This past weekend was the opening of my show at the De Santos Gallery in Houston.  Gemma and Luis de Santos hosted a vernissage dinner one night and a public opening the next night. Both were well attended.

During the opening weekend, Douglas Britt of the Houston Chronicle interviewed me about “Tempus Incognitus.”  On June 9th, the Houston Chronicle published the interview in their print edition, “Photographer Brad Carlile sheds new light on hotel rooms.”  the online version can be seen here.

The press release for the show is also online here.

Brad Carlile - Installation at De Santos Gallery

Show details:
When: now Through July 24, 2010
De Santos Gallery
1724 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77098
www.desantosgallery.com
Contact: Gemma de Santos,
info@desantosgallery.com

When asked to describe this new body of work, I often say, “Think Edward Hopper interiors awash in James Turrell colors with David Lynch directing.

“Tempus Incognitus” records the day’s transitional times and shows them existing concurrently. The Cubists painted individual scenes from several different perspectives at once. In this series, I photograph individual rooms at several different times of day from a single perspective during the course of 1-3 days.

In the coming posts I’ll write more about my thoughts on the physical, psychological, and emotional detachment of hotel rooms and other ponderings on this work.

Tom Cramer Lecture at Laura Russo in October 2009

Tom Cramer gave a artist lecture this past Saturday (17-Oct) at Laura Russo Gallery (805 NW 21st, Portland, OR) where he discussed his work in his current show. There was a lot of interaction and questions on a wide range of topics. A good-sized crowd heard and inspiring talk about Tom’s work and his influences.

Tom Cramer Lecture

Tom’s new rebellion… is leading a cause to be ultra positive in these times. This is not a blind positivism but a thoughtful positivism.

Tom Rebelling

Another part of this is a deep responsibility for all of us. He talked about his reading of Schopenhauer and the need for each of us to “Think for Yourself”

Tom Cramer & the front row

He is also rebelling against “1-liner” art. In my mind a lot of 1-liner art has jumped the shark. Life is richer than that.

Tom Cramer

Below are some random thoughts from the lecture:

Art is a verb.

Music activates other senses

Tom Cramer's Scent (detail)

Other influences… Heidegger, Blake, Pacific Rim artists, poets, writers, Maurer and many others.

Tom Cramer's Scent

Especially in America he wants more support for non-mediocracy.

…more images from the show in upcoming posts.  I’m behind on posting images from October’s First Thursday’s shows, I’ll try to catch up before long…

PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR) is showing Nell Warren’s new work.

Nell Warren Whale Song PDX Contemporary

Nell Warren - Brink - PDX Contemporary

Elizabeth Leach Gallery (17 NW 9th, Portland OR) is showing Portland Artist MK Guth who’s work was seen at the last Whitney Biennial. Here is a peak in the door, but you must go in!

MK Guth - Elizabeth Leach

SQFT is show Curated by TJ Norris you can see outside Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR) in the Fishbowl II – Window. It will be showing August 31 – September 26, 2009.

SQFT is a window-based, traveling exhibition of 2D works by 50 of the most innovative, emerging and established artists in the Northwest. It is intended as a showcase of where we are right now, and many works respond directly to the in-situ nature of being either on public display or behind glass.

Read more about it at my previous blog posting.

Brad Carlile - the race for kicks - SQFT

Inside the Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR) I liked Carol Benson’s painting in the back.

Carol Benson - The Internet is the Devil - Blackfish Gallery

Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR)

Rick Bartow - Arms Crossed Pow Wow - Froelick Gallery

Nine Gallery which is inside Blue Sky Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR) has an installation by Jiseon Lee Isbara called Accumulated.

Jiseon Lee Isbara - Accumulated - Nine Gallery

Jiseon Lee Isbara - Accumulated - Nine Gallery

Augen Gallery (716 NW Davis, Portland OR) was showing Andrew Young’s work.

Andrew Young - Untitled c 188 - Augen Gallery

Here was Port’s posting on first thursday recommendations for September.

Walking around Everett galleries we ran into Tom Cramer,w ho has a show at Laura Russo Gallery (805 NW 21st, Portland, OR) next month, check it out!

Jason Ehlers - All stumps go to heaven

Jason Ehlers - All stumps go to heaven

Erik Palmer had very impressive work.  The opening show had a scene that could have been filmed for movie, if you were there you know what I’m talking about.

Erik Palmer

Erik Palmer

Augen Gallery (716 NW Davis, Portland OR) was showing the amazing collages by Arless Day.

Arless Day - Sounds of Italy - Augen Gallery

Arless Day - The Dream Recreate - Augen Gallery

Laura Russo Gallery (805 NW 21st, Portland, OR) was showing Whitney Nye.

Whitney Nye - Vodopad - Laura Russo

Whitney Nye - Hit Singles - Laura Russo

Whitney Nye - Hit Singles (detail) - Laura Russo

Chambers Gallery @ 916 (916 Flanders, Portland OR) continues to have a good lineup of shows. In August & Sept it is Peter Halasz.

Peter Halasz - 7 Oblique Aerial View of Collapsed Section of the Broughton Flume Skamania Co, WA - 916 Chambers

Elizabeth Leach Gallery (17 NW 9th, Portland OR) wonderful paintings by Chester Arnold.

Chester Arnold - Afterword - Elizabeth Leach

Chester Arnold - The Fall - Elizabeth Leach

Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR) showed Kelly Kievit’s work.

Kelly Kievit - Taken at the Flood - Froelick Gallery

PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR) was showing Terry Toedtemeier’s images from around the Northwest.  I’ve love this one of the tracks.

Terry Toedtemeier - PDX Contemporary

Ogle Gallery (310 NW Broadway, Portland OR) was showing installation by Mike Bragg.

Mike Bragg Ogle

Nine Gallery which is inside Blue Sky Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR) has an installation by Kim Ray called Generation.

Kim Ray - Generation - Nine Gallery

Butters Gallery (520 NW Davis, 2nd flr, Portland OR) had a summer group show. Favs included: Monroe Hodder, Michael Kessler, Andrea Schwartz-Feit, and Annette Davidek.

Monroe Hodder - Saint Valentine - Butters Gallery

Annette Davidek - 35-06 - Butters Gallery

First I start out with the mandala-like photo of Christian Rogers, “His & Hers (Predominantly His)”.

Christian Rogers, His Hers (Predominantly His) Blackfish Gallery

Below is the detail from “His & Hers (Predominantly His)”  Here you get a better view of the lozenges that radiate out from the center.  Images so thin they meld in layers.

Christian Rogers, Detail His Hers (Predominantly His) Blackfish Gallery

Next is Patricia Patino, whose work “March 24″

Patricia Patino, March 24, Blackfish Gallery

Finally I loved this one by Leah Morris. Such a wondeful gift of poison for cut little bunnies.

Leah Morris, Gift, Blackfish Gallery

I also liked Sanna-Lisa Gesang-Gottowt “Everything Changes” and Caitlin Ducey “Shapes.”

In the window project at PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR) is Brennan Conaway’s “In Joyful Anticipation of Catastrophic Ruin…” I didn’t capture the full title, maybe ends with “first colony”(?).  This sculpture is a celebration of a future cultural demise, to facilitate a consumerist-free rebirth.

Brennan Conaway, In Joyful Anticipation of Catastrphic Ruin, PDX Window Project

In the gallery at PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR) is Wes Mills’ Mondrian’s Forest.  I’m often drawn to work in grids.  The repetition of work with variations continues to build upon itself.  Each individual framed piece is subtle work on paper that is drawn, stained and wrinkled.

Wes Mills is part of the NYC group show Master Drawings New York: Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, Wes Mills atDickinson (19 East 66th Street, NYC). He has work in the collections Whitney Museum and MoMA (NYC)

Wes Mills, Mondrians Forest, PDX Contemporary

Detail of Wes Mills’ Mondrian’s Forest.  Here you can see the descending lines and the effects they have on the paper and the effect of the paper on them.  Also at this show is the work “Pie Set” which has sketches of pies/disks with wedges removed from them are superimposed and interlaced.  Again the paper and the drawing effect one another.

Wes Mills, (Detail) Mondrians Forest, PDX Contemporary

Blue Sky Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR), has a strong combination this month. Ferit Kuyas has wonderful beautiful prints – STUNNING WORK.  Colors and images are luxurious and often soft.  But the fog and the massive buildings hit you with what we have wrought by rebuilding our land and smogging our air.

Postscript: According to the artist this is actually fog not smog.  I was mislead by the smog that I saw in Beijing in my trip to China in 2005 (few snaps from that trip).  Read more at the Oregonian about an interview with Ferit Kuyas: http://www.oregonlive.com/art/index.ssf/2009/07/photos_capture_a_foggy_chinese.html

Ferit Kuyas, Restaurant Boats Jialing River Chongqing, Blue Sky

Ferit Kuyas, Cableway Cangbai Raod Chongqing, Blue Sky Gallery

Artist and frequent Blogger Amy Stein is in the back gallery of Blue Sky Gallery.

Her works are modern dioramas set out in our landscape.  These constructed  scenes she writes, “explore our paradoxical relationship with the “wild” and how our conflicting impulses continue to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals.”  She continues, they “…are constructed based on real stories from local newspapers and oral histories of intentional and random interactions between humans and animals.”

Garden was a hilarious look at an American garden that is a comment on  protectionism and created nature.

Amy Stein, Garden, Blue Sky Gallery

Watering Hole is an image of Amy’s that you may have seen around the web.  It is also on the cover of her book “Domesticated” that was the winner of Photolucida’s Critical Mass book award.

Amy Stein, Watering Hole, Blue Sky Gallery

Michael Kenna has another strong show at Hartman Fine Art (154 NW 8th, Portland OR).  His black&white work is powerful as always.  You can see why they grace many museum collections.  But see them here in Portland in a great space.

Eva Lake has a very nice interview of Michael Kenna on KBOO, hear it at: http://kboo.fm/audio/by/title/michael_kenna

Michael Kenna, Huangshan Mountains Study 2 Anhui China, Charles Hartman

Allen Cox work is showing at Augen Gallery (716 NW Davis, Portland OR).  Allen is a well-known Pacific Northwest abstract painter.  Below is the painting “Landslide”.  I was also drawn to “Uncertainty Principle” which I believe is what they used on the show postcard.

I didn’t get any snapshots of Akahashi Murakami’s lithographs, but they are well worth a visit to the gallery in their own right.

Allen Cox, Landslide, Augen Gallery

Butters Gallery (520 NW Davis, 2nd flr, Portland OR) has a show called NEW DISCOVERIES, and two of them are discoveries for me.

Nicolas Guerrero magical color… trippy mandalas.  I liked them a lot.  Bold saturated colors and interesting shapes. These gain extra luminosity since they are face-mounted plexi which gives both a softer and stronger impression.

Nicolas Guerrero, Cromatico, Butters Gallery

Here are two more… Bold primary colors that can fill one’s imagination.

Nicolas Guerrero, Cromatico, Butters Gallery

Also at Butters is Jiro Yonezawa’s sculptures. He combines “traditional Japanese weaving combined with ideas of modern Western sculpture.”

I particularly liked the thin space filling works like the image below.

Jiro Yonezawa, Bond 09 7, Butters Gallery

Matthew Craig paintings were also captivating. He is recent graduate from the University of Oregon.  In this work we have layers of bold geometries with dare I say pin-stripping squiggles.  It works with great effect.

He writes, “The lines shift, the colors recede or advance, the space is at once flat and deep. Both space and color are contingent upon the formal choices Craig makes; color is affected by its surroundings, and the color and structure of the lines creates the space. The structures in the paintings never seem quite stable because of this shifting of space, this vibration of color. The work is very much about the present moment, the viewers direct engagement with the work, and their immediate perceptual responses.”

Matthew Craig, Untitled, Butters Gallery

Below is one more…

Matthew Craig, Untitled, Butters Gallery

It was a good set of 1st Thursday shows. Stop by any of these Portland Galleries and more to really spend some time with these works in person (and without the opening festivities).

Tonight are the openings for April!

Mel Katz at Laura Russo

Mel Katz at Laura Russo

Roll Handy at Laura Russo

Roll Handy at Laura Russo

Ryan Pierce “dabrowa-station” at Elizabeth Leach

Nicola Lopez at Elizabeth Leach

Andy Freeberg at Blue Sky Gallery

Andy Freeberg at Blue Sky Gallery

Takahiko Hayashi at Charles Froelick

Takahiko Hayashi “nest-of-winds5″ at Charles Froelick

Eva Speer “Award” Charles Hartman

Helen Hiebert “Crossing” at Oogle

Christine Clark “22-gauge” at 9 Gallery

Christine Clark “22-gauge” at 9 Gallery

Masao Yamamoto “Kawa=Flow” at PDX Contemporary

Jonnel Covault “Ancient redwood top” at Beepu Wiarda

Ashley Vincent

snapshot on the street, Brad Carlile 2009 copyright

Started out at the great group show curated by Harrell Fletcher called “Current
Songs from the Treetops” at PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR). Loved this show! The show “address the idea of constructed landscapes in various forms.”

Wendy Red Star Four Seasons at PDX Contemporary

Kenneth Andrew Mroczck Dumpster Muffin and others at PDX

Chris Johansen and Jo Jackson Large Medium and Small Study at PDX Contemporary

Chambers Gallery @ 916 (916 Flanders, Portland OR) continues to have strong photography shows. Another great one this month. I like the geometry and constructed tessellations in Aaron Yassin images.

Aaron Yassin Impeibochk at Chambers 916

Aaron Yassin Impeibochk at Chambers 916

You must also go in the back to see the video installation, spend some time as it morphs and step into the middle…

Aaron Yassin Impeibochk at Chambers 916

I always like Jerry Iverson’s work. You can see some new work at Pulliam Deffenbaugh (929 NW Flanders, Portland, OR 97209). His creative arc seems to be adding more forms lately.

Jerry Iverson New Work at Pulliam Deffenbaugh

Always been a fan of Debra van Tuinen’s work. Seems to be a broadening of images in her current work at Butters
Gallery (520 NW Davis, 2nd flr, Portland OR).

Debra van Tuinen at Butters

Debra van Tuinen Morning thoughts Butters

Also in the meditative front are two I like at Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR). Sandy Roumagoux’s work…

Sandy Roumagoux Stonefield Beach Quartet Blackfish

…and Michael Knutson’s work.

Michael Knutson Cascade Head Blackfish

The meditative continues at ON Gallery. The image below is the strongest of Nicholas Von Grainger show.

Nicholas Von Grainger at ON Gallery

Also in the Everett street lofts is this Jamie Potter(sp?) work at Sugar gallery. This one is strong:

Jamie Potter Frontier Justice in the weirdest way Sugar Gallery

On the more sculptural front is Anne Goodrich work at Ogle Gallery (310 NW Broadway, Portland OR). Organic and shadowy and/or constructed.

Anne Goodrich Incarnate Oogle

Anne Goodrich Incarnate Oogle

Loved Kris Hargis at Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR)

Kris Hargis Upper Half Charles Froelick

The repeating patters in Pok Chi Lau’s photography at Blue Sky
Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR) drew me to this one.

Pok Chi Lau at Bluesky

Who captures the acquirer? Nine Gallery. Sorry don’t know who created this work.

Nine Gallery

…and when I walk around with the camera between galleries I can’t help but take a few snapshots, here goes…

a snapshot Brad Carlile 2009 copyright

another snapshot Brad Carlile 2009 copyright

Elizabeth Leach Gallery (17 NW 9th, Portland OR) has a show of the work of the late Drake Deknatel. This exhibition is called “Berlin Portraits.” In The Oregonian, Brian Libby wrote: “One feels pulled by these paintings into a grimy but vivid world just below the surface of human consciousness.”

There is some powerful work here. I was drawn to the many portraits…

Drake Deknatel Watch The Night at Elizabeth Leach

…As well as the more abstract images.

Drake Deknatel Seeflustern at Elizabeth Leach

At Butters Gallery (520 NW Davis, 2nd flr, Portland OR) there were many people were on hand for the Barbara Sheidler Bartholomew “Memorial Retrospective” show. I didn’t get a chance to take any images of her work, but those in the NW should be familiar or go the Butters gallery website.

At Butters Gallery we had a nice chance to have a deligtful chat with artist Andrea Schwartz-Feit and Jeffrey Butters. Unfortunately we missed Andrea Schwartz-Feit’s show in December, but several of her works were up in the back room. We liked the grid images the most.

Andrea Schwartz-Feit Enough at Butters

Andrea Schwartz-Feit Flow Chart at Butters

This month, Quality Pictures (916 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR) has assembled four emerging Northwest photographers: Liz Haley, Alexis Pike, Andrew O’Brien and Mark Searcy. I particularly liked the “Starmaps” work of Andrew O’Brien. The taped mylar subject was very interesting to me. I don’t know if there was an artist statement about this work.

Andrew O Brien Lindley Armstrong Spike Jones at Quality Pictures

I also liked the work of Mark Searcy, I know it was taken with a modified Bell+Howell 35mm camera, but it reminds me of the Holga work of Susan Bowen (NYC).

Mark Searcy Yellow Truck at Quality pictures

On a sad note, TJ Norris (tjnorris.net/blog/ ) reports that Erik Schneider has decided to close his Quality Pictures gallery this week as well. We hope to continue to see Erik having an influence around Portland. Eric Thanks for the many great shows!

Over at Beppu Wiarda Gallery (319 NW 9th, Portland, OR), was a group show “Winter Light”, curated by Portland collector Leo Michelson. This show is a great hanging of a variety of work.

Our Friend Eric Franklin is moving in some fun directions with “Neuron.”

Eric Franklin Neuron at Beppu

and our friend and blogger TJ Norris

TJ Norris blkpwr at Beppu

Dave Meeker Fuzzy chiclet at Beppu

Kate Kaznowska Coming Back at Beppu

Our friend Chicago photographer Brad Temkin has a wonderful show at Blue Sky Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR).  In “Relics,” Brad finds remnant structures and makes them monumental. I know some of them were shot in Iceland, Ireland, and other places.

Brad Temkin Yurt at Blue Sky

Brad Temkin at Blue Sky

…last we heard was that after the show Brad Temkin was headed to the Oregon Coast, what will he find there?  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Also at Blue Sky Gallery is Tony Mendoza’s work. You may have seen his book.

Tony Mendoza Flowers at Blue Sky

Didn’t get any images from Wayne F. Miller at Hartman Fine Art (154 NW 8th, Portland OR). There is a new book “Wayne F. Miller: Photographs 1942-1958.” Link to the review of the show in the Oregonian.

Nancy Lorenz has a show at PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR).

Nancy Lorenz SilverWater at PDX Contemporary

Nancy Lorenz Rock Garden 2 at PDX Contemporary

The new Chambers Gallery @ 916 (916 Flanders, Portland OR) space has its 3rd exhibit that shows Oregonian Wes Hurd. We liked his interesting minimalist works on paper.

Wesley Hurd at Chambers at 916

Wesley Hurd at Chambers at 916

Since I’m always carrying my camera around at 1st Thursday, I sometimes take a few snapshots, here is one…

Brad Carlile copyright 2009 all rights reserved

Check back Friday for an interesting pointers to work on the fringes of weird physics…

Pyramid Copyright 2006 Brad Temkin all rights reserved

Brad Temkin and Tony Mendoza will present an artist talk at Blue Sky Gallery on Saturday, January 10th 2009 at 3pm. These lectures are free of charge and open to the public.

Brad Temkin’s photographs have been widely exhibited throughout the United States and Internationally. His work appears in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Milwaukee Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington (DC), Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago.

Place Of Power Copyright Brad Temkin 2006 all rights reserved

Temkin’s images have appeared in such publications as Aperture, Black & White Magazine, “Grateful Dead: An Illustrated Trip,” and “Strength From Unity: Expressions On Cancer.”

Brad Temkin lives in Chicago and is coming to Portland for the opening.

Allen Maertz, Encyclopedia M-Z, Chambers 916

At the new gallery Chambers Gallery @ 916 (916 Flanders, Portland OR) is Allen Maertz’s Photography. Some good work with a particular view point.

Allen Maertz, Encyclopedia M-Z, Chambers 916

I also like this new space in a nice central location.

More good photography showing this month is Corey Arthold. This show packed them in during the opening at Hartman Fine Art (154 NW 8th, Portland OR). I liked the work and its many views. I’m not sure if all of the works had enough of a personal view beyond the photo-journalistic angle.

Corey Arthold, Fish Work, Hartman Fine Art

I really like Ian Boyden’s show in Augen Gallery (716 NW Davis, Portland OR). Very stunning work.

Ian Boyden, Whales Winter Song, Augen Gallery

Ian Boyden, Pearl Song, Augen Gallery

I’ll also use this image to put out a reminder, bring you kids to see art. Talk to them about it. Engage them. Make life amazing.

Calvin Ross Carl, Tractor Gallery

Artist/ blogger Calvin Ross Carl has a show at Tractor Gallery ( 328 NW Broadway, Portland OR). The constructions capture some interesting views, subtle hints of color are almost a nod to Jacqueline Ehlis.

Calvin Ross Carl, Tractor Gallery

Sally Finch, Mistakes Were Made, Froelick

I really liked Sally Finch’s show in the back room at Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR). They engage at many scales. Striking from across the room. But take time to explore the details at intimate distances.

Sally Finch, detail of Mistakes Were Made, Froelick

The announcement says: “Through a meticulous process of recording each soldier’s name, age, date of death and their hometown, Finch has fashioned a memorial to honor the individual while laying bare the enormity of the losses. By highlighting each name and color coding each month’s losses patterns emerge, creating an ethereal element to the composition.”

Jamie Marie Waelchli, Thought Maps

In the window at Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR) is Jamie Marie Waelchli’s “Thought Maps”. I would almost like to see a fan gently fluttering these translucent sheets. The ebb and flow.

Paige Saez and Rebecca Steele, Iglo

At Igloo is a show by Paige Saez and Rebecca Steele, Igloo

Valentina Barroso Graziano, Ogle

At Ogle Gallery (310 NW Broadway, Portland OR) is Valentina Barroso Graziano. Wonderful work.

G Lewis Clevenger, Pulliam Deffenbaugh

Another solid show by G. Lewis Clevenger at Pulliam Deffenbaugh (929 NW Flanders, Portland, OR 97209).  Also spend some time with Ken Shores wonderful work, sorry no jpgs.

Kojo Griffin, Swing States of Mind, Quality Pictures

At Quality Pictures (916 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR) is Kojo Griffin’s “Swing States of Mind.”

Adam Sorensen, Gold Coast, PDX Contemporary

Adam Sorensen’s work continues to grow in my mind. Another engaging show at PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders, Portland OR). Very interesting view of landscapes interior and exterior.

Adam Sorensen, False Fjords, PDX Contemporary

All for now, have to run…