Two Standout Artists from Recent Portland Openings

The only constant in life is change itself. With the change comes the fear of loss and longing for return and renewal. Mark Andres centers this theme for his current exhibition ‘Saudade” at Augen Gallery. 

One of my artist friends commented that Andres’ works have a strong mid-century feeling. Andres cites his teacher, Boston expressionist Jason Berger as his major influence. While I am not familiar with artists in the Boston expressionism circle, some paintings in the show remind me of Romantic Expressionism in Joseph de Martini’s dark theatre scenes or the rugged coastal Maine. But Portland offers more than what a succinct abstract could conquer. Instead, Fauvism’s strong color palette finds its perfect match in the Rose City, with its spring blossoming, lush summer greens and the vibrancy of fall. 

In Andres’ work, the loose brush strokes, especially dark lines, create a heightened sense of pictorial particularity. In “Music Room,” the red craftsman bungalow peeks through overgrown bushes and trees  –  all packed densely together to suggest an interesting spatial intimacy. It is quintessential Portland.

But that Portland has changed, according to the artist, much for the worse. The rising real estate, the pandemic, the crime and the homeless situation have probably caused some long-established galleries to shutter their doors. In the artist statement, Andres laments not only the loss of galleries and art schools but also journalism, art patronage and infrastructure. 

I haven’t been here long enough to form an opinion. Interestingly, the First Thursday Art Walk and the artist reception on Saturday drew a large crowd. Perhaps, the foundation that enables the rebuilding and renewal of all things lost is still strong in Portland – a sense of community from the very people who share the same yearning; a city with the mindset that’s content to be mid-sized, yet independent, and an urban infrastructure that facilitates great interaction of people, ideas and creativity. I have hope.

Eric’s favorite is “Harvest Moon.” Here in a familiar, yet somewhat disjointed setting, a woman feels exposed to the brightness of the moonlight and so pulls a curtain closed. The strong light and shadow in the foreground is backed by a wall painted in romantic magenta. It is a moment of becoming. Deprived of the context, or should I say thanks to the mysterious settings, viewers are left to their own interpretation. 

I am more intrigued by the work “Spirit of the Dead.” Andres’ yellow ochre under paint often glimmers through the dark tree trunks, like an evening glow. On the one hand, there is daring spontaneity in every brushstroke. A few dashes of pink enliven the sky. And that dreamy pink, caught briefly on a second-floor window, speaks sweet sorry. Collectively, Andres applies painting as drawing to leave the joy in process into the visual excitement. The outcome is a panorama view with a poetic structural appeal — Rhythmic rooflines break the sky like stanzas, and two buildings flank either end to enclose the vista. On the other hand, the painting is executed with such deliberation and care that every element, regardless of how incidental it may appear (like the red patches along the pathway or the iridescent glow of a canal), is integral to the narrative, full of mystery and surprises. It takes me a while to discover a figure anchored in the forefront. A person looks toward the sunset, momentarily frozen in his/her own shadow. It gives me chills, as I realize that we are looking at the same vista in tandem.

The energy was a little different on the East Side Friday evening when we stopped at AFRU Gallery. On display was work by Hampton Rodriguez and it may seem cliche to say, but the gallery, the vibe, and the artwork provided a triage of breaths of fresh air. Long sketches showing lively street scenes hung above individual works in intricate collages. While the artist says the scenes are contrived, it seems as though they could very well be taking place in Portland neighborhoods. The array of activity and human interaction on display in his work reminded me of Ernie Barnes.

In the Pacific Northwest, far away from where I would expect to find much Latino art or culture, with some searching, it seems Rodriguez is a Portland staple. One of the paintings that came up on a search is a Dia de Los Muertos-themed work with a skeleton painting inside a Victorian-era home with Rose City-looking bridge outside the window. 

While I’ve associated the use of decorated skeletons with Mexican holidays, it appears this November holiday is also celebrated in the artist’s home country, The Dominican Republic. On his website, Hampton says he was influenced by the abstract works of his country, but after arriving in Portland in 2002, the city, the people and the culture pulled him in. 

A few skeleton-themed works, including one of a family and a black-and-white work with an intricate assembly of newsprint text, initially lured us in, but the street scenes kept us looking. It did take some time to realize the individual works were based on the long scroll of sketches and then almost didn’t seem right to separate them. Several landscape works were also on view.

Also offered for sale were some prints of the artist’s paintings, and they certainly made me look forward to an exhibition that features his brush strokes. The artist has a studio on Powell Boulevard in Southeast Portland and we’ll certainly make the time to stop by sometime soon.