Tuesday, November 22, 2016

November 22 Suspended Moment

Yukiyo Kawano opens Suspended Moment: Activating the Nuclear Past + Present, tonight, with a butoh performace.

Her installation includes about half scale models of the Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs, kanji caligraphy on paper lanterns from the Seattle Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorial ceremony, and fragments of her grandmother's komono sewn together with the artist's hair.

It is personal; she is the third generation of her family present at, and surviving, the bombing, a hibakusha.

There is no American cultural equvalent.

There will be a butoh performance by Meshi Chavez, the artist and poet Allison Cobb with music by Lisa DeGrace. Poet Cobb grew up in Los Alamos, design center for the first, and only used, thankfully, nuclear bombs. Some early, and many subsequent, butoh performers were influenced by the history of the bombings which were about 19 years before the first butoh. Butoh artist Isamu Ohsuka, founder of Byakko-sha, is also hibakusha, in his mother's womb.

Yukiyo Kawano's artist website and the show announcement have more eloquent explorations.

The Fat Man bomb sculpture is covered in fabric inscribed with poetry from the great master Basho recording travels across the country by foot in his own journey to the North in 1689. That route, passing near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is still traveled by pilgrims.

The artists are planning to present their installation and performance at Hanford, Los Alamos, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, 1945 nuclear bomb sites, and in the Fukushima power plant area. The artist website has those details.

The show is brief, until November 30, with limited hours. It is timely, with the president elect proposing proliferation of nuclear weapons of total war.

At the PSU Littman and White Galleries in Smith Union. www.pdx.edu/littmanandwhite PSU Smith Hall, Room 250, 1825 SW Broadway

Opening 6PM-8, performance 6:20, discussion 6:45PM-7. Free

Friday, November 18, 2016

November 19 Land of Intimate Open Truth Showers

The Venerable Showers of Beauty is the most beautiful turn of phrase; and it is the name of a gamelan orchestra. This gamelan is over 140 years old and can play 5 and 7 note scales, completely different in tone than Western instruments. Guests from Java, Midiyanto and Heni Savitri join. You may hear something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTmFHlImhHU or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7kv_pwTtUk. At Hipbone Studio, 1847 E Burnside, #104. 7PM $15



Artist studios are where alchemy happens. Sometimes it works for you.

PNCA masters students in Visual Studies, Collaborative Design and the OCAC/PNCA joint Applied Craft + Design open their studios for looking and chatting this evening. It is an opportunity to see a large range of current work, not yet infected with our new political clime. But the artists are.

The main infonode is https://cal.pnca.edu/e/1739.

At 511 NW Broadway, 321 NW Glisan and 421 NE 10th. 5PM-8 Free



Trisha Baga, Nicole Miller and Matthew Rana have A Composition of Intimate and Public Truths. There will be video and writing, with claims of "demographic research, Sesame Street, comedy, the intense autobiography, clairvoyance, dreams, care-of-the-self, Nijinsky, internet, mimicry and Madonna" made.

At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan - which is in dire need of your help repainting www.paintpaulpdx.org - www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 6PM-10



Nikki McClure has a show of original paper cuts. She will read from her new book and discuss her inspiration and process. At Buy Olympia's Land Gallery www.landpdx.com 3925 N Mississippi 6PM-8 Free

November 18-20 Sad Park

Between seasonal affective disorder and the menace of blue light, we are surely doomed by illuminance or its lack. S.A.D. Park by Ariana Jacob and Ralph Pugay is a response, at least to the first.

The artists have constructed a S.A.D. Park where people can relax and be treated for S.A.D.

It's all explained at www.houseguest.org/ralph-pugay-ariana-jacob/

The hours and special event hours are detailed on the website.

S.A.D. Park a project at Pioneer Square as part of the Houseguest art series, between SW Broadway, Yamhill, 6th and Morrison. Go by MAX. Friday 4:30PM-9, Saturday 9AM-9PM, Sunday 9AM-4:30PM Free

Thursday, November 17, 2016

November 17 Still

Jack Faulk has still life paintings "I feel alright with azaleas around." At Nationale www.nationale.us 3360 SE Division Map 6PM-8 Free

Sunday, November 13, 2016

November 13 The New American Collage: Colorful and Messy

Israel Lund is a Brooklyn Artist working in abstract multi-color silk screen.

His is process work, starting with loose inking through an open screen onto canvas. The resulting pattern captures the weave of canvas with a low fi noise-look. Then the artist photographs the canvas and burns that into a screen. The process is repeated in layers over several canvases, and sometimes incorporating mobile phone samples of other artists' work, burning it to a screen and layering it in.

The work is colorful, +1 for beauty; but not screechingly bright or poppy, also welcome.

Lund is a PNCA graduate in 2011. His work returns home for this show.

Israel Lund Apples www.lumberroom.com/events/israel-lund-2/ is accompanied by texts commissioned of local writers.

At The Lumber Room lumberroom.com 419 SW 9th, above Liz Leach Map See the website for subsequent hours and days. Opening today 1PM-3 Free

Friday, November 11, 2016

November 12 Volt Auction

Disjecta holds their annual party and art auction tonight. It's usually a lively affair and an opportunity to catch up with art community friends or meet new friends.

Artists James Allen, Holly Andres, Corey Arnold, Jill Baker, Avantika Bawa, Amy Bay, Chris Bennett, Bruce Burris, Calvin Ross Carl, Srijon Chowdry, Patrick Collier, Lisa Conway, Emily Counts, Rachel Davis, Rose Dickson, Tia Factor, Jack Featherly, Damien Gilley, Narangkar Glover, Garrick Imatani, Lila Jarzombek, Patrick Kelly, Colin Kippen, Kendra Larson, Hillary Lay, Kyle Lee, Dave MacGougan, David Maisel, Scott Malbaurn, Victor Maldonado, Kayla Mattes, Michelle Anne Muldrow, Ralph Pugay, Chris Rauschenberg, Anya Roberts-Toney, Christopher Ryan Russell, Jane Schiffhauer, Jeff Sheridan, Adam Sorensen, Laura Vandenburgh, John Whitten and Bobbi Woods have donated work to the auction. There are images here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sba8orrl0vz98o/2016%20Disjecta%20Auction%20Guide.pdf?dl=0

At Disjecta, in the shadow of Paul Bunyan - which is in dire need of your help repainting www.paintpaulpdx.org - www.disjecta.org 8371 N. Interstate Map 7PM-11 $40 advance, $50 door



Tonight modular synth performers Caustic Touch, Alani Vierra, Gooo, Adrian, Elrond, Ben Davis, Vaelentine, Heteroclite and Glo Globes perform music with Cysmic providing visuals. Volt Divers is all hardware synths, no computers. Volt Divers at Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand 7PM Sharp-10 Free

November 11 Imaginary Friends Group

José Carlos Tassara from Peru puts the international in Worksound with his exposition Amigos Imaginarios.

In many countries, advertising selects Western models or models with with Western features in contrast to indigenous faces. This creates an unnecessary distortion of culture, even destructive.

The artist creates concrete sculptures inspired by indigenous faces, in units multiplied and repeated. He is also known for surreal illustrations.

At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder Map 6PM-9 Free



One is the first year retrospective group show of all the artists exhibiting at the gallery. That includes John Felix Arnold III, Alexandra Becker-Black, David Bray, Brian Donnelly, Lola Dupre, Delfin Finley, Shawn Huckins, Dan Lam, Mike Lee, Mako Miyamoto, Nathan McKee, Jeff Ramirez, Erik Mark Sandberg and Betsy Walton. www.stephaniechefas.com/one-an-anniversary-group-exhibit/ At Stephanie Chefas Projects www.stephaniechefas.com 305 SE 3rd Ave #202 - the City Sign Building, formerly a low cost artist space Map. 6PM-9 Free

Friday, November 04, 2016

November 4 Eastside Art Openings

Tom and Elaine Coleman give an early talk on their celadon ceramics, with the gallery open later, continuing the current show. Talk 5PM. At Eutectic Gallery www.eutecticgallery.com 1930 NE Oregon 6PM-9 Free



Newspace continues their vector with Hidden Assembly: Labor in Contemporary Culture, a group show byJoão Enxuto & Erica Love, Anna Gray & Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Gulf Labor Coalition, Marisa Jahn/Studio REV-, Mary Lum, Michael Mandiberg, Betty Marin, Huong Ngo & Hong-An Truing, Laurel Ptak, Patricia Vazquez, Luciano Aioli, José González, Eligio Mendoza and Andrew Norman Wilson. At Newspace Photo www.newspacephoto.org 1632 SE 10th Map early close 6PM-8 Free



Black Box has Photo Shoot, a varied show of photography www.blackboxgallery.com/Photo%20Shoot-2016-Gallery-Web/index.html. At Black Box Gallery www.blackboxgallery.com 811 E Burnside, Suite 212 upstairs Early close 5PM-8 Free



One Grand Gallery has Ivan Salcido with show Obras Nuevas. At One Grand Gallery www.onegrandgallery.com 1000 E Burnside 6PM-10 Free

Thursday, November 03, 2016

November 3 Westside Art Openings

Into the Wilderness is a group show of Signal Fire artists. Wide Open Studios is their residency on public lands in the West; artists camp and create work over a week or more. This show has painting, photography and illustration. At Charles Hartman Fine Art www.hartmanfineart.net 134 NW 8th early close 8PM Free



Kevin Buck has abstract paintings and Sean Healy has 2d sculptural works. At Elizabeth Leach Gallery www.elizabethleach.com 417 NW 9th Map 6PM-9 Free



Warhol in New York 1962–1987: Pop, Punk, New Wave & the Counterculture is a group show of Warhol and contemporaries Jim Dine, Keith Haring, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Billy Name, James Rosenquist and others, many in the scene of the time. At Augen Gallery www.augengallery.com 716 NW Davis early close 8 Free



Jack Featherly has bright paintings over illustration. Upfor also launches a well done catalog of some of its artists: upfor.digital/Rose/rose-catalog-upfordigital.pdf At UpFor Gallery www.upforgallery.com 929 NW Flanders early close 6PM-8 Free



Pablo Ortiz Monasterio has Desaparecidos, photographs exposed throughout the world, then overlaid with ink. They are the artist's commemoration of students who went missing in 2014 Mexico on their way to a protest demonstration. That demonstration in turn was to commemorate an unknown number, thought to run in the hundreds, killed in 1968 at a demonstration in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco, Mexico City.

Alexander Chekmenev from Ukraine has passport photos of elderly residents, and a second series, coal miners from Donbass. That region is the breakaway area, the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which has been at war the last two and a half years and where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down.

At Blue Sky Gallery www.blueskygallery.org Map 122 NW 8th 6PM-9 Free



Sarah Gee Miller has bright geometric paintings at Duplex Collective www.duplexcollective.com 219 NW Couch 6PM-9 Free



Russo Lee Gallery continues a 30 year retrospective. At Laura Russo Gallery www.russoleegallery.com 805 NW 21st early close 5PM-8 early close Free



PNCA is recommended to stop in. They have long time cycle shows and pop ups distributed throughout the building. PNCA www.pnca.edu 511 NW Broadway Map 6PM-9 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-10ish

Tuesday, November 01, 2016

November 1 Discovering Black Portland

Intisar Abioto is a renaissance artist, working as photographer, poet, writer, personal storyteller and movement artist. One of her projects is the Black Portlanders online zine and the Black Portlanders website - photographs and their collected stories.


Intisar Abioto curiosityclub.handeyesupply.com/new-events/2016/11/1/intisar-abioto-photographer-dancer-explorer presents to the Curiosity Club - you. You can tune into the free live webcast, see the video archive on the Hand Eye Supply website, or visit the talk in person at Hand Eye Supply www.handeyesupply.com/pages/curiosity-club 427 NW Broadway 6PM Free