Bruno Cançado is a Brazilian artist who lives and works in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A graduate in Communication Studies, in 2010 he received his B.F.A with emphasis in sculpture and drawing from Escola Guignard/Universidade do Estado de Minas-Gerais (The Guignard University of Art of Minas Gerais) in Belo Horizonte.  Since 2008 he has exhibited in galleries around Brazil. In July 2011 he was an artist-in-residence at the I-Park Artists’ Colony in East Haddam, Connecticut. His work is held in the collection of MAC-Niterói (Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói) in Rio de Janeiro. 

Artist Statement:
“Architecture and space, the ideas of ‘in’ and ‘out’, belonging and misplacement, are recurring concepts in my work. I am interested in the physicality of things and how matter can convey a poetic message. I try with my choice of materials to work with their physical constitution but am always aware of their uses in society and symbolic meanings. Experience is also a fundamental aspect in my research. The hands-on process of elaborating a work brings unexpected possibilities. I like the idea of letting a work have a life of its own acquiring meanings that go beyond my first intentions.”

Opening In Denizen Gallery

Dreamworks

Light Paintings by Natasha Bacca
Metal Sculpture by Eric Warman

Opening Reception: First Friday (September 7th, 6 – 10pm)
Show Runs: September 7th – 29th
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, Noon – 6pm

Milepost 5 residents Natasha Bacca and Eric Warman are partnering on a unique gallery show exploring abstract, dreamlike landscapes in both two- and three-dimensional forms.

Eric:  “My designs are primarily inspired by nature. I am always mindful of retaining a living quality to the metal as it is shaped through the various forming processes. The inherent plastic qualities of heated metal allow me to work intuitively . . . to simultaneously explore, experiment, play and be guided by the material itself.”

Natasha: “’Dream Trees’ is a series of photograms created in a color darkroom where I revisit the wonder of photography’s invention and process. Merging current technologies with deep-rooted photographic practices, I use light emitting devices to brush color across light-sensitive paper. ‘Dream Trees’ explores the ephemeral nature of dreams as a world unique to the dreamer.  The tree exhibits a transitory beauty, with branches reaching to the sky, roots plunging deep in the earth, and a trunk planted firmly in between the tree offers a fragile link between the three worlds (heaven, earth, and underworld) in which it dwells; a metaphor for the human mind which links the worlds of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious, unique to every individual.”

One Night Only In the Theatre

SPILL

A Multimedia Collaboration By  Leigh Fondakowski & Reeva Wortel
6:00 – 6:30 P.M. in the Milepost 5 Theatre; artist talkback to follow

Milepost 5 is thrilled to host the Portland premiere of a landmark collaborative work-in-progress between award-winning New York playwright Leigh Fondakowski, co-creator of The Laramie Project, and Portland multimedia artist Reeva Wortel (The American Portrait Project). 

In the wake of what is now being called the largest environmental disaster in US history, Fondakowski and Wortel will create a play based on interviews with an accompanying visual installation of life-sized painted portraits of the interviewees, which explores both the human and scientific impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The work will tell the dramatic story of the Deepwater Horizon  tragedy and the subsequent impact on estuary and marine life, but will also take a close look at the people, history, culture and environmental complexities of southern Louisiana. Together, the artists will create a portrait of a community at an important moment in American and global history.  Reeva will perform a short excerpt from the play, accompanied by projected images of her portraits, at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 7th in the Milepost 5 theatre as part of First Friday.  The performance will be approximately half an hour, with a Q&A to follow.

Still Running In The Lofts

Fermata

Brushstroke Paintings by Eugene Lee
Lofts Gallery

Curated by the Lofts Art Committee

Opening Reception: First Fridays (August 3rd, 6 – 10 pm; September 7th, 6-10 pm)
Shows run: August 3rd – September 29th
Gallery Hours: By appointment (contact the Creative Director at Claire@milepostfive.com)

Eugene Lee is a student of naturopathy and acupuncture at Portland’s National College of Natural Medicine and uses art to enhance his studies by cultivating an appreciation for nature. His paintings are in the traditional Oriental ink and brush style, but infused with his love of experimentation which comes from his background as a jazz musician. “Fermata” is the name of a musical notation symbol which indicates a pause for an indeterminate length, and represents a philosophy of stillness that guides his art and music, and will ultimately guide his path as a physician.

(opening event information)

First Friday at Milepost 5

September 7th, 6-10 PM

Chinese brushstroke painting with a jazz-fusion twist, a nature-inspired dreamscape of light paintings and metal sculpture, the Portland premiere of a new play by one of the creators of The Laramie Project, and our first-ever international artist collaboration take the stage in September at Milepost 5.  Enjoy delicious treats and cocktails at Kitchen Dances, our onsite vegan restaurant and bar, and explore the work of our 150+ residents during Artist Open Studios.  

EVENT INFORMATION

Date: Friday, September 7th, 6-10 p.m.
Venue: Milepost 5 (850 NE 81^st Avenue).  Street parking only.
Cost: Free of charge
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