Figure Ground Art Advisors

We have an exciting announcement: Jen Dale - artist, curator, writer, and nonprofit extraordinaire, who has been involved in the Figure Ground since its inception, is the new Executive Director of the Oregon Society of Artists!

Based in Portland, Oregon, the was established in 1926 and has the mission to promote visual arts in diverse communities throughout Oregon. Today (June 2nd) the OSA opens its Third Annual Multicultural and Diversity Show in its gallery at 2185 S.W. Park Place. If you are in Portland, join us! Come for the art, company, and free food!

Openings at the OSA are typically held on First Thursdays, Tuesday this week. (That's right: after three years of First Thursdays, and a single month off, we are back at it, opening shows in Portland instead of Seattle.)

Wish Jen luck with her new project!

Post 6: Delphi was my final stop before returning to Athens. Another fabulous site surrounded by natural beauty, and a great museum.

A large group of Americans on a tour bus overlapped with my itinerary for a few days, and one of them took a picture of me drawing the landscape, he was kind enough to airdrop it to me while I worked. I was part of the attraction for many tourists, who took secret photos of me or my work, and I heard the word "architect" uttered in a variety of languages behind my back.

I realize it was an almost stereotypical trip, but really meaningful to me and at the right time, when I am transitioning back to focusing on architecture and sculpture - and how they might merge once again into a new kind of modernism.

A final day relaxing and getting some chores done in Athens, before I flew back. A few lingering thoughts from the trip: Classical Greece is a destroyed civilization; its art was a flowering of humanism and observation but also ruled by dogmatic forms; there is surprising beauty in Byzantine architecture in which light penetrates through many small windows but feels omnipresent; olive trees are gorgeous and fueled classical wealth but are unrepresented in architecture or sculpture (perhaps in frescos that are now lost), and Greek people are beautiful and very kind.

Post 5/6. Olympia is a huge site with TWO museums and a host of ruins, including that of one of the wonders of the ancient world - the Temple of Zeus (which had a colossal scale) and the Olympic stadium, with a still-standing GREEK vault, revealing that the Greeks understood the concept of the arch, although they were too trapped within a dogmatic form of post-and-lintel to experiment with it.

The most spectacular sculpture on the trip was the Hermes, believed to be an original 4th Century BC Praxitiles. Although in marble, not bronze, it was clearly an original instead of a Roman copy. The surface had been oiled and rubbed with leather and still looked perfect 2,400 years later. The forms rippled through the torso. Although relying on the countraposta, it was an exercise in perfection. I also enjoyed drawing a plaster copy of the Discus man, which really should be in Olympia, but is apparently in Rome. After Olympia I would go on to Delphi.

Post 4/5. In Nafplio, I visited the 17th Century Turkish Fortress of Palamini, which relied heavily on beautiful half-arches, and then drove through Tripoli to Mystras, which had a beautiful town beneath another mountaintop fortification castle lurking over the Pantanassa Holy Convent, which in the 14th century was the center of the intellectual Byzantine world. It was a huge site with ruins and some functioning Byzantine churches. Another hike in the heat to the top, and my only selfie on the trip.

Next was Ancient Messene, a huge complex of ancient buildings in travertine instead of marble. Honestly, it was too hot (and I too exhausted) to draw ruins, so I spent most of the afternoon in the museum, drawing sculpture, including a beautiful Hermes, a 1st Century AD Roman copy of a 4th century piece by Polycleitus.

Post 3/5. After Athens, I rented a car and cruised down the coast, hitting the Temple of Poseidon, before making my way West to Ancient Corinth, a mountaintop acropolis which I climbed in 100 degree afternoon heat. After, I sat down at a taverna, one-gulped an Alpha Beer, then rehydrated. This would become a daily routine... while the heat wave was picking off American tourists around Greece, I was doing my best to get out early, and be parked in a taverna by early afternoon. Next was the ruins of Ancient Mycenae, the location of the Lion's Gate and the Mycenaean Lady fresco from 3,300 years ago, which is actually at the national museum. Staying overnight in Nafplio, I then visited Epidaurous, including the beautiful theater there and the Temple of Asklepios.

Post 2/5. More from the Acropolis, National Archeological Museum and Acropolis Museum in Athens.

Staying in a hostel allowed me to immediately make new friends, including Saif, and when our itineraries overlapped, we would venture out together.

Although my focus on drawing in the museums meant that I was ignoring the historical background and much of the museum collection (such as pottery), I didn't mind, and felt that my time was better spent engaged fully in my experiences of the three-dimensional forms of sculpture in the round. Art the national museum, I saw famous works such as the Kritios Boy, which signaled the beginning of the natural contraposta pose. This would be so heavily relied on by later work that I eventually realized that it was a dogmatic form, imitated ceaselessly whenever portraying a standing figure. The exception being how old philosophers were portrayed, often sitting, and with convincing man-boobs.

Occasionally on the streets of Athens I would see a beautiful woman walk by who was a spitting image of Aphrodite, or a beardy homeless Greek man who looked identical to an original bronze of an ancient philosopher from Rhodes.

After closing the Figure Ground Art Gallery, I desperately needed an international trip. For 20 years I have been wanting to return to lovely Greece. With little time to plan, I embarked on a 10-day solo trip to see ancient architecture and sculpture from Classical (and Byzantine) Greece, focusing on the mainland - Athens and the Peloponnese. As some of you may know I am a professional architect and hobby sculptor, and this dovetailed with my interest in art history and my study of classical Greece at Reed College.

I took a leather bound sketchbook, pens, and Copec markers and made drawing the focus of my trip. I would like to share my adventure in a series of five posts.

Starting in Athens, I spent two days visiting the Acropolis and surrounds, as well as the Acropolis Museum and the National Archeological Museum. While using my set of watercolor markers, a docent yelled at me for bringing them, and hurried off to find a security guard to kick me out. Since I had been sketching for 2 hours in the hot sun already, I decided to make my way out, completing one final drawing and coloring it once I was outside the gates.

Although the Acropolis was filled with people, I was so engrossed in my work that I hardly noticed the existence of tourists, most of whom were stupidly taking selfies in front of the monuments. On my entire trip I saw only one other artist studying the ruins, here on the Acropolis.

We are about to remove a vital organ of the gallery, its beating heart, the wine bar, designed and built by and it is for sale!

It remind me of a line from Moby Dick: "All the world's a ship, on its passage out, and the pulpit is its prow" except, the wine bar was the prow of my ship.

This set includes the wine bar, side bar, back shelves, a 40-bottle wine cooler, and a matching mini-fridge.

Price: $12,000

Some love from last night!

TONIGHT - Come see "Key Figures" including this unusual shaped work by Liza Brenner , interpreting the gallery owner as... used car salesman? Hawker of fake rolexes? The source photo came from the afterparty at Brenner's show when a dude showed up with a sweet pink blazer and had me try it on. A fun night!

Over the years I have been captured a few times in works of art. Once while hosting an art party at my beach house, I sat down and fell asleep, only to wake up with three artists drawing me from different angles... stuff that happens when your friends are figurative artists.

The last show is hung! Some shots of work on the wall for "Key Figures." Join us Thursday, May 2nd for this great show! We might end up in dance party mode after 8:00...

THURSDAY May 2nd, 5-9 PM join us for "Key Figures" including work by Maria Housley who is part of the Portland Salon that met at Jen Dale's house for many years prior to the opening of the Figure Ground. This is our 30th and final show!

THURSDAY, May 2nd join us from 5-9 PM on art walk for our 30th (and final) show "Key Figures" including these two pieces by Dominique Medici who has become a friend since showing at the gallery last year. Join us!

THURSDAY May 2nd - Join us for "Key Figures" including this beautiful piece by student Allison Rose who has been an occasional artist and devoted volunteer for the gallery over the last few years.

THURSDAY May 2nd - Join us for "Key Figures" from 5-9 PM, including this by Chris Pothier , "The Blooming Man." Our final show, it features many of the artists who have been a part of our journey.

Pothier's surrealistic visions often feature men in formal business suits in absurd situations. It reminds me of the absurdity of someone I know who turned their passion into a business. 😉

Excited to announce our May 2nd show: "Key Figures," a featuring many artists who have been part of our journey, curated by Jen Dale. Join us 5-9PM, and (as usual) a likely afterparty.

This show concludes a 3-year creative project; it is our 30th and final show at the Figure Ground. The future is filled with exciting new projects. I am so grateful for the community of new friends the last few years has brought - I hope you join us to celebrate.

Artists include:
Agustina Forest
Allison Rose
Aron Johnston
Chris Pothier
Dave Clay
Dominique Medici
Elijah Evenson
Erik Ebeling
Jen Dale
Juliette Aristides
Katlyn Hubner
Liza Brenner
Maria Housley
Michael Newberry
Mike Magrath
Paul Rutz
Rachel Solimeno

Flashback: July 2022: Martijn Caspar Swart "Myth and Legends" with sculpture by Mike Magrath

This was our second show of narrative work. Swart's works drew on the rich tradition of tragicomedy from the ancient Greeks, the Roman poet Ovid, and Shakespeare, referencing archetypal characters and illustrating their flaws and victories. Each piece was accompanied by descriptive placards telling each tale. Jen Dale also wrote a review on Medium of the show.

Flashback: Elijah Evenson's solo show: "The Crystal Nebula"

Several years ago, I decided to follow through on a 20-year-old desire to learn to sculpt, and began taking evening adult classes at under the instructor Elijah Evenson. After taking a few classes, we became friends. I remember taking Elijah down to Portland to visit the art museum, where he climbed up on the back of a large equestrian statue in the park. After seating himself on the horse, we realized that the statue was larger than life, and as a result, Elijah looked like a hobbit!

Elijah is Seattle's Jim Henson, is a one-man animation studio, at once sculptor, puppeteer, digital animator, storyteller, and graphic artist - and has spent years conceiving of an epic space opera called the Crystal Nebula. This show consisted of concept art and sculpture relating to the world, and we held a special event in which Elijah and Agustina performed as two of his characters. It was awesome.

Flashback: APRIL 2022: "Exposure Therapy" solo show by Grace Athena Flott

This show was Flott's first solo show as a mature artist, and I was extremely proud that the gallery was being leveraged for emerging artists. There was also a huge turnout of friends and collectors, resulting in one of our most successful shows in three years. We held a preview event co-hosted by the Gage Academy who invited VIP guests.

Many of Flott's pieces were done during pandemic, and some of the models posed in their own homes over zoom; Flott leveraged this for unique compositions with unusual perspective angles. She is also a great artist at capturing the form and space, even down to the tiny details of the spatial positions of individual fingers on a hand. That always rocks my world.

Flashback: APRIL 2022: "Unmasked" Portrait group show

A last minute cancellation meant one thing: group show! Within 24 hours I had work from a dozen artists spilling into my IG chats, texts, and email. We had an awesome show of portraits, with a whole wall dedicated to self portraits, which I love. Like the N**e show - actually ALL our shows - it attracted a good contingent of artists.

Some of the coolest work in this show was a pair of giant, over-life-sized drawings by MKH (Mark Kang O'Higgins), one of an elderly woman and one of a baby, capturing the full range of our existence.

Including:
Mark Kang O'Higgins
Tenaya Sims
Christopher Remmers
Grace Athena Flott
Jonathan Hodge
Kathryn Lesh
Madeline Owen
Aisha Harrison
Danika Wright
Austin Eddy
Aron Johnson
Jen Dale
Chris Pothier
Caitlyn Abdow
Dean Fisher .fisher.paintings
Melissa Hefferlin
Michael Newerry
Alicia Ponzio
Allison Rose
Kathryn Jones
Theo Polymorphos .polymorphos

On view: "Peace through Strength: Mars Quirinus"

Oil on canvas: 36” x 36”

“This retired officer has combat pictures inked into him, and he owns a CrossFit gym in Portland, Oregon, where I live. He did his share of combat years ago. He’s a dad now. But he stays in shape; he stays ready.”

Flashback: MARCH 2022 - Jen Dale (Brown) - "Love, S*x and War"

Several years ago I brought a group of friends to Portland to see and write a review of Jen's show at the Wolff Gallery. It sparked a friendship founded on common interests - we were both writing about artists and building an artist network in the Pacific Northwest. Later (almost exactly three years ago) we fell in love. It changed both our lives. It also coincided with me founding the gallery. Although it was a coincidence, it became a project we have shared.

In April of 2022, Jen had a show of narrative works that included pieces that I had written about years before, such as her "Allegory of Painting" (one of my favorite contemporary artworks) along with debuting new work, such as the "Motherhood" painting and the n**e self-portrait "The Love I've Known," both pieces with complex personal themes.

I remember when I first met Jen, she was hesitant to paint a self-portrait n**e because of the reaction on social media. When she did, it reached 20,000 likes on IG before being banned by the moderators. Meanwhile it solicited rude comments from men. I am extremely proud and supportive of the powerful themes she reaches to communicate in her work.

On view: "From the Heavens: Magna Mater"

Oil and tinted gesso on canvas: 36” x 24”

"Rome was a republic of immigrants, and they brought their gods with them. The Great Mother—Magna Mater or Cybele—is an Anatolian goddess. My friend, a corporate executive, poses here as the mother deity. She seems to me supernaturally capable at everything."

Flashback: FEBRUARY 2022 - Duo show with Hanneke Naterop and Alicia Ponzio

Although this duo show was delayed due to a Covid variant sweeping through the nation, we did reopen in February, featuring work by two women: a Dutch painter and a San Francisco based sculptor. The paintings were on the smaller side, leaving a lot of space on the walls, which worked well with the bronze sculptures that occupied three-dimensional space in the room.

By this point - actually for Sayen's sculpture show, we had our 5 custom-built sculpture plinths, each unique. We also had a collection of white pedestals that I had borrowed from Gage. When these pedestals showed up, they needed a coat of paint, so I laid out the drop cloth and got to work. Except, I hadn't dressed appropriately. I kicked off my shoes, pulled off my shirt, and reluctantly pulled off my paints. There I was painting in my underwear. (It wouldn't be the last time.)

To be honest, this was a hard month. It was a show with no sales, and for whatever reason, even the tip jar at the wine bar had mothballs. My response was to lean in to the problem and hire a part-time employee.

On view: "Body Politic – Venus Obsequens"

Oil on carved plywood: 48” x 24” x 1”

“In one way, this piece depicts a muted shell: no hands, no face, no voice, she’s a torso refracted out of coherence. In another way, this is a portrait of the goddess wiggling out of her clothes. Regardless, obsequious Venus, compliant.”

Flashback: DECEMBER 2021 - Scott Conary Solo Show

A couple years ago, a friend walked me into Scott's backyard studio on an art walk in Portland, and it was so nonchalant that it took me a little while to fully realize that it was... really... fu***ng... amazing work.

Since, Scott has become a friend and remains one of my favorite artists. His work is deeply felt, deeply emotional. Our show included florals and still lifes, but also debuted some epic new work in response to homelessness in the pandemic. Although the paintings of thrown-together shelters have political value, they are (as I believe it should be) apolitical. They are a response to beauty in the world and some of his most powerful work to date.

Many painters depict flowers as if taking for granted that flowers are beautiful. Scott never takes it for granted, and approaches it with an innocence that reminds me of that powerful (and often-mocked) moment in American Beauty when a paper bag is flying around in the wind.

On view: "Twin Fates"

Oil on canvas: 48” x 72”

"The particulars are lost to us—exactly how auguries and haruspices were done—but the notion persists of fate or the fates running our lives, flinging the cards in some array we can’t grasp. It feels somehow comforting for me to consider the fates as two figures that look like my wife."

NOVEMBER 2021 - Sayen Rodriguez Solo Show "Fixed"

Sayen is a sculptor and performer who was, at the time, undergoing a gender transition and giving up sculpting, but had a large body of unexhibited work. I offered her a show with the secret ambition of rekindling her desire to make new work. I succeeded, as she decided to make a series of portraits of trans and q***r individuals to show in combination with her older work.

One setback was that in the process of collecting her work from a friend's basement, it turned out that a lot of work had been lost, thrown out after a basement flood. This was the "Elisio" series, which had been cast in a variety of different media, everything from beads to cigarette butts. Nevertheless, we exhibited photos of the pieces alongside one surviving cast, and printed a book of them.

It was a lesson to me that art storage is an important service that can be granted to artists and sculptors who have unstable housing.

On view: "I Work Out (Callipygian Venus)"

Acrylic on carved plywood: 48” x 24” x 1”

"Callipygian Venus is a version of the goddess who admires her own butt. I catch myself posing as such a goddess from time to time. "