Takedown

It's the third time I've driven to Portland in the last month. Once was for an assignment, the other times have been to mount and, now, dismount my show at Camerawork Gallery. It's always a sad sort of  denouement to take down a show. What took so much effort to hang, and with such anticipation for what was to occur, is swiftly cleaned away at the end like so many dirty dishes after the dinner party.

The gallery is a funny little spot on the ground floor of the Linfield College School of Nursing, next to Good Samaritan Hospital, but apparently it is the longest continuous photography exhibit venue on the West Coast. I ran into Scott, the gallery manager, on my way out, and he assured me that “Thousands of people have come through to see your exhibit. It's a funny little spot, but it's really a destination to see work.”

Seattle and Portland are different that way. I feel like I am living in a far flung province, remote from where the action is. You can count the number of dedicated photography venues in Seattle on one hand and still have most of your fingers left over.  Portland has this amazing photography community that is extraordinarily supportive, and for which there are an abundance of places to show work. The Portland Art Museum has a quite rich photography department, and Blue Sky Gallery has been a dominant presence in the city for decades. It dates back to the 1950's when Minor White lived here and ran photography critique groups. After he left for Rochester the group still sent him steamer trunks full of photos, which he would return with his criticisms. A strong support for photography seems to have been his legacy.

As I was taking down the show a woman showed up. “Oh, I'm so glad the show is still here,” she said. “I saw it was the last day on my card, and I had to come down.” She oohed and awed, and I think she's now committed to taking a photo a day, just like me, and showing up at the contra dance tomorrow night, with or without husband. People are really serious about their art here. If I were a young photographer looking for a place to move to, I'd pick Portland.

Comments

[Tommy Williams]

One more thing that tells me we should live in Portland instead of the Seattle area. I first discovered the richer bicycle culture in Portland. Then all the urban farming and focus on sustainable agriculture, again stronger than Seattle. And now I see that even photography and art are richer down there.

Well, one of these days, maybe.

[Jared Guess]

I think a few people would argue with you on your opinion of the Seattle photo community. http://www.chasejarvis.com/blog/2008/01/chase-jarvis-raw-seattle-flickr-roundup.html

[Doug Plummer]

I probably should not have compared Portland with Seattle, as I'm sure my city is a supportive environment for those who are well connected in the community. For whatever reason, I am not, and I am making a wistful look at what appears to be a greener pasture. I saw Chase's blog, and appreciated the irony of our simultaneous posts.

[BT]

Out of curiosity- I don't know which of your images you had in your show, but if you had any with recognizable people (some of your dancing shots, for instance) did you need releases? I understand the need for releases in a purely commercial context, but I'm not clear on the need for releases for 'art' photography shows and sales...

[Doug Plummer]

I am just not worrying about it for this project. You get releases for any display that might be actionable, such as hawking a commercial product. No stock agency will take a photo without releases, and so none of these shots go into that hopper. I feel identified enough with the community, and I am known as "that guy who takes the pictures at dances" that I don't have any personal qualms about putting the work in shows or, hopefully, in a book. Anyone who sees themselves in a photo gets a print, and everyone has been delighted by that stance thus far.