November 3. 2004
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in
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^îo rtla n i» (i)b eeru er
Artist Works in World of Decay
Gallery 500 reopens
with ‘Saturation’
BY JAYMF.E R . ClITl
T he P ortland O bserver
A fascination with rusting, rot­
ting and the natural dying process
is helping a local artist create works
that reflect interest in both the natu­
ral and industrial world’s cycle of
decay.
“I find beauty in natural pro­
cesses” says Rio Wrenn, a local
fiber artist, dance and yoga devo­
tee and amateur chemist.
When delving into the natural,
Wrenn rots fruit, mixes chemicals
and rusts iron and silk to create
stains as pigments to dye various
objects.
Her show, “Saturation,” appears
this month at the newly renovated
Gallery 500, located at 420 S.W.
Washington, Suite 500.
Justin Oswald, curative director
of the gallery, supports underex­
posed artists from the northwest
and beyond.
“1 show a lot of emerging artists
here. I've shown the underdog that
another gallery wouldn’t even think
of showing,” Oswald said.
Besides her interests in the art
and life processes, Wrenn has stud­
ied Indian culture and discovered
similarities between temple hang­
ings, called Kalamkari, and the rust­
ing process.
A reception with the artist is
planned from 6 to 11 p.m. on Thurs­
day, Nov. 4 at the gallery. For more
information,call503-223-3951 orvisit
www.gallery500.org.
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O ur S pecialty :
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• Chicken • Pork Ribs
• Beef Ribs
Local artist Rio Wrenn works in rust and natural dyes.
photo by
M ichael R ubenstein
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