Materials Old and New

Collages from recycled print media by Hampton Rodriguez
Sculptures in autoclaved aerated cement by Carole Murphy and students

Hampton Rodriguez celebrates his tenth year in Portland with new works inspired by the Alberta Street scene he's been part of since he arrived. The decade has been marked by increased consciousness of environmental impact, and he has created collages made from recycled printed materials for this show.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez developed a loyal following from Bohio Studio, his Alberta Street work and exhibit space. He received his art education at the Altos de Chavon School of Design in the Dominican Republic and at t in Hillsboro. In 2004 he was the Alberta Art Hop Featured Artist with over 200 works in galleries and businesses along the street. In 2005 he was part of "People, Places and Perceptions - A Look at Contemporary Northwest Latino Art" at Maryhill Museum in Goldendale, WA. He has also painted murals on the walls of commercial businesses and non-profit organizations and created sets for Teatro Milagro's production of "Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown."

Carole Murphy, raised and educated with a family of lawyers in Vermont, began sculpting at the age of 40. It was not long until the forms began to take shape, and she has exhibited her work in galleries and museums from Portland, the Oregon coast and the state of Washington to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Scottsdale, Arizona and Burlington, Vermont. She is president of the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild.

What distinguishes her current work is the experimentation with a unique material, Autoclaved Aerated Cement. Although created for the construction industry, AAC is perhaps even more ideal as a sculpting medium. Yet there are only a few artists who have discovered it. Even though the artistic use of the material is in its infancy, AAC outperforms many other well know and widely used alternatives.

Murphy talks about the creative process with this new material. "My work is leaning at this point towards sensual organic forms, and this material has assisted me in traveling far from the genre I began with. At the very least, it has made my journey here more straightforward. I look forward to seeing what is possible for others and the directions they travel to."

Some of the "others" using the material are sculptors who have taken classes with Murphy. Their work will also be part of the exhibit.

July 29-August 24, 2010
Opening and artists' reception - July 29, 6-9 PM
Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11-6, Sunday 12-4