all that glitters.... jamie vasta

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

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

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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"