First Friday::Anja Verdugo

July Artist: Sean O'Connor

Come by Frank James this Friday, July 3rd, 6-9pm for our usual first friday shenanigans and view the works of Teen Heat Studios Sean O'Connor.

a member of the flight 64 printers cooperative, o'connors vivid colors, striking imagery and tongue-in-cheek narratives are ripe in a generation whose aesthetics were, like us, shaped by 3 minute music videos and the glow of an 8-bit video game.

www.mseanoconnor.com

the works in the show are from this two most recent series: She is Beyond Good and Evil-a loose narrative about a girl who moves to the big city, intending to become famous no matter what it takes and Instruction For a Better Tomorrow-tips for future generations on what to do when your space craft comes crashing down from the sky.

June Artist: Michelle Ramin

First Friday! 

This month we are featuring Portland artist Michelle Ramin

Untied Teacher, 2009

acrylic + graphite on panel

Downed Pilot, 2009

acrylic + graphite on panel

Friday June 5

6-9pm

pabst + wine

You'll Like Tacoma First Friday

Vice DO

Come to FJ to pick up the newest issue of Vice. 

Its the Fashion Issue, so its extra delish.

Idea: Come to First Friday tonight, view the art of Dave Scaringe, drink a pabst and grab a Vice. Just a thought.

interview with the talent

getting to the talent: march edition
name: brittany beug
age: 25
hometown: puyallup, wa

friday is upon us....so instead of making our art announcement one blog, we decided to do it in a two part series this month. all the pertinent info comes in the first blog, all the good shit comes in the second blog. we had some time to sit down with brittany over a nice session of g.chat the other day to get to know her a little better.

Q & A with B.R.I.T.A.N.N.Y

Q: what is your main inspiration as an artist?

Children's Books/Animation

Q: who are you dying to fuck?

I want to fuck Kevin Bacon so hard that he shits a breakfast sausage!

Q: what is the first thing you do in the morning?

Wonder

Q: current celebrity crush?

A Danny Davito-Kevin Bacon hybrid.

Q: since you are showing at a fashion boutique...what trend do you hate the most?

I don't know if I'm trendy enough to know what's trendy, but I never really dug pants. Are those in?

Q: what is your day job?

Grocery Buyer for a health food store... Let's just pretend that I'm a professional sock puppet.

Q: fav quote:
"Shut up and dance!" No clue who said it but it sounds like pretty good advice.

march artist: brittany beug

another month, another artist! 

now that we are getting into warmer weather, lighter clothes, brighter colors, we thought the art of brittany beug and her collection dubbed "manimals" would be a perfect combo this month with the new spring feel of the store. 

meet brittany

brittany alexi beug is a sea cucumber who has been making sea cucumber art since the seventeenth century a.b. her work prescribes tylenol to lazy people much the same way english breakfast style tea is served in bathhouses throughout post-modern russia. her color pallet inspires many to take up gardening based on the notion that painting black over everthing=rhubarb. her hope is to garner sparkling magic rocks from imaginary places to evoke a sense of early television commercials aimed at captive audiences of children. brittany is a tiny child, so you should take care not to step on her as she is oh so tiny.

brittany is going to be hanging a mixture of prints, mixed media and paintings.

come to frank james friday march 6, 7-10pm

beverages

good times

xoxo

First Friday: Featuring Katy Parish

Where: Frank James
When: February 6th, 2009.
Time: 6-9pm

This Friday, Frank James is pleased to announce that, Washington born and raised artist, Katy Parish will be display her art for the month of February. Katy graduated from University of Puget Sound in 1984 with a BA in Arts and has been drawing and painting for more than thirty years. Katy describes her way of creating art as “drawing from my imagination based on perception of things seen around me as I go from day to day”. When creating most of the pieces that will be shown, Katy was living in the Nile Valley of the Naches River, in Washington State. Her pieces are created using pastels and motivated by “color, composition, and imagination”. A personal favorite that will be shown at the show is “Fall in the Nile”. When asked why she is excited to be showing in Portland Katy responded with “I love this city and I’ll get to go to Powell’s”. Katy currently resides in Yakima, WA where she continues to create beautiful pieces.

Join Frank James and Katy Parish this Friday 6-9pm. As always Frank James will be serving up good times, good deals, and good drinks.

*For more examples of Katy’s work visit www.myspace.com/nilevalleyart and ADD her as your friend!

January artist:: Aidan Koch

Portland artist Aidan Koch will be hanging her drawings in Frank James for the month of January. 

So shake off your NYE hangsies and seasonal depression and come down to FJ for the evening. Free Pabst and good times as usual. 

xoxo

Artist Cameron Jennings always comes first. Especially this Friday. Meet Cameron now.

Bellingham Artist and Frank James favorite shows
his newest works at FJ PDX location this
FIRST FRIDAY.

We are honored to be displaying the works of Cameron Jennings for this December's FIRST FRIDAY. Jenning's who also contributes to our site, logo work, and in general, our graphix needs is also one of our favorite artists. We asked our A-gay to interview Cameron via G-chat earlier last month. It is also rumoured that our blogger-de-fagitus also may or may not have made out with this months featured artist in a hotel room in Vegas circa 2003.

Please read on for the Q&A between Jennings and McBride--and then join us as we proudly display his work this Friday.

CAMERON JENNINGS
AGE: 25
SIGN: VIRGO

TMC: What is your day job, or are you a full time artist?

CJ: Freelance graphic designer.

TMC: What is the main focus of the group of work you will be showing at FJ?

CJ: I am not fully aware of any "meaning" when I start working, but things start to make more sense as the process goes along. This is the first group of paintings I've done using the xylene transfer method, so a lot of it was playing around with the limitations of that process: choosing images that transfer well, etc. I spent a lot of time in thrift stores, antique shops, looking through books to find good images.

TMC: What is your main inspiration as an artist?

CJ: I get really excited when I see art that I like and I suppose that is my biggest inspiration: just trying to make things that I like. That's pretty vague. I get inspired just by being out and looking around. I like to do new things, and work with a lot of mediums. I always have tons of projects going on, so the times I am most inspired are when I find some new process or some new way of working. I like finding a process that keeps me inspired.

TMC: Who are you dying to fuck?

CJ: Hmmmm.

Who is your Current celebrity crush?

CJ: Rachel McAdams. Vera Farmiga. Angela Lindvall.

TMC: Since you are showing in a fashion boutique--what trend to you hate the most?

CJ: I hate how every fucking girl looks the same. There are like seven blonde girls I see all the time with bangs and huge glasses and I literally cannot thell them apart. The only reason I know they are different people is becasue sometimes they are all hanging out out together. So, maybe, I just miss girls wearing jeans and t-shirts and not being weird fashion drones. The whole Apple cultural marketing campaign makes me so mad. Maybe that's the biggest thing. Everyone wants a fucking Macbook and an Ipod. It's insane. Steve Jobs is a facist.

TMC: Along those lines, but with less social commentary, what would you say is your personal style?

CJ: I wear the same clothes everyday. Living in Bellingham makes it very easy to become lazy about fashion.

TMC: Well, Cameron, send us out with your favorite quote.

CJ: "I always have a good reason for taking something out [of a painting] but I never have one for putting something in. And I don't want to, becasue that means that the picture is being painted predigested."---------------Robert Rauschenberg on art.

we love cameron jennings

our graphic designer, cameron jennings, hates us.
he gets mad when we call him and say.."hey cam, i needed this yesterday!" or when we're like..."hey cam, i need my child support!"

the other day, we were like....hey cam..wanna put together a new cute flyer for our GRAND OPENING ON DECEMBER 12TH?!
this is what he sent us....

LA MERDE...LA FRIDAY...LA FRANK JAMES...LA TRUNK SHOW....

PORTLAND FAVORITES, LA MERDE, HOST

FIRST TRUNK SHOW THIS FRIDAY...

AND DISCUSS LAUREN Vs. LAURENT,

PORTLAND,

AND FASHION

La Merde, local Portland favorites, will team up with Frank James for their first ever trunk sale event this Friday night. Swing by Frank James and enjoy the First Friday works of Jess Wamre (details in blog below) and get a sneak peak at everything the masterminds behind La Merde have been working on. In the theme of this weeks bloggings we again phoned Ty McBride, our NYC "A" Gay and ask him to conduct an interview with the LA MERDE design team.

Frank James is proud to carry the La Merde collection in Portland and has been very happy with the success of the selling. We look forward to spring....and to this juicy interview.

+Below Q&A Between between Ty McBride for Frank James and Erik Powell of La merde

+All images submitted by La Merde.

TMC: Hello, Erik, it's nice to speak with you...I was trying to remember the first time we met. It's hard to forget--because you are in fact an actual giant. It seems like its been nearly 7 years ago now. I met you at the POOL show at the LA Standard? Right?

EP/LM: Yes I am very tall.

(phone line goes silent for a little too long.)

TMC: Well, let's get right to it then. Who is the brains and brawn behind La Merde?

EP/LM: Erik Prowell and Josh Hindson are both the B&B behind the collection.

TMC: With years of success under your belts as screen-T jokesters how has the foray into cut and sew treated you. (www.nostarclothing.com)

EP/LM: It has definitely been a challenge entering into a new market. At the same time, we've been able to apply many of the lessons we learned when we started the te company. The best part isthe reaction we've gotten from some of the buyers and even some friends when they first saw the line. They were surprised we had any fashion design skills. To be honest....we were a little surprised too. We've also learned to never take ourselves too seriously, hence the moniker La Merde.

TMC: I am dying to know...who is La Merde dying to fuck?

EP/LM: We'll pretty much sleep with anyone. Well, josh won't. He's married and just had a kid. It would have to be someone really special.

TMC: How does one become La Merde/The Shit?

EP/LM: There is no "one way" to do it. We recommend people look with to find that way.

TMC: Who does La Merde think is hotter Lauren Conrad or Yves St. Laurent?

EP/LM: ....come on...(then submitted above picture)

TMC: What is La Merde's secret favorite jem about PDX?

EP/LM: After hour parties at Frank James and Lo Mein at the karaoke place down the street.

TMC: Does La Merde go all the way on the first date?

EP/LM: We never settle for second base.

TMC: Will La Merde ever do a line for women...La Merdette? La Petite Merde?

EP/LM: Expect something for women Fall 2010.

TMC: I then asked Erik to send us out with his favorite quote and favorite image from google image.

"I love deadlines. I like thw whooshing sound they make as they fly by." Douglas Adams

SEATTLE ARTIST TO HANG AT FJ FOR FIRST FRIDAY

(how many shakes is considered too many?)

For the November First Friday, we cornered Seattle artist Jess Wamre to show at our East Burnside location. Wamre will display a dozen of his current works including photographs and an installation. 26 years old and resident of Seattle spent much of his years growing up, living and schooling around the PAC NW. In attempt to get to know him better we set up an interview with our head gay in NYC---the correspondence is below.

Please welcome Jess, and join us for 10% off storewide--and 30% off selected merchandise. Complimentary beverages to be served and extended store hours until 10pm--or until we head out for sparks.

+Below image supplied by Wamre.

+Below Text/interview by Ty McBride (www.myspace.com/Ty_McBride) with Wamre via gmail.

NAME: Jess Robert Wamre

AGE: 26

CELEBRITY TWIN: BRUCE Le BRUCE or Ben Rothlisberger

HOMETOWN/RESIDENCE/DREAM RESIDENCE: HERMISTON OR/SEATTLE/REYHAVIK

TMC: Jess what would you say is the main inspiration/focus of your work?

JRW: "The main inspiration for my work comes from the juxtaposition between two important things: life and death. I have struggled with a real understanding of what those two thins are and I have found I have a real liking for both. Whether it's a photo of a cancer patient smoking a cigarette, or an un-potted plant, the comparison is st still there, and it is comforting. At least, I find, it is supposed to be comforting Its amazing just how unfomfortable you can get trying to create a s ense of real comfort from real life situations."

TMC: When I google image searched your name the only things that came up were a Yugoslavian gay porn and a picture of chest hair---care to elaborate?

JRW: "I have my own fantasies of doing Yugoslavian fisting porn. The chest hair in inexplainable. It was probably a close up of me when I was young. I have had chest hair since I was 11."

TMC: How long have you been showing your work--and is this your first show in PDX?

JRW: "I have shown at one other place in Portland, FRINGE VINTAGE. A close friend of mine owns the shoppe. It's beautiful there and it was great to be able to show my work in a place with such amazing garments that were retail items in the 50's. It all worked really well and I am glad I had that opportunity to show there."

TMC: If you could be sandwiched between any two items what would they bey and why?

JRW: "If I were to be sandwiched between two things it would have to be a log cabin and a can of crisco...WHY? Well, these are two things I require for pure happiness.

TMC: Who are you dying to fuck?

JRW: "I'm dying to fuck myself."

TMC: Send us out with your favorite quote...

JRW: "The only real constant in life is change."