Euan Uglow: A Painter's Painter

Ali Euan Uglow (via Akty Erotika)

Euan Uglow is a painter's painter. Just like a friend of mine once described Nabakov as a writer's writer. Why? Because their work is playful and experimental. Or maybe they're less about something and more about being difficult and exploratory.

As Nabakov did with words, Uglow tends to do with paint. That is, dealing more with relationships about the material and less about reactions to the world. Maybe these kinds of works are infuriating for a non-painter (or non-writer) to look at. Maybe infuriating is too strong a word. Maybe just without statement. Beautiful works about working. And sometimes nothing more.

Artist behind Glass

Installation View of I Don't Know Anyone in Paris 2010 (via NAAU)

I love stopping by NAAU each week to put my hands to the glass and watch the artist in residence. Currently it is Gabriel Liston. The program invites gallery artists to work in the space for over a month. The gallery seems designed exactly for this purpose, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street. This is consistent with NAAU's process-oriented nurturing too.

I am still undecided if I'd ever really want to stop by when the artist is working - or if I like being able to see the process without the artist.

I really particularly enjoyed Timothy Scott Dalbow's residency last period. Cris Moss, who curated this years Disjecta Biennial singled him out as being one of his favorite painters working in Portland.