During the month of October 2009, Blackfish Gallery presents paintings by Robert Dozono. This solo show will feature work inspired by the natural world and include large paintings on canvas interspersed with collage elements. The exhibit will open Tuesday, September 29th and continue through Saturday, October 31st. An opening reception will be held on First Thursday, October 1st from 6-9 pm at the gallery. Additionally Blackfish Gallery will be presenting former and current faculty and former students who are Blackfish Gallery members in a group show honoring Pacific NW College of Art’s 100th Anniversary Celebration.
In his latest series of paintings, Robert Dozono continues to explore man’s increasingly precarious relationship to the natural world. In his large “oil on garbage” landscapes, Dozono effectively foregrounds this issue by layering his canvases with what is “normally cast aside.” Using non-recyclable items incorporated into his painting process, Dozono creates rich textural depictions of local scenery. His views of the Clackamas River and other areas of Oregon infused with such items as discarded plastic, toothpaste tubes, and wiper blades attest to his attitude toward waste disposal in our modern consume and burn culture. The scale of these paintings not only reflect the subject matter as a living, breathing entity that needs to be cared for but also spotlights the potential consequences of human interactions with nature. Dozono’s works, often irregular in shape, measure 8’ or more in both height and width. From a distance elements that are perceived as color highlights and painted detail reveal themselves to actually be discarded bits of refuse upon closer inspection. Dozono creates a stunning visual effect by combining his bold painting style of natural scenes with deeply felt expressions about man’s negative effect on the environment.
Dozono says, “I ran as well today as I’ve run in awhile. For whatever reason, running well in the morning gives me encouragement for the day. I’ve been running the same route for 36 years. I’ve run this route between 3,500 to 4,000 times. Every year I’m slower. My running pace has changed; in almost the same way, the way I paint has changed. I was a quickie painter as a young person. Now I am very slow – not necessarily a bad thing as a painter. I find now that I spend more time looking at the painting than physically painting it. Unlike painting, running in slow motion does not necessarily make me feel better. It reminds me that I am in the later part of my life. It reminds me to work even harder to make a few good paintings before my time is up. I am already thinking of paintings I need to make after this show.”
Blackfish Gallery members who are participating in the Pacific NW College of Art’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at Blackfish Gallery are as follows:
Lynda Ater
Carol Benson
Barbara Black
Jana Demartini
Paul Missal
Angela Passalacqua
Eric Rue
Sue Tower
Judith Wyss
