On July 3oth, Antler Gallery presents ‘Reclamation of Nowhere’, a two-person show featuring the artwork of Portland based artists Josh Keyes and Brin Levinson. This is Josh’s second two person show in his adopted home town of Portland, and his first time showing with long time friend Brin Levinson. Both artists offer photo realistic depictions of gritty landscapes contrasted with exotic animals that seem to be at odds with their environment.
‘Reclamation of Nowhere’
Opening Reception:
July 30, 2015 | 6-10PM
Exhibition Dates:
July 30, 2015 – August 25, 2015
Antler Gallery
2728 NE Alberta St. | Portland OR 97211
Press Release:
Brin Levinson grew up in Northern Vermont but has called Portland home for over a decade. He has a burgeoning reputation within the city and beyond. He moved to the Pacific Northwest, after attending California institute of the Arts, and has built a remarkable portfolio of works focusing on a speculative future version of our existing cityscape.
Brin’s bold and atmospheric offer a glimpse into a new place, one that we are unwittingly shaping, perhaps never to inhabit. What we see are an array of different animals, from disparate geographic regions, moving through these scenes, with the forgotten urban structures providing a backdrop which recalls a previous incarnation of that particular space, as though they were ancient ruins.
Press Release:
Josh Keyes is an artist with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. He grew up in Tacoma, Washington and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. His academic career took him to Chicago where he attended the Institute of Art and design then to Yale where he was a post-graduate student of drawing and painting.
He became widely known for his work which incorporates sectional landscape pedestals upon which a multitude of natural world/man-made world interactions are played out against a white backdrop.. This politically grounded work which focused heavily on our impact upon the environment as well as social issues was dark in theme but immensely intelligent in terms of communicating a very clear message. His body of work has navigated a fairly dramatic shift over the past couple of years. In his newer works the scenarios are set within full landscapes. They maintain the crisp detail and almost photo-realistic quality of his earlier paintings but thematically they convey a broader emotional spectrum, inclusive of hope and regrowth.
