Balch to kulla kulla creek

I continue to take my inspiration from Balch Creek in Forest Park, Portland, OR. 

As I find my imagery in the almost infinite views of this creek, I strive to capture the tension of the beauty and strength of nature with the intrusion of humans. We come to land, we measure and scheme on how to exploit. 

Are we bad? 

Let's say we are individuals, family-groups who are only trying to survive, but somehow balance gets lost time and time again. 

Anyway, I am pushing on to have this creek renamed to kulla kulla creek, "bird" in the chinuk-wawa language, the first language of the Oregon people, used by all the tribes in the region and beyond. 

Dan Balch was a colonist who received his land for FREE in 1850 via a Donation Land Claim. He and his family settled, but before long, in 1858, Dan murdered his son-in-law in a drunken rage, not approving of his daughter's elopement. 

 Dan was the first white man to be tried, convicted and hanged for murder in the state of Oregon. 

Continuing to refer to a creek with murder's moniker, is an insult to the original people whose land was stolen and to all people striving to live in a civilized society, past and future. It's not funny, nor quirky...it is unjust and was an act of violence that ended an innocent persons' life.

Here is a video of a portion of my kulla-kulla creek series.  

There is an abrupt spot where the creek is unceremoniously culverted into the storm sewer to be fed into the Willamette River, via a pipe, a mile down the way. 

 The painting is of the culvert, flanked by the diagrams of the newly engineered trash rack. 

The flowing silk ribbons represent the wild beauty of the creek, and contrast with the black burlap representing landscape cloth and the lights-out dark of entering the culvert. 

Movement vs static. 

 The bird sculptures remind us the creek is to be renamed kulla kulla, but also point out how humans appreciate nature but simplify it, losing so much of the intricate beauty. 

The complexity of nature is actually beyond us, but we honor these motifs as reminders of what is out there. 

Here you go:

more about the Map

 

 

Updated version of the Balch Creek Map

 

 

detail of the Balch property section of the area

 

 

 

 Detail of the tags reminding us that moving folks off the land is something that our society still does today - sadly.

Detail of Map - section with the Gunter chain - used to measure/map the plots of land across Oregon, Washington and Idaho...and across the whole country.

 

The show is up Nature, Once Removed

 And it's really dramatic, if I say so myself.

Lisa Conway and David Cohen are exhibiting some amazing pieces. The space is large and beautifully lit, so there is plenty to take in and enough room for the large work.

Here are some images:

a new arrangement idea and a few new paintings to capture other ways of experiencing the creek

detail

 

Balch Creek Map is continually getting refined as my understanding expands.

 

 

Getting ready - Nature, Once Removed @ Mt Hood Community College

 Yep - final touches and hanging hardware...preparing to deliver my work next week for this 3 person show at MHCC.

Please come by anytime or to one of the 2x, yes 2 Receptions:

March 7th 11:30-1:00 - (a Thursday)

March 9th, 1:00- 3:00 - a Saturday ;)

I am showing with David Cohen and Lisa Conway - 2 awesome artists.

We are putting together a strong show for you - definitely worth the beautiful drive to the gallery.

Also please let me know if you might want to visit the gallery another time and if I can, I will meet you there.

Rethinking Balch Creek, closes today 12/2/23.

 Thanks Gallery 114 for the opportunity to put up a comprehensive exhibit featuring the Balch Creek as it flows along Lower Macleay Trail. And for the chance to talk about the renaming effort about the creek.

Simple version: Dan Balch was a white colonizer who was given his land for free during the period of 1850-1855, when the US Government was trying to get the land settled by White Men as they actively displaced the Native People. The stealing and redistribution of the land was through the system of the Donation Land Act.

Anyway here is a link to a more fleshed out explanation:

 

But as the exhibit images may be removed soon, I wanted folks to see the paintings.

Can you really enforce a boundary on flowing water? acrylic on panel, 36" x48"

 

Flowing dipping and spraying over the basalt, acrylic on panel, 30" x 30"

Next to the rush, quiet pools may form, acrylic on panel, 36"x36"

Catching the rush, turning the corner, slowing the pace, acrylic on panel, 36" x36"

Towering trees tumble, acrylic on panel, 30"x30"

The creek narrows and picks up speed, acrylic on panel, 24"x24"

The engineered disappearance of a living creek, acrylic on panel, 30"x30"

Map of Balch Creek and surrounding area, mixed media, acrylic on panel, nails, thread, key tags, 10'x6'

keep it simple - Come purchase from REAL ARTISTS.

 

This 2 day sale is an AWESOME opportunity to snag some quality gifts for someone you love...who may be yourself ;)

The regular show continues for 2 more weeks - but this 2 Day Event - is popped in as an gift-purchasing, special opportunity.

the MAP

 So fun and a very different kind of exercise for me to make a map of NW Portland to show the area when Dan Balch was given land for his homestead.

With the Donation Land Act, the US government gave Dan Balch the land for FREE, that is after the government rounded up the native people and moved them off the land and into internment camps.

Here is a link to the information - brief history of Balch Creek area.