CONTEMPORARY EXPLORER

  Art is full of movement, technique, and styles. Three that have lasted since the early 20th century are collages, assemblage, and montages. Some ask if these are art at all. Are they true creations or merely curations? You wonder if Picasso and Braque debated this while they did assemblage work which they eventually coined as “cubism.” Artists are always pressed to explain their techniques. Assemblages are three dimensional works produced largely from found objects. Montages are often associated with film work and other mediums where short series are combined. Both these techniques lend themselves to narratives. The art tends toward telling a story.  Collages, on the other hand, are simply gathering of pieces of the world. A photograph, label from a shipping container, a torn painting, Colorful pieces of paper, written text or marks. The artist never intends to tell a story, but instead create a visual impact. The collages are the most freeing because of this. They are wonde...

  The camera is a tool for seeing the world. You find yourself drawn to certain things as you photograph. Some are dramatic and bold, others you find in quiet moments. All the patina, scrapes and colors seemingly crying out for understanding. Sometimes they are gathered in simple objects like found metal parts or sheets. I once has a art studio along Airport Way in Seattle. Across from the studio sat a small triangle shaped lot filled with metal. An old worn sign you could barely make out read “All Metal.” Often the owner of the yard sat in his office, a small industrial light illuminating his desk. Old trucks, some still with barrels of metal on them, parked near by.  Overtime, I learned bits and pieces about the place. The business there forever. Scrap metal all sorted and marked. It came from Seattle buildings gone and vessels parted out. Artist had discovered the place long ago. They often could be seen sorting through the stacks of metal for the just right piece for their...

  Ever since the TV series Portlandia, the Rose City has gained an image of being different, even strange. There is a feeling of artsy in the young people and the many small businesses catering to the Portland way. In recent times, the nature of the place has led to problems, drugs and homelessness. Still it remains a wonderful place to explore. The city has a wealth of low profile buildings especially in the Northwest and East Side portions. Colors and contrasts abound. There is nothing here that say “the same.” No ditto buildings piled against other ditto ones.  They say that good photography is born out of finding stillness and studying all aspects of a scene. The contrasts of people, buildings and vides in Portland teach a different dance for your camera. Some of the contrasts are just meant to be together, others stretch the mind to blend and understand. It all works out though, as you walk this wonderful city and find yourself dancing it’s side streets.

  A good parking garage can make the day, especially if they are well designed and close to popular venues. Many though are dark places, often ill planned and underused. Every crime drama seems to have one, the infamous garage scene. Candy Man, Fargo, Death Sentence, Terminator and Furious 7.  While your in them, you can imagine most anything. Shapes and sounds pull at your mind. Shopping center garages often sit largely empty for most of the year, only to fill to the edges during Xmas shopping season, adding to the uneasiness of them. Few have the smoothness and finery of the building they serve. The contractor leaving rough marks, the architect making it the last thing they design. Over the years, some become blights on the city, no longer serving any purpose. Still the ones that do still work are indispensable.  Developers are always cautioned to not pay the contractor until the garage is finished. Good advice, as many look like they are not. The darkness is not a frie...

  They call it “autophenophobia,” the fear of car washes. More people have it than you think. And can you blame them. You pay a fee, really a chance at making it through. The attendant guides you to the automated lanes. Then you give up complete control. Your car and life are dragged into the beast with whirly brushes. All among the splashes of soap and water that blind your vision. Some say its the claustrophobia nature of the enclosure, others the sensory overload of the machine noise, the fear of damage and always the loss of control.  The car is pushed side to side by the powerful equipment. You look out the window to see if everything is still there or if any parts of other cars are beside the rails. You know there must be scary things in there, machinery or parts you don’t know about all jumping out of every side it seems. You reassure yourself remembering that these dragons of clean first appeared way back in the 1950’s. Called Rub a Dub, Elephant Car Wash and other fri...