Untitled, from Sparrow Lane
A few years ago, Holly Andres’ lush photographic series, Stories from a Short Street, seemed to be a ubiquitous presence in Portland galleries. For good reason, too: Andres’ laboriously staged, strangely evocative images at once conjure the supercharged narratives of Gregory Crewdson and the stylized surfaces of fashion spreads. Her new series, Sparrow Lane, picks up with similar themes and a few familiar models from Stories, but, here, self-discovery is sublimated in Nancy Drew-style scenes of young girls snooping and spying. Whether in some bucolic marsh or an attic crawl space, Andres’ unattended heroines appear in hot pursuit of unraveling some secret, but one suspects the real mysteries lie within. JOHN MOTLEY
I visited the Holly Andres exhibition and liked how closely they evoked illustrations from children’s mystery novels–outstretched hands and all. The images are rich, and full of color and intrigue, and be sure to look for the full-wall assemblage of smaller pictures and objects (clues galore!) just around the corner from the photographs. Read John Motley’s full review here.
Quality Pictures, 916 NW Hoyt; Tues-Sat through Aug 2