Fall Arts Guide: Visual Arts
Here are some of Portland’s visual highlights for September and October (see theater and music highlights):
The Portland Art Museum has a big exhibition of Greek and Roman sculpture arriving from the British Museum and the London Olympics, which celebrates the human body. This should give a nice balance to a season full of challenging contemporary art.
Design with the Other 90%. Photo by Shack/Slum Dwellers International.
Design with the Other 90%: CITIES
Aug. 17, 2012 – Jan. 5, 2013
Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 N.W. Davis St.
Organized by Cynthia E. Smith. the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s curator of socially responsible design, this exhibition examines design as it applies to the world outside of the professional design community, highlighting the work of designers and architects who endeavor to bring change through design to developing areas and economies. A companion exhibit is at Mercy Corps, 28 S.W. First Ave.
Storm Tharp, “Holding a Peach”
Sept. 4-29
PDX Contemporary Art, 925 N.W. Flanders St.
Portland artist Storm Tharp is known for his adept use of ink, dye, gouache and other materials to create finely rendered abstractions of the human form. Following his inclusion in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, he has evolved his focus on the figure and presents here a suite of paintings on paper and complementary sculpture works. Drawing on the art of flower arrangement, ikebana, Tharp finesses a love of Japanese prints, Modernist sculpture and erotica to arrive at sublime abstraction.
Kara Walker. Photo courtesy of Glamour.
Sept. 4 – Nov. 18
The Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.
Known for her biting commentary on social and racial history in America and her darkly comic silhouettes, this solo exhibition of Walker’s work includes a collection of prints and multiples by the artist and a viewing of her shadow puppet film, “Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi’s Blue Tale” (2011). Walker will give a public artist talk on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. in Reed’s Vollum Lecture Hall.
Happy Birthday: A Celebration of Chance and Listening
Sept. 6 – Nov. 17
PNCA Feldman Gallery, 1241 N.W. Johnson St.
Composer, artist and musician John Cage would have turned 100 this year. In celebration of his work and teachings, PNCA is mounting an exhibition that features seven artists’ takes on how Cage’s influence is still felt today, as well as a piece by Cage himself. In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be an hour-long dance and music performance drawing on the work of Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham on Oct. 3 from 7-10 p.m.
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