Portland, March 2025 – Urban Art & Antiques

Listed below are 4 “go” reveals for the month of March.

At Froelick Gallery, Rebecca Boraz presents her debut exhibition, “Holding Area.” The idea emerged throughout the pandemic, a time when our consciousness of non-public house—whether or not alone or shared with family members—elevated to the purpose of hypersensitivity. This theme resonates deeply in Boraz’s work as a printmaker, the place interlocking varieties and synchronized strains inside confined areas recommend each tenderness and longing.

Throughout her artist discuss, Boraz acknowledged the resemblance of her work to Cubism however emphasised that her creative model is formed by her distinctive imaginative and prescient, generally even influenced by double imaginative and prescient. Her mastery of varied intaglio methods, together with soft-ground etching and spit-bite aquatint, provides her prints a velvety softness and an ineffable spectrum of grey. In the meantime, her discount reduction prints spotlight her methodical processes of planning and orchestration. Regardless of its stylistic affinity to Cubism, to me, the theatrical interaction of figures and house evokes Watteau’s sense of intimacy slightly than Picasso’s goal method.

Alongside her prints, Boraz additionally displays a sequence of sculptural items. These ceramic works, functioning as lamps, stand aside from her prints not simply in medium however in artistic method. She described the method as liberating, permitting her to work extra fluidly in comparison with the methodical rigor of printmaking. “Ultimately, I can sit up to make paintings,” she laughed throughout the artist discuss. The pliability of clay enabled her to make spontaneous decisions, leading to items that really feel funky, sensual, and intuitive. Regardless of their playful nature, the anthropomorphic and home qualities of those lamps replicate the identical creative imaginative and prescient seen in her prints—suggesting an ongoing dialogue between type, house and human presence.

Subsequent door at Augen Gallery, the second posthumous exhibition of George Johanson reaffirms his standing as a grasp printmaker and consummate painter. By inserting his prints subsequent to his work (generally sharing the identical composition), the exhibition  instantly conveys a printmaker’s mindset, notably in his use of damaging house. Boraz herself paused once I commented on how Johanson manipulates damaging house—not merely as absence however as an energetic drive shaping his compositions. Gentle and darkish play in opposition to one another in a rhythm of contrasts, creating a definite spatial perspective. Whether or not it’s the sharp glow of a flashlight illuminating a leaping cat and its shadow or the elusive reflection of a determine (or a cat) in a mirror, Johanson’s compositions keep a compelling stress that implies a way of changing into. That sense of changing into dictates motives, actions, gestures, needs, and ephemeral emotions take priority over the figures themselves. 

Adjusting to Johanson’s coloration palette takes time, particularly after viewing Boraz’s extra muted tonalities. Whether or not influenced by Fauvism or Postmodernism, Johansson orchestrates colours that replicate a heightened emotional expertise slightly than a literal one. In an early video interview, he as soon as acknowledged, “A coloration solely exists with its relation to environment.” His son, Aaron Johanson, echoed this assertion throughout the gallery discuss, describing how Johanson would constantly refine colours till they harmonized completely.

That dedication is clear in works resembling one prominently displayed throughout a facet wall the place loosely painted figures—some mere silhouettes outlined in gestural strains—effortlessly seize the enjoyment of being outside on a wet day. The drizzle could have muted the sky, however instead, Johanson paints a vibrant, jazzy reflection in each puddle, turning the mundane into one thing magical.

Within the present present, Tree: Breadth of Humanity, at Verum Ultimum Gallery curator Jennifer Gillia Cutshall embraces selection in each medium and method, that includes ceramics, glass, material, wooden carving, and even conceptual items—all exploring the theme of bushes.

One notable identify within the exhibition is Gary Westford, whose private assortment of psychedelic posters—at present on show on the Portland Artwork Museum—stays on view till the top of the month. His massive portray Waterfall stands as a testomony to his personal creative expertise. In the meantime, Terri Shinn’s material sculpture Yew deceives the attention with its bark-like knots and textures, solely to disclose its feather-light softness upon shut examination.

After by Washington State artist Carol Ross depicts the aftermath of a forest fireplace. The work captures a thick silence, heavy with lingering smoke.

Sidestreet Arts Gallery, a staple of the Kern neighborhood, continues its custom of inviting non-co-op members to broaden its attain inside the group. This month, the gallery showcases artists from Hipbone Artwork Studio. Based on Ha Austin, one of many members on the gallery, their first exhibition final 12 months was an incredible success, reaffirming the broad public attraction of figurative drawing and portray. 

Hipbone Artwork Studio, which has supplied life-drawing alternatives for over 35 years, is positioned only a quick distance from the gallery. The camaraderie amongst artists was palpable on opening night time—the house was so packed that there appeared to be extra folks standing on the ground than paintings hanging on the partitions. For a lot of, seeing their very own work framed, juried, and illuminated in a industrial gallery—and sharing that second with kindred spirits—was a deeply gratifying expertise, bringing smiles throughout.

A desire for feminine fashions, or an unavailability of male ones is obvious within the works. However whereas many are drawn from life, some are purposeful and thought out, together with Transplanted by Riley Waite.  Others could even be drawn from historic photos and embrace Maggie Lena Walker by Jake Smith. In any case, it’s good to see a wide range of figurative work, typically completely confined to sketch pads, on show in a gallery.