February 27, 2014

Emily Bates Paintings

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Emily Bates is a painter who lives in Portland. Bates was born in on a beautifully bleak English estate and moved to the U.S. in her late teens, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in art and art history. Bates works in acrylics on textural backgrounds. Her interest in the Victorian era and in English flora and fauna inspire her paintings, which often feature demure human and animal subjects which emanate from her childhood in the English countryside. More of her paintings can be viewed online at Bates’ website, Falconrie.Tumblr. com. An exhibit of her paintings will open at the Goodfoot on SE 28th and Stark in August, 2014 Pictured above: “Away” by Emily Bates. Acrylic on wood. 2014          

February 27, 2014

from “Lonesome Poem”

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from “Lonesome Poem” By Ross Robbins Until clouds turn black. Drizzle ink burn holes through mums. Until the drips of graffiti join hands, crumble the city * scintilla of petal or sliver of plant caress what flower is offered to you the world gets soft gets cool gets gone * Sweet as hair. Fizzy as wet glass. Bleeding on a school bus. Buttery like a fat woman’s heart. Not some self-same suck maid. Erotic like soccer socks. Needy like a rich man. Gentle like a weird hat. Sensible like a scar. In the event of an emergency. Soft-spoken like a metal thermos in the hands of a boy with dark brown hair. Trying real hard to come to a point. Insinuating nothing, but meaning everything. Show me how you touch yourself. Private as milk. It’s been a while since your last haircut. Your neck is furry. I’d make your neck wet. * someone’s rolled the tobacco out from mostly-smoked butts, left the black- edged papers on the floor of the bus. Again, tonight I will sleep alone. * The city is grey in its choking of green I went to a park where the grass was stone On my back…

February 22, 2014

The Center for Genomic Gastronomy

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By Reese Kruse Images courtesy of The Center for Genomic Gastronomy Despite  the food plated exquisitely before you, you are not sitting down to a meal. You, my friend, have brought yourself to this table for the hero’s journey. Through these courses you will journey through the Golden Fleece of bio-engineered wheat fields; you will see white clouds of meringue greyed with the smog of your home. You may even be forced to slay the comfort foods of Mother in an Oedipal confrontation. The Center for Genomic Gastronomy is an artist-led think tank that seeks to fully explore the biodiversity of the biotechnology of human food systems. This is art and exploration into the most universal media of the human race. This art doesn’t just ask the questions but seeks the answers to global food problems. It speaks to all who have the strength to taste it. Zack Denfeld and Catherine Kramer founded the center in 2010. Since its founding, the think tank has added Emma Conley and Heather Julius to its collection of philosophers, scientists, chefs, and artists. This is our cultural leadership hard at task, our best people seeking mischievous and whimsical answers. The voice of global art is changing faster…

February 18, 2014

Kyle Morton: The Unlikely Saxon

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By Jef Krohn Photos by Miri Stebivka Historically, the Saxons were a group  of Germanic tribal misfits who became great conquerors, eventually establishing the kingdom of England. The unlikely bunch banded together to overcome insurmountable odds in extreme circumstances, and were ultimately extremely victorious. When we take Kyle Morton—lead singer and co-founder of Typhoon, a local band of twelve musicians—into consideration for admiration of such magnitude, the expectation, at least at first glance, falls short. He’s soft spoken, small in stature, extremely shy, and carries with him a seemingly fragile sense of innocence. When you listen to Typhoon, you can’t help but be drawn to the soft, timid, unsure voice he brings to the forefront of every complex and dimensional song. However, after taking a closer, less impulsive look, you find that Morton meets the criteria of a Saxon not simply because his high school alma mater is the South Salem Saxons—but because his hidden strength, determination, and blatant fortitude redefine the term. His story has an ultra-ordinary beginning. Morton recalls a story his father once shared with him: “It started with my mother and father on a romantic getaway at the North Fork near Santiam, Oregon with candles, and…well,…

February 17, 2014

Genomic Romance — Bleeding-Edge Dating for Bleeding Hearts

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Friday, Feb 14, 2014 To: Love Potion Test Group #9 Re: Genomic Romance — Bleeding-Edge Dating for Bleeding Hearts Contrary to popular belief, the Valentine’s Day Massacre was not a literal massacre involving actual death and destruction. Well, it could have been that, too, for all we know. Whatever. Here at the Genomic Romance Institute our concern is the yearly massacre that happens every February 14, when the death and destruction are primarily figurative, taking down hearts, self-respect, and basic human dignity. We’re here to help. The Genomic Romance Institute conducts research into advanced new forms of romance and bleeding-edge dating techniques suited to a fast-evolving, post-happily-ever-after society. Why live in the past when you can love in the future? (We’re still working on our tag line.) And our staff of state-certified psychologists, hypnotists, swingers, and licensed gold-diggers are working overtime to develop exciting new methods to make romance fresh and — possible tag line alert — somewhat less harrowing! Why Genomic Romance? GRI founder Clytaemnestra Rictus was a cutting edge molecular gastronomy chef until she observed that, while her experimental techniques yielded unpalatable and injurious results in the kitchen, they proved very fruitful in bars, clubs, and singles pharmacies….

February 17, 2014

Jeremy Wilson: A Journey of the Heart

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By Darka Dusty Photographs by Miri Stebivka Jeremy Wilson is one of the good guys. In today’s climate of self-worship and laissez-faire “me-ism,” in which anyone needing a hand is now coldly referred to as lazy by certain segments of affluent society, Wilson, musician turned musician’s advocate, stands out among us as a superhero. Jeremy Wilson believes that people have the power to change the world. After surviving no less than four surgeries to fix a heart condition—surgeries made possible through the generous help of his friends and music community—Wilson now leads a life of philanthropy and devotion to that group. The experience of requiring major surgeries but having no health insurance was earth-shattering and transformed Wilson’s life in an unexpected way. His heart condition was the catalyst, and now his big heart drives his passion to give back to the music community every single day. The Jeremy Wilson Foundation has saved a few houses from going into foreclosure due to medical bills, helped people through cancer, and aided one musician in getting the surgery he needed to restore his sight. Wilson is visibly moved when speaking about his work: “You can take a negative experience and let it ruin…

February 16, 2014

Wordplay: What We Put In Our Mouths

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By Mugroso Illustration by Ezra Butt When was the last time you swallowed pencil shavings? Sucked on a wet horse blanket? Savored crushed violets? I’m pretty sure you can say with surety that any of these treats is an unlikely experience in your recent past. Or maybe even as a child. But as an adult (over the age of 21, dear OLCC), chances are, if you are a wine lover you have done just that…whether you knew it or not. One of the things I love about a great glass of wine is the delightful nuance and artistry of the juice. Same grape variety, different soil type, different climate, different winemaker results in…difference. Some wines are similar, even very similar, but among any set of people drinking the same wine you will find difference in what seemed to be a shared experience. How we describe that difference often is in the words we choose to depict the mouth-feel, the essence in the nose, the flavor on the palate, and the finish once the wine exits and our combined senses are left to savor the experience. This is the wordplay of wine. It can be fun, fanciful, and at times downright…

February 16, 2014

Love Is the Medium

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Letterpress, as it turns out, isn’t just a fancy way of saying printing. The aesthetic appeal is sublime, in the Burkean sense. Captivating like a venomous snake. Old-series platen press operator Brian Reed says he saw a woman get her fingers crushed “down to the thickness of a sheet of paper.” I take an extra step back.

February 16, 2014

Where Light Rails Come From

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When two halves of a transit bridge love each other very much, they exchange a special hug. That’s where light rails come from. Birds and bees do the same thing, as do Portlanders.