Mama never said don't Sculpt with your food

Bubble Gum Sculpture of Man Falling

Bubble gum Sculpture of fox

Pewter Saltine crackers NEVER GO STALE :D

I wanna buy these so cool

Last but not least chocolate skull looks ancient

1st thursday AppleStore MacBook Air Window display

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utARFJJ-Zk0

display of ready made objects fills up the windows of the apple store downtown

the balloons may look like latex or rubber but They're probably made of plastic

the paint used is what completes this illusion there are 35 balloons or rather balloon like sculptures. Thin strings hold one of the balloons up along with a MacBook Air this makes it look like the balloon is floating away with the MacBook Air. This display was put together to celebrate the launch of the new macbook air. While this is a ready made sculpture the macBook Air is a mix between a subtractive and additive sculpture. It' subtracive in the fact that apple carves the aluminum case out of a block of aluminum instead of bending aluminum sheets into shape they say that makes their macBook more sturdy. Then is additive because the put in the electronic components, LCD screens and the plastic buttons that make up the keyboard. There's as well a nice contrast between the balloons curvilinear structure and the MacBook air's rectilinear structure.

NPR article on solitary bees

I thought I would share this article on a somewhat recently discovered bee, that instead of building giant hives, these bees live alone and make small nests out of flower petals and nectar which is the home for a single egg until it is an adult.





Here is a link to the article in case anyone is interested:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126556246



-Veva Campeau

First Thursday - Gallery 903 Pasha Stinson

It was an adventure to wander the pearl and into every block seemed nestled at the very least two galleries with open doors. Although I had difficulty finding attractive three-dimensional pieces I found myself standing in awe inspired by the large canvases that depicted surrealist/impressionist scenery that seemed to grow into three-dimensional space and the shiney, glossy, and metallic textures that caught my eyes that wandered and searched for something good to like at. One of the more intriguing 3D pieces I found was this 4-foot freestanding basalt sculpture with a flat bronze base by Pasha Stinson. A small blemish or imperfection was what initially caught my attention. Between the canyon of negative space a small spider had built a web. Immediately I was reminded of a cave I was in on the Oregon coast. Looking through the intricately carved ridges I would have seen waves crawling up the shore. Instead, I could see a perfectly plain white wall except for the presence of the humble spider, which I must say really made the piece for me. The presence of life made it seem like something that had grown out of the ground, the way I would imagine the monolith from 2001 A Space Odyssey. The way the ridges were carved to compose the negative space appears natural by taking perfection away from the piece and making it asymmetrical and adding variety. Another thing I liked about this piece was that the negative space is obviously the focal point. The anterior had dominance with it's smooth, polished basalt surface while looking through the negative space provided a much softer, more inviting texture that was less refined and lead to the posterior. Viewing this piece from the back made me feel like I was looking at a sheet of rock that had fallen away, even though the mark making and general form of the piece suggested it was purposefully modified.

Farewell To Orpheus

The sculpture I found was an installment within a fountain in the Park Blocks next to Cramer Hall of Portland State University. Farewell To Orpheus, by Frederic Littman in 1968, is a cast bronze sculpture depicting a reclining woman, her hand outstretched towards something in the distance. She’s lying back, or floating, through what looks to be branches. But given that the sculpture is meant to be surrounded by water, one can assume that she may be floating through seaweed. Currently, there is no water surrounding the statue. The sculpture has a definite sense of movement, almost as if the depicted woman is floating away from where she looks with her hand outstretched. The texture of the cast bronze adds to the effect of making one believe that perhaps this sculpture is meant to be viewed as underwater. Rather that having smooth and definite lines and form, the bronze has an uneven surface that almost looks like smoothed over boiling liquid.

-Enrico Macias-Zepeda

First Thursday: Brent Ozaeta (Chambers @ 916)

The artist Brent Ozaeta has his installation Introverted Floating World available for viewing at the Cambers @ 916 gallery through February 26th, 2011. These are silkscreened prints on wood panels measuring 62.5” by 42” and silkscreened paper measuring 11x14.

At first glance, the prints could easily be dismissed for their largely abstract patterns, difficult to recognize content and lack of color variation. But it is exactly when these elements have been parsed and understood to be present that the works take on a complexity worthy of examination.

Not being of Asian influence it is difficult for me to identify cultural references. One figure is in the style of anime. Others are more representational of the human form. Some can be disturbing. In one print girls appear to be performing surgery on a man’s face. Another figure appears with head in hands while framed by line and patterns. The choice of pink, a sometimes gentle, loving color, is a strong juxtaposition. Even the three smaller prints also available for viewing do not escape a conflicting depiction. The central image, like the others, is dominated by intricate flowers and abstract patterns. What appears to be the joyous movement of children through this landscape is accompanied by checkered patterns completely eliminating facial features.

Many of the abstract patterns of the the three large panels have a repeating pixelated design. A nod to our digital age. These are largely geometrically fractured and layered as if collaged together to build a uniform piece. Pink is woven, imposed on and hidden under a sea of black. In the smaller prints black has been replaced by a dark red and more naturalistic patterns and representations.

Ozaeta’s work possess mystery, by the artist’s own admission and intent. This quality is well executed and holds the viewer’s attention. One can place themselves into the mood or an interpretation of the visuals. The patterns and mystery combine to create a jumping off point before descending into a Rorschach test.

Jeremy Wenrich

Website Share:Haute Nature

Check out this interesting website HAUTE NATURE. All about reusable and sustainable design. Even some cool 3-D DIY projects.

-Kristen Petsche

Michael Welsh, Where Are You Taking Me? 2010, Mixed medium sculpture (wood, found objects, foam, sugar) 40 x 18 x 15 inches.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFAt-OsdWzT7wYlD5vzxSHUUJsdX_OXIKL9b1pBjHO527A5QgA4P5K1cV6KGjZNYitc4ZsuTgDx-Fmu2fB1_X5JYg6kc00zEPSZtoa0dS1RcIZibK8kIgy9TLmd4Tr5wIhl5toPB4rtc/s1600/Mwelsh1.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgat1E8iNr-Ihyphenhyphen2VKOFdcdMXja6SqFa6QQZoOKhhT-SLvuxNo5Mqk3EeRJGnEURThkYrAWx2_pOVIa7PkGUEbiRjLEb1GoE8u_G_Lz6seZjIUuNDG0JBlkHN3w_WBafglzT0TDIfs_n1NA/s1600/Mwelsh1detail.jpg

 Michael Welsh is an MFA Visual Studies candidate at Pacific Northwest College of Art, his art can usually be spotted in the back of the Feldman Gallery. It is easily recognizable, typically it includes bright colors, a mixture of found objects and words between heavily layered paint. It is clearly inspired by the Dada movement, Jean-Michelle Basquiat and the push for “conceptuality” in contemporary art. It is not clear whether in his work he is attempting to mimic the forefathers or debase their credibility. Either way, Michael Welsh current exhibition includes work that includes readymade sculptures, as well as paintings.
 I found Where Are You Taking Me? to be particularly interesting. This is a mixed media sculpture, assembled from wood, found objects, foam and sugar. The first identifiable object in this piece happened to be a gray hooded sweatshirt, with a t-shirt that hints at being an Iron Maiden concert souvenir. This sculpture contains the surprising element of having melted foam dripped on top of the wooden torso, the white of the foam is shaped in the form of the missing head of the figure. His work is humorous, it is sprinkled with sugar on top. The main objective of the artist aims at being conceptual-based. The title of the sculpture, as well as the form, suggest a profound story, which is not revealed clearly. Overall, Walsh’s assemblage exhibits the attempt to question art, with his usage of unusual methods. 

Yevgenia Tsveleva

Tiny Coffee Cup

My tiny coffee cup at Food for Thought!

-Kristen Petsche

Silver Dawn by Manuel Izquierdo

For this first Thursday assignment I didn’t make it to any galleries, but I walk past this strange sculpture from Wallace Park quite a bit and figured that it would do. This three dimensional piece was created by Manuel Izquierdo in 1980 and it is titled Silver Dawn. It’s measurements are about nine feet wide, and including the base about six feet tall. It is made from a silver metal, although I am not exactly sure what. To me it appears to be a giant seal or walrus, but because of the name, only having one eye, and only three possible legs it makes me unsure as to what it really is. The negative and positive spaces are really interesting, the large rather geometric forms seem to draw the most attention, for me anyways.

Izquierdo was born in Madrid, Spain in 1925 and came to America in 1942. He received his BFA at the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon and went on to stay to study more and work in Portland. He was mainly a sculpture but also was well known for working in woodcutting and was later an emeritus professor at PNCA. He has done many other public art pieces in Portland including The Dreamer which I believe someone else did their previous first Thursday assignment on. Manuel Izquierdo passed away in July of 2009.

-Amy Grider

Zoobomb Pyle

The bicycle sculpture across the street from the Burnside and 10th is something that I pass all the time. Every time I look at it and think how interesting it is. It makes sense that someone would make a sculpture out of bikes here in this city. The sculpture is called the Zoobomb Pyle and was created by Brian Borello, Vanessa Renwick and the Zoobombers.

The bike sculpture is composed of several children's bicycles of varying colors and sizes. There is a large group of bikes clumped together at the bottom and mounted on a concrete base. At the top of the pole there is one golden bike. It reminded me of a Christmas tree. In the bottom clump, the wheels and handlebars are all sticking out at different angles. The clump at the bottom creates a feeling of weight and mass, but there is also plenty of negative space. The sculpture could be viewed as allegorical, it tells the story of the great kiddie bike king of the hill.

To me, it is a colorful, joyous, and an interesting composition. It looks as though a bunch of kids decided to make a pyramid with their bicycles. Every time I pass it I feel as if I want to ride my bike down the hill and park it next to the rest as an offering.

Richard

Totem

Totem
By Travis Pond
Made of 100% recycled metal from motorcycles and guns

" This totem represents not what we should worship,but what we do" - Travis Pond

I have chosen this sculpture, because it has several things that appeal to me. First is is a fabricated, additive sculpture, made of 100% of recycled metal from motorcycles and guns. Second, The craftsmanship on this piece is incredible. Finally each character of the totem looks like some kind of bug. It is one of the sculptures on the street in Lake Oswego. I an unsure when it was constructed.

The artist has very strong feelings that our society is worshiping the wrong things. A totem, which represents Native American spiritual worship is used to show that our mindset has changed. The composition has a variety of colors, and definite mass as this piece stands over 20 feet tall. It is the size of an actual totem-pole. As for construction, each piece was cut and welded together to form shapes as intricate as eyes. Some of the characters seems to have expressions on their faces. Each character has a full detailed body with arm and legs, faces and complete bodies.

I think that this totem is a great reminder of how obsessed our society is with things, and when they are of no more use to us they are thrown away. I really enjoy seeing art made from recycled items. Waste is such a huge problem, and to see garbage turned into something beautiful is important as a reminder to reduce our garbage and reuse as much as we can, also that you can make art from anything, you just need imagination.

Teresa Neal

Fragile Future by Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn

I love this piece I saw at the Carpenter's Workshop Gallery in London by Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn. The top picture is a detailed picture that I took myself and to show the entire art piece, I've included the second picture from their website. This piece was part of a series called "Fragile Future" and is entitled Fragile Future 3.9. It is 25 in x 8 in x 8 in and made of real dandelion seeds, bronze, LED lights, and plexiglass. The designers glued actual dandelion seeds on to LED lights and call them "clocks" to remind the viewer of the passing of time. The piece is meant to combine nature and science to show the need for equilibrium between the two.

This freestanding piece is an abstract construction of bronze in a geometric shape meant to resemble a circuit board. The right angles create invisibles planes throughout the piece. Plexiglass encloses the dandelion clocks and bronze, drawing attention to the negative space created by the bronze. The uniform angles in the bronze structure and the repetition in scattering of the dandelion clocks create movement throughout the artwork. Although there is variety in the pattern of the bronze and dandelion clocks, the usage of the two materials and uniform shapes add to the simplicity and unity of the design. There is contrast between the two materials used in the piece. The texture in the dandelion clocks is light and airy in comparison to the sleek bronze. There is also value contrast between the materials. The dandelion seeds combined with the LED lights are especially bright and the bronze is dark.

The piece is stunning in real life and the dandelion clocks are created with such care and made to scale to resemble actual dandelions. They look delicate and soft and this is accentuated by the glow of the LED light. The juxtaposition of the organic dandelion clocks and the convoluted angular pattern of the dark bronze really achieves the message of the designers, that nature and science are dependent on each other and can create a perfect marriage in equilibrium.

-Vivian Hsu

First Thursday

I really enjoyed my visit to First Thursday. There seemed to be a lot more going on at this one compared to the previous First Thursday. For instance the Portland Auto Show was in town this weekend and as a result, there was a small auto show in the middle of the main strip in the Pearl featuring many classic cars and motorcycles. Although I enjoyed looking at all the cars and bikes, the piece I chose for this week’s assignment was from a gallery. I somehow forgot to check for the title of the piece and the name of the gallery it was in. The piece itself was either a couch-side table or small coffee table. On all the visible surface of the table was a dense foggy glass that almost looked like it was plastic. The glass was cut into square sections and there were lines on the glass that made the top of the table look like some sort of grid. Protruding from the glass were pairs of small copper wires. The wires were coming out of holes in the glass and were equally spaced from one another. From afar the wires looked like wavy hair that would be seen on a balding man. Up close, the wires and glass reminded me of what c4 or a bomb would look like. The whole piece had this strong feeling of danger. I also liked the fact that the artist took away the main purpose of the piece’s original form. It looks as if the piece can no longer function as a coffee table. I liked how the piece was presented; it was placed in front of a couch as if to look like an ottoman. That thing would be a really uncomfortable ottoman.

Jordan

Trillium

Every summer I always hang out at George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego. As you walk down to the waterfront you see this very large, dynamic sculpture by Matt Cartwright named “Trillium.” It is made out of powder coated steal pipe and flat bar powder coated aluminum. The sculpture has two functions, an art piece and a place to sit. It is a large scale flower with strong lines. A sense of rhythm is created through shape, the same shape of the petal is seen throughout in the leaves and the petals. The sculpture shows a good representation of positive and negative space that is created by the thick lines adjacent to the contour of the petal that separates the shape. There is a sense of heaviness on the top and bottom of the sculpture where the petals and leaves are located, but the proximity between them is not very close. The center of the flower is a bright red in contrast to the white of the flower petals, making it the focal point. The leaves and petals both radiate from the stem with symmetrical balance. The petals are all symmetrical in shape and size, but the leaves have a progressive movement of small to large around the stem, but keeping the same shape. I think the use of the sculpture is very creative, since it is in a park it was smart to have it be interactive by being able to use it as a bench.

Nancy Clough, "Spirits of Light"

This sculpture is a piece by nancy Clough name "Spirits of Light". It is formed out of steel and bronze and was created at Marylhurst University. It now resides in downtown Lake Oswego in front of an apartment building. This sculpture is freestanding on top of a pedestal that looks as though it is covered with a bronzed cloth. The form consists of three implied bodies stacking on top of each other. the implied bodies would make this figurative; referring to human form or shape. The illusion of these bodies bending and flipping over one another creates an alternating rhythm and a flowing eye line for the viewer. I feel as though the was the characters are interacting and consciously supporting one another creates a sense of unity. This is a unity that is continuous and harmonious. Personally, I really enjoy this sculpture. I like how it is presented to the audience and what the given name in reference to the visual leads the viewer to believe it represents.

"First Thursday Post" by Matthew Lewallen

In downtown Portland there is a white sculpture in large proportions, located by the Standard Insurance Building (formerly the Georgia-Pacific Building; and is located on 900 S.W. Fifth Avenue). It is titled “The Quest” and was created by Count Alexander von Svoboda in the year 1970. “The Quest" (also known as the "Three Groins in a Fountain" by locals) consists of a group of five nude figures, the dimensions of each being five times larger than life. This is a masterpiece carved from a single, 200 ton, block of white Pen telic Greek marble. The inspiration behind the work is Michelangelo. It was quoted from the artist: "It depicts the growth of today and tomorrow and the awakening to the future. I wanted to have complete contrast between this piece of sculpture and the Georgia-Pacific Building. The sculpture is designed to lead the beholder to look towards the middle of the building and then up."( quoted from http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/13852)

The reason I chose to research this sculpture, was because I have always be fascinated with it since childhood. I also wondered what the message behind it was.

Orphan Drug: New work from Dunja Jankovic and Derek Bourcier, MK Gallery, PSU campus, Feb 2011

-Matt Hall

Dunja Jankovic’s installation is the first thing you notice when entering “Orphan Drug,” the new show at PSU’s MK Gallery. One wall is covered with a large painting comprising large geometric shapes in red, black and white, with no shading or blending of colors. The remnants of an early painted-over version are clearly visible. I believe this was a deliberate decision to let us, as viewers, experience the process, and maybe a statement of the artist’s intent, as in “this art is not precious.”

In front of the painted wall, about 20 or so balloons hang from the ceiling or float from the floor on fishing line. This use of a common, mundane surface reinforces the impermanent, nonfussy aesthetic of the show. I talked with the artist about the process. She carefully unties and refills the balloons as they start to go flat. She also mentioned having to try three kinds of paint before finding one that wouldn’t flake off as the balloons expanded. All are painted in the same red, black and white color scheme of the wall. Most have similar bold geometric designs, somewhat reminiscent of the Native American art of the Northwest Coast, while others have thin, squiggly marks, almost like a Miró painting. Jankovic has developed her own pleasing visual vocabulary, with repeated motifs but also a restless experimentation. I enjoyed watching visitors bob their heads around and through the spaces between balloons.

A short musical performance accompanies the show, consisting of what seemed like tape loops and samples run through cheap guitar effect pedals. Although I found the performance interesting, I’m not sure how it is supposed to relate to the visual works.

Derek Bourcier’s work occupies the space behind the mural wall. Three ink-jet prints of a lost dog poster hang in frames. Connected to the pictures is a thin tube that slowly pumps water into the frames. Over time the ink runs and distorts the images. Three red towels collect the water as it drips through the frames and onto the floor. Bourcier told me he is influenced by the way posters decay in the Portland rain. His work just barely qualifies as 3-D, but I thought I would write about it here because he has found a way to introduce time and chance as elements in visual art.

Jankovic and Bourcier share a similar lack of concern for permanence and the more fussy aspects of craftsmanship. They both seem to have developed a compelling visual vocabulary. Jankovic through the particular personality of her mark-making and Bourcier through surrendering to chance.

Split Ring Outside Portland Art Museum

 

The piece I looked at this month is Split Ring,  a piece done by Clement Meadmore that sits outside of the Portland Art Museum. It is a massive steel sculpture, what Meadmore is known for. He began his career as a aeronautical engineer and studied industrial design and designed furniture for several years before he began making welded sculptures. 

Split Ring is a minimalistic sculpture, a work stripped down to its most fundamental features. It is comprised of only one material as far as we can see, and one main shape. There are implied lines that seem to flow from both ends of the Split Ring, extending out and around in the same way that the ring is formed, into a 360 degree circle. 

Although we can assume that the texture of the steel was different when Split Ring was installed at this location, the wear that has taken place over the years actually gives the sculpture a more interesting texture, and a more natural quality. This is an interesting juxtaposition between the industrial quality of steel and the more humanistic association of rain and dirt that have coated the sculpture unevenly and add more visual interest.

The circular shape of the sculpture also brings a warmth to the piece, as a circle often represents such things as the cycle of life and the connected nature of all things. Visually and rationally it brings a sense of unity to the viewer. The textures and dark color of the piece are a high contrast to the brick wall and foliage surrounding it. 

It is clear that Meadmore paid special attention to the negative space left between the even planes of the two sides of rings. This careful consideration created a beautifully welded sculpture which will live on along with many others placed around the United States and the world long after his passing.

Metal Canvas! From Devan