No Stagecoach or Oxen: Via Volkswagen, my roomie Chris and I trekked South yesterday and scaled Triangulation Point (3K+ feet) after leaving Portland post 3PM! Quick b-lines out of the city are not uncommon for us, and this, particularly, was a destination surprise for which my body will be feeling for a couple days. The ride was 2+ hours each way (the last bit is five or so miles of gravel road - and we certainly left a dusty tail wind). The hike itself was just about 6 miles roundtrip. Located somewhere near the very scenic Detroit Lake and Breitenbush. I remembered some similar scenery from my residency at the Blue Lake. We made it to the top, and as you climb the grade gets a bit steeper (huff/puff), and my back and legs felt gravity (is that what they mean by ‘pay dirt’?). Fortunately we had brought enough liquids and warded off the buzzing pests with some handy (non-aerosol) bug spray before we ascended. On the journey there were many wildflowers in the deep wooded areas, all sorts of fungi and green plantlife. In terms of other creatures, we only spied a single small squirrel and a loud scrub jay, no deer, no other lil (or big) fuzzies - and not a single other person. It was like we were isolated in time or something.

It was worth the trip for the near 360 degree view of the Cascades just rolling and surrounding us. In the open air, at nearly 10,500ft, we were graced by the majesty that is Mt. Jefferson. Still, a touch snow-covered at the tip, its craggy glacial scars offer a scenic, raw beauty in our midst. As we left the area the sun had just gone behind the Cascades shading the area in soft hues of purple and blue.

After Jasper Johns’ recent MET exhibition, gray (in all its never-ending subtleties) has most certainly been on my mind again, even through the bright Summer we’ve had until the clouds just rolled back into town. As the hazy dawn of August awaits you can still catch a glimpse of a few things that kept July so cool including Things Turning by Ellen George and Jerry Mayer at the Nine Gallery (inside Blue Sky). Upon entry it is atypical for what you may have seen by either in the past, but that’s at first glance…second glances tell the whole story, and that shifting of energy from the nearby and frenetic city streets to the soft hush of near silence. The space is stark naked, save for two thin nearly touching lines drawn from steel rods, from floor to ceiling. These slowly mechanized arcs in neutral space re-enact a purely romantic dance in the shadows of Brancusi. Experience it before Sunday at 5PM.

Another must see in the DeSoto complex is at Froelick Gallery. The show entitled Line of Sight by Victor Maldonado includes the simply awe-inspiring beauty, Silver Lining. And that’s exactly what this work of ink and acrylic on canvas is. What appears as multiple impressions of an ornate curtain swag is repetitiously delicious in its symmetry across the 60″ that make up its surface dimensions. Images appear and vanish across its thick layers as you view it from varied angles. Maldonado uses printmaking techniques to build his work, so these hybrids often have delicate gestures that take time to relish each small nuance. Take the time.

I love that phrase, but as our beloved printed matter mystically fades into ash how does it apply in the cyber realm? In a moment of post-gym psychic decompression I decided to randomly sample the top headlines from major media outlets that are running simultaneously. Try to pair the headline with the source which are: Reuters, The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Onion, CNN, The Guardian and the LA Times.

I’ve forever been haunted by this character invented by DC Comics back in 1940. Originally based on a photograph of one of the actors from the silent film, The Man Who Laughs (1928) the Joker always seems to get the last laugh. Given the fact that the recent film, The Dark Knight, was released to a posthumous performance by Heath Ledger, it has a ring as sharp as the blade he wields in the picture. This movie has an edge as you ride its unpredictable turns, filled with the usual Men In Black meets 007-type vehicles and gadgets galore. The actors who have portrayed the Joker over the decades have truly fit the role in their own time period - with a certain hilarity, and over-the-top performances. This one is certainly a touch darker, and prepare yourself for 2.5 hours in a dark theater with lots of aerial shots, crashing glass and explosions. The hospital scene alone is worth the ticket price. It’s a great follow-up to Batman Begins, and a much more ‘realistic’ (raw) interpretation of a fictional character than prior attempts.

This Just In: Pantomiming Joker wanna-be….

…And This Too: Jerry Robinson, the original Joker cartoonist talks about The Dark Knight and his new collection forthcoming from Dark Horse (right here in Milwaukie, OR)!

BIG BREATH y’all!

One might say I’ve been working hard. Grant and residency applications, at least one collaboration, portfolio review prep, studio work (including painting a skateboard!), more curatorial projects down the pike…yeah, its time to invest in darkeners for my bedroom which cascades with light from about 6AM on….That said and aside I still feel motivated to take on a tiger. I’ve seen less in the art department over the last month or so but it’s served me well, not to be as much the usual spectator, however. Sometimes you have to ‘do’ rather than ’sit back and enjoy the show’….

A bit off the beaten path, my attention shifted some this week, as I took a break from staring at the colorful, multi-banded skies, and had my first of two meetings with four students from the Northwest Institute for Social Change. They are doing a media project in regards to live/work space. I’m not necessarily the ’spokesmodel’ for such but I had a lot to say on the subject, and many suggestions too. Under the auspices of ’social change’ this could be a hot button topic nationally for artists. I think it’s imperative to keeping the scene alive, and am thankful I currently have such, though separately, which enable me to continue working and keeping the costs down. But, even that said, I do dole out two rent checks monthly, and have zero equity to show for it. And I’m feeling the pinch of the slim marketplace here (a recurring theme), so I have to start thinking about working outside the studio once again. Yeah, my small 401K plan is virtually dwindling to mere fumes (no I haven’t retired early) - and my studio expenses, given the ink, paper, etc. is more frequent and costly. To tide me over I have various and sundry curatorial and review/criticism-based opportunities, and for that I am thankful, though its too sparse to make ends meet. I, like many others, live pretty basically, often struggling month-to-month. And that’s without any real vices I may add (OK, maybe music and movies).

Enter Milepost 5. This is Portland’s first stab at such an entity called live/work w/a deed attached. Though it is mostly a commercial affair there is intent. Sure, its pretty much in an almost non-gentrifyable location (me thinks that’s a very good thing), and most of the restricted affordable units are small in comparison with an average industrial studio space…though, of course, it’s legal to live (and work) there! The space itself has a lot of potential. And the building offers units ranging in sizes, some on the top floor offering nice tree level and peak views of the outlying area, very open and light. They are relatively interesting architecturally-wise..offering basic rectilinear design with a flair for the minimal. Hey, I have had my share of living in apartment buildings, and this is a grand step up from that for sure, and an investment like this is great for your credit, taxes..and all that good stuff. I live in an eight-story building with 100+ units now - that’s double the size of Milepost 5, and things don’t seem chaotic, I have quiet neighbors and access to the basics: transport, groceries and the gym. When you get to the nitty gritty, the people behind the scenes are invested in making this work right now, and are far from making a fortune on this project. However it is an experiment (7Mil?) in the possibilities of such a project for the private sector, but it is linked to a non-profit which makes this a unique intersection between the comms: commercial and community.

And as skeptical as artists are generally about finances and other long-term committments such as owning property, equity is one of the more essential staples now for the future. Hey, you could invest in another gallon of patchouli and Costco-sized cases of cigarettes, but how does that fit the “American Dream” as you age and define your career? Sorry for my cheekiness - I realize that ownership isn’t for everyone, but you (those within any income bracket) still deserve access to it one way or another.

The students I am working with want to find out more about how civics and public (or private) funds get channeled into artists hands for such purposes. These are artists’ hands weaving and painting and snapping shutters, and sculpting with clay and holding welding torches to help build a better cultural atmosphere for the general public. Hands doing the gracefully hard work, attempting to build more civic pride than already exists - having something to show for itself. This could also be referred to as ‘civic mapping’ based in the vestiges of the oft uttered phrase cultural tourism.

Yeah, there’s that phrase again, thrown around as if it were so matter-of-fact and lightweight. But what goes into the account by way of the production of artists and crafts(wo)men often doesn’t come out the other side looking as rosy. Talking the talk has led to questioning our own training wheels, and the problem can become cyclical if many don’t risk breaking the chain. So it’s an investigation for these younger folks to see that change is possible. Social change that is. That involves everyone from the barista to the banker, from the realtor to the farmer.

So, here’s looking at time as real, rather than the tick tock of “real time”. With all the ‘administrative’ and technical aspects that coincide with the creative I can often understand the essence of time when it comes to stepping up. Banding together as a community of artists is a big committment, or better put - an investment. To see opportunities become realities is within reach. But you must be involved, and often. That’s how society changes, input makes impact. So, there’s no preaching to the choir here, as we all attempt to carve some comfort zone into the private time of our lives. Changes involves new thinking about re-hashed topics…Sure, Portland could certainly benefit from a Visual Artists Union (an arm of RACC?). An entity dedicated to helping artists find live/work space, run by the city and for the people. One which could provide legal, housing, access, peer programs, health/dental insurance services and much more. But you must understand that an idea is just that without action, and it doesn’t form overnight from an idea sent via email.

QUESTION(s): When it comes to brass tacks….how to balance the budget between cultural tourism for all with those making it vital and available - the audience and the artist.

Are there government or other programs out there that specifically help artists purchase property? How can a community buy into the whole idea, and how do the artists who participate give back to the community? Could it perhaps be through the making and acquisition of public art? Or other programs for communities being left out of the loop (working in prisons, with kids, the elderly, homeless folks, people with disabilities…)? What can we learn about civic responsibilities of citizens to its culture and vice-versa in the process? More questions than answers I would venture to guess. But there seems to be hope - even bringing up the subject makes me feel activated. I really appreciated this piece by Alexa Pengelly on Sam Adams’ site. Commissioner Sam also started up Creative Capacity and Art Spark. If you have been involved, what has your experience been, care to share? Perhaps this is where and entity like ArtPAC can step in somehow, and you could too? In name it sounds right. But is this strictly a political/voting entity…or can this type of entity harness the real issues artists are experiencing right now? The website doesn’t offer much other than information on candidates, many whom are now coming into office. ArtPAC could survey and instigate more public discussion. Either way..with the future’s potential of bright skies and raindrops, we will all need a roof of some kind - why not look at other national models and build from there…and start thinking more creatively, and communally (and w/impeccable design sense of course).

This is an exciting time - but the momentum that got our leaders elected has a responsibility now for sparking further conversation, no empty time for self-congrats or dawdling - just good hard work, and play afterwards! It’s time to further involve the community (and verse vica) with sensitive follow-through. And though there’s no instant fix to anything, belabored or never-ending interchangable ideas without action become the snake that eats its tail over time. It’s summertime, serve lemonade!

Finally, back to the students and their important work. I hope this encourages them to further seek out statistics and answers about how to bring about change. Easy to say, but with the proper research dots are connected nationwide by these students from all over the country. Hopefully they will encourage a full-scale documentary on the state of artists living and working today, the struggles and the success stories.

THEM THERE EYES: In Portland this weekend, as already noted elsewhere on le blog, are two free events not to be missed by the oogler within. And whatever your motives, stop on by:

2008 Annual Newspace Juried Exhibition: closes SUN
Photolucida’s NW Portfolio Walk: SAT, 6-9PM (approx. 50 Photographers)

STILL LIFE: Though some still consider photography a mere ‘document’ and others are lost deep in the contextual mystery of the split second, the medium in the 21st Century is still very much to be contended with. In comparing film/video with a friend recently, it was posed that a film is often made up of thousands of stills making it that much more duplicitous - to which I countered that a single image can be seen as an entire film, truncated to the nth. However, I also very much see the image as a universal fortress to the imagination of the third party. Often the viewer has to contemplate their own place within the frame, how one relates to what they see - person, place, thing…however amorphous or specific. As a photographer, my ceaseless fascination with the lens and shutter enable the entire myth-making sensibility. But it’s sometimes simply about the way light informs a situation that dictates a relationship to a field. In regards to the Newspace show, with his kind permission, here is an essay written by Myron Filene on the exhibition:

Filene’s One Take: 2008 Juried Exhibition/Newspace Center for Photography

What lies between almost nothing and the grotesque? Between images that push line, form and color to the fore and those, which push for “incongruous distortion” or the “outlandish and bizarre” (American Heritage Dictionary). I’d say mystery. In fact, mystery not only is at the center of this show, but encompasses the whole of it. However, those photographs which take the middle ground seem, to me, more “honest” in their mystery.

Not all photography is mystery. While all photography is based upon documentation, not all strive for documentary exposition. When I view a show at Blue Sky, I expect to be shown a subject as it is and was at the moment of being photographed. The then and there is well defined and enclosed. The attempts almost always seem (social-) scientific, to describe the thing. After all, the original meaning of “science” is simply, to know. On the other hand, there is an ‘opposite’ form of documentation which is not concerned as much with what the object of attention is at that particular moment, but is more interested in future space an time: transcendence. This photography, which is copiously presented in this juried exposition, not only transcends that moment, but does so with the help of the viewer. It is dependent upon how the viewer translates what often seems a puzzle. At the minimalist end, we might fill in the negative space or simply ask ourselves: what is it? At the grotesque end we touch that nerve which tingles at horror movies, and sometimes simply ask ourselves: what is it?

However, at the center, we know what it is. As TJ Norris suggests in his introductory remarks in the accompanying catalogue, these photographs attend to what Cartier-Bresson terms “the decisive moment.” These photographs come with a story that the viewer is impelled to complete. We tend to view them into the future from the present, and such a projection can also define an historical line that reaches back.

What happens when this categorizing is applied to these photographs? What and where are the mysteries? Let’s take the subject of “ghosts.” At the minimalist end Jessica Skloven’s untitled piece, a diptych with a red rectangle and a white rectangle horizontally aligned, has double ghosts. Within the enigmatic left red image, darker blotches moving towards black suggest an architectural form; in the white half one might intuit snow or fog, but the spectral blurs in the “left foreground” might be a window, a spider web, a mystery? Barry Shapiro’s “Madonna” seems a strong representative of the grotesque. Apart from the title, who or what is this ghastly figure—possibly Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner? The clear obfuscation that accentuates the black eyes sends me into the realm of horror movies. Underneath horror is the mystery of the unknown risen to terror through fear of bodily harm. And nothing says horror quite like a ghoul seeking fresh meat. In the center of ghostly mysteries is Peter Prusinowski’s black and white image from his Latin American Series, “Vital Essence.” In what clearly appears to be the interior of a sanctified space, I discern one distinct figure and up to five other apparitions. But there are clues as to what will resolve this mystery. One can begin to make out the tools of cleaning. A broom is in the left foreground. Other brooms emerge in the lower center accompanied by buckets. The sheen on the floor might very well be water—a mopping is taking place.

Many of the photographs occupy this middle mysterious ground. They are marked by the viewer’s ability to provide a narrative—they most live up to Cartier-Bresson’s ‘decisive moment.’ I find that among these, that one can make a further distinction between the color images and the black and whites. For me, the color images are less mysterious, more contrived (staged) than the black and whites. Maybe my penchant for this observation is a lifelong affair with film noir. Those black and white photographs which occupy this middle ground feel grittier, more psychological and more dangerous. Maybe it is the stance that the artist has forced the viewer to take. Garvan Gallagher’s pair of color photographs of men interrupted from private pursuits makes us voyeurs; it is their situation not ours. Whereas Jackson Nichols’ untitled piece has us look through a doorway at an empty chair in front of a window through which we see an indistinct male figure; there is no sympathy; instead the viewer is drawn into the image’s three layers.

For me, the one piece that sums up this conceptual framework, best is “One the Road,” by Amro Hamzawi; it stands at the mysterious center. What it visually describes is immediately recognizable: a man driving a car. Yet it contains the minimalism of form and line on the one hand, while on the other hand it has the suggestion of “grotesqueness” (horror) in that somewhat obscured face labeled with a piercing stare that exudes grim determination. This visage is coupled with the ominously tattooed fingers gripping the steering wheel—“nine” seems scarier than “four.” (Is he a spy? a sexual predator? a killer?) Another means by which this color photograph becomes centered is how it’s monochrome presentation mimics black and white photography—gives it that noir-ish feel. To further deepen the mystery and provide additional fodder for a narrative, what seems to be a woman’s garment hangs from the rearview mirror and through the back window a white car (good guy?) pursues. This mix of elements fully captures us, the viewer, in the decisive (mystery of the) moment.

All photography is documentary. Some attend to science, some to a more transcendent meaning. Some can do both. This show that TJ Norris has selected reaches for that transcendence by embracing mystery. Of course, shows that only present one, or at most, two pieces by the same artist, are much more likely to be successful in tilting the balance towards mystery over science. Maybe another way to articulate this difference is to recognize that some photographs and photographers seek to have us stand back and view the object depicted, whereas others strive to have the viewer join with the image more subjectively. Maybe those which can do both are the most rewarding.

Myron Filene
July 5, 2008

—–
The Portland Mercury said: “Newspace’s annual juried exhibition is a predictably solid affair. Now in its fourth year, this year’s show is curated by local artist TJ Norris, who recently exhibited his own work at New American Art Union. With work by familiar photographers (at least in these parts) such as Daniel Barron and Marne Lucas displayed alongside artists from across the country, it mixes old standbys with relative unknowns. Of course, it’s Norris’ sharp curatorial acumen that brings it all together.”

Sometimes I feel like I am right there, the in-between.

One of my all-time favorite photos.

I’ll take one of those!

Free Admission. As one of the Oregon Finalist selectees, my new portfolio of APs will be viewable from 6:00-7:30PM: INFO

That’s A Negative mention…

Photographer Melanie Manchot throws a 360° on the former curator of PICA and the Affair. I had no idea he was such a bear of a man, and now he has no hair(!) in a groomy transformation in Shave. It’s like contemporized Kipling.

J.T. Kirkland is a twentysomethin’ artist from Virginia whose work is minimal, topographic and textural. In Kirkland’s spare time he writes a blog called Thinking About Art. Recently I was paired in a series he’s doing called “Artists Review Artists” where a random and anonymous artist, unfamilar with your work, writes about a piece of yours and you return the gesture. Giovanni Garcia-Fenech wrote about my work and I wrote about his…

PS: Thoughts from Red Prairie Press.

PROMENADE
Featuring Bill Boese, Seth Nehil, Linda K. Johnson, Bill Will and more…

Place: South Waterfront AiR Series
Time/Tix: 1 Hour Before Sundown, Free (bring a picnic)

FLASH CHOIR/Caesar’s Gate
by Portland Musician and Composer Sarah Dougher

Place: Reed College Chapel
Time/Tix: 7pm, Free

In perusing Vimeo I came across excerpts of Jenn Ackerman’s powerful and visually resonating piece, Trapped: Mental Illness in America’s Prisons. It is a stunning, raw portrait of the American prison system as asylum. She was a recent photography grad student at Ohio University. The work recalls some of the beautiful tones seen in works like Stranger than Paradise by Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire. More photographers should consider the moving image, in more ways than one. Just press play and see for yourself.

One of the photographers now showing in the Newspace Center for Photography 4th Annual Juried Exhibition (through July 27) is also featured in this month’s RACC Artist Spotlight. Marne Lucas, who bides her time between NYC and PDX, working collaboratively with Bruce Conkle, has had as interesting a life as those depicted in her pictures. Above is the self-portrait I couldn’t help not selecting for the show. Below is a discussion she and I had back in 2005 (via Oregonlive)…it seems worth taking a look back:

WILD WILDERNESS CHAT

[ December 2005 ]

Marne Lucas is every woman (remember that Chaka Khan tune?). Through the end of January, her series called Amusement is on view at SE Hawthorne’s Homestar (a cute coffee joint). The work plays with the nature of, well, nature - human and mother. Born in Honolulu, and brought up in the Portland area most her life, this thirty-something worked for Danzine, curated projects all over town and has travelled extensively to create her body of work. Here’s a look-see into what drives her engine.

TJ Norris: Hi Marne!

Marne Lucas: Hello, TJ. You have the most incredibly striking blue eyes, almost like a husky dog’s. I can say this on paper and perhaps even in person!

TJN: (blush) Well, thank you, I’m flattered. They have been called greyish-green, but never been compared to a husky, though used to wear “husky” size (from Sears) when I was in grade school. LOL.

Speaking of colors, let’s talk lichen (my favorite uber-green colors come from this form of nature!). I just stopped by your current show at Homestar. What is the premise of Amusement all about for you?

ML: Lichen is on my top 10 list as one of my favorite things made by nature! I get the lichen apprecitation from my mom, I think she can identify just about any form of lichen and moss. Amusement gives viewers an idea of how nutty I am and that boredom never strikes. Armed with a camera and some inspiring thrift store items, I can be creative anywhere, making new work while travelling - which is what I do to relax and to get wound up.

I’m especially excited about the image I made of a fir tree that was deformed by burls, creating a shape of two figures in an intimate position, While the Forest Isn’t Looking. That tree is real - no Photoshop tricks, so being observant is rewarding, even with trees. Some of the other photos are about the edges of things you aren’t supposed to see, as in miniature dioramas. Unfortunate Portal shows a figurine of an 1800’s Native American, staring at himself in what appears to be a reality-sized mirror. He is not supposed to see himself in such a mirrored reality, ever, a metaphor for alternate reality, time and space. I feel both sad and elated for this primitive figure who is about to be swept into the universe.

TJN: Talk about narcissus. Yeah, I noticed you captured some funny goings-on in the woods. Back into the city…what do you think of cozy cafe culture and high art meeting head on?

ML: There is no shortage of places to show art in Portland… As the former curator to the Aalto Lounge and V-Gun, I’ve found that public spaces such as cafes allow one to develop a more intimate relationship to the art work and to the aesthetics the space itself offers. Not everyone will show work in a gallery, and not everyone needs to. That being said, I am an unrepresented artist, so beyond participating in group shows in galleries, that is where I primarily show my own work.

TJN: Sorry to hear the V-Gun thing isn’t still going, though I actually love sitting down at Cricket Cafe, or Le Happy and oogling at work while I wait, dually nourishing myself. I’ve written about the need for this in the past and will be back again and again. It was a lil’ thrill going into a “back room” (for adults only) at Homestar. And since your work often deals with the body do you feel it odd or titillating to segregate works in this way, or do you find that the “pin-up” style work is more so a different body of work, therefore the separation?

ML: The Amusement series is what I planned to show, and the Pin Up Lounge came after but it compliments the space perfectly.

One of the owners of Homestar - Paul Forrest, had the idea to open the back room for my pinup work. He painted it red and made the fur bench for the room. It makes the room itself a little special and titillating, which I love. Adding my own books, postcards and glamour props as installation made the room inviting and makes one feel like they are on one of my sets or in a bedroom.

TJN: I loved the feel of it, homey and horny! Can you describe your alter-persona, Gina Velour?

ML: From 1995-2000, I had a personae while developing my Pin Up style photography. This was the mid ’90’s and I was participating in fetish culture and collaborating with prominent erotic photographers such as Steve Diet Goedde as a model. I used my birthname for my first solo show in 2000 at the Mark Woolley Gallery. I had formed the personae for a specific film project in 1995 that Jacob Pander and myself made, in fact we both took on new names for it, an infrared erotic short film called The Operation. Gina Velour just lent herself to be a great way to make separate bodies of work and maintain my privacy here in Portland.

TJN: Speaking of the body, the worshipped, fetishized body. What do you think of Portland in terms of how people project their sexuality in general?

ML: Portland has a laid back attitude about nudity and freedom of expression, therefore lots of strip clubs and there’s certainly an affluent, patina of ’sexy’ for the $$$ scene in the “Pearl Necklace District” (writer laughs!!!), as I call it. I do prefer to make intimate Pin Ups of local men and women as their sense of style and identity is very individualistic. That individuality is what I am after, even after they are half clothed under hot lights. Confidence and accessibility seems to be part of folks personality here. I don’t find in L.A. that I wish I could photograph people there for my work.

TJN: I love the word patina! And it goes quite well with lichen actually: color, time, aging….I’ve been told that Portland is the porn capital of the U.S. Does that truly hold any water?

ML: Portland has been cited to have more strip clubs and employment opportunities for sexworkers per capita, in the USA. This does not translate into “porn capital” per se…that might have to be awarded to L.A. We have a very present gay culture, and almost legislated gay marriage, that and liberal politics in general help shape Portland’s sexy factor, but not outside of city limits. Oregon is conservative. I think it’s sexy to live here, and I can afford to make my art here, but the reality is that the press and the art community seems to be really hung up on my work and identifying it as prurient matter.

TJN: Well, that’s the rub, the friction. I think you can’t truly have a fully open and vital community with things that are “almost” - remember I come from Boston where marriage is non-segregated and rights for all truly exists, even with a Republican governor! But I digress…

The photograph of the deer behind the gauzy glass is my favorite. Do you know the one?

ML: Elk, Motel Shower was taken in the Curlywood Motel, near the Redwood Forest, in California. After driving all day from Portland and arriving at this quaint motel, I discovered my room had a frosty, textured shower door. I first photographed the elk model on the counter, then under the tub faucet as a fake waterfall, then with the door closed. It’s both like a photograph and a modernist cave painting - misty and surreal, the antlers, spindly legs and slightly focused nose are just visible enough to give the viewer a visual representation of an Elk. Deer and Elk possess a gracefulness that I envy.

TJN: The Curlywood, LOL!!!! I noticed some of Bruce Conkle’s work at Homestar as well. There is something of a common theme running through both your work, and I know you’ve collaborated somehow. What’s your relationship with Bruce?

ML: We are artists with similar interests in humor and nature. Upon meeting two years ago, we discovered that we had similar infatuations with trees, nature, fake fur, glitter, ironic humor, weird self portraiture and general bawdiness. Both Bruce and I have produced art that explores Pacific Northwest regionalism with humor and appreciation for where we were raised and now live. His art tends to be installation based and less representational and mine’s more based on intimate photographic portraiture. Creative chemistry brought us companionship and then we formed Blinglab.

TJN: What’s Blinglab (sounds gaudy)?

ML: Blinglab is an artist collective founded by Bruce Conkle and myself. Artist Jake O’Donnel is an active member and inspired us to form a group when we began a craft-based think tank at his farm.

There is a rotating roster of guest artists and members participate in making fancy, glittery things, we believe in adding humor where it didn’t exist before. We reference or rearrange history, pop culture, and fiction to suit our topical creative interests. Bruce and I will be participating in the Caldera Artist Residency in early January 2006 to work on a Lewis and Clark theme puppet show based on their ‘untold adventures’. We are planning a somewhat homoerotic, Bollywood-style musical, both Brat Pack inspired and historically based puppet show for mature audiences; as it contains explicit scenes of nature!

TJN: Ooooo. Homoerotic, and “untold”. The woods. How “seedy”! (sorry). I’m sure you will come up with something totally amusing and hystorical (pun intended). “The great outdoors”. Is that Oregon? Can you talk about the nature of your work so to speak?

ML: Nature is a spiritual, political, sensual experience for me. “Naughty by nature” could be an appropriate description of where I am coming from in my recent work. Intimacy and nature are what make me feel alive; my photographs of nature are equally intimate as the portraits I make of others. In Lichen Anklepanties, a self portrait I made in the Hoh Rainforest in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, there is a panty-type object that is really a tangle of old washed yarn that looks like it could be an organic plant. I also had a show called Oregon’s Natural Resources which was a humorous take on the timber industry and the natural beauty for which Oregon is known- so I photographed hot girls with logs and wood products. That reception was protested by feminists, who leafleted the room with a flyer that asked: “What do George Bush and Marne Lucas have in common? They are willing to plunder women and timber!” I applaud them for their witty commentary!

TJN: Wow - I hope you documented these folks, sounds wild…oh, human nature! But why photography, say, rather than performance art - and - where do you travel to shoot some of your images?

ML: I am making work wherever I go. I make self portraits, portraits of artists, still lifes and abstractions of nature and culture. In Europe, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Oregon desert, forests, Vancouver BC, anywhere is perfect.

Performance art for me is a one time event that you share with an audience, unless of course you film it. I gave so much of myself when I was at the muse end of creative collaborations, that I prefer to quietly work on my own narratives and let the viewer have their own separate space with the work. I don’t personally need a stage. I do plan on making short films in the near future.

TJN: I am very curious about your east meets west (coast) lightbox work that greets you at the door, the one that was included in Fresh Trouble recently. Some folks actually thought our work was one and the same, as if we intentionally collaborated….

ML: I love that our work was positioned next to each other at that show, really perfect. Maybe we should collaborate!

Originally, East Coast, West Coast is part of an abstract series from about 3 years ago that I haven’t been able to afford to produce as lightboxes. I started making composited works with my own photographs to explore relationships between flesh, nature, architecture and man. I am amused by hip-hop culture, so the title is a reference to a series of self portraits about that scene. In talking to you, I think in a subtle way the idea behind my abstract series sort of reminds me of a less-developed yet similar theory to your recent show at Chambers Gallery. I love how you are reworking the familiar into an abstraction that’s beyond the mathmatics of beauty.

TJN: This is like a love-fest (and why shouldn’t it be?). I am blushing all over the place…Did you grow up ’round these parts?

ML: Yep. Since I was two. My parents are from Minnesota (friendly genes) and they moved here and raised me and my two sisters here. Seeing the trees and mountains blew them away. They instilled in us a deep love and respect for nature, literature and art. My interests in exploring intimacy in my art are not a diversion from this, I feel that to be in love with nature and intimacy is to be truely alive.

TJN: It’s one of my great muses too.

Some of your images, I want them to be much larger. Do you choose intimately sized images based on the location in which they are shown, or does size not really matter when it comes to your subject matter?

ML: Sure, this suite of photos should be large scale. Budget, location and saleability were the primary reasons for the Amusement shows’ small scale. Holiday gifts!

TJN: One of my best friends in the whole world is Kim Airs of Grand Opening, do you know her? She’s been up to quite a bit since we met back in the 80’s.

ML: Kim Airs! She’s great! I have yet to make it to her store! We have an email/phone relationship. She carried The Operation. We have lots of friends in common.

TJN: We go waaaayyy back. Can you say anything about your boy series that you did at Good Vibrations (Kim did an internship there before she opened her shop many moons ago)?

ML: MANWICH! I am basically a fag. I am obsessed with Freddie Mercury. I love the film Myra Breckenridge with Raquel Welch!

My inner personality is 50% Freddy and 50% Racquel!

Manwich was my first series of pin-ups of men. They are all Portland friends. I thought it would be more difficult to come up with ideas as had always done heavily art-directed situations with women, putting on lingerie or lounging around it sumptuous situations. The guys were actually a breeze, they had less issues about their physical appearance which allowed me to stay focused on my interpretations of their personality. I’m inspired by Bob Mizer and James Bidgood.

TJN: Marne, we have too much in common. One of my favorite films of all time is Pink Narcissus (I have the DVD if you ever wanna come over and watch it)!!! I had a huge teenage crush on Freddie myself (all that leather and hair!). In fact, Queen Live Killers (1979) was the first ever cassette tape I ever owned. And my old friend Thom Fitzgerald made this great film called Beefcake some years back, have you seen it?

ML: Yes we have loads in common! I would love to see Pink Narcissus, I love Bidgood’s use of simple, stagey props, a glittery cave wall, some fur, a big gold telephone, lots of buns…

TJN: Indeed, the larger cultural history of bling! You are shooting local studs! I did not know that, I’d love to flip through those images to see if there are . Artists and friends as centerfolds. It’s a bit like what Jeff Koons did with Cicciolina. Once upon a time, one lesser thing known about me, I did theatrical lighting for Annie Sprinkle once. Recently, I was doing an interview with Andrew McKenzie (The Hafler Trio) and connected back up with her to share some of her history (they were lovers once). As a sex activist, are you familiar with her work?

ML: I heart Annie Sprinkle! She and Sharon Mitchell are my porn moms. Candida Royalle is like my porn sister. These women have been so supportive of my work and the work of the now defunct non-profit Danzine, who I volunteered for and served on their advisory board. The sex worker community has heightened my awareness about a socially marginalised group of people. Sex workers and drug users are in our families, they are our friends and should be cared for publically.

TJN: Anything you want to share with our captive audience about today, tomorrow, next week?

ML: Activism, humor, nature, intimacy. That’s what I am about, that is what my work is about.

TJN: Shall old acquaintances be forgot? Any resolutions?

ML: Oh heavens no! I tend to be the one to hold up both ends of long acquaintanceships, wondering if it’s really worth it. But many acquantances are gracefully just that: not close friends and it’s ok that you have grown into -or- out of things in common. Sometimes acqauintances will transform into deep friends once I run into them abroad or out of town as you have a new context together. Portland is overwhelming in it’s social scale; it’s easy to want to avoid art openings or cultural events because of the sheer numbers of people to make small talk with. I prefer one on one conversations, but I’ve learned how to chit chat as I have always tended bar for a living and have art shows to be at. I find that old acquaintances show up in your life and give you a good laugh or new perspective on something, usually around the time you have just removed them from your email list or address book! (laughs)

From the Island of the Gods it was Jesse Paul Miller, who was recently featured in a piece covered on Art-To-Go by Regina Hackett of the Seattle Post Intelligencer who mentioned the Puri Ubud Royal Cremation Ceremony in Bali to me. I will be doing a podcast with him at a later date, but in the meantime, the NY Times (watch the slideshow which includes some lovely gamelan/chanting) covered this most high of events just two days ago (and Miller was there alongside 1000+ others to act as witness). The largest scale of its kind in decades, participating in such an act is very much encouraged in this ritual setting (see Bali Blog). Afterall, the whole scene is quite an occasion, filled with exaltation and circumstance, pagentry and common ground - the human spirit. Though such a crowd gathers to watch, if you follow the procession to the actual cremation, correct dress is essential.

The Independent had this to say:

“Crowds lined the streets and swarmed into the cemetery to watch as the bodies of Tjokorda Gde Agung Suyasa, who was head of the Ubud royal palace, and fellow royal, Tjokorda Gede Raka, were carried along Ubud’s main thoroughfare to the cremation site on enormous, carved bamboo and wood towers.” (Sara Webb in Indonesia)

One cheeky blog, which will go unnamed, called the sacred affair “Monty Pyron’s Flaming Circus, or, Bali Fl’ai”. As a lifelong Indonesio-phile (the music, people, bright attire, etc.) I see things differently, and very much like similar celebrations in Mexico, death is a time of jubilation and reflection. There are additional photos on Flickr™ to view from your vantage point, this side of the Pacific.

A new book by Peter Gidal about one of the most fascinating (and banal) films of all time. The first time I saw this film was around 1985-86 under the care of Saul Levine’s sublime film classes (also included intros to Anger, Jack Smith maybe even Russ Meyer and others). At 20 years old I was most certainly affected by the mystery of what the lens avoided moreso than what it caught. What a revolutionary angle on sexuality!

As the story goes: “Andy Warhol’s Blow Job, made at the Factory in New York in 1964, is a masterpiece of the complexities of voyeurism and duration…. In this important book, the influential film-maker and writer Peter Gidal shows how Blow Job is a film about film, about time and also about mortality. Gidal places Blow Job within a history of works by artists, including Duchamp and Velázquez, that directly affect the viewer, enacting a pattern of recognition and loss that constitutes the experience of perception itself.”

INFO
Download his 1st-ever recording @ No Longer Forgotten Music….

 

 Roel Meelkop [30:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Beyond Trend: How To Innovate An Overdesigned World
by Matt Mattus [ How Books/F+W Publications ]

It’s out and about in a spiffy hardcover, with an official ISBN # and all that jazz. M_US__EUM, the editioned work I made w/Scott Wayne Indiana appears in the chapter entitled The Excellence Imperative alongside the very good company of Zaha Hadid and Rinzen among others. Author Matt Mattus has done a very detailed job making this both an interesting read and lovely to look at (maybe they’ll do a t-shirt design of the book jacket!). The book is available at Amazon.com and finer bookstores worldwide.

Yeah, it just blew by. But was filled with more than hot/thin air.

The weekend kicked off with a fantastic opening of the 4th Annual Juried Exhibition at Newspace Center for Photography. What made the evening particularly special for me was the artists in attendance, and especially those traveling distances to be there. Alia Malley came from Los Angeles, Jasper Sanidad came up from San Francisco, Joshua Kim (of the soon-to-be-closing Rake) was in town taking a break from his studies in London, and Oaklander Uri Korn who was in the first Newspace Annual in 2005 (curated by Terry Toedtemeier) stopped by after his opening with others in Universal Grammar, over at Gallery Homeland. Even Olympian (WA, that is) Daniel Baron and his family stopped by to join us from his own powerful solo show A Numb Hinge that was opening simultaneously blocks away at Pushdot.

BACKGROUND/PROCESS: Curating this survey-style group show was an extremely difficult process. First of all, I looked at over 320 electronic portfolios of work (practical, but far from my favorite way to look at work). Then having to cull down to what I anticipated to be only 25 works maximum seemed a bit daunting. Why? Well, there was a lot of really strong work submitted. There were several other layers of elements and reasons that made weeding out ‘the best’ psychically challenging. I will tell you this, my first pass was to remove anything that was overly Photoshopped…oh yes. Unless that seems the point. But I did turn away some powerful work. My own standards stopped me from ever looking at resumes or pedigree, unless I knew of the photographer by way of looking. Though I have to say I was only privy to about three photographers chosen in the end.

Secondarily, there are always portfolios which seem oddly suspect, lets say I get a sneaking suspicion that they are perhaps looking too much like a batch of stock imagery - so I weigh that and then wave some of those goodbye as well. In this batch, I actually received one that fit this description - perfect studio lighting, though with obscure subject matter - so this portfolio slipped to the next round, but didn’t make the final cut. But, honestly, one of the images in its contents still is emblazoned in my head. Critical thinking shuts down after a few hours running high speed, so intermittent breaks were factored in heavily over the course of a few weeks while I labored my decision. The final four rounds became more and more difficult, and rejecting portfolios by several colleagues who I know and respect is a hard process too - but I had to face that demon. And a handful of these folks are museum worthy. But I was searching for an overall sense of something that brought the whole thing together. Disparate images from many outlying places, stylistically spread thickly over cultures and cities in and outside my normal radar. Perhaps I sought something ‘new’…if there is some such. Perhaps I was looking for anything I have never seen..or that reminisces of something I’ve only seen in passing. A spirit of a moment I would have wanted to capture myself - but didn’t? The mind whirs.

After the fact, I realized I told many people that night that I had never curated a solely photo-based show before, but after some backtracking I realize that’s not true. I curated an exhibition called Stratum back in ‘03 at Soundvision that featured Julie Orser, Dan Burke (aka Illusion of Safety), Donald Jones (aka htur), Barbara Loomis, and Martina Verhoeven (who visited from Belgium with her partner Dirk, aka vidnaObmana, who played at the gallery). This show caught the attention of, among others, the curator of the Galveston Art Center and then director of LACMA who was in town for a conference (and sold quite well, btw). I dug further back into another few shows I curated and realized that in ‘02 I also put together disembodied.reconfigured with three photographers Bruce Eves (Toronto), Chris Komater (San Francisco) and Ira Tattleman (Washington, DC). I even assisted in curating a solo exhibition of work by photographer Kimba Kuzas called Dark Ages around that time. So, a dim light must have went off in my head.

Suffice to say, coming out of the process, having selected 37 photographers, was more than I thought we could chew within the modest confines of Newspace, but I think we pulled it off, and several folks have responded most favorably. So, there. And, phew!

Right now I do not have any curatorial projects in the works, but they become my babies, incubating warmly, until ready to be hatched. I have said many times in the past that curation is an art form in and of itself, and I stick by that statement. It’s as if you are able to use the work of others to form an installation, and most of this comes from looking, editing, re-arranging, making changes, placement, and making some form of statement - visual or literary. It’s very creative and fun, very frustrating and time-consuming, and in the end, as a curator, you are responsible for making many things ‘look good’ or sewing common threads, or drawing conclusions. I like the idea of ‘drawing’ in this context. Points of reference, all connected by some invisible line….

The remainder of the weekend included the usual escape from the heat, the cinema! I managed to head out to movies to balance for the lack of general cultural content as of late - making up for the b-movies mentioned last week. This time around we witnessed three very, very different documentaries (which we both seem to dig). These included: Gonzo, The Life & Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Derek, and the world premiere of Adam Cornelius’ People Who Do Noise (now available on DVD). The latter was made here in Portland, covering a range of regional folks working in the genre including better known (as far as the underground allows) Smegma and Daniel Menche. Newer practitioners like God and the Yellow Swans are also among those featured (many in the seats around me). It was a packed, near sold house at the Clinton last night. With decades of an international sound community out there, using sound as a medium of one’s personal madness, it was about time to see a film that captures the latest spirit of the apocalyptic (aptly described by several in the film as ‘punk’). The catharsis spent by many of the performers personifies a collective subconscious of how people simply make noise to be heard, with or without the need for the mainstream. The film drove its point in way deep.

The film about Hunter S. Thompson, who almost expectedly took his own life back in ‘05, is a solid and revealing piece about this man’s singular poetic (and calculatingly manipulative) vision of the state of the state. His gripping words often cut hard into the core of American politics with no one ever attempting to fill his shoes prior or to date. He was simultaneously unafraid, and comfortably numb. The film is a beautifully cast gem.

Lastly, I was disappointed to only see a dozen seats filled at PAM’s Whitsell Auditorium (the prior evening was slow as well) for the mostly untold story of one of the great filmmakers of the last century during the run of the series Of Angels and Apocalypse: The Cinema of Derek Jarman. After all, it was a hot Saturday night, and the cool theater offers much of a respite in these matters. However, I was far from disappointed at the loving ode of a film it is. The series runs through month’s end and includes most of Jarman’s must-see work, in particular, the graceful The Last of England (1987) and the rarely screened Wittgenstein (1993) and The Angelic Conversation (1985). The new film Derek by Isaac Julien (and starring the phenom & Academy Award Winner® Tilda Swinton who also wrote, narrated and produced the picture) is a great snapshot of a British artist and activist whose solitary vision was a testament to the times we are now living in.

—–

In conclusion, I have also been out and about to view some shows around town including luminous and eye-popping work by both Jaq Chartier (Elizabeth Leach) and slightly more optical and completely gorgeous John Dempcey (Augen), layered floral landscapes by Tamara English (Mark Woolley), and the group show about food (PDX Contemporary), and also the cryptically flowing stark pieces appearing in Brian Borrello’s Ars Brevis, Vita Longa (Pulliam Deffenbaugh) (these must be getting much more expensive to produce - double wink!). I also want to leave you with one thought I had as I emerged from a dream after seeing the current show at NAAU:

Jacqueline Ehlis’ Serenade can suitably be described as unpainting, that exists in the recesses between the fine lines of works by Koons to Duchamp. Her use of color emits light outside the confines of its format, making for a hybrid between the spatial relationship of the flat plane and the gallery itself.

And I also made it to see owner Wid Chambers’ exhibition at his epynomous Chambers Gallery, titled Urban Forest. With new director Martha Morgan now at the helm, this is the final show at its current location before they move to the Pearl District this Fall. Chambers has used the exhibition space as his ‘canvas’ to build out a completely enchanted digital forest from prefabricated plywood and projections of tree-lined green space. Here distancing (or making ‘convenient’ for) the viewer to avoid real time wilderness within the assumed safe setting of the white box, opting for the outside indoors. It’s smartly sarcastic, though would offer a better viewing experience in a more controlled, much darker space. Speaking of galleries moving on…in one month Portland is losing Small A, Rake and Tilt Gallery & Project Space (and tight lipped rumors run amok about a few others who may not see the light of the end of Summer). In the past several years many have come and gone (remember Alysia Duckler, Margo Jacobsen, S.K. Josefsberg, Field Gallery, Savage?). Would combining efforts and assets help? How does this speak of the future or of the longevity for the average gallery - and of the scene in Portland? Will attempts like the grassroots, interdisciplinary efforts of both galleryHomeland and the soon-to-be re-re-emerging Disjecta take the reigns and place for much of the exhibition venue needs in the area? Does quality prevail and quantity only divide a community? Is romancing the current cultural tourist model enough? So many questions, so lil’ time. Ommmmm……

Our big sister city to the North has just released the inaugural issue of City Arts, a new model magazine that I hope catches fire down yonder. With the economy slump, in my opinion, folks like publisher Terry Coe and staff are part of the new ‘walk the talk’. In a burgeoning cultural tourism-based city like Portland I’m sure we can do it. Think of combining the efforts of PDX Magazine, Portland Spaces and a little dash or Art Papers, add a snappy title like The Incubator (or something even more clever and probably a bit more ‘civic’) and voila! I haven’t seen the magazine yet, but am planning a quick trip up to Seattle soon. Now, just imagine good writing about and a glossy with the wonderful mugs of Jacqueline Ehlis, MK Guth, Storm Tharp or Ellen George gracing the cover? Once again: “this is the time, and this is the record…of the time.