Elroy Artspace at The Original presents a June First Thursday opening reception and month-long group exhibition: "Lollipop Circus | a Calderesque Homage"

This group exhibition of fine art is comprised of imagery inspired by that of Alexander Calder, one of America’s foremost modern artists, and internationally recognized for his invention of the mobile and his large-scale sculptures.  This is Elroy Artspace’s second show highlighting works created by contemporary artists as inspired by those of mid-century masters, following last season’s “Dreams of Eames” exhibition. 

The show name derives from favorite pervading ingredients of Calder’s oeuvre – the shapely ‘lollipop’ loops of his purist, primary color palette, and the Cirque Calder - his miniature circus of tiny wire performers that proved to serve as a laboratory in which some of the most original features of his later work were to be developed...  

The Original Dinerant Elroy Artspace is proud to call this gorgeously MCM-designed space home to our gallery, as it uniquely offers both art patrons and diners an inviting and comfortable mid-century architectural palette in which to see Elroy's MCM-inspired art curations in their natural setting.  The Original, Portland's downtown destination for all-day dining, renews the spirit of diners and supper clubs from the 1950s and 60s by serving up playful variations on the era's standards of food, art and design.  So settle into a spacious booth for a night of conversation, or stretch out in a plush retro-luxe banquette for a tasty cocktail with your art viewing in an atmosphere that's stylish, sophisticated and cool!  

The Original: Eat. Drink. Gather.

300 SW 6th Ave. (at Oak), Portland, OR, 97204

 

...all works are much more vibrant than the pics here on the website...

* Hover over or click on pictures for details.  Contact Joe@ElroyArt.com for purchase or info.

The first piece Kerry Berry ever sold was an image of Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" LP cover on the back of a Levi's denim jacket for one of the “burnouts” in her high school, and, she shares, “this is where it all began!”

Michelle says her inspiration comes from everywhere; from well known artists and craftsmen to more rarely sung talent…and including her love of all things Mid-Century-Modern, science fiction art and soldering irons, too.  As a wee tyke, she shares, she spent countless hours at a family friend's house staring at walls covered in brightly painted backgrounds with beautiful oil cityscapes where she occupied the time by filling her eyes with all of those modern abstract paintings. These family visits opened her mind to the world of art which greatly influences her work to this day.

Alea presents her artistic experiments under her BoneWerx platform...edgy, whimsical, far out and funky, created from an outsider perspective with respect for alternative cultures and folk art traditions.

Chris creates surreal images and kinetic creature sculptures that are inseparable from the industrialized and mechanical world we live in.   Proximity and the abundance of PacNW wilderness influenced Chris’s self-taught style of abstract surrealism, and an early exposure to the integration of aesthetics with mechanical function had resounding effects on him, and his mechanical understanding of machinery became the basis for his kinetic sculptures.   

CZM (sometimes El Gato Gomez) is a Pittsburgh-based artist with a mad passion for mid-century modern design. Her work is a caricature of the modern design revolution, and from the premise of encouraging playfulness and wild creativity while maintaining the dignity of form and balance.  Vintage cartoons and advertising graphics and modern furniture design serve as catalysts to her creative process.  Her second show with Elroy Artspace, CZM has also shown in Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania galleries.

Jack was raised in Korea, Bahrain and Panama, and was drawing profusely by the time he was 14.  He studied art at the University of California at San Diego (BFA) and at the Torpedo Factory Art Institute in Alexandria Virginia.  When researching the effect of music on plants and concluding that loud, discordant music caused the plants wilt and turn away, while soothing melodies caused the plants to flourish...Jack resolved that he wants to paint things that plants would enjoy.

Portland artist Clay Hoffman feels that the creation of art has  similarities to the creation of life, stating: ”After much labor, you have a new addition to your family; ultimately this new creation will leave home and travel out into the world.”  Clay likes to sculpt in metal, wood, concrete, and says of his approach to projects: “you name it, and I will sculpt it!”  A big fan of Alexander Calder, Clay believes that Calder is America's greatest sculptor, and his own collection of created kinetic and wire sculptures are directly inspired by Calders work.

Mark is “just a guy who - oddly enough - likes stuff that moves,” he shares, “I'm an artist who isn't much for the fuss or the muss - keep it simple, keep it real.”  It’s said that "little things please little minds” well, Mark is pleased and hopes that you are, too.  All his mobiles are made entirely of metal and hand cut, shaped, sanded, primed, painted (two coats of color, one clear), and assembled especially for you - no templates, no mass production, & regretfully he shares "no team of elves." 

Katrina has studied art and design most of her life and has worked across the spectrum of design, arts & crafts and costume design.  She majored in graphic and industrial design at San Francisco State University. She also worked for many years as a theatrical tailor and costumer.

Bryan creates colorful works influenced by Native American and South Pacific art, mid-century commercial artists, classical painters, and surrealism.  He earned his BFA in Illustration from BSU.

George's art is inspired by mid-century animation, and gives nods to Miro, Kandinsky and of course, Alexander Calder. Perrou's is a style all his own, painting colorful abstractions of reality onto the canvas using retro and modern colors in acrylic.  George lives and paints in the creative epicenter of Portland, Oregon. 

Mark, better known as Atomos is a painter, illustrator, and designer. He started his painting career in 1991, has illustrated for hundreds of magazines, and is exhibiting in museums and galleries worldwide.  "It all started the day I walked away from art school. Threw my assignments in the shower and started from scratch. I've been painting and illustrating professionally ever since".  His paintings are synthetic, modern, and can be described as science fiction.  Mark currently paints in his Chinatown studio and lives with his wife, 3 kids, and a greyhound named Bella, and is a founding member of the Jupiter Project collective.

With a love of Pop, Dada, Surrealism and advertising imagery, Mark's artwork under the pseudonym Bbert Goo can be anti-described as among the Fluxus genre.  Rather than making a statement, his art is a tactile survey of elements of those artists whose influence can be seen in it - including Magritte, Rosenquist, Cornell, Ernst, Warhol, Rauschenberg and of course, Calder.  Mr. Randall hails from the Pacific NW, born and raised in Eugene, Oregon.  He earned a BS in Art Education from the University of Oregon in 1978, and has been creating and selling his artwork ever since.

Brad is a graphic designer, typographer and self-taught artist. With influences including underground comic books, Japanese anime, video games and popular culture, Brad produces works primarily in acrylic, ink and various printmaking techniques. Brad’s work is mainly character-driven. Using these characters, his work creates a world where the odd, the lonely, the peculiar and sometimes ugly call their own. These characters are developed through a stream of conscience sketching process, taking inspiration from the people, shapes and objects he sees daily. His work has been published and exhibited throughout the US as well as overseas.    

Panhandle Slim is Scott Causey Stanton from Sharpstown, Florida.  Before landing to paint in this very small place on the outskirts of a small place in the Gulf Coast Panhandle, Slim has traveled just about every highway and stopped at just about every exit across the U.S. as a band leader and former pro skateboarder.  There he found the inspirations brought to his paintings.  “I love music and I love painting, they both just calm my nerves and bring me peace,” says Slim, “and I usually listen to music and paint the folk that I am listening to at that time.”