((L-R) Artwork by Jesse Pemberton, Joseph Sanchez, Deni Porter and Anton Yakushev)
As we head into the holidays, November starts us off with a month of gratitude. This month’s theme of “Give Thanks” says it best. At Artists’ Gallery Sunriver, we have so much to be thankful for. We are a group of local artists, all inspired by the beauty of Central Oregon, lifting each other up. We are thankful for our patrons, and for everyone who walks through our doors and connects with the art we make. And we are thankful for the Village at Sunriver, the place we call home.
This month’s featured artists share that spirit of thanks. Three of them also share a language of metal. Yet each one takes it to a different place.
Jesse Pemberton is best known for his abstract metal sculptures, free-flowing forms made from steel and other post-industrial materials. For 25 years, he has shown his work in galleries and festivals, and he keeps adding to his public art projects in California and Oregon, including Surface Tension, which was recently installed at the Sunriver Library book depository. The artwork is composed of over 300 feet of curvilinear stainless steel rods to create a physical topography of merging waveforms. Caring for the earth drives him, and so does what he calls “shade-tree” knowledge, the kind you pick up by tinkering and staying curious. He knows no artist does it alone. He thanks everyone who has ever helped an artist carry tools, set up a show or give an honest opinion. “It takes guts, and it takes a village,” he says and continues with gratitude, “Thank you, patrons of the arts. Without your support, the circle would be broken.”
Anton Yakushev knew he would turn his ideas into metal when he started blacksmithing at 16. He forges each part of a sculpture by hand, then joins the parts into one piece that tells a human story. No two are alike. You’ll find a whimsical flying machine, complete with a leather-helmeted pilot, or a Native American chief with an eagle that becomes part of his portrait. His newest pieces are two-dimensional scenes you can hang on a wall. His ten-foot “Eagle” stands outside the High Desert Museum, and his work is in collections and public places throughout the world, including the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, and national museums and parks across the U.S. “There is something special about taking a material that seems cold and rigid and giving it movement, character and emotion,” Anton says. He is grateful for everyone who connects with his work. “I hope my art encourages people to look at metal differently.”
Joe “Little Bear” Sanchez got his name because of his uncle, a well-known silversmith from Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico who was known as “Big Bear.” His uncle taught him silversmithing and later left Joe his whole shop, including stamps that were more than a hundred years old. Today, Joe mostly does bezel work. He shapes a sheet of silver to fit each stone, building the setting from the ground up.
Once he learned the craft, he fell in love with turquoise. Every stone is different, with veins of copper and other minerals and brown or black matrix that set each one apart. Joe loves working with clients on custom pieces, and nothing makes him happier than seeing someone wear his jewelry with pride. As one client put it, “The time, energy and quality are indicative of the passion he has for bringing each piece to life.”
With a motto like “You can’t have too much color,” you might not expect Deni Porter to choose watercolor as her medium. She paints in thin, see-through layers, one on top of another, until her paintings sing with color. Her subjects range from landscapes and the beauty of everyday objects to fun people and animal portraits. Deni earned an art degree from the University of California but built a business career. In 2002, she sold her Portland software company, and now she paints scenes from Sunriver and Tucson, where she splits her time. Longtime readers of Cascade A&E Magazine may know her name, since she used to write this column. Deni gives thanks to subjects she paints, “There is nothing like puppy dog eyes!”
This holiday season, consider a gift that was created with love and gratitude. Meet Jesse, Anton, Joe and Deni at Second Saturday, November 14, from 4-6pm, at Artists’ Gallery Sunriver in the Village at Sunriver.