Michael Lazarus, Tethered (2011).Acrylic paint, found objects, wood31.5 x 29.75 in
Pacific NW College of Art
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center announced selections today for the Portland2016 Biennial of Contemporary Art. Artist and critic Michelle Grabner, who curated the Whitney’s 2014 Biennial, has chosen 34 artists from across Oregon.
Grabner herself utilizes a variety of media — everything from woven paper to paintings created by pressing crocheted blankets onto panels. She has chosen artists for the Biennial ranging from Portland's 80-something doyenne of colorful graphic painting, Ellen McFadden, to Avantika Bawa, a mid-career graduate of Portland's art scene, whose installations and art objects have received international attention (including from State of Wonder). Storm Tharp, whose surreal, inky works have appeared on Art Beat, and local novelist-cum-artist Jon Raymond, will also exhibit their work.
Portland2016's curator, Michelle Grabner
Courtesy of Disjecta / OPB
In the time since she was selected to curate, Grabner — who, incidentally, told The New York Times that she did not view her role in the Whitney's Biennial as "tracking down" talent — launched herself across Oregon in order to meet the state's contemporary art scene in person.
“I was looking for work that addressed global realities as much as it embraced radical regionalism,” Grabner reported to Disjecta after making over 100 studio visits to Oregon artists. “It was a privilege to transverse the state of Oregon and to meet with artists and arts professionals who are enthusiastically committed to fostering a spirited culture in the region.”
The Disjecta Biennial has played out in Portland, but this year venues across the state will also participate, reflecting Grabner’s ongoing concern with “localism” and the decentralization of artistic production. Locations in Pendleton, La Grande, the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Bend, Madras, McMinnville, Astoria, Roseburg and Ashland are confirmed, with more to come.
Storm Tharp's Boom (2008). Ink, gouache, and colored pencil on paper.
Courtesy of The Whitney Museum / OPB
This June, State of Wonder will dedicate an entire episode to Grabner, who will guest-curate the show and take Portlanders on an audio tour of the process of curating Portland 2016.
Check out the complete list of this year's Biennial artists below, and don’t miss your chance to survey Oregon’s thriving art scene this July. (Road trip recommended, but not required.)
The Portland2016 Biennial of Contemporary Art will run from July 9 to Sept. 18.
Artists:
Avantika Bawa, Portland
Carla Bengston, Eugene
David Bithell, Ashland
Pat Boas, Portland
Mike Bray, Springfield
Bruce Burris, Corvallis
Julia Calabrese and Emily Bernstein, Portland
Cherry / Lucic, Portland
David Eckard, Portland
Tannaz Farsi, Eugene
Jack Featherly, Beaverton
Howard Fonda, Portland
Julie Green, Corvallis
Midori Hirose, Portland
Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Portland
Colin Kippen, Portland
Anya Kivarkis, Eugene
Michael Lazarus, Portland
Charlene Liu, Eugene
Giles Lyon, Portland
Ellen McFadden, Portland
Whitney Minthorn, Pendleton
Donald Morgan, Eugene
Brenna Murphy, Portland
Julia Oldham, Eugene
Rebecca Peel, Portland
Lisa Radon, Portland
Jon Raymond, Portland
Jack Ryan and Chi Wang, Eugene
Heidi Schwegler, Portland
Rick Silva, Eugene
Storm Tharp, Portland
Weird Fiction, Portland
Ryan Woodring, Portland