ART
y interview with Walt Curtis starts
with enthusiasm. He is still high from
his recent 60th birthday party (July 4,
no less) and opening at Mark Woolley
Gallery. He is animated and vocal as he cele
brates with a waterfall of words what seems to
be a life enjoyed and frilly lived.
Unofficially deemed Portland’s “Street
Poet Laureate” for 30 years, he has supplied
this city with a broad mix of poetry, prose,
essays and art. He is eclecticism incarnate,
with a résumé reaching
into nearly every facet of
the local arts community.
Curtis authored Mala
Noche, a novella that
became director Gus Van
Sant’s first film. He is the
subject of Bill Plympton’s
documentary Peckemeck
Poet. Small-press collec
tions of his poetry include
1971’s The Erotic Flying
Machine, 1974’s The Roses
of Portland and 1983’s
Rhymes for Alice Blue Light.
In addition, for 30 years
he has served as host of
the KBOO-FM show
Talking Earth.
But right now, Curtis
is excited about his new
collection of paintings,
Native Spirits.
A lthough not a
N ative Am erican, he
proudly stakes his claim
as a native of the Pacific
Northwest. He has
immersed himself in the
wilds of Oregon, fre
quently m entioning the
Clackamas and Molalla
rivers and the energy he
draws from them . As he
says, “T he landscape is
in my blood and brain
• 1 nc
—
somehow.”
Curtis’ paintings are a bright mix of color,
sexuality and Native American imagery. Some
are on canvas, others on wood or rock; occa
sionally, he paints over other people’s castoff
“sofa" paintings he’s come across, judicially
allowing some of the previous work to play
through his own strokes.
At times his painting moves past the can
vas, enveloping the entire frame. He even
merges poetry and art, including poems on the
hacks of some paintings.
Many of Curtis’ recent works are inspired by
the famous Columbia Gorge petroglyph “She
M
I
Walt of all trades
Portland legend looks back on his life
by
R ich a rd B ray
W ho Watches,” which he has visited at least
eight times and has inspired his past poetry. He
attempts to capture the essence of primitive
symbols and rock art from around The Dalles
and whar used to be Celilo Falls before the
dams were built.
Worth noting is Curtis’ sensitiv
ity to “borrowing” these Native
American images, particularly “She
W ho Watches.” He consulted with
Lillian Pitt, an important local
Native American artist, about the
themes of these pieces. Her
response: “Do what you feel is right,
do what your heart tells you.”
Curtis explains: “I didn’t think it
was fair for me to deal with Native
American stuff when I’m not
Native American, unless I knew
and had some respect for it. I’m not
trying to take risks or be disrespect
ful to native culture; I’m saying that
that’s part of all of our culture, our
heritage in the Pacific Northwest.”
To drive his point home, C ur
tis adds, “I’m not a
white Indian, but
I identify with the
primordial and
archetypal sim
plicity of native
rock art.”
According to
Curtis, response to the show
and its origins has been posi
tive and supportive, no
doubt reflecting his rever
ence and intent for his sub-
ect matter. “I don’t want
people to feel I’ve disre
spected them by dealing with their often
religious symbols.”
In a reflective mood, Curtis says of
his art and process: “I’m a poet and a
writer who’s also been painting, and in
my work, just as in my poems, images
come up.... 1 have to have an image.”
Explaining further, he adds: “For
me, a painting is more of a discov
ery than a poem or an
essay. It’s something
I can really get
involved in, and
then I end up with
a beautiful or interest
ing object.”
Curtis brings a
unique personal
vision and philoso
phy to his art.
“Nature is part of
our sexual and spiri
tual life, and possi
bly that’s a recurring
theme in my
work— the vitality
of life itself as man
ifested in nature
and as manifested
in our healthy,
vibrant spirits if
we will really
go with the
best part of
ourselves.”
More
than once,
Curtis pays
homage to others
in Portland’s cultural
community who have been
supportive of his work and life and who also
take risks. He cites Van Sant; Wool-
ley; Thomas Lauderdale of Pink
Martini; W illiam Jamison, the late
gay gallery owner; and John Gogol,
an ethnographer and expert on
N ative Am erican basketry.
C urtis easily moves from
subject to subject, seamlessly
t sliding into a short discus
sion of hom osexuality in
N ative A m erican culture and
th eir acceptance, alm ost rever
ence, for the power of w hat
they som etim es referred to as
the “third sex.” He says native
people believe hom osexuals are
“natural, they have more
more potency th an h e t
erosexuals— male or female—
because they know both
sides of the sexual para
digm ... sham en
were often
gay m en .”
Walt au naturel
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H o u se h o ld G oods
In tern a tio n a l
T rade S h ow s
Calling Portlander Tom
Spanbauer one of our most
important authors, Curtis
reveres The Man Who
Fell in Love with the
Moon for its N ative
Am erican sensitivity.
O n the larger
subject of being
gay in society
today, C urtis has
clear opinions.
“W e gays have to
become part of
the larger com
munity, too. We
have to be
somewhat
fearless about
presenting
w hat we’re
interested
in, but we
also have
to be gra
cious and
under
stand
where
o th er peo
ple are com ing
from. I would really feel
Sun M an
bad to be in a totally gated gay
com m unity someplace myself.”
Today, Curtis finds himself at a turning
point. Having lived for many years in Oregon
City with his mother, who recently passed away,
new horizons and options are presenting them
selves. He would like to travel more, especially
in the Northwest.
As we finish our interview, Curtis’ appreci
ation for the life he has led, and still is lead
ing, is evident. He seems to be in a reflective
and grateful mood, surveying where he’s been
and where he is and eminently aware that
before him lies the ultimate empty canvas—
his own future.
“This town really loves me, and I love this
town. There are such wonderful people in this
community, and it’s a great privilege and honor
to be part of it. I feel humble and grateful that
I’ve been able to do so much work...my life
has been a feast.”
Given Curtis’ past 30 years in Portland and
his penchant for living life without boundaries,
his next chapter promises to be scintillating.
Stay tuned. JP1
Paintings by W a l t CURTIS will be on display
through July 28 at Mark Woolley Gallery,
120 N .W . Ninth Ave.
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