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An exhibition of paintings and prints by Portland artist Tom Prochaska is on display in the Governor's Office in the State Capitol in Salem through April 17, 2005. Organized by the Oregon Arts Commission, the show is part of the Art in the Governor's Office program, which showcases the work of living Oregon artists. Tom Prochaska has been living and working in Oregon for more than 20 years. As a long-time faculty member Pacific Northwest College of Art, co-founder of community studio Atelier Mars and an accomplished printmaker and painter, he is an adored and respected member of the Portland art community. Painting en-plein-air at Sauvie Island, urban Portland and locations across the state, Prochaska works until his eyes are "super-saturated with color." His color immersion has progressed to the point where, to have more personal control and selection of pigments, he is now making up to a third of his own paints. Prochaska's monotypes and etchings, which make up the majority of the fifteen-piece show, exist in a world of black and white. The figures of his prints seem to inhabit snapshot worlds of Prochaska's memory or imagination, be they drawn with a fragile etching line the more painterly depth of his monotypes. Says Prochaska, "Figurative and formal concerns are the content of my prints, paintings, and drawings. More often than not, I begin the work as a discovery of intentions and aspirations, without a direction or subject. I hope to discover what I care about, what is hiding, what will surprise me. If I begin with intentions, subjects, or comments, I end up disappointed and fall short of the task. By letting go, I hope to conjure up a little visual miracle. As free and open as that sounds, I know I'm tied to the spirit of Goya, James Ensor, Callot, and the compositions of Courbet and Manet." Prochaska's work has been exhibited widely throughout the region, including the Portland Art Museum 1991 Oregon Biennial and 1993 Crosscut; Seattle Art Museum, Marylhurst Art Gym; PICA; Bullseye Glass; Salem Art Association; Corvallis Art Center; Grover Thurston Gallery, Seattle; Quartersaw Gallery and Froelick Gallery, Portland where he is currently represented. His prints and oil paintings are in the collections of The City of Portland, Portland Art Museum, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Microsoft Corporation; New York Public Library; North Carolina Art Museum; Washington State Arts Commission; Wells Fargo Bank, San Francisco, CA; and University of Oregon Art Museum. He is the recipient of two NEA-funded fellowships: 1997 Oregon Painters Fellowship and 1996 WESTAF/NEA Regional Fellowship for Visual Arts. Prochaska holds an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Pratt Institute (1970). This show also highlights the 2004-2005 Governor's Arts Awards, for which Prochaska has been commissioned to create award objects. The Governor's Arts Awards recognize Oregonians whose work on behalf of the arts has significantly contributed to the growth and development of the cultural life of Oregon. Each year, an Oregon artist is commissioned to create original artwork for the awards. Oregon artists selected to create works of art for the awards in the past include Terry Toedtemeier, Frank Boyden, James Lavadour and Laura Ross-Paul. The 2004-2005 Governor's Arts Awards will be announced in late April 2005. The Art in the Governor's Office Program honors selected artists in Oregon with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor's Office in the State Capitol. Only professional, living Oregon artists are considered and an exhibit in the Governor's office is considered a "once in a lifetime" honor. Artists whose work has previously been shown in the Governor's office include Henk Pander, Michele Russo, Manuel Izquierdo, James Lavadour, Margot Thompson, Gordon Gilkey, and Yuji Hiratsuka. Dated for freshness! Page last updated May 02, 2008 |
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