Monthly Art Review: Redux and Grass Hut Studio

On Friday night my friend took me along to the opening of Lisa Congdon’s show at Redux. The fabulous boutique on Burnside is like a good design blog come alive; the place screams creativity. Congdon’s romantic collages and mixed media paintings fit right in. If you don’t know about Congdon, she is a self-taught artist based out of San Francisco. Her show at Redux, “Little Souvenirs,” is a collection of her newest mixed media work, combining old photographs and ordinary objects with bits and pieces of nature that lure the viewer in.

The reception at Redux was a part of the Central Eastside Industrial District’s (CEID) monthly First Friday, where numerous galleries around the east Burnside area put on a variety of openings.

[Artwork by Lisa Congdon]

We took a peek at what was going on next door at Grass Hut Studios. Their contribution to this month’s CEID First Friday was “Balls Out.” More than 60 artists were given a panel of wood and told to go all out with it; no theme, no set price, pure creativity. The end product was an impressive mix of Portland imagination that is worth a look.

Both shows are open through the end of the month.

[Artwork by Spencer Hibert]

Article By Anna Brones, Intercrossings