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July 20  2009
PORTLAND LOOKING UP
Artwork by Chris Donnelly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Ore.- July 20, 2009 – Nemo presents the work of Chris Donnelly in Portland Looking Up, curated by NEMO opening Friday, August 7, 2009 6-10pm. The show will run through Monday, August 31, 2009 at Nemo- 1875 SE Belmont Street in Portland, OR.

Opening reception will include special musical guests.

Portland Looking Up will highlight Chris Donnelly’s work of paintings and carvings. The exhibit will focus on Donnelly’s travels through Portland, where he became captivated by the shapes of the industrial water towers, and their contrast to the neighborhoods below.

About Chris Donnelly
Chris Donnelly grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Unlike many kids, crayons, paints, and art classes were not a big part of his experience. As an adult, he started carving and painting fishing lures from wood. His unique pieces quickly became collectible. Having developed a basic mastery of hand tools, his desire to express a more personal sentiment shifted his focus to carving human figures. Hundreds of figures later, Chris began exploring flat surfaces by carving linoleum block prints and recently evolved into painting on canvas. Still self-taught, Chris’ first paintings depicted people from his experiences. Elements of Portland’s urban landscape have been his recent focus.

Chris has been represented by Virginia Brier in San Francisco and Mark Miliken in New York City. His pieces were part of a collection of work by self-taught artists at the Palmer Museum of Art at Pennsylvania State University. His work has been shown at the Washington Street Gallery in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He will be part of a group show at Review Gallery in Detroit, Michigan later this year.

About Portland Looking Up
Discovering Portland by bicycle last summer, Chris was captivated by the shapes quietly looming overhead. Like floating ships or low-tech space ships at rest just above the neighborhoods, these water towers have a presence. As if monuments from a bygone era, they fade into the landscape despite their size and visibility. These giant vessels venerate our most precious resource. The striking blue sky of Portland summer provides the backdrop for these strong shapes. While strong and industrial looking, their round shapes and patina create a friendly character. Painting these pictures helped Chris get to know Portland.

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About NEMO
Nemo is a Portland-based integrated branding, marketing and design shop. Nemo’s capabilities include brand strategy, design, motion graphics, interactive development, film, video, print and photography production. For more information on Nemo click here.

For More information Contact

Carey Garland
careyg@nemodesign.com
(503) 872-9631

Heather Hanrahan
heatherh@nemodesign.com
(503) 872-9631

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