Portland Observer Novem ber 22. 1979 PageS
Artist's work directed to social change
By Stephanie L. Michael
For all professionals in the area of
fine arts, their backgrounds, people
and everyday surroundings come to
play in the end restult o f their work.
These impressions o f joy, defeat, life
and death are displayed through
tra d itio n a l as well as unique art
forms.
In Portland, the artist Jay Harris
describes himself as a cultural
worker. Harris believes in a return to
the renaissance idea o f the artist as
master o f many skills and all o f these
tasks should be maintained at a con­
sistent focus and impact.
Harris says, "M ost o f my art is a
reflection of social change. I use my
work to inspire and educate people
to make changes. I believe that
revolution is nothing but change and
change is bound to come. I ’ m not
really interested in creating art. I like
to portray a real awareness o f energy
in my work. It is so much more alive
and realistic to portray life as it really
is in this societv.”
On September 3rd Harris, in sup
port o f the scheduled boycott by The
Black United Front and Black com­
m unity, designed a viewer par­
ticipation exhibit at the Northwest
Artist Workshop, located at 117 NW
5th.
The tvpe o f art work displayed by
Harris, known as a ‘ ‘ Rubout’ ’ , is
sim ilar to rubbing a pencil over
paper with a nickel placed under­
neath the sheet. This method
produces a replica o f the image un­
derneath the paper. A rtist Harris
placed wooden letters underneath the
white canvas. The phrase "S to m p
Out Segregation," became more
visable to the eye as exhibit viewers
walked through the maze stepping on
the letters forcing the dirt from their
shoes onto the canvas.
“ 1 placed a box o f dirt at the en­
trance o f the exhibit. Inside o f the
exhibit, 1 placed historical docu­
ments o f racist m em orabilia por­
traying slavery, segregation and
racism in general. These pieces inside
the gallery pulled people around the
room which dirtied the canvas and
brought the phrase through.”
H arris says his work not only
showed past moves o f prejudice and
discrimination, but also dealt with
racism prevelent in hiring practices
in Portland and in the Northwest.
" I feel the installation o f my
gallery got shut o ff by the media.
Publicity was put out early and well
placed out and around the city.
There was hardly any response, even
the critiques didn’ t say anything. I
suppose it must have been too much
trouble. I guess it brought out some
real politics."
Harris has been recognized as a
very successful w riter and film
editor. He claims his fame can be at­
tributed to trying to learn everything
in C a lifo rn ia at an ABC a fflia te
station in San Francisco, before
moving to Portland. He says the am­
bition and success after several years
had him screaming from the city. His
fears o f becoming a money monger,
were forcing him to look at some o f
his moral principles.
"Before 1 left California, I got an
opportunity to do something on my
own and I was payed a lot o f money
for the job. 1 heard myself claiming
success because o f the money I
received. That really scared me. I
knew at this rate, I would be
solidified right out o f my feelings. I
decided then I was going to use my
feelings and perceptions to create
some kind o f change for people. 1
got to Portland by accident. But I
like it here. I ’ m needed. I t ’s a pretty
good market, it makes me want to
fight for appreciation o f the arts and
social change. But, I ’ m going to have
to find a balance. I have been doing a
lot o f volunteer work, which doesn’t
pay. So I figure for every nine non­
p ro fit projects I w ill do one for
pay”
Harris goes on to say, " I want to
change the staus quo. I want to shake
it up. I ’ m willing to give up security
and other ego changes for what I feel
is right. I finally have come to the
noint where 1 don’t feel embarrased
about how I feel about this society or
tite many professions I ’ ve studied
and still practice. I want as much self
determination and pre-determination
over my life as possible. I think many
people get married; have children
and get hung up on the security bit
for all the wrong reasons. For most
people, working everyday is sort o f
like a version o f religion. They feel if
you suffer so long and wait so long,
you’ll get what you want. I’ m afraid
they’ ll learn too late, things don’ t
work out that way. I t ’s a sad way to
look at life in general.”
C ultural worker Harris is happy
helping the voiceless in the city. He
says there are alot o f old people and
minority on fixed incomes that need
someone to speak out for them, in
the old town area. The artist says
documentation o f some o f the
lifestyles and cultures need to be por­
trayed and preserved in the city.
"There is a lot o f token lip service
Irom city o fficials who encourage
new businesses in Portland, but they
don’ t consider who w ill be incon­
venience or put out o f their homes.”
In the near future, Harris will be
painting a mural in the downtown
area. He hopes this is just the begin­
ning o f things to come for himself
and other fine arts artists in Port­
land. The artist wants to set up a
network for jazz musicians and dan­
cers in the city. He also would like to
set up a retreat-art camp.
1__
Richard Arrington, newly elected M ayor of Birm ingham , Alabam a, is
greeted in W ashington by President Jim m y Carter.
WE COULD ALL LEARN
A THING OR TWO FROM
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Take a good, king l< m >k at Svlvia and Don Malagambas house.
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Sylvia’s ideas are all outlined below in the diagram she sent us.
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Commission
surveys
minority artists
Artists from all disciplines are en­
couraged to participate in an ethnic
m inority artists’ needs assessment
survey being conducted by the
Oregon Arts Commission. Artists
who register with the survey will be
given in formation about grants and
services provided by the Commission
and will be listed in a special direc-
lory tor Oregon ethnic minority ar-
lists. Survey forms and other infor­
m a tio n is available from M alinkc
I lliott, 1212 W. 12th Ave., Eugene,
OK 97402; telephone: (lo ll free) I-
8011-452-7813. The deadline is
l.muary I, 1980.
"Talk sense to a fool, and
he calls you f o o l i s h . "
Euripides
"Friends have all things in
common."
Plato
Interested in current books about
African Liberation?
Visit:
JOHN REED BOOK STORE
In the Dekum Building
519 S W. 3rd Avenue
Sixth Floor
Or call: 227 2902
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