Artist Reception: kjirsten severson

Join us for an Artist Reception Friday, January 27th, 5-8PM at our Downtown Portland Showroom, featuring light appetizers and beverages.

RSVP here.

Art by kjirsten severson


About the art

TYPOGRAPHY BACK IN BLACK – kjirsten severson

Come see a full circle, historically, literally, and metaphorically in the history of typography. Typography is a hot field once again thanks to technology put to creative use. This project, however, is not that. Kjirsten Severson’s use of silkscreen frames that bear the enlarged characters of a 1936 Smith Corona is anything but high-tech.

Kjirsten's emphasis on black and white standard typography is a return but a return that is not the "Same" thanks to Dadaism and Futurism in the early 1900s and the typography of Jackson Mac Low and Ian Hamilton Finlay in the 1960s and 70s. These movements challenged the dominance of the black and white newspaper print that governed society with authority; Mac Low and Hamilton Finlay used color and refused linear sequencing. In so doing, they wiped the slate clean and allowed kjirsten to return to the simplicity of black and white typeface in order to show the authority of that which makes all language possible – the authority of mystery – the mystery behind language, the mystery by which language is born and creates; the mystery by which our senses of selves are born and create; the mystery of communion through text and image, and in this project specifically, TEXT AS IMAGE.

Come check out this crossover of concrete minimalist poetry, typography, philosophy, and memoir at The Joinery’s Downtown Portland Showroom at 922 SW Yamhill Friday, January 27th, 5.00-8.00 pm.

Featuring Pacific Northwest artists

The Joinery is proud to sell the works of local fine artists at both of our showrooms. Every two months we feature new work by a Pacific Northwest artist. With each new show there is something beautiful and fresh to see.

We host an opening reception for the artist at our Downtown Portland location at the beginning of each show that is free and open to all. Join us for an evening of wine and appetizers, meet the artist, and receive special pricing on their work. At the end of each run, the show moves to our St. Johns showroom for an additional two months. If you can’t make the reception, please contact us here to set up an appointment to visit during our showroom hours. For more information about the art and featured shows contact our curator, Jeffrey Howard, at HOWARD-ART.com.

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