Artist Reception
Sunday, January 7th, 2024, 5 to 8pm
at Oranj Studio
Location
Oranj Studio
726 SW Gaines St
Portland, OR 97239
503-719-5338
10am - 5pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Oranj Studio presents a fresh and fabulous exhibition by Jim Riswold. The opening reception for Andy in Heaven, and Jim, will be held on Sunday, January 7th, from 5 to 8pm. Our friends, family, and community are all warmly invited and strongly encouraged to attend. The show runs through March 2024. After fully retiring from agency life in 2006, Jim began his next new chapters with competing agendas: fighting leukemia, becoming an artist. Photography led to writing led to sculpture led to TEDx—all while fighting some incredible health challenges. Solo and group exhibitions, private commissions, and public lectures up and down the West Coast have kept Jim going (and going and going).
When looking at his prolific scope of work from the past 15+ years, favorite motifs appear—namely, fascists and dictators, peppered with themes of uncertainty, grasping for power, and high-gloss fashion. Andy in Heaven, courtesy of Augen Gallery, showcases Jim’s continued love of the absurd. Nineteen original, marvelous photographic pieces appear in this show; ten present Warhol as Halston’s muse, which no doubt would tickle both masters.
Andy wished for three things in life: wealth, fame, and stunning beauty as a woman. Life gave him wealth and fame. Andy in Heaven gives him great beauty ensconced in drop-dead extraordinary attire. Enjoy Andy in Heaven. In a beauty salon.
–Jim Riswold, artist
Jim Riswold’s work pushes boundaries, explores uncertainty, and balances vulnerability within a vibrant creative process. David Levinthal, photographer, and Jim’s mentor quips: “I call Jim’s work perverse whimsy. He’s a great artist and an even better friend.”
