Mercury Staff
Last fall the anonymously written Try Harder PDX, a website (tryharderpdx.com) claiming to be “Portland’s only serious source for art criticism,” surfaced online. The pieces on the review blog bounced from brainy walkthroughs of shows to surprisingly detailed criticisms of local nonprofits, schools, and galleries. The writing, though sometimes incendiary, became an immediate topic of conversation among local artists for its compelling, brusque honesty and educated critique.
The author of the Try Harder PDX allowed the Mercury to interview them via email about their reasons behind the project and their ideas on the binding ties of provincialism, how to energize local artists, and why Portland needs to try harder.