Between Places and Spaces

Paintings by William Hernandez
Photographs by Pepe Moscoso

Two young artists - Hernandez originally from Peru and Moscoso from Mexico - are deeply involved in creating and sharing their vision in Portland.

Artist statement by William Hernandez:

This show is about the relationship between space and national identity. I left Peru, my native country, about a year ago and now I live in Portland. Sometimes I wonder if there is a space/time connection between here and there. How exactly does this dislocation affect an artist's work?

Because so many things have changed, I think it's very important. Portland's colors contrast with the beautiful landscapes of the interior of Peru, but the gloomy backdrop of Lima also contains magic and rituals beyond what we find in a more intimate city like Portland. These are the kinds of differences that I observe daily and I try to capture these flashes of insight in sketches for new projects that find their way to canvas.

This creative freedom is flowing through my work, putting together memories, experiences, lessons learned, friendships, achievements and feelings. The new journey that began with the "return of chasqui" connects the "national" feeling of my homeland to the "local" flavor of my so-far satisfactory stay in this place of pines, snow, rivers, people, rock-n-roll, trains, cafes, green, rain, bridges and more bridges and far off in the distance something called Peru.

Artist statement by Pepe Moscoso:

This photographic study called "En conjunto" seeks to create a visual metaphor, to find new meanings in tiny fragments of life, and, by revealing them, create an almost impossible moment. An essential element in this photographic work is the fusion of images, where each one speaks and expresses a stolen moment in the past. The greatest merit of photography is its ability to preserve those small moments, those unrepeatable fragments of life.


The main objective of this photo series is to create a new image. I seek to reveal a new and hidden perspective, an ephemeral reality that begins with its creation and ends in the moment you see it. It is a fleeting instant which is preserved and maintained in the subjective essence of our being.

Duality plays an important role in this study, as it serves to create a harmonious equilibrium between the subjective and objective, as well as a connection between realities and unrealities. It represents the place where the observer becomes the middle ground, an intersection between perception and visual representation. In this way, it generates both concrete and abstract thoughts of the image.

This study compiles images of various places such as Portland, Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico. It was inspired by a search for reality and by the photographer’s constant quest for detail.

August 26-September 28, 2010
Opening and Artists' Reception - August 26, 6-9 PM