A breath of fresh air, she swept into town as the new Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art and in a mere six week whirlwind of studio visits and smart networking took a measure of the state of the visual arts in Portland while filtering through 768 submissions to build the 2006 Oregon Biennial Exhibition currently at the Portland Art Museum. It’s an important exhibition that gets so many things right (esp. inclusions of David Eckard and Chandra Bocci, as well as introducing us to number of interesting artists we were unfamiliar with), it has us throwin’ our hands in the air and waving them like we just don’t care. Can’t wait to see what Gately gets up to next. Recently, Gately took a moment to answer the questions of the ultra Q.
Qualities you most admire in design:
courage and clarity of intention
Qualities you most despise in design:
despise is such a strong word, but I do have little patience for superfluousness
Reading:
Frenzy
Listening to:
everything
Dream project:
can’t share that
Favorite virtue:
honesty
Favorite vice:
sleeping late on Sundays
Tragic flaw:
once-a-day addiction to Stumptown Organic French Roast
Secret superhero power:
again, can’t share that, (someone might steal it)
That which keeps your afterburners firing:
clean water, sunny blue skies, well intended meals with well-loved friends and always champagne.
What you’d like to be when you grow up:
I thought I was grown up (but I do have an occasional reoccurring day-dream about being a lettuce farmer in the country).
Portland’s best kept secret:
I’m still looking, so it must be well kept.
Portland heroes (sung or un-):
All the 2006 Oregon Biennial artists and everyone who applied! It takes such courage to be an artist in today’s world, courage that I admire.
Interesting on the horizon (PDX):
Opening September 30th, APEX: Roy McMakin (paintings of chairs & sculptures of chairs). The first in a dynamic series of exhibitions embracing emerging and established artists living in the Northwest in an open and thought-provoking forum. Known for his unique blend of humor, design and conceptual concerns, this Seattle artist and designer’s, furniture, sculpture, paintings and drawings find inspiration in domestic use, classic modernism, and the simplicity of Shaker, Mission, and Arts and Craft styles. His inventive, aesthetic approach reduces forms to their essentials, morphing function and intention. Along with Andrea Zittel and Jorge Pardo, McMakin is one of today’s internationally known artists challenging boundaries between art, decor, architecture, design, and the built environment. 4th Floor of the Center For Northwest Art, Portland Art Museum. Don’t miss it! (shhh,Chris Johanson is next) Stay tuned to the museum’s website for more details.www.porlandartmuseum.org.
WHAT TO DO NOW?