july 7.2000 » J u s t oart .45
ART
*
... Had more than a few anonymous partners in
the last 6 months.
... Your partner is unaware you are playing on
the side.
... Had sex while under the influence...regretted it
in the morning.
Found art, fqiind life
Portland artist
Paul Arensmeyer
discovered a way
to make his living
in unexpected places
by
Then it is tim e to get tested .
M arc A c it o
ccording to the Bible, “A
prophet is not without
honor except in his own
land”—a reference that
could apply to artists in Portland,
says local sculptor and curator
Paul Arensmeyer.
“There’s a huge element in
the gay population who have no
idea there’s good art in Portland,”
he says. “They have this mentali
ty that good things don’t come
out of the place they live.”
So Arensmeyer, like so many
artists (and Biblical prophets)
before him, will have to leave his
hometown, if only for a while, in
order to enhance his reputation.
Paul Arensmeyer at his recent show
This summer Arensmeyer begins
a six-month National Endowment for the Arts
His work wasn’t always so enigmatic. A for
grant-funded fellowship in Houston with
mer yuppie, Arensmeyer actually got a business
Diverse Works, a leading art facility dedicated
degree in college. “That’s what smart kids did,”
to cutting-edge visual and performance arts.
he says, but he was introduced to the art world
Arensmeyer will be working directly with the
when he became infatuated with a straight art
visual arts curator setting up programs to
major. Inspired, or perhaps just frustrated,
increase cooperation between regional art facil Arensmeyer began making jewelry—“really
ities.
horrid, impractical jewelry”—which led to
making sculptures in the storage space of his
“I love promoting other artists’ work,” he
apartment building.
says. “I really believe the more we can support
When asked how his sexuality influences
each other, the farther we can go, both as a
his work, Arensmeyer laughs. “My work used
group and as individuals. And that’s across
to be terribly phallic," he explains, “but it was
genres, as well. Dancers need to support visual
entirely subconscious. I guess a shrink would
artists, visual artists need to support musicians,
say, ‘Well, that’s the shape you’re basically
etc. It’s all the same creative pool.”
attracted to.’ ”
When asked if his perspective is unique,
In 1991, as “a committee of one” he suc
Arensmeyer admits: “Sure, there are a lot of
cessfully revived Cascade AIDS Project’s annu
artists who don’t even go out and see other
al art auction, which raised $5,000 in its first
artists’ shows, but 1 think for the most part
year
back in business. A year and a half later,
artists in Portland are really supportive of each
he had his first solo exhibition of his own work
other. Hey, I don’t make much money, but I’m
at Jamison Thomas Gallery. Since then his
always willing to shell out fifteen bucks to try
work has been seen at numerous galleries,
something new.”
including Portland Institute for Contemporary
It’s fairly unusual for a working visual artist
Art,
Quartersaw Gallery, Pacific Northwest
also to curate art shows. A curator is to a col
College of Art and the Vita Gallery.
lection of visual artworks what an editor is to a
Arensmeyer also sits on the committee that
collection of written works, and much in the
oversees
the Percent for Art Program, which
same way that writers and editors don’t fre
requires any building built in the Portland
quently overlap, neither do artists and curators.
metro area with public money to use a portion
However, Arensmeyer sees curating as
of its total budget for public art. He uses the
another form of expression and an opportunity
position
as a means of encouraging innovation.
to explore an artistic vision beyond his own
When asked to cite examples of successful pub
personal minimalist aesthetic. Two of the shows
lic art, he mentions the fountain at the Rose
he’s curated, “Boy Mechanic” at the Quartersaw
Garden
Arena.
Gallery and “The Tool Show” at the Portland
"It has great patterns, great sounds— the
Institute for Contemporary Art, expanded on
piece sucks you in and invites interpretation,"
his fascination with how things work.
he says.
Arensmeyer himself makes found-object
He also appreciates the provocative and
sculptures— which is an artsy-fartsy way of say
much-derided
“bound trees" at the ODS Build
ing that where others might see junk, he sees
ing—“a gixxl, bold step and a nice contrast to
art. From industrial castoffs found in scrap
a feature-free building. I think good public art
yards and foundries, Arensmeyer creates sculp
is something where the public can’t walk by
tures that are abstract, but with titles that
without noticing there’s art there,” he explains.
invite the viewer to explore the psychological
There are many in Portland’s art communi
meaning of the work. (Those titles go a long
ty
who
will certainly notice when Arensmeyer
way in helping the uninitiated, by the way.)
is gone this year, but we can only hope that our
With its fanciful and sometimes disturbing
hometown artists, just like Biblical prophets,
assortment of widgets and gadgets, Arensmey-
return to us.
er’s most recent exhibition at the Froelick
Adelhart Gallery may leave one with more
■ M a r c : A c ITO’ s most profound artistic exfrres-
questions than answers, but that suits him just
sion
is his comic strip, “The Boys N ext Door,
tine. “Otherwise, there’d be no reason to kx)k
u/hich must mean he's a very shallow person.
at the work again,” he says.
’
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