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Visual Art: Theater: Gardening:
Celebrating
a Profusion of Art Profusion in and of itself projects a kind of raw power and once more endows the annual Salon des Refusés with that peculiar energy born of sheer abundance — abundance of works, colors, genres and taste. With its 306 pieces distributed over DIVA's six galleries and connecting halls, the 14th Salon's atmosphere is informal and celebratory. Hierarchical distinctions between high and low art are put aside; refined and kitsch, serious and camp, mature works and beginners' pieces elbow each other on an equal footing. Viewers may approach the exhibit as a treasure hunt or simply enjoy the variety in forms of expression. I recommend several visits, with surprises guaranteed each time. Few of us can see everything in a single viewing. Representational paintings and drawings abound, and the human figure is approached from many angles. Examples of radically different approaches and moods include Annette Gurdjian's oil on photograph, Seated Gargoyle, in which the gray, stone-grained Gothic creature, its beaked but human profile starkly delineated against a red background, peers into the double outline of another. Willie Paradis' acrylic-and-oil portrait of Eugene artist Tom Blodgett, whose gaunt white face emerges, spectral, out of dark, dripped layers of color, as if the paint had been thrown against the propped-up canvas and allowed to run down its length.
The oil Portrait of Carlo Giuliani by Salon founder Jerry Ross is both a sensitive study of a young, open, human face and a political reminder: The 23-year-old Giuliani was shot by the Italian military police during a demonstration against the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa. "The painting style of my Carlo draws from that of the Macchiaioli of Italy," Ross said. In the second half of the 19th century, these Tuscan painters revolted against academic conventions and replaced traditional chiaroscuro with dabs (macchie) of colors to produce a more naturalistic effect without abandoning solidity of form, unlike the later Impressionists. Jo Dunnick's watercolor, Fancy Dancers, with its fluidity and movement and only the faces of its Native American dancers detailed, everything else suggested, shows the painter turning incompletion and white space into assets. Contrast it with Gene Care's oil, Trinity, whose highly stylized, static figures bear nonetheless the levity of humor, enhanced by a pink color-scheme. Nudes are few this year. James Rich's acrylic, Unfolding, has a science-fiction, special-effect feel to it. His female nude reminded me of the second Terminator reconstituting itself ("morphing") out of its liquid metal phase. Next to imaginary worlds, viewers will find realistic scenes such as Euphemia Wesley's Ice Cream Shop and Perry Prochet's Open, both oils on the street-and-café theme. In the first, cool outdoor tones and the greens of a truck and trees contrast with the light inside the ice-cream parlor with its welcoming figure behind a counter. Prochet's rigorous composition, almost abstract despite its realistic subject matter, is based on strong horizontal lines enlivened by the smaller verticals of the windows and doors on the coffee shop's façade. A simple color scheme juxtaposes cool blues and grays with warm oranges and yellows. Here too the light beckons one inside, where a single person sits, while outside the street is empty. Both works are strongly reminiscent of Edward Hopper's street scenes, yet both eschew the mood of barren loneliness conveyed by Hopper's paintings. Overt political statements include, among others, Jean Denis' large oil, Blowing in the Wind (How Many Deaths Will It Take?). This dramatic public scene of mourning reminds us of the death and pain brought about by war. Its title, out of a Bob Dylan song, establishes a parallel between the current war and that of Vietnam. Thomas William Baxter's Management, a graphite triptych and environmental manifesto, describes convincingly the results over time of man's mismanagement of the naturak world. Carolzoom Patterson's woodblock print, These Stairs, illustrates with vivid directness, and allows us to visually experience the impassable barrier of stairs and the feelings these arouse when we're wheelchair-bound. Among landscapes, I particularly enjoyed Pam Enberg's Guanajuato – Three Views, three lively watercolor-and-pen studies matted together. Sandra McCourry's acrylic, Earth Rhythms, received Jerry Williams' QuARTerly award. The Salon includes some unusual takes on the still-life genre. The most delightful for its humor, wit and originality, and one of my favorite works in this Mayor's Art Show season, is Suzi Marquess-Long's watercolor, What's the Point, an exquisite life-size rendering of the common wooden pencil with its yellow coat, green trim and pink eraser. The pencil is placed on the lower right corner of an otherwise blank 16 x 20-inch sheet of paper. What could be more to the point? Two staples of still-life, the bouquet-in-a-vase and fruit-on-a-tablecloth, are given unconventional treatment. Christopher Bates's stylized, faux-naïf acrylic, Flowers for Sybil, offers a fresh look on the first in a simple, dynamic composition. The second acquires a surrealistic cast in Rod Gillilan's pastel, Cosmic Pair. Two pears tinged with bluish shadows, bathed in white otherworldly light against a uniformly black background, appear to stand on the barely-suggested surface of a planet – the light curvature of its horizon sufficient to tip our sense of scale. Do Mi Stauber's colored-pencil portrait of an elephant, The Landscape of Patience, was previously reviewed in conjunction with Eric Pederson's African Bull Elephant at the Mayor's Art Show, which has since received the Viewer's Choice Award. Stauber's work deserves mentioning again for the luminous depth of its colors and its exquisite rendering of texture. In Merideth & Don L. Ferrell's Ancient Horses: Journey to Lascaux, a silk scarf beautifully displayed on a copper-and-wood stand, the horse motifs are delicately painted in nuanced tones, while their bold forms expertly echo those of the original cave paintings.
Among non-representational works, David P. Miller's As Above So Below, a simple composition of black wax dots enclosed in a circle within a white rectangle, is strikingly effective. Karen Hustwaite's grid of squares, Radiant Reflection, unites the cool touch of enamel with the sensuality of iridescent colors, while in Infinity Starts Here, a green-tile mandala set against a square black wooden support, Don Prey opts for sobriety of color and design. In her Untitled mixed-media, Yona C. Riel combines hints of bodily forms, sewing patterns and a seamstress' blue chalk over reddish browns to create an abstract tapestry. Don't miss Steve LaRiccia's tiny, painterly, SX-70 Polaroid Manip-ulation,'46 Packard Clipper. John Powers' silver-print Dove harks back to Edward Weston's Bird Skele-ton. Here the bird, half-buried in sand, appears reconstructed out of dismembered parts. In With the Angels, Patrick Ezard's large transparency lit from behind, a plane's blue fuselage and red helix become a lyrical abstraction. Christian Field's Rachel portrays a young woman sitting barefoot by the side of a warehouse or factory. Its disquieting mood is the strength of this B&W photograph. In A Madonna in Exile, a digital painting, William Kasper, puts pixellation to good use in a large, striking composition. Within the three-dimensional minority, Jim Miller's great functional sculpture, Musical Hangups (100-year-old Pipe Organ Coat Rack), stands out for its resourceful humor, Jim Boyden's Heart of the Tree for its sensuous use of wood and stone, and Jud Turner's untitled welded-steel sculpture of a slightly fantastic creature's spine for its strongly-crafted evocativeness. L. Talaba's surrealistic ink-and-wood assembly, Forks in the Road, evinces a ferocious humor. Inside a house, a couple sits on either side of a table, eating, he an apple, she a miniature bull. Outside their door awaits a hungry world, represented by an oversized mouth holding an apple core in its bared teeth, and a forest of forks. The 2004 Salon is hosting more than 80 percent of the works not included in the Mayor's Art Show, a higher ratio than in 2003. According to LaRiccia, the Salon's indefatigable exhibit coordinator, last year's total sales were matched this year within the opening week-end, which included an impromptu "re-opening night" following the official one. The extended hours and longer duration of the exhibit are a welcome change this season. Ross and LaRiccia will facilitate at DIVA a community discussion of issues and themes surrounding this year's Salon des Refusés and corresponding Mayor's Art Show at 7:30 pm on Oct. 15 at DIVA.
Disturbingly
Outside
the Norm In its 13th year, Lord Leebrick boldly opens its 2004/2005 theater season with Edward Albee's disturbing The Goat; or Who is Sylvia? A study in cultural values, Albee pushes the envelope of tolerance with the odd premise of an intelligent, affluent man involved in an affair with a farm animal. Yet, unsettling as it appears, Albee's use of a taboo that dares not bleat its name is essentially nothing more than a clever plot device designed to bring humor to an otherwise tragic story of love and betrayal. If society dictates morality, how far can one push the boundaries before they shatter like pottery? The play opens on the contemporary upscale and tastefully decorated home of Martin and Stevie, a happily married, liberal, open-minded couple and their 17-year-old son Billy, who has recently come out of the closet. On this day, Martin seems distant, distracted, but Stevie attributes this to jitters. Martin has recently won the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture and is preparing for an interview with his friend Ross for an upcoming TV segment titled "People Who Matter." During the interview, however, Martin is so utterly unfocused Ross halts filming to inquire about his state of mind. Reluctantly, Martin tells Ross about meeting Sylvia six months ago on a house-hunting trip to the country. Ross is understanding, that is, until he realizes precisely what species Sylvia is. He implores Martin to get help, but Martin is smitten. A few days later, Stevie confronts Martin with a letter that she has received from Ross outlining the details of his "affair." She is, of course, mortified. After all, bestiality doesn't often occur in a marriage. Stevie feels deeply betrayed. Martin has overstepped the boundaries and ventured outside the realm of her capacity for forgiveness or understanding. Martin, however, views his affair with Sylvia, not as betrayal, but as an extraneous part of his life. It is not until later that he realizes the ramifications of his actions — that true betrayal cannot be undone. Kim Donahey and Dan Pegoda put in solid performances as Stevie and Martin, respectively. Donahey's depth of emotion is both impressive and heart wrenching as she teeters between understandably violent outbursts and restrained pensiveness. Pegoda brings a level of warmth and understanding to an inarguably unsympathetic character. Likewise, Bary Shaw is terrific as Ross, and Casey Marks-Fife is earnest and tender as sensitive son Billy. Don't let the disturbing subject matter fool you, The Goat; or Who is Sylvia is an engaging, thought-provoking dramatic piece. What if Sylvia hadn't been a goat? What if Martin was having an affair with a man, his sister, a child, or a corpse? Inserting any of those alternatives into the equation would dramatically alter the dynamics of the situation. Would Martin's betrayal have been nearly as devastating to Stevie had Sylvia been another woman? Is it OK as long as no one gets hurt? Anticipating that this play will raise more questions than it answers, Lord Leebrick is hosting post-play discussion on Oct. 14, 16 and 21. Additionally, Prof. Emeritus Grant McKernie will give a brief lecture and discussion on the topic of the play's relationship to Greek drama following the matinee on Sunday, Oct. 17. The production runs through Oct. 23.
Peerless
Beauty Fall is a wonderful time to plant things, but you can't always get what you want. Garden centers stock plants when people are in the mood to buy them. While gardeners maybe should be in a gardening mood in October, most are not, so growers are geared for spring sales. This fall, I was interested in planting a coral-colored peony. I phoned around, and some nurseries had a few leftover peonies but told me apologetically that most had lost their labels. Color unknown. Greer Gardens in Eugene still has a reasonable selection, but none in the color I want.
I've left it a bit late to order peonies by mail or Internet. There are several specialty peony nurseries in Oregon and Washington. A relatively new one that's getting rave reviews is Adelman Peony Gardens, just north of Salem. I have missed their fall window for shipping bareroot plants, but they have a large selection of container-grown peonies available from May 1 to June 15. So I will probably wait. Meanwhile, the leaves of peonies already in the ground are turning lovely, luminous shades of apricot and red. Dormancy is approaching; if a peony needs dividing, this is the time to do it. Peonies are the classiest of flowers, large and richly colored but never gaudy. Garden essayist Henry Mitchell called them "the fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty." He was writing about the most familiar garden peonies, varieties or hybrids of the herbaceous Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora). Their spring-into-summer blooms can be single, fully double or somewhere in between. The heavy-flowered doubles are the most sensuous and fragrant, but they need thorough staking in the garden. Peonies with fewer petals per flower usually stand up by themselves. Tree peonies (bush peony would be a better name) have particularly large, sumptuous flowers in a broad range of colors, on woody stems that don't die down in winter and can reach six to eight feet in height. After 50 years of breeding efforts, hybrids between tree peonies and P. lactiflora are making news. Called intersectionals, they are herbaceous (the top growth dies in winter) but inherit the exotic flowers and color range of the tree peony. Unfortunately the plants are still expensive, with newcomers costing about $150 apiece. Since freshly planted peonies take a year two to reach their full magnificence, it's worth thinking ahead. Even if you plan to plant in spring, pick a location now, before the summer garden collapses entirely. Peonies need plenty of sun and three or four feet of space uncrowded by neighbors. A good way to grow peonies, if you have room, is in a bed devoted to early blooming perennials such as Oriental poppies, Siberian or Japanese iris, foxgloves and columbines. Other good locations include the front of a shrub border, or in a vegetable or cutting garden. Being deep-rooted, they can even thrive in grass. Gardeners always mutter about peonies taking up a lot of room for a few short weeks of bloom, but most still find reasons to grow them. Peonies live forever, resisting drought and deer. The scented flowers are glorious for cutting. The substantial leaves are good looking from the moment they emerge, gleaming red, in spring to that bonus of autumn color. If you grow peonies especially for their scent, keep in mind that not all peonies are alike. Among Chinese peonies, doubles are generally sweeter than singles, and whites and light pinks are reputed to be most fragrant. Herbaceous peonies are usually healthy, but if disease is a problem for you or your neighbors, cut the foliage down about now and destroy it. If peonies seem pale and weak and fail to bloom, the soil may be too acid. This is a good time to apply a handful of lime and one of a balanced organic fertilizer. If your peonies look perfectly healthy but don't bloom, check the base of the stems to find where the dormant buds are lurking. Buds should sit no more than an inch below soil level. Deeper planting inhibits flowering, and so can heavy annual mulches that gradually bury the crowns. Dividing an old peony is no small undertaking. Healthy plants should bloom for years without division, so I wouldn't bother unless a plant seems way too big or you want to make more plants. Dig deep to get out most of the long, thick roots. Wash off the soil and separate into divisions with four or five buds. Replant in good, well-drained soil amended with compost and a handful of garden lime. Because they can live so long without disturbance, It's worth putting in some time to prepare the soil well. Make the hole wide but not too deep, or the plant may sink as the soil settles.
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