Visual art has seasons. September is a special month with out of town maybe art buyers visiting for T:BA and the Affair at the Jupiter hotel art fair.
Roberta Bayley shows photographs of punksters Blondie and the Ramones in the 70's. One wonders what the contemporary examples are, and how they will look 30 years hence. What is the interplay between familiarity/nostalgia and novelty in a generation of viewers? How will digital photography's look evolve? Compare this to, for instance, the current show at Dantes. Also showing, mixed media work with an old school master's etching feel, by Morgan Walker. Compare this style to illustration style work at Compound or the Grass Hut. At Augen www.augengallery.com One show at 716 NW Davis, the other at 817 SW 2nd
Yamamoto Masao shows quiet photographs at PDX. Chill. www.pdxcontemporaryart.com
PNCA schooled Rebecca Guberman-Bloom shows enigmatic mystical figurative work. At Mark Woolley in his new downtown location. www.markwoolley.com 817 SW 2nd
Portland photographer Dianne Kornberg shows vintage prints from her past work. Claire Cowie populates environments with creatures. Her fantastic constructions mirror the interplay of the natural and industrial environment near her Seattle studio by the Duwamish River. Some are a little scary. At Elizabeth Leach www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th
Jeffery Mitchel is ultra baroque. Take a look for yourself at Pulliam Deffenbaugh www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com 929 NW Flanders early close 8PM
Painter Abi Spring creates subtly textured minimalist abstract paintings. You want to touch. But don't. At Chambers Gallery 207 SW Pine
"The Awesome But True Electric Institute in Outfits" is a show of illustration at the always affordable Reading Frenzy. www.readingfrenzy.com 921 SW Oak
The Everett Lofts and the Portland Art Center - Everett and NW Broadway and 32 NW 5th respectively should be standard itinerary points.
Digmeout, of which we have written, shows the latest batch of Osaka-based illustration style art. At Compound/ Just Be Toys www.justbedesign.com 107 NW 5th
The US Bank branch shows graffiti style art by nishiki tayui 1040 NW Lovejoy until 8
Tender Loving Empire is a newish gallery, music label, small press, consignment space. They show Finn Riggins "a soldier, a saint, an ocean explorer" and Cameron Browne "moments of splendor" www.tenderlovingempire.com 18th and NW Lovejoy Opening 4-8PM
Arvie Smith's work is a wild portrait of of his African American world. What a pleasure to be invited in for a glimpse of "chitlin' circuit". At Beppu Wiarda www.beppugallery.com 319 NW 9th
Heather May Rodetzke shows new work at Quality Pictures in the long project space. www.qpca.com 916 NW Hoyt
Tamar Monhait shows high contrast symmetrical prints, stencil or lace-like, at the downtown Stumptown. 128 SW 3rd
Westside, but not downtown:
Seattle's Darren Waterson makes dreamy abstractions which resemble landscapes or maybe the -scapes of celestial bodies. At the Lewis and Clark College Gallery www.lclark.edu/dept/gallery
