Main Gallery
Recent Work
Betsy Walton & Yellena James
Opens Thursday, September 29th | 6pm-late
Sept 29 – Oct 23, 2011
Together Gallery
2916 NE Alberta St Suite A,
Portland, OR. 97211
Project Gallery
Dream, You Idiot, Dream
Amber W. Smith
Gallery Three
Away Within
Perry Pfister
Benjamin Edmiston
Artist Statement
As a kid, flipping through LPs by Black Sabbath, G.G. Allin, and Iron Maiden with my older brother propelled my imagination into new territories of myth and symbolism. Music subcultures, cults, fringe groups and secret societies are all steeped in aspects of lore and mysterious fictions. My work draws from these narratives to connect different myths and symbols to create a personal lexicon laden with everything from rural folk art icons prevalent in my Pennsylvania upbringing to bold color and line work absorbed in my travels throughout Tibet and India. The environments I depict, along with their ominous inhabitants, are intended to be simultaneously foreign and familiar. The resulting images produce a personal archive of imagery that allows me to confront concepts of class, masculinity and ritual.
Name / age / location / website / turn ons / offs etc…
Benjamin Edmiston/ Brooklyn, NY/ benjaminedmiston.com/ Lately I love blue fish and carpentry, dislike overwhelming insects.
Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea behind your new work at together gallery titled “Idea Board 3″
All the material (including the frames) is recovered from a Cape Cod Swap-Shop at the dump. The use of aged collage material has allowed me to indulge painterly aesthetics with collaged immediacy.
Where are you currently located and how did you end up there?
I am currently spending the summer in Truro, MA — Cape Cod working with an oyster farmer. It’s been a very fortunate summer and I’m taking advantage of the awesome collegiate summer break.
Do you have a studio or work from home?
I have a studio at Brooklyn College where I’m getting my MFA. Being out of New York for the summer, I have a small workspace here on the Cape.
If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand artistic vision would you look to bring to life?
A reunion photograph of the ‘Just One of the Guys’ cast.
What’s an average day like for you?
Coffee, Work, Ice Cream, Studio, Blue Fish, Sleep.
What do you consider your biggest overall influence?
At a young age, I feel, my brother introduced me to amazing music, people and circumstances. These fortunate experiences have, and continue, to influence my work.
I’ve notice some repeated imagery in your work, care to explain?
My work evolves pretty quickly. Characters, themes and environments are usually explored fully until they’re exhausted or lead to the next thing.
Do you ever collaborate?
Yes, with my girlfriend who’s a printmaker. We’ve worked together on a few prints over the years and it’s been a very enjoyable experience.
Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a current favorite that inspires?
Bob Dylan and the Band have been a constant.
What are your thoughts on portland? portland art? have you seen portlandia?
I’ve never been to the northwest, but have always wanted to go.
coffee, tea, beer, whiskey, kombucha?
Coffee.
What drew you towards art making, who, what, where, when why?
My father was always a talented draftsman. I think my competitiveness made me want to improve, and it stuck.
Interests outside of art making?
Recently, oyster farming.
Do you make a living off art or what, how do you pay the bills?
In NYC I’m a bartender. But grad school for me is about teaching painting/drawing in the future.
Why art?
Because it’s difficult.
Whats next? Summer plans? 5 year plans? next 5 minutes?
I’m getting ready to make really large/ time-consuming work. Immediacy is gratifying, but invested time always pays off.
Husband and Wife group show
APAK
Mel Kadel and Travis Millard… (interview below)
Mildred & Picolli
Ashley G & Drew
Brendan Monroe & Evah Fan
Kelly Tunstall & Ferris Plock
Jeremy Taylor & Allyson Melberg
Name / age / location / website / turn ons / offs etc…
Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea behind your new work / zine you will be showing in the upcoming all husband and wife group show at together gallery titled “Happily ever After”
The work I’m including in the show has meaning in the way that it relates to Mel. Some were drawn around the time we got together and we were really feeding off the excitement of drawing together and the newness of things. Others span the years and hold their own stories. We also included one of our early collaborative drawings.
Mel: I think the title had some great influence, because after it was all done and stapled, Travis did empty the catbox.
Are you are both from LA? how’d ya meet? how’d you end up in there?
Travis: I grew up in Olathe and Lawrence, Kansas.. lived in Brooklyn for a few years and moved to LA on a weird whim. A friend had a room available in a big house with a bunch of roommates in East LA, it was cheap and I jumped before thinking it through. I stumbled into a job at a bar called Little Joy pulling beers, cleaning glasses and drawing on the walls after hours. One evening Mel walked in while I was drawing on the ladies room wall. She seemed less than creeped out, so things went from there.
Mel: I’m from Pennsylvania. I moved around a bit when I left home. 12 years ago, a whole lot of nothing or something brought me out to LA.
Something like that.
If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand
artistic vision would you look to bring to life?
Travis: i would probably go for the fully sentient android clone of myself and fight it to the death on Youtube.
Mel: There are a few drawings that I’ve done that I would like to see performed live, with 100 amazing ballerinas and contortion artists.
Gigantic mechanical butterflies would be flying through and around them. There is a huge lake under all of it, with people and creatures swimming around.
Shit, I think I just described Cirque Du Soleil.
What’s an average day like for you?
Travis: Eating things, staring at the sun.. I type on the computer and draw things.. alternately breathing from the nose and mouth. It can be complex at times.
Mel: Keeping things moving…always keeping busy.
What do you consider your biggest overall influence?
Travis: I’d like to say the trees and breeze, but honestly, it’s probably the internet.. which crushes me a little.
Mel: My brother. He lives his life by example.
I’ve noticed some repeated imagery in your work, care to explain?
Travis: I’m I’m I’m not not not not sure sure sure what what what to to to say say say about about that that.
Mel: When I started repeating the figures and girls in my work, the environments around them got weirder and more complex.
The characters have changed very little, other than their middle aged beer bellies. For now, the adventures moves forward.
how do you like collabing? do you ever get in art fights?
Travis: No art fights. That’s the rule.
Mel: I kind of like it. But, if someone hands something over to me, it’s on my mind that i could totally fuck it up. We occasionally argue about everything.
Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a
current favorite that inspires?
Travis: We shuffle through tons of music everyday.. it’s pretty broad. I’m excited about many things.. so much to absorb i could almost pop. Recent spins include, OFF!, Dichroics, Corpse of Discovery, Das Racist, Hail Mary Mallon, The Dead Trees, Sonny & the Sunsets, Major Games, Mouthbreathers, Earles & Jensen, Lungfish, Flying Lotus, El-P, Black Angels, Capt. Beefheart… it’s a cornucopia.
Mel: I listen to a lot of radio. Right now we’re listening to Terry Gross’ interview with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
what are your thoughts on portland? portland art? have you seen portlandia?
Travis: Portland is beautiful and wish I could see all the friends that live there more often. I haven’t seen that Portlandia show, but understand it captures a certain spirit. I’ll catch up one of these days.
Mel: I love Portland. I think it’s one the biggest gems out there. And, I totally love rain, so wouldn’t mind living there.
Lori D. lives there, and her art is some of my favorite. And, all my friends from high school moved there to skate burnside and never returned. But, I haven’t seen this Portlandia?
coffee, tea, beer, whiskey, kombucha?
Travis: i like all of those things.. sometimes more than one at the same time.
Mel: Guinness.
What drew you towards art making, who, what, where, when why?
Travis: My mom was the spark and my high school art teacher was the kindling. So many more tossed into the fire and still do.. that’s a hard one to answer. i’m ducking here.
Mel: When I was really young and floating all over the place, drawing was the first thing that made me inspired to focus.
It never ceases to be a challenge because it always starts out blank.
Interests outside of art making?
Travis: It’s not very interesting.
Mel: Ping Pong.
Do you make a living off art or what, how do you pay the bills?
Travis: Spare a dime?
Mel: I’m living and making art while living.
I hear you live in a sweet cabin in the hills of LA, care to fill us in?
Travis: It’s a rickety old shack from the 20′s with a can-do spirit. A lot of wandering animals eat from bowls of food on the ground outside the door. I like it. You should visit. We play ping pong.
Mel: It’s a nightmare. Squirrels, stray cats, random dogs, raccoons, coyotes, skunks. It’s a sweet place.
Why LA?
Travis: why not.. it’s not so bad.
Mel: Because you have to hunker down here for a little while to find out that it’s a beautiful place to live.
Whats next? Summer plans? 5 year plans? next 5 minutes?
Travis: Mel and I are gearing up for a split show at the Fecal Face gallery in SF opening June 11th. Otherwise, it’s a wild weird future.. who knows what may come…
Mel: Baby steps.
Also at Together Gallery…. Showing in the Project Gallery
“Emilys”
Emily Counts & Emily Christensen
Opening April 28th to May 23rd, 2011
Together Gallery presents
“How Did I Get Here“… SCUBA : Sandra & Crocket, a painting duo from San Francisco
Here’s an interview by Timothy Karpinski
Name / age / location / website / turn ons / offs etc…
C: Crockett Bodelson 27 drawingwhiledriving.com Cultural Independence and things that are free. Things that are self serving and disposable.
S: Sandra Wang 28 drawingwhiledriving.com Useful things that have a hidden useless function, like a backpack that turns into a stuffed hamburger. Turn offs: people who don’t appreciate camping or fast food.
Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea behind your new work / install for the upcoming solo show opening april 29th, 2011 at together gallery titled: “How did I get Here”
S+C: We’ll use the gallery as a large vessel, connecting each individual work to room installations. Many paintings will act as a location, kind of an answer to the title question. Hopefully we will make the viewer think about how they move throughout the space. We’d like viewers to navigate the display like a giant map.
You are both from SF? how’d ya meet? how’d you end up in there?
C: I am from New Mexico and moved to the Bay Area twice. Second time around I was here for better intentions and was in a big group show. We met at a camping trip that was put together from the group show.
S: I’m from New Jersey and I also moved to the Bay Area twice. The second time was a break from working in science. I worked on a study that looked at how acupuncture affects the brain. I really liked the research, but the hospital wasn’t the right space for me. So I moved from Philly in 2006, met Crockett and I’ve been making art ever since.
If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand artistic vision would you look to bring to life?
S: I would build an underwater maze, half plastic, half coral. People would have to scuba-dive their way past traps, sunken treasures, and fake sea monsters. There would also be a café.
C: I would build mini blimps that people would ride to observe a large-scale painting that would be made out of different colored plants and flowers.
What’s an average day like for you?
C: Every day is totally different, not to say that I am not average, because I like to watch TV while I drink coffee and work on stuff. I would say on average we wake up and just hang out in bed talking.
S: That sounds about right.
What do you consider your biggest overall influence?
S: For imagery, I love Paul Klee. For composition and color, I look at mini Persian paintings.
C: Folk Art and design. One uses whatever material around to make art, while the other thinks about the best material for the job.
I’ve notice some repeated imagery in your work, care to explain?
C: Buildings Cars bikes squares triangles ropes plants ladders fish birds food dogs bugs people motorcycles circles trees tools I think my mind just catalogs it all and when it comes time to paint its like a jukebox, I just put a token in and one selects its self.
S: I like reinventing structures, man-made and organic, I’ll often integrate the two.
how do you like collabing, do you only work together or also solo?
S: The process of letting someone take your work in a different direction is exciting. I paint about every day and need a dynamic environment to draw inspiration from. This is probably why I like moving, changing studio spaces, and traveling. Having someone who you can constantly exchange ideas with is invaluable creative fuel. We also work solo, and then it’s just nice to paint alongside your partner.
C: I think that everyone is collaborating on everything we just take it one step further. Yea we work solo on one painting or together sometimes the fact that we don’t have one way we do it, allows for more and more work to be created. I am not concerned with being an artist for myself but to just make art. This is a happier way to make it for me.
Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a current favorite that inspires?
C: I think it will start with radio and then we put some music on then a Movie. I think that Music will let us go really crazy and sometimes it’s good, while other times we want to slow down so a movie is better. Examples, hmm well we listen to all genres, I realized last night that I really wanna get into classical, it just makes you relax and think.
S: When painting, music and radio are like the sounds from the waking world that you sometimes hear in dreaming. I’m usually not paying too close attention to what’s playing, but I’m receptive to it in case I need inspiration for a painting. So I’m not too picky, right now on my playlist is a lot of classic rock – early Rolling Stones, T. Rex, Beach Boys, John Phillips, happy music. If I’m in the mood for classical, Ravel piano.
What are your thoughts on portland? portland art? have you seen portlandia?
C: I have never been to Portland, but everything that I have heard kinda makes it sound like an amazing place to see, I am excited. Someone sent me a link to portlandia, ha it looks funny. Our friend Bill said that when he was living in Seattle in the early 90’s if you were cool you knew about Portland.
S: My last time in Portland was playing a music show at Reed for a crazy campus-wide drug fest. I couldn’t believe this was a college sponsored tradition. It was fun, the city was very green, and I ate good soul food. Portland reminded me a little of Philly, it’s pretty mellow but there’s a lot happening in the arts.
coffee, tea, beer, whiskey, kombucha?
S: first the caffeinated drinks, then the hard stuff, then beer. I’m not big on beer. Kombucha any time.
C: In that exact order, I guess that will work, Kombucha is good for hangovers.
What drew you towards art making, who, what, where, when why?
C: My mom, she would draw with me, and then I just started drawing everything like Indiana Jones and TMNT.
S: Growing up, my parents sent me almost every weekend to a free art program for youths at the Met Museum of Art in New York. My best friend and I would bring big sketch pads and draw in the galleries on Saturdays. Then on our own time we’d craft fan packages for our favorite TV teen stars.
Interests outside of art making?
S: origami, playing piano, visiting places with animals
C: I like to make music and collect instruments. Recently I started learning how to build an electric car. Making French food and playing basketball too.
Do you make a living off art or what, how do you pay the bills?
C: We both live off our art.
S: We feel so lucky.
Why SF?
S: My sister lives in Berkeley, that was a big reason for moving. I also wanted to know what it felt like living in a vacation town. People are always lying around on grass, eating well, and doing something fun at night. Then I discovered that I’d rather stay in and paint! I appreciate what’s around me, but Crockett and I are now ready to pick up and move to the countryside.
C: I originally came here for CCAC but then realized that San Francisco was an amazing place to live. It has a really great cultural scene that is hard to understand unless you live here. You have to live on a hill side and that can really shape you.
Whats next? Summer plans? 5 year plans? next 5 minutes?
C: We are moving to Santa Fe, where we are going to work on shows for the next year. While keeping a studio in San Francisco, build an electric car, finish this cup of coffee.
S: We are going to finish a book about a bat boy and his nighttime adventures. Then we’re going to convert our moving truck into an adobe house on wheels that churns out art and donuts. I’m waiting the next 5 minutes for Portlandia to load on my slow-ass internet.
Thanks?
ALSO at Together will be Portland artist Scrappers!
LAX //PDX show at together gallery…
Dabs and Myla are busy in Portland painting up this mural…
You can get a preview glance, 69 pieces!, of this show at
http://www.thinkspacegallery.com/2011/03/project2/works.php
Opening Reception
March 31, 2011 | 6:00pm – 11:00pm
@ Together Gallery
2916 NE Alberta St., Suite A
Portland, OR. 9721
March 31st – April 24th, 2011
I just wanted to send over an image of the painting I’m contributing to the LAX/PDX show next Thursday at the Together Gallery.
Saturn Returns
18″ x 24″ oil on panel, 2011
Hope to see you next week!
Opening Reception
March 31, 2011 | 6:00pm – 11:00pm
@ Together Gallery
2916 NE Alberta St., Suite A
Portland, OR. 9721
March 31st – April 24th, 2011
LAX/PDX
Art installation from Dabs Myla
Group show featuring over 50 artists (see list of artists below)
@ together gallery
co-presented & curated by LA’s thinkspace gallery
March 31st – April 24th, 2011
Artist reception March 31st from 6pm – 11pm
NAME: DABSMYLA
AGE: DABS 32 and MYLA… well… a woman never reveals her age.
LOCATION: Los Angeles
WEBSITE: www.dabsmyla.com
BLOG: www.dabsmyla.wordpress.com
TURN ONS: Each other
* Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea behind your new install for the upcoming LAX/PDX show opening march 31st at together gallery.
The piece we made for the LAX/PDX show is a new painting in a series of
work where we are trying something a little bit different to our previous
paintings. It’s still very much like what we do, but we have been
experimenting with new compositions and mixing it up a bit. We are really
trying to bring both of our styles even closer together. Over the 6 years
we have been working together we have gradually become more in sync with
our paintings, to a point where they finally really feel like its just one
person, now we are trying to take it a little further again. Building off
each others style to make one entity.
As for the installation, we are also trying something a little different.
When we do painted installations for shows we usually try to make it look
similar to our graffiti, with a twist. For this install we are going to
make it a bit more like one of our paintings, but simplified and on a much
bigger scale!.. its kinda hard to explain.. but you will see what we mean
when its up! (hopefully)
* You are both from LA? how’d ya meet? how’d you end up in there?
We are both originally from Melbourne Australia, but we have been living
here in LA for two years now.
And loving every moment of it.. except for the traffic maybe!
But its worth tolerating to live in such an amazing city.
We met each other in 2005 at art school, we were both studying
illustration there.
While at school, we fell in love and have been together every day since!
We traveled over here to the States about 4 or 5 years ago on vacation and
to see our good friend Logan Hicks, who was then living in LA. We feel in
love with the city, the weather and the general chaos!
So we made a decision to just pack up and head over and see what happens!
It was a real leap of faith! No idea what we would do here, and no visas
to work. We just found an apartment bought two desks and hit the ground
running!
Now we have artists visas.. we are legit!… so i think we will stay here as
long as we can.
* If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand
artistic vision would you look to bring to life?
Painting a whole city block, the outside of the buidlings, the lamp posts,
the post boxes, the inside walls of all the buildings, the ceilings, the
desks, the telephones, the EVERYTHING! Could you imagine it… an entire
DABS MYLA city block!!!!!!
* What’s an average day like for you?
Pretty boring actually. Except for days when we are outside painting
walls! Everyday we wake up around 8, eat oatmeal for breakfast(everyday!)
answer emails for a few minutes then sit at our desks and start painting.
We do that until about 11 or 12 each night, then go to bed and watch a
movie.
The end!!
Then we do the same again the next day.
When we say it like that it sounds kinda harsh, like we never do anything
except work, but we love it, we love to paint and we love each others
company so spending every day doing that is actually a dream come true!
* What do you consider your biggest overall influence?
It would most definitely be each other!
* I’ve notice some repeated imagery in your work, care to explain?
Sometimes we find ourselves with a certain character, and as soon as he or
she or it is made, we both just fall in love with it so much that i think
we always want to bring them back for another cameo because it made us
smile so much the first time around!
* how do you like collabing, do you only work together or also solo?
Could never imagine it any other way!
It can be a hard process collaborating with another person sometimes, but
when it works its the best ever!… and for us it always works.
We never argue or really disagree on anything.
We collaborate on pretty much everything we make. The only times when we
do our own thing is when we are painting graffiti letters. When you are
painting a piece of your name its kinda something that has to be done
solo!
* Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a
current favorite that inspires?
We listen to a lot of music while we work. Like we said, we are at our
desks pretty much 15 hours a day, so the ipod gets thrashed!
At the moment i think our favourite albums would be Ween ‘all request
live’, Brian Wilson presents ‘Smile’ and the new Radiohead album ‘king of
limbs’.
* what are your thoughts on portland? portland art? have you seen portlandia?
No, we haven’t seen Portlandia? Andrew from Thinkspace Gallery sent us a
link to the first few episodes and told us we need to watch them. But we
haven’t had time this week to get around to it.
We are really looking forward to coming up there though. We don’t know much
about it, but we have heard so many great things from people.
And when the reviews are that hot… its gotta be great!
* coffee, tea, beer, whiskey, kombucha?
Non of the above!… water, water and more water!
* What drew you towards art making, who, what, where, when, why?
We are inspired by colour schemes, hand drawn typography, graffiti
letters, animation artists, illustrators, graffiti writers, Disneyland,
cities and landscapes, 1950′s pop culture… and more! All of this has
drawn us into making art from when we were kids and as we grow older and
learn more we love finding more things that we love and inspire us!
* Interests outside of art making?
It is very very rare when we are doing something that isn’t involved with
art or our work.
When we are not in the studio working, we are out painting walls.
And if we are not doing either of those, we are probably at an exhibition
somewhere. Even when we travel, 90% of the time we are there to paint or
for a show or to gather reference.
We do watch a lot of movies though!!.. so there’s that i guess.
And we love it at Disneyland!.. we try to go there whenever we have a day off!
*Do you make a living off art or what, how do you pay the bills?
We do live off our art. And feel very lucky for that!
We don’t live just from selling paintings though. We do a little bit of
commercial work through out the year. T shirt designs, murals and
installations for different companies and stuff like that. That definitely
helps keep us living comfortably between shows!
* What’s next? Summer plans? 5 year plans? next 5 minutes?
In the next 5 minutes we are going to finish up typing these answers and
our dinner should be ready. Take an hour away from painting and eat our
delicious meal and watch some old episodes of Lost.
This summer we will spend the majority of it with our heads down working
on the paintings for a solo show at Thinkspace Gallery in August.
We are putting 110% into this show, so won’t be room for us to do much more
than that for the next 5 months. But i’m sure we will get out a few times
to paint some graffiti!
We don’t really have a 5 year plan other than to do whatever we have to do
to be able to stay here in LA.
LAX/PDX
Art installation from Dabs Myla
Group show featuring over 50 artists:
Adam Caldwell
Allison Sommers
Ana Bagayan
Andrea Offermann
Andrew Hem
Anthony Clarkson
Anthony Pontius
Brett Amory
Brian M. Viveros
Bumblebee
Caia Koopman
Catherine Brooks
Chet Zar
Craig “Skibs” Barker
Dabs Myla
Dan-ah Kim
David Bray
David MacDowell
David Stein
Dennis McNett
Derek Gores
Esao Andrews
Euth
Eveline Tarunadjaja
Fernando Chamarelli
Ferris Plock
Fumi Nakamura
Gaia
Ghostpatrol
Glenn Arthur
Gustavo Ponce
Jeff Ramirez
Jen Lobo
Jesse Hotchkiss
Jesse Reno
John Park
Jonathan Wayshak
Joseph ’2H’ McSween
Kathleen Lolley
Katy Bisby
Kelly Allen
Kelly Vivanco
Kevin Titzer
L. Croskey
Lesley Reppeteaux
Lindsey Carr
Linnea Strid
Liz Brizzi
Luke Kopycinski
Mr. Jago
Naoto Hattori
N.S. David
Paul Barnes
Peter Taylor
Sarah Joncas
Shark Toof
Stella Im Hultberg
Timothy Karpinski
Tony Philippou
Yosuke Ueno
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