Groxie

Today we attended The Other Portland conference. The conference was a supplement to The Other Portland exhibit, which is currently at the Portland Art Center. I haven’t had a chance to get down to see the exhibit, but it’s on the agenda for next week. The conference was billed “A dialogue with artists and environmentalists,” and that was enough to get me interested.

I was especially excited about hearing from Metro Council President David Bragdon and Columbia Slough Program Coordinator Susan Barthel. While I enjoy art of just about any form, I myself am more of a crafter than an artist, and I was a little concerned about sticking out like a sore thumb. Luckily I was was wrong, and everyone was very warm and welcoming.

The conference was an all–day event, and it had its awkward moments, but it was refreshing to hear some completely different views on the environment. It was nice to take a break from my normal concerns about art—what kinds of paint is that–is it toxic?—to get to the real heart of and intention of the artists. There were also a couple of important questions raised that I want to delve into.

An early theme was the interaction between environmentalists and artists, with the occasional addition of politicians. Where do the lines exist between the labels, and where should they exist if at all? Bragdon expressed his desire to have government involvement in the arts focus on creating a space for creativity rather than commissioning one artist or a particular piece. This approach would avoid many of the censorship issues that government funded art runs into. But Tom Webb of The Bear Deluxe Magazine pointed out that the same problem arises with environmental groups. Many groups use artists to create calendars and cards, but there is not enough credit given to art as a vital and effective tool. In the already financially–strapped world of environmental non–profits, art just isn’t seen as a valuable investment toward reaching those concrete, board–reviewed and grant–funded goals.

How can we fix this? The conference was a good starting point for North Portland, at least. Rhoda London, the curator of the show and moderator of the conference panel, persistently asked the panelists how artists can participate in their work. On a personal level, I hadn’t thought much about eco–art outside of crafts, even though I’ve been moved to action many times by incredible art.

Artist Jack James was asked what he thought about presenting an environmental piece in a setting like a sterile gallery. Is there value lost when you bring a piece of art comprised of natural elements into an unnatural space? Isn’t there something lost? Now I have to admit that although I had never given voice to that particular sentiment, I think it was lurking around in the back of my brain. James had already spoken a bit about the relationship between the nature within and the nature without, and his answer fit in nicely with his philosophy about humans as both a part of and separate from this thing we refer to as “nature.” We, as members of a natural world, spend most of our time indoors in our created habitats. The gallery, stripped of the trappings of our everyday lives—microwaves, televisions, staplers, armchairs—is a space in between our indoor lives and what we would normally think of as the natural world. These ideas sprouted some thoughts I have yet to capture. Living in a huge city for the first time, I am in the early stages of redefining my own concept of nature and what is valuable as such.

The last question was my own unasked one about the location of the conference. When I realized we had to head out to the Water Pollution Control Laboratory, I was confused. Why wasn’t it in the gallery? It didn’t make sense to me that the conference would be so distant from the art itself. The answer was clear once we arrived.

The building, unlike any other in its little corner of St. John’s, is fascinating. From an architectural standpoint it is innovative and aesthetically pleasing (you can see the awards list here). But more importantly, it is a functional work of art. The stormwater planters, the created wetland, the flumes that direct rainwater down to special filtering plant beds: it all fits together so seamlessly with the theme of the conference itself. So I answered my own question with a little help from the panelists and a very nice environmental engineer.

I’d highly recommend checking out this show if you have the chance. From the little we saw on slides today, it looks phenomenal. Maybe you’ll walk away with some of the same questions I have; then the fun can last weeks, even months!