stoops is a non profit organization that is working towards
increasing the accessibility of art across a diverse range of
socioeconomic and cultural communities. Like our name suggests, we
promote art at the thresholds that define our cities, our curbs and
our stoops. This way, art is not a destination, like going to a
museum. Instead, it is a part of our journey. We fulfill our mission
by implementing public art projects, community installations and
street art. We attempt to exploit the extents of interactive media in
order to provide fine art to those who cannot afford gallery prices.
We believe in the necessity for the accessibility of art. Art is no
longer for bankers and heiresses.

team work makes the dream work!

2009-12-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

(image: brooklyn yards, se portland)

the good news continues!!!!

art stars, i appologize about the delay in blogging!

worked my tail off and saved enough to replace my long ago stolen laptop. i was unable to replace the macbook due to lack of fundage, so i took a gamble on an hp... i will not be jetting off to vegas any time soon, as my risk assesment skills seem to be askew... the hp's mother board crashed within two weeks of me owning it, so i was subject to yet another sad bout of off-lineness. however, after some seriously nerve frying trouble shooting and a three week computer hospital stay, my new computer seems to be on the mend and ready to work!

i spent my first couple of months in portland heavily ensconced in a world of constant work, in a perpetual state of confusion about where i was. i love portland very much, but in terms of infrastructure it is more than a little confusing at first. as i mentioned, i got a job bartending at a spot on north mississippi. loved it during the summer, but like any restaurant job the charms quickly wore thin (not in small part because customers who caught wind of the fact that i once worked at an art gallery never tired of reminding me of what a "step down" my job was). my position at casa ended a couple weeks ago (many high end restaurants in portland are on dangerously uneven footing due to the economy, as well as clever pdxers' food cart revolution - more on that later), which would have been PANIC inducing had i not had a very special project, very close to my heart to work on. this coming month will mark the opening of my first curatorial endeavor here in pdx!

jon macnair, hide and seek, ink on paper, 11"x14"

the image to the left is by baltimore artist jon macnair. it was created as a submission for Play for Keeps a group show of new works on paper at The Tribute Gallery in old town china town, pdx. (we used this image for our promotional material. i will post images of our flier, created by the lovely yamille at cloudstop design, as soon as i have the appropriate file type!) my good and brilliant friend elizabeth lamb worked with tribute's wonderful owner brian t. wilson previously, and when they decided that elizabeth would guest curate a show at the gallery she brought me on board.

we made our call to artists in november, and put it out in the universe not knowing what to expect. elizabeth is a brilliant arts adminastrator who works as coordinator at white box gallery, and who i've known for many years as a close personal friend and beloved dance partner. i was extremely flattered that she chose to involve me in her project, and very pleased to discover that we make quite a dynamic team. we mulled over many thematic ideas for the show. working with brian to hone our vision and clarify our thought process when it came to what kind of art we wanted to exhibit was a really interesting experience. i had never been on that side of the fence, and i enjoyed the flexibility and humility it required of me. i am very excited for brian to see the final result. i think that he's going to love the show, and so will our friends, audience and participating artists!

joshua witten, running with scissors, graphite and ink on paper, 8.5"x11.5"

we were very lucky to recieve a high volume of exceptional submissions. i was astounded at the outpouring of talent. we got a bunch of really cool submissions from local portland artists, but also artists from all around the nation. we have participating artists from nyc, florida, dever, los angeles, indiana... the list goes on and on! i'm honored to mention that jon macnair, patrick haemmerlein, and joshua witten, who all participated in my menace to propriety show, will be exhibiting with us. i also have art coming from a dear friend (and coordinator of the awesome international mail art program that i tend to hinder with my lateness) in florida, breanne rupp, who will be shipping off her pieces before a cross country move to the bay, and four wickedly inventive paintings by an old college buddy and portland resident (a talented artist and entrepeneur - check out his hard work at hasbeen design) huy nguyen, whose work i have been wanted to exhibit for a very long time. though it was fun to draw talent from all over the nation, it was extremely rewarding for me to get a glimpse of the depth of talent in my new home town, like the beautiful and gifted ashley sloan, whose charming graphite drawings will certainly be a highlight.

great news!!!

2009-07-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

art stars!!!!

i am so excited to finally be getting settled into my new city. it was a big transition, with many unexpected twists and turns, but i am finally starting to feel at home in portland, and let me just say it feels good.

i've made it to a few art openings in the past few weeks, but my internet access is currently limited to my wonderful roommate's dinosaur of a laptop with pirated internet that hadn't been working in a while. so while i've been getting to know the scene i've been taking mental notes for when i finally get cooled down enough to get focused.

steel bridge at night, pdx

the art that i have seen so far has been amazing. portland is a crazy city in that almost everywhere that you go is some form of art venue. coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques. everyone has got art. sure this mass proliferation means that not every artist's work that you see is going to blow your socks off, but it is exciting to see so much creativity in such a small area, and additionally to see so much support for the arts from the city itself!

art lovin' portland mayor sam adams

our mayor sam adams has instituted some amazing support systems for the arts in portland in his brief, scandal ridden career as portland's mayor. say what you will, but the man is on my team. i got a job bartending at a great place on mississippi avenue. last week we catered the opening of the q center down the block, which is the new lbqta center for north portland. sam adams was hosting and though i restrained myself, i really wanted to just give him a big 'ol uncomfortable waist hug for showing the arts so much love.

everett lofts, pdx

last first thursday i had a great time visiting studios near everett. i am planning on revisiting two of the shows to take notes for pieces that i'll write later this week. portland's first thursday is a zoo. its a very see and be seen kind of atmosphere, but what makes me very happy to see is that most of the attendees are actually talking about the art, taking the time to digest and discuss, rather than simply hover around the free booze.

when life gives you lemons... throw them at a passing car...

2009-05-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

dear art stars,

i sincerely apologize for the blatant lack of posts over the past couple weeks. as is true with anyone's life, mine has been a series of peaks and valleys over the past few years. the month of may has brought me nothing but trouble this year. stopping short of spewing a diatribe about all the miserable luck that has befallen me, i will rehash only the detail that seems most prevalent to this blog. last weekend i got robbed, and my lap top was stolen.

upon waking and seeing the destruction and chaos that was my apartment i immediately called the police to report the kidnapping... for the record the police do not consider the loss of a laptop to be a kidnapping, as they do not consider the bond between computer and blogger to be that of mother and child - despite my best efforts to explain the unimaginable loss that i felt.

i've been trying to put the pieces of my life back together after the incident (they also stole my purse so i had the arduous task of re-obtaining all of my i.d. and such). i believe strongly that when things like this happen you have to do your best to find the silver lining. yes, my stuff got stolen and my privacy was violated, but on the other hand the universe gave me a grand opportunity to simplify my life.

instead of replacing the fancy iphone that i had, that to be perfectly honest intimidated me from the get go, i went to a local electronics recycling place and got an old refurbished phone. instead of spending my money drowning my sorrows in expensive vodka presses at the local watering hole, i've been not drinking and running in the free sunshine. instead of blogging from my macbook pro in my lovely little apartment i've been slaving over an old desk top at my 'rents' house. it may not be glamorous, but i've been enjoying reconnecting to the simpler pleasures in life, and by taking an ardently positive approach i've succeeded in reminding myself daily that the thing that i lost are just that... things.

on top of the copious amounts of theft that i've been dealing with it is a transitionary time for me at the gallery. i'll be leaving fenario at the end of june, and though i don't know what my next step will be, i know that i'm ready for it. i've lived in eugene all my life, and though i live fenario and the challenges it provides, the city itself and the art scene here is not as challenging as i'd like it to be. as i've explained to friends, living in the city where i grew up, with the built in safety net of a town that you know intimately, i often feel like i'm sitting in a wheel chair despite the fact that my legs work fine.

i'm hungry for the next big thing.

if there's serious gaps in posting, please know that i'm simply spending my time trying to get to the next step, and whatever that is will only serve to broaden my interest in and passion for art. i'll do some posting this week to try to get back on the pony, and from there we'll see where it goes.

joshua witten: allegorical alchemist

2009-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

joshua witten, the tea party (detail), ink, oil and pencil on canvas, 30"x24"

joshua witten is an artist and illustrator living in the great state of indiana. he is a participant in this months' "menace to propriety" show and agreed to answer some of my questions about his art. witten's images were a hit at friday's opening, and his "the magic show" painting was used for the promotional material for the show. his clean, eloquent illustration style is what caught my eye first, but his clever themes and concepts are what made me a super fan.

CG: tell me a little about where you live and work.

I live in the great state of Indiana and am currently a framing manager at Michaels, the arts and crafts store.

CG: what kind of media do you prefer?

I can’t really say that I prefer one media over another. I suppose if I had to pick one it would be graphite as it was my first love. There is something about the simplicity of pencil and paper that is very appealing to me however I love painting, printmaking and sculpture as well.

CG: you have a really unique technique when it comes to painting. the two canvases that you sent me for the "menace to propriety" show both include oil paint as well as ink, which it appears is used to define the more graphic elements of the composition. how did you come to this style?

How did I come to this style? That is a very good question. I think it began with hieroglyphs. Seemingly all cultures used a hieroglyphic method at some point in their artistic history regardless of who they were or where they were. To me hieroglyphs are like a universal human language that transmits information across time and space. With this in mind I had been making various drawings and prints that combined these ancient elements with ideas of modernism and postmodernism in order to create something new that was also rooted in the past. The two canvases that I sent to you for the “Menace to Propriety“ show are part of a larger series of ten entitled, “Occam’s Razor and Other Short Stories.” The series was an opportunity to take everything that I had done on paper and apply it to canvas with the idea of making paintings that looked like my drawings and prints. I tried a lot of different techniques before finally settling on ink, oil and pencil. The final result was an amalgamation of media, like a hybrid of graphic minimalism with heavy emphasis on black. I suppose in the end I would say that I came to this style through constraint. Charles Eames once said that design depends largely on constraints and I think he was right on the money.

CG: what is your working process? can you tell us a little about how you go about transforming your ideas from thoughts to material objects?

I always have ideas floating around in my head. Some get written down, some don’t. Some come to the forefront while others stay back. Typically, I start thinking of certain ones more than others for varying reasons. Sometimes I don’t know the reasons until much later if I ever know them at all. In any case, those ideas that I think about most are usually the ones that I start doing research and preparatory sketches for. These become the foundation that I use to make the final artwork, be it a painting or a drawing or a print.

CG: what do you draw inspiration from?

Anything and everything.

joshua witten, the executive, ink, oil and pencil on canvas, 20"x16"

CG: fellow artists that you admire? alive? dead?

There are a lot of them so this could be a long list. Let’s start with the dead ones...they are in no particular order…Picasso, Warhol, Degas, Klimt, Frida and Diego, Hockney, Schiele, Balthus, Basquiat, Franz Kline, Pollock, Tamara de Lempicka, Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, Gauguin, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Harunobu, Osamu Tezuka, and Rockwell. Now moving onto the living…also in no particular order…Audrey Kawasaki, Amy Sol, Sylvia Ji, Murakami, Walton Ford, Frank Miller, and Julian Schnabel.

CG: you have a fantastic piece called the antigravity machine that depicts a boombox and a break dancer. are you a dancer yourself? a music lover? what kind of tunes get you in a creative space?

I wouldn’t call myself a dancer per say but I can shake it if I need to because I truly am a lover of music. “The anti-gravity machine” represents my great fondness of the hip hop culture and aesthetic. At the time I was listening to a lot of Common and At The Drive-In and if you look closely enough you can see those influences in the work for sure.

CG: where have you shown your work? where will you be showing in the near future?

I have shown my work in a number of places. I have shown locally in Indiana at Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery and at The Spurious Fugitive Gallery which I am sorry to say closed its doors in March. I have also shown at Eclectix Gallery and Gallery Nucleus which are both in the great state of California. In the near future I will be showing at Artlink Gallery and the Fenario Gallery for your show, “Menace to Propriety.”

CG: how do you feel being asked to participate in the "menace to propriety" show? is your work intentionally provocative?

I feel honored to be asked to participate in this show. I really haven’t ever considered my work to be intentionally provocative until thinking about the literal meaning of the words, “menace to propriety.” I might say now that some are definitely more provocative than others because they contain a subtle message that sometimes asks viewers to question authority.

CG: occam's razor is the theory by which i live my life. simplify, simplify, simplify. you have a series calles "occam's razor and other short stories." can you tell me a bit about this series and about your relationship to the theorem of occam's razor?

As I said before, “Occam’s Razor and Other Short Stories” technically speaking was an opportunity to take everything that I had done on paper and apply it to canvas with the idea of making paintings that looked like my drawings and prints. At the time I was thinking about globalism, world trade, and the environment. So, thematically the series began to develop with these ideas in mind. “The Tea Party” for example is as much about China and the United States as it is about as it is about Alice and the March Hare…which leads me to the overall title of the series, “Occam’s Razor and other Short Stories.” Originally, I planned to have the entire cast in my interpretation of the tea party however constraint led me to cut out the Mad Hatter and Door Mouse and focus solely on the relationship between Alice and the March Hare. Following suit, I simplified the content and imagery in all of the other paintings in the series. As this simplification process continued, and technique and theme began to merge together, I remembered the idea of Occam’s Razor and felt it would be a good fit for the series.

CG: "the golden age" is a complex series that seems to be dealing with the commoditization of icons, and our societies lust for logos and branding. can you tell me more about this series? is it ongoing?

“The Golden Age” is an ongoing series that was originally going to be about mythology of various sorts and while it still kind of is, it has also become a commentary on the “commoditization of icons, and our societies lust for logos and branding” as you so eloquently put it. While attending art school there was a visit from the artist Robert Stackhouse. He told one of the students to paint something from this day and age like a Nike Swoosh and the idea of art and logos and branding has stuck with me. So, of course my golden apple of the hesperides is represented by an Apple Computer Logo.

CG: what do you do when you get stuck on an image?

I start another one.

CG: how do you reward yourself when you finish a piece?

I don’t reward myself when I finish artwork, but it sounds like a good idea. Maybe I will buy the new Prince album when I finish with the next one.

CG: anyone ever get any of your images tattooed on them? seems like they'd make for great ink!

A couple of people have actually tattooed themselves with my art. I recently drew one for my good friend who is a union man in Indianapolis. It is a bit daunting to think of my art permanently etched onto another person, but when it is I can’t help but feel the love.

CG: favorite children's book growing up?

“The Little Engine That Could”

joshua witten, the magic show, ink, oil and pencil on canvas, 16"x20"

CG: favorite board game?

Trivial Pursuit

CG: if you had a super power what would it be?

Enlightenment

aaron johnson: mad scientist

2009-04-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

aaron johnson, a nyc based painter of epic talent, is the kind of innovative artist that i hunt for in my oft-daily art safaris on "the internets" (term borrowed from henry rollins, who is a hilarious, volatile, though incredibly long winded speaker). not only is his visual style unique, but the process through which the artist creates his pieces is wholly original, and in many ways its complexity adds to the singularity of the compositions. johnson's themes range from carnival like characters to the circus of modern politics, and every shade of horror and chaos in between. and yet despite the carnal quality of johnson's work his playful palette and lyrical passages of filigree champion the beauty within the macabre.

aaron johnson, the gunslinger, 2007 acrylic and collage on plastic construction netting

CG: You live and work in NYC, arguably the epicenter of contemporary art. How does the city inspire you?

I find that the chaos, frenzy, crowds, and action of the city provide the right balance to my studio, which is the opposite, a place of solitude, isolation, and singular focus on the one big thing: making art. The two extremes compliment each other.

CG: Do you attend many art shows in NY? Favorite galleries? Working artists who's work you really enjoy?

I get out to see art in galleries and museums and friends' studios at least once a week. It's important to know what's going on in order to engage in some kind of a common discourse. I'm a fan of too many working artists to name, but here's a few: Jim Lambie, Daniel Richter, Paul McCarthy, Barnaby Whitfield, Tom Sanford, Debra Hampton, Tracey Snelling, Benji Whalen, Kristen Schiele, Laura Schnitger, Peter Saul, Urs Fisher, Trenton Doyle Hancock, John Newsom, Allison Elizabeth Taylor, Judith Supine.....that's a few off the top of my head.

aaron johnson, the second coming of uncle sam, 94"x66" acrylic on polyester flag

CG: Your imagery is at once deliciously grotesque and delicately beautiful. How do you strike a balance? How did you come to this style of imagery?

For me my works are successful when I've reached something that's visceral to the point of making the viewer's skin crawl, visually charged to the point of making the viewer's retinas quiver, and layered in suggestions of narrative that make the viewer psychologically uncomfortable. My visual vocabulary draws from several sources: my degree in Molecular Cellular Biology; the influence of Indian art and culture which was all over my house growing up; and of course a long list of painters I admire from Otto Dix to Bronzino to Peter Saul.

CG: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

The motivation to always make my new works better than the previous ones is a big drive. Listening to talk radio about current events inspires me to make work that deals with our contemporary human condition. Listening to endless music keeps me going in those passages of details that can seem endless (today it's Beirut, Gang Gang Dance, Carbon/Silicon, and Sun Kil Moon).

CG: You have an amazingly complicated technique, that essentially requires you to think backwards to create the final image. Did this process come naturally to you or was it a struggle to train your brain to plan in such a way?

The process started by playing around with drips of paint that I would peel off the plastic covering on the floor (back in the days when my studio was in a corner of my tiny apartment). I'm always experimenting with ways to make a painting. Otherwise I get terribly bored and the works gets stale. The process evolves really naturally. I've been making paintings according to this weird reverse painted acrylic polymer peel process since about 2002, but that process is always in flux and always evolving. The constant has to be change.

(Click here to see a step by step guide to Johnson's technique.)

aaron johnson, the sword swallower, 106"x97"acrylic and collage on construction debris netting

CG: You've received some seriously impressive accolades in the past few years from publications as lauded and influential as The New York Times and Art News. Any particular compliments/reviews that meant a great deal to you? Whose opinion do you cherish the most when it comes to your work?

Hmmmm.......well, my work is "difficult" for a lot of people, because it deals with ugly realities, brutality, violence, sexuality, and the dark aspects of The American Dream. Getting positive reviews from some real authoritative critics makes some people take my work more seriously. I really appreciate it when critics support work that is challenging and relevant. There's a nice recent article by Scott Indrisek in Whitewall magazine (you can read it online www.whitewallmag.com pages 64-65)

CG: I loved your studio visit on Fecal Face. Great space! Your space is full of work in various states. It would seem that your process is fairly involved. Do you work on one piece at a time, or jump from piece to piece?

I work on 2 or 3 at a time, and then when one particular piece really grabs me full-force, then I'll focus on just that one while the others wait. Some of them get started and then sit around for 6 months before I figure out where they're going.

CG: Here's a funny one for you: A lot of your sort of lacy details remind me of geodes, mineral formations and fossils. Have you ever been a rock collector? Do you draw inspiration from patterns in nature?

When I was a kid I had a "nature museum" in this walk-in closet in our house, which I filled with specimens I collected in the woods. I would display these things (hornets' nests, dead dragonflies, tree fungus, bones, etc) on shelves and I would document each object with a drawing. Years later, like I mentioned, I was a science major in college. In a way it's always been art and science hand in hand for me.

CG: How do you celebrate when you've successfully finished a piece that you're pleased with?

I stare at it for an hour and start the next one.

CG: With the use of the stretched plastic, I can't help but draw a comparison between some of your pieces and Duchamp's The Large Glass. They share that great quality of being at once traditionally two dimensional as well as containing a sort of deeper sculptural quality, inspiring in the viewer a strong desire to look deeper and see beyond the surface. Any past artists whose work inspires your process or who you like to reflect on?

I see a kinship between my process and the work of Sigmar Polke. He really considers painting as the chemical reaction that it truly is, and he doesn't take anything for granted; everything is chosen for a purpose in the physicality of his works (he has worked on transparent materials, too, and has done reverse paintings on glass).

sigmar polke, beyond the rainbow, 2007, 142cm x 124cm, mixed media on fabric

aaron johnson, commander's feast (in blood and fire), 2008, 53"x44" acrylic polymer and pigment on polyester flag,

CG: Best pizza in NY?

Grimaldi's in Brooklyn

*Agreed! My cousin (ironically also named Aaron) sent me there when I stayed with him in Williamsburg, best pizza I've ever had!

CG: Favorite Brooklyn landmark/hang out?

Landmark: the Navy Yard (where my studio is)
Hang out: Havana Outpost

CG: If you could instantly acquire a new skill this instant what would you want it to be?

To play guitar like Muddy Waters

CG: Clown or magician?

I hate clowns, and I have no interest in magicians. You could argue I'm a clown and a magician in my artwork, but maybe more a mad scientist, and a court jester.

CG: Night or day?

Yes.

CG: And finally, if you were going to make a grand entrance, what song would be playing to say "Aaron Johnson has arrived"?

I like to sneak into the room unnoticed.

aaron johnson has an upcoming group show at new image art in los angeles entitled "octo pusses" beginning may 2nd. check it out if you're in the area. new image art is an amazing gallery.

this week i read...

2009-04-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

yeah i'm one of those weirdos who still reads... books that is. quite voraciously actually. in some ways reading is my cheap replacement for continued schooling that i can't afford. i figure just because i can't afford to be a lifelong student doesn't mean i can't spend the rest of my life in the pursuit of knowledge.

but let's not get it twisted. i'm not out there every day devouring tolstoy and nitzche. i looooove steven king. adore him. and i love cheesy murder mysteries and lurid true crime novels. but i also take great pleasure in reading tomes that are challenging and give pause. this week has been a calm before the storm; a relatively slow week before i dive into the hang for next week's group show. one of those weeks where the phone just doesn't seem to ring and there are many empty, quiet hours to spare.

i spent those hours reading....

yes, i do on occasion judge a book by its cover. the quirky illustration by matthew green (jacket design by faber) caught my eye in a portland bookstore. also, can't escape the intrigue of the title. i have to hand it to nathan englander for this one. a charming surprise the ministry of special cases carries on the tradition of magical realism with a clever and at times laugh out loud story that takes place during argentina's dirty war. the story, that of the affable yet confounding kaddish poznan, a man's who's job it is to chip the names off of gravestones for families who would rather forget their controversial pasts, dances back and forth between passages of hilarity and mirth and scenes of great tension and terror. i found the book surprisingly heavy given the frequent humor. it had the sort of narcotic but arresting pace of gabriel garcia marquez, though i think that englander fell a bit short of the narrative power of marquez at his best.

krakauer at his finest. i was a bit wary of this one. i'm a notoriously unspiritual person, and though i see validity in trying to understand religion as an extraordinarily powerful social force, i have difficulty wrapping my mind around what i perceive as the extremity of blind faith. under the banner of heaven starts with a flash and doesn't let up until the final chapter. even the final passage was pitch perfect, and i think that the quote that krakauer chose to conclude his book with couldn't have been more apt. meticulously researched and powerfully written krakauer's book takes an in depth look at america's complex homegrown religion, framing the tragic tale of the murders of brenda and erica lafferty at the hands of two devout fundamentalist relatives with compelling chapters detailing the religion's history and significant leaders. rather than attack mormonism as the direct source of such a violent act, krakauer explains how mormonism's fundamental tenants open the religion up to periodic splintering and wide interpretation. some of the stories about the various fundamentalist groups that have cropped up over the years are extremely harrowing in their graphicness. mormon fundamentalist groups are rife with institutionalized racism, blatant and often violent sexism and condoned acts of statutory rape and even incest. krakauer, a great adventure writer, alleviates some of the tension with wonderful passages describing the natural environment in the mormon kingdom of utah, and finds heros in unlikely places to champion in stark contrast to the antagonists of the story. a quick read and highly informative. only draw back? i may be rethinking that hiking trip i was planning to zion.

i pull this book out every few months to peruse the brilliant essays on topics ranging from process to figuration. this morning i was re-reading a great interview with roy lichtenstein conducted by g.r. swenson in 1963. what a g.

hungry lion

2009-04-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

HAHA!

because i bet you didn't know i secretly moonlight as a grimey festie kid.

party like an art star's auteur at langerado '08 - south florida

filthy feet! trademark of all good music gatherings. whooooie those are some white legs!

max kaufmann

2009-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

max kauffman, if this is any indication,

i am admittedly one of those horrible seaboard dwelling americans who has a veritable blank spot in my mental map when it comes to the midwest.

ohio? really?

missouri? no idea.

basically my working knowledge of midwestern states comes only from the music festivals they hold each summer.

michigan? rothbury!

minnesota? 10,000 lakes!

illinois? summer camp!

well fortunately looks like illinois has much more to brag about than summer camp '09. originally from chicago, illinois artist and illustrator max kauffman spent his idyllic youth in south bend, indiana rolling between the countryside and the city on four wheels and a deck. this fluid relationship between the urban and the bucolic can be seen reflected in the organic and simultaneously architecturally constructed compositions of this very talented and free spirited artist.

max kauffman, power exchange, 12"x12" mixed media on watercolor paper

kauffman left the midwest for arizona in 2000 and finished up an art degree at arizona state university in 2004, with a focus in ceramics. he also earned himself a minor in anthropology, which seems to have had a formative influence on the sort of folkloric, mythological imagery that pervades kauffman's work. much of the artist's oeuvre consists of imagery that alludes to the tenuous relationship between science and nature. though science is often a tool used to understand nature, in recent years science has often been applied in such a way as to move further and further from the natural order of the earth. more and more often we see science used as a tool to tame, corral and subjugate nature to suit our human needs, rather than a lens through which we can explore the best ways that we can live simply on the earth.

power exchange is a great example of this theme. the composition depicts a robot, easy read as either imposing in its forward thrust posture and agape mouth or somewhat sad in its blank eyed stare and imploring body language, offering a totemic bird figure a hand full of what appear to be batteries. however, the batteries could be alternately read as worms or grubs, being the power source for the bird. i love the bird figure, because it has a very ancient, emblematic presence that reminds me of early animal renderings done by long ago cultures. many of kauffman's works include bird and animal figures that have an sort of raw, native presence. his tangible interest in the relationship between man and machine belies the influence of artists like h.r. giger.

max kauffman, (thriving) culture

i love kauffman's use of color. his color relationships are natural, appealing and mature. though he certainly never shies away from vibrant, saturated colors kauffman doesn't force contrast for the sake of flash. the artist explains, "color always begins every piece; line and texture fall in line after." using media such as watercolors, ink and washes kauffman successfully carves figures from the meat of his tonal landscapes. texture plays an important part in the artist's style. at once painterly and graphic, the works move seamlessly between carefully controlled passages of color, and loosely rendered, cerebral shapes and lines. his work utilizes a sort of hallucinogenic abstraction to depict the protagonists and landscapes of his own personal imaginary world, replete with a strong sense of conflict and tension.

max kauffman, birding in egypt, 11"x14" hand embellished two color silk screen, 2009

kauffman's interest in ancient cultures and their lasting impression on our contemporary world can be seen in pieces like birding in egypt, a piece that employs hieroglyphic like elements to pay homage to the historical relevance of early cultures. in some ways, it seems to me, that this consistent use of ancient symbols serves as a reminder that the concerns, dreams and fears of communal cultures stay relatively the same from century to century. as human beings we are linked from generation to generation, by our desire to fulfill the same needs, answer the same questions and seek the same comforts.

max kauffman, symbiote, 11"x11" watercolor, sepia and ink, 2008

max's art also calls to mind more contemporary art movements, like modern skateboard art. kauffman, who has himself done skateboard design and sights skateboarding as a major source of inspiration, has an aesthetic that immediately makes me think of skate design greats like thomas campbell and barry mcgee. his line quality has a frenetic, extroverted energy that encapsulates the free-spirited, unconventional style of great skate art.

max kauffman, motet poster (*big ups to jans ingber who's father is a good buddy of my 'rents)

and lastly, i have to give a shout out to kauffman's great taste in music. a music lover, and a frequent adventurer into the world of live music, max sights the spontanaeity and constantly changing structure of live music as a great source of inspiration.

art research in today's day and age can be funny. more and more, artists who don't have the time or the resources to create a complicated personal website (kauffman's is currently under construction, though he has a charming and inviting start under his belt) rely on social networking sights like myspace and facebook to promote their art. the first time i had to go to an artist's myspace to get more info i felt like i was invading their privacy. mixed in with the straight forward shots of art pieces are party pics, personal anecdotes and commentary from friends. on action i find myself falling a bit in love with the artists that i look into, or at least find myself wanting to buy them a beer. max is no exception. seems like the kind of kid i'd like to hit up if i make it to summer camp this year (i'm on a mission with my buddy joseph to make it to a new festival each year in a state we haven't been to, and the midwest has plenty of states i haven't been to, and shows i've been meaning to catch). and i'll certainly go out of my way to see his art first hand next time he has a show in the NW.

kauffman recently finished up a solo show called "ghosts of industry" at push gallery in asheville, nc and has/had a show in april at andenken gallery in denver (where the artist is currently based). he has an impressive list of shows coming up in the next year including a june group show at seattle's halogen gallery (formerly suite 100 gallery) and a self-curated show in october '09 in chicago through oh no! doom.

2009-04-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

May 1st Fenario Gallery will be debuting a group show entitled "Menace to Propriety". The show will feature over a dozen artists from all over the nation, including Gilbert Oh, Patrick Haemmerlein, Joshua Witten, Leslie Ditto, Grace Weston, and more. The theme "Menace to Propriety" was designed by curator Chloe Gallagher to underscore the importance of the incendiary side of art. Art's power lies in its ability to inspire discussion and debate... even controversy. With this show the gallery hope's to embrace the controversial and the innovative, breaking boundaries and engaging the fine lines between provocative and the truly shocking. With music and libations provided, and several of the featured artists in attendance the opening is sure to be an exciting night of refreshing art and stimulating conversation. As Gilbert Seles once said, "All great ideas are controversial, or have been at one time."

urban 1028

2009-03-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

i love patrick haemmerlein's work. it speaks, with a gritty urban voice, to the beauty of simplicity. not simplicity of composition, as haemmerlein's works are often explosive, multilayered mixed media melees, but simplicity of intention... clarity of verse, certainty of voice.

a move to los angeles in 2000 led to an "obsessive photographic cataloguing of the city" that created a foundation of imagery for haemmerlein's developing interest in graphic design (quote from artists' site). the artist is at LEAST a double threat with his superb photographic eye, and his ability to eloquently apply those images in more complicated, urban inspired designs (who knows, he might be an amazing character actor too. triple threat potential for sure). in most cases, rather than mining the depths of communal imagery, or worse, as some choose to, plundering other photographers' work and justifying the theft with a shield of "artistic license," haemmerlein produces his own imagery from the ground up. i have an enormous amount of respect for haemmerlein's multiple talents, and the seamless manner with which he integrates them.

above is an interesting side by side comparison from haemmerlein's site. on the left is the original photograph the artist took, and the right is the completed amalgamation. the photograph is lovely on its own, well composed, good lighting and direction of the subject. i love that the final piece is unexpected. the photograph is sort of softly glamorous, and while the design image retains the woman's engaging gaze, the composition takes on elements of toughness, disorientation and fantasy. the woman in the picture becomes a creature of the city, a natural urban native whose own body sprouts infrastructure.

the ny native's work is kinetic. the images leap from the page with youthful exuberance. behind the busy, often glutenous compositions are clear, concise messages of community, identity, and a call for compassion in the urban jungle. with a distinct graphic design aesthetic, haemmerlein's works read like headlines. they are bold, arresting and can elicit a gamut of emotions from shock to joy, and even that particular strain of shame that results from having the truth dumped in front of you and being forced to look it in the eye and acknowledge its presence.

haemmerlein has done many images, like the two above, that record in a sort of archaelogical manner the synthetic detritus of the living city. these works remind me of kevin cyr's cars and trucks, in that they imbue nonliving figures with personality, grace and a hint of nostalgia. i love that the compositions, though focusing on dominant machines, contain allusions to the city as its own ecosystem. small trees germinate from the underbellies of slick american motor vehicles, constant, persistent reminders of the natural world that we are all connected to; a mother nature that is too resilient to ever be fully buried under concrete.

haemmerlein's work is multilayered in several ways. the intended messages of the pieces are complex and easily open to various interpretations. the city is a system, and everyone has their place. a resident's reaction to the pieces of the city haemmerlein records will vary depending on which nitch that resident resides in. new comers to the city may still find their heart breaking at the sight of an earnest eyed homeless man with dreams in his stare, but those who have been exposed to the callousness for longer may already have their blinders on. for those who have (arguably) had to steel themselves to the ugly realities of urban life, these pieces might be pretty reminders of their helplessness and apathy. i love the above piece because it exemplifies the relationship between figure and environment in haemmerlein's work. in this piece the city skyline is dwarfed by a tree, next to which an elated figure dances in pure abandonment.

haemmerlein's pieces are physically and visually multilayered as well. each piece is carefully built up, either with layers of paper and media in his more painterly pieces, and with layers upon layers of text and imagery in his graphic design pieces. take for example the obama piece below. not only is the imagery rich and florid in its depth, but the words themselves "hope monger" are open ended. "monger" is a word that is most often understood as pejorative. in the complicated political climate of today's america, images such as this successfully speak to hope and jubilation while carefully reminding us of the importance of inquisitiveness and a constant questioning of the status quo.

April Fenario Gallery Show!

2009-03-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

marlis, night owl, oil on canvas

This April Fenario Gallery will be hosting a two person show with local Eugene artist Marlis, and Portland based painter Ashley Montague. We will be presenting these two artists as essentially side by side solo shows, so each show has its own title and theme. I've been working towards this format, because I feel that it is a better utilization of the space. We've been in the habit of hosting solo shows, and while this is a great opportunity for many artists, it is limiting for us at the gallery, and on top of it

marlis, forest through the trees, oil on canvas

Marlis is a California native, living and working in Eugene, with an eye-catching folkloric style to her insightful, moody acrylics. Her show is entitled “From Here to There: A Journey Towards Outward Expansion,” and showcases the evolution of her painting style, from a expressionist approach to more realistically rendered forms that retain their passion and emotional resonance. Marlis has been earning a growing local following with her art exhibitions and frequent live paintings at performance events. This exhibit will be an opportunity to show her fans, new and old, the exponential growth of her talent and vision.

marlis, reptilian attack, oil on canvas

Ashley Montague has been active in the NW art scene for many years. His graffiti inspired aesthetic transcends the oft-expected confines of street art inspired style, incorporating elements of mixed media, graphic design and installation. His exhibit, entitled “Mine Flew Away,” consists of new works on canvas. Montague, who is also a DJ, has been working on pieces that he describes as “visual re-mixes,” that utilize material recycling, multi-layered compositions, and re-worked canvases to create visual parallels to the musical re-mixes that Montague works with in his DJ sets. The opening reception for this two-person show will be held during the First Friday Art Walk April 3rd. The opening will include wine and refreshments and the artists will be present for questions. Later in the evening we will be having an after party DJ-ed by Ashley Montague. Please join us for a night of fresh art, free wine and a turn or two on the best dance floor in Eugene.

ashley monatgue, tone patterns, live painting, 4'x6'

This show is the next step in Fenario Gallery's effort to create a unique niche in the Eugene art community, where vision, singularity and contemporary relevance reign supreme. As art director, I have been working to create an exhibition program that is unique for the local scene, and affords exhibition opportunities to artists whose style and content speak directly to the concerns of modern society. As a team, we at Fenario have worked hard to refine and rework our mission statement and create a singular vision for the future of this art space. Though we are enormously proud of our history thus far, we are working towards a consistent level of quality and talent and attempting to hone in on a genres of art that are exciting, provocative and engaging. We will be focusing on pop-surrealism, urban contemporary, graffiti art and contemporary visionary art, art movements that are gaining momentum in the global art scene and that are generally under-represented in the Eugene art scene. April will mark the start of our new exhibition program, leading into May's group show "Menace to Propriety."

WILL GET NEW FLICKS OF THE SHOW UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!

hot spot - tommii lim

2009-03-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

tommii lim, solo, mixed media on a puma shoe box

in the dreary grey of an early oregon spring, i often hunger for color.

its dark here. i mean... really dark. its hard to get out of bed because it's black like midnight until mid-afternoon. the only recourse is to throw on all the lights in the room as soon as your alarm goes off to try to fake the funk and get your body to respond as if its seen sunlight more recently than last september.

when i start feeling light deficient i visit tommii lim's blog. lim lives and works in long beach, ca. lim's vibrant, alive mixed media works are joyful in their resonance and complex in their intent. his work highlights the anxieties and hang-ups of a technologically driven, fractured society. as lim himself sums it up, his paintins "problematize the paradigms governing the (in)activity of "minority" races and of hollywood against an urban american landscape rife with social, cultural, and political challenges."

tommii lim, lol, mixed media

i love that lim's pieces manage to be bright and whimsical, and yet extremely politically provocative and contemporarily relevant. there is dark humor in the details. i love the cigarette and missing finger in lol. his most recent works place skeletal figures in threatening or destructive scenes, with complex juxtapositions of bright colors and calamitous figures. the piece below was made for the "living lines" show at the jflynn gallery, a show which lim co-curated himself. the show exhibited a group of artists who, as lim described it, "work with drawing as painting."

tommii lim, we see everything (the protect america act of 2007), mixed media on wood panel, 48"x36"

tommii lim is also an accomplished graphic designer and dj. you can check out his music on his myspace.

how perfect...

just as i am writing this the sun is coming out. thanks tommii!

gilbert oh - oh my!

2009-03-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

gilbert oh, elizabeth, acrylic on canvas, 16"x12"

gilbert oh, is a nyc based artist whose haunting acrylics portray such pitch-perfect female figures it is easy to believe that he may be a real lady-killer, so in tune is he with the inner workings of the female psyche. oh's gorgeous women are painted in a luxuriously candid manner, that lends a sense of voyeurism to the often allegorical scenes. his rich colors, and classic execution lend and emotional resonance to the dark scenes. oh often employs caravaggio-esque light and technique to create an intense, dramatic atmosphere.

gilbert oh, doll's house, acrylic on canvas, 16"x20"

as oh explains, "my work is about the sexuality of women, their fears, fantasies and nightmares." and oh what fantasies and nightmares. oh's women are often antiquated in their dress and environment, but the types of sexual hang-ups, insecurities and desires that the pieces represent are timeless. in doll's house (a new version of which is posted on gilbert's site, with dancing figures in a bucolic, arcadian background) a woman poses stiffly with a riding crop, her head ensconced in a birdcage housing her tormentors. the birds blithely peck at her eyes, bringing forth unsettling streams of gore. this entrapment could be an allegory for sexual repression, and i think that it is telling that the shadow on the wall appears without the birdcage and seems more like a lurking male figure than an echo of the woman's frail, imprisoned frame.

gilbert oh, raising helen, acrylic on canvas, 16"x12"

i love everything about raising helen. the slightly alien alignment of her features. her long, thin fingers punctuated in alarmingly candy pink nails. i love the cast to her skin and her high, high forehead. there is something old-hollywood nostalgic about her look, but with a modern tint in the neon tone of her nail lacquer and the hungry, self-empowered look of her predators gaze.

gilbert oh's work will be featured in our may group show, "menace to propriety" at the fenario gallery. i so very much look forward to working with this extremely talented and intelligent artist. his lush paintings are currently featured in the femme fatale group show over at alcove gallery in atlanta, ga.

nathan spoor

2009-02-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

nathan spoor, the actuarium, acrylic on canvas, 25"x32"

nathan spoor is at the top of his game. finding success in a myriad of ventures, nathan has been sharing beautiful art with the world for years. as an artist, writer and curator nathan is a busy, busy man, but he took the time to answer some of my most pressing questions this week.

CG: You're from Texas, home of the bluebonnet, where you also attended art school. How did you enjoy life in the Lone Star State?

NS: That’s a pretty broad question, since there’s so much to enjoy about being in Texas. I suppose the best way to answer that is to say that I was brought up in a very loving home and had the opportunity to appreciate quite a bit of my surroundings. We moved around a bit, due to Dad being a youth and family minister (Church of Christ). So I got to meet a lot of people and be around a broad range of individuals. It was quite an experience. Dad’s also a master craftsman, so I also had a healthy understanding of work outside of “work”. Mom is a third grade teacher, so I got the psychology and good parenting all around. Life in Texas is pretty groovy, especially since hindsight is 20/20. Summers are seriously hot, and winters are generally cold, super windy and wet. I have allergies, so the Texas weather is pretty miserable for me. Southern California is much better for me in that, and many other respects.

Since I got to grow up in a loving and creatively nurturing environment, I’d have to say I had it pretty good growing up in TX. Skateboarding and drawing were my main pastimes. Through Jr. High and High School we lived in Houston on the outskirts of a great community around Sugar Land called the Meadows. On the other side of our back yard fence was a mall that was closed for years, so I grew up during that time on a skateboard, hitting the mall up daily. I explored as far as I could get on a board or a bike and my friends had similarly cool parents, so we all had fun.

I've heard that in its own sparse way, the topography of Texas is very beautiful. Was there a great deal of artistic inspiration there?

I might say no at first, but if you get a chance to spend time in Texas you’ll see the most amazing skies. The sunsets are amazing and the clouds are a great show. The good thing about Texas is that, being mostly flat you can get a great view of incoming storms or open skies from many vantage points. The downside can also be that it’s so open that there’s not much hope for shade in the heat of summer or the storm season, when hail can get up to baseball size (actually happened a couple years back).

But yes, there is a large community of artists that draw vast inspiration from the Texas landscapes and natural beauty found there. I’d go so far as to say there’s no shortage of Texas art to be found.

As a native NWer I admit to some ingrown biases about the culture down in Texas. How misinformed am I? I hear Austin is hip, but that can't be the only lovely part of your home state!

I don’t know really. No, we don’t all have horses or ranches or herd cattle or drill for oil. That does exist, but usually with the more prominent families that have been doing that for generations. I think these days it might be a more die hard lifestyle - that “True Texan” thing. But when you get to more populated areas it’s pretty much the picture of civilization. My parents moved to a smaller town during my senior year of high school, so I got a dose of small town vs. big town. Houston is a much larger and more multicultural experience than Snyder. To let you know the ratio, I was going to a high school of about 9000 with a graduating class of 900+, and we moved to a town where the entire high school might have been around 900, with a graduating class of maybe 100. So every extreme exists, but you have to know where to look for it perhaps.

nathan spoor, the arrival, acrylic on canvas, 18"x34"

For the most part though, if you think of Texas as being predominantly Christian, Bible Belters with a moral standard and low tolerance for change, you might be right. But that’s just one aspect of it, though a large one, and if you asked another Texan what it’s like they might give you a different picture.

Austin is pretty amazing. The music scene there is so rich and vibrant. The landscape is pretty great too, making it a kind of oasis of the flat Texas surroundings. Growing up in Houston, where it’s super humid and has its own mosquito population, places like Austin or San Antonio were places that were great to escape to. I didn’t really do that too much until college though. That’s too far to get to on a skateboard when you’re a kid.

I understand that you now live and work in Los Angeles. What drew you to LA?

Art. I got to a point in my life where I was experienced enough as an Art Director in Dallas that I was ready to move forward. It was just a few years, but after spending time designing all day and weekends, and coming home to paint a few hours before resting up for the next day of the same thing, I was ready for a change. I had built up my first body of paintings and had just done a show in Venice at some friends’ furniture store on Abbot Kinney during the Venice Art Walk. I got a great response and knew I was going to choose LA, or it had chosen me. It was that or New York. And no offense, but NY is just too cold.

Plus, I had this dream of standing out in a crowd and a fellow Art Director had given me a couple issues of Juxtapoz. It wasn’t long (a month or so later) after that that the company I was working for closed its doors, and the next week I was moving to LA. Through my first couple issues of Jux I found out that people were doing their own thing around LA, and had been for years. It was fortuitous I guess. At that time, in 2001, the magazine was still gaining momentum and there were very few places to show work. But I got lucky and met some cool people and did freelance work until I started showing and selling regularly. I still do, actually. That need to constantly grow and move forward isn’t going to stop.

Do you find that the proximity to such a large, progressive art scene stimulates your creativity and keeps you on the ball?

I’d have to say yes. But the reality is this, I’ve already been confronted with the fact that I’d be painting and pursuing my work in this epic narrative even if I couldn’t show or support myself in galleries. You only find that out when confronted with it. If you don’t stay on the ball you fall from grace in a way. I think I would be denying my gifts and insulting things far beyond my understanding if I was to try to navigate away from this “destiny” of sorts.

And yes, it’s essential to live in or with direct access to a place like LA. If you want to be involved or relevant you have to be close to where it’s happening. That’s not the case for every artist of course. But for me, it’s been true. Proximity and access make all the difference. If I couldn’t just pop in and bother a gallery for a check or drop off / pick up my work I’d be in a disadvantage.

And then there’s the personality aspect. Maybe some people are just built for certain things. I believe that. That acceptance of one’s self and true nature is directly related to your success or failure. That gets us into another topic that I’m no expert in though.

nathan spoor, citizens of the war, acrylic on canvas, 26"x20"

Your work seems deeply rooted in a world of fantasy. Much of your work depicts chimerical, otherworldly landscapes, do these pieces represent views of one particular imaginary world that you visit in your mind, or is your imagination constantly taking you new places?

I wish I had a great response for that one. I can tell you what I think it is, even though that is an evolving answer in itself. I call the body of work I’ve been painting through since I moved to LA in 2001, The Intimate Parade. I feel that the work represents a physical manifestation of a combination of my personal and spiritual particles, as well as experiences and insights into various realms.

There’s a certain aspect of sight involved as well. I do have strange visions or see things that I can’t explain and wouldn’t know how to access normally. There’s an “in between” that appears in some form of meditative communication. I wish I could go into it further but I’d go on and on and on and wouldn’t make much sense. So yes, let’s just say my imagination and universally conscious selves are very active and productive.

nathan spoor, the emissary, acrylic on canvas, 36"x36"

One of my most precious thrift store finds of all time was an old denim trapper keeper that feel open to reveal that it was a twenty year old Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual (with HUNDREDS of mint condition monster illustrations with their moves, and powers, etc.), disguised as a seventh grader's math folder. Did you play any role playing games, or have exposure to that old school fantasy style illustration when you were growing up?

I always wondered where that went!

No, I never played role-playing games or anything, they weren’t allowed. And fantasy art was too graphic or suggestive for us kids (I have one younger brother). I guess my influences as a kid were Star Wars, comic books, and things like that. Super heroes were a big thing. I liked Spider Man, Captain America, things like that.

I appreciate that your work varies, from pieces that are somewhat haunting in their emptiness and simplicity, to pieces that are fecund with imagery, characters and action. Does the finished result reflect your state of mind when you were working on the piece?

I like the word “fecund”. It’s like you’re going to talk about poo and then it’s very intellectual. Like high-class poo. And that brings us back to art. I’m not sure if it overtly reflects my state of mind, but I do think that it always has that imprint. I try to let the piece grow as it needs and not over think or overdo it.

Were you a fantasy reader/watcher when you were young, or, for that matter, are you still?

Yes and yes.

I find your work incredibly romantic, in that rich, literary sense... a la King Arthur or Beowulf. Are you a reader as well as a writer?

Thank you, and still the answer is yes. We read those books or stories in high school and I enjoyed them. I thought the whole translation bit for Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales pretty crazy. Everything was written in a highly intelligent code or foreign unused language in today’s means. I always enjoyed English and Lit classes, and had a good time with the course work. Science was different story. That was challenging and exciting and so foreign. I’m no scientist but I took away as much as I could and try to listen to science podcasts and things.

Do your literary or cinematic choices contribute to the formation of your fantasy landscapes?

I’m sure they do. I watch movies to relax and read to keep sharp.

What is your workspace like?

It’s small, in what would be the tiny dining area corner of the apartment here. It’s in the corner between the kitchen and living room. I keep only paintings in progress on the walls, so I can switch things up when I need to switch gears and get into different works.

What kind of inspiration do you surround yourself with?

Music, ufo and science podcasts, paranormal news, mystery and thriller books, and all the paintings in progress on the walls and floors.

nathan spoor, the pleasant plunder, acrylic on canvas

Are you a prolific artist, or do your pieces take time?

That’s two questions, yes and yes. I work on about a dozen pieces at any time. They take months to finish, and are very detailed and time consuming. I’ve very fortunate to be able to paint as much as I do.

Are you the type to work a piece through several stages and mediums, with sketches and under drawings, or do you find that the piece is already waiting on the canvas simply waiting to be revealed?

I generally get solid ideas for entire pieces or sections of works. Then I sketch out the ideas and order stretcher frames. Then I stretch them, prep them, sand it up and get started painting. I don’t sketch onto the canvas. I like the challenge of only painting, loosely, then tightening it up as I go along. I’ll leave plenty of room for things to switch up if the idea needs to go a different direction. It’s an organic process, and needs to grow at its own rate to become a really successful piece.

I see a relation between your work and the works of other visionary artists, like Hieronymus Bosch and Max Ernst. I also read your interview with visionary art Mack daddy Alex Grey. Do you consider yourself a visionary artist?

I’d say so. Those artists are far more advanced than I am, but I’m going to go the distance and see what happens.

Fenario Gallery, the art space that I direct/curate, started out as a visionary art gallery and we've been lucky to put on shows with artists like Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffman, and Bill Kruetzmann. When I got started visionary art wasn't my expertise so I made the time to visit the American Museum of Visionary Art when I was out East. Though they did have pieces by contemporaries like Alex Grey, a lot of their curatorial choices seemed to highlight an altered mental state, most often "confirmed", diagnosed mental illness, as the source of "visionary art." Though multiple definitions can certainly exist, my limited knowledge of visionary art had, up to that point, been defined by a notion that visionary art is that which depicts freely and without censorship a deep and natural connection to fantasy and myth. How do you define visionary art?

Well, I feel that most any forum of thought remains open to a wide variety of opinions and expectations. The defining of anything so open almost limits its potential. I don’t think we can help but have a limited view of what “visionary art” is. I think if it’s a poignant and rich visual, coming from somewhere beyond our understanding and created in the spirit of education or love, it’s relevant. See, I can’t even pinpoint an answer really. Fantasy art is fantasy in my opinion. Visionary art is such a rich and stigmatized term that I think I could only use it as a partial explanation for what I do. But all in all, I don’t try to define visionary art.

It's funny, when I first started at Fenario and I was told that it was a "Visionary Art" gallery, I had a real syntactical problem with the term visionary art. To me, all art is visionary, so the title seemed overly broad and prone to misunderstanding. I often find myself asking artists to define things for me, only to realize my syntactical error in using the word "define," because I too think that art terms should be plastic.

Have you had a chance to visit the AMVA?

Not yet.

How do you feel about their curatorial practice?

I don’t know. I did find this online: http://www.avam.org/
If that’s the place you’re talking about then I’m not really feeling it. The site was cluttered, on the cheesy side, and I couldn’t really take it seriously. Visionary art deserves a much more respectable forum to tell you the truth. The artists you mentioned, plus so many others, deserve far better than to be associated with a sideshow representation of their immensely talented and undying efforts. I could go on, and hopefully there’s another place you were thinking about. But that one is insulting (no reflection on you of course, always thankful of new things to see!).

I couldn't agree more. I went to the AVMA hoping to see works by artists like A Andrew Gonzalez, Alex Grey, H.R. Giger, Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, and Oleg Korolov, and instead found predominantly historical work where the didactics seemed to extort the artists mental illness and outsider status. There were a couple Alex Greys hung in sort of half-hearted spots in the front hall, but the majority of the work was set up almost like a circus freak show! The beauty of the art seemed undermined by the fact that descriptions of the immensely talented artists focused primarily on "reports of hearing voices" or "erratic" behavior, as if their greatest triumph was managing to create despite their "disabilities" rather than the execution of profound, unique art. Though I enjoyed viewing the art I was really disheartened by the fashion in which it was presented. Particularly because the AMVA is, at the moment, the only large scale exhibition space for so-called "Visionary Art" and those who visit the museum without previous knowledge of the genre risk leaving forever thinking that it is an unimportant, trivial artistic sidebar!

nathan spoor, the age of innocence, acrylic on canvas, 20"x26"

Aside from your successful fine art career you've also had your hands in other pots, such as curating art shows at several great national galleries, like your recent curatorial effort at Bold Hype "Say When." How do you enjoy working with other artists in a more organizational, administrative capacity?

I like it, in the respect of working with fellow artists and trying to find better ways and situations to showcase talent. I don’t think I’m especially talented at it, if one can be as such. But I do enjoy the possibilities of working with new potential spotlights for the individuals that I find visually captivating and personally gifted.

What got you into curating?

Same as above. I guess I fell into it in some ways. As it’s not my prime intention, I see it as an opportunity to be of service, or as an intermediary of fine talent or artist placement in a specific spotlight. If I think about it, I had opportunities to curate shows when a space would make itself available. Generally it would be a nontraditional location that I could figure out how to work a group show out for. Sometimes I would get offered a solo show and turn that into a group show, just to test out the space or feel out the market there. Now I occasionally get the chance to work with places I know or trust and curate with, or the new gallery that just seems to have a really nice vibe or cool owner. Having had some sketchy experiences I tend to not jump at most opportunities. You just get a feel for it or can tell what will be positive and what might not work out.

You've been in the game awhile, do you find yourself calling on artists who you know and admire and already have an established following, or do you try to push younger, less exposed talent that you believe in and want to see do well?

Both. That’s the beauty of having the opportunity to curate from that position. Putting together a balanced show, whether new or established talent is something I aspire to be better at.

What do you put a premium on when organizing a show: a good theme? An aesthetic resonance between artists' styles?

The opportunity and audience are premium, mostly. It makes a big difference to work with someone that will put in as much energy or offer a good platform to showcase individuals. I look for, or enjoy working with opportunities, rather, that will really get behind the idea. The artists really need to work with someone respectable that will not let them down or drop the ball. It also really helps to work with folks that will follow through on their word, especially since handshakes are the most common deals around. I work with people on their word, so when they lay down on the deal, it only hurts the growth of what we might have been able to do with them. The premiums are on trust, opportunity, audience, possibility, forward momentum, etc.

nathan spoor, the night visit, acrylic on canvas, 18"x34"

You've also been lucky enough to work with Hi-Fructose and BL!SSS and other great art publications as a writer/interviewer. Have you always been a writer?

Yes and no. I’ve always enjoyed writing for my own enjoyment. It wasn’t until Greg Escalante asked me to help out on interviews he had the opportunity to do with Juxtapoz that I really got into art writing. I’m no pro by any means but I do enjoy it and have a genuinely good time and somewhat of a knack for some aspects of it. We write for whoever comes our way and puts it in print that he gets along with, art rags, books, online. I’m now assisting Hi Fructose with fun things and content as a Contributing Editor and Writer for their online and occasionally in print. Without the happy accident of assisting Greg in our Juxtapoz articles and stories I wouldn’t have really thought about doing this sort of thing. But I love it and would like to continue pursuing it and see where it goes.

Is the interviewing something that you pursued, or did it sort of come with the territory as you became more and more active in the scene?

I didn’t pursue it at first. I would go about my business and Greg would / will call up and see if I’m free to do an interview and we get on a three way call with the artists and I type as fast as I can and create my own shorthand version of the conversation. It’s gotten me more proficient in typing for sure! As time went on, I started to see opportunities to be more active in the interviews, and Greg always encourages me to jump in. Being as active as I’ve been definitely helps. And now I’ve been coming up with new ideas that we’ll talk over and see how they go.

What do you get from the practice of hearing about other people's processes and inspirations?

It’s really interesting to hear artists that I respect and admire talk about their craft and their approach to bringing their work to life. We all seem to have some visionary aspect to our work, and each individual has his or her own unique brand of seeing it into reality. It definitely helps to hear people talk about their work and process though. It helps me formulate my own responses to the same questions we all get asked and have a more appropriate answer. It also helps me understand what not to ask or how to go about being more creative in asking questions so that an artist can have more freedom to express themselves when responding.

nathan spoor, a wink for safe passages, acrylic on canvas, 26"x20"

What is your best advice for young people entering the gallery world, as either artists or administrators?

Well, I always say that you have to really love what you do if you want to keep doing it. It’s also going to be clear as to whether or not you should be pursuing something or not. Be sensitive and listen more than you talk, and when you answer, be clear and direct. I guess the most important thing is to just do what you feel is your thing; don’t be upset when or if people don’t respond instantly to your genius ideas. Patience is key, timing is imminent, and at the right moment it will all click into place. But if I was getting into this again I would make sure I was really ready for it. Everyone has an opinion about your work. Some are right on and some are jealous and mask themselves in friendship to keep you at a mediocre level. Don’t accept mediocrity, but understand when the right person is giving you advice that’s gold. Things might take a while to make sense, and if you’re really lucky, it might happen really fast. If that’s the case, just trust yourself to do the right thing, keep a level head, and know whom you can trust around you.

Administrators? Well, I guess, the approach would be the key. If you’re working with artists, always follow through. Be open and explain things when they’re murky or difficult. Be very patient, be available when you can be, and try to understand that everyone is learning and everyone is going to forget things. Be on top of your records and keep a good calendar!

If you were a fantasy creature what would you be?

A time traveler.

Favorite Saturday morning cartoon of old?

I didn’t know cartoons came on on Sundays. We were always at church, so cartoons were on Saturday for me. I think the best was Bugs Bunny / Looney Toons. There are tons more, but those are the classics for me. The ones with Friz Freleng and Mel Blanc are the best.

If you could loose Paul McCarthy's ill-fated inflatable dogshit piece on anyone's picnic who would it be?

I think the irony would be if Paul McCarthy was having a picnic with Jeff Koons and it landed on top of them and they ended up smooshed on top of each other, and came out with chocolate pudding on their faces (we think it was pudding). The chocolate Santa buttplug is brilliant.

That would be truly spectacular. I remember reading about the transformation of the Maccarone gallery into McCarthy's chocolate butt-plug factory and thought to myself, Michele Maccarone has got it made. I'll know that I've made it in the gallery world when I have the resources and the cajones to turn my entire gallery into a chocolate butt-plug factory. To be able to delve so deeply into artistic fantasy and to stand so assuredly in the face of potentially REALLY shocking people for the sake of artistic liberty seems like a great state to be in.

nathan spoor, the immaculate correspondence, acrylic on canvas, 32"x25"

nathan spoor has several upcoming exhibits of his work, including march's group show old skool vs. new skool at PULSE new york, march 5-8.

all that glitters.... jamie vasta

2009-02-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

jamie vasta, stepsister, glitter on stained panel, 36"x48", 2007

as a curator, i'm often content driven. i want to be sure that when i commit the time, energy, and resources it takes to put on an art show, that the work has something to say, and that the stories told are unique, relevant and empowered.

i don't just want art that simply has something to say, i want art that conveys a message that will infect you... stay with you like a fever.... flavor your daydreams like strong, rare spices pillaged from a long sunken merchant ship.

but as an art lover, i'm still a snob for execution.... that's not to say that i simply put aside technique when i am reviewing portfolios for the gallery, i'm simply saying that luckily most of the portfolios that i receive come from artists who have taken the time to master their technique, whatever that may be, and that is obivious enough to make the major factor in my decision making process whether or not i am moved by the content, voice, and themes. i have favored mediums: i love printmaking, contemporary craft like assemblage, i love charcoal, panel, encaustic, ink (god i love ink)... but i can appreciate any medium used appropriately and interestingly. in fact, what i really dig, is new materials/new media. i'm a bit of a techno-phobe, so while i dig video art and all the new applications of digital technology in art, i'm not overly comfortable judging it, due to my basic lack of technical understanding. what i really like to see is people using classic art materials in new ways, or using unexpected materials in surprising fashions.

i love souther salazar's lightbulb hot-air balloons,

and emily barletta's corporeal crochet works,

of all the amazing young artists that i've discovered through the internet super highway over the past couple years using unique media, the artist who had my jaw dropped the furthest has to be jamie vasta. she's the perfect blend of interesting, relevant content and unique technique and execution.

jamie is a rochester, ny native who... well... works in glitter. it honestly took me a minute to believe that's what i was seeing the first time i laid eyes on one of jamie's pieces. mostly because my judgement was clouded by rapidly increasing excitement caused by the discovery. the first piece of jamie's that i saw was 2007's stepsister (see above), a claustrophobic, violent composition that seems to depict a female figure being gently garroted with a blood red sash by a placid, sisterly second figure. once i confirmed that the piece was indeed executed in carefully placed swaths of good old fashioned glitter, i checked the dimensions on the piece. somehow i was convinced that if jamie had the patience, determination and vision to execute such a complicated piece that it would have to be small in scale. i sat down heavily when i read that the piece was in fact 36"x48". the large scale of the piece only mad it seem that much more impossibly awesome.

jamie vasta, cottontail, glitter on stained panel, 30"x24"

jamie's work seems fine-tuned to my own taste in titillation. her works are powerful, dramatic, violent, and epic. and the use of glitter is at once attractive and intriguing and simultaneously sort of unnerving in its unexpectedness. i seem to reference eva hesse about fifty times a day, but her brilliant piece accession (1968) is to me the perfect example of a piece that creates an intimate relationship between attraction and repulsion. the sculpture appears from a distance to be a box lined with fur like hairs. it creates a desire to get closer, to touch the object and experience it tactilely, but upon closer inspection the hairs are actually rows and rows of sharp nails. jamie vasta's dark scenes have that same effect on me: i'm drawn in like a magpie to the shiny, nostalgic medium, and at the same time startled and unsettled by the violent, eerie imagery.

jamie vasta, in the rushes, glitter on stained panel, 60"x48"

i love that jamie isn't afraid to be bold. her recurring theme of beheadings reminds me of one of my favorite art discussions i had in college. while learning about caravaggio and the baroque era, my professor briefly touched on artemisia gentileschi a female artist from the same period. the slide that he used was artemisia's rendition of judith slaying holnefronese. we had seen a version of the same scene by caravaggio earlier in the week, and a lively discussion ensued on the various treatments of the story, in which judith beheads holnefronese while he sleeps. though caravaggio's is masterfully painted, his judith demures even while she slices the head of the usurper, while gentileschi's judith leans heavily and determinedly on the sword causing great swaths of gore. if a woman is going to sneak past deadly guards to off someone, she's going to do it with relish. jamie vasta's murderous women are similarly gutsy in their executions.

her most recent series, shown at patricia sweetow gallery in san francisco, entitled kills focus on scenes of young girls and their hunted prey. for me, having grown up in a veggie-loving gun-hating liberal valley, the scenes of very young girls holding rifles and carrion are shocking, but in a hilariously ironic way. their unadulterated violence (you can almost smell the blood in the snow) executed in cheeky, sparkling glitter make me smile so big it just errupts into laughter: the juxtaposition of dead animals and little girls, guns and sparkles is just too much. these pieces have exactly the character that i'm looking for in pieces for the "menace to propriety" show. they're challenging in a clever, sophisticated way without being heavy-handed or overwrought. in virginia an angelic blond of five or six smiles with the straw of her big gulp in her mouth holding a shotgun to her side that towers over her petite frame. another, bristol, seems to show a young bristol palin with her gregarious mother happily lording over the bloodied carcass of an elk. early sara palin portrait in glitter complete with gory wildlife corpse? love it.

jamie vasta, becky, glitter on stained panel, 16"x20" 2008

i particularly like the fact that vasta's pieces make me empathize with a group of people i normally wouldn't have much of a connection to. i'm not much into guns or hunting, though i have no moral problem with hunting for food purposes if the animal is used appropriately and there is minimal waste. i don't know ms. vasta well enough to tell whether these pieces are meant to be mocking towards hunting culture, but the fact that these young girls all seem to be having fun reminds me that it is not my place to judge other people's past times. the faces in vasta's snapshot aesthetic compositions seem genuine. my childhood stories of wild hippy festivals and barefoot berry picking could be just as hilariously scandalous to someone who grew up in a significantly different kind of culture.

jamie vasta, skylar and madi with geese, glitter on stained panel, 30"x40" 2008

jamie vasta, heather, glitter on stained panel, 30"x40" 2008

an earlier chapter

2009-02-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

the krah, of 101ers crew

i wasn't always so sure that i wanted to work in the arts. when i was a kid i wanted to be a dinosaur. then it was a forensic psychologist, and then a chef... and so on. by the time i was applying for colleges, i KNEW for SURE that i wanted to be a writer, so when i got into u of o, i immediately signed up for the journalism school. three weeks into my first term, my elective art history class had swept me off my feet. it was my professor, james hurwitt, that sealed the deal. one of the world's foremost experts on the athenian acropolis, his stirring lectures on ancient antiquities transformed him into an arresting indiana jones figure, and from day one, i could see myself in his shoes. i went to the registrar and changed my major to art history with a focus on greek and minoan antiquities.

by my second semester i had submersed myself in art history. i still took antiquities courses, but i branched out into contemporary as well. a stoic academic in my school life, i still spent my evenings on filthy couches in flop houses surrounded by graffiti. i had always loved the aesthetics of graffiti, but i didn't consider my fascination with it to be academic until i took an introductory anthropology course that centered on a research project about a type of folk art. reading over the prospectus i realized that graffiti art worked perfectly for the definition given of an folk art: done with the hands, taught through apprenticeship and oral tradition, etc. this gave me an academic framework to research graffiti with, and i took to the task immediately. it took hundreds of photos in eugene and portland, and was really pleased with the resulting project. so much so that i decided to shift the focus of my art history research to international street art (international because i needed an excuse to travel). to my surprise i found that a lot of my more classically minded professors supported my direction and passion for the project. i got a lot of help in terms of finding the right academic framework.

athens, greece, view from lycabettus hill

when i started looking into study abroad i initially wanted to go somewhere that would have a dense concentration of street art. i thought london, paris, barcelona... but then i found a pamphlet on a program in athens, greece. the photo on the cover was sunset over the acropolis and it reminded me of the time in my life when i had first chosen to dedicate my life to art. though i knew very little about the street art scene in athens, i signed up for the program, hoping to be able to bridge the gap between my old school love of greek and minoan antiquities and my passion for street art.

athens, greece

when i got to athens and got settled i was pleased to find that it had a thriving street art scene. the antiquities were a given. everywhere you go in athens there are monumental reminders of the city's rich history. my apartment was directly across the street from the city's first cemetery, hundreds of years old, with rows upon rows of mausoleums from various eras. my balcony had a unbeatable view of the acropolis. it was very close, and we were at an almost identical elevation, so from my hill it looked like you could reach out and touch it. sometimes i would wake up before dawn just to watch the sun rise behind the temple ruins, and the light spilling off across the city all the way down to the aegean ocean. from the rooftop of our school (a tiny academy, with a creaky, wrought iron staircase to the roof that had folding chairs and rows of billowing laundry) you could look down on the original athenean olympic track.

alley off ermou, near pandelis melissinos, the poet sandal maker's shop

the first couple weeks i walked for miles and miles everyday, camera at the ready, and while i loved the exercise and the fresh air, athens is HOT and VERY BIG. i wasn't really getting much further than the south side of ermou, so i took to the trains. greece has a thriving native street art scene with superbly talented artists such as zoe zillion, b., qbrick, lifo, impe, woozy and several other roaming the streets of athens, and other major greek metropolises.

ruins in the train yard at monistiraki

one of my most beloved discoveries was a huge warehouse that had been painted on all size by an impressive line-up of greek and international street artists, including os gemeos, nina, besok, stormy, bizare and woozy. a plaque in greek let me know that the project was called carpe-diem (the only part of the writing i could decipher) and when I got home and accessed the internet i was giddy to discover that the building was an artifact of a 2002 greek cultural project called carpe-diem: chromopolis. the team of street artists visited 10 greek cities and painted large scale walls, along with doing talks and hosting forums about art and graffiti. i cried a little knowing that i missed the chance to meet the speakers by a couple years, but I was happy to see that their artistic endeavors remained around the city unmolested. below are some shots of the warehouse (that i think housed an indoor bmx track):

north side of building, i'm not sure the artist.

panorama of wall with pieces by nina and os gemeos

character amidst the os gemeos mural, maybe by same

nunca

one of my favorite artists that i saw all over athens was an artist who wrote b. these pieces are so fun and comical. they remind me a playmobil toys, that aesthetic, and the characters b. draws remind me of those toys.

loved this piece, this shot is extremely zoomed in, the building is actually in an empty lot surrounded by hurricane fence.

krah

krah on the left and b. on the right

b. mermaid

zoe zillion was prolific AND extremely talented. i loved her characters so much. i hunted around for her work everyday, and every time i found a new piece my heart fluttered. she often does pieces with b.

b. and zoe zillion

athens local qbrick's shit was epically tight. i found this whole series of this dead bride in a neighborhood near my apartment. as i walked the streets the dead bride became more and more pregnant until in an alcove, her fetus emerged. mad creepy cool. the last piece in the series was on the same block as the b. and zoe zillion piece with the diving girl and the squid, the os gemeos molotov piece (below) and across the street was a favorite norjin piece. a very vivid city block.

i was extremely excited to see that there were not only active female street artists in athens, keeping up with the boys, and in some case schooling them, but that athenian art was much more figurative than what i'm used to, and the woman loving greeks saw fit to depict the female form in a myriad of interesting ways. zoe zillion and norjin both had tons of great, strong female characters.

molotov cocktail, os gemeos

norjin

athens had a surprisingly diverse and active street art scene. just writing this post and putting up these pictures makes me miss it so bad. i would love to go back in the next couple years and see how things have developed and what remains and what has grown in its place.

"an equation of meaning" malia schuthies

2009-02-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

malia schulthies, self portrait, mixed media on paper, 22"x30"

it was a rather strange confluence of events that led to the discovery of malia schultheis' enormous artistic talent by the outside world. a unique recipe of friendship, a long ago blind date, and professional bookkeeping services twisted the ribbon of fate that led to fenario's january-february exhibition, "an equation of meaning." we were already keenly aware, from working with her in a professional capacity, that malia was intelligent, beautiful and kind hearted. but she really pulled a rabbit from her hat when, a few months ago, she brought in a few pieces of her art to be photographed. she had never exhibited her art before, and did not come in seeking favors. but as soon as we laid our eyes on her moody, cerebral charcoals and sensual oils we knew we'd had buried treasure right beneath our feet. i think, however strange it may seem to fans of her work, she may have been a little taken aback when brent offered her a solo show. malia has a productive career already, and thought of her work more as a "hobby." some hobby.

malia's first solo show (and first show ever of any kind!!!!) opened here at fenario january 16th. it was our first shot at hosting an opening mid-month, without the automatic crowds drawn in by first friday. while the turnout wasn't enormous, the response to the work was overwhelmingly positive, and we had the added pleasure of surprising many people who didn't know that we had an opening and drawing them in off the street like moths to a flame. people were particularly surprised to discover that is was malia's first show, citing the maturity of her style and execution as causes for their surprise at her modest exhibition history.

malia schultheis, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, mixed media on paper, 21"x27" (framed)

somewhere along the line, while malia was "hobbying," she developed a clear, concise artistic voice. the impressiveness of her masterful technique is matched only by the complexity of the symbolism that she uses. though malia's talent is obviously, in large part, natural, her technique matured and blossomed under the tutilage of lcc professor js bird. her teacher's influence can be seen in the mythological references and broken planes of space. malia has a keen understanding of the use of space, and her compositions benefit from their breathing room. images rarely seem cramped, and this ease of expansiveness creates a sense of unhurried grace.

i love the play of scale in concept vs. truth. it is such a comfortable and yet unsettling territory. and being the learning sponge that i am, i particularly love the step by step origami instructions in the top quadrant of the piece. elements like this and the detailed diagrams of the various chakras in child's pose, amongst other pseudo instructions scattered across the other pieces, give a sense of knowledge being passed on without the stuffy, patronizing feel of the academic text books some of the diagrams may have been pulled from. there is a folkloric feel about the information being disceminimated, a sense of storytelling and old lore.

malia schultheis, concept vs. truth, mixed media on paper, 21"x27" (framed)

malia's recurring motifs of origami, scientific diagrams, and disembodied text remind me in an oddly pleasant way of my favorite UK artist suzy q and the owls. their approach is wildly different, and yet they achieve similar visual dialects. malia's work is much softer compared to suzy's geometric graphic design inspired aesthetic, and yet mirrored themes run like a seem between their two bodies of work. its fascinating to think about complex ideas and styles such as theirs developing simultaneously on opposite sides of the earth. ( isn't that what happened with the telephone?) i asked malia if she knew suzy's work, but she'd never seen it. simply a case of serendipity. perhaps there is some kind of greater artistic atmosphere surrounding the planet that only the most creative have large enough dreams to tap into?

malia's work is infused with elements of biology, storytelling, and spirituality. her pieces are extraordinarily personal, and at times the viewer feels voyeuristic in peeking into the details of malia's life laid bare. we can trace the blueprint of the home she lives in with her son kai, read words of heartbreak traced down the arch of a figure's back, and in these acts we share in the artist's experiences. i admire the spirit of openness and honesty that malia embraces in her art. that level of personal revelation in art is what makes work skip past good to great.

malia schultheis, child's pose, mixed media diptych on paper, 34"x29"ma

we had malia's grand opening this last first friday february 6th. we had a fantastic turnout, and again the response to the work was very positive. malia's art inspired discussion and contemplation in just the way that i had hoped. for me, that is one of the greatest powers of art, is its ability to inspire dialogue. and with malia's work, there is plenty to talk about. overall i think that the show was very strong, and considering her lack of gallery experience, i think the show borders on virtuosity.

malia schultheis, mother culture, oil on canvas, 24"x24"

whooooowie!!!

2009-02-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

this is so me, i love how she even has a cocktail and converse, i just wish that me in dog form wasn't quite so rolly. and i would think twice about napping in public with that hat.

i like how posting this picture right below my now infamous "party kitty" photo is starting to make me look like one of those weirdo pet people. no folks, i don't buy halloween costumes for my dog (though he would look seriously handsome).

i know, i know. i have been slacking on the posting recently.

i'd give you a laundry list of excuses, but the truth of the matter is i've been busy... which makes me tired. oregon winters are dark... i mean really dark. it makes you feel like a black bear, you just want to find a hollow log and go hibernate. if it weren't for this pesky thing called work, and her sister whore ambition i'd be paws deep in a pine needle lined cave right now.

the malia schultheis show at the gallery has been getting really positive responses. sales are slow, but it is not only malia's first solo show, it's her first show EVER, so i take the good word of mouth to be reward enough at the moment (though her work is so strong and priced so shockingly low, there is a part of me that just wants to shout "what are you thinking people?! get it while you still can!!"). i'm working on a review of the show, but since work seems like all i've been doing lately, it is slow going. i have the next two days off, so i'll get it posted this week.

i've also got an interview with nathan spoor on the way, and some reviews and q+a sessions coming up with a few of the artists for the "menace to propriety" group show, that for various reasons had to be pushed up to may (insert the sound of nail biting here). since the group show got moved up i have to pick up the pace with that, as well as keep my head in the game and get to promoting the solo show my boss booked for next month, and the two person show that i landed for april (my beautiful angelic artists are being so darn patient and flexible, good on 'em). soooooooo... i've got several months of shows to keep working on, portfolios to review, interviews to conduct, networking to do and sometime in all that i have to try to sleep... without over sleeping.

and just when i thought my plate couldn't get any fuller, i got asked to be an expert panelist for an upcoming exhibit at the jordan schnitzer art museum, a HUGE honor, and i'll be working with people in the field who i greatly admire, like larry fong the head contemporary curator at the museum, and ms. kennedy of p.i.c.a.

even though i'm exhausted often, i feel very inspired by all the recent activity. i had this weird period last year where i felt like my life was in limbo and i was just waiting for something to happen. the recent flurry of activity feels like the beginning of something, and i can't wait to see where it takes me. all i have to do is try to keep my eyes open, and stay grateful.

release the sound hounds! interview with ashley montague

2009-01-21T15:04:00.000-08:00

ashley montague, wrapped in it, mixed media, 2007

Portland based artist Asheley Montague has been in the art game for several years, wielding various artistic tools in divergent, yet related manifestations of his creative self. We are hoping to collaborate A.S.A.P on shows at Fenario, so I decided to prep myself for the Ashley experience by dropping a few questions on the man. Ashley took the time to give thoughtful responses to some of my more intense queries and was a great sport in playing along with the dorkier side of my investigative reporting.

Chloe G: Tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got started making art.

Ashley Montague: My name is Ashley Montague, 34, born in Buffallo, N.Y. and I've lived in California, Colorado and now live/work in Portland, Or. I guess the art all started in my life because both my parents were artists/painters... so from a young age they would roll out their butcher paper and just let me go to town on it... they would be doing their own artwork, and I'd be zoning out at paintings my dad/mom did when I was young... more abstract stylee stuff... and I remember seeing so many images in them. I would spin around until I was dizzy, fall over on the floor and look at the paintings. They also worked at the Albright Knox gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., so I was hanging out there when I was little... I even went to preschool there. I have always been surrounded by it, so I think it just became second nature to me.

CG: Do you have any formal art training? How do you feel about art school as a process and its importance, or lack there of, in the career of a contemporary artist?

AM: My formal training would be 1 year of college/art school... I went to PNCA in Portland for a year. Got super frustrated and bored with first year courses (and paying a heap o' money to do greyscales, etc.) so I dropped out. Thought I should immerse myself in the Portland world of art... so I helped some friends work a gallery called The Glade gallery. Glade was the super DIY gallery. Way back in the days... fun times for sure!

ashley montague, hydro life machine, multimedia piece done for the opening of upper playground in PDX

As for art school and its importance... I think for some the structure is needed, it definitely teaches you techniques/methods a lot quicker than on your own. Also connections, that end piece of paper (degree) can get you far in the art world. But I feel that if you truly love creating art you will make your vision come true... You can do the research, keep up on techniques, find out who's who in your community and beyond and make it your life... and really learn what you need to do, without going to a formal school and getting in a heap-o-debt.

CG: Your art is multimedia, but spray paint seems to be a fairly important component. Are you, or have you ever been involved in graffiti art on the street level?

AM: Yeah, I've definitely put in some time on the street doing pieces... I was never a tagger, cause my letter styles were never up to par, I thought... so it was all quick characters and such. It started back in high school, we had this bridge about a block from my house... I'd go under there and do life size characters and throw-ups. Then I'd take my mom on a walk and be all, "Whoa... who did that... those damn graffiti kids!" Of course she knew it was me, she just told me not to get busted... never really got mad about it. She was rad for that.

Then in Portland, at first I really only did rooftops and lil' duck outs where I could spend a bit more time working on a piece- plus it would stay up for a bit. The I was given free reign to paint on this garage on Belmont & 32nd. Murals were illegal in Portland, but somehow that garage never got fucked with. i lived like 4 blocks from it... so for about 5yrs. I painted that thing non-stop! Sooooo many layers of paint are on that- even to this day it still runs.... myself & local/visiting artists/friends paint on it- a good spot for sure.

CG: What is the major difference in process between a piece done on canvas and a work done out and about in the environment? Do you find that your subject/themes tend to change depending on the environment the piece is intended for?

AM: Yeah, subject definitely changes depending on the location of the piece, where it'll hang, etc... I think the beauty of a good street art piece is the placement, subject matter, and relation to its surroundings. If you've got those 3 things you're golden. Think Banksy, 'nuff said.

As for canvas work, with me... it definitely gets more introspective, 'cause I have the time to really think out a piece/concept and go back to it maybe a week/month later to see what it might need. Pieces grow at their own rate, some quicker than others... and some definitely touch on a more personal realm. I also really like doing conceptual pieces for certain venues... whether it be sushi joint, shoe shop, or gallery it's always a fun personal challenge to paint specifically for a place.

CG: I know you've done some live painting. Tell me about the thrill of public art. Do you feed off the crowd's reaction much the same a musician or other type of performer would?

AM: Oh for sure! It works just the same... you can literally feel the crowd when you're live painting- even though you don't really see them. When you're on it, and the piece is working out... there's this push and pull from the crowd... they'll get closer in during major changes/steps to the piece, and fall back while the piece is in slower times. After a bit of this, I've learned how to time out the movements of a piece to keep it interactive and interesting for folks to watch- being sure and solid with your movements, and knowing when to step away from it is key also!

CG: Music is a common theme in your art. What kind of relationship do you have to music? What kind of music inspires you?

ashley montague, sound hounds: my vinyl weighs a ton, mixed media on cardboard/paper in metal

AM: I really like da music... it all goes together so well. The audio/visual... eardrums/eyelids. I feed off of music a lot... the energy of it, how it can communicate so deeply without words- my relationship to music has changed a ton. I used to just listen, dance on the bed and get happy from it. Then I started playing bass, totally didn't even know any scales/chords or nothin', but convinced some guys that I knew what I was doing, so I played in a band for a bit... Kinda funk/jam stylee stuff. Got to play with real goo musicians though... so it was always a journey. I had to just hold the bass line solid!

Then I got my bass stolen, and got some turn tables. So it went from creating music to almost a collage format with music... Then I started doing sampling/production pretty heavy. Funny enough, eardrums4eyelids actually started as my record label. I put out 3 local PDX compilations of hip-hop/electronic producers... and a 12" piece of vinyl too- all focusing on the left field creative side of the Portland scene... this whole time I was painting also. Never really fully focused on painting though, but knew I'd always keep on doing it, until about 2 years ago when I realized that I should try and put my full attention into creating visual art, and see what can happen. So now I just DJ a few times a month... that's enough to keep the audio side of me happy... kinda a funk/neo-soul/abstract beat journey. I call it "rusty ass records from the future" *but don't get it wrong... I'm plenty serious about my DJing also- really try and push your listening ability and how you hear things!

As for when I'm painting, lately I'm hooked on sounds from the UK. Whether it's dubstep, minimal, or glitched out beats... throw me a good mix, and that'll do me just fine!

ashley montague, finger fun, one-off wood print, 2007

CG: There are also elements of spirituality and politics in your work, tell me a bit about how you translate your opinions and beliefs into graphic form. Your art is obviously discursive, do you feel like people are listening? What do you think modern art's responsibility is to issues like war, inequality and censorship- the type of issues that seem to dominate our other forms of media?

AM: Yes, I think I try to tap into my own version of spirituality- sometimes telling stories/lessons, making a commentary if needed... Visually I will use images that are relevant to my experience... my visual language- these symbols are usually never real obvious or blatant- most of the time kind of a slang. I'm not going to spoon feed you the info- you still need to read between the lines, and connect the dots yourself. I try and add just enough imagery as is needed to complete a thought or a story full circle- just enough that it makes sense in my mind.

That explained, I try and not tell the same story twice... so yes, my work IS very discursive! Which I pride myself on. I don't see how artists can paint the same image/scene over and over, maybe changing color here and there... I feel if it's about communication visually, then why the hell are you saying that thing over and over and over again?! Yes... I ramble with my visions, and I think the folks who are looking for more than just a one trick pony, and want some depth in vision/concept will listen.

As for art's responsibility to social issues... we definitely need art to say something about these issues... whether it's subtle, or you knock folks over the head with it- each version can effect you at the right times. But I think art should also remember that it is magical, and still remember the power to take you on a journey into your mind, away from all the troubles of this material life. I try and live in the fantasy/dream world... kinda in the clouds.... but rooted in reality, never avoiding issues that I feel strongly about, but being wise in how you teach these lessons.

CG: What are your favorite mediums to work with? Have you been experimenting with anything new lately?

AM: My favorite for now is acrylic, spray paint, and latex... dabbling with ink... but been getting into a lot of paper work lately- I feel I work looser on paper for some reason. I'm really down to experiment with any new techniques/medias. Like I'm putting together an interactive chair project in March where the backgrounds for are woven into the look/feel of the chair... each will have their own feel, but should work as a set. I've gotta experiment to keep it fun.

CG: How do you feel about the contemporary Portland art scene? Happy to be there right now?

AM: Wheew... the Portland are scene is funny, I guess any scene is funny in its own ways. I really enjoy it a lot though. There's plenty of inspiration from the landscape/city and people, and there are always new projects and spaces to work with. One thing with Portland is that everyone around you is literally an artist/musician... so there's soooo many folks, mini-scenes, and styles to keep track of. I guess I know who/what type of art I like... so I follow/hang with those folks... keep it family, like you know. There's a lot of real dope folks here though! A lot of them hide in the woodwork, but can just kick some visual ass if needed.

I'm really happy to be here in Portland right now. It's an ever changing/forward moving town that is slowly getting the praises that it's due. Everyone knows S.F./L.A. etc... but Portland has a lot of secret weapons that are surfacing slowly. Watch out!

CG: What do you reward yourself with when you're done with a new piece?

AM: Lately, sit on my heater and stare at it for awhile... maybe eat a snack during this time, play a good song and do the victory dance! I'm pretty simple that way.

ashley montague, the "fix", mixed media live painting with justin goreman, 2008

CG: Drink of choice?

AM: Mate... with toasted coconut.

CG: Tea or coffee?

AM: Coffee.

CG: Ever owned a waterbed?

AM: Oh yes. That shit's fun! Had one when I was around 16. It was heated and all... I even had a fuzzy tiger blanket to go on top- animalistic!

CG: If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

AM: Green like the grass.

malia schultheis: an equation of meaning

2009-01-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

i am very excited for our upcoming exhibit! we are experimenting with six week engagements, so malia's show will open mid-january with a soft opening, then two weeks later we will be a featured stop on the art walk. hopefully this double exposure will get a lot of people through the door, because I LOVE malia's work. i haven't been this inspired or excited about a local show in quite awhile. i think that malia's work is sexy, scintillating and provocative. exactly the kind of thoughtful work that i would like to highlight here at the gallery. here is the press release that we sent out for the show:

Beginning January 16th Fenario Gallery is proud to present, An Equation of Meaning, new works by local artist Malia Schultheis. This exhibit will include new works on paper as well as new oil paintings, by the 29 year old Eugene resident. Ranging from brooding, introspective charcoals loaded with spiritual resonance and occult imagery, to sharp, glamorous oils with modern tones and a hint of sophisticated fashion photography, Malia’s solo exhibit will highlight the diversity of the artist’s interests and talents. Schultheis’ work swims with abstract, recurring themes such as origami, architectural blueprints and floating streams of numerical figures that create a sense of interconnectedness between the works but retain an overall feeling of mystery. These works embody the fractured, seemingly random nature of the modern world, and give the audience a view out from the center of life’s ever-complicated labyrinth of meaning. An Equation of Meaning is a worldly collection of provocative pieces sure to inspire contemplation and discussion.

jonathan viner

2008-12-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

jonathan viner, a discerning youngster, oil on panel, 24"x36, 2008

jonathan viner, conduit of dialogue, oil on panel, 24"x36", 2007

i love jonathan viner's work. it was his palette that first drew me in. the muted, aquatic tones. and then it was the details, the quieter moments, the small peculiarities that i noticed only in my mind's eye as the paintings haunted my imagination later. like the tags on the lamp cord in a discerning youngster, just a simple factor that brings the ethereal scene down to earth. the blue glow of the cell phone screen in conduit of dialogue, an unexpected inclusion of modern technology in a old master style oil painting. i love the contradictory technique and content. it cements the more frivolous aspects of our daily culture in the history that we are sure to leave behind. whether we take them seriously or not, these gadgets will become artifacts of our culture that we will pass along to future generations. things like plastic, radio waves, and computer chips will be the lasting legacy of what our generations have built (check out alan wiseman's the world without us, amazing). rather than making some sad commentary on these trends, i feel like viner's works simply explore this as an inevitability. there seems to be little sadness in these observations, more of a sense of wonder and fascination.

jonathan viner, the fluidity of power, oil on board, 48"x36"

jonathan viner was born in new york in 1976, and received his BFA from the rhode island school of design. he now lives and works in nyc. since 2002 jonathan has had several prestigious solo shows, including his 2008 show target practice at the jonathan levine gallery. i am particularly drawn to viner's darker images (they're all fairly dark, but some are more fantasy than nightmare). i love watchdogs. viner has an amazing ability to depict architecture that radiates human emotions. i love that the house behind the figure in watchdogs has as much presence as the figure herself, almost as if it is the house bidding her to stand guard. an exemplar of detached observation, is also a beautiful example of a building that seems to breathe (i don't have a big enough image of the piece, so click the link to see an image you can see the details in).

jonathan viner, watchdogs, oil on panel, 53"x41"

jonathan viner, an exemplar of detached observation, oil on panel, 36"x48"

eric beltz: my kind of america

2008-12-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

barbara kruger, thinking of you, mixed media, 1999

barbara kruger, your body is a battleground, mixed media

i am obsessed with typography. i love letters, words. i love their forms, their graceful curves and straight-backed uprights. my love of letter forms played a big part in me falling in love with graffiti art and pursuing the interest academically. the first time i got letters tattooed on my skin (albeit greek letters) i was elated by the process of using my own skin as a writing surface. i couldn't believe how beautiful the words looked on the canvas of my skin. i found myself drawn to artists who used typography in their design. barbara kruger, russian constructivists, magritte, william blake. but it's a fine line. when executed well the juxtaposition of visual imagery with written words can be powerful and eloquent. when done half heartedly, or expressing a tepid sentiment, the pairing of fine art and written word results in what essentially amounts to a poorly designed hallmark card. i always had an aversion to art that sloppily paired painting and/or drawing with prose. watercolors of irises with sophomoric poetry about spring showers. it always struck me as ingenuine, as if the words and the design were both too weak to stand alone, and together they only seemed further handicapped by their conjoined status.

eric beltz, tree of the evil eagle, graphite on paper, 30"x40", 2008

santa barbara based eric beltz easily avoids the latter travesty by imbuing his works with humor, clear articulation, and candid witticism. his politically charged, stunningly rendered graphite works keenly dissect modern political and social anxiety with a sharp sense of satire. beltz' drawings resemble etchings and scientific illustration of the 18th century (another gold star from me) and yet find a sense of contemporary relevance by addressing history as an important indicator of our present. in his series entitled american visions beltz depicts the founding fathers in scenes of defeat, regret and plaintiveness. in tree of the evil eagle washington sits dejectedly before a majestic tree occupied by a malicious looking eagle and a pentagram of text. the chopped lumber surrounding his slumped frame seems to allude to his famous cherry tree anecdote, and perhaps underscores the impotence of honesty as a virtue in politics. in today's day and age, where politicians treat the past like unwanted baggage rather than an important educational tool, beltz' clever indications that generally life's problems stay fairly similar and that we ought to try to learn from the lessons of the past are much appreciated.

eric beltz, treats breathing problems, graphite on paper, 11"x14", 2006

there is a mystic, mythological element to beltz' work as well. frequent occult symbols and allusions to american mythology and superstition riddle beltz' illustration, such as the pentagram of text in tree of the evil eagle. there is an acknowledgement of the strange and constantly changing history of religion and spiritualism in america; a gentle nod to the american dream and the various ways that it becomes present in our hopes, dreams, and disappointments. he has also done an interesting series on folkloric medical treatments, and at least one piece that reminds the viewer of the positively benign and healthful applications of hemp used by the founding fathers.

eric beltz, good luck assholes!: thomas jefferson's vision of death, graphite on paper, 22"x28", 2007

and beltz doesn't bother beating around the bush with these issues. rather than veiling his messages in flash and pomp, his clearly articulated style, gracefully utilized passages of negative space, and often bold language practically shout at the near deaf american populace that change is inevitable and disappointments are sure to occur without careful consideration. however, these pieces are certainly not without sensitivity and poignancy. beltz' feather light shading and lovingly depicted flora and fauna, lend grace and beauty to his illustrations. with today's political climate, environmental hazards and never-ending train of scandal and intrigue look for beltz' work to only improve with the ample inspiration. in a society that has a tendency to dissolve into a no-holds-bar shouting match, a level-headed artistic voice with a good sense of humor is extremely valuable.

goosebumps: thomas doyle

2008-12-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

thomas doyle, the reprisal, mixed media, 10"x 12" diameter, 2006

thomas doyle, the reprisal, detail

it's no secret that i have a healthy fascination with the macabre. i like things that make me shiver a bit. a healthy case of gooseflesh never hurt anyone. my mother's rather bizarre habit of reading me edward gorey as a child probably helped. she even got me an edward gorey pop-up book. scared the shit out of me, but she seemed to find it engaging. i guess i just didn't get it, but i also used to wonder why as an adult my mom found the pee-wee herman christmas special so entertaining. it wasn't until i watched it again as an adult and saw the opening scene in which pee-wee says that he's having an addition built to the playhouse and opens a door to reveal a room being built out of fruitcakes by heavily oiled construction workers that it dawned on me. my favorite creepy tome my mom would read to me was the edward gorey alphabet book (check this link, great online copy of the whole text), in which each letter is represented by a child who meets an unfortunate end.

when i discovered thomas doyle's mixed media miniatures i felt the same sense of mutant attraction i used to feel scanning through the pages of gorey's morbid alphabet book. there is something beautiful in the stripped bare, painful moments in life, something that is very difficult to describe in words. despite the fact that we all harbor an inherent interest in the darker side of life, we often fear our fascination with grief and loss will be misunderstood. doyle has an uncanny ability to create scenes both disturbing and familiar. these scenes resonate personally with viewers, even though most of us have never had to dig a shallow grave in the woods.

when i first found his site i must have sat and stared for hours. i had to keep viewing and reviewing each image over and over, each time feeling more and more implicated in the scenes. doyle's use of glass to contain the tiny scenes almost acts as a metaphorical seat belt. you feel yourself falling into each scene, getting closer to the emotions that are drawn in the various pieces, and only the device of the protective glass prevents you from full tidal waves of grief, longing or doubt. like an excellent stage director he works with the viewer's heart strings, orchestrating a ballet of disparaging feelings, from hope to isolation and outright fear. doyle explains, "In much the way the mind recalls events through the fog of time, the works distort reality through a warped and dreamlike lens."

thomas doyle, courier, mixed media, 12.5"x14" diameter, 2007

the works, rendered in 1:43 scale, also afford the viewer a sense of power over scenes that one would no doubt feel powerless in were they themselves the figure under glass. in this way we get a chance to spy on the sadder, angrier moments of life - the times when we are helpless and acting on instinct - without a threat of getting hurt. our sense of morbid voyeurism (rampant in a society of crime scene dramas and serial killer fan sites) is gratified in a clinically detached manner; we walk away with clean hands. "Hovering above the glass, the viewer approaches these worlds as an all-seeing eye, looking down upon landscapes that dwarf and threaten the figures within," writes doyle.

contrary to the implied safety of the viewer's position, the intimacy of scale and the inherent beauty of doyle's execution draws the viewer in despite themselves. there is a transition as the viewer approaches the tiny piece, from an inflated sense of security and omniscience, to a shudder of personal resonance. the tiny expressionless figures are a blank canvas on which the viewer can project their own script of emotional responses. not all of doyle's scenes are as dramatic or narrative as say, the reprisal. some of his little worlds seem to capture moments in life that for one reason or another (the way the light refracted off a porch swing, the smell of roses - so saturated that summer) simply haunt the memory, the kind of formative snippets of a life lived that will landscape our dreams over time. doyle says "the works depict the remnants of things past—whether major, transformational experiences, or the quieter moments that resonate loudly throughout a life."

wondrous how such a small artifact can have such a huge impact.

thomas doyle, the occupation, mixed media, 14.5"x18.5"x12.5", 2006

amy sacksteder and i: seperated at birth?

2008-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

amy sacksteder, ambition, gel pen and gouache on paper, 8.75"x10", 2007

the facts:

amy sacksteder was born in augusta, georgia.

i was born in eugene, oregon probably a few years later (unless amy is a super genius, which wouldn't surprise me) as she entered university five years before me.

amy lived for a spell in the exciting city of chicago, which stimulated her artistic influences and planted the seeds of her organic, contemporary "hipster aesthetic."

i have yet to escape eugene.

(possible non-fact) amy loves avocados.

i hate avocados.

AND YET!

i believe strongly that amy and i may have been twins separated at birth. and not just because i have an art crush and want desperately to believe that a talent as raw and powerful as amy's is genetically encoded in me and as yet undiscovered.

when i first saw amy's imagery i was stopped dead in my tracks. one of the reasons that i've always been so enamored with art and artists is that beautiful moment when i find an image created by someone i don't know, never met, that speak directly to my heart. a "killing me softly" moment in which an artist's composition seems to be reading your diary entries aloud. having such an experience with a work of art gives you the chance to feel vulnerable and exposed without dictating what you will do with these senses. i love watching people at art museums and galleries, watching for the moment when they see their own heart laid bare, the look of shock, or comfort, or relief that someone understands.

amy's body of work artfully waltzes from crisp, voluptuous pieces from nature, to stark, efficient scenes of human isolation and dislocation. the first work of amy's that i saw was a piece entitled in all sincerity, an ambitious large scale work populated with sweeping, silhouetted flocks of bluebirds and queen anne's lace, with texturally sensuous passages of lunaria (also called silver dollar plant, honest plant, and money plant). i was so shook by this painting. it seemed to amass so many of my aesthetic interests and influences in one image, as well as creating a sense of nostalgia with the dried papery silver dollars, and the inviting cadence of the bluebirds. i knew i had to see more.

amy sacksteder, elegy: just like heaven, oil and gold-leaf marker on gessoed panel, 6"x6", 2008

amy's image ambition (posted at the top of this piece) is from a series that she did entitled the beautiful ones. as i was reading about amy, it was a quote about her influences that started to gel my theory of our tragic separation: " I was simultaneously influenced by the natural world and silhouettes, silk-screened imagery on t-shirts in boutiques, tattoos and band tees on hipsters in Wicker Park. " I may not be an expert on wicker park, but that sounds like a list of loves that i would rattle off. it's funny because amy talks about how initially she wasn't fully aware of her "perpetuation of an already prevalent hipster aesthetic," and how it took moving from her neighborhood in chicago and a visit to etsy (artsy-crafty people porn, i'm addicted) for her to become aware of the aesthetic sub-culture she had unwittingly become a hero for.

i only recently began to accept my own hipster status. having bartended at eugene's notorious hipster bar, indigo district, for awhile i felt sure i'd had my fill of joy division references, bob dylan sunglasses and cowboy tailoring. a couple months ago i went to a house party at my ever uber-hip friend heather's house. chuckling as i walked up the steps about the abundance of "taste-makers" sure to be inside, i found my outfit (coat of arms amongst hipster sub-sets) an instant hit. it was showing up at a hipster party in skinny jeans, black stilettos, and a t-shirt with two girls in bikinis and boxing gloves covered in blood that cemented my grudging understanding that i am a indeed at least part hipster. like it or not.

in the beautiful ones amy seeks to "understand the why behind hipster, rock kid, art kid- sanctioned images." she takes an interesting conceptual approach to try to puzzle out how particular images become iconic facets of hipster visual culture. amy explains, "I am interested not only in the preference of certain animals and imagery over others, but also in the process of appropriation---the distance that an animal must travel from its source in the wild, to its translation into slick silhouettes and layered silk-screened images, to its subsequent marketing and distribution; from an individual living creature to a ubiquitous symbol."

with her accomplished technique, thoughtful compositions and her broad intellectual curiosity amy sacksteder is a talent to keep an eye on. she is currently an assistant professor of art at eastern michigan university. she has two solo shows coming up in 2009, The Beautiful Ones, at the Arrowhead Room, Waubonsee Community College, in Sugar Grove, Illinois and still at the paint creek center for the arts in rochester, michigan. she has also expressed possible interest in putting a couple pieces in my upcoming menace to propriety group show, so i've got my fingers crossed that it will happen. she just happened to pick the four pieces i would have hand selected given the chance (it's that twin psychic connection). if amy's work makes it out to the show you'll surely hear me bleating about it for weeks, so keep your ear to the ground for a potential upcoming NW visit (of at least her work, if not her busy self) from the beautiful ms. sacksteder.

george bernard shaw

2008-11-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

"i am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as i live it is my privilege to do for it whatever i can."

-george bernard shaw

1865-1950

"intuition" installation series with mark lammi

2008-11-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

(mark lammi, in front of one of his glass pieces at fenario a few months ago)

our new show for december is going up after the shanna and rainen show comes down next weekend. we've got local glass artist mark lammi coming in to present a series of multimedia installations featuring his award winning glass art. Lammi's glass pieces are a study of form and line, and his constructions offer diverse views of these influences. He is known for his deft handling and ability to create strikingly delicate goblet and vessel forms, often influenced by classic Venetian design. Lammi says, "As an artist I've found borosilicate glass to be a medium unlike any other. There is a quality of intimacy between the glass and the artist that I find incredibly appealing."

the bridge + quick and easy boys benefit...

2008-11-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

(men being men)

rocked the spot.

thank you to eugene, and the larger oregon/blacksheep family for coming together to pull off two nights of fun, funding and foot stomping this weekend at the gallery. with special guest the bridge and portland rockers the quick and easy boys, the music was on point and the dancing non-stop. with the help of the silent auction, the venosa print raffle and holly and nate slangin' drinks behind the bar we not only ended up feeling loved, but managed to raise enough money to at least keep our heads above water for awhile. it was really touching to see how people banded together to help the gallery. many of our friends took it upon themselves to help with the promotion, and i heard a few people mentioning to one another the importance of saving a spot that's brought so much joy to the community. it felt really good to get such a positive response.

in the end it wasn't about money, it was about having the chance to witness first hand the love and support of our friends and community. it makes all the rough days worth it.

the only crack in the icing on the cake was a few idiots who wouldn't accept a gentle send-off at the end of the night. no accounting for bad manners. unfortunately the incident seems to have caused one hooligan to go off the deep end far enough to come back to the gallery at 6AM and break the front window with a pair of pipe wrenches. luckily my friend zack was kind enough to come and spruce the window up a bit.

(come by in the next couple days to see this shit in detail, the figure bending over is a cop, complete with walkie talkie, too fucking funny.)

compound gallery + upper playground

2008-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

(upper playground, 5th and couch, portland, or)

i was recently in portland to see the my friends' band play and got to spend some time perusing art in downtown portland. my friend is from the east coast, land of uninspired apparel, and wanted to pick up a sweatshirt at upper playground. i was on board because i'd yet to visit the urban clothing mecca, and was pumped to see the gallery space i'd heard so much about. its a small space, but efficiently used, with lots of natural light and an amazing amount of pull in the west coast art scene. they get artists that i would give my left pinky toe to show at fenario. their current show, "fro m the desk of whatserface," features art by mel kadel (who's work i hadn't seen before but instantly fell for), travis millard and michael sieben. i also picked up a great t-shirt and flirted mercilously with the sales girl. good times, good times.

(compound, 5th and couch, portland, or)

we then strolled across the street to compound gallery, where the brightly colored scarves drew my in like a magpie to tinsel, only to paralize me with fear with their price tags. the upstairs gallery space was a pleasant surprise. the first room was full of prints leaning on the walls like presents under a christmas tree. i was stopped dead in my tracks (and the further poached with jealousy) when i saw an original jen lobo painting of a jellyfish and it was explained to me that jen is a good friend of the manager, and the pieces were created for him for various shows he curated. holy shite, i want that man's little black book. they're having an art sale in mid december which i will not be missing. when i get the details, i'll post them. if you're in the area get your ass down there, because this guys collection is hands-shaking good.

(jen lobo, the devil whale, oil on wood, not the piece i saw at compound, but one of my favorites)

best of eugene

2008-11-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

(oh god this tattoo is awful, surely its photoshopped, but let's hope for the model's sake the tribal tramp stamp is faux as well. because in amerindian that shit reads "musty hooker.")

well, well, well...

fenario gallery with the win. each yeah, our local "alternative" weekly paper opens ballots for the "best of eugene" awards. though the results are heavily fixed by the primarily extreme-lib readership of the rags, its still a good indicator of what people like in eugene. it is fenario's pleasure to share that we won best art gallery this year. in the write up EW wrote:

"Wow. Fenario in an upset! By the way, y’all, it’s prounounced Fen-AIR-ee-oh. Or so the proprietors told us back before the gallery at the corner of Broadway and Willamette became the place for hip multiculti art, spoken word and the occasional DJ. Sometimes appreciating the art at Fenario calls for special brownies rather than wine … not that we’ve got a problem with that. Pop in to get something framed or land at the gallery for one of the benefits it sponsors — and stay for the art. Runner-up DIVA usually features local artists but hits it outta the park with the Teenie Harris show this fall, and besides, there’s usually a movie or experiemental noise band to liven up any unlively art."

there were mixed feelings amongst the fenarions about the "special brownies" comment. some felt that it was a dig, and that it was meant to make us feel like lazy stoners that barely deserve the win, but i'm in another school. i think the writers at the weekly just think making snarky little comments like this make them sound cool. you know, "hey kids, i'm down with the pot! i'm hip, i'm with it, tucka tucka tucka tucka..." oh well, let them have their fun.

the best of eugene awards are given out at a sort of oddly choreographed, low production value extravaganza, this year hosted at the mcdonald theater with a halloween theme. costumes were encouraged, but i skipped out. i got caught somewhere between history teacher and disco minx and had to run out the door. in retrospect is was a very foxy, if a little confusing, get up. we were honored to receive the award, but no one was too keen to be the one who got up onstage to accept the plaque. in fact, when our name was called we were all milling about in the bar. i refused to set down my drink to exit the bar, so for a few painful moments i squinted up at the screen showing the stage, willing someone to take one for the team and get up there. fortunately at the last minute brent and mikl made it to the stage and awkwardly claimed our prize.

afterwards we went to a sad bar with an empty dance floor and drank our joys away.... JUST KIDDING! ... except that i'm not.

November Fenario Art Show

2008-10-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

shanna trumbly, the rabbit and the shooting stars, acrylic on canvas

This Novermber at Fenario Gallery we'll be having a joint show with local artist Shanna Trumbly and a Portland-based photographer named Rainen Janes. Shanna and Rainen have been friends for years, but this is their first time showing together, and I'm excited to find that I think their work, despite their very different mediums work together very well and have an interesting give and take. Shanna has been active in the art community in Eugene for years. She has a popular booth at the Saturday Market, and her shop at the Country Fair this year had lines pouring out into the paths. While her art had been mainly focused on craft and mercantile, Shanna picked up a paint brush about a year ago and found she had a virtuosic natural ability with the medium. Producing several whimsical, dreamy scenes often depicting animals and local flora over the past year, her more recent works hinge on a new technique in which Shanna takes a photograph which she has printed on canvas and then paints bright, juxtaposing images over the photo. Her benign animal scenes have taken on a distinctly darker flavor, and though there is still a fairy tale like narrative element, they are more like the Grimm Brothers' original stories than Disney classics.

Rainen Janes' captivating nature photography (similarly printed on canvas) will make for an interesting artistic olio when hung with Shanna's acrylics. A gifted photographer with a strong sense of form and color, Rainen's series for the exhibit will focus mainly of photographs of horses. With interesting angles and the inclusion of unexpected depictions of the theme in far flung locations hand picked from his travels, the exhibit will be an interesting twist on a nature photography show.

Upcoming show with The Bridge

2008-10-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

its that time of year again, kids. one of our favorite bands is slowly making their way out to the left coast to get willamette valley booties shaking. they're playing two nights at the gallery here's the press release i wrote, generously edited by kevin over at hyena records who's taken a bit of his own time to help hone my press release writing skills:

The Bridge is a Baltimore based band delivering a classic Americana sound fused with elements of New Orleans funk and jazz, delta blues and bluegrass. With their accomplished musicianship, unique instrumentation and intelligent yet accessible songwriting the band has been amassing a devoted following across the U.S. through their dedication to high quality performance. On November 14th and 15th, Fenario Gallery will be hosting a two-night engagement, one stop on the West Coast leg of the band's album release tour. Their new record, entitled "Blind Man's Hill," is an evolution on the band's well-developed, multi-layered sound. The album seamlessly flows between musical styles and tempos with a natural cohesiveness and grace, and has the lightheartedly nostalgic feeling of an homage to the kind of classic American music that remains relevant for its skill and thoughtfulness rather than its glitz or synthesized presentation. "Blind Man's Hill" paints a picture of an America that is composed of rough hands, honeysuckle, whiskey, beautiful women and hard work. The delectable recipe of Kenny Liner's mandolin and beat-boxing, Dave Markowitz' bass guitar, Patrick Rainey's sax, and Mike Gambone's kinetic drums make for a perfect backdrop for Chris Jacob's powerful, singular vocals and gritty guitar riffs. While their studio recordings are undeniably well crafted, the bands real magic comes out in their energetic live performances. Both engagements at Fenario Gallery will start at 9:00 PM, and tickets will be $10.

i have a tendency to be overly verbose, which isn't a very good quality for publicity. concise is the name of the game in the press world. i appreciate trying to build this skill set because i've always had a deeply held admiration for writers who can be impressively descriptive in a short hand manner; the least amount of words representing the largest of human ideas.

anydoodle, the shows are sure to be great fun. we always have a blast when the bridge comes to the gallery, and with their killer brand spankin' new album they're sure to have the verve and excitement to put on an amazing show.

take a ten minute journey with me

2008-10-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

fuco ueda, sprouting 2, acrylic on cloth no wood

last night i was meditating on how beautiful Yellena's show is. she arrived yesterday with the whole show, new works on paper as well as gorgeous acrylic on board pieces. as we were unpacking the boxes, i again had a feeling of being artistically overwhelmed. how does so much beauty come from one small, lovely woman? as we laid out the pieces on the floor i was overjoyed to see the kind of show i had been dreaming about mounting since art school. Yellena has cleverly framed her pieces in white shadowboxes. on the white walls of the gallery it has a crisp, clean aesthetic that just sings. the shadowboxes give the show the feeling of an aquarium, each little scene has its own habitat, its own environ, and the small scale invites the viewer into the details, as if approaching carefully curated microhabitats.

i think having the "stasis" show, with its quiet subliminal beauty, directly following the veritable cirque du soliel of lopez's show will show fenario's versatility. i think both shows are in the direction that we want to go: contemporary, versatile, inherently aesthetically interesting, and youthful. they represent the kind of talent that i want to highlight with the space. people with a signature style, but with an ability to adapt and evolve to challenges and changing times. i think that people who were present at the last first friday are going to be blown away by the transformation of the space.

for those who were wondering, the lopez installation will remain for at least this month. let's just say we're attached. (read: i had an anxiety attack contemplating the process of whitewashing the beautiful piece of art myself and several others had done so much to make happen.)

last night while thinking about art, i was participating in an exsercise that i often undertake: mentally curating a dream show (possibly a self-indulgent act for someone who's already been so lucky in real life, but what can i say, i'm a hedonist). sometimes i think of shows that i would put together just for beauty's sake: no particular concept or theme, just things that i find beautiful. below i've put a list of pieces that i would hang in my show "a few of my favorite things". i'm not normally in the habit of posting images from artists who i haven't spoken with directly to get permission, but i'm hoping that the fact that they're in my dream show will give me some karmic respite. if any one (artists or readers) has any objections feel free to let me know.

fuco ueda, bad summer, acrylic and modeling paste on cloth on wood

laurie hogin land of desire - prozac planet 2007 oil on canvas 36"x48"

doremus scudder, rock formation, oregon coast silver gelatin print

(we have a stunning set of scudder prints at the gallery that i would love to find a home for)

audrey kawasaki, minami no uta

josh keyes, dawn

walton ford, falling bough watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil on paper

tara donovan, colony, pencils

nicola verlato, enduring freedom, oil on canvas

anne hardy, drift, daisec mounted c-type print

jen lobo, jealousy

audrey kawasaki, if only you were here, acrylic on wood

re-post: the lovely yellena

2008-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yellena James, "Vessel", print of drawing done with pens, ink and markers on paper, 6"x6" (print available on her etsy shop)

i've been gushing for quite some time about yellena james. she's a talented aritst and designer who lives on the oregon coast (currently... she misses the city, i can empathize). orignially from sarajevo, yellena has traveled the world honing her beautiful, dreamlike style of illustration and racked up a laundry list of fans. i've got pages and pages worth of praise for her art, but as I mentioned earlier, the heat has turned my brain into mush. for today i'll let the interview and the images speak for themselves. she's agreed to a show at fenario in october, so i'll have plenty more to say in the coming weeks. yellena sat down and answered some of my questions after a recent trip to hang a show at giant robot in san francisco.

CG: tell me a little about yourself, and how you got started making art.

YJ: i've done art as long as i can remember. i hear this from a lot of artists in interviews, but it's true. i always loved to draw and i have always been fascinated with pens and markers. my sister is also an artist and we used to make things together growing up. during the civil war in sarajevo, i enrolled in an art high school against my parents wishes. where i am from, as most places i'm sure, artists tend to starve. but we all at some point make the decision that doing what you love is most important.

CG: where do you draw your inspiration from? what gets your imagination running?

YJ: oh, this is always the hardest question for me because it is very hard to pinpoint inspiration. i think artists just have that in them. if you love what you're doing you are always inspired to do it no matter what. you get inspired by all things. many of my recent works were inspired by small elements or ideas found in my previous works which begged to be explored furthur. it's a nice feeling to finish a piece and step away with the direction in mind for a new piece.

CG: you have a very distinct, recognizable style of design and illustration. how has your aesthetic developed over time?

YJ: thanks for saying that. a lot of work and time have gone into creating and developing my style. i still feel like there is so much more room to grow. i've had a lot of traditional training, and many great teachers along the way. i had one teacher in sarajevo who made us do line drawings for months until we perfected them. i was so happy when we finally started doing some shading in our studies. i think i started doing my best work when i stopped trying to impress other artists, teachers, critics, etc. and started making art that i enjoy.

yellena james, "bliss" pen and ink on paper, 6"x7.5"

CG: do you doodle when you talk on the phone?

YJ: no, i usually pace around the room when i talk on the phone. when i'm drawing, i'm completely focused on what i'm doing. i almost always have music playing. i'm completely addicted to pandora.com.

CG: do you have a favorite medium?

YJ: pens and markers are still my favorite, although i do love paint. i have literally hundreds of pens in my studio and i am very particular about paper too.

CG: it seems that a lot of your pieces are on a small scale. what draws you to working on small pieces? do you ever work on a larger scale?

YJ: i work in a small scale because my work is so detailed and it takes me forever to finish little pieces. i also like the intimacy of smaller pieces. they invite viewers for a closer inspection, a second look.

CG: you recently moved to the oregon coast. as a native oregonian, i must say, you've picked a truly beautiful, scenic part of the world to call home. how has your change of scenery inspired you? do you have good tide-pooling near your home?

YJ: it's true, oregon is very beautiful. the tide-pooling is top-notch i'm sure. the coast is a great place to work in peace, though i'm definitely missing the city energy these days. we'll probably be living in portland by the end of the summer. there are a lot of creative people there and always something fresh going on. we live next to the ocean right now and i guess that has had some influence on my work. recently, my artwork has been described as resembling precambrian ocean life. i liked this, because during the precambrian era, the seas were just these big pools of potential, and life was just forming - seemingly at random but also by design. all these little elements were taking form and coming alive on their own. this is similar to how many of my art pieces come together. lots of little bits and lines, forming curves, then shapes... sort of randomly, but also by design.

CG: what fellow artists and designers do you admire? who do you have your eye on?

YJ: oh, let's see. i'm a big fan of julie mehretu and matthew ritchie... i also really like apak, sam weber, jeff soto, takashi murakami. there are so many more... i think now is a really exciting time in art. one thing about being close to portland, and also selling on etsy and the giant robot, is that i've been introduced to so many amazing DIY-minded artists. there are just a lot of people right now who are doing things on their own.

CG: what albums do you take with you when you go on a road trip?

YJ: for road trips, i like to bring compilations: interpol, black keys, beck, okkervil river, b.r.m.c., my morning jacket, muse, ours, the shins... that kind of stuff.

CG: if i loaned you my private jet where would you go?

YJ: i have been wanting to visit sarajevo and the adriatic coast lately. it would be nice to see my family there, and show my husband where i was born. then i would probably ask you to loan me your jet again for a trip to japan. then italy, then france, australia, ireland, brazil.... your jet will probably need an oil change when i'm done.

yellena james, "magic" print of drawing done in pen and ink, 8.5"x11" (prints available on her etsy shop)

california roll

2008-09-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

yellena james

there's really no time to rest on one's laurels in this business. as much as i'd like to have the time to sit and revel in the success of the lopez show, i have to give my full attention to preparations for our next show, which hangs in two weeks (ahhh!)

next at bat we have yellena james, who i've been writing about for months now. i got an email from the artist hesitantly naming the show "stasis". i love the title so much with the work i've seen thus far i'm going to run with it. i have my graphic designer working on a flier (i know, WAY late, it was a opportunity for me to learn to keep my sight on the horizon and never get too caught up in the present, so as to forget the future). i'll get my press out soon, though unfortunately, with this short of notice it would be unfair to ask any press junket to work on a feature story with so little time, maybe we'll get some press retroactively when writers get the chance to see yellena's work and fall in love with her gentle, personable self.

i'm very excited to see what comes for the show. yellena usually works on a precious scale, but for this show she's produced some larger works, and we're making some large scale prints of her highly detailed work. i am stoked to see how they fill the space.

i talked with a woman the other day who referred to the gallery as "male-centric". the thought had honestly never crossed my mind, but when i thought back on the past few months i could acknowledge a slightly more masculine energy to the place. we focus on bold art, by male or female artists, but the divergence from a typical decorative presentation makes for a strong presence, which i guess this person read as male. all my co-workers are male... not sure if that really makes it a "masculine" gallery. a couple of people made comments about graffiti being a male art, which made me want to crawl out of my skin. there are plenty of talented, revered women in the graffiti art scene. its about annonymity, about making a name for yourself that transcends the person you are in the day to day. many female writers go unrecognized (as female) because they refuse to make a fuss over whether people think they're a guy or not, as long as their work is being respected. if you're interested in the feminine presence in graffiti art there's an amazing book that i first saw at the whitney museum in nyc called graffiti women: street art from five continents by nicholas ganz that is not to be missed. (i love you reminisce! you are a fucking ninja goddess).

yellena's show is my "girly" show. not that i think that art ought to be gendered, or that the show will be inherently feminine because the artist is a woman. i call it my "girly" show because the vibe of the art lends itself well to a classy, sensual presentation that may just have a slightly female energy to it. i loved the lopez opening. i had so much fun, and i'm a tomboy who loves beats, breakdancing and whiskey en mass. but i'm relishing the opportunity to have a new kind of opening. i'm hoping to have a wine tasting, maybe some live jazz and i'm planning on bedecking this space with flowers (and possibly balloon art, check in with me next week, i know it sounds wacky but it could be really conceptual). i have a skirt that i could never wear anywhere but yellena's opening. my mom found it at an estate sale. i'm not sure where it came from, it may have dropped out of heaven. its a high waisted skirt made of PAPER (kid you not) and hand painted with taxonomical drawings of exotic butterfly species, not to mention the clumps of vintage rhinestones. it must have been a stage costume or something. with a little perfume , some stockings and pin-curls by my friend dawn, i'll have a real girl night... then i'll wake up the next morning with a rats nest on my head, a potential hangover and want my jeans and grubby hooded sweatshirt back.

opticwaste

2008-09-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

i love silhouette. it suits my less is more aesthetic.

while traipsing around etsy the other day i stumbled on opticwaste's store. i was initially drawn in by an image called Clara.

opticwaste, Clara, tea stained silhouette print in a re-purposed vintage frame with no glass. available at her etsy store.

Clara has all the elements of something i MUST have. it's eerie and yet whimsical and slightly silly. i appreciate the store's design aesthetic, as well as their sense of re-use. i like the re-purposed vintage frames, and the shadow-box, no glass technique they've chosen for the pieces. its nice to see a piece in which every step of the presentation has been given careful consideration.

i love bats, LOVE bats. when i was in Baltimore recently i had the distinct pleasure of seeing some huge fruit bats in an Australian river bed exhibit. my companion was not a fan, but i find their unique structure and morbid, superstitious presence in human mythology to be appealing. plus, if you can get past the veiny wings and legendary association with Dracula, they're really very cute. and SMART, i love an animal that is adaptive and intelligent (i also enjoy world music, insalata caprese and lively conversation, if you feel like you fit the description ;)

i also really appreciate the sweet nothings that opticwaste include with their descriptions. under Clara, the artist wrote "cousin Clara had a moment to reflect that storing her hoop skirts in the attic was perhaps not the best idea." i adore an artist with a sense of humor.

opticwaste produced several of these humorously deranged silhouettes for their series. in the profile write-up for the store the artist talks about how she had collected silhouettes for years before deciding to make some of her own. some of the imagery is original, and some of it is pulled from public domain sources, which lends it a great old/new quality.

opticwaste, uncle George, tea-stained silhouette print, framed shadowbox style in a re-purposed antique frame with no glass. available at her etsy shop.

opticwaste, Emma, tea stained silhouette framed shadow-box style in a re-purposed antique frame with no glass. available on her etsy shop.

opticwaste's work reminds me of Kara Walker, though the association is almost purely style based. Kara is an artist who i've been following for years. she does wild, gut-wrenching installations using a sort of antebellum style silhouette technique in which she creates large scale vignettes on gallery walls. her installations are instantly visually attractive in their execution, but upon closer inspection, the lacy, intricate scenes depict graphic scenes of violence and sexual degradation. moments of humor in certain passages illicit uncomfortable chuckles, only serving to highlight the dense relationship between the content of the scenes and the inherent beauty of their technique. i strongly recommend taking any chance you may come across to see the work of Kara Walker up close and in person, pictures just can't do the experience justice.

* a good friend of mine gently recommended yesterday that i consider being more aware of my grammar on this blog. good advice, surely, but my lack of capitalization was a stylistic choice. in the spirit of compromise, i've agreed to try to check for grammar, and to capitalize names and place names, but i will not be capitalizing "i".... personally i still feel like a lower case i

a must see

2008-09-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

wunderkammer: a century of curiosities. please, please go see this amazing exhibit from the moma. its presented here in a flashy, maze-like way that makes me happy.

great art in eugene

2008-09-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

(art gallery studies, university of oregon, photo by john crosley)

(folding silk screen, ten symbols of longevity, korean late joseon period 19th century CE, schnitzer)

(carl morris, 1938, lumbering, post office on 5th and willamette)

(campbell memorial courtyard, jordan schnitzer art museum)

something amazing

2008-09-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

i was just cruising one of my favorite art blogs art addict, a site about collecting contemporary art written by the lovely paige west, and saw something that i thought my left coast friends would appreciate.

an artist by the name of sighn (who i am rabidly researching because she just became a major art crush) made 1,00,000 thats right one million of these wonderful wood blocks that read ITSOK. each of these pieces is hand carved by the artist, and sold for $20. the icing on the cake is that for every piece sold a tree will be planted. how warm and fuzzy and green does that make you feel? the cut-outs are available at multi polar projects.

check out paige's blog for a lot of really great insight on contemporary art and tips on how to amass that collection you've been curating in your minds eye (if you're like me and your bank account has yet to match up with your dreams).

i feel this good right now

2008-09-10T22:35:00.003-07:00

bodymore mcmurderland art scene

2008-09-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

(yellow brick road)

got back from baltimore a couple weeks ago, but haven't had the time to sit and process. i got to see a lot of amazing art while i was in the city. one of the first days that i was in b-more i stumbled upon the american museum of visionary art. i had planned on visiting but i was without the careful instructions that i'd left in my suitcase in falston. my friend patrick and i had just hit up the aquarium on the inner harbor, which was KILLER by the way, and he had to run to sound check at the 8x10 so i was left to my own devices in downtown bodymore mcmurderland. i love getting lost in a new city, its my favorite way to explore. i had my camera, a dead cell phone and my flip-flops so i was well equipped for an urban adventure. i took a stroll up to federal hill and was taking a nice stalkerish binocular view of michael phelps' million dollar penthouse on the inner harbor and a looked off to the east and this caught my eye:

i saw that and i knew i had stumbled upon something worthy of my time. winding down the hill to covington street i saw giant whirly-gigs and what i thought, and later confirmed to be a psychedelic disco-ball Further style bus complete with rabid, bad-lsd-trip animals from some gory remake of snow white and the seven dwarfs.

it turns out i had serendipitously found the american museum of visionary art, a stop my boss b had insisted on. the sculpture gardens were incredible and the first gallery that i walked into had some mind blowing sculptures made entirely of matchsticks. one was an eight foot long replica of an old ship ripped down the middle, in exact detail, built by a man of questionably sound mind. that was one of the things that i found very interesting about the style in which the museum was curated. though not exclusive, much of the art in the museum was done by artists battling mental illness (many of which you got the impression from the didactics were simply victims of the misunderstandings and judgements of their time). it certainly gave a specific tone to the word "visionary". one piece that i particularly loved was a carved self-portrait that was hewn from an apple tree. the man was an elderly mental patient who had never once in his life shown an inclination towards making art, but upon seeing a fallen apple tree dragged the refuge inside and craved an image of himself out of the trunk, complete with a concave chest due to years of exposure to tuberculosis.

i had a wonderful visit with the staff of their amazing gift shop. i got a great original painting for b's birthday for a STEAL! if you're ever looking for a great source of original art in baltimore, visit the AMVA. after stumbling out of the museum in a bit of a crazy art daze i wandered back over federal hill to the 8x10 where my friend patrick was playing with his band, the bridge, who i've shown bloggy love to so many times i hesitate to stroke their ego any further, but for those who haven't been reading along they're fucking great. i had never been to the 8x10, but had heard many times about the memorable shows played there so i was very excited to see one of my favorite bands there. the venue was once two side by side row houses, and has a great balcony with nice views of the stage. it also has an amazing view of the city from the roof top, where i unsuccessfully tried to james bond my way over a few other roof tops in four inch heels only to end up wussing out at the last minute and deciding the view from my originating rooftop was sufficient. the bridge killed that night, and even treated us to a encore that included "smoke two joints" by sublime, "two hits and the joint turned brown" by yonder mountain string band, and the classic "don't bogart that joint". i danced until my feet felt like hamburger, and rewarded myself with a very late night stop for french toast and vanilla milkshakes.

(dancing + mediocre digital camera = visual nonsense)

the last day of my trip i made it to two more museums. first we stopped by the walters art museum. i didn't really know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised with a decorative-art heavy collection that was both comprehensive and compelling. i was SUCH a nerd in the weapons hall, i'm surprised patrick didn't slip out the back door and turn off his phone. but what's a nerd to do? i turned a corner into a room hung floor to ceiling with broadswords, cross bows, and those awesome spiky-volley-ball things, and suddenly i WAS zelda. if it weren't for my natural reverence in art museums i probably would have challenged patrick to a duel.

there was also a truly awe-inspiring room called "the hall of wonders" (i think, could be wrong, i was pretty overstimulated at this point). it was a great example of a baroque hang, where paintings are literally blanketed over every wall space and cabinets are crammed with goodies. there were tortoise shells, chalices, torture devices and a stuffed crocodile the size of your mom. my jaw was officially dropped. i also really enjoyed the far-east wing, the egyptian wing and the grecco-roman wing, which gave me the chance to look smart ;)

after that we cruised over to the baltimore museum of art. i hauled ass to the contemporary wing, patrick wearily in tow, pausing only to acknowledge that not everyone's a matisse fan. i was so blown away by the contemporary wing, its construction as well as the amazing curatorial practice exercised there. sometimes i get nervous when bringing someone new to a contemporary art exhibition. contemporary isn't an easy school to digest. lots of it is too highbrow and conceptual for its own good, and every once in awhile i catch my guest giving me a look that says "you don't get this either, do you? you just pretend to like it to look smart." i was tickled pink that one of the first piece that we stumbled on was from andy warhol's oxidation series. how can you not laugh when the first medium listed for a piece is urine? it was a great ice breaker.

(andy warhol, 1978, oxidation series, that's right he pissed on it)

i saw some pieces in that museum that brought me to tears. i was talking about joseph indiana and was literally stopped mid-sentence, dead in my tracks by a morris louis piece that i silently tractor beamed over to while the end of a word trailed pathetically from my mouth, causing slight concern and certain confusion. i think i worried those around me that i was on the verge of having an epileptic episode. art does that to me, its a drug.

i had an unforgettable time in baltimore. i think the nickname bodymore mcmurderland is unfair and misleading, though i obviously find it funny or i wouldn't use it so much. i had a pretty lux visit to the city, i know there are armpits in the city that i don't want to smell, but i enjoyed the parts of the city that i saw and i commend baltimore for amassing impressive, diverse permanent collections at their major art institutions. i'd love to talk more about how much i appreciated the inclusion of lots of female artists, african-american artists and outsider art, but i've got to go get free food from the 'rents. more later.

first friday art party

2008-09-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

yeah!!!!

we set our sights high for the lopez opening. i had conceptualized the show as a coming out party for fenario. if a cotillion theme would have worked i would have jumped on it. my boss brent and his team have been working for years to get fenario off the ground, and we've had some amazing shows with extremely talented artists throughout the years. however, the daily grind of keeping an art space open and viable has kept b's hands tied in a lot of aspects of the game and while we've been successful in a lot of areas, creativity flows best when everybody's got their just enough on their plate and not too much.

the steven lopez opening was my chance to show that when me and my team are all working at our highest level we can accomplish great things. sometimes during the grind of the week it can be easy to forget what we're working towards, the kinds of moments that make any stress well worth it. openings are an opportunity for me to remember that i have the greatest job on earth: bringing people beauty, inspiration and awe; sharing with my community something that uplifts the spirits. the opening netted several hundred visitors, and we sent several very happy customers home with their own original steven lopez canvas. while the art walk was visiting it was wall to wall in the gallery. douglas, the president of the lane arts council, a man of exacting taste and consistent, professional honesty gave me some superb compliments that left me floating off the ground for most of the night. i got a lot of comments that the show seemed to be geared toward the younger generation, which is somewhat true (my 'rents had to get to bed before the breakdancing battle started :) but steven and i both wanted the show to be something that could be appreciated by people of any age. i wanted older art appreciators to see that art that stems from graffiti can be mature, complicated and intellectual.

many of our friends and family came out to support the show. there were so many smiling faces, part of me wondered if their was a gas leak somewhere and everyone was feeling a bit lightheaded. it felt like fenario's first cotillion (complete with fancy dresses) dj matt nelkin opened the night with a hot set of soul and hip-hop, including a deliciously funky remix of my old myspace song "honey" by one of the stars of the evening erykah badu (who's portrait by lopez was central to his triumphant "after midnight" series, see videos posted below or visit lopez's website to see the timelapse movies he made). dj pls and dv8 both helped on the wheels of steel and made the party classy and dance-able, an irresistable combination.

opening a cash bar, having music and dancing really elevated the mood of the opening beyond just a premier to an out and out art party, exactly what i'm always campaigning for. it was fun to see our friend lou-mega and the r.a. break squad (and a sweaty guest appearance by our old friend karl - and i do mean old) getting down on our great wood floors. its a pretty dreamy surface for break-dancing, great to see it being put to good use, especially with all the art on the walls and the music blasting. it was great to see people's reactions to the space transforming over the course of the night, from wine and cheese and high heels to whiskey and gangstarr. some visitors were surprised to see our willingness to be so trusting with the space, which afforded me the opportunity to remind people that we love using fenario's space for all kinds of art - performance and otherwise. at fenario we want our art events to be dynamic, and multi-sensory.

if you didn't make it to the opening, the show will be hanging through the end of september. we've also got a forum co-presented with the lane arts council about the importance of public art and the history and future of mural art in eugene on september 24th. steven and a few other local artists will be there, and its a chance to come see the fabulous dress i have for the event ;) this show is not to be missed, get off your couch, start up your car, or reserve your plane tickets.

a new chapter

2008-08-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

fenario's turning a big corner this month. steven lopez got into town last night with his amazing show. i'm hoping no one noticed, but as we moved the canvases into the gallery (at a ghostly hour, the city asleep) i couldn't wipe the grin off my face. it felt like christmas.

i carried a piece entitled "if you were a huntress, i would be your bow" into the space, and when i get it down and got a good look at it i was moved to tears (again, hoping no one saw that). you should have seen my face when i heard the title (full title: "if you were a huntress, i'd be your bow. for your silver arrows, to seek out his heart."). hottest title EVER. it immediately reminded me of mos def's verse on the jill scott "love rain" remix, which i've always said is the sexiest piece of spoken word i've ever heard.

this show means so much to myself, and the gallery. i can't say too much, but the quality of the work lopez brought in is so high, that i am finally over any nerves that i had stemming from the possibility that i had gushed too much, and i'd end up on my face. my mom always says "the proof is in the puddin'" and let me tell you: this puddin' tastes DELICIOUS.

Sade- Paradise from ikeepmoving.com on Vimeo.

JFJO

2008-08-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

music lovers take note!

friday september 12th fenario gallery will be having a show with east coast impressionistic jazz trio jacob fred jazz trio.

jfjo has been playing together since 1994, and have created quite a following for themselves. the group is signed to hyena records, same label that our friends the bridge call home, which i'm rapidly beginning to trust as a source of cutting edge, non-derivative music (a drink of cool water in a desert of sandy, head-ache inducing "pop" music - side note: didn't the pop music genre once include acts like the beatles and elvis costello? what caused such a drastic syntactical landslide in the past thirty years, and who can i kick in the shins for allowing it?).

jfjo's stop at the fenario should be a good chance for eugenians to get hip to that which the eastern seaboard has already been slathering over for over a decade. sometimes i have difficulty describing music. i find myself describing it as i would a painting, even lofting into art historical terms and making tenuous, snobby sounding allusions to a given song's homage to an ingres odalisque or something obscure and obtuse. but with jfjo, my sometimes misaligned dialect seems to work. i don't call them "impressionistic" because i hear their music and see seurat, i call it impressionistic because their musical landscapes have the en-plein-air quality of art that doesn't bother with stuffy, established aesthetic norms. if i could make tangible their sound, i would put it in my "menace to propriety" show.

i'm not entirely sure what to expect of their show on the 12th. from what i've gathered on youtube their performances seem singular and uncanny. they have an eerily psychic musical communication on stage, and perhaps some of that energy is transfered to the audience. maybe an esp-high is the cause of their fans' devotion ;) i'll look forward to experiencing it for myself, hope that you join us.

myspace and the great internet beyond

2008-08-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

i think i've made it fairly obvious at this point that i'm not techno-savvy. i'm hoping that someone might be able to help me. this blog is maintained partly for my own sanity, but also in part to get the word out about the progress and events of fenario gallery. i want to make this blog the official myspace blog of the fenario page, but i'm not sure how to master that. is there a way to link the two?

i could repost all of the entries that i write on party like an art star on the myspace blog, but it sure would be time consuming! any suggestions?

dulac and rackham's bedtime stories

2008-08-16T13:45:00.001-07:00

dulac, the princess and the pea, 1911

today i was reading roq la rue owner kristen anderson's blog right some good and read a post she wrote about a beautiful painting by thai artist deang buasan. she mentioned that she found the painting while browsing dalihouse art blog, which posted a very interesting article about the paintings stylistic similarities to early 20th century illustrator edmund dulac. i wouldn't have known the name if she hadn't said that she often confuses his work for that of illustrator arthur rackham, who is our framer braxton's favorite illustrator. we have a print from braxton's personal collection of rackham's hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle hanging in the front window of the gallery. i was immediately drawn to the princess and the pea image from dulac's body of work, it has a beautiful, hazy almost batiked quality to the paint, and i love that the color palette manages to be saturated and jewel-like without being flashy. i've always enjoyed my conversations with braxton about rackham and his peers because i have been a collector of children's books for years.

arthur rackham, hey diddle, diddle, 1913

when i was young i was a voracious reader. the first book i learned to read was william joyce's a day at wilbur robinson's and i still take it out every year or so and corner some unsuspecting friend for a few bedtime stories. my parents bought me dozens of gorgeously illustrated children's books when i was young, and when i got older and started getting really into art (and couldn't afford the full color plate tomes that i would pour over in the back rooms of bookstores for hours) i realized that my wall of picture books was an impressive, nostalgic art library. i now have several illustrators who's works i collect, and my mother picks out a new title for me every year at christmas and my birthday. two years ago it was life doesn't frighten me, a poem by maya angelou along side works by jean-michel basquiat. i loved it so much that i got a copy for miah, my former partner's four year old son (the cuddliest, most empathetic tot of all time). unfortunately miah isn't a basquiat fan (yet) and did some serious editing (aka tearing) of most of the pages.

maurice denis

2008-08-16T12:55:00.001-07:00

saintes femems au tombeau, 1894

apres-midi dans les bois, 1900

Annunciation, 1912

the muses, 1893

april, 1892

visitation, 1894

give me your creepy, your offensive and your weird

2008-08-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

(creepy) basking shark

dear readers (if you're out there):

i am trying to find interesting places to post my call to artists for the upcoming menace to propriety show. i really want as many artists as possible to know about the opportunity. if you know any good art networking sites, or the like where a lot of talented artists would be exposed to the proposal please let me know. or if you know anyone who's work fits the description "menace to propriety" give me a shout.

soviet cross-country ski (offensive)

(weird) beard, popular WAKY DJ 1966-71

glitter in my eye

2008-08-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

i'm honestly having a hard time getting over jamie vasta's work.

i'm like a freakin' magpie to a lost barrette.

i first read about jamie's work on meighan's blog. meighan always has impeccable taste, but what i love most about her choices is that she seems to gravitate towards artists with a truly unique aesthetic or process. if you can believe it jamie's work is made entirely of glitter, and if you were expecting motifs that match glitter as a material you're going to be pleasantly surprised (or unpleasantly unsettled, depending on what you like). i would include some images, but i've yet to email jamie, when i get to it i'll edit the post and include a couple of my favorites. until then run don't walk to her site to see her incredible creations.

i heart the internets

2008-08-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

i've spent pretty much all of my free time over the past few days madly searching out art on the internet. while my sensory organs are satiated, my tan is fading fast. i feel like a myopic albino, violently blinking at the sun like some unwelcome aggressor. yet another reason that i'm excited for my trip: i'll be able to take in art in an active/interactive fashion rather than leaning on the googles like a crutch.

however bad for my vitamin k levels the internet may be, i LOVE the internet. i was never that girl until i had my baby (aka got my laptop). the beauty of it is the ease with which i can run full tilt through the labyrinthine thought tunnels my hamster wheel of a brain creates. i've mentioned before how spastically and hyperactively my brain works. my brain works at a frenetic pace, which is not always conducive to logical thinking, but which seems to suit a creative life style just fine.

what i'm really learning to appreciate about the art history education that i received is how it can create an instant star chart of inspirations in my mind when i see a new work of art. i find a new artist and almost imposed over what i see with my eyes is a mind's eye constellation network of works and movements that i can identify with the work. i really appreciate outsider art and folk art and the likes, so i never assume that the artist themselves has the art history nerd inspirations that i impose on them, but they help shape my personal connection to a piece and it helps retain my fascination with art's history and trajectory. history repeats, in wars and in art. it speaks to the organicism of art, that the same themes, characters, and stories crop up generation after generation. when i see a tale told in a contemporary work of art that i have seen told in older works from all over the world it hammers home how similar we all are, over cultures, distance and time.

one of the ideas that i developed over the past couple AV Lab-ish days is a Peter Max style 60s phunkadelic group show. i love the psychadelic, raver color palette of artists like mr. pinky, martin head, and oliver hibert.

plus all the old hippies will trip out reliving their yellow submarine days. and i'll love watching them trip out ('cause i love old hippies, they're cuddly).

baltimore here i come

2008-08-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

next week i'm taking a much needed vacation from the left coast.

i'll be north west till i die, there's no doubting that, but there are times when the strident politics and grandeous self-righteousness of the average left coaster ware me out.

its time for some right coast bad attitude. i love the surly, fuck-off attitudes of east coasters, at least it's honest.

i'm getting on a plane on monday to head to baltimore, md. it'll be my first time in the city that birthed my boss and several of my raddest friends. i've heard mixed reviews (some jokester from baltimore gave me the first season of the wire to prepare me, thanks bud, i'm traumatized by violence - that show for me is like a sugar IV for a diabetic), but i'm ready to make my own opinion. since i'm naturally attracted to decrepancy, so i'm looking forward to seeing the seedier side of baltimore, sans violence of course.

i'm going to hit up the aquarium, the american museum of visionary art, and the baltimore museum of art. i get to see my friends the bridge play a residency set at the 8x10, which is a venue that i've been wanting to see for a long time now. my boss will be there. it'll be refreshing to see him out of the workplace, to get to kick back a beer 3,000 miles away from the gallery (we love the gallery obviously, but its nice to get a break from anything that occupies that much of your time). i am very, very excited for this trip.

october show

2008-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

breeze, 6"x6", pen and ink on paper

i am getting over the moon excited about yellena james' show in october. the more i look at her art the more personal connection i find to the work. its like the style of hip, sumptuous, smart, lush drawing i'd always hoped would someday come off my pen if i kept doodling long enough (sadly, this never came to fruition, so far i've mastered bubbles though i have been told they look like pokemon).

i've often said that my favorite kind of art is that which says something. i've argued up and down that the art that we exhibit at the gallery should go beyond merely decorative and should have a voice, it should comment in some way on the world, on the human condition. this has often caused mention of abstract work, which is hard to say has any particular story to tell, and whether or not my need for discursiveness invalidates the importance of abstract, or purely visual work. yellena's work is certainly subtle and soft-spoken, it may not defame the presidency or draw attention to the global famine crisis, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have heart. each intimate world that she creates has its own ethos, its own special ability to radiate an emotional range that most anyone can relate to.

i can't wait to transform the gallery into her world.

flare, 11x16", pen and ink on paper

it's good to remember

2008-08-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

yesterday when you were young

everything you needed done was done for you

now you do it on your own

but you find you're all alone, what can you do?

you and me walk on, walk on, walk on

'cause you can't go back now

you know there will be days

when you're so tired

that you can't take another step

the night will have no stars

and you'll think you've gone as far

as you will ever get

you and me walk on, walk on, walk on

'cause you can't go back now

and yeah, yeah, yeah you go where you want to go

yeah, yeah be what you want to be

if you ever turn around, you'll see me

i can't really say

why everybody wishes they were somewhere else

but in the end, the only steps that matter

are the ones you take all by yourself

you and me walk on, walk on, walk on

yeah, you and me walk on, walk on, walk on

'cause you can't go back now

walk on, walk on, walk on

you can't go back now

the weepies, "can't go back now" from the album "hideaway"

press pass

2008-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

steven lopez, i focus, i want this

chuck adams at the eugene weekly will be running a cover story about steven lopez and the upcoming exhibit this coming thursday. i'm really happy to see that the local press is interested in the story, i think that steven is very interesting and i want as many people as possible to hear about his work.

i'm also trying very hard to get my head wrapped around every little minute detail that goes into putting on an art exhibit. a lot of the shows i've been involved in thus far at fenario have been relatively easy to set-up, but as i work on developing my position i want to attain the kind of skills and connections necessary to produce a fairly complicated affair. i want to have personal working knowledge of each aspect of the process: fund-raising, press releases, promotional distribution, hanging, etc. i hope to within a year, be perfectly capable of personally taking care of each aspect of the preparation for an art exhibit, so that i can handle with confidence the needs and expectations of any artist (and their work) that comes my way. i've felt so very blessed these past few months to have my first few shows with artists who are understanding and patient but have the professionalism and respect for their own work to be firm and critical when need be: it helps me learn new skills, and how to rectify a situation that may not be perfect with candor and grace.

i've received comments in the past from friends (mostly those not in the art business) about how demanding they perceive some of my clients to be. i just don't see it that way. i see the entire process of developing and hanging a show to be an integral part to its overall impact. therefor i can easily understand why an artist would want to have their hand in the steps leading up to an opening. it may be crude to say but being someone's bitch for a couple weeks is just part of my job, but the reward is that both myself and my client get the pride of seeing an immaculate final result.

adam 5100

2008-07-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

i'm a sucker for technique... always. i love seeing materials being manipulated and applied in unique ways. while i can appreciate phenomena like new media and conceptual art, contemporary art that really speaks to me is more often than not, modern in its content and classic in its execution. i love pop-surrealist artists like stella im hultberg or mark ryden who address the ethos and anxiety of the modern world in an old-master style: eerie, unsettling art rendered exactingly, fantasies and nightmares that slip into tangible reality.

adam 5100, paints his world in impressive, prolific detail with a highly unusual and formidable tool: stencils. adam's art captures his world in delicately composed, snap-shot aesthetic works whose gentle simplicity belies the complexity of his technique. again with a mention of the bechtel show i saw at the sfmoma: the first time that i saw adam's work was like coming to the sudden realization that bechtel's snapshots were in fact paintings rather than photographs. i thought that they were watercolors, maybe pastels. i had to do a serious double take when i read that they were created with stencils and paint. there's such a sensitivity to his rendering, such a soft, hazy sort of daydream quality to them. what is really mind blowing is seeing the stencils themselves! like sanhji, intricate traditional indian paper-cutting art, the stencils are works of art in it of themselves.

call for artists

2008-07-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Menace to Propriety – June 2009

Fenario Gallery announces its first open call to artists for a 2009 group show entitled “Menace to Propriety.” This show is conceptualized as an opportunity to bring together an exhibit that will startle, delight, disgust and engage. We want to see art that is unconventional, difficult, and perhaps inappropriate, to fill the space with art that possesses its own voice… preferably one that curses like a sailor. In a world in which conformity is often rewarded, we want to showcase art that takes risks, and dances to its own drummer. Submissions ought to in someway embody a sense of rebelliousness towards established aesthetic and artistic parameters. We are not necessarily looking for overt political statements or gratuitous violence, so much as a show in which each individual piece is a surprising revelation, with its own unique quip, message, or shout. We hope to collect works by artists who are not confined by other peoples expectations, and who create, without concern for the opinion of critics and detractors, art that eloquently and boldly expresses their own individual imaginary world. With this exhibit, we hope to create an opportunity for the North West community to absorb recent developments in the underground and pop-surrealism art movements, and to see that the West Coast art scene has long since moved beyond brass bowls of pears and vases of sunflowers (though a naughty interpretation of such a theme would not be beyond my sense of humor). Please send us copies/ photos of pieces you would like to see considered for the exhibit, including medium, dimensions, exhibit history and all relevant contact information by May 8th, 2009.

Fenario Gallery has been a leading contemporary art space in Eugene, OR since 2005. In recent years the gallery has been evolving into a progressive gallery specializing in visionary art, pop-surrealism and urban underground art. Our goal as an art entity is to continue to showcase cutting edge art, which expresses the vision and continued direction of the developing West Coast art scene.

Exhibit Dates: June 5th - ?
Submission Deadline: May 8th
Notification of Acceptance Date: May 15th
Title: “Menace to Propriety”
Venue: Fenario Gallery, 881 Willamette St. Eugene, OR 97401
Jurors: Chloe Gallagher, Gallery Manager, and Brent Rosskopf, Gallery Owner
Entry Fees: Submission is free, but if you would like your entry back please send sufficient postage to have your portfolio returned to you.
Gallery Commission: 50%
Send Submissions to: chloe@fenariogallery.com

gallery days

2008-07-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Hartford Wash, performance piece, 1973

not every day in the life of a gallery manager is as glamorous as you may imagine

(if, that is, people even suspect that my job is glamorous).

i always loved institutional critique because of its subversive erosion of the myth of the white walled gallery space. the classic white walled gallery space we have at fenario gallery is a pristine, light-flooded space with eggshell walls, and blonde hard wood floors. it has the kind of aesthetic identity that implies success. there is something about the traditional presentation of an art gallery that causes people to quite their voice upon entry, hush their foot steps; a sense of reverence. there is something ordered, something meticulous and thus authoritative and sanctioned about the clean typed didactics, and neatly leveled canvases that gives the space a solemn, monumental presence.

i still remember the first time that i visited the metropolitan museum of art. the hushed sense of awe.

when i first started to feel responsible for the quality level of the gallery, this myth of perfection was a huge weight on my mind. i constantly leveled canvases, spot mopped the floor, etc. it stressed me out to think of our gallery being conceived of as unprofessional, or lacking in any way. then something miraculous happened. i took my dad to the jordan schnitzer art museum for fathers day, and after months in the gallery scene in a professional capacity i noticed all of their imperfections. there were crooked tags, smears on the paint, typos! for some reason this was really exciting for me. if an institution as important and influencial as the schnitzer can have tiny errors, surely i can get away with a few rough spaeckle spots and chipped floor boards.

what was i rambling for again?....

ah yes, this morning i mopped for an hour and felt like cinderella and then instantly thought of mierle laderman ukeles, who washed the steps of an art museum during open hours to inspire people to be conscious of all of the menial tasks that required to keep an art institution pristine and perpetuating the myth of the white walled gallery space.

lady luck

2008-07-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

thus far this summer has been epic:

sidewalk mojito parties

barefootedness

lysergic meteor showers

nudie rock naked tai chi demonstrations (unwanted, unwelcomed, and unclothed)

shooting mortars over unsuspecting crowds of ravers (i'll take the heat for that one "you know who you are")

pie

as if i even deserved more i've got two more weekends of nearly unbelievable fun coming my way. next friday is the sharon jones and the dap kings show at the oregon zoo and it looks as though i'll have my beautiful best friend autumn in tow (the girl loves to boogie, we're a match made in heaven). my excitement mounts day by day. there are plenty of musicians that i love and that i would go out of my way to see live - but few who i feel so certain can deliver the kind of performance that will have me screaming like a tea kettle. i sure as hell hope i get my ass shook. that's right: i want that show to be so good the bass line does all my ass shaking for me. it ought to be like those old fashioned excercize machines with the band around your waist that was supposed to jiggle your muffin top off.

i've been all but addicted to live music this summer. i got to see bill kreutzmann play on saturday of the country fair in a little tented area (at least i think it was a tent, it felt more like a spaceship at the time). it was pretty splendiforous. i was surrounded by my closest friends and loved ones, the sound was crystal clear, and there was a meteor shower overhead - a natural laser light show without the uncomfortable seats, neck kink and noxious cologne of shwag weed.

i danced myself to sleep that night. thanks bill, that was killer.

bill kreutzmann, fort point, san francisco, 1965

the weekend after sharon jones and the dap kings is a private music festival my family puts on called black sheep family reunion. fenario's got a geodesic dome that we set up to showcase the best of our visionary art collection. i'm stoked to have the opportunity to meet people, talk about art, and network in a new setting. black sheep's also known for its impressive musical line-ups and the fact that traditionally the headlining band of the night plays until dawn. me and my friend karl wonder-twin activate into the form of a dancing machine. at the moment it looks like i'm going to take one for the team and miss the first night of the festival to stay in eugene and keep the galley open for first friday. we don't have a new show, but it would be good to be open and hopefully get more foot traffic in to see sarah ciampa's show, which is hanging through the end of august. that leaves me just enough time to wake up, clean myself and get on the road in time to see my friends the bridge play all the way through saturday night.

i've had the distinct pleasure of seeing them play a similar set last year, and i remember feeling like my legs were pulled taffy by the end of the set. the bridge is exactly the kind of band who knows how to feed my insatiable hunger for saucy, soulful, dance-able music that just doesn't quit. the kind of music that just puts a smile on your face despite yourself. my bossman, brent, has been friends with several of the band members since wee-hood so they're fenario family. they recently got signed to hyena records and are pretty much at the starting gate of what promises to be a wild ride. if anyone deserves success in spades its these guys.

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recent acquisitions

2008-07-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

dalek, "the self-absorbed purify" paint on board

we've recently acquired two amazing pieces for the gallery. the first is an original dalek piece. i emailed dalek a flick of the piece to try to get more information on its genesis. dalek was nice enough to answer personally, and informed me that the piece was most likely made in late '99 or early 2000 while he was in school in richmond, VA.

mike giant original, acrylics, spray paint, and paint pens on masonite

the other piece that we've got is a mike giant original. mike was nice enough to clarify the origins of this piece for me. he said the piece was created in 2003 just before he left the bay area. it debuted at the MOCA DC after it was finished, and is one of the few paintings he's ever made.

having works by artists of such a high caliber in the galley keeps me motivated. it reminds me that the level of success and talent we want to see reflected in our gallery is well within our grasp and we're finally cresting the rise of the mountain we've been climbing and we're going to be sitting, relaxing enjoying the view soon... until we pick our next mountain.

kris d

2008-07-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

kris d, "a historical account of future novelty", acrylic and paper on canvas, 2008

at fenario we're also working on a future exhibit with artists kris d whose recent curatorial adventure, his "365" exhibit at the minna gallery in san francisco, has been making a splash over at juxtapoz online.

kris d is known not only for his distinctive, geometric paintings, but also for doing finely detailed, exacting live paintings with performance groups like sts9. maybe we can corral him into blessing us with just such an event. seems to be an expanding theme here at fenario, and really, i couldn't be happier about it.

Steven Lopez Show

2008-07-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jill Scott- Hate On Me from Steven Lopez on Vimeo.

things are coming along really well for the lopez show in september. steven designed his own fliers, and they're amazing. i wish i knew how to get one into a form that i could put on this page. next week i'll have one of my geek squad help me out.

we've decided to leave out the live painting at the opening. we're expecting to be pretty crowded and so logistically it would be tight, and also the opening ought to be a time for people to be able to talk to steven about his work, which would be seriously distracting while trying to create a live painting. we're tentatively planning on having the live painting during eugene celebration the next week, particularly if we book this jazz group that we're trying to get here for the weekend (and if they're funky enough to stimulate steven's creative mojo).

we've also scheduled the forum that we're orchestrating between steven and the folks at the lane arts council for september 9th. i'm glad that we're going to have a good structured opportunity to talk with the community about public art and similar topics. i'm hoping that we get a large turnout because i love discussing art and hearing people's opinions.

i got the rest of the funding for steven's travel expenses, so my biggest logistic concern has been put to rest. now i get to focus on how to make the overall event/experience as fun, positive and seamless as i can make it. as i've said again and again, this exhibit feels like my first baby as the gallery's manager, and i couldn't be happier with the way its coming together. i'm a woman who thrives on a sense of accomplishment and i went through a period in my life in which i was involved with very little that fed me that feeling and/or that yielded any tangible results that i could look to for inspiration. i was two baby steps away from finding a fence to whitewash just to see a finished product! luckily patience and persistence have landed me in a position where i yet again have projects that grow and develop into visible, sharable results. i am so very honored that it is in the field of art.

check out this new video of steven doing a live painting of erykah badu:

Erykah Badu- Amerykahn Promise from Steven Lopez on Vimeo.

doodlen

2008-07-18T23:41:00.001-07:00

jeffry laneright
Originally uploaded by Y=MX+B

really though?

currently groaning because i dont have ______ in my collection:

2008-07-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

..... and strangely enough:

i'm feeling both funky and ready for a bedtime story. excellent.

currently listening to...

2008-07-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

why?... because its true.

*track 1*

merci to the whitney, truly (2006)

2008-07-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

i love the summer i really do...

a fun juxtaposition i once saw at the whitney museum in a retrospective on pablo picasso's influence on american art:

roy lichtenstein, "beach scene with starfish", 1995, tape and painted-and-printed paper on board, 39 3/16" 79 1/8"

pablo picasso, "bathers with beach ball", 1928, oil on canvas, 6 1/4" x 8 1/4"

the lovely yellena

2008-07-09T13:48:00.001-07:00

Yellena James, "Vessel", print of drawing done with pens, ink and markers on paper, 6"x6" (print available on her etsy shop)

CG: tell me a little about yourself, and how you got started making art.

CG: where do you draw your inspiration from? what gets your imagination running?

CG: you have a very distinct, recognizable style of design and illustration. how has your aesthetic developed over time?

yellena james, "bliss" pen and ink on paper, 6"x7.5"

CG: do you doodle when you talk on the phone?

CG: do you have a favorite medium?

YJ: pens and markers are still my favorite, although i do love paint. i have literally hundreds of pens in my studio and i am very particular about paper too.

CG: it seems that a lot of your pieces are on a small scale. what draws you to working on small pieces? do you ever work on a larger scale?

CG: what fellow artists and designers do you admire? who do you have your eye on?

CG: what albums do you take with you when you go on a road trip?

YJ: for road trips, i like to bring compilations: interpol, black keys, beck, okkervil river, b.r.m.c., my morning jacket, muse, ours, the shins... that kind of stuff.

CG: if i loaned you my private jet where would you go?

yellena james, "magic" print of drawing done in pen and ink, 8.5"x11" (prints available on her etsy shop)