Explore over 100 curated Open Studios all over Portland from October 12-13 & 19-20 from 10am-5pm. View the interactive map on the PDXOS website or get a paper map in-person at most local shops (see website for more details).
*Above is the NE Portland map only. View the website for all Portland locations.
Writing a show statement is a deeply personal experience for me. As much as I want the viewer to walk away with their own interpretation of the work, I always have a concept established that weaves the pieces together. Sometimes the concept comes to me in the beginning stages, but often times it comes to me in the middle of the night after the work is complete.
In a bizarre twist of fate (on more than one occasion) the show statement has predicted events in my life, months after the show comes down. It's grounding to experience that level of intuition, when life speaks through art.
Dilate was different in that it was helping me to work through the complicated emotions of becoming a first-time parent. It's the crazy love you have for your child, the moment you truly appreciate your parents for the first time, when you experience the connection with your mother--understanding that for 9 months (give or take) you were growing inside her. Life is incredible and our bodies are remarkable vessels.
Show Statement
Marisa’s current exhibition Dilate examines the topics of inception, growth, and birth, as well as the sense of profound awareness that accompanies them. It delves into the brief period of time when one’s role transitions from child to parent, in the continuation of an ancient cycle. This shift in perspective invites a new understanding of the parent/child relationship, and in the new role of parent, an unmatched broadening of the heart. From the depths of the universe we emerge and to the depths we inevitably return. The precious time between is what feeds the breath of the cosmos.
I was asked to participate in the Art of Music at Gallery 135. I chose to explore a 3-dimensional version of the iconic Pink Floyd album cover, The Dark Side of the Moon. I was never a huge fan of Pink Floyd, but admittedly found an appreciation for them after working on this project. I chose this subject matter because the prism of light is so undeniably recognizable, that I had to recreate it as an install. It's one of those images that exists beyond music and has taken on a cultural relevance all its own.
"The way we hear music is how we see art. Art of Music is based around the music scene of the 1960's-1990's. A rich period when graffiti, punk, rock, reggae, and hip hop emerged from the underground."
Here are a few photos from the 2015 CAP Art Auction. There were so many incredible artists represented to help this important charity. Cascade Aids Art Project raises around $600,000 to support and empower people living with or affected by HIV and to prevent new infections. The auction draws around 1,500 people annually.
I was thrilled to be a part of this incredible event and to garner a spot in the Curator's Choice category. For more information about the Cascade Aids Art Project, visit their website.
Expanse was an installation that I had been dying to make for a while. Ever since the Intersect opening, when attendees were clamoring to lay on the gallery floor to look up at the installation, I knew I had to execute an experience that would encourage the viewer to face the work from below.
Expanse Show Statement
There exists a quiet state of openness when the sky is peacefully observed. Suffering and doubt fall away and we find ourselves embraced by a confident state of knowing. The vast expanse is a subtle yet grounding force. Time ceases and faith emerges whole and ever-present. The patterns and complexities of life mold each of us into unique beings—no two ever to be the same, and still the quality of the stars and the sky have a special way of connecting us all to a shared awareness of boundless unity.
Interactive 3D Gallery Tour
Click on Front / Center / Back for more angles
Nearly 1,000 paper tetrahedrons were crafted, strung, and suspended in a mountain formation mimicking the view of Mt. Hood from the city of Portland.
This installation was featured in the Portland Paper City exhibition that I co-curated with artists Jessie Bazata, Sean Garrison, and Rory Phillips.
Disjecta March, 2011
