The nude show
b y J im A n c til
Gertrude Stein remarked: ‘‘When you are
not rich, you either buy clothes or you buy
art" In these economic times, the quotation
could apply to The N ude S h o w at the Photo
graphic Image Gallery, 208 S.W. First Curated
by Stu Levy, this show continues through
July 7 in the downtown area now called Gal
lery Row. This is a major exhibition, the first
large-scale examination of the nude in a Port
land gallery setting, according to owners
Caroline and Guy Swanson. These congenial
folks have mounted an exhibition which in
cludes contemporary and 20th-century
master photographers, many of them local
or from the Northwest Prints are included
which are in collections such as the Metro
politan Museum and the Museum of Modem
Art
The exhibition's listing of works begins:
"Photography has been used to study the
human form since the earliest days of the art"
Perhaps in the first half of this century when
photography was developing as a separate
art form, it was easier to look upon the nude
as belonging rightfully only to painting, since
even serious photos of this subject were often
considered pornography. With the emer
gence of the latter as a commercially distinct
field, we can acknowledge those photogra
phers who are exploring the unclothed
human body as pure art This is not to say
that the erotic is not an important element in
art as well.
Space does not permit a detailed descrip
tion of all photographers and works included
in the exhibition. A few examples which par
ticularly caught this reviewer s attention are
mentioned here, but others will find much of
interest as well. Work by the legendary
Imogen Cunningham and Edward Weston is
represented, as well as important work by
Ruth Bernhard, Wynn Bullock, Edmund
Teske, and Jack Welpott Work by Northwest
photographers David Bayles, Marsha Bums,
Paul Dahlquist, Goodwin Harding, Stewart
Harvey, Susan Hereford, Cherie Hiser,
Richard Loftis, Susie Morrill, Marly Stone, and
Shedrich (Shad) Williames is also included.
Whereas the "stuff’ of painting is color, the
very essence of photography is light Photo
graphers have chosen to pose their models
in many different settings, inside or outdoors,
in natural or artificial surroundings. In Cun
ningham’s “Rainwater on Oregon Beach”
the contours of the figure interplay with
sculptured rock forms. Edna Bullock’s
"David" series uses sand dunes or rocks and
in some the human figure is literally dwarfed
by distance and scale. The “Nude Beach
Series" by Marly Stone again uses this set
ting. Harding plunges us into a primeval Ore
gon forest where the solitary nude males
seem to be engaged in the act of merging
with or regenerating from nature. In some of
Judy Dater's and Stone’s images we find
ourselves in barren moonscapes. The latter’s
"Garden of Eden” seems reminiscent of a
poisonous Max Ernst setting.
Interiors are the backgrounds in the work
of Wynn Bullock, Bums, Dahlquist Hiser,
Williames, etc. Each photographer has
strived to utilize the space around the figure
in different ways. Bums uses a rather sterile
setting and androgynous models often with
strong vertical framing elements to give her
work a distinctive quality. Willilames allows a
bright window pattern in a darkened room to
play across the figure. Bernhard confines her
model in a box either reclining or kneeling for
heightened tension. In Wynn Bullock's
"Torso in Window" we glimpse a Magritte-
like truncated female form. Hiser’s interest in
tattoos is reflected also in the busy patterns
she surrounds her figures with, as does
Judith Steinhauser. Theresa "Re" Airey gives
many of her nudes an "airy,” semi-abstract
quality. Her "Scream" is very different from
the famous Munch painting of the same title,
yet she surrounds the figure in an irridescent
shimmering aura. Multiple imagery appears
in the work of Teske, Francesca Lacagnina
and Stone.
Beautiful images of the black male nude
are the subject of work by Edna Bullock,
Bums, Martha Pearson Casanave, Dater,
Blake Little, and Williames. One by Dianora
Niccolini is especially powerful. Dancing
figures are portrayed in many shots, and
there are numerous whimsical and humor
ous treatments. Richard Gibson’s feather
may tickle your fancy.
Cherie Hiser has said: "East coast photo
graphers are unhappy because they’re un
happy, and west coast photographers are un
happy because they’re happy." Judge for
yourself. Most of the photos in the show are
monochromatic black and white. The quality
of the owrk and the prints available are first-
rate. Don’t confine yourself merely to the
pictures on the walls, but do also browse
through the racks containing unframed
prints. There are many treasures to be
discovered.
The Girl Artists
are b a ck
b y Eue S ic u la r
The Girl Artists are telling me about their
new performance piece, “Souvenirs." They
are talking about how difficult it is to find time
for their group process of writing, designing,
producing, and performing around their
other work schedules. And about bringing
their piece to its present form from its origin
over a year ago as "Souvenirs of a Planet
Worth Saving." They have lots to say about an
earlier work, their first collaboration in which
they added live performance to the environ
ment they had created (becoming waitresses
in the restaurant-set of S plit S hift Cafe), and
the fun they have as observers, partici
pants, commentators and satirists of modem
life.
But they mostly do not want to speak spe
cifically about “Souvenirs" because they do
not want to give the plot away. They will say
their new work deals with fear in modern life,
fears of destruction which we all share. They
will say that this piece shows a community’s
N o rth ern Italian Cuisine
Mon.-Sat., 5:30-10:30 p.m.
2832 SE Belmont
Portland, Oregon
response to loss, set in a neighborhood where
a recent tragedy brings people closer
together. They do say, don't be afraid to come
see this, it will entertain you, it will remind you
of many things which make life worth living,
the good, the wonderful and the obnoxious.
They promise that as before, the messages in
their art will not level a sledge hammer at any
time, but will often find audiences identifying
with what they express, by giving voice to
common feelings.
Who are the Girl Artists? Char Breshgold,
Kathy Clark, Cristina DeGennaro, Susan
Martin and Lisa Siegel come from different
parts of the country and diverse back
grounds. All went to art school or college in
the 1970s. They formed the group six years
ago in Portland as visual artists who were
experimenting with collaborative work; four
began by setting up the "Beach Party" in the
gallery space adjacent to their studios. The
giant beach balls, coolers of beer and surf
music did not immediately seem the start of a
major turn in their creative lives (“Except,” as
one Girl Artist recalls, “that my father thought
I was going to ruin my career")
While the Girl Artists' idea has always been
to do performance that is entertaining and
immediately accessible, they are doing a few
things differently this time. Susan collaborates
long distance from California with periodic
working visits. The group now has their own
four-track sound mixer (bought with an
equipment grant from the Oregon Arts Com
mission), to produce audio accompaniment,
so they have involved musicians and actors
in making tapes for “Souvenirs.” And their
new piece is continuous theater for one and a
half hours, longer than previous series of
skits or vignettes which lasted an hour or so,
total. They have been working a lot on their
acting ("before, we were sticks, but it
worked”) making their transition from visual
to performing artists more complete.
The Girl Artists say they plan to do
“Souvenirs" elsewhere after their four per
formances in Portland, taking it on tour and
letting it change as their ideas of the piece
evolve and the spaces they perform in vary.
The shows here will be at the Portland Center
for the Visual Arts at 8 p.m., Thursday
through Sunday, June 20th to 23rd. For
more info, look at the calendar page. The
group’s shows do usually fill the house, so a
phone call to PCVA to assure your seat is a
good idea. Because the Girl Artists are back,
and better than ever.
F o r in f o r m a t io n
r e g a r d in g
a d v e r t is in g
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