Opening at Anka Gallery
Last night, Transcendent opened at Anka Gallery!
photo by David
The show features sculptures by Wendy Dunder, garments by Susi Jagudajev Jenkins, and paintings by Anna Solcaniova King and myself.
photo by David
The art is displayed among a veritable garden of lilies!
photo by David
Pretty pretty.
photo by David
For Transcendent, I’m exhibiting most of my Apple Pie series. Though I’ve shown it a few times—once in Portland in 2008 and once in Eugene in 2009—I’ve only ever had one viewer tell me what the series was about and have it match up perfectly my original intentions for the work.
photo by David
I don’t think that art always has to convey precisely what the artist means it to convey, and I love whatever feedback I’m given about my work, but there was something uniquely satisfying about having the man pictured above tell me that what he got from the show was the same thing as what has inspired it in the first place. He’s third generation American but his French heritage has never been a big part of this identity. Through Apple Pie he has, for the first time, thought of himself as an immigrant.
photo by David
Of course, the series evolved from that idea and came to include pieces like First American as well, but I still think that if so-called American-Americans would embrace their immigrant background the United States would be a lot better off as a country.
photo by David
Three of the Transcendent artists: Wendy, Susi, and myself.
photo by David
Wendy contributed the illuminated sculptures to the show…
photo by David
...and Susi the dresses.
photo by David
Here’s Anna with her work…
photo by David
..and Anna with me!
photo by David
Graylan kept everyone well hydrated.
photo by David
Very well!
photo by David
My parents came out for the party…
photo by David
...and they told me they enjoyed the anonymity of an opening where I’m not showing Subjective, a series in which they feature prominently!
photo by David
I wasn’t the only one with family in attendance. Here’s Susi with her kids.
photo by David
And I had a most surprising suprise visit from Madeleine, whom I painted for Private Masks in 2005.
photo by David
Baby Oliver was there too. It was his first art opening, and, though he slept soundly through the entire thing, I’m pretty sure he enjoyed it.
photo by David
Oliver’s dad didn’t get the message that we were making silly faces for this photo.
photo by David
Then again, with Madeleine around…
photo by David
...someone is always making funny faces…
photo by David
...and, as often as not, it’s me!
photo by David
Transcendent is up at Anka through 30 July, open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 6 PM.
Anka Gallery
325 NW 6th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
503.224.5721
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(2) Comments / Commentaires: Opening at Anka Gallery
Thanks, Joseph!
Joseph Blanchette...
Dear Gwen, it was great to see you at the Anka Gallery show last night, like many I have been a fan of your work since KC Cowan turned me onto it. I look forward to meeting you in the future. Sincerely, Joseph Blachette
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