Current Exhibits   Previous Exhibits   Exhibit Schedule   Back to previous exhibits January 3 - February 2, 2008 THE LAURA RUSSO GALLERY IS PLEASED TO PRESENT: JD Perkin - Burned and Bloom, New Work Henk Pander - Recent Watercolors OPENING RECEPTION: First Thursday January 3, 2008 First Thursday Hours, 5-8pm Artist Talks with Henk Pander and JD Perkin: Saturday, January 19, 2008, 11:00 a.m. J.D. Perkin creates figurative ceramic sculpture, inspired by poses drawn from yoga and meditation. The surfaces are rich and organic, with rugged, parched clay offset by deep blue, black or red glazed striping. This series, entitled Burned and Bloom, consists of figures kneeling, seated and inverted. Influenced by Japanese Butoh dance, particularly modern interpretations, and by the Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc, and his protest against the Vietnam War in which he burned himself, these dark subjects are haunting and expressive. Perkin's use of color and pattern heightens the sculpture's physical and emotional charge. He is intrigued particularly with surface patterns created from a variety of glazes and oxides. These patterns accentuate the forms while, at the same time constraining the figure. Seen in person, Perkin's sculptures are thoughtful and inquisitive expressions alluding to a narrative with a mesmerizing aesthetic. A Portland native, J.D. Perkin has exhibited his work since 1982. He received a BS from Portland State University in 1984, with a focus on anthropology. While there, he also received an Award of Excellence in Painting from the School of Fine and Performing Arts. A large part of Perkin's artistic development includes performance art. He received a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Commission (RACC) in 1990 for his performance piece "Dirt Box." In 2007, Perkin collaborated with Anne Thompson on Second Skin, a sculptural installation for the Portland Art Center. His work has been featured at the Portland International Airport, the Bush Barn in Salem, and on Oregon ArtBeat. J.D. Perkin Tower of Monks 2007 ceramic and steel 75" x 19" x 18" More examples by J.D. Perkin We are pleased to present recent watercolors by the painter, Henk Pander. Classically trained in his native Netherlands, he is a consummate draftsman using plein air and studio still life as the basis for his physical and commanding work. Learning watercolors as a child from his father, a prominent illustrator, Henk also learned from the finest Dutch teachers who saw watercolor as a serious tradition. Creating large-scale watercolors, typically 40" x 60," is uniquely Henk, a tradition that has become a common thread throughout his career. The medium lends well to traveling and allows for spontaneity, but the painting on location is intense and physical work. It entails walking and carrying equipment for long distances and dealing with the elements. Henk does not pencil out an under-drawing initially, but layers watercolor directly, building up the color and contrast. In comparison to his more socially charged oil paintings, the watercolors are frequently reflections on the environments of Eastern Oregon, parts of Europe or of still life in his studio. This exhibition will include a series of watercolors from his recent travels around the Oregon landscape. Growing up in Amsterdam, Henk Pander received his technical training at the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten where he was influenced by the historical aspects of European painting and the Dutch Masters. In the early 1960s, he moved to Portland. He worked extensively in theatre set design beginning with the Storefront Theatre in the 1970s-80s and numerous projects for the Portland Center for Performing Arts, OR. His work is well collected privately and publicly in the Northwest and in Europe including; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Portland Art Museum, OR; Frye Art Museum, Seattle; City of Amsterdam, Netherlands; City of Portland, OR; Oregon Historical Society, Portland; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC; and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon. Pander received the Oregon Governor's Arts Award in 2005 and a Visual Arts Fellowship from the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Portland in 2006. He was honored with a retrospective, Spectacular Requiem, at The Frye Museum in Seattle, 2004-05. In 2007 the Museum Henriette Polak in Zutphen, Holland presented Henk Pander: American Landscape, Amerikaanse Landschappen. Henk Pander Building 2007 watercolor on paper 40" x 60" More examples by Henk Pander Next exhibition: February 7 - March 1, 2008 GROUP EXHIBITION OF GALLERY ARTISTS