Henk Pander
One of Portland's living legends, Henk Pander, is back with a new suite of watercolors that mix floral still life and landscape traditions. There's not a person in town who handles paint and draughtsmanship better than Pander, even when his subject matter is less than exciting. Laura Russo Gallery, 805 NW 21st, 226-2754, through Sept 2
Here + Now
Four non-American artists grapple with the notions of national identity: German Hans Haacke; Vietnamese photo-based artist Dinh Q. Le; Kimsooja from Korea; and Ken Lum, whose work deals with his upbringing as a Chinese boy in Canada. Elizabeth Leach Gallery, 417 NW 9th, 224-0521, through Sept 2
East Meets West
Digmeout is one of the most high profile and successful art agencies in Japan, even though it's located in the very non-Tokyo setting of Osaka. Digmeout has selected one dozen of their artists to show this month at Compound—many of them are exhibiting in the US for the first time. Anyone interested in international contemporary art or Japanese culture would be a fool to miss this one. Compound, 107 NW 5th, through Aug 30
inClover
Here's a nice idea: Scott Wayne Indiana invited almost 20 artists from across the country to create a one-day-only outdoor exhibition at the park. From noon until 7 pm this Saturday, works by artists such as Blinglab, Harvest Henderson, Paige Saez, and Marty Schnapf will dot the landscape, creating aesthetic interventions in an urban pastoral setting and confusing residents of SE Portland all the while. Mt. Scott Park, NE 72nd, just north of Woodstock, Sat noon-7 pm, free
Looking Back: Portland in the Early 1980s
I'm a sucker for historical photographs, but the early '80s??? Oh, who am I kidding? I'll go see it. Gallery 114, 1100 NW Glisan, 243-3356, through Sept 2
Maximum Warriors
In June of this year, local artist/musician/impresario E*Rock curated Maximum Warriors for No Space Gallery in Seattle. Expect a slew of '80s icons (Ninja Turtles, Ted Nugent), lots of neon, psychedelic freakout, etc. Plus, E*Rock's new incarnation, 1999, and Charlie from Panther's new incarnation, Romancing, perform at Friday's opening. See you there. Yes, 811 E Burnside #116, 236-7788, Fri Aug 4-Sept 2
Mermaids, Sailors, and Chicken of the Sea
Cathy Camper holds an unusual title: She is a master of "seed art," the art of creating images out of thousands of lentils and seeds, mosaic-style. She counts Amy Sedaris, Todd Oldham, and the Handsome Family among her fans, she's assisted the material-driven artist Andy Goldsworthy, and her work has appeared in numerous magazines. Based on the photos of her work I've seen, it's fairly astounding stuff. So you might want to check it out. I don't see how it couldn't be fun. Velveteria, 518 NE 28th, 233-5100, Fri Aug 4-31
Oaxaca Now
Dear Jesus: Please let this show of contemporary art from Oaxaca be as good as I want it to be. I'll be a very good boy if it's smart, funny, and good-looking. And please make George Bush's testicles hurt so bad that he has to cede his presidency. But moreover, please let this show be good. Thank you. Froelick Gallery, 817 SW 2nd, 222-1142, through Aug 30
Waiting Room
Spoiler alert: The press release for Scott Wayne Indiana's new installation sums the whole thing in a very expository manner. "Waiting Room is comprised of 39 axes lodged into the ceiling." This sounds quite awesome. Portland Art Center, 32 NW 5th, 239-5481, through Sept 3
