Portland area artists Curtis Finch and his daughter Lisa Finch-Wiser announce a combined exhibit of recent paintings and sculpture in the Black Butte Ranch Lodge Gallery. The exhibit will run through June 28.
The chance to finally exhibit with her 87 year old father, retired architect, Curtis Finch is a lifetime goal. “We are thrilled to share our vision of Central Oregon’s beauty through our indiviual interpretations of the area. Family and friends have urged us to exhibit our work side by side for years,” comments Finch-Wiser. “It also brings focus to our personal relationship as we accelerate through the constructs of aging. The Lodge Gallery is an ideal venue.”
Finch-Wiser’s dynamic representational paintings paired with her father’s freestanding sculpture will draw the attention of all who enter the naturally lit lodge entry. Landscapes in acrylic, watercolor and oil capture the nuance of seasonal color found in the Black Butte Ranch and the Metolius River areas. Her father simplifies nature’s patterns in wood construction and explores figuative work in cast bronze. Both artists’ work sensitively resonates with the intrigue of nature.
Finch was born in Boise, Idaho in 1926. He moved to Oregon in the early 1960’s to form the award winning architectural firm Fletcher and Finch. He holds the prestigious honor of being a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. His noted design for the golf course condominiums at the brand new Black Butte Ranch Resort in the early 1970s was a career highlight. This involvement initiated a formidable relationship with Central Oregon that resonates to this day where he relaxes in “the condo” (GC #103) throughout the year.
Curtis draws upon 40 years of practicing architecture to investigate and articulate his sculptural work. The foundation of his sculptural process is in wood and cast cement constructions. He cuts chunks, glues strips, casts and assembles. In a search for providing support for his constructions this inventive sculptor discovered cast concrete and soon found himself creating concrete shapes and juxtaposing them with the wood.
Finch’s latest artistic passion is bronze casting. Winter months spent in San Miguel, Mexico introduced him to an art studio that facilitates the complex process. Exploring figurative work adds a representational dimension to his body of assemblage pieces. His favorite new piece is an intimate sized canine most likely influenced by the dogs that proudly guard the roof tops in the charming central Mexican town.
Finch-Wiser was also born in Boise, Idaho and traveled west with the family when her father began practice in Portland. Her lifelong interest in art led her to a degree in art education. She made the decision to become a full time painter after a short term of teaching and after her three children were out of the nest.
Finch-Wiser’s representational style reflects the formidable training received while studying art and art history in Italy for a year. “I spent hours captivated in front of the most historically significant artworks created in the western world. These observations have been my greatest teacher and inspiration.”
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