Noontime, Portland, July 2, 2008

I went out for a walk at noon and went to the Portland Farmers market (I think it should be Farmers' as it seems to be their market versus a market that sells farmers, like the futures market sells futures). It has all the things I like in a Farmers' Market--things for sale that farmers grow or make: vegetables, fruits, cheese, baked things, and flowers--and none of the things I don't like--things that farmers don't grow or make for sale: strollers, bluegrass music, and dogs. It's a Farmers' Market, not entertainment. It's like a tiny version of the Rialto Market, previously featured on this page. It's all about people getting food to eat, well and maybe a few taking pictures, so they can live another day to eat and sleep again.

Then I stopped at the Portland Art Museum and looked at the Northwest Contemporary Art Awards show. Two artists caught my eye.

Images below are used by Fair Use Permission from the Portland Art Museum (http://www.portlandartmuseum.org) and may not be used for commercial purposes

Dan Attoe paints acrylics--a number of small paintings were on display--with pencil drawings on the white museum walls to add to the theme and subject of the painting itself. Some paintings have only a few wall drawings and some are quite extensive. Also on display was a large (maybe 20 feet tall) work in flashing neon light that made me wish for a room with a 40 foot ceiling at home.

Cat Clifford creates very cool films, some silent and some with sound, of her doing things. Some are in Super 8 (favorite medium of Bernard Shakey) that is then digitized. Some are directly in digital. Some installations feature two projectors, some only one. Some are projected on walls and some are shown on small LCD screens. I don't know exactly why I think they are cool, other than they remind me of being curious, playful, and free. Curious because I wonder what is going on in her head, playful because she seems to be having fun the way I had fun when I was a kid, and free, because it's like watching a kid play who doesn't know she's being watched.

All this within 3 blocks of the office...