Artist has stepped out of his father's shadow.Byline: Bob Keefer The Register-Guard Erik Sandgren, son of the late and influential Corvallis painter Nelson Sandgren, has long been an artist in his own right both despite and because of his father's enormous shadow. If you ever had any doubts about the younger Sandgren's independent talent, they should be eliminated by an unusually captivating cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. show of his work at the Karin Clarke Gallery through Nov. 21. Sandgren's new paintings are largely of the Northwest landscape with an occasional excursion to Europe. They demonstrate his deft, authoritative handling of acrylic - a tricky medium for many artists - as well as a wide range of emotional responses to the world around us. He uses a restrained palette to create rapturously rap·tur·ous adj. Filled with great joy or rapture; ecstatic. rap  tur·ous·ly adv. three-dimensional images of such commonplace subjects as Oregon
lighthouses and rocky beaches. His work is easy to like at first glance
and wears well.
Sandgren the younger clearly learned the basics of painting at the knee of his father. His work shows the same influences, from Paul Czanne through such early Oregon masters as Charles Heaney Artist Charles Edward Heaney (1897-1981) was an American photographer and painter. During the Great Depression in the 1930s he worked for the Works Progress Administration as an artist and did several works with Mount Hood and Timberline Lodge as the subject matter. and C.S. Price. But Erik Sandgren, who studied art at Yale and Cornell universities, has pushed his art further, both polishing the familiar style he grew up with and heightening its impact. "Elephant Rock," an acrylic landscape, shows a big, warm, hulking hulk·ing also hulk·y adj. Unwieldy or bulky; massive. hulking Adjective big and ungainly Adj. 1. coastal rock emerging from a cool, foggy background. It's a simple image but compelling, the kind of painting that draws you in easily from across the room. Even after several visits to the gallery, I find some of these paintings just superb. To mention just a couple: a roughly painted view of Yaquina Head Yaquina Head is a spit of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean north of the American city of Newport, Oregon. It is the site of the Yaquina Head Light, and is managed as Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. lighthouse and a quick, vibrant painting of Yaquina Bay bridge The Yaquina Bay Bridge is an arch bridge that spans Yaquina Bay south of Newport, Oregon. It is one of the most recognizable of the U.S. Route 101 bridges designed by Conde McCullough.[1] The bridge opened on September 6, 1936, at a cost of $1,301,016. . Both hearken hear·ken also har·ken v. hear·kened, hear·ken·ing, hear·kens v.intr. To listen attentively; give heed. v.tr. Archaic To listen to; hear. back to the work of Sandgren's father as well as to their predecessors' through techniques such as scraping the canvas or the use of chalky opaque pigments. Sandgren's European work shows a new side to the artist. Some of the landscapes are entirely familiar, even if they have Italian names. "Bridge at LaRoche-Bernard," for example, could easily pass for a bit of Oregon. But others, including a handful of watercolors and acrylics on paper, are much more precise and detailed than Sandgren's familiar work. "Piazza dei Ciompe Firenze," for example, has the tight draftsmanship drafts·man n. 1. A man who draws plans or designs, as of structures to be built. 2. A man who draws, especially an artist. drafts and atmosphere of an 18th century print. One silver lining silver lining n. A hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty. [From the proverb "Every cloud has a silver lining". of the bad economy may be art galleries' need to diversify their offerings. In early November, you can catch three different exhibits at the same time at the Clarke Gallery. Besides the Sandgren show, you can see an exhibit of stone sculpture by David Miller through Nov. 14, as well as a small, back-room exhibit of decorated mirror frames by Barbara Kensler, through Nov. 21. EXHIBIT REVIEW Here and There: Oregon, Italy and France What: New paintings by Aberdeen, Wash., painter Erik Sandgren Where: Karin Clarke Gallery, 760 Willamette St. When: Through Nov. 21 |
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