Art Lit Art & Literature by Richard Schemmerer

Art Lit: interview with Jeff Jahn

2010-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

photo credit Sarah Henderson

Interview with Jeff Jahn

RS:
How did you get involved with the Feldman Gallery and what is your connection to Minus Space?

JJ:
A couple of years ago, gallery director Mack McFarland invited me to propose some show ideas for the Feldman... and summer programming being somewhat opportunistic we took the opportunity to work with the only space devoted to reductive/perceptual art in the USA, Minus Space. Director Matthew Deleget and I have talked about doing something for years.

My connection to Minus Space goes back many years, we have similar interests like Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly and the fact that very distilled work was being made way before the so-called Minimalists and continues to this day with Terry Haggerty, Gerhard Richter and Mark Grotjahn. Every age has a different rationale for removing distracting non essential elements, those reasons are inherently polymorphic, being tied to their times. Highly distilled and refined work will always hold some attraction in an imperfect often cruel world. By not engaging in the polarized moralizing of the age, abstraction can be an inherently peaceful time-out... or in the case of Mussolini it can be twisted to fascist or brutal ends so I'm careful about that sort of thing. Order for order's sake is too fascist for me. I like work that is made with a generous spirit of intent.

The best reductive art resists both a purely detached Epicurean attitude or an autocratic ideology. Neutrality is not easy to achieve but highly reductive or elementally distilled art at least has a shot at it. What's more, distillation helps us focus on what is really important, Americans are wasteful gluttons and reductive work does provide a counterpoint. There is something more intimate about a reductive language.

Reductive art removes non essential information. Here is a parallel thought, if the absence of pain is in itself a kind of pleasure then the absence or reduction of the world's inherent demands and drama has a similar effect. It also gives us perspective on the flawed world we might accept as a given. It's why abstraction has this idealistic connotation. Though my interests are not limited just what some call “minimal art” I do appreciate clarity in the presentation of work, it leaves no margin for error and the risks involved accentuate the lack of hedging in the work. That said Jason Rhoades is the antithesis of these ideas and I was one of the people working to bring him out to Portland when he died tragically.

I want to be clear so people don't misread this string of minimalistic shows I've presented recently... one can't apply one set of aesthetic criteria to all art. I prefer variety but only if it is highly accomplished.
Presenting a widespread so-called minimalistic program that has been; historical, scholarly, contemporary and personal has been my goal in doing the Donald Judd, Vection and now M5 shows.
I wanted to present a level of programattic focus we just don't see much in Portland. Bruce Guenther has been doing a great job of coherent programming with this summer of drawing, linking R. Crumb, Sol LeWitt and Mark Grotjahn as well.
I'm kinda proud of him for busting his ass like this, He has curated more in the last year than in the previous 5 combined. I hope he isn't going to retire too soon.

RS:
What was the process of picking the theme, the art and the artists for this exhibit; what goes through a curators mind in the planning stages?

JJ:
The process changes depending on the show. In a general sense a curator is a caretaker or custodian for the integrity of art. In the case of this show I wanted to present work from both Minus Space and the Northwest that had a certain commonality that will play well together in the Feldman space. Since so many local artists are doing reductive art I felt picking two elder statesmen like Francis Celentano and Mel Katz would have the best effect.
To engage even a small sample of the younger local scene would have required an immense space. Both Celentano and Katz are in a way precedents or father's of what Minus Space does. Celentano is one of the original 60's op-artists and Mel Katz is the former professor of Steve Karlik, one of the first artist's Minus Space ever showed. The point being this is a classic summer group show, a mixer for both Brooklyn and New York. It's a small planet and we should try to be good neighbors and get to know each other.

RS:How did you decide on the way to display the Art pieces and how satisfied are you with the outcome?

JJ:
Different pieces have certain spatial demands under which to operate properly. For example Patricia Zarate's piece requires a corner and since the Feldman Gallery only has one corner that was where it had to go, though the specifics of how it occupied that corner went through a lot of permutations. Ultimately we felt a purely symmetrical installation was deadening when we were installing it so it's asymmetrical.

Rosanna Martinez's piece is about harnessing the implied energy of separate architectural elements like two walls or columns so we used it to illustrate the opposing structural corners of the room. I love that piece, its a lot like Love or a strong relationship... it's about coming together in a very honest way that allows for integrity on both sides.

Don Voisine's piece was so strong it could hold the largest wall in the room by itself. Sadly, I’m probably the only curator in the Pacific Northwest who would do that... Michael Darling would have done that but he just left SAM. I wish other curators would take a less cluttered approach, but they don't. Every Oregon, Portland and Northwest Biennial I've ever seen was too overcrowded and rambling. This show is a bit of a provocation to my peers, STOP OVERHANGING SHOWS, especially abstraction.
The M5 show looks good, it's subtly bold.

RS:
Does each piece tell a story or is it up to the viewer to decide their meaning?

JJ:
It's always up to the viewer in visual art... if an artist wants to purely tell their story they are in the wrong medium... they should write a novella or make a movie. Linear and or time based media can unfold but a lot of visual art is designed to magnify interpretive potentials rather than focus it like a lot of film or literature does.

RS:
How big of an influence is Donald Judd on you and the artists in this exhibit?

JJ:
You would have to ask them. Some of them like Steve Karlik, Mel Katz or Nacy White have obvious connections as their work is all about the indeterminate relationship of wall and floor... or equalizing and destabilizing all planes in the room if you will. Judd's use of materials is very influential as well. It goes well beyond art and into kitchen counter tops etc. Artists like Don Voisine, probably not as much, he's a painter and unlike Judd (who quit painting) has found a way to make it work for himself. Voisine's work is more related to Malevich, Albers and Mondrian, whom Judd was interested in.
For myself, Judd is without question one of the greatest of artists... he was hypercritical, uncompromising, innovative, yet pragmatic and found a way to make more ideal situations for the art he liked. He supported other artists as well. To be great you have to be generous beyond the execution of your own whims. Judd Helped out John Wesley, Roni Horn and Robert Irwin etc.

"Judd" exhibit

RS: He once said that he is striving for autonomy what does that mean to you?

JJ:
Judd had such integrity and was almost always better at installing his art better than his collectors or institutions who were more about showing what they had, rather than showing the work to its best advantage. Judd's quest for autonomy was a simple quest for integrity, even after his inevitable death.

Artists today are perhaps too accommodating. I hope that like Judd I'm siding with the integrity of art. People think he had a huge ego but if you take a closer look what he had a much larger super-ego. It's a subtle but importance distinction. It means sacrificing that selfish ego for integrity's sake. It's all about the art.

RS: What is the relevance of abstraction and minimalism in this day and age?

JJ:
In a world where everything is co-opted with some agenda it can be a neutral zone devoted to sensitive contemplation of something other than ourselves. We need big picture thinking and that requires abstract thought. To be an effective abstract thinker it helps to think about abstractions which have very little specific agenda... it reveals our expectations. Understanding our true expectations is the path to understanding human nature.

RS:
Is minimalism a trend that returns from time to time or is there an innate need in humans that wants to be expressed through it?

JJ:
Minimalism doesn’t exist... it was a convenient art historical term applied to a group of artists in the 60's. Anyone who wants to be an minimalist or claims to be minimal is just fetishing the end product... rather than the thought that Judd, Flavin, Martin, Kelly and Tuttle are about.
That said “minimalism” is a misnomer that is definitely here to stay. The term can be used if it is acknowledged as a poor stand in... used in the absence of some better catchphrase.

RS:
In this show you are mixing different but similar art styles can you describe the differences between minimalism, perceptual and reductive art and their purpose and place in the bigger picture of art history?

JJ:
It's about an economy of expression where nothing is unnecessary. Minimalism, doesn’t exist except as a lazy shorthand. The “Perceptual” is a term engaged with how we see the word but in M5's case it is a hyper focused or distilled perceptual notion. Reductive denoted distillation as well. In all cases here the work is comprised of only what is necessary.

RS:
Do the artists in your show relate to each other also on a personal level, what I mean is there a community feeling?

JJ:
You would have to ask them but yes I believe there is commonality here. All of these artists are the real deal, all are very good editors of their work and would immediately recognize that in each other's work beyond some personal connection. Steve Karlik is connected to all of the Minus Space artists and Mel Katz on a personal level.

RS:
What about the Portland Art community. How does it fit into the international scene or does it?

JJ:
Like any interesting art city Portland is comprised of many layers. Many Portland artists are very international in their interests and activities. Yet Portland's scene is different because it would have to be. The attraction is that the artists here like the human scale and ethics of the city. This is expressed in unexpected ways.
For example, there is a lot more empathy in Portand's art but that's not the case for everyone here... just a higher ratio than other US cities.

RS:
You had an exhibit titled “Vection” yourself at NAAU. What was it about and how do you feel being on the other side of the equation as the Artist?

JJ:
You capitalized “Artists” in your question... there's no critic/curator vs. artist or us/them situation all artists should develop their curatorial and critical chops. At this point all of these roles are like breathing for me. Ive been painting since age 6 and doing art deco styled stained glass windows since 8, had my first art gallery representation and sold a bit of art at age 20 while still in college. I'm an accomplished musician but for some reason I've kept that side a bit more private (Im surprisngly shy in odd ways, Im an introvert with a very thick extroverted suit of armor)... but yeah I unserstand the creative process . Vection was about exploring design as mediated by man made materials and nature.

Human beings act just like bacteria... we spread, consume and change space and raw materials. I simply held a mirror up to that activity. Vection was about how we spread, define, waste, consume and influence space. It was very well received, Im very grateful for the accolades but I did it mostly for my own curiousity's sake. After just doing a Judd show it took some balls to make work.

Overall, Im happy that Vection connected, and the response told me I'm probably a little better artist than I thought (someone even considered buying some of the installation work)... still I dont have a careerist attitude about my own work. I always want to be the most relevant curator and critic possible, my art and music are for me and a few close friends. Im a thinker and catalyst first.

Honestly Vection was only slightly different than curation. I essentially curated my self. I determined what the show was about then created work to see if my assumptions would change upon seeing the real thing in comparison to the idea. Technically I'm more of a curator and critic who makes art to keep myself honest. I don't keep up a studio practice so I'm not committed to showing work that I make in any way unless it satisfies the curator and critic in me. Im very restrained and empirical in many ways... it's all a big experiment for the eyes and body while the brain tries to make sense of it all. Additionally, I don't want to be one of those curators or critics who never makes work.

For example, the world's top wine critic, Robert Parker,got into wine-making with his Willamette Valley Winery Beau Freres for the same reason. If you divorce yourself from the active part of the art equation you risk being irrelevant. As a curator and critic I always take great pains to doing something relevant, even if it angers some people. Being provocative is sometime key to being relevant, but their has to be a rigorous rationale behind that provocation or its just an exercise in attention. There has to be an intellectual curiousity fueling the show.

Some artists are convinced they are more relevant than they are, they have this attitude that the world owes them some sort of recognition. It doesn't work that way. I try to give credit to those who make work that transcends their own personal soap operas... I simply shine a light on those who are actively communicating in a more generous way and it makes the work stronger and more useful to all of us.

"Vection" exhibit

RS:
You also are the founder of “Port”. How has Port's mission or influence changed since its conception?

JJ:
When Jenn (Armbrust) and I started PORT it was an off hand side project and at most I thought we might have 10,000 readers per month. Now we have over 135,000 per month, the Whitey Museum provided links to our articles for the 2010 biennial's web page and we are one of the most read art sites on the internet. We dont have big #'s compared to a porn site but for an art site based in Portland Oregon PORT is surprising. There is a lot of interest in Portland's art scene. Portland is more important than we give ourselves credit for. To a degree America's future is related to Portland's present.

For example, on a person level... I find this odd... but Im a legitimate pioneer in internet based arts writing and I enjoy providing a platform for other arts writers. PORT has always been confederacy, Im not a very controlling editor so much as a publisher who empowers others rather than simply assigning projects. Also, we are a trade publication not a generalist one and our audience cares about visual art deeply, which means we can indulge our varying interests and explore ideas with a different kind of depth and rigor than newspapers or the weeklies. We also care about the health of the art scene so we don't just gawk at money or the absurdities of art. That said, we aren't really that similar to most personal blogs either.
There is a sense a sense that we are all local guides and experts sharing info about a very particular part of the world. I only recruit writers who have a worldy outlook.

Let's just say none of us saw PORT's importance coming, we simply felt it was an idea worth pursuing and it took on a life of its own... To be more blunt, I think it is arguable that PORT is the most influential art publication in the history of the Pacific Northwest because our international reach is so generous and in-depth.

PORT is very focused and has been from the outset... it is about visual art and some major architectural projects. We don't do performance, music, fashion or literature. All of our writers have an interest in those things but our focus is very specialized.

RS:
Where do you see Portland as an Art city and yourself 10 years from now?

JJ:
I predicted it but never really expected to be right about Portland becoming as serious an art city as it has become. Our institutions will continue to close the sophistication gap I see between our best artists and their programming. The issue is how sophisticated will the patrons in town become?
That is what is needed for the next step. If the Portland Art Museum has to do car shows in 10 years I'll be disappointed. That said I believe a few very serious patrons will relocate to Portland and change the game institutionally. The artists create an oasis and that in turn makes it attractive to certain types of people... aka adventurous contemporary collectors. All of our collectors are on the conservative side right now but that is to be expected. Someone will take it upon themselves to change that dynamic.

Myself, well I've already done things well beyond what people thought were possible. I hate the fact that I end up setting the bar so often but my next projects will once again redefine expectations of excellence in Portland. I'm not boasting, it's just where do you go after Donald Judd? I'm committed to this very special city (which is redefining America's root level expectations BTW) and lately it has been nice to receive a wave of appreciation for it but fact is Portland should find a way to support independent curators and alternative spaces more. Right now there is almost no support. Currently, Portland focuses on community as an abstraction or catch all phrase. Id like to see it support individuals who create community through acts of excellence... That is the next step.

big thank you to Jeff for his insideful and informative interview

Jeff Jahn
contact at
www.JeffJahn.com
check out
Port
at
www.portlandart.net

Interview with Victor Maldonado

2010-07-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Hi Victor thanks

for taking the time to do this interview

How did you get involved with “Blue”?

I was invited by MP5's resident meta-curator TJ Norris.
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What does “Blue” mean to you and how does Blue Humor come into the play like
how did you come up with it?

What "Blue" means to me is a state of mind: dark and gloomy.

I used that state of mind to think about the formal space of the hallway as a
site for exhibiting art and how to capitalize on its strengths and
weaknesses.
I was interested in using the hallway to create an
experimental, potentially confrontational situation with the installed
work in a way that would counter our conventional expectation of what
constitutes proper art hall etiquette.

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Are you a fan of blue humor?

I am now.
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How did you pick the artists and what kind of guidelines did they have?

I chose the artists in both versions, Blue Humor and Blue and Black,
mostly from the community of artists I work with at PNCA. Walter Lee,
is a recent PSU MFA graduate that I first met when I was curating the
last version of Portland Modern. The guidelines were to create an
exhibitions around works of art that used comedy and humor in their
content or application.

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Did you intend to provoke or expect a reaction from the people living at MP5
or did it surprise you?

My intention was to get people to pay attention in a setting that
wasn't necessarily conducive to slow contemplation.
I wanted to present engaging works that the people living at MP5 could have
interesting interactions with.
I wasn't surprised by some of the residents negative responses but I was surprised by the swift dismissal and move of the shows.

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How do you personally expect people to react to dirty, offensive jokes in
Art or otherwise in this day and age after all the times of Lenny Bruce seem
way back now?

I personally expected people to react to the dirty and offensive
joking in whatever manner they felt appropriate. Lenny Bruce does
seem way back now but he really isn't, is he.
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Do you think that the complained to move or alter the exhibit was more about
personal taste than about censorship?

I think personal taste based not on the actual works themselves but on
misconceptions led to the works being censored in their original
context.
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When we stage offensive Art exhibits do we assert our own power over the
public and to what degree should that happen in a public space/domain?

The theme of Blue Humor was meant to be unconventional so my intention
wasn't to be offensive.
But philosophically speaking staging offensive art in public seems less a way to assert power and more a way to make conflict inevitable.

There seemed to be a conflict in the original space of the hallway as exhibit space. I wanted to use the unconventional nature of the wall and floor works to explore the conflict between the private space and public domain represented by
the hallway.
Much of the content throughout the exhibits also played
up this conflict.
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How important is social etiquette to keep a society connected or functioning
as such and what are the dangers from going from one extreme by being to
stifling to become an anarchic slug fest?

Social etiquette is important and it's something each of the works in
both versions of the show use to push towards seeming vulgarity.

Social etiquette can also allow for polite terrorism of class and fear
of the other to persist.
The artist and works in the exhibits were designed to deconstruct humor's role in our societies polite terrorism.
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There is this argument that blue humor in comedy is an easy cop out mad by
guys like John Kinde
"Sticks and stones my break my bones but lazy looking really kills me."

At www.humorpower.com/art-bluehumor.html that foul language makes for easy
laughter how does that fit within Art and your approach for this show?

Laughing may be easy but getting at the underlying reasons of why we
laugh is a sobering art. Deconstructing humor is not fun and
deconstructing hate and fear is serious business.
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Do you think blue humor has a healing redeeming quality because laughter is
supposedly the best release or does blue humor in Art re-open wounds and
make us feel helpless again?

I think humor of every kind is a ritual release for us.
It seems like a natural response the gas that is popular culture. Thinking about
humor in as open a manner as possible was what I was interested in
with the exhibit.
Sometimes humor helps us but other times it wounds
us deeply.
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Art strives to take more and more liberties and complains when it is
reprimanded but doesn't Art also have to take more and more responsibility
for the reaction it solicits?

To be Art there has to be responsibility.
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This is not the first show that has been censored and do you think that the
complained about MP5 is fair after all it is not a gallery and many
galleries have been forced to censor their exhibits?

Just recently a photo of Jock Sturges was in question about what is
appropriate?

or like here
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http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2008/4/14/humor-left-black-and-blue-at-hpac-exhibit
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> it says : “In a post–Dave Chappelle, post–Chris Rock, post–Eddie Murphy age,
> blacks and whites enjoy jokes about subjects that were taboo in the
> ’60s—interracial sexuality, racism, and the African American family. Humor
> about drug use, hip-hop culture, and white bigotry is marketed to whites
> even more than blacks—that’s why Chappelle’s Show was so popular. To act as
> if these artists are doing anything outré or original is to be stunningly
> naïve about the state of discourse on race in this country.”
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Is that a legitimate complaint or does Art not have to be original anymore
because?>

I think the criticism that MP5 has received is a mix - some on target
with their thoughtfulness others more flip and hollow in their
shallowness.

I think humor remains a viable form for contemporary art. Even when
it doesn't try - much art is about incongruity, power complexes and
ritual release which are at the core of humor.

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Is there a need for new vocabulary for cultural criticism because we are
numbed by the similarity of what artist and critics have thrown our way?

That we are numbed necessitates a re-sensitization to each other. A
new vocabulary is what contemporary art is about. Sometimes that
means creating new words. Other times it means remembering what words
meant in the past.
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I thought the piece where your name was tampered with was a good example
although harmless in context to the others, it was hard to understand what
its point was can you elaborate on it?>

It was making me the joke and turning the tables on the usual
relationship between artist and curator. That piece was a
collaboration by Sara Johnson and Derek Franklin.

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Also what role does have artistic cultural criticism in general in this
moment of time?>

Artistic cultural criticism seems an important component of any living
and breathing culture - today's included. Cultural criticism is meant
to clarity perceptions and make visible the underlying conditions of
our shared misery and bounty.

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Is it also on time to start respecting a more conservative point of view if
we want to be accepted ourselves making socially irresponsible work?

Blue Humor was my attempt at looking seriously, in as conservative a
manner as I could, at artists and works that were not getting
attention or that had been redacted.
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Why have the white cube galleries become a lightening rod?

When weren't they?
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Should or can this energy be harnessed to start building bridges instead of
tearing bigger pieces out of the cultural divide?

In a city full of bridges no one should go around setting fires. All
this energy is being harnessed. Artist were afforded a short
opportunity to engage the public with their works and a community was
given the opportunity to assert their wishes into the exhibition
policies in their halls.
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If everyone would decide to become a menace to society would there still be
a society left and is this menagerie of insults just used like a finger
pointing gimmick to get the attention without having to actually come up
with productive solutions to our problems?

Mutual respect is necessary in any learning environment. In this case
it was all mimetic and abstract. Except for the joking use of my name
no one was specifically made a target.
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How do you feel about the altered/ moved show now?

The altered show in room 208 represents the pressures brought to bear
on a creative community by the will of assertive, organized and vocal
residents. It is both a compromise and reaction to being censored and
swept under the rug.
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Do you feel wounded or you think its funny in a blue humor way
and what does the show stand for now?

I'm apologetic to those residents that the works I gathered offended
and I am wounded by lazy looking but I am heartened to know that this
exhibition spurred the residents of MP5 to write policy that suits
their needs and wants.
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How can we overcome our phobias and how can Art help in that process?

Overcoming our fears is difficult. Art can help by amplifying life
through mediated form but in the end it is our ability to create
discourse and knowledge around the contours of our phobias. Fear
usually is strengthened by unknowing so maybe art can help by bringing
light to the unkown.
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Thanks Victor for you enlightened insight

for more info
contact
www.victormaldonado.net
www.milepostfive.com
folow the discussion at
http://tjnorris.net/blog/tag/victor-maldonado
and
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/blogs/culturephile-portland-arts

PDX Art Lit: interview with Eva Lake

2010-01-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

What's your process of finding or deciding on a venue?

Prudence Roberts invited me to show at this gallery at PCC Rock Creek where she curates. Where Prudence leads I will follow.

What can we expect as a layout for "Targets"?

It’s a perfect smallish rectangle of a space with three nice walls and 21 framed photomontages. The comment I get over and over again is that they are larger than people expect.

What is your source material and where do you find it?

I just collect and look. Sometimes things come to me but generally I have to scrounge. I’ve collected old magazines since I was kid. Everything I cut I read first, usually in bed - every article, every advertisement. Over the years I’ve had different interests and thus, different images I wanted to use. There is a personal relationship with the images.

The title is "Targets" and I assume it has only woman images in it. How do you perceive the role of women in our days and how has it changed?

It’s called just “Targets” because that was the word I used the most as I wrote or talked about it. It just felt the most comfortable. As to how women are perceived, things have not changed enough but everyday I still learn exactly what that means. I can’t speak for other women – though they have certainly divulged a lot to me.

You are incorporating images from old magazines to create a collage of them with a re-vamped meaning. What is your intellectual expectation for the new pieces?

Now that the work has been made, I have personal expectations of course – but when I started out, I had NO expectations. My previous show incorporated over 40 small paintings and I needed relief from painting. Expectations of others and how they see the work, that’s something I try not to have.

Most of the collages deal with glamour and movie stars but they are put in a less glamorous context. Do you try to criticize their choices or our perception of glamour?

I am observer and a participant more than a critic. I grew up around art and lipstick and sometimes they were quite interchangeable. The word art is in artifice and it’s not a terrible thing to me. But beauty and glamour, whether it is in art or in a woman, can sometimes be threatening or misunderstood. We tend to get all swept up by the surface and forget about the substance, but they are united. It’s not a choice between the two. Once I interviewed an artist who had some pieces of clothing in an exhibition. This artist very stridently claimed that these pieces had absolutely nothing to do with fashion or style but were about “transformative power” - as if style and fashion were not about transformative power! It’s not as separate as some may think.

The choices women make I don’t wish to criticize because I relate. The typical profile is someone who gets the biggest props for being the Babe while developing great talent and a complex character, often in difficult circumstances.

On one hand they seem vulnerable but on the other they entice with lots of fleshy poses.

Can you tell me a bit the power dynamic and manipulation about them?

Well of course the individuals were being sold. It’s a campaign of sorts, a propaganda which launches women. As a young girl you look at those articles and think of the Goddess Whore you might become, just like them, provided you’ve got the equipment. It’s interesting to me how little I have to do to them as images. All the beauty and tragedy was ready, waiting. The pieces are pretty reductive. A lot of photomontage has so much in it, so many details and bits and pieces, but this work didn’t need that. From the start I visualized something that would not need bits and pieces.

Do you try to glorify your women or is their a hidden warning incorporated?

She’s already been glorified and has earned her place. She’s also got a power beyond her fuckability that she probably fought tooth and nail for. I don’t think I glorify her anymore than she hasn’t already received.

The target symbol in it self is very loaded. What inspired you to use it and what does it mean to you?

As a teenager I used to go to the Ashland Police rifle range late at night and steal the targets and use them for montage. It was this kind of risky and romantic thing a teenager would do, but different to going to a keggar. I did it with another Andy Warhol fanatic who especially loved Jasper Johns. This was the early 70s. This friend also introduced to me the first Interview magazines, which back then were all about film, about movie stars and nostalgia. So you see these two things – targets and movie stars – have been in my head for almost 40 years. I’ve played around with the target in photomontage forever. It’s a long story, too long to tell.

But the upshot was that in 2007, when I was I looking to write a story about women artists in the 80s, I came across the idea of targets. One of the art projects I had dreamed up for a character was women in targets and I wrote about it so much that I thought, wow, I should do this. And as I wrote I could tell that the project was vaguely in my head for many years, sort of like this obvious thing I never did. What was odd too was that as I wrote about it, I saw it – visualized the work before it was ever made. And the work I imagined, it was cleaner and more graphic than what I generally produced in the 80s. It was something that I at 51 was now ready to make.

I remember a conversation that had started on your blog that man would prefer not to see the woman's faces. Why do you think that was?

Well what the men said was that they wanted to see anonymous faces. Not known women, but just anonymous women. And actually I’ve done a few like that. But they tell a different story.

One man said he didn’t like certain subjects I had used, certain women he personally did not like. But I then wondered – was this a bad thing? Why do we have to like the women? Why do they always have to please? It’s assumed that she looks good because she wants to please you, to serve. That may be far from the case.

But I also think that when a beautiful woman is known and has this big story, she has a power beyond the fact that a bunch of people want to fuck her when she walks into the room. Her story and stamina get in the way of the fantasy. Jane Fonda was almost too powerful to be used because she had been the object alright - but had then had such a public ordeal to not just be that.

I personally am not that interested in the anonymous woman. Too many contributions were already anonymously done. So I say, go get the credit Girlfriend, even if the credit is for a bad deed. Just get the credit.

An easy last one.
Why are men still so threatened by powerful women in this day and age?

It’s not just men. We are all complicit to some degree.

Art Lit: Interview with Gabe Flores

2009-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

Can you tell me a bit about your art practice and what drives you to create Art?

Art helps in my process of letting my guard down. I enjoy how art enables me to be vulnerable. I think my vulnerability helps the audience to be ok with vulnerable themselves.

What labels are you comfortable with if any and if not why?

I guess I’m working on becoming comfortable with labels. I am a person of more color and people freely put me into categories. I wear t-shirts that say hyphenated-american because it allows for a pause before a category can be used.

I often wonder if being gay, an atheist, a person of more color is more important of a label than being a gardener, artist, or dog lover. I know the narrative of oppression tells me that of course the history of being brown, gay, and poor means that it recognizes the struggles, but I’m not always thinking about the struggle. Maybe I’m just selfish.

With ideas of diversity you can see all people as people one in the same or you can say that they all have differences that need to be acknowledged. The minute you decide either of them you are oppressing because both honor and both oppress.

You cannot free yourself from that label.

I came across an interesting quote from your blog stating
“therapy is expensive blogs are free”
Do you think that most of us repackage our inner chaos and present it as fresh fodder and do you consider Art as form of therapy?

I definitely think of art as a form of therapy because it allows me to process and concentrate on ideas that puzzle me. The majority of my work deals with being an oppressor and how there is no escaping that, so instead with my work I focus on how I can accept that I oppress and I can honor myself in not hiding that from myself.

How would you describe your experience of “Manor of Art” in retrospect?

I had a great time at the Manor. I had taken a bit of a break from participating in shows and putting myself out there. I am really thankful for being given the freedom to really do whatever I wanted. I met a ton of people and had fantastic conversations. I hadn’t felt that high in I don’t know when.

What is the role of the art critic in your opinion?

Their role is to keep the conversation going. Hopefully they act as navigators and give language to ideas the audience may only feel.

Do you feel your installation was worth the effort and what happened with your piece?

I would totally do it again. I loved my room. Because it was an installation piece a couple of folks were curious about how much something like my work would cost to have it in a home to purchase. I told them a round about number and then told them they could only have it for 10 days and then I would have to take it down. I love the idea of it being temporary because it reminds me how wonderful an experience can be even if it’s just momentary. I wanted to create the most comfortable room I could and I think was.

Did you leave part of it there or is going to have an afterlife?

I do need to go and pry a couple of pin nails out, that’s all that is left in the room. I might use the materials again, I mean I sanded and stained 350 mahogany tiles so I hope I’ll use them again.

Do you believe in a concept of after life?

Nope. I think that a concept in any life besides the one you’re participating is really not so important.
Several years ago I had a psychotic break and began hearing, seeing, and tactilely feeling things other people couldn’t and my psychiatrist thinks it was because of stress and judgments growing up closeted as a Jehovah’s Witness.
The voices were all about how others were judging me. The scenario was that all of this is virtual reality and that my “real” body is someplace in the future hooked up to machines and I would eventually go back to my older body after 7 years had passed.
Well, it’s been 6 years and I have finally become ok that maybe the scenario isn’t real, or rather isn’t so important. Maybe me concerning myself with this life hooked up to a virtual reality sort of gizmo is making me distant to whatever life this is that I’m currently in.
That is how I think about the belief in an after life, maybe we all have had minor psychotic breaks because we’re terrified of being fully present in the life that we have here and now, so we make up a life in a different world that wouldn’t be as bad is this one.
There is a lot hope though in the belief and you can never take away someone’s hope.

That brings me to ’’Greener than who, Greener Than You?”
What does it refer to is like meant as a survival strategy?

The ideology of Green is an idea where we find comfort even though we have unease at the same time.
Ideology is always based on the fantasy of the ideal, of course making it impossible.
To be fully Green is death.
We can only see parts of this ideology and hope to find satisfaction in the part we know. Or we choose to ignore parts because it’s just too much to be sometimes. It becomes a comfortable yet contentious part of us.
We think of being Green as our own and forget the systemic nature of how it has become something to be. Our ideologies are usually places where we find comfort, enjoy being, and can congratulate ourselves for getting it even if we sometimes don’t. I guess that’s why we maintain them.

I guess the survival strategy is to try your best, but don’t be too hard on yourself when you can’t.
We oppress each other with our ideologies and we oppress ourselves in the process because we are distancing ourselves from each other and end up playing a very silly “At least I’m not” game.

What would your ideal world look like and how can artists help to shape it?

People being really present and not afraid to show their supposed ugly parts.

I would like it if people shared their stories of struggle and perseverance because the real is somewhere in there.
I think artists need to be willing to get a little dirty and start point the finger at themselves first and be more willing to get dirty and be vulnerable.

Do you agree with the statement “imperfection is the new perfect”

Perfect is that ideal type that is part of the unattainable desire-based fantasy.
Ownership is the new perfect.
It’s hard because I would hate to see the new perfect become a confessional.

And what is satisfaction in your mind set?

Being ok with the idea that I’m going to be here for a while. That means planting bulbs in the fall and getting annuals in the spring so I can enjoy them all summer.

Because I thought I was going to be going back to the future I stopped planning ahead, even for bulbs and annuals. For me satisfaction is realizing that this is my life and I need to start enjoying it and stop being so hard on others and myself. I’m working on acceptance.

What can you tell me about the show?

There are no gimmicks in this show. I created the work with extremely limited resources. In 2008 I spent 9 weeks in a Native American based rehab for alcohol abuse and this work is my process of trying to navigate my identity and my efforts to find a connected form of treatment.
I’m a gay atheist who was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, so I am immediately distrusting of groupthink and lack of questioning that sometimes happens in rehab. Going to the 17 acres near St. Helens was my white flag. It hasn’t been the easiest path since leaving residential treatment, but I think I’ve found a rhythm that works well for me.

I am very satisfied with the work. There are eight pieces that are reflections that I was trying to process, although I think of them as one piece because they all necessitate each other.

more info about Gabe
at
http://gabeflores.blogspot.com.

Artlit interview with Gary Wiseman

2009-11-22T10:58:00.001-08:00

Hi Gary thanks for the interview

What is you back round and your inspiration in Art?

I started drawing when I was three.

Who or what motivated you to become and artist?

survival

You did a piece awhile ago called "A CONVERSATION PIECE".

What does conversation include for you?

That piece was for the 2007 Reed Arts Week. I was thinking about the camera focusing exclusively on my face while I engaged in intimate conversations with people I didn't know very well but wanted to be friends with.

I let the subject lead the conversation so the piece didn't really have anything to do with my thoughts about conversation. The subject led the conversation and talked about whatever was on their mind. The improvisational collaborative process of casual conversation is compelling to me. Nobody knows what is going to happen. People are so unpredictable.

We see endless scripted conversations on the screen. A lot of energy is expended attempting to make these conversations look like real life. "Why not just record real life?" I thought to myself, "it is far more interesting than what I could make up by myself". This collaborative attitude has informed much of my practice.

I was also wondering what happens when the camera focuses exclusively on the listener rather than cutting back and forth between speakers which is what usually happens. We focus on the linearity of the conversation.

What developed in the piece was a sense that I was interacting with a disembodied voice that could have been in my imagination. May be I was hearing "Voices". There was no visual information to connect the voice to. It could have been a person speaking but the viewer is forced to collaborate in developing an image for the other speaker based on the limited information available to them. When one watches the video the other voice gains more clarity because there is no visual distraction. Its almost like watching a radio and a TV talk to each other.

You can see it all here

http://gary-conversation-piece.blogspot.com

How would you label your work?

Mine.

What is the importance of Art in your opinion?

I don't know. They say its good for business.

Does it always have to include an audience?

No.

You built an elaborate installation for Manor of Art,

What was it all about and has a piece like this an afterlife?

There are some nice pictures of Palace Of Ashes. online. Sam Adams interviewed me inside of it because you said he should. He made a nice little video about it for his web site sam's video.

http://hungryeyeball.com/2009/09/pdx-mayor-sam-adams-video-on-manor-of-art/

The Manor piece is still there actually. I have yet to kill it, if in fact it was alive. It was mostly made up of dead trees, paint, mirrors and dirt. The living part was the people who saw it. I suppose it lives in their memory. May be I will make a memorial for it. Will you come to the funeral?

Palace also lives on my resume. Hopefully it will get me more work.

Currently you are exhibiting at Appendix project Space.

What can you tell us about it?

I spent three days digging rock infested dirt for Inside, Outside. I sweated profusely. I have been enjoying the process of making. The physical WORK it takes to make it. Inside, Outside was certainly a departure for me and builds on what we did with Palace. I have been working almost exclusively with objects, materials and built environments. My origins are in material based work. The last five years have been a rigorous investigation into a participatory performance model of work. It seems I am returning to materials.

I have always been intrigued by relationships - between people, between objects, between people and objects...the list goes on. I did one project a long time ago in Australia called Decadence. It involved digging a grave that I buried a bunch of meat in. I made little sculptures out of the meat. They began to rot so I conducted a funeral for them.

You can see documentation of Inside, Outside on my blog if you are willing to look at other stuff too. I have a lot of work on there. I wish more people would look at it

Gar'y Blog

http://garywiseman.tumblr.com

You also work in tandem with your partner.

Tell us about those dynamics?

My collaborations with Meredith are a natural extension of our partnership. We talk about everything. Some of our most connected moments are when we

are disc using theoretical frameworks and concepts. We have a very balanced relationship. We try to keep it fair. That is why I always acknowledge her as a collaborator even when she doesn't do much of the physical work. Most of the recent work wouldn't have happened without our discussions. We both have our roles. We compliment each other and work as a unit. A team. It is a very privileged position to be in I know. It is something I have always wanted. A life partner I could collaborate with. It keeps me interested. I have a very short attention span and get into trouble when I am not occupied. This is why I pretty much work all the time. I am easily bored. I need someone who understands this and will play with me. That is what art is for me may be. Playing. Imagining. Making stuff up. Experimenting. Seeing what happens.

What are your interest besides Art?

I like my friends.

And what is next for you and how do you decide on a project and its location?

Matthew Stadler is publishing some books made by Portland artists. He is taking them to the Amsterdam Biennial. I made one of the books. I am quite pleased with it. My book is called I Love Urban Outfitters And Urban Outfitters Loves Me. It is comprised of three Urban Outfitters catalogs and one Anthropologie catalog.

I have made some...lets say alterations. Its too bad that not very many people will see it in Portland. I started working on it awhile ago when I found out that the guy who owns Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, Richard Hayne made some pretty significant campaign contributions to Rick Santorum. I thought that it was pretty funny and sneaky to take money from young hip liberals and give it to the King of the Neo-Cons.
Its like reverse Robin Hood or something. I also wanted to think about how I am simultaneously attracted to, flabbergasted and repulsed by the content of those publications.

The locations of projects are chosen in two ways:

1. I am invited to do something somewhere. An example of this is the materials based installation work which is generally more of a response to a given environment, such as the Appendix Space piece. I love to be presented with a framework of problems and limitations. I feel these two are the best friends of my creative process. Therefore, I get really excited when someone approaches me about a project and says, "do something here and don't use nails and you have to use this pile of cow shit and it has to be done in three days on one foot".

2. I am from Portland. Many of my recent projects are about growing up here, leaving for Australia, coming back 9 years later and the changes I have encountered since returning. The locations for the performance work are intentionally geographically placed and specific to my narrative experience in this curious place that is Portland.
This was the case with work like Tea Project (Esp. the TBA series), SIXSIXSIX (With the Cooley Gallery) and Coffee Break (at MP5).

thanks
Gary

Artlit interview with Molly Dilworth

2009-11-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

Variation (City)
From the perspective of the satellite, the urban rooftop landscape looks like a quarantine site: apparently unchanging, contained and secure. As with any system existing in an environment of flux, there are (literally) cracks in the surface, the boundary between the inhabited and off-limit space is constantly breached by water, plant, animal and human life.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The primary concern in my work is the relevance of painting in contemporary society. For me, this includes the interaction of paint and the digital world, specifically satellite technology using the Google Earth interface. My goal is to work with experts from various disciplines (solar-reflective paint engineers, green building engineers), and use real problems in the world today – like the waste stream from industry – as a starting point for projects.

Molly Dilworth is a painter who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Since earning her MFA from NYU in 2003 Dilworth has exhibited and performed nationally and internationally.
In 2008 Dilworth exhibited and performed painting as part of SUDDENLY: WHERE WE LIVE NOW, an ongoing set of visual art exhibitions, a reader, and a series of public programs (Portland 2008, Pomona College Museum of Art 2009, Seattle 2009). She has collaborated with Marina Zurkow to create the installation Psychaedelis Domesticus (Istanbul, Turkey, 2007). With MK Guth Dilworth performed Red Shoe Delivery Service (Australia, England, USA, 2003-2006). In June 2008, her work was featured in an article by Stephanie Snyder in Art Lies Magazine. In the fall of 2008 she was a visiting artist and professor at the Pacific Northwest College of art in Portland, Oregon. The 2009 exhibition Molly Dilworth: Dispersion in the Feldman Gallery at PNCA featured paintings made during her residency there. In September 2009 she will create a rooftop painting for Google Earth Brooklyn Suite (Poured Paintings V2/Rooftop) for the D.U.M.B.O Art Under the Bridge Festival.

Hi Molly here it goes

What’s your background in Art?

I was really restless from age 16 to 23, I moved all over the place to study painting, glassblowing and weaving in Albuquerque, Detroit and Seattle. I’ve always restlessly made things my whole life but it’s taken a long time to focus my hands and mind in the same direction.

What is your connection to Portland and how did you end up in NY?

I moved to NYC from Seattle in 2001 to attend grad school at NYU. There were two Portland artists in the program -MK Guth and Cris Moss – the three of us worked on Red Shoe Delivery Service together after finishing school, I got a great introduction to the Portland art world through those two. I’ve always loved Portland and feel honored to be an itinerant citizen in the city.

What moves you as an artist?

Anything I can really feel.

What labels are you comfortable with like are you satisfied being a painter?

For a long time I fought everything about being a painter, I believed that everyone is trained in drawing and painting then eventually graduates to become Laurie Anderson, or John Cage. A few years ago I gave up my materials and my studio, and started curating and performing. It was time to use my brain –not just my hands - and move out into the world instead of working alone in the studio. I found out while walking through the Met while interviewing an artist for a show that all the paintings were as interesting as today’s headlines to me. I had to concede that I was a painter, like it or not.
I just spent 8 days, 10-12 hours a day working on a black roof – really physical, dirty work - it made me think about how artists in the 70’s called themselves workers rather than dancers, painters or defining themselves by a discipline.
It’s from another era, but I can really understand that through the work I’m making now.
I do find the conversation (or lack of) around painting really frustrating. Good friends of mine who are in the trenches of contemporary art have often told me they don’t know how to talk about painting. After having this conversation about a thousand times I was motivated to make work that could be talked about by someone who didn’t want to talk about painting. I prefer to talk to everyone, and have real conversations, and do an end-run around non-starters like ‘watercolor or oil? Landscape or figure?’

How do you develop your themes?

When I discovered that I really was a painter I was embarrassed to find that after painting for more than a decade I still didn’t know what I was doing. At all. So I set up a series of experiments or systems to address all the problems and questions I had about painting.
For example, if a painting wasn’t working I always had a series of color combinations which would ‘fix’ the work. The painting wasn’t any good, it was just sort of limping along with lots of bandages. So I made a rule about my palette: I couldn’t choose it.
I was working for a handmade wallpaper company in Queens at the time, and we threw out literally tons of Golden acrylics. I started using only that paint for my palette. It was difficult since most of the paint was mid-tones: beige, grey. Suddenly I had an interesting problem to work on, instead of pulling the same old tricks out of my sleeve.
It was a lot more fun, and I learned a lot of new tricks!
It turns out I’ve always loved things that have been used before they’re in my hands. I always feel a bit blank when I’m looking at a new canvas bought from the art store. I know the material has had life before me but that life is masked by packaging, and that makes me uncomfortable. I find it easier to use materials that have an obvious previous history, so using materials from the waste stream – another one of my rules – is something that has always worked for me.

What is the civic psyche and how can Art influence it?

Humans just need art, I can’t think of any other reason that we still make it. Attendance at museums went up sharply in New York after September 11th. As a culture we’re not trained to think about art so we think it’s elitist, which is unfortunate since we’re apparently programmed to need it. I’m not a neurobiologist, so I can’t explain why, but I know art (and music, literature and sport for that matter) is good for the civic psyche.

How has the relevance of Art changed over the last 50 years or so?

I take the long view. American art has a large voice that was much smaller a half-century ago, and it’s an industry now – not just galleries and museums but educational institutions, shippers and publishers. – but in the end people have always made art and fought about what it means.

They say “Nothing” doesn’t exist do you agree?

To me, nothing is a zero point from which everything grows. I think resetting to nothing is generative, the opposite of having an attachment to a particular outcome for a project. Nothing is like the perfect pop song in its artlessness and satisfaction.

“Mapping” has become a new code word, what does it mean to you and how do you incorporate it into your art pieces?

Oh, well – we need maps like we need art – just for different purposes. I made a map (except I think of it as a plan) of the rooftop painting before I started it. Of course, I didn’t follow it exactly – sometimes you get more lost when you follow the map religiously.

Do you collaborate with other artists from different disciplines?

Yes, and non-artists too.

What does “Waste” mean to you?

America! We’re professional wasters.

Can you tell me about the project you are working on right now and how can people follow your progress?

I’m currently making paintings on rooftops for Google Earth, I just finished the first one in Brooklyn this September, and plan on making a lot more. I spend a lot of time thinking about how the digital-virtual world affects us psychically and physically, this painting is the first large-scale public manifestation of that physical-virtual marriage. I post all my work regularly to my flickr page. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollydilworth/) I’m also embarrassingly active on facebook, but I try to keep it mostly professional, no breakfast-menu updates!

You have started to include the On-line world as a platform to present your concepts.
How has that influenced or expanded the way you see what is an appropriate back drop for Art and who is the targeted audience?

A few years ago I worked in Chelsea and had a hard time seeing the shows, since the galleries all keep the same schedule. I saw most shows – even the ones on my block – online. It’s not the same as seeing the work in person but it’s an incredible second choice. I mentioned that I want to have an interesting conversation with everyone, the internet is good for that.

Can you tell me a little about “The Naked City”?

Today we’re so comfortable with the International Style that we forget it ever faced opposition. After WWII, all of Europe had to be rebuilt and The Situations viewed the International plan as top-down, inhumane and dictatorial - a continuation of the ideology that caused all the devastation.

The Naked City can be seen as a predecessor to the traffic calming or slow/local food movement – essentially a preference for the accident and chance present in daily life if aimless wandering is allowed. A modern equivalent is the farmer’s market – I can have real conversations, learn things and get recipes – whereas at Safeway I just get the stuff, and maybe an empty feeling.
Just the other day I went out for groceries and ran into a Richard Serra sculpture in the middle of my street.
Of course, I immediately posted it to facebook. But if I hadn’t gone out in the world, I wouldn’t have anything to share on facebook. Nor could I find Serra’s warehouse any other way, I looked it up online when I got home and I only found one blog posting of someone else who had accidentally witnessed the last time the pieces were moved.
The Situationists were advocates of the happy accident provoked by the dérive, or drift. Guy Debord named his famous psychogeographical map “The Naked City” (1957), it was a visualization of these Situationist ideas.

I think of the Naked City circa 2009 as the physical world without a digital overlay – anything we experience with our bodies. A moonlight bike ride, the smell of fall, a car crash, a first kiss – nothing virtual about any of that! Not that I’m in any way anti-technology, I’m making paintings for satellites, after all.

What is the potential for Virtual space and how will it affect the future of the human race?

We’re all going to have carpal tunnel! Start working on ‘prayer pose’ now. I recently heard about a community who are building exercise machines to power their electronic devices. They want to fight the dangerous leisure that our machines have given us. I do think it’s fundamentally changing our language and behavior, as all new technology does. But we’re still animals, after all.

What is on the Art horizon for you and can we expect to see one of your projects being realized here in Portland?

I have another 12 rooftops to finish in Brooklyn before the winter sets in, that’s keeping me pretty busy right now.
I’d love to make some rooftop paintings in Portland, I have a few places in mind but if anyone wants me to make one, please contact me. The night I finished the first painting in Brooklyn everyone said ‘oh it would be so great to have a cluster of these on rooftops all around!’ Marking a territory in this way is very interesting to me. I want to work with others, roofing contractors and choreographers for example, to expand what I can do visually and conceptually.

thanks Molly

All the documentation of my first rooftop painting for Google Earth (finished last Sunday!) can be seen here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollydilworth/

contact Molly Dilworth at

www.mollydilworth.com

Molly Dilworth
madilworth@yahoo.com
158 Norman #1, Brooklyn, NY 11222 646.515.5161

Interview with Leah Stuhltrager about the East West Project

2009-11-04T17:07:00.001-08:00

Interview with Leah Stuhltrager about the East West Project

Hi Leah thanks for doing this

Tell me a bit about your gallery
Since when does it exist, who runs it and what kind of Art is exhibited there?

Dam, Stuhltrager has existed for over a decade, but it transformed from a project space to a professional gallery about four years ago. The gallery is recognized for the new media and installation artists. The gallery represents Mark Andreas, Brose Partington, Ryan Wolfe, Mark Esper, Ruth Marshall, Anna Frants and Cris Dam.

As a general rule, I am attracted to artists/artworks that pack more than a knock knock joke's punchline. I'm interested in learning more about what a piece is conveying when it exudes independence in thought and voice. I respect artwork that speaks eloquently for itself and isn't reliant on a trend or accompanying catalog. Generally, I am drawn to artists who redefine the medium they work with so that the medium may work specifically with them.

What is the mission of Art and what can we learn from Art History?

I had a conversation with one of my artists today about what it means to be an artist. It climaxed in him telling me, "Making art doesn't always make me happy. Its just what I was born to do."

If open, inquisitive and patient, one can learn all he/she needs to know from Art History... But it is Art History's philosophical conundrums that keeps someone creating. There's still answers to be conceived through Art and that's a sufficient enough reason for a true artist to donate their life to trying to communicating them.

What is your connection to Berlin and how did you come up with the idea to open an annex in Berlin?

Over the past few years, my gallery has developed very sincere and rewarding long term ties to the international art communities in St Petersburg/Russia, Istanbul/Turkey, Madrid/Spain and Basel/Switzerland. We’ve been lucky to be a part of an unifying international circuit of galleries who are in business not for the money but primarily for the love of art. Gaining the experience, exposure and absorbing the culture throughout the greater "Art World" gives my artists the tools and knowledge to communicate more universally through their work.

Stepping out of your own front yard is important to any career but learning from the experiences/people met along the way is more important. It is the knowledge gained that informs the art/curation, not the notches in the resume. The contemporary art communities in Berlin and Shanghai were places my artists and I felt great admiration for and energy pulsating from. This September, we opened up EAST/WEST (a six month project) in Berlin and created three installations for an exhibit at Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

What do you think of Berlin as an Art capital comparison to NY?

They are very different in every way and are defined by the characteristics that make them so unalike. Thank goodness for that.

How did you get in touch with Gallery Homeland and Portland Artists and how does it feel working with a Guest curator?

I've known Paul Middendorf from Gallery Homeland for several years. The gallery curation is fairly straightforward, East Coast artists are selected by me, West Coast artists are selected by Paul. Interestingly enough, the Brooklyn artists I selected for EAST/WEST tend to create works that emanate nature as a theme in one way or another while Paul selected Portland artists who are generally inspired by urban landscapes and issues.

Each exhibit at EAST/WEST includes at least one Berlin artist (and often their gallery). In the past, I have found working with other galleries (guest curating artists) has led to relationships that I am honored to hold close long after the exhibition closes. It is my goal and hope that this is true of the professional and personal relationships begun in Berlin over the next few months.

What is the premise of "the East West Project", how is it financed and what are the expectations for it?

EAST/WEST Berlin is the pilot for a 6 month project that everyone involved foresees/is working towards building into a continuing program. It currently is being financed equally by me and by Gallery Homeland. The next incarnation of EAST/WEST is positioned to have space donated and more private sponsorship.

What kind of issues are addressed by your artists?

My artists address issues that are current, timeless and clearly articulated within their art. I support causes and artists I feel contribute meaningful discourse to the advancement of art. My attention is dedicated to those who are saying things no one else has completely said, who's places in art history are not accessory, who have a contribution that is only theirs to offer.

For how long will the project run and how has it been received in the Berlin art scene and what are the art trends there?

EAST/WEST Berlin runs from Sept 19, '09 thru April 1, '10. We have had our doors open for six days so it is impossible to discuss how we've been received just yet. Likewise, as a newbie just immersed here in Berlin as of last week, I'm among the last among the crowd to have a viable or insightful opinion on trends this early in my tenure here.

Can we expect a project in Portland by Dam Stuhltrager?

All is possible if it is wanted enough.

How has the new economy influenced the international Art world?

Artists should be and are inspired by other things than the market.

What is in next for your gallery?

Beyond our homebase in Brooklyn and EAST/WEST in Berlin, my gallery currently has artists exhibiting or installing at The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, The Moscow Biennial, The Mills Building in San Francisco and The Hunterdon Museum in New Jersey.

Anything else you’d like to share?

The EAST/WEST Project is online
at http://www.damstuhltrager.com/east_west.html

As well, we have a facebook page heavy with photos so its easy to virtually visit our exhibits in Germany from America

at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000238313482&ref=profile

Dam, Stuhltrager Gallery
38 Marcy Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

www.damstuhltrager.com
info@damstuhltrager.com

Interview with J. Shea

2009-06-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

PDX Art interview with J. Shea

Did you always feel the call to be an artist ?

I've always enjoyed creating.......I studied illustration because I thought it might give me a better chance to work in the arts........that was my goal..............and still is.........make a living making art......weather its commercial.......personal........whatever......lock some skills in and
earn while being creative.........
after gigs in illustration.........sneaker design........puppet fabrication........and rock poster art, I began to focus more on my own ideas for personal art...........combining painting, sculpture, assemblage and installation........

Do you consider your self an urban artist and what is an urban artist?

no.....not really........i have done a fair amount street art in cities i've lived in..........but that kind of work i do is very subtle..........as i paint with brushes in lone corners of the city......its not like graffiti or wheat pasting ,where folks are "getting up" to be seen.......i just do little street paintings in my neighborhood.......you really have to look for them.......but its fun to go out at night and paint...........there's enough visual stimulation already with advertising.........sometimes when you see a little original painting mixed in.....it makes you smile.....i hope.....

urban artist.....? i always thought it was someone who had roots in graffiti...........or some other form of street art.........i know many artist's who consider themselves "post graph"....
and they are amazing painters..............though i've never heard them consider themselves "urban artist".......even though they still go out and paint at night.......i think a gallery curator came up with that label.............

Even though you paint beautifully I see that you like to work with sculpture ?

For the past few years I've been focused on "my style of sculpture"........combining assemblage, found objects and clay modeling........because I enjoy all those forms of art............and felt no one was really combining all those mediums...........i love painting too.........but its limiting in many ways.......i guess i want there to more dimension to my work.....plus the process in making the sculpture is alot more involved ............i really enjoy its process......

Where do you find the unique pieces for them?
I enjoy the process of scavenging through flea markets,thrift stores,and yard sales looking for junk........mostly old things.......broken and forgotten..........but they still have an essence of craft and quality to me.........maybe because most things made today are plastic and disposable....
made with no attention to detail or craftsmanship..............nothing is handed down like an old tool,toy or record .......its just thrown away.......

What inspires you?

These places I look also offer a form of inspiration of me.......much like museums,galleries,and art books.........but in order to find the real gems you have dig deep.........and get your hands dirty..........its like looking for great old records........you gotta dig through the crates.......they are not always sitting on top..............it takes a little work to find the good stuff...........inspiration is everywhere.........it comes in all forms........

You seem to prefer your sculpture as wall pieces?

My idea behind the wall hanging work is to open peoples minds to sculpture........most folks think that only collectors buy sculpture.......so I try to make people comfortable with sculpture.........and price it reasonably.........so folks can buy into the idea.........it can hang on a wall just like a painting......but theres a bit more to it dimensionally......I think sculpture gets a bad rap sometimes.........but its nice to make art that people can look at for while and see something new every time they take new look...........

You describe your Art as purely "analog", what do you mean by that
and do you see a need for artists to preserve historical art practices?

by "analog"..... i just mean.......its all "hand made"....with manual equipment.....i don't use computers as a tool in any of my work.......aside from the fillmore poster work ......i don't make prints.......or molds of pieces.........when you see one of my pieces its handmade by me.........and its one of kind........thats the way i perfer to work......in a studio with good natural light and with manual tools......computers programs are not for me...even with my illustration,sneaker design,& puppet work.......its all analog.......all hand drawn.......hand crafted..........

i feel its essential for artists to preserve historical art practices........the computer is an amazing tool........but it can make some young creatives very lazy.......we need to work at drawing.........color theory.......composition.......draftmenship..........the computer can't think for us..........its a tool to help us.......but we need to learn the foundations first and foremost..............and experiment and pass down the historic art practices............its vital for the future.......

Your Sculptures are more than decoration and seem to tell a story. What are the main concerns you are addressing?

i work in narratives.........each piece is a little story.........i create collections ......each collection has themes that vary.........

a lot of my work is sorting through junk and found objects to come up with an idea.........thats works within the collection theme.......

sometimes the objects are camouflaged........other times they are easily noticed........but still works within the narrative..........

my goal is to evoke a feeling..........of something very familiar from the past........but contemporary at the same time.......

What are the Ghosts that haunt your memory?

the "ghost's collection" was based on something i had been experiencing at the time.........a struggle with status....relationships........technology...society.... my art and its direction............

those pieces are personal narratives..........my way of dealing with those issues.......in my life at the time.........

i'm very fortunate to have my art as a release..........when many of us can not express ourselves in that form...........

What is ideologically an American and who's is an American in your eyes?

"American folk" was another collection of work i produced after a cross-country trip...........i've been fortunate through my design work to travel.....throughout asia.......europe........and central America..........but some of the most fascinating places i've visited are right here in this country.........the idea was to travel collecting
bits and pieces for new works........inspired by the trip.........and it was amazing.........but over the years.........our country is slowly becoming more homogenized....
and its breaking down cultures..........our idea of the small little town with the general store...... post office.......coffee shop... barbershop...... is disappearing......its becoming 7 eleven......target......kinkos.......gap.....supercuts...&..ikea..........the little run mom & pop shop is disappearing.......and the corporate shadow is covering everything.........its removing the individual spirit of the many cultures that this country is built on........

Americans are all around us........in my eyes they are the ones that keep an open mind.........and are not afraid to express their thoughts......
my favorites are the ones who rock their own style..........disregarding societies uniforms...........

You have lots of amazing artist friends. Is their a kind of Brother hood that looks out for each other and do you see your self as part of a silent or loud Art revolution?

i've been fortunate to meet and work with some amazing creatives.......over the years.......at one point a group of us met in one city and formed a small collective.......but its important for artists to support each other..........in numbers we have power........its also essential to collaborate with other creatives.........its how new idea's form.......and styles grow..........

i'm not sure about a revolution...but there is certainly a new movement of art happening......it's much more of an open playing field for exhibiting work.......when it used to be very limiting...........if your expertise was from the fields of illustration,graffiti,tattoo,sign painting,graphic design,pin striping,set design,etc.......it was never welcomed in a true gallery setting.........thats been changing over the last decade or so.........and new galleries have opened with new curators and new ideas towards art.........my work has been exhibited by a few of these curators & galleries.........and i've been fortunate .......but i'm certainly not one of the trail blazers of the movement............i'm just happy to exhibit work.......not long ago........it was extremely difficult to have a gallery exhibit your work.............i'm very thank full

What are your thoughts on commercial sponsorship?

i guess i never refer to it as sponsorship............i mean........i've always done commercial work........so when the fillmore commissions a poster,or a sneaker company wants some designs.........or a production company needs some puppets made..........its all work to me..........i hope its creative.........and not heavily art directed.....
but i take pride in my work.......and i get payed........every now and then........there is a sponsorship opportunity.........and if i have an opportunity to add my style of art and the company has good ethics...........i'm down...........scion is one company i enjoy working with.........they always let me rock my style..........they never art direct.....or ask me to paint or sculpt an automobile.........the love to foster creative expression..........and they are a great group of folks........they have been nothing but supportive of my personal art.............

What is your involvement with the Scion installation tour?
I lived in Los Angeles for 3 years and while I was exhibiting work at lab 101 gallery......... run by Freddi C........a great artist in her own right......I met her husband.........who worked for scion........so 2 years ago he asked if I could create a sculpture for the tour......with the theme........"it's a beautiful world" in mind.........for the 2007-2008 tour..........

this year they asked me to paint a self portrait.............for the tour..........they are an amazing group of curators @ scion.........they truly foster creative expression...........they pay you to create a piece for their tour.......which travels to 9 U.S. cities...........and ends in Los Angeles at their huge installation space..........where they auction off the work to a charity...........last year they picked Yoskay Yamamoto's and my charity "art from scrap" and raised 50 k for them..............pretty dope.......

they invite the artists to 3 shows a year as well.........Miami, during art Basel........NYC......and Los Angeles..........they even let me curate a show at their Los Angeles space which is 5000 sq. ft.....................scion is a great supporter of the arts........

the tour will be coming to Portland this year........during first Thursday in august @ igloo gallery and 2 adjoining galleries........my good friend Bryon Schroeder runs Igloo..........and it was scion's way to pay it back to artist run/supported galleries in Portland.........
for more info. on the tour.......check.....

http://www.scion.com/installation

What would make you happy to see happening in the World during your life time?

it would be nice to see our new leadership create some positive energy in this country again..........we are a country that is hated in many parts of the world.......

it would be nice to if we could all look after one another.........as a global community.........and work together to solve our problems........

hopefully we are moving in the right direction now.............

What other projects are you you into?
i'm not sure if i mentioned the fact that i own a coffee house with my girl keiko.......and we've been having art shows there since January.......

here is our little blog.......
http://www.pdxfinegrind.com

if you are in the portland area.........feel free to drop by and check it out.........
also
just wanted to let you know that tina from huntandgatherart.com in london re-posted this interview.........

http://www.huntandgatherart.com

tina is an old friend..........she is deeply emersed in the street art scene..........the pop surealism art scene........and the new underground movement.....

she's been running this blog for a few years now........and has run galleries in los angeles......barcelona and now london........

her book........'hunt and gather " will be released this fall........with art from 40 diverse creatives from around the world.......we'll be puting on a
launch and book signing event here in portland this winter for it........

just thought i'd fill you in......

j.

sincerely........

j.shea & keiko okuda

sincerely........

j.shea

thanks for your time

Richard

Interview with Skinner

2009-05-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hi
thanks for doing this
I love your new show at fifty24PDX

here are a few questions

What do think of labels such as artist
and do you feel you belong to a tradition or is what you do something totally new?The label artist is just a practical term that people have romanticised...and i consider myself to be putting my cultural and emotional experiences into a tradition of interpretation...an interpretation of the world, the struggles within it and creating a mythology around our time and space.

Do you have any interest in Art history and who would be a fore runner to the type of art you create?I love art history! I think its incredibly important to recognise the continuum of things as well as a chronology of artistic zeitgeists and how they evolve...to watch the ebb and flow of art within culture and then to decide if i will be apart of it or rebel against it...right now i feel that mankind should end. my concepts are antagonistic of what is comfortable to people but my art style is definitely pallatable...i like to pull them in and then affect them when they are not expecting it.

I see a lots of mythological symbolism what are your artistic inspirations?Through a kind of alternate reality that is both absurd and terrifying, show people how obviously more absurd and terifying our world is....and it truly is in so many ways....

Your art seems loaded with messages is your intention to educate or to entertain?I dont want to be on a preachy soap box and i do love to entertain...there is always a funny and easier way to get people to see things that are fucked up, and they in turn are more responsive to the idea that things could be better if its not forced down their throat!

Their is theme of worry running through the imagery. What are your greatest fears for humanity and your greatest hopes?I have no hope for humanity...im not sad about it i just know that we are a global community of comfort...we like to be accomodated to an extreme detail...even if that means that other people/ animals have to suffer greatly to provide that...I would love to say that if we all pitched in and did what we had to to make things sustainable i would be stoked! and I would but its not going to happen...selfishness and convenience are the hallmark of our world...you either have it or you dont...and Im not even a negative person I have just accepted it...I know I am apart of the problem too...im a person taking up space, driving around, wearing clothes that were made by some one working under substandard conditions and thats the least of it. But i still choose to do what i can to help because I dont give up and I still see beauty in the world and recognise that for what it is...

Lots of your show titles deal with man and beast or versus beast. What are we in a religious sense?I see religion as the single most inhibitive element to man kind's mental and emotional evolution...i dont understand why people dont see that anything we do is going to be wrought with control and power...and that is what we do to each other...the ego of human kind is the single worst element of our existence...its where wars, oppression, racism, control, and all divisive behavior comes from...

Your art is visually very stunning and stimulating also shocking. What are your intention in regard to your audience. Like do you try to shock them awaken them to or from something?yes i try to make horrible things hard to turn away from...to make beautiful what is considered monstrous...i like to create a conflict within the viewer..

Most of your characters are struggling. Who are subconsciously the enemy and who is the friend?i like to make the struggle obvious in a way...or through a narrative...the enemy is usually a larger more oppressive figure and the others are smaller and rebelling in some way..

What does psychedelic mean to you and do you think altered states of mind are pivotal in under standing
ourselves?psychedelic to me is a reality more intensely infused with color and image...so far away from where we are that there is something psychic or psychosis inducing about it...to be traveling in thought and to lose all reconition of one's self as it is tethered to our shared reality. and i feel like tearing an average mind from our shared reality is pivotal in them examining who they could be, who they are and who they have been...the grid of mental oppresion is overwhelming and vast...to navigate through it is hard as you must unlearn the conditions of your life...the socialisation of normalcy as it relates to our submission must be forgotten or destroyed.

I see some anger issues in your work. Do you have personal experience with it and how do you deal with it besides your artistic practice?i was shown anger in many terrifying and deliberate ways...it has plagued me my whole life as well as some other abhorrant learned behaviors...i put myself into anger management so that i could live in peace and enjoy happiness...i feel very good now..my friends and loved ones have been very supportive of me as i have learned how to better negotiate my sense of justice...these questions are very good...very intuitive..

Your new show is titled shadows of the unrealm. What are you revering too?I consider our real world as kind of an unrealm...we have everything we could possibly hope for or want and yet beauty pageants for five year olds just dont seem like a bad idea for us...it kind of mirrors the absurdities of our values as a whole...the unrealm...where anything stupid can happen...in a place where anything beautiful and freeing will be shut down...

There is also more use of collage. Is this a new element and what inspired you to use pre-vab images?I would go to thrift stores and see pictures of people or their families and just wonder how a picture of someone that was loved could end up among some junk...and i sort of see that as how we live...nothing is too sacred and i just capitalised on this by absorbing these pictures of abandoned people and integrated them into my world where they are welcome and important...they are in my family now...my ridiculous family.

Last but not least. There are lots of erotic and homo erotic references in this exhibit. What moved you to do so and what's the message in regard to sex and society? sexual roles are a completely socialized construction...what is masculine looks very much the same person to person...it is a program by which we live...as well as femin inity...we fulfill these roles as they make us feel...comfortable or happy...when people deviate from their appropriated sexual duties ( become gay)...it seems they then take on another role....patterns start to emerge...but if you took away sexual roles...you would just have people...people having sex with whomever they like...dependant on their attachment to the other person as a being and not a sexual object...

Thank you! this was a very thoughtful interview i appreciate your time and energy!!!

Art Lit: Interview with Mike Bray & Dan Gilsdorf

2009-05-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

SRO Video: Guys Doing Guy Things
April 7 - May 14, 2009

SRO Video: Guys Doing Guy Things
Oregon Artists: Mike Bray, Dan Gilsdorf, Mack McFarland and Stephen Slappe.

more info at
http://www.marylhurst.edu/theartgym/2009srovideo.php

SRO Video features work that goes beyond single channel video - it is video that combines projected images, installation and sculpture. You explore on your feet, rather than view from a seat. Stephen Slappe is creating a four-channel, four-wall projection of travelers on a remote road in rural Oregon. Mack McFarland is interested in ideas of utopia and dystopia and has been conducting and recording interviews in supermarket parking lots and street corners around the state. Dan Gilsdorf's works include a tiny video camera and model train, and burning trees as seen on stacked televisions. Mike Bray's installations use a combination of video and sculpture to conflate real and cinematic space.

Interview with Dan Gilsdorf

This is an all male show
How was that experience? Like how do you deal with sharing the spot light
and do you think working with female artists would be different and if yes in which way?
First of all, I should state that the curator, Terri Hopkins, did not have an all male show in mind when she started out. She intended to put together a group of works that related to the Sesquicentennial Film Festival and, as it turned out, all the works she chose were by men. The exhibition was not collaborative and all the installations were in progress before they were selected for the show. None of our work would have been any different had there been any other exhibitors (female or otherwise). As for the spotlight, Terri has put together a strong and cohesive show and I am very proud to be included.

If you had to introduce your artistic practice to a greater public how would you describe it?
Generally I see myself as a sculptor, that is; one who makes objects. I am interested in the relations between mass, space, time, and content, so I try to create works that relate to all of these realms.

Video has become the darling of the art world the last few years. Is it financially a sustainable medium and what does the future hold for it?
I’d say that video is pretty solidly within the canon of the fine arts at this point. In western culture video images are inundating the visual landscape at every level, and video technology, like all technology, is getting cheaper and cheaper. All things considered, I feel pretty comfortable stating that it is now cheaper to be a video artist than it is to be a painter. At the same time, considering the environmental impact of the technology and industrial infrastructure that video requires this may change.

Has our reality become more artificial and will lead this to an evolution of the Human experience or to it's demise?
Reality by definition is not artificial. However, in the western world the human experience has come to be dominated by mediated information. Information comes to us by means of communications technology that acts as a filter. For the purpose of dissemination, content is translated into a medium and translated back into human experience at the receiving end. This is not a new phenomenon. The written word--indeed language itself--is a communications technology, just the same as a video streaming over a high-speed wireless internet connection. As such, there are sacrifices to its use; i.e., the breach of meaning between a thought and a word. But, as any reader of fiction knows, these language technologies also allow the communication of profound subtleties. An example is metaphor, a device that cannot exist without language. In this case it is the technology of language that allows for a more profound expression of meaning.

Since now the technologies of communication (digital technology in specific) are also generative, maybe the human experience is becoming LESS artificial. The message at the receiving end has NOT been translated; it is EXACTLY like the original in every way or, more accurately, it is a de facto original!
Using technology seems a logical way of presenting a subject. What attracted you to it and do you see it necessary to convey your message?
For me it is about the image. I am a sculptor, but my work tends to incorporate images, and video is one way of doing so. Image technologies relay information, but they also contain their own content that they add to a work.

Do you expect the audience to play a participatory role?
I really consider viewing artwork as a participatory act in general. I don’t believe an artwork can be complete solely within its own corpus. Art finds its true completion in relation to the subjectivity that is the consciousness of a viewer, by engaging a viewer’s memories, emotions, intellect, etc. Therefore, in any work of art, be it a painting, film, or piece of music, the viewers’ charge is to consider, and thereby realize the artwork.

What is your goal or and message?
In this show, my goal was to use video images to evoke mass within space and time along with a certain sense of place. My hope was that viewers might experience these images in a visceral way, similar to the way one experiences mass and time out in the world. My thinking on this is related to my conception of the sublime. If the sublime can be defined as a situation in which one experiences both the perceptible and the incomprehensible simultaneously, I was trying to create a situation where the perception of an image would be analogous to real experience in three dimensions.
Also, of course, the content of the images I used relates to a kind of visual regionalism, a reference to a particular landscape and culture.

The films deal and play here in OR. What makes this region so original to live in and for an artist?
I am not a native and the reasons I came here had nothing to do with my being an artist so it’s hard for me to say. But, I can say that it is a great place to be an artist and a great place to live. Many of the regional or cultural themes that my work has always dealt with apply here, so it seems like a good fit.

Are you aspirations to be a film makers or conceptual artists which label would you feel most comfortable?
See above.

Would you do another collaboration and what is next for you?
This show was not a collaborative endeavor. However, I’m very happy to be among these artists. They are very skilled and I consider them my friends.

Anything else you want to share?
No, gracias.

Interview with Mike Bray

This is an all male show. How was that experience? Like how do you deal
with sharing the spot light and do you think working with female artists would be different and if yes in which way?
I enjoy working with other artist, male or female, and am always
fascinated to see how the work interacts. A group show acts as more of an
ensemble cast of work where different elements of your work can arise
because of the interaction between pieces. You get to know your work in a
new way so it is really challenging and eye opening.

If you had to introduce your artistic practice to a greater public how
would you describe it?
My work investigates our relationship with cinema. I move between single
channel video, video installation, photo, and objects, but the common
thread is an exploration of the cinematic as a spectacle. I grew up as
kind of a film buff and started making work to find out what made
cinematic moments such a big part of me.

Video has become the darling of the art world the last few years. Is it
financially a sustainable medium and what does the future hold for it?
As long as there are questions that video can ask that painting, drawing,
or another medium can’t, it is an important medium and has room for
critical inquiry. As a medium, video installation has been commercially
viable since the 60s and I believe it will continue to do so. I am not
sure that I think financial sustainability is an appropriate way to give
it value as a discipline though. Screens are omnipresent and it would be
disheartening to think that we would stop asking questions because of
commerce.

Has our reality become more artificial and will lead this to an evolution
of the Human experience or to it's demise?
I’m not sure if I would categorize it as an evolution or demise, but I do
see it as move towards an artificial. I believe that screen culture, or
media experience through cinema, television, or the Internet is in some
sense reprogramming us. It is why I think it is important to explore how
they operate and create desire in the viewer.

Using technology seems a logical way of presenting a subject. What
attracted you to it and do you see it necessary to convey your message?
My subject attracted me to the use of technology. I’m interested in films
and memories and where the lines start to blur. In order to explore the
blurring it is a necessary evil that I use screens, the moving image,
sound, and so on.

Do you expect the audience to play a participatory role?
Not necessarily participatory, but I hope that my work is challenging and
raises questions.

What is your goal or and message?
To create critical viewers

The films deal and play here in OR. What makes this region so original to
live in and for an artist?
My work is not Oregon specific, but I think the Northwest is a great place
to make work. The proximity of San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and
Vancouver means that you are bound to find an audience for your work.

Are you aspirations to be a filmmakers or conceptual artists which label
would you feel most comfortable?
Conceptual artist.

Would you do another collaboration and what is next for you?I didn’t feel that this show was necessarily a collaboration but I would
be interested in doing one in the future.

PDX Art Lit: interview with Tamara English

2008-11-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

“As It Begins,
So We Will Start Out”
Oil on Canvas
30' x 40'
2008

"Attained By Bewilderment"
Oil on Canvas
36" x 50"
2008

www.tamaraenglishstudio.com
www.markwoolley.com

Hi Richard-

Just got to peruse your blog-
such richness that you bring to the internet table.

Thank you for these questions- fun and insightful to answer.
Heartfully,

Tamara

When did you start to make Art
and what was your intention?

I always remember making art. As an introverted kid, it was a way to bring my inner world outside of myself. I often told stories with art, putting characters in different scenes. like a movie storyboard. It was play. I liked to create something- bring stories to life, draw ideas.

What is the optimum potential of art?

To transform the artist, and transform the viewer. To create a dialogue within and between individuals. And when there is the dialogue, when there is transformation, a better world can be created.

What was first, was there Chaos or Harmony?

Trick Question. We only know one exists because of the other.

Your visual language seems botanical.
What is your attraction to it?

The natural world has always been where I’ve found Beauty. I like to notice the majesty of a forest, and also the delight of the details, like the shapes of different leaves, or thimbleberries or the color of a particular lichen. The mystics say nature is the most sacred text on the planet that we can read.

I suppose each of us can find those things that seem to sing to us. For me it is plants. Sometimes I imagine flowers are a love letter, and in painting botanicals, I get to answer that letter.

Do we dream our self's into being or is our being-ness/reality only a dream?

The realest world is the world within us, and the physical world is our dream. Really, look at what physics says- we live in this fluid universe that becomes what we experience as “reality” according to our intention and beliefs. We do dream ourselves into being, both to exist here and now and according to what we are willing to dream of becoming. We are all creating all the time.

How do you actualize your world
like in what are the tools you use to manifest your present?

With a combination of imagining, having intention, asking, allowing, and taking action. All these need to be there to manifest a present that is the fullest expression of my Life Mission. Having awareness of what is going on at different levels within self is important to me too. Journaling, meditation, and other practices that focus on inner dialoguing all support this. Also, having mentors who encourage me to look at some of the messier places within, and transform them so they become allies.

I like this question of how one actualizes their world. It was a central question as I was creating the body of work that I showed at Mark Woolley Gallery this past summer. I had noticed there seemed to be a gap between what I’d been imagining for my life and what was actualizing. I got curious about this gap, and started painting to explore the bridge between the imaginal and the physical. During this exploration, the gap dissolved. If you were to look at the paintings in the order they were done, you would see the bridge coming into being in each progressive painting. So the practice of doing art itself is a tool, or a Way to support manifesting a present that enriches me, and ideally, serves beyond myself.

What would you like to see to happen in the PDX artist community?

More connections between groups. More gatherings with the intention of knowing what each other are doing in our studios. More cross-pollination with other creative fields. Creating Movements that draw attention to Portland artists internationally.

Can artist create a better world and how?

Yes, artists are visionaries and now is the time to create and hold the vision for the kind of world we want to live in. If you look at art in a historical context, you will see where cultures are going through the art itself first. Art reveals next steps before any other discipline. Meanwhile, many artists at this time seem to be creating art that is more reactive than visionary. It is like saying none of us has the power to affect the future. In actuality, all change begins with a vision. The future is shaped according to what we are willing to envision.

What does the slogan " creative capacity mean to you?

Allowing, inviting and manifesting infinite possibility.

Do you think artist roundtables can provide answers and what should be the questions?

To converse with other artists is an important part of an artist’s path. There is an aliveness, a spark, that can exist when people share ideas. Questions that are generative, that encourage each of us to share what we stand for, what we are moving toward, what obstacles we face, and what moves us through those obstacles- these are all great questions (and good to ask oneself). And maybe the roundtables lead to more questions, which ask for more conversation, which keeps the inspiration going.

I have been done some Roundtables with entrepreneurs to look at these ideas, and it is amazing to realize the power of a group meeting with an intention- how much we can shift.

What kind of qualities are we lacking as a whole
and what kid of qualities are you aspiring too?

Looking at what qualities I aspire to, lately I’ve been working with being more wiling to meet the unknown. Even to rely on the unknown. And to be a better listener- to self, others, the signs and wonders around us all the time.

Until earlier this month, I would have said a quality that we lacked as whole was hope. Having Obama for our next president has infused this country- and the world- with hope. So the next step is hope in action. To allow and embrace the possibilities and bring them into being. The more each of us shows up to our hopes and aspirations, the more this can happen on a global scale.

www.tamaraenglishstudio.com

PDX Art Lit: with JT Kirkland

2008-11-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

to expirience more go to
www.jtkirkland.com
http://thinkingaboutart.blogs.com

Q: Do you consider yourself a minimalist and what does that mean anyway?

A: I believe my work certainly has minimalist tendencies, but I am reluctant to classify myself in any one category. To be perfectly honest, when I first began working with wood, it was suggested by an artist friend that I label my practice so as to create a genre for my work. I followed this advice and termed my work “Organic Minimalism” and even mounted a solo exhibition titled, “Studies in Organic Minimalism.” As my life as an artist evolved, I became hesitant to put labels or titles on any of my work. I feel a label or title limits the interpretation of my work. It sets in motion a particular reading. Therefore, I have sought to not title my work or use the most basic descriptive title possible for easy identification. What I enjoy about minimalist art is that through its seemingly simple appearance it allows for a vast array of readings. It can be anything and everything.

Minimalism, to me, is an approach to art making that values visual simplicity. Underneath that simplicity is often a conceptual angle that reveals itself through close viewing. It’s the interplay between the visual simplicity and conceptual complexity that I find most interesting and pursue in my own practice.

Q: Wood & grain elicit a response; what is stimulated in your mental landscape by it?

A: I hope your presumption that wood and grain elicit a response is correct! Unfortunately, often times I find that this is not the case. My own experience is that people are quick to overlook the natural beauty around them. Sure, they can recognize the beauty in a flower garden. They are awed by a magnificent sunset. But – and this is where my work relates – do people have an appreciation for the wood floors in their house? Do they recognize the beauty in their wooden dining table? I’m not so sure. It’s often a subtle beauty that requires close examination. And how much time do we spend closely examining the things around us?

I think wood is one of the most remarkable materials in nature. It is inherently beautiful. Beauty can be found in the plywood at Home Depot or in an exotic wood from Africa. My work seeks to bring the viewer’s attention to the beauty of my chosen material. Whatever artistic gesture I employ is to focus one’s attention on the wood. My work serves the wood.

Q: Many of your pieces seem to be offering an entry into another space. Is there a spiritual aspect to your work or is it purely referencing to illusion?

A: Many critics and curators have discussed the spiritual aspect of my work. Unfortunately, I cannot claim any significant responsibility for this connection as I am not an overtly spiritual person. However, as discussed in the first question, I am not at all opposed to this reading. I do not wish to limit any interpretation of the work. Due to the frequency with which spirituality is raised in regards to my work, I must accept its presence, though I am not conscious of it. I accept its presence with open arms.

The illusion you mention is a much greater conscious decision. My work is by definition reductive. Through the removal of wood (i.e. a drilled hole) I feel that I actually add to the piece. I am able to create both real and implied depth. I am able to create illusionary space. Through simple gestures I seek to elevate the wood from its origins in places like Home Depot to something much more. Perhaps my work is more spiritual than I acknowledge!

Q: Is there a place for religion in our world and what do you think of sacred symbolism?

A: I regret that I do not know enough about religion or sacred symbolism to answer this question intelligently.

Q: You use geometric form almost like a mirror or a void; is it so the viewer can project its own reality onto it?

A: Yes, I think so. Geometric form is usually quite simple, whether it’s a line, a square, a circle, etc. At once these forms have no baggage that comes with them. But at times, they can be loaded with symbolic meaning. The simplicity of these geometric forms allow for an open interpretation. They do not block off any viewers because we can all relate to the square or circle. The use of more complex or less well-known symbols immediately limits the audience for the work. I strive to allow for the largest audience possible and again, as you note, allow for the greater number of interactions between my work and the viewer’s reality.

Q: Lots of your colors are signal colors, what motivates your choice?

A: Color choices for me are most often intuitive. Because my work operates visually, I am concerned with beauty. My choices reflect color combinations that I feel are beautiful. Beyond that, any symbolic associations brought about by my colors are done so by chance or, perhaps, the subconscious.

Q: There is a strong sculptural tendency in your work; is this practice going to lead towards free standing objects and is there a hidden struggle incorporated, a rebellion against the limitation of Dimensions?

A: My first explorations with wood were intentionally limited in terms of how sculptural they became. Of course, it is a 3D material in which I drilled holes, but by maintaining a flat presentation and mounting them onto the wall, I was able to draw connections between my work and traditional painting. This was an important distinction because of my concern with the beauty of wood. By presenting it like a painting I was able to draw attention to the beauty of the surface. I felt that to present the work as a free-standing sculpture would run the risk of having viewers see only wood and not the grain/texture/color of the wood.

Presently my work is evolving to be more free-standing. I feel that I have established the beauty of wood and I can now begin to open up my practice. I must be careful to not let the physical presence of wood out shine the appearance of the wood. That is my current struggle.

Q: Is art a tool for human evolution?

A: The use of the term “tool” implies for me that art is used to create human evolution. That suggests to me that art precedes human evolution. I think I am more inclined to believe that art is a record of human evolution. That by studying the art we make, one can gain an understanding of how we have evolved.

Q: What motivated you to create "Thinking About Art" and has it full filled its purpose and your expectations?

A: “Thinking About Art” (TAA) was created as a solution to a problem that I thought was not being addressed at the time. In 2004 there were few art blogs. Media coverage on the visual arts was lacking as well. I was hungry for information and left to starve. So, I decided to become the solution to the problem. I started TAA in June 2004 and began writing reviews of art shows in the Washington, D.C. area. I wrote about my own work and I initiated online projects to give a voice and exposure to other young artists. Apparently others were hungry for information as well because my audience grew very rapidly. People wanted to see pictures of shows and they wanted to hear opinions. For four-and-a-half years this is what I’ve done. I am beyond thrilled with its success and I feel that I have learned an enormous amount about the art world and my place in it. Starting TAA was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Q: What's your next adventure in art and about your mission as an artist?

A: Although TAA has provided me with a great do-it-yourself art education, I wonder if it has taken me as far as it can. I have no formal art training and I have networked extensively in my city and beyond. I think it is time to push myself and my work farther and harder. As such, I am applying for MFA programs to begin in Fall 2009. In 2011 I will re-evaluate my practice and see what next path I want to take.

Q: What's your vision for Art in general?

A: I’m not sure it is possible to have a vision for Art in general. Art-making is so personal that to expand one’s vision from the individual to the general runs the risk of leaving out a lot of important ideas, approaches and work. Perhaps related, I am currently questioning the relevance of relevance. I hear it a lot today, “This work isn’t relevant to today.” I think that attitude is bunk. By definition, art made today is relevant to today. In terms of stylistic approach, the work might not be connected to the scene in Chelsea, but the artist felt it was important to create that work today. They had a reason for doing so. Personally, in a time of such political and economic chaos, I want my work to be an escape from reality. I see enough chaos on TV and in the news that I don’t need it in my own studio. I want simplicity and beauty. I don’t want more of the same.

PDX Art Lit: interview with Josh Pavlacky

2008-11-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

Hi Richard, thanks for the interest.

"appendix"
came about as word vomit,
instigated by the fact
that the alley could be seen
quite literally as Alberta's appendix.

We liked the numerous meanings of the word:
supplementary material, a projection,
an aeronautics tube that controls
the intake of buoyant gases,
all wonderful descriptions
of a DIY project space.

The Appendix is then of course a vestigial organ, mostly forgotten except for those of us with the traumatic memory of its removal--the metaphor is just sopping isn't it?
The name thus gives us a versatile starting point for a number of ways to visualize and conceptualize the role of the space: biologically, literarily, mechanically. Plus we can stick pieces of shit to bigger shit around the city and pretend we're being conceptual. Which we are of course.

Mission and Vision, argh,
as loathe as I am to cut and paste, I'm going to do so with the mission statement, because if I make something new up my other two halfs may object.
I can add a list of random words that may assist in the construction of a vision though:
naked drawing parties, interventions, garage membranes, performance pieces, modular stages, salon shows, constructed forests, mappings, sculpture workshops, spoken word slams, time-based projects, peer-reviews, movie nights, masochistic dinners,
and to conclude:
"Appendix Project Space works to bring artists and community members together to explore the intersection of community, art, and, urbanity in Portland.
We provide a space for the production, presentation and critical discussion of art and urban programming, as well as social and creative events that cultivate artistic vigor and collaboration."

Runs!

Well, I myself handle most of the overhead technicalities like recruiting artists, building weird structures, planting trees etc.
But in short, I'm from Portland, and I convinced my Wesleyan studio mate Zack Davis and housemate Ledah Wilcox to move out here to suckle from Portland's growing art scene.
We found this house by sheer charm, and I went from entertaining the idea of maybe starting an artist's collective to running a project space in about month.
The location demanded it.
We moved in June 1st and had our first show that Last Thursday with the help of some cheap drywall and a rota-tiller. Zack and I are both visual artists, with myself being of an urbanist slant, which is why I'm so interested in playing with the physical space and the alley to Alberta. It's this secret path with a prize at the end, and I get to experiment with both the prize and the entrance.
Ledah makes documentaries, so far about weird kids with tools, but maybe about us soon. Still weird kids with tools.

October's show was a little different in that we had a guest aka friend curator, so I didn't even see most of the work before it went up, but prior to that it's been ourselves and friends.
I'm a control/quality freak, so I'm debating the guest curation aspect of the space, but it gives me some time off to make my own art and work on the space, so you'll probably see more curators take a shot at it.

My long-term vision of artist participation is a group of artists who meet once a month, discuss what they've been working on and receive critical feedback, and then as a group pick a show based on the available work.

As for finding the artists...
the typical networking rigamarole is of great assistance. If I meet someone I like with a good head on their shoulders I arrange a studio visit and go from there.

As for commonalities.
I prefer artists that use their art as a process of intellectual exploration, meaning, I like artists whose work shows a clear progression of ideas over time. I'm not into art projects, one liners, hipster art and ilk. Other than than I have no caveats.

Oy, I'm trying to establish what's next at the moment.

Last Thursday falls on Thanksgiving and then Christmas, so it'll be an experiment.

Expect to see some presence at First Thursday in December, maybe a fundraising party at some point, and then a resumption of regular Last Thursday events come January.

In the meantime, I'm in the process of hunting for an intern who loves to do things for free.
When that manifests, expect limited regular hours, I'd like to let people come back and look a little closer without the bustle, and maybe take some art home...

Also, as a teaser: expect to start hearing about a vanishing storefront sometime soon.

best, Josh

PDX Art Lit: interview with Siusann Murrell

2008-11-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Susan

great installation
thanks for doing this interview with PDX Art Lit

Give me little back round about your creative beginnings?

My grandmother was a traditional painter. She spent a lot of time working on her craft, so I was raised with the idea that it is a worthy vocation that requires dedication and persistence. Most of my exposure to visual art didn't occur until college, though. I was on track to major in one of the humanities or sciences when I took a drawing for non-art majors class and really loved my time there. The more art classes I took, the more I realized that the arts gave me a platform to explore all of my interests like history, sociology, science, and culture in a visual way.

You seem to be obsessed in a good sense with information
is there a sleeping Sherlock Holmes in you or are you playing with aspects of paranoia?

I hadn't thought of it in terms of paranoia! I'll consider that. Well, if this question is in regards to the more obsessive qualities of my work, I tend to exaggerate things because the very urge to organize and categorize is part of what I'm interested in exploring - so I do it to excess.

I am working, too, with the thought in mind that when my work contains excessive detail and magnified behavior, it perhaps will help to simulate in the viewer the very feelings that are the often the impetus for my work - a mixture of awe and feeling overwhelmed.

Can we ever understand how the world functions?

I hope not! Discovery and curiosity are definitely on my list of pleasure in this life. It could get boring really quickly if it all gets figured out. Knowledge is not absolute, there will always be something more for us to investigate.

We seem to have spent lots of time acquiring knowledge but knowledge alone has not let to progress.
What seems to be the missing ingredient according to you?

I don't have a solidified, working-definition of "progress" so that makes this a hard question to answer. I will stumble around it, though. I think that knowledge in the sense of facts and figures is a lot different than knowledge in the sense of true understanding.

We're held back by provincial divisions in terms of country, race, religion, etc. . . . so any "progress" is more of a spiral. We slip around and around the same issues shining a slightly different light on things.

Does the creative process have a code to be deciphered or is it more like a tapping into a collective creative data base?

The term "collective creative data base" sounds akin to the concepts of heaven and hell to me - absolutes with some outside entity manning the gates.

I think the creative process varies greatly from artist to artist and it happens in the doing. Everyone has to figure out how they work best.

One common thread is that there is a process, whether it is ideas that get developed, materials to experiment with, or some sort of trial and error.
It takes time, thought and work.

I'm not using the word "process" in the modernist sense of the word. Process could be working on techniques, but it could also be collecting data, reading books, and simply thinking without even putting pen to paper.

The natural world functions according to a mathematical pattern, Yes?

One overarching equation that explains the functions of the entire universe? This question is way above my pay grade. I'll leave it to the string theorists and math stars like Garett Lisi to duke that one out.

What does free will mean to you?

I'm stymied by this question. I believe in free will, although acknowledge the possibility of other forces at work.

An interesting question, but it seems so unrelated to my work that I am curious why you ask. Do you see free will/fate at work in my Galleryhomeland show? Or is this something you ask all your artists?

You are talking about parodying measurement, does the parody also lead to useable data?

I'm not sure what "usable data" means in this context. If the work in my show stimulates some sort of dialogue between myself (my work) and the viewer, then I feel like I'm at least staying in the game.

So what's the magical formula we as artist operate under?

I'm not sure it's magic, but it seems to work to varying degrees of success:
idea - process - artwork - audience - idea - process - artwork - audience . . . on and on and on, with each stage informing the next.

The audience being anyone, even the artist herself.

Is the artist always just a mirror
or is there something that can be truly original?

If we're looking for a metaphor to describe an artist, I'd prefer a filter or a lens. A mirror sounds impartial to me, which humans are anything but. Artists take in things around them, shift and distort them based on our own thoughts and world view.
How artists choose to alter the world around us and present it back is where any spark of originality comes from.

.

Does Art have a greater purpose beyond a visual satisfaction and if yes what is it?

To me, satisfaction carries with it a connotation of pleasure and understanding. Lots of great art is visually empty or disturbing, but is still thought provoking. I would replace the word "satisfaction" with the word stimulation, and I would add the component of intellectual and/or emotional stimulation.

I think that unless artwork engages on those two levels it is more accurately described as design.

thanks

PDX Art Lit: interview with Darryl I. Feldman

2008-11-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Darryl

just a few questions for PDX Art Lit

Who were your heroes when you grew up?

+ I am a Jersey Boy of the 80s, which means my heroes either wore a baseball jersey, were on the big screen or were in the pages of comic books.

First, Gary Carter - the catcher for my hometown New York Mets - is the reason why I love baseball. Then, like most kids, Harrison Ford was (and still is the man) - how cool do you have to be to be Han Solo and Indiana Jones?!
Lastly, Superman is the ultimate pop/comic hero.

Your portraits are very humorous
are you trying to entertain or is their are more cynical site to it?+

I think it's an oleo of both; but, at the heart it's to entertain.

My work is meant to either (1) accentuate a celebrity's persona (e.g. Bill Clinton), (2) illustrate a famous saying (e.g. Ali), (3) make cynical political stances or statements (e.g. Ronald) or (4) just put folks into positions that are at their core antithesis (e.g. Rambo).
But, it's always supposed to be fun.
And, I think they are.

Do you think there is hope for this world?+

Totally...don't we all live in PDX?
Seriously, this place and our fellow people give me a great deal of hope.
Our proverbial glases are always half full here.
I think there's hope for this work, definitely.
It's glaringly apparent in the streets of this town - I find PDX so accepting, tolerant and genuinely interested in the celebration of people.
Really. I love the fact I can walk along the street, sit down at a coffee shop and just strike up a conversation with a new friend.
People are just happy here...fulfilled...and they're OK with bringing new folks along for the ride.

Also, I think "hope" has a rock-solid shot with the upcoming election - the country is engaged, all ages are galvanized to make a stance.
One way or another.

How can we fill the other half of the glass?+

First and foremost, have fun. Be accepting. Be genuine. Be willing to try new things.
Sure, life's tough - but you've got to remember that no matter how bad things may seem, our morning news will be corny, the sun's going to look breathtaking over hood, Powell's will always have that esoteric book you're seeking and Mother's will have the best brunch. Period.

You pick lots of your Subjects/objects from the media, how do you decide which one you pick and what trades are you trying to excavate?

+ Don't really have a plan - just a feeling.
Depends on what I'm feeling that day - what's in the news, what's irking me or what's making me smile.
People inspire me in all genres - politics (especially now), sports, movies/TV, music, business, etc. Nothing's out of bounds. We're a media-consumption-driven society of all things...why should my work be any different?

Do you plan to do more Stars and which ones?+

Aaahh, yes. I do plan to do more...and I've got a running arsenal of new ones.
I have about another half dozen or so in different stages right now, works in progress.
Definifely want to keep things fresh. I won't tell you who...but I just came up with a great Sarah Palin one clicking away at this interview. It's coming out regardless of her winning (not) or not. Also, I'm always open to doing custom work for anyone who wants something unique.

What are your plans with your Art?+

Just keep going, you know.
I've been really fortunate the past couple of months with my art - and it's a wonderful way to express.
I'm definitely going to keep churning more of these out - I have a couple more shows slated around town.
Next one will be a political painting at Utrecht Art Store in The Pearl for November's First Thursday.
My big goal is to have a show at Powell's, be on the cover of either Willamette Weekly or Portland Monthly here locally. Someday.
Also, I've been doing a lot of comic commissions as of late for private clients - believe it or not, two separate Wonder Woman paintings.

I'd love to do a mural for a local business as well. And, I've gotten representation from a close friend in Las Vegas to do a series of original pieces - aiming for national distriution.
So, that's very exciting.
I have a pretty wicked idea for an original Transformers painting I'd like to do as well.
I do this for fun, and want to keep sharing that with people.

Do you see yourself working freelance for a magazine or doing illustration for like The New Yorker?+

Definitely - you got any connections?

contact Darryl
at
www.difdesignpdx.com

PDX Art Lit: Interview with Fredrick H. Zal

2008-11-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

contact at
http://www.fhzal.com/works

invitation to engage a site-specific

Sculpture Installation and Architecture Exhibit.
What: PAAG "Touchstone" Retrospective -

Where: University of Oregon,

My installation for the retrospective is focused
upon the deRidder Farmhouse project.

http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916

The purpose of the installation is to allow patrons to momentarily engage
a space defined by the empathic force vectors that inform our perception of space.

This work is significant as I was just notified

that I am a Portland Spaces:Root Awards Finalist in the "Outdoor"

category for my "Kinematic Spaces"sculptural environments.Shade Catcher 1: http://www.fhzal.com/works/050828Shade Catcher 2: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060828Kinematic Space: http://www.fhzal.com/works/060706Pearl Parasite: http://www.fhzal.com/works/051006Alberta 100:
http://www.fhzal.com/works/050929
Theory Narrative:
http://www.fhzal.com/theoros/fzal-BTES-EmpathicVectors-Proceedings.pdf
Publication ISBN: 978-0-615-54911-7

There are photographs, renderings, theory papers,
and a maquette of the project installed within a 16-foot x 16-foot x 12-foot sculptural environment of [100] woven 3/4" x 10-foot
galvanized steel EMT conduit"Empathic Vectors",
which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.
[All steel will be pre-cycled.]
The sculpture also illustrates how I conceptualize my architectural design.
This process of designing with empathic force vectors began in 1999 after trying to find a medium that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.

There is a book in the exhibit that walks through the design process,
and also two papers that explain the "Empathic Vector"
and "LandForm" theory behind the design
of the architecture project featured: the deRidder Farmhouse.

This home is on the edge of Portland, Oregon.
Phase I of the project has been constructed,
with the later phases of adaptive re-use are upon the horizon.

http://www.fhzal.com/works/040916

Thank you for your questions.

Here are some thoughts…

"Empathic Vectors", which allow patrons to engage a physical manifestation
of the kinetic energy around us as it informs our perception of space.

Q:
Can you elaborate on emphatic vectors is that a friendly neighbor?

A:
Hummmmmmmm… a friendly neighbor…

Well, if you like large, sharp, pointy, gouge your eye out neighbors… then sure!
Just kidding…
I like to think of the energy all around us as always having friendly
and nurturing intentions.

But, as with all elements of Mother Nature, you have to give her respect,
or she will crash around you like a tsunami and rip you to pieces.

If you are respectful, then she will treat you to the beauty of a sunrise,
the chirping of a baby bird, and the dance of clouds in the sky.

Q:
What can people expect to experience physically
and what kind of emotions are evoked?
Like is it uplifting?

A:
I would not label the experience as being uplifting,
or with any other prescribed adjective.
Experiences are purely personal, and each individual will react
to stimuli in a manner unique to their life experiences,
current emotional state, and daily events
and weather leading them to the space.

What I do intend is the people will become ‘awake’ for
even just a moment to feel the space around them
with every vibrating atom in their body.

That tingle that you feel as blood rushes back into a sleeping limb,
or when you leap out of bed in the morning
with prospects of an exciting day ahead of you.

Q:
What is kinetic energy in layman's terms
and are there positive side effects?

A:
Kinetic Energy, Chi, flow, are all ways to explain the forces
that connect us to the world in which we live.

These metaphysical lines of force were illustrated
by Michael Faraday in 1831
by scattering metal shavings around dipole bar magnets.

The metal shavings follow the lines of force
and create a series of discrete arcs radiating from each end of the magnet.

The lines of force are not just metaphysical, but have a physical sense,
which is why we feel differently about different spaces.

As an example that your readers may try out,
try placing your hands a few inches apart.
Try to feel one hand energetically with the other
without actually touching.
Now move your hands apart,
and you will feel a change in their shared gravity.

Q:
“The sculpture also illustrates
how I conceptualize my architectural design.”

What attracted you to this approach?

A:
I have always conceptualized work passionately.
Space is fluid, raw, always in motion.
We do not perceive urban spaces or buildings as flat architectural drawings,
but rather as sequences of experiences.
I enjoy working in a process that is as fluid as the spaces we love.

Q:
“This process of designing with empathic force vectors
began in 1999 after trying to find a medium
that releases design truth and freedom from planes, cubes and NuRBs.”

What are design truths and are there design lies?

A:
There certainly are many design lies, it is what is hidden
behind the miles of sheet rock and tar-based roofing out there.
Design truth is as the core, it is the intent that gets lost in
the ‘time is money’ mode of operation.
We all want to feel alive, we want to be happy, nurtured, loved, cared for.
Design truth taps into this, at close to the raw seed as possible,
without having to be packaged, marketed and sold,
it is naturally drawing to one, as a babe to Mother’s milk.

Q :
“By striking a balance between praxis

and theoros we passionately engage our work with a focus upon empathy, morphology, and materiality. “

Can you decode these three rhetorics into practical applications?

A:
Yes, certainly.

Empathy is the perception of individual or another’s emotions.
I enjoy experimenting with this in relation to the size
and orientation of spaces, textures, colors, etc.

Morphology is how one form changes into another,
like a caterpillar into a butterfly.
I have been curious about how we transition
from Earth to Sky, from roof to wall, from cozy to enraged.
These are the forms of morphology that I love.

Materiality has to do with the art of making, of carving wood,
welding or tooling steel, casting glass,
and then how multiple elements with different properties
are joined together either physically or through perceptual proximity.

The work of the Russian Constructivist
and Italian Architect Carlo Scarpa best epitomized this legacy.

If you would like to learn some more about these, please do take a look:
http://www.fhzal.com/theoros/fhzal-theory.asp

Q:
“These projects range in scale and typology from graphic and
web design, to furniture, component design, remodels, single-family custom
homes, multi-family mixed-use housing, retail environments, civic and
institutional buildings, pedestrian bridges, urban design, design
competition management, and hybrid pre-fabrication techniques.”

Tell me a little bit about hybrid fabrication
that sounds interesting?

A:
Hybrid fabrication is the processing of intelligently evaluating
a construction to know how to most effectively build.

When I say effectively, this takes in a number of factors:

Aesthetics, Budget, Construction Processes, Transportation, Environmentalism,
amongst many others.

In a lecture I just presented at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on Pre-Fabrication,
I spoke about a few of my projects
that are composed of a hybrid of ‘intelligent modules’,
‘complex forms’, ‘panelized elements’, and ‘site-work’.
Intelligent modules are complex systems
[such as plumbing cores for bathrooms and kitchens]
which are assembled in a factory as a composite unit,
as it allows for higher quality construction
and less associated labor then doing the same type
of work in the field with traditional site construction.

Complex forms are elements that would require dozens of jigs and/or scaffolding
to build in the field, but can be formed
easily in a factory by using the standard crane hold elements
in place while being assembled, or that have geometry
that is way too complicated to figure out in a rain storm,
but needs the clarity of a warm and dry shop to be resolved.

Panelized elements are planer or folded forms
that may be built up out of a series of flat pieces,
much like a gingerbread house.

And lastly, site work are those beautiful elements
that are specific to the topography of a site, and need to be created in-situ,
like the site-specific sculptural installations in this exhibition.

Q:
What is the root philosophy behind design pedagogy ?

A:
Pedagogy and Methodology are the two components of all educational processes.
Pedagogy does not have a ‘root’ philosophy,
as it is the philosophy itself that is unique to the institution or professor.

Methodology is how we go about bringing ideas into creation.
It involved the process of thinking and creating,
which in my opinion is perhaps more important then the actual product at the end.

Q:
What are the fundamental concepts of light,
static's and kinetics
and how do you harmonize them?

A:
We might capture light beautifully in a silver gelatin photograph,
but light is kinetic, active, alive.

It is the movement of light through space that intrigues me.
I am a whore for the play of light and shadows.

The movement of light can transform a boring static form
into something playful or even profound, hence Stone Henge,
or the gaze through moving tree branches transforms in a Pollock painting.

On another note, I just love gizmos, things that move,
little mechanism with gears and pulleys.
Kinetics tends to be more about light,
and people moving through space then gizmos, but they are rather fun too.

Plus, I love the high level of craft that goes into the making of such works.

Q:
How does bodily movement fit into urban environments
what is a desirable environment in that regard?

A:
Any environment can be desirable, or foreboding,
it all depends upon your cultural perception.
But, as far as how bodily movement fits into an urban environment, that is simple.

We all move around through our cities, be that in a car,
via bicycle, skateboard or on foot.
But, it is not what we use for transport,
but how we use it that matters, and now our city engages us
to be aware of our movement.

I am not talking about traffic lights, and stop signs,
but about the change in texture from asphalt to brick to concrete,
the rumble as you drift too close to the edge of the highway
and how it makes your fingers
and brain jump back into consciousness.

It is about watching the clouds pass overhead,
the shadows cast by trees and buildings.

I enjoy being a performance artist a few time a year,
mostly interpretive and contact-improv dance pieces.

I wish that everyone could spend a day moving slowly through their city,
enacting a dance of their own, feeling every cold surface, the wet of puddles,
the rough of rusted steel,…
No, make that I wish everyone could spend their entire lives dancing through our cities.
Living life fully.

Q:
You have a lot of very specific terminology that seems like encoded data
it's fascinating but beyond the ordinary capacity of understanding

talk a bit about our interaction with your designs/sculptors
and your goals or the impact you wish they reach?

A:
It is really quite simple,
I enjoy engaging others in dialogue as a way to learn and share.
I hope that people will be intrigued by the work to ask a few questions.

Questions of themselves, questions of the society we have formed,
or just questions about where I purchased the zip-ties.

The work itself is much like a singing because you are happy.
I simply love to create,
and was happy to contribute to the exhibit space that commissioned the installation.

I also love to collaborate,
so whether that is working with another artist,
or a patronage for a sculpture or building,
I look forward to starting a dialogue…

http://www.fhzal.com/

Ciao,
Fredrick H. Zal

PDX Art Lit: interview with Anna Todaro

2008-11-25T09:10:00.001-08:00

Hi Anna let's do little Q&A

Chicago is know as the windy city.
How was life there for you and which wind brought you to the this corner of the NW?

Well.....first of all, I’m from the suburbs of Chicago, which is a little different than being from “Chicago” Chicago.
There were a lot of expressways and cornfields and shopping malls where I grew up.
Oh, and those high tension powerlines and retention ponds (a pond with a drain at the bottom).

I like to tell people that the vortex at gold hill brought me to Oregon.
I probably say that because we used to visit the house of mystery a lot
when we would come out here to visit.

When I say we, I mean my family. You see, my mom and dad are both from Oregon, my mom being the 10th of 11 and my dad having 7 and counting siblings,
I’m pretty much related to half of southern Oregon.

Of course, living in Portland does not really feel like living in Oregon.

Oregon is Crater Lake and the Ocean, the Red Woods, the Rivers, Table Rock, Astoria, the Caves; that’s really Oregon.
I guess I must have decided to come to Oregon because whenever we went somewhere, this is where we went.
It kind of feels like returning home I suppose. I mean, my very first memory was when I was like two years old and I was playing around in the tide pools at Cannon Beach.
There’s just something really magical about all that for me.

You seem to be into Astrology.
How big of a part in your life does it have and are you sensitive to its influence?

Oh my, ok, I probably would not consider myself an astrologist.
I would say that I am more into the idea of ancient wisdom
and the possibility that our ancenstors had hours in the darkness to set outside and contemplate the stars, noticing, as time went by, the various traits which might have aligned when those stars fell into the sky.

It just all seems so interesting to me, how even now, all of these traits tend to fall in to place.

You are currently a self-represented artist, would you be open to representation?

I would definitely be willing to work with the right people should the opportunity arise.

And under which circumstances?

I would absolutely never, under any circumstances, not for all the gold in China, give away any of the creative control of what it is I am doing.

I am totally the boss of what has my name on it and will compromise that for nothing.
I am, though, very open to suggestions and criticism.

And by whom ?

Oh man, the best people around I suppose.
I would definitely love to work with more galleries.

I know that your entrepreneurial skills are excellent and you are a master in self promotion.
How did you learn to do this?

I do not think I would consider myself a master of promotion. I am, however, always trying to improve, though never really feel that I am doing enough.

And who are your role models in that regard?

Chris Haberman, Sarah Cosman, Nicole Linde, Melissa Sillitoe

You are part of a group of artists that show and sell their work in many venues around Portland.

Is their a risk of over exposure or is this the new way of doing it?

I would say this is one way to do it.

It’s quite a lot of work and there is a little bit of a risk of over exposure if say,
you have three shows all in inner SE in the same month.

You are also the curator of Core gallery.
What is the concept behind it?

The Core is a crawl in art gallery, it is only three and a half feet high, though it is the size of a normal room.
It’s main purpose is to see and experience artwork in a unique context.

How did you come up with the idea?

The Core just kind of happened. I came across it one day, thinking it was a door for pipes, and thought “wow, a gallery!”

And what does the future bring for Core?

Well, we have shows booked through the end of next year...

I suppose we’ll see how next year goes and then go from there.

"I am a creative being who has come to this specific time and place to bring as much
from where I came as I can to the best of my abilities".
This an interesting Quote of yours
what does it revere too?

It’s a mission statement I wrote for an art business course I took last year.
I thought it felt pretty accurate.
I mean, I am not implying I am mork or anything, I just really feel like I am pulling this raw material up from the unconscious and am placing it visually on a canvas for people to see in a tangible way.

How do you see this time and space we are in right now historically?

I think we are at a major turning point. I am, of course, an optimist.
I think we are on the verge of great and beautiful things.

I suppose we’ll get to see, huh.

A philosophical question
according to your beliefs where do you come from?

Until I was like 7 or 9 or so, I used to stare at my hands and I would just feel so darn excited and terrified with the impossibility of the vastness of a whole universe fitting into a little tiny body.

I recall thinking to myself “what are the odds. What are the odds?”and where do you go toI would say for myself, as I would not speak for anyone else, that I will return to being really vast.

What's the purpose of this journey called life?

To see and experience things in a unique context.

Your art is very beautiful but also very mysterious?
How do those images emerge?

I just really feel like I am pulling this raw material up from the unconscious and am placing it visually on a canvas for people to see in a tangible way.

What makes your heart sing?

painting, thunder, really beautiful music

You are also a singer/song writer
what are your future plans in regard to that part of your carrier?

Making music is my hobby

You talk about immunity to a traditional cultural ladder.
What's wrong with that system in your eyes?

I wouldn’t say there’s anything “wrong” with the system.
I have just never really felt like a part of it.

Lots of artists struggle to fit in
you seemed to have embraced the opposite?

It just seems like a lot of wasted energy....trying to choose some kind of a façade to call my own....I don’t know.

Where does that strength and confidence come from?

The vastness of the cosmos I’m certain.

And what is your definition of beauty and beautiful?

perfect imperfection

Anna thanks so much
for your beautiful being
and your inspiring art

Thank you so much Richard!
So many big questions!

PDX Art Lit: interview with Paul Middendorf of " Gallery Homeland"

2008-11-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

go to http://www.galleryhomeland.org/

for upcoming show
opening
Friday Oct. 3

Thanks Paul for doing this

What or who inspired you to study art?

Both my older brother Gary and my Father were very creative types. Myfather was along the crafty side, with clever repairs, and my set ofnumchucks made with painted wood and chain. My older brother taught meall of his drawing, painting, and sculpting skills he learned in his highschool classes.
He also got into the School of the Art Institute ofChicago, were I later followed his footsteps. From career day at school, age 6, to today, I have always been excited about the arts.

What was your goal when you started out?

When I was in school it was all about honing my skills as a painter and getting exhibitions. Now it is different. I have worked both sides of the gallery biz. In the past I did all of my own marketing for my projects.
I made it a point to learn as much as possible about the system. So now I run a Gallery/Project Space and still have studio time for my own work.
Bottom line I love it all and work at both to get better and find room to improve.>

What brought you from Chicago to Portland?

I moved to Seattle in the summer of 2001 for a change in scenery. It was either NYC or the NW. I took my chances with the NW. After a year or so in Seattle I wasn't feeling inspired or in touch with the right organizations.
So many of the great ones like Soil were still very young and I certainly didn't know what I was doing. I started taking trips to Portland to see what it was like.
I had been hearing so many good thingsI just had to see for myself. I had not friends or contacts in Portland, but I decided that the galleries had great shows and the energy in town was amazing. I ended up packing it all up and moving to Portland in theFall of 2002.

How do those two cities compare?

Chicago yards were used for garbage and Portland yard's are for tomatoes?
No really, Portland has so many perks. Don't get me wrong! I will always love Chicago, how can you not.
Portland is like a hub of artists, curators, and galleries. I got more work done in one year in Portland than 5 years in Chicago.
Collaboration was happening everywhere. The first hard lesson to learn here in Portland was, when to say no to a project.

Why Portland and not Seattle with a bigger art market?

As stated above, Portland is such a livable city and so easy to create work and make things happen. I'm sure Seattle works for others, but Portland is the place for me.

Your bio says that you started out as a painter what does being a painter mean to you and do you feel limited by that label ?

I studied painting in school and still am a painter. I wouldn't say I am strictly a painter now. I work in curation, performance, and installation.
I love learning new things and enjoy bringing new mediums into my concepts.

You collaborate with interdisciplinary artist.
What is the attraction to it?

Collaboration in general is my attraction. When I worked with MaryMattingly on the Lifeboat projects I learned a lot. It was great to work on a project to such lengths that you don't know where your idea started and her's began.
Its great to work away from you own ideas and create brand new ones. This way you are constantly growing in a way and morphing the way you see the final product.

Do you feel attracted to work that is unlike yours or work that validates your taste?

I would hate to see a show that is everything I love to see in art. A successful show would be a show that shows the viewer something beautiful that was unexpected.
Its great to work with a wide spectrum of ideas or else things get stale.

Who are your influences?

Andrea Zittel, Bruce Nauman, James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, WilliamDe Kooning, Mike Kelly, David Hockney, to name a few among many.
I would have gotten where I am at today with out the musings of our great Portland Art Leaders. There are so many of them. I actually tried to write them all down and realized I could type on forever.
They know who they are and I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

How do you get inspired?

Portland is definately exciting. It is good to get out of town for awhile and do some traveling. One of the most exciting trips I took personally and for the gallery was the month I spent in Germany and Switzerland.
It's refreshing to get the European take on things and see what the gallery and artists are working on over there.
We have some really exciting projects scheduled for Europe in the summer of 2009, along with some more long term footprints. Very exciting!

What challenges do you face personally to balance your life as an artist and a curator?

This is a tough one.
They both take so much time. For ages I didn't show work in Portland. Its also tough to keep yourself out of the gallery projects.
I will never show my work at my space. If we do an auction or a project like STS, there is room for overlapping but I try to keep them far apart.
We have a show up now that covers the last three years of STS "Surface Tension", and there is a project that me and TJ Norris did.
That's the closest I have come to exhibiting my work at gallery HOMELAND.
So that is a gray area, because I really love TJ and the project was an important part of our first year. It's just good practice for me to keep them totally separated.
Other than that, I am showing around town a bit more and building up some rather large shows for myself in the next year.
I finally have time to work in the studio and have a whole new body of work I am cranking out. Its a good feeling to get back into the studio.

You worked with "The Modern Zoo" what was its weekness or strenght in hind sight?

The Modern Zoo was amazing! It was the first project I worked on in town and I got to meet everyone in Portland in about three months.
There really hasn't been anything quite like it. Of course there was strengths and weaknesses, but for the budget we had and the amount of work that had to be done.
I wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it again.
That was the most fun I had in one summer in a very long time.

What did you learn from it that can be of help for others or future organizations?

Art = Chaos.

It simply does.
There are so many variables. I would say to plan as best you can and leave room for change. Starting an organization is border line masochistic.
It's a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and flat out grueling at times, but if you stick to it and do it right, it comes with many really great moments.
I learned a lot of the does and don'ts and I am thankful for those lessons.>>>>

Emergency room at PS1 dealt with social political issues and our role as citizens can you elaborate on the role of the artist?

In this context it's hard to not react to what is happening in the world. Even if you paint a still life, it gets in there.
Its important to get the message you have out the best way you can. It is also important to speak up, especially in this time we are living in.

We are artists but also part of the community and part of a much bigger picture.

We should all do ourpart.

You founded manifest artistry is it still in action and if yes what is its mission?

Manifest Artistry was a project and group I started back in 2003? It's been awhile.
Basically it was me working with different similar groups and artists to create a national dialog. Through exchange projects and shows, we were able to cross pollinate ideas and concepts.

Since we opened up gallery HOMELAND,
Manifest Artistry became what is now our import/export project section of the gallery.

Gallery Homeland is a quirky name to say the least.
What compelled you to call your latest adventure that way?

A few of the original names me and Paige thought up were Lucky Penny and Home Ec.
We finally decided we wanted a name that was different and that related to community.

Homeland had been around for ages before it was associated with Security.
We wanted to give it a positive spin again. Like the Motherland or my Homeland.
The logo was created by Charles Mossand we loved it.
Isn't it such a cute kitten?

What is in store for you personally as an artist

I have been working a lot lately.
I had work at Milepost 5's 30 rooms, out at Linfield, and I showed with a great group of artists at TheLife.
Studio Time Studio Time Studio Time.>>>

How would you like to see Gallery Homeland progress?

In so many ways. We have our space and our kick ass staff now set and ready to go.
Currently we are working on raising funds for artists projects and stipends for shows nationally and internationally.
We always try to do as much as we can for the artists we work with.
In 2009 we are going to start sending our local artists out through our Residency.

We are also proud to be part of
"The Suddenly Project" that Stephanie Snyder and Matthew Stadler have started.
They have put together one hell of a project and it will continue for quite sometime.

We are collaborating much more with other spaces and institutions.
The more we can do for Portland and its artists the better.
This doesn't have to be under our roof.
We are just happy to help.

Currently we are working with a fellow gallerist from the east coast to do some projects overseas. This is a pretty big project and will definitely involve some import/export.
More on that later.

We have a lot coming up and we are very excited about it all.

Paul Middendorf
Director Gallery Homeland
Ford Building
2505 SE 11th Ave Portland, Or 97202

PDX Art Lit: Chris Haberman interview with Richard Schemmerer

2008-11-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

An Interview with Richard Schemmerer

By: Chris Haberman

Artist Interview: Richard Schemmerer

When did you first want to be an artist, or when did you first realize you were one?

I never wanted to be an artist. I thought I would be a soccer star like David Beckham like every other little boy in Bavaria. The first time I realized I wanted to be an artist was when I started to carve masks out of tree bark and when I got my first brand new bike and immediately started painting it in with my water color set.

You are a multimedia artist, that has worked in many different forms (2D, installation, sculpture, photos). Which one defines you best and why?

I like to incorporate elements that create interest on multiple levels, so that new aspects are exposed depending on the mood of the observer. Interdisciplinary describes it the best. I am here to break the rules of preconceived aesthetics. I am not a decorator, but an artist that pushes the boundaries of the social contract that seems to be always busy with restricting experience rather then amplifying it.

In a world saturated by images and with the speed of communications now, is two dimensional art still relevant?

Art is the only thing relevant because it is a stationary expression that can stop your mind and engage your mind on a deeper level than fleeting images of popularized culture. Art can express what can’t be controlled in an obvious way or through subtle means. 2D is the best format because it can be transported so it will stay relevant and shape shift according to the needs of society often in disguise as decoration.

You are a well honed veteran to the art world, showing in multiple countries and venues. Do you still consider yourself an outsider artist?

I will always be an outsider artist because I am always going to surprise myself with my artistic expressions. My art is not scripted but comes out of the universal force that expresses itself creatively in a myriad of ways and is independent from fashionable trends. Sometimes I feel like I am being taken over by Archetypal powers that use me as the brush to paint on the canvas of life through the means of Art. I guess many others said that before. There is something radical in me that forces me to manifest something that is in opposition to the established notion of what art should be.

Your show for April is at The East Bank Commerce Center, an open gallery in a creative small business complex. How do you feel about showing in alternative spaces outside the gallery scene?

I love it because as long as we have options to show our work independenlyt the system itself has to stretch and evolve. Every system strives for control to keep its power position alive. After awhile that survival tactic is its only creative output and it allows me the luxury not to have to copy myself if I don’t want to. I hate being forced into a style so I can be marketed like a designer hand bag. Every 5 year old can copy itself. I see it as an insult and I hope that other artists will start to revolt against it.

Is there any artwork, artist, or art movement which you feel attached to? If so, why? If not, why?

This is changing with time and the new art that is created. I liked the Dada movement and all the following fringe elements. Arte Povera and text based art have a strong influence on me. I learned to appreciate the craftsmanship of the old masters and the archetypal symbolism of religious paintings. Right now I am drawn to urban and graffiti art because it shows the courage to point out that everything is not all right. But at the same time I can appreciate the beauty and humor in the whimsical trends that seem to be popping up following Pop art patterns. I am not a fan of Andy Warhol because I don’t think everyone is an artist but I get the irony of it. [Warhol] created a swamp of wannabe artists/ designers/poets/musicians/all the above you get my drift. The life of an artist is not glamorous but lots of new comers think so and get into it for the wrong reasons. I would say every one is creative and can and should express this vital energy in millions of ways it keeps life fresh and the mind awake.

What is the most important element or message (political or social) that you want to portray with your art?

Political freedom of expression is the most vital and the most fragile looking back at our history. We can’t ever fall asleep and take it for granted. The other thread through my art is that of social inter-relation . We are not an island. We are an earth and together we have to address how we want to live on this planet. Nobody is better than the other, but it doesn’t mean that one can’t point out where there is room for improvement.

In contrast to the Portland art market, which do you think is smarter for an emerging artist: pricing work affordably to make it more accessible, or pricing work high, to make it more precious?

Every time I have a show I am annoyed by the pricing issue. I would prefer not to price my art. First of all, it really is priceless because it is not a commodity, even if many buyers think so. It’s about collecting something that’s precious even if it was only so much. I set up in public areas and give away art to people who really like a specific piece, and other times I do shows and elevate the price because I am sure nobody will buy it then.

I don’t think one should price art low to make it more accessible, because the human psyche appreciates that only once and starts to expect it the next time. Cheap Art is just what it says, ‘Cheap’ Art.

We have become bargain hunters, but to me it just exposes our hidden poverty thinking. Poverty thinking leads down a road to an impoverished society that lacks the self-worth necessary to appreciate an aesthetic environment and forces us to come up with slogans like ‘keep the world weird’ without thinking about the implications and the why we have a need for that. But we have to leave something for another interview and I feel grateful to have been offered this platform to share a little bit of what makes me tick.

Thank you Richard.

PDX ArtLit: interview with Chris Haberman

2008-11-25T08:52:00.001-08:00

Chris Haberman is a local renaissance man who carved out a space for himself and his many artist friends in the Portland Art scene. As a curator he has given many upcoming artists the opportunity to show their work to an appreciative audience. He definitely deserves more then just a place in the clouds but a place in the stars and he has already a place in our hearts.

It seems you started out as a writer/poet.
Is that what you are at the bottom of your heart?

Very much so. I began my creative life as a creative writer, studying journalism at Portland State and making my way through the graduate English program. It was really the cross-education process, where I ran into painters all the time in writing that made me pursue my interests in visual art. I think the bottom of my heart is just purely the act of creation. I think the text and words (like poems) give form to color and shapes, a further mode to express and formulate themes and communication in the 2d field. I love writing and I have never stopped. It seems more and more it is most important in my art life to combine the two.

What got you into art/painting and do you feel you got side tracked or is it a logical extension of who you are as an artist?

I started painting at the end of graduate school, taking 101 shape drawing classes. I've only had like 3 art classes in my life, so most of the techniques and understanding I have is from trial and error and really painting a couple thousand works. I see painting and visual arts as an evolution in my arts life - maybe from a technological stance, its from written word to television in a way. I have always felt that paintings are easier for people of all walks of life to enjoy. You don't have to read or hear music, you just have to see. You don't really have to understand what its about either, you just have to like the colors and the formats of shapes. My paintings are all stories, but in themselves, they can also match the carpet and the drapes.

Do you write the lyrics to your bands "Hello Cleveland" songs
and what is the difference in writing style?

Ha ha....the band question. Yes, I write the lyrics to the band songs. We are a democracy band and we each have our role. Mine of course is singer and lyricist. I write lyrics live as we create songs together, so that is the big difference between writing a poem and a song and I usually rhyme words in songs, which I don't usually do in written form. Some songs don't fully have lyrics at all and they change each time I'm on stage. The song titles, like paintings, are the signifier for a story - some about my life and my family, others fictional about an over-friendly babysitter or a relationship break in a motel off a highway. With this, I think the writing aspect of my life is ingrained in everything I do - there is always back text and a theme and a story, but within the layers, there is always something simpler, something pure that can enjoyed without knowing what lies beneath.

Your art incorporates lots of writings
are they part of existing poems or are they streams of consciousness?

Both really. This new series for the chapbook (Mine Is Clouds) - 20 poems in all, are represented by 20 paintings. The paintings have been made after the poems were written, similar to a big comic book in my mind. It depends how I approach a new work, sometimes I have a feeling and look for a poem to fit the theme, or I write something new. Many times, I am working purely from a stream of consciousness, creating live and making the text fit within the larger scheme. I think I am very blessed to have an open pipe of language and ideas flowing from me to complete this form, and it doesn't always work, but its a hell of a lot of fun and I've worked hard to perfect this format without interrupting the flow of a painting.

Text seems to be important in your life.
Is their a message in it for others or is it about states of personal emotions?

I spent my high school years in weekly therapy sessions. My mentor and therapist had me journal a lot which really taught me to express myself in words. From there, I wrote poetry as a way to deal with emotions. I think everyone should write in some way, its a good internal dialogue and a helpful form of expression. I think the messages I portray are both personal and storytelling. Sometimes a story, although it may not be personal, is a good way to express a shared emotion - which is true in cinema and novels as well; a shared experience that helps people relate to each other. '

You had a very busy successful year.
What are the challenges you mastered and what can we expect in 2009?

Thank you, I'm not rich or anything, but I felt this year has been great. I love making art and working with artists as a curator in Portland and I feel that 2009 will just extend these experiences. I always want to take things to another level though. I love the big shows, but I am really trying to focus on my own work right now as well, trying new things, incorporating ideas (such as writing and music) to help bridge the gap between creative canons. I am truly searching for my opus and a completion of my well-worked style of images and words. I think my main tasks in 2009 will rest on the economy and the changing political scene. With a change of government, both nationally and locally (e.g. - Mayor elect Sam Adams in Portland) the art scene as a whole will change. Mayor Adams is very supportive of our local scene and he knows how many intelligent and creative people are here. Everybody seems to love our "art" city, but I feel that Portland should branch out and represent its local talent on a wider scale, helping them along and keeping them in Portland. I think too much talent has left Portland for greener pastures, but this city is a comfortable place of creation. The problem is money, but with this has come a lot of community effort and teamwork - a real base effort that is inspiring, but that honestly needs some financial coddling.

And an easy question at the end. What is your place in History besides in the clouds?

I have no problem with the local icon status, its pretty respectful and I love the city I've grown up in. I want to be known as an inspirational and an understanding man, someone that represents where they came from and someone who supports others in their dreams. But really, I don't mind the clouds, they look like pillows.

PDX Art Lit: Interview with "Katherine Ace"

2008-11-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

Katherine Ace
kat@katherineace.com
http://www.katherineace.com/

Katherine Ace is a master painter/artist an extraordinary talent
she lives right in the middle next to us. Imagine like being neighbor to Picasso or Van Gaugh
so next time you see her tell here how amazing she is.

I feel fortunate that she was willing to give us a glimpse into her artistic soul
and to expose her loving heart to us in the process.
Here's a link to a video she did working on a painting:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nykkWR79YAg

Hi Katherine
Here are few questions for you to round out the picture.

You moved in January 1990 to Oregon and established a permanent studio. It seems a relative long time for you to be in one place.
Do feel like you found a permanent home or is it itching under your feet?

Permanent home. Raised my daughter here and I simply LOVE Portland. I feel very lucky to have landed here.

You had 32 solo shows since 1992 including The Woodside/Braseth Gallery, Seattle; The Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland; Portland State University; Pacific University, OR; Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle; Chicago IL; Oregon State University to name a few.
Do you ever feel established or does an artists esteem has to be proven over and over?

I think there are more than 32, think it is at 42 now, I must have send an older "bio". So far I have not felt "established". But I don't feel "not established" either. I often feel lucky and grateful. I like being part of a community of artists! Especially artists I admire and respect! That is seriously rewarding for me.

About 'artist esteem', well, I have a bit of difficulty there. I am never satisfied, and can get really down on myself which is not lots of fun and probably not very productive either. Just can't help it. I forget I've done anything I considered OK when I'm working out a new set of issues/techniques/concepts. So, for example, recently I've been feeling very lazy, and when I started to go thru recent work to send you I was surprised. If I could just repeat something that was successful that might be nice, but it will not work for me. I've tried it....."Oh, worked OK for that show, maybe for the next show I'll just repeat what worked and life will be easier" BUT when I tried it the work sucked and I had to throw it away. I really do love challenges - self imposed challenges. I love to chase beauty- to pursue it. And "beauty" is a very broad term for me.

Your participation in numerous regional and national group shows at museums, galleries, art centers, colleges and universities including shows at the Whatcom Museum, WA; Bellevue Art Museum, WA; Maryhill Art Museum, WA; Tacoma Art Museum, WA; Holter Museum of Art, Helena MT; Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, PA; Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA; John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA; makes you a local Art Star.
Do you feel appreciated enough by the local NW scene or do you think if you'd lived in NYC you would be a big house hold name and famous by now?

Ha! Well, I don't feel like a local art star, and thank god for that! I would rather live in PDX and be a part of this very cool, genuine and individualistic art community then in NYC! What good does fame do anyone?

One thing I would like to be more involved in is speaking/teaching. Since I did not get an MFA I've always admired those who do and love the issues that critical theorists (cultural theorists or whatever their nom du jour is) engage in. That does not mean I agree with prevailing sentiments - quite the contrary! But I enjoy the thinking.

Some of your work deals with work religious aspects.
Do feel a keen ship with the old masters who where commissioned by Kings and Popes and dealt in symbolism with the Metaphysical realm?

I feel a kinship with artists who worked with visual metaphor. Religion is a metaphorical language, but the ideas at the core can be secularized (and have been in western culture at the moment). I have always (and I mean since a tiny child) been extremely fascinated by what might be termed "the mystery" "Mind".... lots of terms but each carries so much baggage. I've studied Gurdjeiff, comparative religions, Buddhism, philosophy. I'm not practicing religion, just prefer the core ideas (goes beyond simple mental 'idea' tho - but there not a proper word for it) I remember looking at Blake's Job when I was in my 20's and suddenly getting it. I suddenly just started reading it as a language and saw (rather than verbally read) his arguments and interpretations. It really blew me away. I also like painting - it is an art which is slow to make, but can be taken in in an instant. The speed of the image is lightening, and with the slow making of it the object embodies (literally) a range of thinking/emotions/physical sensations/music/random stuff/ and whatever else. A painting that takes a long time is like a full meal, or a full orchestra in scope. When I say can be taken in instantly, it works on an unconscious level at that speed. There are other levels that images work too, and can have a sustained impact. Also, I say "painting" but it works for all kinds of art, I just happen to 'get' painting more.

You work mostly figurative especially still life painting but you give it a contemporary feel. Do you see your self as a feminist painter or a feminine painter and this is of course a trick question?

I don't know anymore. I consider myself part of a proud tradition of feminists, and humanists. But I took martial arts training a while back and I "got in touch with my masculine side" ('touch' is not quite the right word....more like punch) I don't know if I feel like a Feminine painter. Honestly. I do know that choosing certain props to discuss subjects can be tricky for a woman painter. For example, in discussing the temporary nature of things (which I do often) and want to use flowers in that discussion it is a real struggle for me. I love flowers, they are so alive, like great sex, are beautiful. But even tho many flowers have very masculine shapes and parts they are usually seen as feminine and in this culture that marginalizes representations of flowers. So it is a real edge for me which amuses me because how could flowers be an edge - just so tame! So I get a bit of a laugh in at myself, but nevertheless that edge remains. It must be some inner conflict.

One area that I can say that I am solidly a female painter is color. I use color naturally. I love color. Here's a story that may illustrate how I see women's relationship to color: Was in a bead shop once - love beads. Suddenly looked up and the shop was filled with women, no men, all quiet and each absorbed in picking thru tiny specks of color and texture. I felt like I was in a very primitive place (refreshingly) where we women were gathering (hunter/gatherers) and color is vital for gathering. Is the berry poison, or ripe, for example. I don't know if this is universal, I've tried to observe when I taught and in just looking at other's work, and I can't tell if it is even generally true that color relates to a female spirit. But I know that for me it does.

And I use color in really subversive ways, often. I use it to draw the eye in to where there is a discussion of very sharp and unpleasant issues.

You are represented by the Woodside/Braseth Gallery in Seattle, and the Froelick Gallery in Portland.
are their any plans for you to conquer Europe?

That would be GREAT! And Chicago. I still have family and friends in Chicago area and would like to show there sometime.

In your art you mix ecstasy and agony; humor and tragedy; natural and constructed realities.
Does your inspiration come from the fantastical and do your paintings offer a solution to real life events?

Not sure of this question. My life seems to skirt along the fuzzy shores of oceanic fantasy and rocky bluffs. I see that in lots of others too. The thinking/feeing levels of life, conscious and submerged directly affect the everyday and the other way around too.

It seems you are searching for a new language made from of the old historical building blocks.
What is your essential goal as an artist?

Well, your questions really go deeper and deeper! Hmmm. I don't have an essential goal as an artist. I have one as a human and art, specifically painting, is the way I express myself. What I am interested in (and this is very hard to put in words - much better at this in paint) is illusion. The study of illusion. Not interested in believing in it or not. Just interested in it as a fact (or is it?). Historical building blocks include visual uses of religious languages, and secular philosophical ones too. But there is often still a level of illusion. If I was to be in a religion I would pursue some form of Buddhism because I think that at its core is an exploration of illusion. I think illusion has enormous destructive powers and ALSO great regenerative and transformational powers. It is not good or bad, is hard to wield, is the foundation of every day sentient life.

Paintings are documentations of this lifelong fascination of mine. I've painted for a long time in many styles, but this interest underlies all of it.

Many artists are interested in the darker side, the thoughts and states of mind that dictate our actions.
Is there evil in us and how can we transform our limitations ?

Your questions just don't get easier do they!?

I actually believe in evil. And I think artists need to be very careful with dealing with it.

Heath Ledger played "the joker" very well. I think he came close to defining evil (from a human pov) as an overriding pleasure, no,... satisfaction, taken in the suffering of others. Blake would define evil differently, more along the lines of pure raw natural energy. If I knew how to transform evil, (or illusion) I'd do it, but evil is difficult to wield. Difficult to bend to our desires. Sometimes representing it is promoting it and that is a danger too. Artists forget that people other than other artists look at their work. Repeating a visual atrocity can be simply furthering it. But I did work with evil images in one painting in particular which was a discussion of war (I started this around 4 months into the Iraq war). The piece was more than just a simple statement of anti-war, but was an exploration of all roles complicit in war making. "Comfy Chair". A naked woman is sitting on a comfy chair of heaps (aggregates) of newspapers. All images in the paper are B&W. Just a tiny bit of red. images were of the last 100 years' major wars the USA was involved in (not much from the Korean war tho), images included leaders, soldiers, other combatants, battle locations (including terrorist sites), innocent victims. Text were scans from newspapers in 8 languages, and scans of 100 years' NYT war related headlines. Most images were available from books/magazines, but the current was was where I wanted to take the 'innocent victims' from and you know images have been controlled and restricted by Bush/Cheney. So I started doing searches online for images and after a while found some which I downloaded into photoshop, sized, desaturated and then printed. Then these images I had to actually work into the painting. I can tell you I cried thru much of the painting and was often incredibly nauseated too. It was extremely painful working with those images - like holding evil in my fingers. Here I was miles away from these innocent victims (children), making art. Was I not respectful of them? Is this all I could do like the woman in the couch? If I am powerless, then is it useful to see? All these questions too - which involved my participation in the war and in the making of art. And in a way my participation with community since the art I make is my surrogate for engaging with others.

Your paintings look like scenes out of an elaborate dream.
How do you conceptualize your visions and bring it to the canvas?

I tend to use as many lenses for each piece as possible and have been adding lenses slowly over the past 4 decades.
1) two lenses - my physical eyes
2) one lens - the single lens of the camera image
3) the multi textured lenses of memory
4) the big eye on my desk - my computer, photoshop, and the internet
5) the multifaceted lens of imagination.

Plus I start with something and then let the image change - treating it as a sort of possibly friendly beast that has a life of its own

Your final pieces look traditional at first glance but they also seem to incorporate a variety of styles and technics.
What is your process and how did you develop it?

I've worked painting for so many years now and have just collected ways of painting. I tend to add on and not drop the old, so my work has tended to become more complex over the years. The way I have done that is I look. I look at paintings - all sorts of paintings in all sorts of places. Museums, galleries, homes, velvet ones, children's, insane peoples. I did a number of copies when I was in my 20s (got paid for them!- they were commissions). One was a young Rembrandt self portrait. I was in Boston at the time and the painting was at the Gardner and they did not allow copyists and besides I was not connected with any of the schools. I had a print of the painting but had to go visit the museum, compare the print to the original (it was WAY off) and stare at the painting, dissecting it, analyzing it, and enjoying it. And unintentionally memorizing tiny bits of technical information. Just have been in the habit since. I find great pleasure in getting close -- really close, like 6" and absorbing a painting. I have very good close vision so this is with my naked eye and I always learn something. Plus I simply find it very sensual, even sexual in a sort of way. Most paintings (not all) have great rewards if the viewer gets close. One reason is that many artists do not and therefore there is subconscious information there - the trace of a brush or knife - how the paint is mixed and handled, other marks and so on. It paints a sort of emotional picture.

I see a narrative in your work.
Does the story come out of you or does it have its own life and wants to be expressed through you?

Kind of both. I don't feel in completely in control or completely out of control either. Its not always a happy easy dance either - but sometimes it is that. It is one part of "creation" and is similar to raising a kid. I engage with popular cultural stories but also more esoteric ones, and psychological ones, visual ones, so they all are just off shore.

What influence does metaphor have on your personal life?

Personal life?? You mean I could have a personal life?? :-))))

Katherine Ace in her own words:

I work in series. Loosely related series. Sometimes they go on for many decades (ie - fish - since I was a child). Right now I'm working on a "Creation" series - all text involved are creation myths globally, including secular myths like the big bang theory. .... theory / myth..... they're all works in progress. The images I am working with are of raw power, many of them pertaining to earth energies, but that relates to subconscious energies as well - Hermetic principle.
Most of this work is from the last 5-6 years - thou there are a couple earlier. I've been painting a long long time - well, oil painting for 41 years 7 months and some odd days etc. Lots of this is on my web site http://www.kathrineace.com/

I'm still working on most series, but want to do the third table in the "Four Tables" series within the next 8 months. I began the series with a "self portrait" because an artist friend of mine kept on insisting that I do a self portrait. I hate to have my picture taken, and the whole idea of a self portrait annoyed me - so that made it a fun challenge! I studied artist's self portraits, with a particular eye for women's self portraits and noticed many things which I incorporated. I put in things that were meaningful to me or habitual and all sorts of other things (mostly made the details up as I went) but just could never put myself into it (except for a couple of sly amusing places). So I saw that I just was 'somewhere else'. That generated the seed of the other three tables, somewhat like Cole's journey of life series, these paintings will take over a decade to do, interspersed with others. The second "Dining with the Ancients" was a descent. Pretty much a descent into hell as I was in huge physical pain while working on it. Actually, I usually work on many pieces at once - 5 to 50 but during this poor health episode I dwindled it down to this one piece. Chronic pain drives the mind inward (and I'm sort of reclusive anyhow) and working on this painting (which has texts of Sophocles, Plato and Homer) was a true descent into the hell of being caught in a body in pain.
Crop Circles series is about looking at one's life like it is an unintended pattern that appears. The works play with up and down - again the Hermetic principle of "as above so below" but cubed. Sometimes these works are so very deeply personal I have a hard time talking about them.

Venus series began "Officially" ( :-)) ) with "Venus Reviled" positing a basic wounding of the feminine in our culture. She is taken from a Bronzino painting and the stump in the middle has many vertical slashes in the canvas - so much so that I can put half my hand thru (I've been rather violent with canvases since my first real pain episode in 2000. Then I've moved on to others in the series, but consider "Holes" to be in the Venus series, which is Durer's self portrait minus the beard and a slightly feminized jaw line. Again, there are holes in the actual canvas - in the image of the red cloth painted as an illusion on the canvas and therefore thru the actual canvas of the painting - meaning (in simplest of terms) that the materiality of the world is illusionistic in nature as well.

I'm still working a lot with feathers and insect wings - just recently got 1000 butterflies for one painting I'm working on. Whew, they are magnificent little creatures.

I've always liked to play along the soft shore between materiality and mentality, and I think the general art trends are reclaiming an appreciation for materiality and will continue that trend for a while (maybe two decades?)

Just a bit about art in Portland.... Oddly the NW tradition with our founding artists and Seattle's (and Vancouver's) are also about the divine in the material world. The NW has so much physical beauty that it affects the artists in (IMO) very positive ways. I was born in Chicago, left home at college and then moved all over the states until landing in Portland where I managed to settle down (because I had a baby and after the baby followed having lots of "stuff"....!!.... first it was a crib, then a chair, then furniture...and so on. Nowhere as beautiful as PDX thou)

I am extremely grateful to be here in PDX - the artists are honestly individualists and we are not big enough yet for there to be serious cliques, so artists interact, which I think is very good for our work. I don't see this as our sort of copying each other's artistic style, but inspiring each other to be our individual authentic voice.

Cheers, Kat
thanks

Richard

PDX Art lit: interview with "the yes men"

2008-11-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Mike

thanks for standing up for the Yes men.

I see it as impossible to have an ordinary interview with you
so I'll try to do an e-interview like in E = electronic+electrifing

I saw the opening show at PNCA and what struck me besides the giant golden penis was
the high quality of the use of digital/animation technology. Is this the tools you usually use or was that just possible to put on such an amazing slick show because of PNCA?

The show looks good largely because of Mack McFarland, the exhibitions coordinator at PNCA and Astria Suparak, the gallery coordinator. Also PNCA students Clair Lamont, who designed the big wall mural, and Kenneth Chu, who sewed the replica golden phallus suit, were insturmental...
the animations are mostly done by long-time yes man Patrick Lichty

There seems to be a theme of hyper masculinity running as a thread along the outline
are you guys sacred Feminists or secret CIA agents?

We try to confront injustice and stupidity, and sometimes we do that with the stupidest of tools, emphasis on the tools. The businesss world is hyper-masculine and we deal in those signs.
I see an attempt of dehumanizing capitalism as a major talking point protruding from
this installation at PNCA.
Aren't we blaming the wrong holy cow and isn't' it the consumers responsibility to indulge in harm-ony with its surrounding?

Nope, we can blame capitalism. Consumers have little to do with it, unless we happen to be well enough off consumers to be able to afford to make "green" and "healthy" choices. We believe in regulation at the source of production, anything else panders to a fantasy that in the end serves the status quo.

Are you closer to the Daily Show or the Colbert Report in your use of satire?
If yes and no why?

Colbert report is closer because he masquerades as a right winger, but what we do is a bit more thorough, his audience knows that he is in disguise and our immediate audiences dont.

Why do you think American's need to have everything packaged into a joke to get it what's wrong with it?

Au contrere, mon frere! Americans like jokes, but dont need them. We do need better education in this country though, and education that recognizes political relaities.

This is touted as your first accredited exhibit what took you so long and who's to blame?

We blame our vast staff. They suck. Art exhibits have not been our top priority. We were just lucky this time to get some folks interested who were willing to take it all on!

Can you give me 3 talking points from "how to fix the world" and why do you think it's broken and who can realistically fix it?

Yes, here is how to fix the world
1. Come up with simple solutions that honor the needs of people and planet before the needs of capital. Its pretty simple- and implementing these priorities in policy and law is a process that we know how to do and have done before. its just that right now our priorities are all about making money, and thats just plain stupid, stupid, stupid.
For more information, check out Lester Brown's "Plan B."

Your practice of humiliation seem rather medieval at heart
is that where you got the inspiration from and what is the ultimate goal you are seeking with it?

When we humiliate a giant corporation that is murdering people and planet, we dont think its quite like putting someone in the stocks in a public place, although we wish we could immobilize a major corporation with a couple of slabs of wood and a lock.
the most important thing to remember is that we are trying to humiliate powerful corporations from a place where we have no power... its quite the opposite of witch burning in that regard.

You use aliases and confusion as weapons repackaged as Art isn't that very confusing to your self ?

We can remember our own names.... most of the time!

The show is great and people seem to enjoy it that brings me to my last question as it seems that subliminally it encourages "Anarchy" so my question is what does Anarchy mean to you and what is its redeeming quality?

Well, if we could have anarchy in the traditional sense (ie, true ground-up government that respected the autonomy and needs of people on the ground as well as our shared resources) then i think we would be pretty stoked. sure, why not.
but if you mean anarchy like mayhem, then no, we arent into that.
how can people get involved

people can go to www.theyesmen.org/join to be added to our mailing list, but right now the most important thing to do is probably just join some grassroots org that is doing some good!

thanks
for your time

Richard Schemmerer

Portland PDX: Art lit Interview with TJ Norris

2008-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

information about the full spectrum of TJ Norris’s amazing body of work is available at his website
http://www.tjnorris.net/
Represented by NAAU (New American Art Union, Portland, OR)http://www.newamericanartunion.com/

Conversation with TJ Norris

Where do you plug in for inspiration or do you feel you are an outlet of a creative force that is using you?

Mostly I simply walk through the city for inspiration. I'm an addictive people watcher. Commuting on public transportation is fantastically weird. I am part of the mix of so many skins and quirks as much as the next rider. My main plug-in has always been music, the ambience of empty space to the sounds I'm plugged into. It's something I don't create myself, but something translated through my work in ways I hope others can understand in terms of tones, composition, harmony...ya know. I'm rarely disconnected from my portable player. Black light, white noise.....

What sparks you, charges you up besides art?

Aside from the sounds of the street et al I would have to say a solid dialogue about anything from baudy to Baudelaire. I'm a bit of a foodie as a descendent of a master chef mom and I actually like working out at the gym.When did you did you first realize that you are born to be an artist?I was quite young. As soon as I was given materials to play with. Probably in pre-kindergarten when I used mucilage and glitter to do portraits of miniature kings and queens.

Sounds like you read fairytales at an early age what kind of and how did they shape your view of your world?

I remember Johnny Appleseed, Willy Wonka and my favorite, Dr. Seuss. Those crazy mishapen caricatures were misfits, but somehow the underdog always rises to acceptance, fame or breaks the mold. Life's like that. These were my role models as a kid.Which Art form defines you best and why?The still image. Not still life. Never a dull moment, but a compendium of so many moments. I see a photograph as a full-length film that been edited to a fraction of a second...I really like the way the still image can be so specific, yet so elusive at the same time.

So do you see your self as elusive but specific at the same time or do you separate your artist self from the practical self?

I'm quite impractical and have been known to be a little impulsive.I'm Libra, it takes me time to make most decisions, I weigh everything like fine grains of sand.Is art still relevant in an enviroment where we are bombarded by images?More so. You can wade through a sea of art and not see a single thing. It's very subjective to the individual. As a maker, I really appreciate when I come upon something that stops me in my tracks for a double take or a breather. Yes, art is universally very relevant right now. Making art is a form of communication, a language, one of the most universal. Next question...

It's interesting that artists see art as an universal language but the general public seems to

have no inkling what the artist is trying to say. Do we need to explain and differentiate Art more or do we have to make it more accessible like the saying goes "when in Rom behave like the Romans."

Absolutely not. The artists' voice should speak its truth through the wares we concoct. If the message is to question, confuse, diffuse, estrange or form discovery for our viewer - so be it. Imagine if someone said that to Mark Rothko in the 40's. His swatches of bold flat color were their own punctuation. Someone out there will eventually get 'it' when time/place click. Not every work is made for or speaks to all people. Universality is earned within a delicate structure of social engagement and understanding, over time. Some might extend that this is historically the role of the museum in our culture. An artwork must stand on its own as an object or experience, formally or conceptually to be more universally experienced. But the copious viewer, the one drawn in closer, will engage and feel an intimate connection with the work in due time. Sometimes it can take years and years. It took me almost 20 to confront some of the work of Jean Michel Basquiat - now it's like a major force to be reckoned with.

Do you consider yourself an outsider artist?

I don't think that term is relevant though I've heard it tossed about often. Outside what? All artists are 'outsiders' to some extent. If they weren't they would be preaching to the converted, which best describes a hallmark card I suppose.

Does being an artist give you an inside view on your life by observing the world on the outside?

That's like a psychedelic question. Very vibratory!

What is the benefit or negative showing in alternative spaces outside the established gallery scene?

Showing anywhere is appropriate given the situation and circumstances. This changes based on curatorial thrust, theme, quantity vs. quality, and so many other factors. Some of the best shows I've seen have been in big old warehouse spaces and in-situ public situations. You just have to look at Olafur Eliasson's NYC Waterfalls to find the answer to that question, or perhaps one of Marilyn Minter or Felix Gonsales-Torres' billboards. The white walls of any institution can often just become a neutral space, and at other times bring another layer of value to a certain mindset. Both are as valid.How important in the long run is an audience as a validity what I mean is how satisfying is it to show your art to a very few in comparison to a museum show?Showing art should not be dependent on the four walls that often surround us. In my experience there's the potential for equal satisfaction around showing a project in a public park or within the context of an academic setting. The outcomes sometimes cross, whether in the form of documentation or public collections. Life is short, opportunities present themselves, grasp the roots and go....

Fame how about it for you?

I've danced with my own version of this oft distorted term. Fame is mistaken for celebrity these days. I don't have the hair or waistline for that. But in terms of 15 minutes, I'm working towards something more feature-length.

Is there any art movement which you feel attached to? If so, why?

I'm a post-post-post minimal modernist. LOL. Within the context of art movements I've continually referred back to a mélange of conceptualism and dada with a dash of fluxus (of course). But I have a certain affinity for specific artists who opened a big can of style whoop-ass of the world like Pollock, Duchamp, Stieglitz and Cezanne. I appreciate the many moods and methods that surfaced in the works by many artists from Mark Rothko to Paul Klee to Henri Cartier-Bresson to Sherrie Levine. Objects and environments by Yoko Ono, Ann Hamilton....peers like Carsten Nicolai, Steve Roden or Christian Marclay. I could go on...but that's a fair list don't ya think?

What about the issue of repetition by being forced into a style because of sell-ability andrecognisability issues? Is this the slow silent death for an artist or a survival strategy a way to make a living?

There are so many artists who become parodies of themselves after years of doing the same motif over and over again. Let's see - how about Wegman, Johns, Dines, even Warhol to a large extent. These artists grew a formula that became their signature (even if they didn't sign the actual work themselves). But even these artists worked to get there, to build something from experience, perfect a gesture, like a trademark. This seems to be something changing greatly in the art market. I recently saw some works by Alex Katz, for instance, and if you were to ask me the artist he may have been one of the last I would ever guess. From angular and definitive, stylized portraits of notables, to soft toned large landscapes are a stretch. Beautiful nonetheless. Now, if you chuck the Thomas Kinkades and Norman Rockwell’s of mall art, how would we balance good and evil?

Is their an element or message (political/social) that you want to adress with your art?

There's always a social-political subtext. You can make up your own, but never be afraid to ask; you may see a whole new picture.Is beauty in it self enough a statement for a piece of art to have a social impactor what is your opinion on this strong push towards more and more radical art?There is just not the same surgence of the radical in art these days. Occasionally something pops to the fore, but few and far between. In the larger push for international politics, motivation seems at an all-time low. Sure you see some artists using crude oil in the sculpture (Cal Lane, Andrei Molodkin), and American flags that have been reduced to neutral tones (Jack Daws, Horatio Law) but the days of Karen Finley filleting onions on her private parts for an auditorium, or people being shot for their work like Chris Burden seem few and far between. Perhaps we are 'post-shock'. In my opinion we just need to look to the land for our answers to where the shock and awe should be rightfully placed. Big businesses, corporations, governments have worked together in a pact of greed to rape the land. Artists of all types in the 60's would have been outraged, and banned together to change the tides, helping to normalize the earth. But these days it seems to take the power of celebrity to make (or fake) the general public understand that without something to walk on we'll all be lost in space.

What has been your expirience with the Portland art market/ artists?

After making the trek to Art Basel/Miami last year my bootstraps were tightened a notch. I'm satisfied to be involved with such a young and exciting gallery like NAAU where everything seems in the now. Ruth Ann Brown is part serious gallerist, part speculator, part philanthropist - taking appropriate and unexpected curatorial risks. It's where I belong. She offered me the generous 'Couture' stipend to showcase what I couldn't otherwise - at a certain level where I felt confident to be seen by the general public. The market is slight in comparison with LA where upon a recent visit, in comparison; one gallery hung 10 works, 6 of which had red dots (each going for $18K+). Portland is still the great incubator. I love working here, and for now plan to stay even though some of my closest artist friends (David Eckard, Harvest Henderson, Scott Wayne Indiana, Ryan Jeffery) have left in the past year. Some leave for graduate programs, others for career opportunities. That trend will surely continue, and new artists will move here, things will keep shifting. I welcome change.

What about the saturation factor? Is there a danger that the public will be overexposed to art or should an artist not care about the public?

I'm not sure I understand the saturation factor. Though, any artist who is a communicator will not want to alienate their entire audience. I'm trying to think about being 'overexposed' to art, like being drunk...and it sounds like something I'd like to be (even though I rarely toss a few back). Yes, you should create freely and develop work you can stand by if need be, but I see no danger in most expression - as long as its legal. And when it's not, well...I'll have to think about that some.Where do you go from being represented by a space like NAAU and having just finished an amazing exhibit?As long as I can make it here I can fail everywhere else! Sorry - that's a bastardization of a Sandra Bernhard quote. No, really, my plans are to export as much as possible. Recently I was commissioned to create work for a hotel chain as well as a record cover for the German sound artists, Telepherique. I have a whole new series of photographic work called 'DoubleExposure' which will trickle out into the world piecemeal. I have shows in Sweden, Ohio and Portland planned for 2009 and a few other surprises. I'm also included in the 'Collaborations' show at the Museum of Contemporary Craft (w/Hilary Pfeifer) for the second year running - I love this opportunity because I'm the least 'crafty' person alive. So, onward....

Where do you hope to be artistically 5 years from now?

Traveling with representation in a few other cities, potentially domesticated and living alongside the Pacific. Making larger scale work and still collaborating. Settled enough so I can break my entire music collection free the cardboard Uhaul boxes they've been in for years.

PDX Art Lit: "NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT" R. Schemmerer

2008-11-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

"NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT" Ray Solar
The other day I talked to my MOTHER, her name is Paulina, phoning her you know
and she said why don't you nominate me for VP.

What do mean with VP you mean VIP, I asked

no dummy, Vice President, she said
her eyes rolling like a wash machine fed with those old Italian coins that match quarters.

Remember she quipped I was born naked in Siberia, set a drift on an ice pod shaped like a heart, which was an omen in itself that I was special, you know, floating towards Alaska where a toothless Eskimo fished me out like a bundle of frozen sea weed.

It's not that easy as it seems, I tried to interject
because I knew she wouldn't come up for breath for longer then a sea lion can hide from a ravenous polar bear.

Don't interrupt my flow, I am the one who can see Russia from my bed room window, she bitched!

Where was I ? Yap, I was fed raw fish gut and octopus eyes as a baby.
As a teenager I caught seals with my bare hands, once I wrestled a polar bear to the ground and boy did we shoot Moose like in a shooting gallery.
Wham, Bham and they were dead.They make such nice wall hangings.

Another time I was out whale hunting with the guys, I was about 14 and there we run into a Russian boat and in the boat was Putin.
He was about my age and he gave me the eye, you know. I saw that he had a nasty heart and just gave him the finger because I was not that kind a girl.

Whats your point Mother, I tried to interject but nobody could stop her now.

She was like the Trans Siberian Express plowing through times long gone.

I am the one who survived your father that old bugger, which is worst then 10 holocausts combined and raised three midget boys, three autistic girls and one homo.

The happy seven they called you because people thought the circus was in town.

At that point I shuffled my i-pod and lost track of time as my mother rattled on.

I am sure she would make a great Vice President.

She doesn't wear lipstick though but she does look a little bit like a pig.

copyright 2008
R. Schemmerer

2008-10-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

PDX ArtLIt: "Ready for Vacation" by Richard Schemmerer

2008-10-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ready for Vacation?

What air?

There is no air in here
Stinking recycled mug
Agitated sweating sitting
Next to me arguing
With the flight attendant
Arguing across the aisle
With the oversized lady
On my left
Me in the middle
In the middle of a
Nervous
Breakdown
Pretending
To read a book
A book on harmony and
Balance
On the planet
Me ready to kill
The sweating man
Next to me
Any minute now
Reading page 76
Take a deep breath
And with each exhale
Release all negative
Emotions – what a pile
Of bull – it never works
Right at that moment
Buckle up the speaker
Blares
Turbulence
Please stay in your seats
Until the sign says
Otherwise
Sorry I have to use the restroom
The woman to the left
Whispers salaciously
Into my ear
Too close for comfort
We all have to get up
As she pushes by
Her stale breath lingering
Way too long
A drink is spilled
A baby cries
A dip in an air hole
The woman flies
My stomach heaves up
The airplane food
Starts shooting by
Like flying saucers
I should have taken
The good old train
Instead of this flying tube
That propels me
Toward insanity
A drunk-sounding voice
Reminds us to stay calm
I close my eyes
And envision a place
A world without humans
Just me and nature and
Little insects eating
Off my flaking skin
The landing gear snaps
Into position
Finally I have arrived
At my destination
I am ready for vacation

PDX ArtLit presents WordStock festival Portland

2008-10-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's here again
feed your brain
go and play with words

at the

www.wordstockfestival.com

" A Church for all flavors" By R. S.

2008-10-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

A church for all flavors

Somebody must have
Prayed
Prayed for rain
I am to early
I have a date
A date with God
Like most Sundays
Like most Sundays I pick
A different place
A different church
To meet him
Loaded
With a 20 oz triple Latte
Sweets in my belly
This is the day I align
Align myself with God
The worship service
Sounds all strange
It’s the day of Pentecostal
I sit not knowing what
At the back row
At the Living Hope Community Church
I wait with about a hundred others
For the Holy Spirit to come
The house is full with sinners
Born agains and loners
Divorced mothers and their children
Other aliens from the Christ Nation
An old piano spits out
Off beat show tunes
And old fashioned hymns
Fill the cavernous hollow
A fat lady late
Pushes her self into my pew
Across my lap
Smelly unkempt
With a dishelmed wig
It’s my lucky day
The meek shall inherit the kingdom
The minister bellows from the pull pit
With spider like movements
And high-pitched voice
Praising the Lord
Lifted by Spirit he acts out the characteristic roles
Of all Christian denominations
All are welcome in this house of worship
Gods house of all flavors
Eat the body of Christ on a waver
Drink his blood
To wash away all Sins
I don’t feel anything
In this empty Hall
Of Aphorism
I have to escape this date
From hell
To meet with God
Out in the rain
What a glorious feeling
Thats where he was all along

by Richard Schemmerer

"The paranoia of being alive" by Richard Schemmerer

2008-10-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

The paranoia of being alive

Born as the result of a sexual act
Born from the comfort of the womb
Conceived and pushed out by a vagina
Freed to breathe independently into a hostile world
Every breath a sucking
For another second of life
Breathing closer to an imagined end
A living canvas almost empty
Void of mistakes
Cared for and protected
By the lion heart mother
A breathing developing sculptor
Ever expanding in Curiosity
The God-Child-God
Taking what is needed
To be an independent self
Sufficient for survival
With reasoning growing
Through external Reflection
living by example
Beliefs and character find pre-fertilized grounds
Ego identification replaces
The intuitive knowledge of the I am
The concept of time carves its hold into brain cliffs
Valleys of "don't do that"
Open their dragon mouths
The fear of the day
And the dark tales of the Night
Form a new human slave
Exchangeable identities
Live behind blinded eyes
A hollow angel wingless
And Godless
Spiritual depth is
Replaced by functionality
The nationalized human child
Franchised as war – Fodder
Manipulated into an
All consuming greedy pig
Content is swallowed
Like diet drinks
Emotions are artificial
Nothing is relevant
The art of living
Has been killed before
The child never had a chance
To taste from the fruit of enlightment
The knowledge for its reason of birth
The special gift lies buried
Underneath the mountain
Of commercial junk
Its youth is constantly
Bombarded with temptation
Where being alive means
Constant Virtual stimulation

By R. S.

2008-10-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

"Peace from the Ashes" by Richard Schemmerer

2008-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Peace from the Ashes

The Golden Dawn is gone
The wind of fear is blowing
Through the burning hallways
Of our sacrificed love
Sacrificed in the name of unleashed hate
For an infinitely replaceable enemy
How many generations
Have to give their life blood
In the name of a killing freedom
A freedom that eats away
Our rights, our joy, our humanity
That leaves us cold to the plied
Of other less fortuned cultures
Our souls are yearning
For the Phoenix to rise
Out of the field of destruction
Our thoughtless actions
Cut into the landscape of the future
As we carry the pain we inflict
Into our sanctuaries of the heart
To project them in anger onto others
Earth is crying out to our compassion
As her skin rips apart from all the hatred
And her beauty is ravaged by hurricanes
Of a corrupted mass consciousness
That is whipped into paranoia
By the war lords of a darkend world
The ones who see only in black and white
The clear vision is blurred
By defensive despiteful rhetoric
The dust of ignorance is stirred up
By fear promoting fascistic ideology
Isolationism has replaced global humanism
No child left behind turned into
The nightmares of coming generations
There is a dream that rises
Above the path of destruction
A thought that creates possibilities
A word that fills itself with love
Action that proves the validity of faith
Humans that speak their truth
And dare to shine their light in the darkness
There is a vision that out of this mess we created
There will rise manifold lessons for us
Which we eagerly, gratefully accept and learn
There is a vision for a freedom for all
So that we at least didn't burn down our once
Respected values and dignity for nothing
There is a vision that those broken pieces
Lying covered in the dust will rise up
To form a greater peace
A Peace from the Ashes

copyright 2000
Richard Schemmerer

Welcome to PDX Art Literary

2008-10-11T10:29:00.001-07:00