Saturday, May 26

What Exactly Happens In Portland's Heathman Hotel In 50 Shades of Grey?

Arts & Books We've now had 72 hours to absorb the terrible news that scenes in "mommy porn" novel 50 Shades of Gr... More

May 25, 2012 01:44 pm by Aaron Mesh  | Comments 4
 

Literary Giant Dies In Oregon

Arts & Books Paul Fussell was a great writer and scholar and, in the three years before his death yesterday, an O... More

May 24, 2012 11:14 am by COREY PEIN  | Comments 1
 

Andy Baio Announces the XOXO Festival

Can he bring Etsy, 4Chan and Kickstarter to Portland?

Arts & Books Andy Baio is one of Portland's most influential geeks. The former Chief Technology Officer of Kickst... More

May 22, 2012 03:17 pm by Ruth Brown  | Comments 0
 

Shy Zine Writer Thrust Halfway Into Limelight

Arts & Books Over at Slate today, editor Dan Kois publishes an interview with "Zach," the heretofore anonymous au... More

May 10, 2012 04:23 pm by Corey Pein  | Comments 0
 
 
 
February 2nd, 2011 By RACHAEL DEWITT | Arts & Books | Posted In: Visual Arts

Hail to the Presidential Ham

PresidentialHamPresidential Ham: Barack Obama - By Bijijoo.

It seems Portland's obsession with pork has reached a new high. On exhibit inside Powell's is a series of presidential portraits with all 44 Presidents proudly embracing a large, pink leg of cured pig. With a detailed and lifelike hand, the series by  local artist "Bijijoo" is hilarious and deadpan, simultaneously presenting and mocking presidential decorum. The show runs through the end of February, and kicks off during First Thursday (this Thursday, Feb. 3). On Thursday, from 6:30-8:30 pm, there will be a ham and a photo booth available to anyone who arrives in presidential attire.

Presidential Ham isn’t Bijijoo’s only body of meticulous portraiture; his “Faces of Justin Timberlake and Divination Thereby” series contains 49 distinct portraits of the pop music icon.

Bijijoo comes to fine art by way of a PhD in chemistry. He told Paste Magazine, “I guess I’ve always been kind of—it sounds stupid, but—an artist at heart or something.—Science is all right, but I’m not interested in becoming a professor or anything like that. I don’t really like academia.”

He was turned on the path of pork painting while pulling a prank on a friend. The prank is called “larding.” "Larding evolved into the act of leaving unusual items at an unsuspecting person’s home in order to surprise and astonish," he explains. "In 2006, a huge portrait of Richard Nixon cradling a ham was completed and gifted to the friend. Following the completion of that painting, years were spent practicing painting techniques and researching the characters and physical characteristics of the presidents in preparation for undertaking the full project."

It’s only a matter of time before we see Carrie Brownstein leaving a block of lard on Fred Armisen’s porch on IFC—this is grist for the Portlandia mill.

 
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