Goodbye

The Glisan Window Gallery has closed. Thanks for your support!

May 3 - May 17 work by Ralph Pugay

Ralph Pugay is the artist of the third show at the Glisan Window Gallery. His work are text-based and have elements of proverbs that seem appropriate for display in an apartment complex. His statement is below:

My work stems from an interest in conflicting ideas of truth and myth. I use invented narratives, rules and regulations, and environments that are inspired by stories both real and fictional to map my Asian identity within a dominant Western force. I am driven by the need to recreate projects that I did in grade school, often with use of flimsy and cheap materials to add humor to what I consider to be heavy and personal subject matter. The comical nature of the materials I use allow for a more fictive atmosphere within the works--an allusion to synthetic social constructs.

These narratives are inspired by TV shows that I saw as a kid. Japanese and chinese adventure programs like Bioman and Ultraman were partly responsible for molding my identity, exposing me to basic notions of good versus evil, morality, pride, and kindness. These stories eventually become overshadowed when I became exposed to cultural stereotypes such as the nerdy Asian guy, the introvert, the non-english speaker, and the submissive Asian woman. All of a sudden, it just wasn't that cool to be an Asian superhero anymore. I deal with this conflict through narratives where Western mythology, its mythology on Asian culture, and mythologies inspired by the Asian TV shows are in flux. Through these stories, I seek to distort superficial Western notions about the Asian persona.

The words within the pieces also address identity conflict by stating mundane rules that are overly worded, inspired by fortune cookie and Eastern philosophy text. They reference Western ideas of the Asian person's strictness and incapacity to properly speak English. Combined with my own ideas about the growing bureaucracy in this country and its tendency to motivate people through fear (especially post 9/11), these words allow me to question the validity of the Western viewpoint regarding my ethnic identity.

April 15 - May 30 work by Sarah Roach

The second show at the Glisan Window Gallery is an eclectic collection of works from Portland-based artist Sarah Roach. Sarah is a student at PNCA and an active member of the Pancake Clubhouse, a new art venue in NE Portland. Sarah makes bold color choices in her art and life.

Also included in the show is a table - top centerpiece, which is only viewable from the inside of the apartment, or if the blinds are open. This way, the tenants of the apartment can enjoy the work from the inside.

March 31 - April 13 Paintings by Eric Steen

The first window exhibition is showcasing paintings by myself, Eric Steen. I wanted to be the first person to have a show in the window because it makes launching the project a little simpler. The paintings are done in oil and are from 2006. They are part of a Religious Icon series where I painted myself and my wife as religious machines. Our images have been smashed against each other in wet paint and drawings of machines have been transcribed into the paint.

Subscribe to this blog to see the future exhibitions. Each show will last approximately two weeks. If you are interested in showing something, please get in touch with me at esteen@pdx.edu.

The Glisan Window Gallery is located at 2520 NE Glisan in Portland, Oregon.

Open Call for Submissions to the Glisan Window Gallery

Would you like to curate a show or exhibit something in the Glisan Window Gallery?
Please contact me with questions at esteen@pdx.edu.

How the Window Gallery Started

The Glisan Window Gallery was originally started in January, 2008 when Eric Steen began placing signs out his window informing people who passed by whether his dishes were clean, dirty, or in the process of being cleaned. His window is the first thing people see when walking up to the apartment. With the posted signs, Eric's neighbors now knew something private enough about him that they might feel connected to him in some small way. After a few weeks, he then posted another sign that asked if anyone else would like to post a message in the window. The first people were from an apartment down the hall, their sign asked if anyone would share the internet. The second sign was from somebody a few blocks away. Now the window is being used to display art, collections, random items, etc. Anyone can get in touch with Eric if they are interested in using this new gallery to exhibit something. Here are some pictures of the original posts: