The Newport Visual Arts Center proudly presents “Fractal Interscape,” a brand-new collection of expressive abstract paintings by Astoria resident Darren Orange. This show will open in the Runyan Gallery of the Newport Visual Arts Center on October 1st with artist remarks at 2pm.
Orange has spent the majority of the past 20 years absorbing and projecting the coastal landscape, seascape and atmosphere of Astoria Oregon in his paintings. The atmospheric and geological drama of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean merging is a source of constant inspiration. “The light and color of the Northwest keeps me tethered to a suggestion of landscape and emotional interscape. Fractal shards reference experience and sense of place,” he says.
While Orange paints primarily with oil, he has a history of incorporating nontraditional materials such as cement and burlap into his paintings and has worked with bronze as well. He describes his paintings as gritty, layered, sometimes romanticized reflections of place or atmosphere. Bold contrasting colors are applied with trowels, scrapers, and his hands. Brushes tend to be too fussy for Orange as he is commonly producing 20+ large scale paintings simultaneously. Many of his paintings are fluid, not preconceived and come to fruition quickly with intense energy. He compares the intentional placement of color at later stages of his process to the slow methodical moves of a chess game.
Darren Orange grew up on the eastern slopes of the Central Washington Cascades, where he earned his B.A. in Fine Arts from Western Washington University in 1999. He has gone on to exhibit his work in galleries across Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Florida and New York. He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Ford Family Foundation Residency Grant Award in 2013 and the Oregon Governor’s Office Exhibit in 2019.
“Fractal Interscape” will be on display through November 27th. The Runyan Gallery is located inside the Newport Visual Art Center located at 777 NW Beach Dr. and is open Wednesday through Sunday 12-4pm. Parking is available in the building’s upper parking lots as well as the Nye Beach Turn Around.
The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts manages the Newport Visual Arts Center and the Newport Performing Arts Center, and serves as the regional arts council for Oregon’s seven coastal counties.