Big Kid Fun

What are you doing this Thursday? Art Not Crime is hosting a photography show with prints by Bruce Forster, lead photographer here at Viewfinders. As you may recall, Bruce first showcased his images from Pirate Town in September at AIA Gallery. This time the scene will be a little different.

Pirate Town, aka Triangle Park, aka Superfun Site had been home to taggers since the mid 90's when environmentalists declared the site too toxic for commercial use. Because the old factory resided on private property, artists were usually immune to hassle from authorities. This made the site one of their favorites. After the purchase of the property by University of Portland (they plan to build a sports center) the building was set to become ruble in the summer of 2009. When Bruce got wind of the ever changing canvas's fate of demolition, he made several trips down there to, once again, record a piece of history soon to be no more. Forster has taken the layers and layers of graffiti art and created his own interpretation. Not only documenting a culture but also forming a collaboration between him and other artists.

When Art Not Crime founder, D'Angelo Raines discovered Forster's shots of Pirate Town, he invited him to show at a new space, Provenance Gallery, in Northeast Portland. The show is a tribute to a once idolized hideout inhabited by D'Angelo and his friends. As he states in his blog, "lost but never forgotten!!!". The prints (sized at 17"x22") will only be up for one night (Thursday, April 29 from 5pm-12am) and selling for $75.00. If that doesn't entice you to make the trek, graffiti artists will be painting live, hip-hop dj Weatherman will be spinning, and Elevated Entities will be performing. Join us at Provence Gallery, 4943 NE MLK on the corner of NE Alberta this Thursday.