In the day, I took enough psychology to minor in it. Courses, at all levels, would spend a couple of weeks talking about Freud and then spend the whole rest of the course showing how science-flimsy Freudian ideas didn’t bare out. I’ll freely admit I don’t have the chops to argue with Psychoanalysts or Psychologists on that side of the debate, I do think that too many artist just rely on simple Freudian descriptions in their art (maybe that they learned from an art prof when they got their MFA?).

Over the past several year, I’ve seen too many references to Freud or Freudian imagery in shows in both New York and Portland.  Freud isn’t the only well to go to, artists need to dig deeper and cast a wider net. It is like trying to only using the 4 Greek elements (Earth, water, Air, and Fiber) to provide the only vocabulary to talk about modern physics. … or only using Aristoliean art theories to create art.

…sure there are some classic ideas that are at the foundations of cultural thought, but my advice, don’t be lazy, read everything, there are some amazing new ideas in every field of study and thought.

Chas talked about the Ballen’s and how his work builds on a myriad of photographic traditions. Chas approached this at several levels from the fundamental subjective, textural, and compositional comparisons to the deeper aesthetic and more complex psychological connections. Chas used lesser-known historical images to various well-known classics.

Some of the many photographs he discussed were August Sander, Shelby Lee Adams, Surrey County Lunatic Asylum portraits (Physiognomy), Roger Fenton’s “The Queen’s Target” (1860), Wallace Berman, Frederick Sommer, and Thomas Smillie’s “Komodo Dragon and Keeper, Roy Jennier, at the National Zoo” (1891).

Chas also discussed Physiognomy theories and early photography. He discussed how this work was used to judge by the veneer and how this has often been often perverted and abused by various power structures.

Ballen’s work started with a much more Arbus-esque documentary style and has evolved to have a much more enigmatic theatrical tone. I personally lie the more theatrical work.

Chas also has a new blog called That’s a Negative, that is always worth a read.

Unfortunately I had to leave early for an appointment, so I don’t know if Bowie’s essay is destined for print.

Roger Ballen as a new book called “Roger Ballen’s Shadow Chamber“.  I think you can also buy this book at Quality Pictures.  PORT did a review of the Ballen show at: http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2008/06/the_intrinsic_n.html

An image from this show and Portland’s other May shows at:
http://bradcarlile.com/blog/first-thursday/portland’s-may-first-thursday-gallery-openings/

Scientific American has a slide show called “Digital Forensics: Photo Tampering Throughout History“, it is an interesting bit of history.

I took pause at the last photograph from Queen Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor, Egypt. It is a photograph of the 1997 terrorist attack that killed 58 tourists. The Swiss tabloid “Blick” turned water in the original image to look like blood. I paused because I should have been at the temple that day 17-Nov 1997. Jennifer (an artist friend of mine) and I were traveling in Ghana then Egypt. Last minute changes reversed our plans so we visited Egypt first and then Ghana. This meant that Jennifer was back in the US on 17-Nov. On the 18-Nov, I called her from Bolgatanga Ghana and she told me about the tragedy and reminded me of our original schedule for the previous day.

If your are interested in more about Soviet photographic manipulation see, “The Commissar Vanishes” by David King.

Firefox 3 is now in public beta, to download a copy go to: http:/www.mozilla.com

To turn on color management under Firefox 3 enter the following where you put URLs: about:config
Next enter the following into the filter line: color_management
Change gfx.color_management.enabled to: true
Restart Firefox to enjoy color-managed web browsing!

How would you check to see if you have color-managed browsing? If you do, all of my photographs shown below will be exactly the same. If they are different they will be very different and it will show you that you do NOT have color management — as you can see the huge range of colors in my art demands it! (all photos created over hours of time with out digital manipulation).

if they look the same you sucessfully downloaded Firefox 3, changed the about:config settings above, and restarted your browser!

I first came across Derby at two different shows at the Doug Fir (including the FirFest) and really liked their sound. At that time I said, “These local boys really have music that is fun and damn it just so catchy that their tunes stick in your mind. Their new CD is in final production, and I can’t wait to get a copy.”

Now I have the CD and like it on my first spins. It was worth the wait. I wish they would have added a bonus track of their great earlier song “This Conversation.”

On the new CD, Ryan Wines write in his blog “Pet Marmoset” writes, “Posters Fade champions Derby’s signature sound of sweeping soft melodies and upbeat hooks, draped over bouncy keys, punchy guitars, and a healthy dose of 50’s-era drum beats… Good luck keeping this record off of your year-end lists. This one is a K.O.”

The show started off with a very energetic and strong feel. Their music is bright, smart, and damn catchy. If things go right these local boys could really have a larger influence.

The second half of the show featured different local musicians on nearly every song. Derby has a lot of respect from many of their peers in the upcoming Portland music scene. Scores of people joined them on stage. They were members of bands such as The Dimes, Tango Alpha Tango, Oh Darling, Dominic Castillo & the Rock Savants, Crosstide, Theopolis, Deepest Darkest, and more. While likely very fun for everyone on stage, in my mind this is where the show dragged down some. Even talented musicians need a few songs to get into the grove and the transitions cut down on the energy. This gave it the feel of a party at a warehouse studio jam session. Great if you are in an amongst everyone on stage, but less of a show if you are part of an audience. Crosstide and Climber opened for Derby.

Eric’s organic glass sculptures, are filled with a variety of noble gases, give them a a different soft yet surreal bioluminescent glow. Without touching, try hovering your hands over the image to influence the glow of the sculptures.

On one side, Krypton in the glass provides a blue glow to hint at x-ray like images on a black background. The neon in the tubes on a white background creates a more flesh-like color. These diptyches form contrasting anatomical sketches where we see differences and to contemplate dualities between perception and literal reality.

Eric’s work he finished just before this show was a full human skeleton to scale, you can see Eric standing with that work in this blog posting.

Also at Laura Russo are Tom Fawkes paintings.

They are the work of a master painter who knows how to create interesting meditations on gardens. For me, at about ten feet, the images really come into their own. the highlights the textures become hyper real (in the right ways). I usually like to enjoy work at close distances as well, but Fawkes paintings doesn’t work at that distance. Just stand back a bit and enjoy.

Portland-based artist Holly Andres has her first at Quality Pictures (916 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR).

Her artist statement says, “The “Sparrow Lane” series is about adolescent girls who are on the cusp of acquiring forbidden knowledge - a metaphor for the precarious transition from ‘girl’ to ‘woman’.” This work is along the lines of Julie Blackmon’s series “Domestic Vacations”, but Holly embraces more of the Nancy Drew book cover aesthetic.

Elizabeth Leach Gallery (17 NW 9th, Portland OR) is showing several interesting shows this month. I really enjoy the creative direction that Chris Rauschenberg is heading with his assembled inkjet prints.

Also at this Leach is the many glass works of Henry Hillman Jr.

If you’ve spotted the trend there is a lot of glass art being shown. This month the Glass Art Society conference is being held in Portland. Many of the Portland galleries are featuring glass artists.

Joe Feddersen had interesting glass work at Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR). For instance, the work “Urban Vernacular: Tire Firehawk” creates interference patterns with the interlacing of copper, silvering, and gaps. These works are seductive.

Theresa Redinger’s is showing works from YOP! (Yearnings on Portability) at the Blackfish Gallery (420 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR).  The image below is shot through a standard door peephole.   Also take a look into the peepholes in the suspended backpacks.

This work reminded me of Cathy Cleaver’s strong installation “Play House”

I’ll close with a snapshot of my homeward journey.

Eric’s organic glass sculptures, are filled with a variety of noble gases, give them a a different soft yet surreal bioluminescent glow. Without touching, try hovering your hands over the image to influence the glow of the sculptures.

The image on the left is an image I took of Eric with one of his previous works, I’m not sure that that one will be at the show since it was done as a commission for a collector.

His artist statement says, “…work is reflective of biological processes and the glass rods begin to take on spinal or sea-creature characteristics.”

Eric was also one of Port’s 1st Thur picks:
http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2008/06/first_thursday_27.html

Laura Russo Gallery
805 NW 21st ave.
www.laurarusso.com
Show: June 5- 28, 2008
Opening: First Thursday Reception, June 5, 5pm-8pm

www.ericfranklin.com

This month the Glass Art Society conference is being held in Portland. Many of the Portland galleries are featuring glass artists.

What do teachers make?

Totally Like Whatever

The National Center for Science Education has a youtube video about the evolution of eye. This shows the key flaws with intelligent design’s irreducible complexity argument for the eye.

Two of my personal arguments against intelligent design are the relatively poor design of the human knee (should have been done better) and the poor design of the lower back (ask anyone with lower back pains).

Foreseeing the future - a tenth of a second at a time

Researchers have known for a while that it takes about one-tenth of a second between when light hits your retina and when the brain translates that signal into a perception of the world. While it seems like a small amount of time, lags of a tenth of a second can cause lots of errors in our movement in the world.

Mark Changizi (RPI) has show that to compensate our visual system projects images that will occur one-tenth of a second into the future. His research shows that this “1/10th second guess” is the source of many optical illusions.

…and of course some artists take advantage of this.

to read more, see Jeanna Bryner article on Live Science:
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080602-foresee-future.html

Portland band “Caves” provided an energetic and enjoyable set to warm up the crowd.