About The Curator
Sven Davis is an art collector and arts commentator in his role as UK director for the internationally staffed online arts magazine Arrested Motion. He lives in York, in the North of the UK, with his wife and daughter, and has a love for all things independent, free-spirited and DIY. Last September he curated an architecturally themed group exhibition entitled Space//Form at Breeze Block Gallery with over 100 participant artists and site specific installations from Michael Murphy & Mark Dean Veca. Following the success of Space//Form, In 2013/14 he will be curating Breeze Block Gallery’s artist program starting with Wider Than A Postcard. Solo shows as well as another large group exhibition later in the year are to follow.

Smith’s exhibition SEEYOUYOUSEE explores perception and shifts in perspective through reflection, light, shadow, CCTV, video, objects and spacial relationships.

The show involved a 60 day construction period starting in January 2013, while the gallery remained closed. The first phase of the installation required stacking 10,000 pounds of plywood (piece by piece) in Breeze Block’s new Project Space. Wood for the exhibit arrived over a two day period and was stored throughout the gallery while the flooring in the Project Space was reinforced to withstand the load. Once the plywood was in place, erection of the floating wall and door system in the traditional gallery began. Smith simultaneously designed the space and objects, created works and documented the process of boring into the ply stack for over 200 hours. SEEYOUYOUSEE explores myth, faith and mystery while engaging the viewer to connect the dots through their own story.

The large-scale transformation of the gallery is a first for Breeze Block and we are proud to bring the exhibition to the Portland community. The exhibit opened to the public on First Thursday, March 7th. The show will run through April 20th, 2013. Gallery hours are Wed-Sat 12-6pm or by appointment.

For more information, hi-res images, or private appointments, please contact the gallery director Paige Prendergast
paige@breezeblockgallery.com
503.318.6228
www.breezeblockgallery.com

Gallery hours: Wed-Sat 12-6pm

VIDEO:

http://vimeo.com/m/62520909

http://vimeo.com/m/62585034

RECENT PRESS:

PORT

Oregon Arts Watch

Willamette Week

Citation:

SEEYOUYOUSEE, 2013, brass, fir, carpet, drywall, latex, three CCTV systems, grey mirror, black mirror, leather book, steer hide, house plant, ceramic pot, two single channel high definition videos,  two way mirror, steel, powder coated steel, archival print on Hahnemuhle Museum Etching, oriented strand board, dimensions various

Crew and support:

Eric Gardner / Gardner Contracting

Forrester Karr

Doreen Mosher

Caitlin Ducey

Rose Riordan

Carol Grossman

Matthew Senkowycz

Stefan Ransom

Marilena Staudenmaier

John Petricciani

Sloane White

Britta Geisler

Conrad Crespin

Samahra Little

Matthew Bones

Cherylyn Snyder

Conan Magnuson

Joe Landau

Tom Pham

Steve Bush

Trade Studios

Paige Prendergast

Mark Woolley

Stephen Smith

Dolores Smith

The Dugan Foundation

Tonya Murphy

Eric Flail

Connor Stanley

for DK & FM

Celebrating our 6th year in business, we will be taking a brief winter break.

GALLERY HOURS: By Appointment Only through Feb. 2013

INQUIRIES? Email: Paige Prendergast, paige@breezeblockgallery.com

SPRING 2013: We will kick off the season with a large scale installation by Stephen Scott Smith. Smith will be here from New York working on his installation in the gallery for 60 days prior to its opening.

Wider than a postcard

A group exhibition curated by Sven Davis

2 May – 1 June 2013

“It is not easy writing
someone a postcard.
The size and shape
of the card cut you
down to size…”
—Ron Padgett ‘Postcard’

For sales or press inquiries, please email Paige Prendergast, paige@breezeblockgallery.com

VIEW ARTWORK

May 2013: Portland, Oregon is the location for Wider than a postcard, the latest curatorial collaboration between Arrested Motion’s Sven Davis and Breeze Block Gallery. Over 200 artists have been invited to produce up to 3 works each based on the traditional postcard format. The surface can be an antique postcard – either from a thrift store or maybe even from the family archive, a new shop-bought card or a home-made postcard on each artists chosen medium to the 6×4 inch size limit imposed. Each postcard can either start as a blank canvas or the new composition can be woven into the existing image on the card. The artworks are to be displayed in a grid formation to create an holistic installation of more than 400 individual artworks. The postcards must come from, and be named thus, a current or past place of residence and the thematic subtext is based loosely around place and belonging. The exhibition will also serve as a comparative survey of how artists interpret the same brief, giving a unique insight into the varying creative processes of each participant.

About The Curator
Sven Davis is an art collector and arts commentator in his role as UK director for the internationally staffed online arts magazine Arrested Motion. He lives in York, in the North of the UK, with his wife and daughter, and has a love for all things independent, free-spirited and DIY. Last September he curated an architecturally themed group exhibition entitled Space//Form at Breeze Block Gallery with over 100 participant artists and site specific installations from Michael Murphy & Mark Dean Veca. Following the success of Space//Form, In 2013/14 he will be curating Breeze Block Gallery’s artist program starting with Wider than a postcard. Solo shows as well as another large group exhibition later in the year are to follow.

For curatorial questions or interview opportunities with the artists, please email Sven Davis:
sven@arrestedmotion.com
Svenamillionpieces@gmail.com
ArrestedMotion.com
Mobile phone +44 (0) 7590 829 268 / 07590 829 268
Skype amillionpieces

For pre-sales or press inquiries, please email Paige Prendergast, paige@breezeblockgallery.com

ARTISTS:

Aaron De La Cruz / Aaron Nagel / Adam Wallacavage / Adam Weir / Alex Brown / Alex Lukas / Alex Roulette / Alexey Luka / Alicia Dubnyckyj / Alvaro Ilizarbe / Amy Casey / Andreas Englund / Andres Guerrero / Andrew Hem / Andrew Mackenzie / Andrew McAttee / Andrew Schoultz / Andy Council / Anthony Sneed / Anthony Zinonos / Augustine Kofie / Bill McRight / Blaine Fontana / Bob 2 / Brendan Monroe / Brian Donnelly / Brin Levinson / Britta Geisler / Bryce Kanights / Bwana Spoons / Caleb Neelon / Candice Tripp / Carl Cashman / Casey Gray / Chelsea Grolla / Cheryl Dunn / China Mike / Chris Blackstock / Chris Scarborough / Chris Valkov / Christian Mendoza / Christopher Derek Bruno / Clark Goolsb / Clayton Brothers / Coco 144 / Cody Hudson / Conrad Crespin / Corey Arnold / Cranio / Craww / Crystal Wagner / D*Face / Dale Grimshaw / Dana Brown / Dana Louise Kirkpatrick / David Bray / David MacDowell / David O’Brien / David Shillinglaw / Deedee Cheriel / Derm / Deth P Sun / Dmitri Fedosseev / Drew Tyndell / Dscreet / Duncan Jago / Edwin Ushiro / Ellannah Sadkin / Ema / Emma Tooth / Eric Shaw / Erik Foss / Erik Mark Sandberg / Evah Fan / Francesco Igory Deiana / Frank Gonzales / Gary Taxali / Gen Duarte / ghostpatrol / Graphic Surgery / Greg Eason / Gregory Euclide / Hamishi / Henry Gunderson / Hilary Pecis / How & Nosm / Hush / Ian Francis / Ian Stevenson / Insane / Jacob Magraw Mickelson / Jacob Whibley / James Benjamin Franklin / Jason Thielke / Jaybo? / Jeff Depner / Jeff Gillette / Jen Corace / Jenny Odell / Jerry Inscoe / Jessica Hess / Jocelyn Duke / Joe Ryckebosch / John Casey / John Petricciani / Jon Burgerman / Jordin Isip / Josh Agle / Josh Keyes / Joshua Krause / Joshua Petker / Jud Bergeron / Judith Supine / Kai & Sunny / Karin Krommes / Katrin Fridriks / KEMA / Kenji Hirata / Kevin Cyr / Kevin Earl Taylor / Kevin McQuaid / KMNDZ / Know Hope / Kozyndan / Kyle Jorgensen / Laura Bifano / Lee Baker / Lex Thomas / Lola / Louis Reith / LX One / Marilena Staudenmaier / Mario Wagner / Marissa Textor / Mark Dean Veca / Mark Schoening / Mark Warren Jacques / Mary Iverson / Matt Haber / Matthew Craven / Matthew Curry / Matthew Feyld / Melinda Beck / Michael De Feo / Michael Hsiung / Michael Murphy / Michael Peck / Mike Ballard / Mike Egan / Mike Maxwell / Mike Stilkey / Miso / Moneyless / Morgan Blair / Mr Penfold / Mysterious Al / Nate Frizzell / Nawer / O.Two / olive47 / Part2ism / Paul Barnes / Pedro Matos / Pete Fowler / Pete Watts / Poesia / RamblinWorker / Reginald S. Aloysius / Rey Parla / Rich Jacobs / Richard Colman / Robert Hardgrave / Robert Phoenix / Rone / Rowdy / Russell Leng / Ryan Bubnis / Ryan de la Hoz / Ryan Dineen / Ryan Jacob Smith / Saelee Oh / Samahra Little / Scott Listfield / Scott Malbaurn / Shie Moreno / Sidney Pink / Simon Monk / Sloane White / St. Monci / Stephanie Buer / Steve More / Sweet Toof / Sylvia Ji / Teresa Duck / Tilt / Tim Karpinski / Titi Freak / Tofer Chin / Tom French / Tripper Dungan / Von / William Sager / Winston Smith / Zach Johnsen

Thank you to Pixel Point Artistry for artwork photography.

A solo exhibition curated by Sven Davis

2 May – 1 June 2013

VIEW ARTWORK

“Bonita bonita” is taken from the catcall olive47 would hear from the local men and the also the compliments heard from the local ladies about her work when painting a series of murals in Mexico earlier this year. bonita bonita is a visual Garden of Eden, a place of beauty within a world of turmoil. Drawing on the power of myth for a significant element of its subject matter, bonita bonita applies symbolism and a visual discourse of spirituality in its presentation of a collective narrative of nature and morality in an environment where temptation is ever present. olive47’s bold use of color operates at a visceral level and activates an emotional response to the saturation throughout the body of work as a cerebral communication device. bonita bonita will contain paintings on wood panels presented individually, as assemblages and also combined within mixed media installations.

The exhibition opens Thursday 2nd May 2013 6pm, with a preview evening on Wednesday 1st May 2013 6pm alongside the group exhibition Wider than a postcard. The artist will be in attendance.

About The Artist
With a background in fine art and graphic design, olive47 (olive47 is always all lower case and one word…always) began ‘doing street art’ in 1995 and moved on to stickers in 1998 while working for various design companies in Los Angeles – using the company credit card to pay for them. Her street art has brightened the corners of the globe, with murals, installations and paste-ups in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Miami, London, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, Tokyo, Lisbon, Paris and many places in between. Her super-cute Miss Cupcake vinyl toy captured everyone’s heart that saw it and became an instant best seller when created back in 2009. Versatile over a variety of mediums, she is a renowned fine-art printmaker and her work is held in the printmaking collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she attained her first degree in painting from Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah GA USA and her masters degree in printmaking from Camberwell College of the Arts, London UK.
She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
In 2002, she formed her own ‘cult’. Children of the Multiprismed Light was formed as an interactive performance art piece dealing with the issues of the history and power of religion on the internet, family, community, the appeal or disgust of the idea of joining, satire, and lots of other esoteric matters. In the years since, it has grown to include over 450 people internationally as members, and though the cult’s activities have slowed, membership continues to grow. We believe this is mainly due of the allure of membership cards.

“In The Flower Months”

NOV. 1-30, 2012

New Freehand Embroidery inspired by the dream poems of Jeevan Singh

Opening Reception: Thursday Nov. 1, 6-10pm

FASHION SHOW: Sat. Nov. 17th, 7:30pm**

**Tickets are available at http://emilykatz.eventbrite.com/

$7 General Admission with hosted bar and refreshments. Both seating and standing available on a first come basis. Space is limited.

Press contact, for more information, or to schedule interviews with designer, Emily Katz, please contact:

Fashion Show Producer, Jillian Rabe; 503 307 8273; jillian@jillianrabe.com

FROM THE ARTIST:

“For this new work, I re-arranged the bedroom I share with my partner using a book of Feng Shui. The book suggests not to have your head pointed out a window while you sleep, saying that it may disrupt the energy in the room aligned with you body and cause intense and sometimes unsettling dreams.

We moved the bed so that the head is in a triangle of windows, facing South, which also inspires dream recollection.

I brought all of my sewing equipment into the bedroom as well. Arranged the room so that the first thing I see in the morning is the wall where these pieces are made.

The sewing machine is set up so that even if in the middle of the night a dream comes, I can get up and sew them instead of writing them down.

Jeevan Singh is a local poet, teacher, musician, and lover of the esoteric.

We will also launch a limited edition book of the poems that these pieces are inspired by to be for sale at the show.

The floral illustrations are of plants that aid dreaming, inspire sleep, or induce nocturnal visions.  The rest of the imagery is culled either directly from the dream poems, or from my own dreams.

In addition to the artwork and book, I am designing a capsule fashion collection inspired by the pieces, the dreamwork, and the season. The new clothing items include embroidery, hand drawn textile patterns, and gemstone beading.

There will be a fashion show on November 17th at Breeze Block Gallery at 7:30pm.”

-EMILY KATZ

TEMPORARY EQUILIBRIUM

Jim Kazanjian and William Hundley

Curated by Sven Davis

June 6 – 29, 2013

Preview night: Wed. June 5, 6-8pm

Opening reception: Thurs. June 6, 6-10pm

Temporary Equilibrium brings together the talents of Jim Kazanjian and William Hundley in a two-person exhibition.

Both artists restructure photography as a medium, inviting the viewer to look twice and initiating a challenge to understand just how their compositions are made.

Jim Kazanjian does not come into contact with a camera throughout his entire creative process, but uses a library of literally thousands of images to assemble a palimpsest of unfamiliar imagined images into his series of landscapes and labyrinthian abstracts. The internet serves as his camera, Photoshop his lightbox and the mouse his shutter whereas William Hundley’s photography is taken straight from the camera with no postproduction alterations or manipulation applied. Hundley calls this series of work Entoptic Phenomena and has been exploring his unique thread of visual trickery since 2006.

Kazanjian and Hundley’s distinctive yet divergent work is inextricably linked through their proposal of reality as illusion within the subject matter of their work as a common and unifying bond.

Both widely known and respected, Kazanjian and Hundley use and capture the urban landscape in a state of flux. Kazanjian’s composites of impossible architecture hang in the balance as if ready to fall at any moment as the viewer bears witness to the last moments that his illusionary images (never) exist, whereas Hundley’s gravity defying in-camera captures illustrate a constructed moment in time, preserved for perpetuity.

Temporary Equilibrium opens in Breeze Block’s Gallery 1 space on Thursday 6^th June 2013 6-10pm, with a preview evening onWednesday 5^th June 2013 6-8pm alongside Eric Shaw’s solo exhibition in Gallery 2; Throw Off Your Mental Chains.

About Jim Kazanjian

Jim Kazanjian received his MFA from the Art Center College of Design in 1992. His BFA was completed at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1990. He has worked professionally as a commercial CGI artist for the past 18 years in television and game production. Various clients he has collaborated with include: Nike, Adidas, NBC, CBS, HBO, NASA, HP, Intel and others. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

About William Hundley

William Hundley is an American artist born in St. Paul, MN. He completed his BFA in Studio Art at Texas State University in 1998. Early in his career he first used photography to capture an image or idea to recreate later via drawing or painting.  At some point he started to enjoy the photography side of his practice more than the artwork it informed. His intention is to create images never seen before by capturing surreal imagery and performing magic in the eyes of the camera and viewer. He currently lives and works in Austin, TX.

About The Curator

Sven Davis is an art collector and arts commentator in his role as UK director for the internationally staffed online arts magazine Arrested Motion. He lives in York, in the North of the UK, where he works in an architectural practice. In September 2012 he curated an architecturally themed group exhibition entitled Space//Form at Breeze Block Gallery with over 100 participant artists and site specific installations from Michael Murphy & Mark Dean Veca. This exhibition led to an ongoing relationship with the gallery and throughout 2013/14 he will be curating Breeze Block Gallery’s artist program. This endeavor began in May 2013 with Wider than a postcard – another large group show featuring 200 international artists all making commonly sized work dealing with place & belonging.

THROW OFF YOUR MENTAL CHAINS

New work by ERIC SHAW

Curated by Sven Davis

June 6 – 29, 2013

For preview and sales inquiries please email Paige Prendergast paige@breezeblockgallery.com

Breeze Block Gallery proudly presents a solo exhibition of all new work by Brooklyn based artist Eric Shaw.

Eric Shaw’s most recent gouaches present a pop-suprematist take on conventional portraiture. In these highly stylized paintings, bold shapes come together to form inscrutable human faces, expressive of an almost robotic emotional ambivalence. Reified brush strokes float motionlessly across the surface of the paintings, held in place by abstract armatures that defy dimensionality. Landscapes reduced to swaths of blue and green give a vague sense of place to these anthropomorphic forms, and architectural cues act to thematize the viewer’s conflicting impressions of depth and flatness.

The psychedelic compositions create multiple levels of depth within Shaw’s geometrically defined super-flat style, particularly within his abstract works. The paintings are self-referential, allowing common motifs and gestures to form part of his distinctive vernacular.

Eric Shaw’s work is playfully reminiscent of 1980s graphic design and early digital animation, but never succumbs to the pitfalls of direct referentiality. Imagine El Lissitzky equipped with a Quantel Paintbox, imbuing his inner demons with a touch of technicolor confection and good cheer.

Throw Off Your Mental Chains opens in Breeze Block’s Gallery 2 space on Thursday 6^th June 2013 6-10pm, with a preview evening on Wednesday 5^th June 2013 6-8pm alongside a two-person exhibition Temporary Equilibrium, featuring Jim Kazanjian and William Hundley in the Gallery 1 space.

About Eric Shaw

Eric Shaw (b.1983) is a self-taught artist who lives and works in Brooklyn. His surrealist, super-flat works are executed in vibrant gouache. Each of his paintings is an exercise in exploded forms alongside explosive color theory.

His work has been previously exhibited at Space 1026 in Philadelphia, FFDG in San Francisco, Pen to Paper in Berlin and Double Break San Diego amongst others. He has had solo exhibitions at Park Life in San Francisco, Yes Gallery, Market Hotel and Youth Group Gallery all in New York.

A Solo Exhibition by Mark Warren Jacques: 
Each Story in This Story Has a Story

Nothing in our lives is singular. We are complicated beings. Our daily decisions are built on a lifetime of memories. We watch a sunrise or our children being born and we are in awe of the beauty that is life and in the next moment we watch a terrible car accident or run out of money just when the bills are due. These stories make up who we are individually but more so connect us to each other because we all have these moments. They are the pieces that make up the larger shape. And this big ass shape, this great big story is forever unfolding within these smaller stories. To me this is what makes life worth loving. Every day is a new beginning with the promise that yesterday is still with us, tomorrow will surely come and the story will continue to unfold for us all.
Be well.
-Mark Warren Jacques

VIEW ARTWORK HERE

Each Story in This Story Has a Story is Mark Warren Jacque’s most personal & developed show yet, revealing a rhetoric in experience & growth through the concept of self examination & inception of life’s series of events. Through organic & edged shapes, bold color & composition, MWJ presents introspective layers and the meaning behind the commonality and idolatry of those we put before ourselves in the hierarchy of love. As interactive as it is introspective, the show will engage and inspire.

MWJ was born in Columbus, Ohio, 1984, and currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon. Mark has “a commitment to searching and questioning, to finding life’s greatest secrets in the dusty unused corners of a crowded room. A life of talking to monks and bike messengers, Mark’s eye is tuned equally to the charms of the wise and the insane: the punk and the philosopher, the prophet and the crackpot.” – -Howard Hurst – New York City, 2011

For more information, preview list or sale inquiries, please email Paige Prendergast paige (a) breezeblockgallery.com

SPACE//FORM

A group exhibition curated by Sven Davis

.
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 6th, 6-10pm

VIEW ARTWORK HERE

Space//Form centers around notions of the architectural landscape.  Over 100 of the most relevant young contemporary artists were each given an identical 10×10 inch panel and invited to create a work depicting their interpretation of space and form within either the constructed or the natural environment.  The exhibition will be accompanied by integral installations by Mark Dean Veca and Michael Murphy. Curator, Sven Davis, has worked in architecture for over 20 years and is the UK Director for the internationally staffed online arts magazine, Arrested Motion.

Participating artists:

Aakash Nihalani, Adam Normandin, Adam Wallacavage, Alex Lukas, Alicia Dubnyckyj, Amy Casey, Anthony Zinonos, Augustine Kofie, Ben Eine, Bill McRight, Blaine Fontana, Brendan Monroe, Brett Amory, Carl Cashman, Carl Riddle. Cheryl Molnar, Chloe Early, Chris Ballantyne, Chris Scarborough, Christian Mendoza, Christopher Derek Bruno, Clayton Brothers, Cleon Peterson, Dabs Myla, Dana Brown, Dave Kinsey, David Kassan, David O’Brien, Deedee Cheriel, Doze Green, Drew Tyndall, Eric Shaw, Eric White, Erik Mark Sandberg, Francesco Igory Deiana, Frank Gonzales, Gary Taxali, Geoff McFetridge, Ghostpatrol, Greg Eason, Greg Lamarche, Hamishi, Henry Gunderson, Ian Francis, Jacob Magraw Mickelson, James Marshall (Dalek), Jason Thielke, Jeff Depner, Jeff Soto, Jim Houser, Jordin Isip, Josh Keyes, Joshua Krause, Judith Supine, Kai & Sunny, Karin Krommes, Karl de Vroomen, Katrin Fridriks, Kenji Hirata, Kevin Cyr, Kevin Earl Taylor, Kevin Peterson, Kid Acne, Kozyndan, Kris Lewis, Kristen Schiele, Lex Thomas, Logan Hicks, Lola Dupré, Louis Reith, Lucas Price, LX One, Mario Wagner, Marissa Textor, Mark Dean Veca, Mark Schoening, Mark Warren Jacques, Mark Whalen, Mars-1, Martin Wittfooth, Mary Iverson, Matt Leines, Maya Hayuk, Michael Murphy, Mike Stilkey, Moneyless, Nick Walker, Pakayla Biehn, Paul Insect, Pete Watts, Reginald S. Aloysius, Remi Rough, Rich Jacobs, Richard Colman, Ricky Allman, Rostarr, Russell Leng, Ryan Shaffer, Ryan Stewart Nault, Sage Vaughn, Saner, Seonna Hong, She One, Sidney Pink, Sinc, Slinkachu, Stephanie Buer, Sweet Toof, Teresa Duck, Tim Biskup, Tom French, Tristram Lansdowne, Wayne White, Will Barras, Winston Smith

Curatorial statement:

Space//Form explores the constructed and natural environment while also serving as a comparative exercise in how different individuals respond to a single set of prescribed criteria.  All of the participating artists were given the same commission guidelines and an identical surface material to work with.  Each unique interpretation of the brief has led to the creation of a new artwork specifically for the show.  The disciplines of art and architecture traditionally enjoy a symbiotic relationship, and the parallels run deep between the conception and realization of an architectural project and the Space//Form exhibition itself.

For more information, images, preview or sales inquiries, please email Paige Prendergast:
paige@breezeblockgallery.com

For curatorial questions or interview opportunities with the artists, please email Sven Davis:
sven@arrestedmotion.com

Thank you to our generous sponsors, Ampersand Art Supply and Black Star Beer.

Ampersand Art Supply are the leading manufacturers of archival painting panels in the United States.  Their signature museum series panels include Claybord™, Aquabord™, Gessobord™, Encausticbord™, Scratchbord™ and Pastelbord™, each featuring Ampersand’s patented Archiva-Seal™ barrier technology.  As one of the key sponsors of Space//Form , Ampersand provided a custom made panel for each of the artists to produce their own unique art piece for the show.  Ampersand’s unique surface coatings allow each artist to experiment and further their creative expression beyond what can be done on an ordinary stretched canvas.

www.ampersandart.com
www.blackstarbeer.com
www.arrestedmotion.com

Installation by Mark Dean Veca

“Twist” by Michael Murphy

Portrait of Chuck Close by Michael Murphy