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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
Continued on Page 40