Category: Portland: White Box

Updates for the White Box Laboratory in Portland, Oregon.

RUDE BROOD 2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition at the White Box | Portland

Posted on by Sabina Poole

 

I believe in science the same way most Christians believe in God:  with faith, rather than understanding.  I trust logic and order that science offers as explanation for my reality without real comprehension.  Humanity inherently sees scientific and technological innovation as both threatening and liberating.  Will it turn on us one day?  Will it eventually offer us paradise?

— Olivia Storm, BFA 2012, member of the Rude Brood, Portland, Oregon

In their inaugural video to announce the opening of their June 2012 White Box exhibit, The Rude Brood showed us an anonymous hand crudely slapping coffee grounds into an auto-coffee maker:  “Thwap!”  Steam wafts off the appliance, the mystery hand pushes the start button, and black fluid flows into the carafe.  We see a counter top littered with java grounds, and a lone coffee mug.   The hand reappears to pour hot coffee into the white mug.  The mug is turned to reveal a horned skull.  As if this image is not quizical enough, the skull seems to be frozen, mouth open in jest or gesture.  This is the Rude Brood’s coat-of-arms:  the skull human remains are decoratively surrounded by acanthus, a crown tops the shield-like image, and a fist holds tightly to two decidely non-digital tools, paintbrush and x-acto knife.   The words “Rare Breed” grace the emblem in a ribbon-swirl. Undoubtedly, the students of the Rude Brood knew their audience would be captivated by this crest, and, indeed as you stare, the skull sticks out its tongue and blows.  The caption bluntly reads, “Brewed Rude.”

And, so is your first experience with the Rude Brood, the 12 digital arts students who completed their Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Portland Digital Arts Program at the White Stag, spring 2012.  For spring term 2012, the Rude Brood percolated under the guidance of Colin Ives, UO Professor of Digital Art.  Previously, the group had been instructed by Craig Hickman (fall term, 2011) and John Park (winter 2012).   Coming together in Portland for the final three terms that would culminate in receiving their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, the Rude Brood’s ideas bubbled and brewed finding increased expression and clarity with each review and project.  You may preview images of the final review on the University of Oregon:  School of Architecture and Allied Arts Facebook page.

In her artist statement (reproduced in part in the quote above), Olivia Storm offers a glimpse into the curious, skeptical, and questioning nature of the Brood.  Proudly owning up to their penchant to be disruptive, the Rude Brood was particularly bent on exposing and investigating the world they were about to wholeheartedly, and post-graduation, venture into. The Rude Brood designated the maxim of Choose Your Weapon to represent their oeurve.   Their “weapons” perhaps sybolically represented in their Rude Brood crest (a paint brush and an x-acto knife)—came across as the weapons of their process:  not necessarily violent but containing the potential to be disturbing; not specifically aggressive but capable of creating works ranging from frightening to uncomfortable.  The Brood shows a vulnerability, an aggression and a demand to be heard, here and now, balanced with the pride and confidence of well-educated youth. Their work brazenly explores themes of suffering, nostalgia, commitment, and the human capability for communication.  With that intention, the students presented a wide range of work varing from explorations of the horror film genre to a complete on-film exploration of self-help advice and “how to be successful.”  And that’s just the beginning.

Just look at Michael Cooper’s contraption.   Almost hinting at an “Eckardesque” appreciation and fabricated out of black leather, reflecting mirrors, and cold welded metal, a cell phone sits in the middle filming what is going on in front while the mirrors depict what transpires behind.  One reviewer during the final review session, was overheard commenting that this object suggests an interesting “fetish-like” quality.  The harness of this piece fits onto one’s shoulders and subjects the wearer to confront all angles of visual sensory perception.  Cooper projects an experimental aesthetic with a nod to Da Vinci-like body accoutrements and an embrace of modern technology.  Is this to evoke an idea of suffocating cerebral overload or a comment on our brave new world of constant smartphoning, where being “out of touch” simply has ceased to exist?

Rude Brooder, Grahame Bywater audiciously proposes an almost mocking sneer at expected social etiquette, privacy and confidentially.  He audio broadcasts his personal secrets from inside the cavern of a whiskey barrel for all to hear (if you are so inclined to want to lean in and publicly show your interest).  Should we be embarrassed to be curious?  Why do we want to hear his intimate musings?  Or is this one more step in the curating of our selves to others?  Bywater doesn’t seem to care—he puts it out there, but sinks his secrets well within the barrel.  His audience has to show their interest thus exhibiting care, empathy, compassion, and, for a few moments, granting him our full attention.

So eager and experimental was another, Tyler Centanni migrated off to uncover a “real world ” experience devoting himself to three months of door-to-door sales in a corner of suburbia.  He opted for a shirt and tie, hair slicked back, attempted a “dressed-up” assemblage.  His experiment culminated in marriage to his girlfriend during the final review officiated by another Rude Brood student.   Reviewers and bystanders were left to question the seriousness of this ultimate evocative gesture and wonder if he thumbed his nose at button-downed tradition or truly was about to enter the world of marital bliss.  Can a legal union be so spontaneous at the risk of seeming callous?  Was it up to us to question their understanding of the sanctity of marriage, or the seriousness of being connected to another person? This was Centanni’s version of success, but one he read in a book and so seems doomed to failure.  Perhaps it was all a comment on our own personal paths to happiness and achievement.

That’s just a peek at the savior-faire of this unique group.   The work will make you think and wonder at your own ability to communicate, to feel compassion, and to recognize your propensity to pay attention.  Overall, it will compel you to question how you interact with others and if you are paying enough attention.   The Rude Brood provides a journey for you to wander through their experiments of human social, visual, and auditory interactions.  How much you glean from this is left completely up to you: how much of your personal ethos and circumstance are reflected back in Cooper’s mirrors, is your business.  The Rude Brood has done an exceptional job drawing the viewer into their frame of reference, into their cultural tapestries, and into exposing their fears, apprehensions, and insecurities.

Make sure you step close, but not that close to Christine Thomas’ wall;  please pause to see Leah Chan’s cultural exploration and see a struggle to work through tradition and mesh with modernity;  stop in front of Amanda Riebe’s probing questioning of image and internet; and the mixology of electrode brain science put forth by Keith Stedman.

But that’s not all, Olivia Storm will show you form inspired by cinema and you will wonder at function, man, nature or robot-inspired;  Keith Chaloux will astound you with his new take on old art history and let you tread on his creation as it winds through the White Box; Brett Ciccarello’s short film of science fiction and robotic creatures will charm and amuse and you will feel empathy for a completely digital, non-living thing;  McKenzie Sampson will confront you with a floor to ceiling mural-like depiction of androgynous characters, with significantly noticeable time-telling pieces.

Trevin Swick will rock your world using three large balloons and plenty of conceptual issues;  and Katya Vitovskaya will, let’s just say it, shock and horrify but soften it all with lovely water colors.  Her world of movie violence and grievious injury absorbing into the paper but shown to us on video as if to say, here there is no wiping up the gore.  We can’t even touch it.

If you are in Portland, take a moment to walk around the exhibit at the White Box and see the Rude Brood’s work.  The exhibit is up until July 21, 2012.  You will experience a fascinating glimpse into both the Rude Brood’s self-conscious personalities and their natural, impulsive inclinations.  This exhibit is a bit rude in places, outspoken, questioning, arrogant, and more than a trifle rebellious in justifiable ways that seek to draw the Rude Brood audience to new conclusions and socially relevant realizations within a contemporary culture that has come to rely on digital methods.  These emotions and inclinations seethe and brew in the Rude Brood and fuel their creative process.

We wish them well. . . .let’s hope they continue to question and experiment with the incredible talent they possesses.  If you want to walk down memory lane with The Rude Brood, we have blogged about them before.  Look at their work from winter 2012. And see a gallery of images from their work with Craig Hickman.

Watch Your Mouth | Digital Arts BFA Exhibit at the White Box

Posted on by Sabina Poole
UO Digital Arts 2011 BFA candidates exhibit the development of creative process:
‘Watch Your Mouth’ runs June 2-25 in the White Box in Portland
Exhibition:
“Watch Your Mouth” 2011 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition
When:
June 2-25
First Thursday opening reception, 6-9 p.m.
Where:
White Box at the University of Oregon in Portland, White Stag Block, 24 NW First Ave.
About:
The University of Oregon Digital Arts BFA 2011 exhibition, WATCH YOUR MOUTH, is composed of works by 12 artists. The digital arts bachelors of fine arts program is part of the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts in Portland. It is a yearlong professional degree for students holding a bachelors degree in art, multimedia or digital arts. Each artist’s thesis has been dedicated to the development of their creative process, their conceptual motivations and the production of a vast range of media in an art context.
These artists seek to define meaning and purpose in a complicated world.  They are invested in a critical inquiry into how humankind navigates a complex existence.  This thesis exhibition is the result of mining the abstract space between humans and technology, researching cognitive behavior, dissecting language and information delivery systems, examining our poetic relationships to space and place, investigating material translations, process obsessions, and questioning personal philosophies – often with a dark, twisted and cryptic sense of humor.
The range of media and methodologies employed span hybrid digital output, computer programming, image capture, drawing, animation, sculpture and as always, evidence of the skilled hand. Like barometers for culture and society at large, these artists ask important questions about how and why we live in a technologically fertile, swiftly moving world.  Change, thought, story, space, inquiry, truth, translation, language, communication, digitization, these ideas are consistently mined and dissected from this critical, analytical group of young artists.  It is with their work we attempt to find a better understanding to our place in the universe.
–From Michael Salter, UO digital arts faculty
Artists:
Brian Aebi, Amy Chan, Braeden Cox, Gage Hamilton, Matt Pfliiger, Andrew Pomeroy, Steven Robinson, Brad Saiki, Lauren Seiffert, Tanya Tracy and Chris Wilson.
The UO digital arts faculty is Colin Ives, Craig Hickman, John Park, Michael Salter, Ying Tan and Katz Ucci.
About the White Box:
The White Box is a 1,500-square-foot visual laboratory that allows students, faculty, regional and national communities to research, explore and present global issues in art, design and architecture. The White Box is located at 24 NW First Ave, on the ground floor of the White Stag Block. It is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, during the period when an exhibition is scheduled.  Admission is free.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Heidi Hiaasen, UO in Portland communications, 503-412-3714, heidih@uoregon.edu
Links:
University of Oregon in Portland: aaa.uoregon.edu
School of Architecture and Allied Arts: aaa.uoregon.edu
White Box: pdx.uoregon.edu/whitebox
WATCH YOUR MOUTH: watchyourmouthpdx.com

Colin Ives Brings Hung Keung's Bloated City | Skinny Language to the University of Oregon

Posted on by Sabina Poole

Deemed a “First Thursday Pick” for April 2011 by Portland’s PORT online and called a “favorite pick” of Art Radar Asia when it was part of the 2009 Asian Art Biennial at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the current White Box exhibit, Bloated City | Skinny Language by Hong Kong aritst, Hung Keung is at the University of Oregon’s Portland White Box from April 5, 2011 -May 14, 2011.

Below is a photograph by UO Portland Digital Arts student and photographer, Tanya Tracy documenting Hung’s exhibit at the White Box:

Hung Keung's Bloated City | Skinny Language, Photo: Tanya Tracy, 2011.

Hung’s exhibit is a physically engaging and visual exploration of Chinese calligraphy and the ideology incorporated into the characters as a vehicle of expression.  Chinese characters float across the wall with the use of two independently projected screens across a corridor-like space. This movement, captivating in itself, becomes even more entrancing when a viewer is introduced into this experimental media format. Walking into the space in front of the work, your body is integrated into the interactive piece with twin images of yourself which are recorded and transmitted onto the screen. Chinese characters swarm around your new doppelgangers whenever you move, migrating almost purposefully from screen to screen with speed and grace, and you are now immersed in this dialogue—a dichotomy meant to represent conflicting change and the transformation from traditional to modern.

The words that journey down and cloud around the viewer, now participant, cultivate a meaning that Hung wants us to interact with. “Words are for communication and cities are for living….Traditional Chinese characters became simplified characters; old cities have become new cities,” writes the artist. Commenting further on his interactive installation, Hung continues, “For me, a Chinese born in China and raised in Hong Kong, this creates conflicting desires making you feel love and hate all at once.” Standing amidst the work, one is meant to feel “caught between a rock and a hard place” as you see two of yourself at the same time (both right and left screens). Yet these situations are kept independent and dissimilar forcing one to feel and visualize the contradiction.

Following is a video from the work being exhibited in Shanghai, China and posted on YouTube by the artist, himself, and his studio, ImhkLab:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBPe0TqG9lY[/youtube]

The experience of this installation is, at once, beautiful and provocative. The characters, or words, migrate with speed and grace, almost purposefully, toward us as we engage with the piece carried into Hung’s experiment and into the realm of communication and meaning: “what things can become and how creating, deconstructing, and rebuilding can all indicate symbolic meaning.”

Interacting with Bloated City | Skinny Language is a fantastically illuminating experience seamlessly incorporating the physical form of the viewer/participant, and creating a genuine sense of wonder, in an exploration of new media formats. As University of Oregon Digital Arts professor Colin Ives notes, this exhibit “uses the capabilities that the space [of the Gray Box] was designed for.” And, indeed, it is due to the foresight of Professor Ives and the international connection he established several years ago with Hung that this work was able to be brought to the University of Oregon and is now on exhibit at the White Box.

In 2009, Professor Ives was in Hong Kong to install his project Nocturne, at the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival. Hung Keung saw Ives’ work and recognized it from having previously viewed it at the International Symposium of Electronic Arts in San Jose. Hung sought out the University of Oregon artist|professor and introduced himself. As it happened, Hung and Ives shared a mutual friend and quickly a bond was formed by way of shared artistic interests and mutually compatible philosophies. Hung took Ives to his studio where Ives would first see documentation of Bloated City | Skinny Language. Remembering the initial viewing, Ives comments, “I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be a perfect project for the Grey Box….” And, thus, began the work to bring Hung’s exhibit here to the University of Oregon—an effort spearheaded by Ives and supported by the Digital Arts Department, UO Computer and Information Science Department, the UO Arts Administration Program, Cinema Pacific, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon Portland Programs, the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts in Eugene and Portland, and Ace Hotel.

Recalling what initially intrigued Ives with Hung’s work, the artist-professor says that Hung “has a great way of approaching his work which manages to be both conceptual and humorous.” And, as one stands in Bloated City | Skinny Language, a participant in the fragments of language and brush strokes, encircled and enshrined by movement-sensitive characters, Hung hopes you are prompted to reflect on how you can locate yourself in your universe, both Heaven and Earth, and relate to the concepts of Dao (“The Dao gives birth to One. One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three. Three gives birth to all things or a thousand things.”) A humorous aspect arises as one can turn and look back at one’s self overtaken by a flurry of animate letterforms, and encounter conflicting experiences: “change or unchanged, move or stay, to be or not to be.” You have been presented with the visual insight of both the simple and the complex, and both follow you, both inescapable.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfFxcaeZ15o&feature=related[/youtube]

Exhibitions

JSMA |  Where to Come From?  Where To Go? |  Video works by Hung Keung | Showing from April 5-June 19, 2011

White Box | Bloated City Skinny Language | Showing from April 5-May 14, 2011

post by sabina samiee, thank you to Colin Ives.