Thursday, October 31, 2013

October 31 Bug in

Eat-a-Bug. Eat a bug.

David George Gordon is a chef who develops recipes with insect ingredients. Eat-a-Bug is his cookbook. Tonight he demonstrates his recipes for you. To eat.

The perfect Halloween event in a weird way. At Paxton Gate www.paxtongatepdx.com 4204 N Mississippi 7PM-9 Free

Saturday, October 26, 2013

October 26 Haunted Happening

The Time Arts Club is a group of PSU students creating "happenings". They are great art parties of the type going on as long as there have been artists. Specifically they are modeling the parties of Warhol, with music, video, live art making, food and drink.

Haunted Happening tonight has Live music by _wndfrm, (V)!_!(V), Mexorcist (Debut!) and Joel Stotesbery & Kali Valence. Live drawing by Isaac Weiss. Video art by Brooks Fuentes, Bugenhagen & Tim Ferrell. Costume contest, of course, judged by art professors. www.facebook.com/TimeArtsClub At Portland State University in Neuberger 293, 714 SW Harrison. All ages. 7PM-9 Free

Sunday, October 20, 2013

October 20 Deep Sun

The last Deep this year is tonight. There have been a series of master classes and workshops in support. Tonight tuneage by Freaky Outy, ComputerFAM and Mighty Moves. Performances by Isaiah Esquire, Kumari Suraj, Lady Cultura, RAW and PG Boyz.

2on2 crews are Boogie Frantick & Edge (LA), Animal & Bandicoot (SF), Main Event, Wreckonize Fam, Original Content, Daisuke & Fligh, House of Aquarius, Sharkboi Ft Cheese, RK47, Chicken & Ric, Daniel Jerome & Isiah Munoz, Don Found a Tiger, Lazy Riddle Rock, Beauty & The Beast, Blackman & Robin and Yen Boogie & Ra Boogie (Soul Trigger).

Alternates and lottery competitor hopefuls include Tigershift & Ringmaster, Impulse & Nuggs, Bible Black, L.E.D., Trigga & Soulja Hostile, Move Syndicate, Jake & Penny, Louisa Mengo, Shawn & Teddy, Toogie Barcelo, Kumari Suraj (LA / PDX), Professor Lock (Philly), Miss Prissy (LA), Sean Bankhead (ATL), Christian Owens (NYC), Kolanie Marks (SEA), Uflow, Rey Rey, Lil C, JoeTruVo, Kai, Po, Tannersaurous Rex, Matt Chun, Latya Caples, Joshua Bonifacio, Nick Chris , Dustin Tran , Hype, David Le , Henry Wu, Synikk, Derek Manyrath, Alexa Patey, Yuhki, Peter Pham, Yuta Shibuya, Jensine San, Deon James, Rosie, Bboy Apollo, Tiny Snubb, Young Liquid, Gumby, Crash, Jesus Rodales, Sammie, Jazzy, Marty Party, Dubstikz, Marika, Ben Vo, Fly Lice, Horizun, Roc, Clix, Superman Shadow, Hi Tek, Ryan Dewrk Bakker, Angel Tejero and Mango. So pos PDX not gangstering down crew names. Evolution.

There will be a special set of guests, East, West and down under performing individualistic styles including Miss Prissy, Professor Lock, Kumari Suraj, Toogie Barcelo, Christian Owens, Sean Bankhead, Kolanie Marks, and Parris Goebel.

As always, crowd judged!

Many sponsors including a certain drink and Portland's own Sol Republic headphones. Deep World Tour PDX www.deepworldtour.com finals at the Bossanova Ballroom 722 E Burnside all ages, adult beverages available for 21+. Doors 4PM $16 in costume, $20

Saturday, October 19, 2013

October 19 Raga Place

Place opens new shows this evening. Place is actually three: the Black Gallery, the White Gallery and a video screening room.

In the Black Gallery is Wynde Dyer with Things That Aren't Safe Are. It is a process for unwinding paralyzing childhood anxieties around everyday household objects by exposing herself to them while reassociating them with pleasant memories.

In the White Gallery is Dark Element by Emily Nachison inspired by 15th-17th century books from Yale's rare book collection on alchemy. And Retritus by Karah Bruce-Larkin based on her ceramics practice.

The Screening Room has video by Nicolas Reibel.

Shelley Chamberlin has An Exploration of Brokenness and Repair. You are encouraged to bring something to break that is meaningful to you, or something to be repaired.

At Place, www.placepdx.com a gallery on the 3rd floor of the Pioneer Place Mall along with the People's art of Portland and the Woolley Gallery. If the mall appears closed, enter the film theater building adjacent, travel through the tunnel to the Place mall, and take the elevator to the 3rd floor, sometimes the bridge on the 3rd floor is open too. 700 SW Fifth. 5PM-9 Free

At the same location, the Mark Woolley Gallery and People's Art of Portland will have openings. Free



Michael Stirling sings ragas tonight. The performance is a celebration of Michael Stirling and his daughter Lucy Stirling traveling to India to perform at Shri Krishna Janmastham Bhoomi. And on an auspicious evening surrounding the full moon. Stirling will be accompanied by David Jacob, tabla, and Ted Bryan and Kat Macmillan on tambura. At Yoga Shala yogashalapdx.com 3808 N. Williams 8PM $10-20

Friday, October 18, 2013

October 18 Knock Nacht

Glen Baldridge presents an installation including prints on the wall tonight. From the description it could go either way. See it yourself and decide. At Portland's only member of the New Art Dealers Alliance www.newartdealers.org, Fourteen30 Gallery www.fourteen30.com 1501 SW Market Street Map 6PM-8

Saturday, October 12, 2013

October 12 The Mysterious Mr O

The Portland Museum of Modern Art never fails to delight. They have reached back in the Portland archive to revive the art of Mr Otis. The narrative is beautifully absurd.

Mr Otis was so reclusive that he was never seen in public. But his paintings were shown around Portland, in New York, and he was collected nationally. The flat colorful outsider figurative work was often a sly comment on the big changes in the West on the shoulder of its resource extraction phase. Or comments on the art world itself. Mr Otis painted in the 1950s to early 1960's.

Stewart H. Holbrook represented the artist, arranged shows, penned a book on Mr Otis and appeared at openings on behalf of the reclusive artist. Holbrook is author of over 40 books on Northwest history. He worked as a logger then went on to write for 36 years at the Oregonian newspaper in its salad days, striking a populist chord.

Holbrook also founded the James G. Blaine Society. Its aim was to discourage people from moving to Oregon. It had no leader, no structure and no address. But it persisted and its meme was picked up in the 1970's and 1980's including by a famous governor who encouraged Californians to "visit, but not stay".

The James G. Blaine Society has been an obvious failure, because many Oregon home prices and rents are "too damn high". But it was also a success, laying the psychic groundwork for the Suicide Club and the Cacophony Society, inspirations to writer Palahniuk.

Mr Holbrook passed in 1964. And with that passing did Mr Otis. Mr Otis' archive is held by the University of Washington, where they may be viewed. UW has loaned some of the works to the PMOMA where they are on exhibit, opening tonight. Cellist Lori Goldston accompanies the opening.

At the Portland Museum of Modern Art inside Mississippi Records www.portlandmuseumofmodernart.com 5202 N Albina Map 8PM-10 Free

Friday, October 11, 2013

October 11 Design of Aliens By Humans

Design is inexpensive, including good design. But it can create cascades in high multiples of the original investment.

That is the thesis of Jason Schupbach, National Endowment for the Arts Director of Design. And that can be and arguably is the thesis of Portland.

He was going to speak on the topic as part of City Club and Design Week. But he was grounded by the Tea Party. So he was replaced by Chris Riley.

Reservations by Wednesday by a complicated ruleset on the City Club rulesite http://pdxcityclub.org/content/friday-forums. At the Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th 11:50AM $5-275

Or if you prefer later where he is interviewed by Randy Gragg bright lights style. But I'm not sure this is still on. At 415 SW 10th. 5ishPM Free



Tonight for design week is a big party at IPRC. It's a book fair! At the Independent Publishing Resource Center www.iprc.org 1101 SE Division, Suite 2 4PM-9 Free



Case of Bass makes suitcase speakers, literally. Tonight see what Portland designers have done with the concept. Designers buimding are John Jay – WK Garage, Eric Trine – Furniture designer, Mike Hyp – Nike designer, Bradley Streeper – Artist, Adam Garcia – The Pressure, Tanner Goods - Taylor Ahlmark and Alex Nguyen Ed Challed – Second Nature Design, MHAK and Hellion Collaboration, Grove – Ken Tomita and Joe Curtis Pachunka – Wieden & Kennedy, Justin Morris and Emma Barnett – Wieden & Kennedy, Matthew Bietz – Quarter Twenty, Charlie Frye – Metal Craft, Cera Crockett – Leatherman, Case of Bass – Jay Yovu, Chris Bleiler – Fix Studios, Todd Isaacs and Ben Ediger – Spacecraft PDX, finally John Ceniceros and David Fredrickson – Figure Plant. All cases will be auctioned tonight to benefit cancer and autism programs. At Hellion Gallery www.helliongallery.com through the lobby of the arched brick entry, up the stairs and to the back. Very upper floor Japan-style. 19 NW 5th Suite 208. Map 6PM-10 Free



The ESC Collective are the new kids with a fascination with geodesic domes. In their dome tonight will be custom motorcycles, furniture and more. Also Saturday. See the Design Week Portland website for the details. esccollective.com 3360 SE 21st 7PM-10 Free



Stanislaw Lem wrote a little book, Solaris, in 1961. It's an exploration on the meeting of humans and non. In the book, astronaut explorers drawn to an alien world are confronted with their own memories and myths by alien intelligence. It was filmed by Tartovsky in 1972. Later remade by Soderbergh in 2002. Pre it draws heavily from Shakespeare's Tempest written in 1610 and post it inspired Lost 2004-10. This is Tartovsky. 167 minutes. Film at the PSU Fifth Avenue Cinema. www.5thavenuecinema.org 510 SW Hall 6:30, 9:30PM Friday & Saturday 3 Sunday Free PSU community, $3 other students $4 everybody

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

October 9-December 7 Art Not All It Seems

It took a minute to get it but I have enjoyed the work of Josiah McElheny after seeing it in a Seattle show. He makes sculptures with stories that are entirely fabricated. There is a huge emphasis on narrative in branding everything, so it is working for and against that idea. You get a chance to see Josiah McElheny's work Thursdays through Saturdays for the next two months free. Organized by www.zenazezza.org at The Lumber Room lumberroom.com 419 SW 9th, above Liz Leach Map Thursday-Saturday 1PM-6

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

October 8 Curious YouTube

Two events tonight we like are part of Design Week Portland.


Curiosity Club is having a greatest hits evening with past speakers.

Hand-Eye Supply Curiosity Club presents How Did You Get There? - An Exploration of Process, Praxis and Pitfalls.

Chris Lyons and Brett Binford from Mudshark Studios, small scale craft manufacturer; Andi Kovel of Esque Studio, mold formed blown glass; Blake van Roekel of Good Keuken, chef and advocate for local ingredients; Mike Merrill as KmikeyM.com, a publically traded person and Chris Hoffman founder of Ryno Motors, maker of an electric one wheel motorcycle speak. A presentation of the Curiosity Club, you can tune into the free live webcast off the Core77 site or visit the talk and demonstration in person at Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 23 NW 4th 6PM Free



Meanwhile social practice project Getting To Know You(Tube) is back with presenters Amber Case, cyborg anthropologist and entrepreneur; Adam Garcia, creative director and Cabel Sasser, cofounder of Panic. At Getting to Know You(Tube) www.gettingtoknowyoutube.com at the Hollywood Theater www.hollywoodtheatre.org 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard 7PM $5

Sunday, October 06, 2013

October 7 Never Snap2Guides

We have beautiful machines that are limited in their creativity. So it is our responsibility each to compensate by using those machines creatively.

That is the message of typographer and designer David Carson.

His philosophy was realized as he cofounded Raygun Magazine publishing between 1992 and 2000. You could argue it was inspired by punk i-D Magazine, operating from 1980 to 2012 when it was acquired by Vice.

Carson utilized eroded fonts and innovative vertical and horizontal spacing, even kerning on curves. Since he has worked in design for monoliths needing a refresh.

He speaks tonight as part of Design Week Portland www.designweekportland.com. There are plenty of events on that website that are cool. Unfortunately this event is fully subscribed.

David Carson at Design Week Portland presented by W+K. AV by E*Rock. At W+K www.wk.com 224 NW 13th Map 6:30PM $5 advance, $10 door

Friday, October 04, 2013

October 5 Club Paint

Club Paint, Erin Allen, Keith Boadwee and Isaac Gray, present Nobody Loves You When You are Old and Gay. It takes square aim at painting imitating advertising's obsession with youth, beauty and sex. Knowing Rock this will be good in a provocative way. At Rocksbox Fine Art www.rocksboxfineart.com 6540 N Interstate Map 8PM-11 Free

October 4 Eastside Art Openings

Alex Felton opens the last show ever at Appendix.

For five years Appendix with Little Field has shown local, national and international artists in a garage on an unmarked alley. The work has always been of stellar quality and provocative in a good way. To close, Appendix has produced a book surveying the work at the gallery.

Appendix Project Space www.appendixspace.com On the alley between 26th and 27th, South of Alberta. Map 7-10ish Free



Curator of music for Valentines in its fertile period and often of its art, Jen Olesen, guests at curating Sword+Fern. And she is winner of the copyrighting award of the week. "Recently, I asked four of my favorite ceramicists to lend me a vase they've made. I liked the idea of making a small painting for each vase based on whatever feeling it gave off to me and thought it might be an interesting and relaxed way to collaborate across two different creative mediums. It also proved to be fun way to unify the work of these artists while emphasizing their voices. These works will be arranged together on a table at Sword + Fern for the month of October as a part of their guest curation series, DISCOVERe'verer. Things I've been thinking about in conjunction with this project: personification of objects; paintings as symbols for flowers; vases as symbols for rooms; flowers symbolizing dreams and other wordless experiences; the definition of the word 'bouquet"; a reconsideration of the definition of "still life"...

I like the idea that each of us has a sort of room, a place we occupy in our mind when we're channeling and creating something. It's a place we sometimes forget how to get to and a place where only we can go. But maybe once, very rarely, someone else gets the invitation. With that in mind, please considering joining me this Friday.

At Sword+Fern 811 E Burnside 6PM-9ish



Octopus Girl Longs for the Ocean is a performance by Lucas Swick and Wendi Anderson, Pen & Process, captured in photographs. Redux always does a great job on copyrighting, and this month is no exception.

"Octopus Girl has been out on another heady nighttime land-jaunt, leaving her tail well-hidden just below the surface of the sea. However, having stayed out past dawn frolicking with the fairies, she returns to the shore only to realize the moondrops have gone to her head and she cannot remember where she hid her tail. She begins to search the shoreline, hoping to find her tail before she’s spotted by any humans, and longing to lay her weary head down to rest.

Lucas Swick has been drawn to the misty ocean’s edge this morning in search of the perfectly moody photo to complete his portfolio. Never did he imagine that he’d find the otherworldly sight that greets him as comes round a bend in the rocky coastline. Following Octopus Girl at a discrete distance, he captures her image as she conducts her lonely search. His luck runs out when he steps on a dry piece of driftwood – SNAP – and has to duck behind a rock to ensure he is not seen. When he looks again, she is gone.

Lucas has returned to the sea many times looking for Octopus Girl but to no avail."

And a photo here.

Also showing Mike Wellins, cofounder of the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium Gallery and Museum, who has surealisticaly styled portraits with a feel of early 1900's studios.

At Redux www.reduxpdx.com 811 E Burnside 6PM-9:30



Black and White: Mastering the Art of Photography is a group show curated by Chris Bennett of Newspace. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs 5PM-8:30 Free



Newspace has their annual member show. Good work at good prices. You can haz. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map 6PM-9 Free



Home:Bass has trademark murals, urban outsider-style paintings and anime influenced work, with DJ's to accompany it all. At Home:Bass www.homebasspdx.com 123 NE 6th 6PM-10 Free



Ehren Tool, Daniel Donovan, Thomas Orr and Jesse Albrecht present Art Out of War. It's work by veterans. Of war. Iraq I and II. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9



Hearts Of Darkness is a group show by Johannes De Young, Jordan Massengale, Rachel Phillips, Michael Endo and Malia Jensen. I have to say that the entire premise and narrative of this show by the curator is distasteful to me on every level. But you can judge the art on its merits. At Gallery Homeland www.galleryhomeland.org in the Ford Building www.fordbuildingpdx.com 2505 SE 11th x Division. Enter through the cafe on the corner if the main doors on 11th are locked. 6PM-9 Free



Eugene Von Bruenchenhein 1910-1983 shows work in a variety of mediums along with collages by Felipe Jesus Consalvos and sculpture by Paul Lee. I have to say, why weren't the galleries interested when the artist was alive? At Adams and Ollman Gallery www.adamsandollman.com 811 E Burnside #213 6PM-9 Free

Thursday, October 03, 2013

October 3 Westside Art Openings

After a Summer of sometimes prosaic shows, the galleries have returned to kill. (In a good way)



Brenna Murphy vibrates ecosystems tonight. She is a prime mover of the Oregon Painting Society and MSHR. This show is solely her her.

Murphy admixes ecomysticism, digital patterning, extrusion, game engine aesthetics and shading with full sound-mind-body experience. This particular installation is a series of seemingly Mayan or Chinese patterns that have been extruded as wood, plastic or glass cut shapes. Those are combined into sled-like assemblages in black, white clear and rainbow polychrome. They vary in scale from full to small toy. Some find a home on sand surfaces, an element found in earlier shows.

When we say recommended we mean it. Strongly recommended. In November the show will change into an MSHR collaboration. At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders 6PM-9 Free



Other Maps Are Such Shapes is a star show by Littman+White. They collect Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Matt Hilger, Perry Doane, Sean Schumacher and Stephanie Simek in the show. The common element is measurement on experience lensed through art. Curated by Leif Anderson who has done an excellent series at the gallery over the last year. At the Littman Gallery, PSU Smith Hall, Room 250, 1825 SW Broadway. Early 5PM-8 5-8pm



It is not often an artist is afforded an opportunity to make an installation in a commercial gallery in Portland. But this month Dinh Q. Lê has. Fixing the Impermanent is a meditation on Lê's longtime sampling work and the chemical photography paper which comprised it. That paper is now passing. There is a much thicker description on the gallery website. Recommended. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-9



Chuck Close. Usually he shows in museums. So its a tribute to Portland's Blue Sky that his work is here. Close is well known for experimental portraits. Tonight he shows a new body of work: photographic portraits printed in a digital textile loom. Recommended. Also showing is Bien de Familia by José D’Amico. It's abandoned places-themed work. At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9



Tom Cramer is a PNCA graduate working for some time carving wood. He is also well known for his graphic murals and even has painted his trademark patterns on cars. Tonight he is back with even more stunning low relief carved wood panels. You can see the photos on the gallery website, but better yet, see them in person. At Laura Russo Gallery www.laurarusso.com 805 NW 21st 5PM-8



Jeff Koons is a financier who decided to become an artist. Jim Riswold is an ad man who decided to become an artist. He still maintains his ad activities, and his work mixes ad messaging theory with art messaging theory.

The ad element is hard hitting and straight forward. The art element is using his life experience as material. The visual element ties those. Riswold's day job, when he is wondering if he will live, is translating brands to words. In his show, Art for Oncologists, Riswold taps experience of 14 years of cancers, and their treatments by branded drugs. Part of the show are heart-shaped units impressed with those chemotherapy brand names. Words.

So an interesting question for readers. How does narrative matter in the art career, how much is made now, and how much is made after the artist passes. Where does the artist exist in the range of say Basquiat, and say Koons or Burroughs? How does that relate to the economic eras of their career arc and how does that relate to the economic experience of the viewer?

At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8



PNCA is an art school. So if you are thinking on enrolling you would want to audition faculty. Tonight is a show of faculty. You can see in the atrium. At PNCA www.pnca.edu 1241 NW Johnson Map



JShea and Stephanie Buer show Inhabitants, sculptures and photographs. At Hellion Gallery www.helliongallery.com through the lobby of the arched brick entry, up the stairs and to the back. Very upper floor Japan-style. 19 NW 5th Suite 208. Map 7PM-10 Free



Everett Lofts are recommended as always. 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 closing ranges from 9PM-10:30ish