Posts Tagged ‘ portland artist ’

Brin Levinson talks about his current show and the human race

Portland artist Brin Levinson interview and limited-edition print release

> ( What do you envision for the human race? )
That’s a huge question. I can go pretty far out with that because I really think we’re capable of anything we’ve ever dreamt up. From overpopulated dystopias to technological paradise island cities, I think it will all happen. We live in a world were new technology is introduced into our lives on a weekly basis. It used to take hundreds of years for advances to happen in ways that effected peoples lives. People lived the same way doing the same things for thousands of years without any major changes from generation to generation. Now, things change so fast we can barely keep up. What will life be like in fifty years? We don’t really know but we do know it’s not going to be the same as it is now. That’s a new thing. I can’t really help being pessimistic about the future because based on what we’re doing to the planet now, it looks pretty grim. But, we may develop ways to undo the catastrophe after all, you never know. The fascinating thing is that life will be so different in the future we don’t even know what it will be like.

> ( If you were to have a spirit animal, what do you think it would be and why? )
I would love my spirit animal to be a bird because they are so free and flying looks like insane fun. But, when I look in the mirror I see more of a weasel or hedge hog. I can empathize with most animals so it’s hard to pick just one that speaks to me but I really think it’s a four legged land mammal of some sort. Maybe a fox.
> ( Many of the scenes in your paintings seem to be from Portland, are you the photographer… how are you finding these images? )
I take my camera with me a lot and sometimes go out specifically to take pictures at spots that I’ve seen or am curious about. I love the bridges and old industrial areas that are like time capsules from 100 years ago. I have so many pictures it’s easily a lifetime supply of painting material but I’m constantly on the hunt for good photos. A lot of the time, I use a few different pictures as reference for a painting and visually collage them together.

> ( what comes to mind when I say… )
dog… - faithful.
cat… - sketchy but lovable.
rhino… - bizarre three toed knee-less unicorns currently going extinct thanks to us, -must protect!
> ( Can you talk about any upcoming art events or shows? )
I have a show of new paintings at the Graeter Gallery in old town all of May 2012. This show represents the work I’ve done over the last 10 months. It’s is called “Tridacna” and is with fellow Portland artists Brooke Weston and Miguel Gonzalez. Check it out at 131 NW 2nd ave, Portland.
Purchase Brin Levinson’s limited-edition framed prints through the Hungry Eyeball online gallery.

Red Bat Press celebrates 10 Years in Portland in 2012!

ART SHOW & FIRST THURSDAY ARTIST RECEPTION

Portland in Postcards: Portland’s Public Art & Architecture in 4×6
Woodcuts and original illustrations by Carye Bye of Red Bat Press

June 7 – 30, 2012

Lulu’s Vintage
916 W Burnside
Portland, Oregon
Hours: Wed – Sat 12-6 and Sun 1-5

First Thursday Artist Reception
June 7, 2012, 5-8pm

Lulu’s Vintage is proud to host an art show for the month of June featuring 4×6 inch postcard-size hand-printed woodcuts and original watercolor & ink illustrations by artist Carye Bye of Red Bat Press. Her love of Portland has been a theme in her printmaking over the last decade and in the illustrated guidebook Hidden Portland she self published in 2009 and Bedouin Books published in 2010. Janet Julian, a local musician and folksy artist refers to Carye as a “Tourist in her own town”. What is more touristy than the postcard!

Bye has collected postcards most of her life. Her grandparents in Florida sent her alligator, shell collections, and cute kitten and puppy postcards to Minnesota where she grew up. In high school she started her first reproduction printing by making a variety of zines which she’d sell to friends. One zine The Bizzare focused on different subject matters and the fourth issue was all about bathtubs. This launched a collection of postcards with bathtubs. Today Bye curates the informal Bathtub Art Museum with a collection of nearly 400 “bathtub” postcards. Her interest in postcards has continued in her professional arts life.

Through Red Bat Press, a small artist press Bye started in 2002 that specializing in woodcut illustration and hand printing on a letterpress, a tradition of making Portland Postcards has emerged. The popular Bridges of the Willamette, a collection of 10 woodcut reproductions of Portland’s unique bridges, is one of Bye’s signature contributions. Other Portland scenes in the collection so far include, Paul Bunyan, Vaux Swifts, Union Station, Chinatown, Stag Sign, City of Roses and many bicycle prints.

In this new exhibit, Bye will illustrate her favorite public art sculptures and architecture in woodblock and Ink & watercolor. This includes a new carving of the Steel Bridge in honor of Steel Bridge’s 100th Birthday this summer.

Mark Quemada interview and print release

Portland Oregon artist Mark Quemada is interviewed by Hungry Eyeball and releases some art prints online in the Eyeball gallery.

> (Your art is dealing a lot with food, do you have any aversions to any foods?)

There are a lot of tastes that I dislike. Fennel is probably the worst thing that I can think of. It actually looks like dessicated rat shit in seed form. This is clearly at odds with my love for a good Sazarac.

> (You lived in Japan, China, and now Portland, what are some of your favorite foods from each place?)

The second time I lived in Japan the local delicacy was called “Zeri Fry.” It was the pulped leftovers from making soy milk, deep-fried, and was covered with shredded pickled ginger and yakisoba sauce. It was truly a delicious bit of heaven.

When I moved to China there was a dish called “Disanqian” which translates into something like “the three earth fairies.” It humbly consists of potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, and is accompanied by a delicious sauce. I became quite the connoisseur of this dish during my stay in Beijing, as it was one of the few things I knew how to order.

Here in Portland I like to cook for myself. I make a really good curry that is basically unstoppable. The secret to how to make this is that one simply must remember to *whisper, whisper…*

> (How did your Love Triangles come on to paper?)

In both instances the Triangle shape comes from a sandwich image. Here’s some food for thought for you left brainers out there:

Half a sandwich is triangular + I love sandwiches = a Love Triangle.

But really, The Love Triangles are largely informed by the drawings I did before them. Love Triangle 2 comes from an illustration called “Hormel Hell” which is a study of the chunks found in low grade lunch meat. Love Triangle 1 comes from a drawing called “Lean on Me” which is a sandwich edge resting against a bookend.

> (What’s your dream job?)

I’ve been making “Glamour Shots” of people’s least/favorite food recently, and think that it would be a nice niche market to be known for – especially here in Portland where people are serious about their love for food. The trick is to draw out a compelling story from the client about why they love or loathe these foods, and turn it into something interesting rather than just a static still life drawing.

> (What do you love about life?)

“To crush your enemies — See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.” Just kidding, that’s a quote from Conan the Barbarian. For the past decade I’ve been reading and collecting all of the Conan pulp novels, which there are many of. When I’m done hunting for the last two that I need I plan on reading them in chronological order according to Conan’s lifespan. I love doing research on a subject I’m passionate about and being able to examine the different facets it has to offer.

> (Can you tell us about any future art plans?)

I’m working on a series of new illustrations called “The Godmother Method” which highlights the way in which my Godmother tried to lose weight, stop smoking, and cut down drinking. Hopefully you’ll be able to see them in a few months!

Check out Mark Quemada’s art prints in the Hungry Eyeball gallery.

Elephabet Art Exhibit, Brunch & Book Signing with Hilary Pfeifer

Hilary Pfeifer at Oregon College of Art and Craft
Oregon College of Art and Craft is featuring Elephabet, a book and art exhibit by Portland artist and OCAC alumna Hilary Pfeifer that celebrates pachyderms, portmanteaus and the 26 letters we all know and love, through three events in May, including an exhibition, book signing and an original “Elephabrunch.” Elephabet imaginatively expands the animal kingdom with Acrobatiphants, Dwellephants, Sushiphants and other original elephant sculptures that are portmanteaus – new words formed by joining two others and combining their meanings. Each page is a photograph of the wooden sculptures, which Pfeifer created using reclaimed wood and discarded materials from Portland businesses such as SCRAP and the Rebuilding Center.

Elephabet Art Exhibit
with Hilary Pfeifer
The Shop @ Oregon College of Art and Craft
8245 SW Barnes Road
Portland, OR 97225
May 3 – June 3, 2012
Open daily 10am-5pm

Elephabet Book Signing
Sunday, May 6 | 10am-1pm

ElephaBrunch
Special Elephabet Brunch menu at the Hands on Cafe
Sunday, May 6, 9:30am-1:30pm

Pfeifer’s work has been shown at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA, the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, OR, the Tacoma Art Museum in Tacoma, WA and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. A graduate of the Oregon College of Art and Craft, Elephabet is Ms Pfeifer’s first book. Her second book is scheduled for publication in late 2012.

Brett Superstar interview and print release

Hungry Eyeball interviews Portland artist and good friend Brett Superstar along with releasing some new prints online in our gallery…

> (We happen to be adding some of your prints and most of the images are birds, how do you respond to the whole “put a bird on it” from the show Portlandia.)

It is all true. There were birds on everything for a few years and well….it (like the joke) got a little “fucked out”. But birds have been in art forever. They are always fun to paint and watch in the back yard. I saw a Spotted Towhee today he was cute.
> (Being a native Bostonian, how would you compare and contrast life in Portland.)

Complete 180. In every way. Every one drives slowly and no one honks. I just wish the horn on my truck worked. Then I could wake all these a holes up and we could “get it on”!
> (A freelance artist for Bent Image Labs and Laika, what are some memorable moments?)

At Bent, I got to do some design for a company called Tetra Pak. They make containers and packaging. They liked the characters that I designed and the C.G. crew built them and then they were animated and weaved into the “actual” sets that the art dept. built. The sets were awesome, the lighting was crazy good, the C.G. was rendered perfectly and the animation was cute as hell. It was a big project that I got to see come together with a huge crew and it came out great. But the best part was finally watching the commercial…it was all in German. Sehr gut.

I only just started at LAIKA and it has been great. All nice people. Some people I know from BENT all ready. It is just pretty cool to go to work at either place and be surrounded by the smartest and some of the funniest people I have ever met. Totally creative people.

> (What do you love about life?)

I love when it is warm enough to sleep with the windows open, I love the people in my life that tolerate me, and I love when my cat Larry sleeps on my chest.> (Can you tell us about any upcoming shows or events?)

I have a show at the Good gallery in May 2012 (4325 N. Mississippi St.) I am also in a group show at the Grass Hut downtown this April 2012. It opens 1st Thursday and it is curated by Tripper III. Oh yeah also the Buckman School art sale 12th & 13th of April 2012.

Ryan Berkley interview and bear print release

Hungry Eyeball is launching a couple more bear prints by Ryan Berkley, along with this nice little awesome interview.

> (If you were to do a self portrait of yourself as one of your animal characters what would it be, what would he wear, what would the character’s bio say and why?)

Hhhmmm… I’d draw myself as a macaque monkey wearing a bow tie and a sweater vest. The bio would say something like “This individual may look incredibly angry because of his beet-red face, but he’s quite the opposite. He spent the entire day soaking in a natural hot spring in the snow, ironing his clothes, and eating mites off of his wife’s scalp.”
Something like that.
> (What is your response to the whole “put a bird on it” from the show “Portlandia”, as you have put a few birds on things?)

To be honest, I’m really, really tired of that joke. It was maybe funny to me for the first 10 seconds. Then I had to endure comments from the general public for the next year referring to others or my own art. I’ve been drawing birds all my life, so I am happy to say I did not hop aboard the birdie bandwagon to try to cash in on a fad.

> (You are a Dad now, how is that going… any surprises or experiences you want to share?)

Oh man, it’s amazing. Really. I just want to hold her all the time, but she’s too busy sleeping or crying. I can’t wait to watch her grow. Fun fact- I thoroughly enjoy changing diapers.

> (You are from Paradise, CA, do you remember where you were when you heard “Paradise City” by Guns N Roses for the 1st time?)

That song specifically, no- But I remember Appetite came out when I was in 5th grade. I think people in Paradise didn’t actually think the name of the town was as cool as outsiders do, so that song title didn’t have any special meaning. At least not to me. Now that I look at it though, I think it’s kind of cool. The grass is green there and the girls are pretty.

> (Can you tell us about any future art plans?)

Right now, I am working on a solo show for the Assemble gallery in Seattle depicting American folk heroes (and their animal companions). After that, and after I get settled down as a parent, I’d really love to get Lucy and I’s children book brainstorming going.

Thanks Ryan and looking forward to seeing you and Lucy tonight along with your new little creation.
See more Ryan Berkley prints in the Hungry Eyeball Gallery.

Martin Ontiveros interview and print release

Hungry Eyeball presents Portland artist Martin Ontiveros print release and interview.
I’ve become very good friends with Martin over the last few years and have seen him grow as a person and an artist. I’m proud to present an awesome collection of Ontiveros prints online in the Hungry Eyeball Gallery and the following interview…

> (The soundtrack of your life… how would this play out?)

Man, this is a really hard question to answer, at least briefly. Not sure how to approach it. I guess if you were to use music to weave my tale (or saga, in my case)… For my early childhood, it would be the Beatles and whatever was on the radio, Stevie Wonder, Wings, Motown that my parents played all the time, Top 40 rock. Then mid-70′s to 1980 it’s KISS, Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, Boston, Led Zeppelin, a lot of hard rock. I was definitely on the path I am now by this time. 1980-85, AC/DC, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Dio, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, WASP, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, all hair metal, all the time. Then mid-80′s, I chucked that all aside for heavier thrash and hardcore–Slayer, Celtic Frost, Misfits, Dr. Know, Black Flag, The Ramones, Bad Brains, Descendants, Agnostic Front, C.O.C., Discharge, Germs, English Dogs…jesus, too many to name really. But I was also really getting into Black Sabbath at this same time, they’ve kind of always been at the root of it all. And the Melvins–once I heard Gluey Porch Treatments, it was over. “Heavy” was it. 90′s to the present have been all over the map…I started it by getting into early 70′s glam rock/punk: David Bowie, X, New York Dolls, the Stooges, Johnny Thunders, the Dead Boys, Television, Richard Hell…some grunge slipped in there for a minute like Nirvana and Tad, then weird shit like the Residents, DEVO, Butthole Surfers, Ween. My interest in Hip-hop came about in college…Cyprus Hill, EPMD, Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Freestyle Fellowship, Pharcyde, Wu Tang, but I also started getting back into my metal/hard rock roots again. When I moved to Portland, Fu Manchu threw me into stoner rock, and metal just became better than EVER, High On Fire, Nebula, Black Cobra, Orange Goblin, Sleep, OM, Witch, again, too many to name now. There’s an undercurrent that happens throughout the last 20 years too, where bands like Built to Spill, Pixies, Husker Du, Dungen, the Gits, the Kills, PJ Harvey, Polvo, Quasi and other groups that you can’t really categorize play in and out. I’ve become a huge fan of Neil Young in the past couple years. I mean, it’s all Rock n’ Roll to me. The best part about being my age now is having long abandoned concern what anyone else thinks of what I listen to, and being able to enjoy EVERYTHING I just listed equally.

Can I plug my NW buddies bands too? Red Fang, Diesto, Nether Regions, Lord Dying, Norska, Danava, Witch Mountain, Wizard Rifle, Rabbits, and Fist Fite these are all bands you should be checking into (and I apologize to others I’m leaving out).
> (When do you usually feel the most inspired?)

There’s a few answers to this. First up is set and setting, which is late at night, in my living space/studio, with my headphones on. Rock n’ Roll has always been my greatest well of inspiration, so when I have something good to listen to, the images just flow in. It’s pretty much always been that way. I daydream quite a bit and Rock facilitates a lot of imagery, so much so that it’s always been a goal of mine to combine the two, something I’ve dabbled with in the past but have now been able to realize more fully within the music scene of Portland. I’ve always wanted my work to be synonymous with heavy music and rock, and now it’s happening, and it’s happening with some pretty kick-ass bands.

The second answer is when I’m at a friend’s art show or in a group show with other artists I know and admire. I’ve been fortunate to meet and befriend some of the most talented, confident, and yet sweet and considerate people in the art scene, ever. There was a time, early on, when it was hard not to compare someones success or talent to my own, but as my faith in my own work grew, so did my admiration and appreciation of everyone Else’s work. So when I see someone I know just fucking nail a great piece of artwork, it inspires me to keep pushing further at what I do. It’s like this awesome club, but no one is excluded, you just have to do your best.

The third answer is when I have the opportunity to work with some of my friends on a project, something I’ve done through collaborative pieces in the past, but hadn’t really done on a large scale until just this past Summer, when Bwana Spoons, Skinner, Scrappers Morrison and I were brought in by Hurley Company to do the Awesome Show, an installation/mural piece at their HQ in Costa Mesa, CA. It wasn’t just about being a team on what turned out to be an amazing show, it was also about watching my friends work and together going through the many phases and emotions an artist will encounter when trying to accomplish something this big, and helping each other through all of it. I had the opportunity to not only observe their respective processes, but to see how much of their work is a reflection of their personalities, or hell, their SOULS. I’d already known them all for years and we’ve been pretty tight in that time, but I came out feeling more close to them as friends then ever as a result, and that experience made me grow as an artist as well. It was the embodiment of why I do this at all– the joy of showing the world (and myself) what I’m capable of, the comradery and support of other talented friends, and the inspiration other people experience through what we do.

> (Do you have any favorite horror films?)

Funny thing to ask, because as much as I love a good monster, I wouldn’t count myself as a “horror” artist. I mean, I watched my share and enjoy it for sure, but I’ve long since taken my aesthetic cues from the grotesque and mythological. I do have my favorites, however… The Howling, Hellraiser 1 and 2, From Beyond, Suspiria, The Omen series, Evilspeak, The Exorcist… I’m more into supernatural horror than slasher stuff. Werewolves, devils, demons and extra-dimensional creatures are where it’s at for me. My heyday for scary stuff was the 70′s and 80′s, as a kid… The Other, Demon Seed, Phase IV, The Devil’s Rain, Carrie, The Hills Have Eyes…that kind of thing.

> (If you had to be any kind of monster, what would it be and why?)

Oh, WEREWOLF, no question. I guess Vampires are okay, but it’s Werewolf for me, especially The Howling-style, pointy-eared, standing upright type. As to why, I guess it’s because it would be like having a superpower– meaning I can alter myself into this powerful, furry beast at will (again, talking Howling-style, where it isn’t about waiting for a full moon) or just stay mellow and chill it human-like when I want to. I’d rather be huge, covered in fur with glowing red eyes than be pale-skinned in a cape.

> (Can you tell us about any present or upcoming projects/shows and what you look forward to this year?)

Damn… as far as shows, it’s mostly group stuff so far… This month I’m in a Year of the Dragon show at this place FOE Gallery in Northampton, MA… My buddy Tripper Dungan was nice enough to invite me into his upcoming van themed show “That’s My Ride” at Grass Hut… speaking of horror again, these dudes Twenty Eyes Collective are gonna have me design a poster for the movie “Pumpkinhead”, part of a film series called Cinema Overdrive in N.C. Red Fang has asked me to design album art for a limited release tour CD and Album for Japan, fucking STOKED about that. Later this Summer I will be in a great show here at Compound Gallery in June with some of my buddies: Oliver and Spencer Hibert, Arbito, Snaggs, and Buff Monster. Looking forward to this one! Also in June is a Jumbo Machinder (Shogun Warrior) themed show at Grass Hut, and I’m being pressured to make one from scratch rather than customize one of the old toys, which is fine by me. So all this, plus what I’m forgetting right now, plus more rock posters, custom toys, commissions, and whatever else my frantic brain will think up. Oh, and hopefully this mural project in Portland that will dwarf what I did at Hurley Space last June.

> (Name 3 things you want to do in 2012 and why?)

1) More papier mache, both on my own and with my son (as the art team M.O.F.O.), because it’s an art form that takes me out of the rigid control of my linework and brush strokes and into the loose and often delightfully crude realm of improvisation.
2) More T-shirts. I love to do apparel, and love to see people wearing my stuff. I especially intend to make some things geared toward women this time, because thus far it’s been fairly male-centric, and I’m finally moving out of that in my work.
3) Better myself, which is a lot of things–Sort the negative from the positive. Forgive, let go, move on. Meditate. Exercise. Bike ride. Practice Yoga. Listen to my heart. Simply be. Do my best. Become a wizard. Bowl a score over 200. Impress all of you.

To see all available prints by Martin Ontiveros, go to the Hungry Eyeball Gallery.