Local Cannibals Reuse Waste

Cannibals

Cannibals: those who prey on their own kind- or in this instance reuse their own waste to create works of art. Upon entering the dimmed gallery in the historic alphabet district of Portland, visitors are immediately greeted by owner Pamela Springfield, who asks: “Have you been here before; are you local?” New visitors are welcomed and told that the gallery includes over one hundred local artists, the majority of whom are self-taught.

In true, green Portland spirit all of the artwork in Cannibals contain elements that have been recycled. Found art objects, or the new keyed term “recycled art” refers to everyday, common objects that are fashioned in a new context (even Cannibals’ business cards are printed on old library checkout cards). Not unlike hippies of the sixties who were tolerant of a variety of lifestyles and resistant to corporate greed and wastefulness, recycled art is opposed to the corporate hindrance of creativity; this mantra is reflected in subject matter and array of unusual materials used in the artwork. Springfield herself, with bold blond hair interwoven with black to create a hairpiece bow atop her head, is representative of the diverse, re-inventive nature of the gallery. In her introduction she is sure to include that all of the artwork has been created within one year of being shown; everything is “new and fresh” so as to reflect and maintain relevancy in the current environment.

Guests can expect to run into deer heads mounted on the wall filled with dollhouse bedroom sets, figures made with combinations of wire, baby bottle nipples and scrap metal, and silk ties converted into hats and twenties-style hair pieces. More traditional (I use this term loosely) forms of art that are shown such painting, collage and diorama also include recycled elements such as window frames, old bingo cards and skateboard parts. In order to fully appreciate all of the erratically positioned pieces, be sure to scan the walls from your toes to beyond the hair on your head and take a couple of laps around before focusing because there is so much to process in this small space. Also, read the fine print; one mixed media collage includes photographs of dollhouse furniture sets arranged in trees and among rocks in Washington Park. This artist challenges the viewer to seek out what is seen in the collage with the included treasure map with X’s indicating where to discover the miniature set-ups on a hike. Pieces range in cost from $20 for earrings created from vintage 50s sunglasses, to hundreds of dollars for the larger sculptures and paintings. This gallery truly expands traditional definitions of what art is. With so many products and the bombardment of advertisements, it is hard to get the consumer’s attention anymore; however, the artists and owner at Cannibals successfully do so with the creatively arranged aesthetic space, unique materials, and the wide variety of thought-invoking subject matter.

518 NW 21st, Portland, OR 97201-1106 (503) 224-BONE Hours: Wed.-Sun.; 12pm-5pm