Descending Ashtray

On the advice of my barber a few weeks ago, I added the film “In the Realms of the Unreal” to my Netflix queue, and it arrived a few days ago. I popped it in tonight, prepared for something unique, and that’s exactly what I got.

The film is essentially a documentary about artist and recluse Henry Darger, who gained posthumous notoriety for his maniacally rich drawings and paintings that illustrated his 15,000 page manuscript, titled similarly briefly, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in what is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. I say “essentially,” because Darger’s diaries and novel are brought to life by actors, and the narrator is child actress Dakota Fanning, an interesting choice given Darger’s fascination with young girls. I won’t elaborate on that except to say, it’s not what you’re thinking - Darger’s obsession is much more complicated than simple pedophilia, and not nearly as evil. Watch the film and see for yourself.

Darger’s work was intensely personal, drawing on his life as a devout Catholic, upbringing in an orphanage, and characters based on people he encountered in his real life. He was untrained as an artist, and used tracings and photographic reproductions to create huge watercolor paintings that illustrated his story about the battle for good and evil in an other world - this realm of the unreal.

A very interesting portrait, sad and beautiful at the same time, magically animated by talented filmmaker Jessica Yu. Well worth watching.

Darger’s paintings are now for sale by Chicago’s Hammer Gallery.

I’m not so good at reading German, but this sculpture by Yvonne Fehling and Jennie Peiz is pretty amazing.

In my other life, I am a graphic designer. In fact, I am the PR/Marketing Chair of the Portland chapter of AIGA, which is a national organization for graphic designers. So recently, I found myself pushing a design event on Portland art blogs, and I figure, the least I can do is hawk my own wares.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday), AIGA Portland is holding an event called The Urban Forest Project, which seeks to promote green, environmentally-friendly, design. In April of 2007, 25 local designers donated their time to create unique banners for the project, which hung from poles throughout downtown Portland. Tomorrow night, they’ll be unveiled in their second lives, as handmade bags, which will be sold to benefit a local non-profit called Friends of Trees. Shortly after, the remaining bags will be sold online, details to follow. Here’s a sneak peak of a one of the bags, based on a banner made by Chris Bell - they’re really pretty amazing.

SOCIO XV: Urban Forest Project Celebration
September 19th, 2007
6 - 9 PM
Art Institute of Portland: Gallery
1122 NW Davis St
Portland, Oregon
Doors open: 6:00pm

The event is free for AIGA members; $5 for everyone else.

Last weekend, Sarah and I embarked on a long-overdue reacquaintance with Portland’s organized art scene, taking in the Portland Art Museum, Art in the Pearl, and lastly, the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in its new home in Portland’s North Park Blocks.

Bridging the divide between Portland’s Old Town and swanky Pearl District, Labor Day Weekend found the park crawling with artists and not-so-art-snobs. Art in the Pearl is a typical urban arts fair, drawing regional photographers, Marriot-quality paintings, and more recycled and rusty bits remade in chair, bench and clock form than you can shake a whittled stick at. You have to appreciate these artisans’ dedication - it can’t be easy to truck your work around from week to week, living under a white folding tent in unpredictable weather. But I am often turned off by their same-ness. I’ve seen these kinds of travelling shows in several cities, and the goods don’t change with the geo-coordinates. If, by stroke of luck, you see an original idea being shown/sold, you can bet that you will see three tents containing that idea the next year, and nine more the year after. At times, you get the sense that the vendors could be selling paintings or pork pies (whatever those are). The work lacks passion, and finesse.

So it was with extreme pleasure that Sarah and I found the “Craft in America” show at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a beautiful Nakashima bench, all live-edge walnut with dovetail mending a naturally-occurring check in the end grain. Straight maple spindles reach up out of the slab forming a back that just looks comfortable and yielding. A design so pure, so simple, that it would be impossible to recreate or commodify.

Turning my head, a Sam Maloof rocker whose entire form contained not a single straight line, all bandsawn curves smoothed to a buttery sheen from hours of rubbed oil. Unlike the Nakashima bench, the rocker looks complicated, a form that you can sense has been perfected over endless iterations, and a lifetime of dedication. But it looks right. No gaps, no rough spots from too-quick sanding. Incredible.

And that was just the woodwork.

Lovers of jewelry, pottery, and textiles will be picking their jaws up, too. The show, organized by a non-profit called “Craft in America, LLC” also includes a book and DVD produced in concert, so if you aren’t located nearby, you can still experience this wonderful survey of the best in American craft. I purchased the DVD at the show, and I’d highly recommend it.

Craft in America ends its Portland run at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts on September 23. The Museum is FREE to the public and not so large that it couldn’t be seen over a long Friday lunch, or savored on a Saturday afternoon.

Museum of Contemporary Crafts
724 NW Davis Street
Portland, Oregon
(503) 223.2654
Open Tuesday–Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM, Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM

Drew is trying to raise money today with a “fun-raiser” for his new gallery, Art Buy the Inch. He’s selling 100 copies each of 10 original prints, at the low, low price of $10 per. You can buy the prints in person today in downtown Portland, or order online at Mohdi.com for $12 per. Drew, count me in for a set.

Sarah and I attended friend Jessica Bronk’s opening this evening at Vino Paradiso, a wine bar/gallery located in Portland’s Pearl District. As usual, her work was amazing, and we ended up buying another of her paintings (not pictured), which range from about 4 feet square to smaller works about 12 inches square. All are oil on wood panel.

If you are in Portland, I encourage you to check it out. The paintings are very reasonably priced, and I expect they will go quickly, especially since tomorrow is First Thursday, Portland’s monthly gallery night. And if you’re still not sold, Vino Paradiso has great food, too. I suggest a pizza or the clams.