Art Galleries

This content was published: July 11, 2018. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.

Bruce Conkle

Sylvania North View Gallery

It’s Always Dusty Because Everything is Falling Apart

Painting of blue tree trunk cut in half revealing pink and yellow tree rings; gold leaf background; a black curved rod or stick is behind the tree, also cut in two pieces.

Primal Foundations, 2018, oil, metal leaf, diamonds on panel, 24″ x 18.5″

  • Mid-July to Mid-September: Artist in residence
  • Completed project open: Friday, September 7, 2018
  • Opening reception: Friday, September 14, 6-8pm
  • Closing reception: Thursday, September 27, 2-4pm

Portland-based visual artist Bruce Conkle was the Artist in Residence in the North View Gallery during the summer months, creating artworks that continue his investigation into the mythology of and human interaction with the natural environment. Conkle used the space as an open lab, inviting viewers to witness the process and evolution of two-dimensional, sculptural, and kinetic works. Viewers were welcomed into the gallery to check on the artist’s progress throughout the summer.

Bruce Conkle declares an affinity for mysterious natural phenomena such as snow, fire, rainbows, crystals, volcanoes, tree burls, and meteorites. He examines contemporary attitudes toward the environment, including deforestation, climate change, and extinction. Conkle’s work often deals with man’s place within nature, and frequently examines what he calls the “misfit quotient” at the crossroads. His work has shown around the world, including Reykjavik, Ulaanbaatar, Rio De Janeiro, New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, and Portland. Recent projects include public art commissions for the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet/MAX Light Rail, and Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Student Union Public Art + Residency. In 2011 Bruce received a Hallie Ford Fellowship and in 2010 and an Oregon Arts Commission Artist Fellowship. His 2012 show Tree Clouds and 2016 project Surface Glitch were both awarded project grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

  • Gallery installation view of artwork made up of triangular flags attached to a ribbon and draped across the ceiling of the gallery; the flags are yellow, orange and pink, with various painted images on them. The gallery has other artworks throughout and in the background are large windows showing the trees outside.
  • White ribbon with five triangular flags attached to it. The yellow, orange and pink flags have abstract images painted on them; the background is a concrete ceiling.
  • Painting of yellow ice machine with red letters spelling "ICE" , with abstracted orange circle forms that are connected with orange lines that appear to come out of the ice machine. The painting background is dark blue.
  • Framed drawing of skull; primarily black and shades of gray, with silver.
  • Abstract painting of a volcano mountain with a leafless tree growing out of the top; an orange ring is floating and encircling the trunk of the tree; on the left are five brown and green cubes that are arranged in a column with spaces between them.
  • Close up view of shovel with ball of ice surrounded by moss sitting in blade, a large stone sits on floor behind the shovel.
  • A shovel is suspended from the ceiling with a thermoelectric cooler attached to the underside of the blade and a ball of ice on the top side of the blade. A wire goes from the cooler to the ceiling, a large stone sits on the floor behind the shovel, a painting and a table are at the wall in the background.
  • Abstract painting of landscape with blue volcano on right side, with orange, green, and white smoke rising out of it; a black sky with a linear grid is in the background, an orange river of lava in the foreground, three brown and green cubes are on the left side of the canvas.

Gallery hours: Monday – Friday 8am-4pm, Saturday 11am-4pm

Directions: Follow signs to the bookstore and visitor parking. The gallery is located in the Communications and Technology (CT) building, adjacent to the bookstore, on the NE corner of campus.