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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2004)
match 19.2004 ART ........▼........ Developing focus nhssTIT The many worlds of Portland photographer Paul Dahlquist by TJ N ADVENTURES#.COM m w o m m h * m iC H T Adventure Club for Women o r r is « P he adage “getting bet ter with age” 1 comes to mind upon meet ing photographer Paul Dahlquist. Although hts mid length pure white hair, small specta cles and round belly would be a shoo-in for hire at Macy’s come November, this Santa ain’t what he appears to be. And as the gay photographer cele “Beach Bov” is one brates his 75th birthday this of dozens of Paul month, there are zero signs Dahlquist’s intimate of him putting down his black and white signature 35mm. Instead, photographs on this septuagenarian will display through open a compendium show March 27; (right) at the Pearl District cooper Paul Dahlquist ative Gallery 114- celebrates his 75th Visitors have the oppor birthday March 2 1 tunity to engage with a two- at Gallery 1 14 decade-long black and white travelogue of portraits, nudes and locations that are as immediate as they are sensual. The rear wall is a giant montage of a few hundred can- graphing people, he passes out his card to dids— kisses, smiles, drag queens, crazy hairstyles, encourage interaction on the street or in the men and women in various states of undress, and gym— hoping to trigger a photo shoot. even a self-portrait or two for good measure. Dahlquist admits he pretty much tiptoes Many of the striking images are of young, across the lines of conventionality when it buff and beautiful men. Dahlquist talks about comes to people’s inherent public vs. private beauties. “Celebrating the body vs. being a dirty Kimo, an African American man who was his old man is a very fuzzy line,” he belly laughs. roommate for more than 10 years— an image of a man who has done hard time with an impen Dahlquist sees physical manifestations of beauty in musculature and a strong chin but confirms etrable body. In this large portrait Kimo’s dark that the real spirit to the work is learning to skin is in super-high contrast to the under accept ourselves as we are in the here and now. clothes he tears in half, exposing his ripped muscles and attentive endowment. A t his Portland home studio Dahlquist jokes about cutting mattes like “the chainsaw mas Dahlquist explains how the man now suffers sacre,” but at the same time, I was completely from debilitating multiple sclerosis, though still taken aback by the incredible photographic col asks to be documented, and Dahlquist points to lection he has amassed: from a sensually twisted a single image from 2001 of a wasting frame and toned Herb Ritts to the generally psyche now resembling the emaciated waif models of delic optical art of Jerry Uelsmann to other the late ’80s. works by Greg Gorman, Manuel Alvarez Bravo Staring into the beautiful face of 1987’s and Sally M ann— a virtual art history lesson. “Bashir” from Goa, India, viewers will share Like all versed photographers, Dahlquist with Dahlquist the importance of documenting carries his camera daily for the occasional people on film at their ripest. opportunity. (Even I was not prepared for my The son of a Navy man, Dahlquist first picked close-up, but who can turn him down?) up his dad’s camera at age 8 while living in China. Images of civil strife, bombs dropping and After discussing this interview with a smat evacuations informed his later work. The young tering of artist friends, I learned Dahlquist’s name child was seemingly fearless to point his camera is status in these parts, being dropped among younger emerging talents like last year’s Portland directly toward people fleeing Chefoo, China. Biennial photographer Erik Palmer and lauded Fast-forward a few years to Piedmont, Calif., queer performance sculptor David Eckard. where he recalls saving his allowance for several Describing himself as a “happy guy who weeks so he could buy his first Brownie camera. doesn’t have many bad days" with a penchant Dahlquist went to college in W ashington for the Metropolitan Opera, Paul Dahlquist is state before eventually settling in Portland. certainly a model (senior) citizen whose career After 25 years of teaching, he took the oppor may just be getting started (again). J H tunity to go on a three-year sabbatical to Cuba, Asia and Spain, among other global comers, P aul D ahlquist P hotographs runs through recording his journeys on film along the way. March 27 at Gallery 114, 1100 N.W . Glisan St. Describing himself as more of a “picture From 2 to 5 p.m. March 21, celebrate Dahlquist’s giver than a picture taker,” Dahlquist is magi 75th birthday with him at the gallery cally candid as he openly expresses the art of observation and his own photographic TJ NORRIS is a Portland visual artist, curator and voyeurism. Having learned to prepare for inter music critic. Fmd him at www.qnorris.net. action but avoid confrontation when photo ro « m o m Activities Include: Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Volleyball, Snowshoemg, and a lot more. Call Nikki Becker, owner East Bank Commerce Center 1001 SE Water Ste 220 503-233-4567 www. missfitadventures. com EVERY BOOK OF GAY EROTICA ALWAYS IN STOCK! < S > Bel Am i Summer Diary. Naked Euro-boys w/ meat whistles aplenty. Color photo bk. $35. (w y ) Kink Dirty stories about whips, feet, cuffs, sandwiches, skin, and nos.l & 2. Whew! $16. Barbarians Julius’s new illustrated story about boys and men in ancient Rome. $27.00. 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