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O r ia n a G r een
A P o rtla n d a rtis t celebrates h e r
sp iritu a l jo u rn e y w ith emotional,
evocative expressions
B y O riana G reen
ntering into artist Mar Goman’s show “Anima Mundi
is indeed like moving into the world of spirits. Her
colorful show of mixed-media pieces is currently on
view through March 31 at the new Sanctuary for the
Arts in downtown Portland’s Pearl District. (Formerly
located at Marylhurst University, it is a not-for-profit
gallery with the mission of celebrating the connections
between art and the sacred.)
Goman has been on a rocky personal spiritual journey,
trying to reconcile her life as an out lesbian and her mem­
bership in a church that was less than welcoming to her
E
¡ v
Jfe.,,
apparent is Goman’s love
desire to become a dea­
of words.
con.
“I’m a very verbal per­
“I felt like my whole
son, but I’m not a frustrat
church life was about my
ed writer,” she explains,
struggle for inclusion,”
adding that she plays a
she says, though she has
mean game of Boggle.
recently returned to her
church after a change in
Every single piece in
this show talks back—
its leadership.
some s] ¡peak hushed single
She now considers
words, and others take off
herself a rather radical
Christian and makes her
on near-heretical rants.
“Holy terror’’ pops up fre­
art by poking at the scars
quently, and is a concept
in her soul.
Goman is exploring.
All her work has a
primitive, rustic quality
“When you open your­
self to God, you have to
that is reflected in her fre­
quent use of found ob­ Mar Goman creates her own vocabulary of spirituality
lose control, and it can be
jects. Goman is also in
terrifying,” she says,
love with pure colors, and this show is a joyous riot of every adding that she hopes she doesn’t sound too conventional.
hue in her expansive rainbow.
After taking in the lively color, the next thing that is
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