1989 is a long time ago in art time and a long time in culture time. That was the year that filmmaker dad, James Benning, gave his high school daughter, Sadie Benning, a Pixelvision toy video camera. She was establishing her gender identity and pondering lesbian crushes. That age is an intense time for figuring out many dimensions of identity. Even today, almost 25 years later, the country is struggling to establish its identity on the topic.
Sometimes the toy industry gets it right and produces something beyond amazing. In 1989, video camera recorders were bulky and expensive, about $2000 in today's dollars. The Fisher Price Pixelvision brought the price to $100 with a grainy black and white toy video camera that recorded on audio cassettes. It became a popular camera for video artists, many of whom found them at garage sales.
Tonight you can see five of Sadie Benning's early Pixelvision films: Living Inside, 1989, Me and Rubyfruit, 1990, If Every Girl Had a Diary, 1990, A Place Called Lovely, 1991 and Girlpower, 1992. Many were video diaries Benning made and narrated in her room. They are touching in-camera works.
Benning continues making video and paints. She also cofounded the band Le Tigre in the late 1990's. Making political dance music fun.
Benning's videos are not available on the Internet, thought there are short previews at www.vdb.org/artists/sadie-benning. But tonight you can see them in their entirety at YU. At Yu Contemporary Art www.yucontemporary.org 900 SE 10th 7:30PM Free
For all history, and maybe that of our evolutionary predecessors, we have looked out on the moon, stars - space. How we would live in space was a dream in fiction. Military missile technology grew up, launching satellites, and eventually us, into space. That engendered the high frontier movement imagining space colonies, huge rotating stations generating their own gravity, and self sufficient in food and energy. It is a beautiful dream, though I'm not convinced the energy equation to slip the surly bonds of earth's gravity pencils.
High Frontiers is a collection of essays by Claire Evans dropping today at Publication Studios. Evans has been writing across science and its intersection with the arts and culture. Her work has been published in everything from Rhizome to Vice, as well as in her science blog, Universe. Not limited to writing, Evans is also known for her creative musical collaboration with Jona Bechtolt, Yacht. Yacht is no stranger to techno-mysticism and science fiction imagery. To close the loop, Evans writes reviews of classic science fiction novels.
Publication Studios is an on-demand publisher of books in the creative realm. Like a bakery, they print small fresh batches of each book often. Publication Studios celebrates the Portland release of the book with a signing, a chance of music and plenty of creative conversation. At Publication Studio, 717 SW Ankeny 7 Free
Recess Gallery brings a several month project opening tonight at PNCA and continuing around town, themed on social practice tactics. The start is Emerging Tactics: Public Schools. Red 76, Helen Reed, Hannah Jickling, Parallel University, Homeschool, Getting to Know You(tube), Classical Revolution, Community Supported Everything and others are the instigators - so recommended. For August there are a series of free open source classes at PNCA. The whole schedule is at www.recessart.com. At PNCA www.pnca.edu 1241 NW Johnson Map 6PM-9:30
I dig Chinese brush painting. Tim Loh does too, from childhood growing in Hong Kong. He is doing his own East-West fusion version, the wave of the future in many ways. At Visage Eyewear www.visageeyewear.com 1046 NW Johnson 6PM-9 Free
When we are babies we are smarter. Zero to handfuls of months, our growing minds are dedicated to recognizing our parents, understanding facial expression and decoding tone of voice. We carry to adulthood that intuition laid down in brain circuitry as babies.
Two shows at Blue Sky provocatively engage remove from the comfort zone of our gaze on body's physical appearance. Sage Sohier has photographed children and adults with facial nerve or brain damage which changed their appearance. It is a heavy burden to see shock and rejection in those they interact with, based entirely on those subconscious pathways. The work is still, in a video piece on the same theme, the impact would be devastating. So it is a reminder to compassion.
June Yong Lee works with altered images of the chest, identifiably male and female. Using digital image editing, she creates chests unnaturally filling the frame. At PNCA www.pnca.edu 1241 NW Johnson Map 6PM-9:30
Zach Johnsen has House of Uncommons at Hellion Gallery www.helliongallery.com 19 NW 5th Suite 208. Through the lobby of the arched brick entry, up the stairs and to the back. Very upper floor Japan-style.
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The Art of Music by Eugene Serebrennikov, Chris Degaetano, Ryan Airhart, Adam Garcia, Joel Colley, Erin Cochrane and Ashley Payne is a show of music-themed 2d work. At Compound Gallery www.compoundgallery.com 107 NW 5th 6PM-10
One of the earliest forms of advertising was billboards. Today they are digitally printed on vinyl. But originally they were hand painted in situ. There is a show this month of large format work representing layers of commercial sign imagery, as if they had pealed down to different depths in weathering - time and spatial sampling. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 5PM-9 Free
Drawing Board Rejects is an ironic title for a show of tattoo artist paintings and drawings. Skin art is intimate in many dimensions, including size. This show gives the artists an opportunity to work larger. An engaging show to view and imagine on the body. At Gallery 135, 135 NW Park 6PM-9
Everett Lofts are recommended as always. Their open studios and courtyard show upstairs is tonight. It's easier for you to see them all than for me to write suggestions. Some close as early as 9PM. At the Everett Lofts 625 NW Everett. Bounded by NW Everett, Broadway, Flanders and 6th Map
