{"id":9015,"global_id":"portlandartmuseum.org?id=9015","global_id_lineage":["portlandartmuseum.org?id=9015"],"author":"15","status":"publish","date":"2024-01-04 15:06:23","date_utc":"2024-01-04 23:06:23","modified":"2024-07-25 13:14:04","modified_utc":"2024-07-25 20:14:04","url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/event\/kenny-scharf-cosmic-cavern\/","rest_url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/9015","title":"Kenny Scharf: Cosmic Cavern","description":"

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kenny Scharf\u2019s Cosmic Cavern<\/em> immerses viewers in a day-glo universe densely packed with graffiti tags, detritus, and everyday objects reimagined as cartoon personalities. This surreal world comes to life under the fluorescent black lighting reminiscent of clubs and discos of the 1980s, a central inspiration for this party environment turned art installation. In 1981 Scharf created the first version in the closet of the small New York apartment he shared with artist Keith Haring. Since then, he has transformed basements, galleries, museums, RVs, and even suitcases into this psychedelic, multi-sensory experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo
Kenny Scharf, Cosmic Cavern<\/strong>. Courtesy Honor Fraser Gallery. Photo Joshua White\/JWPictures.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cosmic Cavern<\/em> exemplifies Scharf\u2019s brand of Pop Surrealism, a blend of graffiti writing, cartoon imagery, dreamy futuristic environments, and bright, saccharine colors. A playful spirit and an offbeat sense of wonder abound in this democratic approach, which Scharf intentionally contrasts to the seriousness often assigned to \u201chigh art.\u201d But his work is not without an edge. A critic writing in the early 1980s described fun as Scharf\u2019s anti-catastrophe aesthetic: \u201ca post-apocalyptic aesthetic for the survivors of an end that has already come following the fragmentation of culture caused by today\u2019s material and technological reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scharf was among the tight circle of artists that included Paige Powell, the photographer and video artist whose multimedia installation Paige Powell: The Ride<\/em><\/a> (also opening November 5) immerses Museum visitors in that creative climate. Powell and Scharf\u2019s friendship continued after both departed New York in the 1990s. In Portland, Powell played a key role in advocating for the installation of the Tikitotmoniki Totems<\/em>\u2014the 2001 public art work Scharf designed for Jamison Square in the city\u2019s Pearl District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together The Ride<\/em> and Cosmic Cavern<\/em> offer museumgoers two distinctive visions of the groundbreaking art scene of 1980s New York. Both demonstrate how highbrow and lowbrow, street art and gallery art, music, fashion, and publishing collided in ways that paved the way for the hybrid forms of artistic expression and creative entrepreneurship we so highly value today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presented by Portland Art Museum courtesy of the artist and Honor Fraser Gallery. Curated by Sara Krajewski, The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported in part by Ed Cauduro Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation, Jean M. Coleman, Frank Etxaniz, Henry Lea Hillman, Jr. Foundation, Susan Hoffman, Thomas Lauderdale, Paula Madden, and Al Solheim.<\/em><\/p>","excerpt":"","slug":"kenny-scharf-cosmic-cavern","image":{"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-scaled.jpeg","id":9016,"extension":"jpeg","width":2560,"height":1707,"filesize":1737659,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":700,"height":467,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":200950,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-700x467.jpeg"},"large":{"width":1308,"height":872,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":557296,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-1308x872.jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"width":270,"height":270,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":65027,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-270x270.jpeg"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":230924,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-768x512.jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":1024,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":730632,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-1536x1024.jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"width":2048,"height":1365,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":1192047,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-2048x1365.jpeg"},"small":{"width":375,"height":500,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":119868,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-375x500.jpeg"},"medium-large":{"width":900,"height":600,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":298884,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-900x600.jpeg"},"card":{"width":904,"height":565,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":287647,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-904x565.jpeg"},"post":{"width":975,"height":500,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":282587,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-975x500.jpeg"},"hero":{"width":1894,"height":1080,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":926341,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2-1894x1080.jpeg"}},"original_image":"KennyScharf_CosmicCavern2.jpeg"},"all_day":false,"start_date":"2015-11-05 08:00:00","start_date_details":{"year":"2015","month":"11","day":"05","hour":"08","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"end_date":"2016-04-03 17:00:00","end_date_details":{"year":"2016","month":"04","day":"03","hour":"17","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"utc_start_date":"2015-11-05 16:00:00","utc_start_date_details":{"year":"2015","month":"11","day":"05","hour":"16","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"utc_end_date":"2016-04-04 00:00:00","utc_end_date_details":{"year":"2016","month":"04","day":"04","hour":"00","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"timezone":"America\/Vancouver","timezone_abbr":"","cost":"","cost_details":{"currency_symbol":"$","currency_code":"USD","currency_position":"prefix","values":[]},"website":"","show_map":false,"show_map_link":false,"hide_from_listings":false,"sticky":false,"featured":false,"categories":[{"name":"Exhibitions","slug":"exhibitions","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":17,"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","description":"","parent":0,"count":201,"filter":"raw","id":17,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories\/17","collection":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories"}}],"tags":[],"venue":{"id":290,"author":"1","status":"publish","date":"2023-03-28 10:28:29","date_utc":"2023-03-28 17:28:29","modified":"2024-03-07 10:38:06","modified_utc":"2024-03-07 18:38:06","url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/venue\/portland-art-museum\/","venue":"Portland Art Museum","description":"

The Museum is conveniently located on the historic Park Blocks in the center of downtown Portland, which is easy to get around by public transit or on foot. The Portland Business Alliance has installed way-finding signs which direct you to the cultural district, where the Museum is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is generally plenty of street parking surrounding the Museum. These spaces range from 1 \u2013 4 hours and can be paid for using a credit card or the Parking Kitty app<\/a>. There are also surface parking lots, and parking garages within 1 \u2013 4 blocks of the Museum. The closest surface lot is located at SW Main St. between SW 10th Ave. and Park Ave, and there are dedicated accessible and van accessible spaces. This lot accepts credit card or the Reef app<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public transit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting to get to the Museum by public transportation is straightforward and economical. The bus and streetcar travel directly past the Museum, and the MAX light rail has a stop only four blocks away.\u00a0TriMet\u2019s Trip Planner<\/a>\u00a0gives you step-by-step travel directions from your location by bus, light rail, or streetcar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n