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
