Brad Carlile Photo Blog

First Thursday started at Tom Cramer’s show at Laura Russo Gallery (805 NW 21st, Portland, OR). You have to see this show out. My favorites were “Moon Lake” and “Aviary” and “Power Plant”. Works like “Moon Lake” and “Golden Dawn” have these wonderful undulations coupled with interesting finer textures and patterns of the detailed carving. The metal leaf paint and the facets of the work like “Prehistoric Garden” really reflect light in amazing ways, so walk around to view from many perspectives. Although you need to see the work in person,
you can get a taste online.

I also had a chance to chat a bit with Tom about his work, and of course, offer a million thanks for the wonderful work he did on my art car. He told me that he missed having an art car and had the paint left over from doing mine so he did his Karmann Ghia. I mentioned that often when I come back to my car that people are posing to take pictures in front of my parked car. He was a bit surprised, then walking from his show I passed his car an low and behold I took the picture above of those taking a picture.

My 2nd and last art stop of the night was to see the “Be Blue (SKY)” show at Mark Woolley Gallery (817 SW 2nd Ave, Portland OR). I had my image image “Brooklyn Bridge” (40″ x 30″) in this show. The theme of this show was to celebrate the color ‘blue’. Not as in ‘blue’ (depressed) but as in ‘BLUE SKY’, He’s so blue sky, open, vibrant, true, contagiously enthusiastic). Many wore blue clothing to the show and sipped blue cosmos. My work is hung down the steps from the first room, on the wall straight ahead.

At the show I finally had a chance to meet Eva Lake. Over the years I’ve listened to many of Eva’s Artstar radio shows, and enjoyed them. Eva has since moved on to Art World Postcasts. She mentioned that more podcasts are coming soon.

Several groups of friends stopped by to see the show. It was great to have them there. Some friends of mine bought a beautiful blue painting by Joseph Kucinski. Below are my good friends Dave, Amy in front of my work with me. Several years ago the three of us had a great trip to Laos and Cambodia.

As I mentioned I saw Mathew Pichton’s new work “Bagdad” at the Model Behavior show, Saturday was my chance to see more of his new work.

As Matthew said in his statement, “These new sculptures transform the two dimensional mapped image into multi-layered sculptures of the communication, transportation and river systems that comprise the current city. The ‘map’ has been animated and transformed, the natural abstraction of the map extended into a work of art that is at once abstract and tangibly real in the same moment.” Matthew Picton, September, 2007

This is very engaging work. That you need to see in person to see the play of the layers of the surfaces and the shadows that get created.

If you want to see details of his images online, please go to the artist page at Puliam Deffenbaugh site.

Tags: 1st Thur, art