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Guernica as you have never seen it before thanks to Lena Gieseke.

MAKE IT BRIGHT: It was fantastic to see The Nines Hotel for the first time last night. While strolling downtown in the passing snow it was a quick detour to the 8th floor above Macy’s. When the elevator doors part you are immediately engaged in an eyeful of warm yet eclectic design, deep tones and brilliant colors. From the rich wallpapers and draperies and the carpeting, bright paint and furnishings, there were so many surprises around every turn. Chaise lounges, chandeliers, separate rooms of glass, grande ballrooms surrounded in sightlines of long corridors and opulent heights in the lovely atrium. The whole place brings a whole lot of modern cosmopolitan to our fair city, appealing to those who are both laid back and fast-paced somehow through its variable components.

It was nice to be greeted by a monolith glass work, both front and back, in purplish ovals by Ellen George. With much gratitude to Paige Powell and team, throughout you will spy some powerful pieces by Brendan Clenagen, Hap Tivey, Philip Iosca, Matt McCormick, Yoshi Katai, Storm Tharp and others. Melody Owens’ three story glass light totem is the color of an igloo at dusk, just stunning as you descend a staircase of white marble. Sean Healy’s piece in the front lobby is comprised of large bobbly bling-like gems with a cameo etched upon a black ground. With the accompanying showroom dummies its a sly, disorienting sight to behold. The main restaurant is steakhouse Urban Farmer, is a contemporary set-up that looks like a hotel restaurant in Vegas or Palm Springs, although the menu didn’t boast a single vegetarian main course (lunch time offers good looking salads, however). The hotel is a marvel to behold from any angle, almost over the top but just restrained enough, and a great new asset to the visual arts hereabouts with one of the instantly largest new collections viewable by the public.

No, I mean, literally!
Marilyn Minter has to be one of my favorites these days.
Get your own...and check out others.

START THE PRESSES: Today in Portland the printing press comes to life with Prints for PICA, now in its 6th year! For the first time in three years I will sit this one out as I am working, but there’s every reason to stop by and support the organization that in turn gives you the TBA Festival. Taking place at TodayArt Studios, the home of my former studio (now housing Joe Thurston), some great artists are involved and its open to the public to purchase prints for a zany budget price of only $100 and $250. Here was my post about last year’s event.

©Daniel Bozhkov

[top to bottom]
Mike & Doug Starn
Elmgreen & Dragset
Miller & Shellabarger
Gilbert & George
McDermott & McGough
Dolce & Gabbana
Cagney & Lacey

I’m a big fan of the collaboration, and have enjoyed the esoteric innuendo of McDermott & McGough as much as the cheeze-whiz that once was Shields & Yarnell. But what makes these long-term combos work? In music you got the Pet Shop Boys and Daft Punk, and used to have the Capt. & Tennille, Donny & Marie and Hall & Oates, in film there’s the Brothers Quay and the Kuchars, and on and on. Some siblings, some lovers or friends, some exclusively professional relationships. Anyone who has worked together artistically knows the challenges, the compromise. Sometimes I wish I could wiretap the thoughts of those I’ve worked with while the creative process is in full bloom. Could you imagine what Warhol and Jack Smith were thinking when they made Batman/Dracula together? Incidentally that film, though thought to have been lost has been recently solely credited to Warhol, which brings up the whole subject of intellectual property.

Collaborator Scott Wayne Indiana and I certainly had a lengthy discussion about this when we collaborated on M_US__EUM back in mid ‘07. Though the collab literally started on a bar room napkin it’s been published in a book distributed worldwide, been collected by a prestigous dealer and will be showcased alongside artists Gregory Crewdson and Gordon Matta-Clark in an exhibition early next year. Perhaps what draws collaborators together is what talents or knowledge each person brings to the table, perhaps its by chance, or personality. Either which way is up, I hope more of these types of dynamic duos continue to emerge and shake the tree.

Aside from the quality brews + brats, five new large-scale photographs by Kirk Linder are now on view at Amnesia.

WHAT IS META FOR?: In a contemplative overview of afterthought, some important nuggets surface in the most refreshing review of .meta to date (closes today, 12-5PM). Art Scatter’s Barry Johnson opines through the thick of it.  ALSO: Don’t miss the fair mention of McMinnville’s quaint wine country featured in this week’s NY Times!

.meta: Unveil The Whole Picture

On view through tomorrow at Linfield Gallery/Miller Fine Arts Center. In the heart of McMinnville and wine country. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, 12-5PM. More information.

[ Above: Details from D.E. May, Jenevive Tatiana, Stephanie Robison, Scanner ]

If you’ve followed this artist’s career you’ve most certainly seen change, constant change. But Nayland Blake is an artist with a resolve that is often chock-full of satire and lop-sided brilliance. Along with Location One (26 Greene St, NY) they are about to embark on a 25-year survey of his work called Behavior. And the show will also deliver nightly with performative elements from guest artists including Zeena Parkins, Chris Cochran, Carolee Schneemann, Carmelita Tropicana, Rob Fitterman, Alyssa Wendt and others. Blake is represented by Matthew Marks Gallery. Opening on December 2 the show then runs through Valentine’s Day.

FINAL WK: While you are at it, you can still catch a glimpse of Blake’s stealth contribution to .meta before it closes its six-week run at Linfield College’s Miller Art Center. 3 More Viewing Days: 11/25, 28 + 29.

Do you remember her? I do. Especially after my most recent studio move, having come across a wonderful small booklet, Project Entitled “The Beginnings of a Complex” (1977, Printed Matter). Back then Alice Aycock was one of those truly unique, hybrid artists who bent and blended the bridge between architecture and some cosmic (con)fusion. She led you up stairs to nowhere, staging the impractical that looked all-purpose, but tricked initial audience perceptions by building things of substance and matter beyond patterns, maps and common sense. Even as she turns 62, retirement is hardly in her vocabulary after completing three major public works in the past few years. For all the weight her senior Frank Gehry throws around, I’d take an equal balance in this lady’s work any day of the week (half as blatant, double the fun). If the word ‘maverick’ wasn’t in excile in the moment it may be one of the few words that could sum up such an illustrious career, but instead I will let Tom Butter do it instead.

Art to Go is the online blog presence for Regina Hackett of the Seattle Post Intelligencer today giving a well-deserved nod to Harrison Higgs who is currently on view in the exhibition .meta through November 29th (five more viewing days). Check out his site. Enjoy!

Just Out features On Deck, tonight’s festivities organized by Complete Skate. Over 50 regional artists participate. See The Decks.

TALK TALK TALK: This Wednesday I will speak at Linfield College on behalf of the exhibition .meta on view through 11/29. A somewhat improv curatorial perspective on the eleven artists included in the exhibition. The talk will take place at Linfield Gallery, so if you haven’t had a chance to see the exhibition why not make a midweek excursion down to wine country…

November 12, 4PM: To reach the gallery from 99W, turn east on Keck Drive at the McMinnville Market Center in south McMinnville. Turn right at the first street onto Library Court. The art gallery is located in the second building on the left, Building B. Parking is available on the street and in the lot west of Nicholson Library (Campus Map).

Artists Space is the oldest arts non-profit in NY and a very worthy and venerable entity. And though with the economic climate as is most artists cannot think of affording the luxury of donating their efforts, it may be one of the few to consider, given the company you’ll keep. It’s an annual event called Night of 1,000 Drawings - and they most certainly pack ‘em in. Last year I participated in this event and a prestigious upper West Side private collector purchased my work. You can read more about the organization that also operates the Irving Sandler Online Artists File before you decide.

FAR FROM A CRAP SHOOT: Regina Hackett of the Seattle Post Intelligencer did a nice piece looking at this most important topic for our times, race and its representation in art. She chose to focus specifically on Jack Daws (above) and Nayland Blake (below), both whom are included in the exhibition .meta which I curated (on view through 11/29). The understatements (subtext) in both of these men’s ongoing work cannot be divorced from the overall message of their surfaces. It’s often only about the time you pair yourself with the objects and images they make until things start to fall into place.

A few years ago I made a unique large-scale photographic piece called blackpower which sold to a collector at Harvard University. In January I will reprise it as a smaller lightbox as part of a group exhibition at Beppu Wiarda curated by Leo Michelson. The piece was something of a summation of many years growing up during the years of bussing in what I might call a ‘white ghetto’ smack dab in the heart of 70’s Boston.

> I will give a gallery talk on .meta at Linfield College on 11/12 @ 4PM <

Someone out there must have said painting has nine lives after the 60’s. If not, I just did. And it comes without pomp or circumstance, but with lots of popularity, and questionable vs. sensational outcomes. Elizabeth Peyton’s Live Forever at the New Museum arrives. OK, it’s been already open for a month, and I haven’t seen it, probably won’t get a chance to either with my current budget. I thought I’d point out that just today(?) the addition of the above image of Michelle Obama was hung in the show (did she also paint a picture of Cindy McCain?). I think it’s interesting for a myriad of reasons, but I thought I’d put it up here to encourage you, dear reader, to chime in about what you think. And/or any thoughts about where painting is in general these days in your mindset, or what you might think of Peyton’s work overall. In the meantime, you can watch a slideshow of the work on view, and listen to a discussion between Peyton and curator Laura Huffman.

A PULSE: That said, a few amazing shows of painting open tonight in Portland that need mention:

Stephen Hayes‘ Sotto Voce @ Elizabeth Leach

Matthew Cosby’s Utmost Capacity @ Augen/Downtown

Storm Tharp’s Arm & Arm @ PDX Contemporary

Danny Keith @ Pulliam Deffenbaugh

A few single new images now available at NAAU. I’m fascinated by an inferred narrative when these are clustered. Perhaps that’s what makes Colorforms® so interesting to children (the selection, pairing process)?

TOP ROW:
LA_Sign I, LA_Sign II, unReal

MIDDLE ROW:
Me + My (#2/3 available), Snowblind, Lone

BOTTOM ROW:
(untitled) Pattern, As Above

Archival inkjet prints on Hahnemühle in editions of 3.

David Cronenberg speaks of Warhol’s films…

[courtesy of Ubu]

PS: New developments/comments of an earlier Warhol post “Close-up or Mugshot”….