Hash Tag, 2018
oil on canvas
28" x 22"
Trickle Down, 2018
oil on canvas
18" x 24"
We are pleased to welcome Portland artist Melinda Thorsnes for her 4th solo show at our gallery. Melinda was the first contemporary artist to approach us about showing at the gallery, shortly after we opened 5 years ago, and it has been an honor to represent her powerful, heartfelt work.
Melinda's work is a continuation of the traditions of American Genre painting, particularly the work of Regionalist artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, sharing a genuine empathy for the lives and concerns of everyday people. In recent times, her work has become more political, but the concern for the "common man" remains.
Here are a few of her thoughts on her latest work:
My work has always dealt with the times we live in. The theme of these new paintings is the crisis and disgrace we are facing as a nation, due to divisiveness in the political arena. I've been influenced by George Johanson, who was my thesis advisor at the Museum Art School, Thomas Hart Benton, Eric Fischl, really any artist who deals honestly with the emotional discourse of human interaction. A lot of my visual sources come from family, not necessarily my own, and news media, not computer images. A friend recently commented, "Your work is like a playwrights still life." It is in that moment of time, arrested, that compels me.
Melinda Thorsnes is an artist who feels the world deeply, expressing her observations through richly colored, narrative paintings that continue the traditions of American genre painting. She has exhibited her work widely since graduating from the Museum Art School in 1971, (now PNCA). Thorsnes' work is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum, and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem.
See Melinda's full resume in PDF format here.
Melinda's Website: www.melindathorsnes.com
The Handmaids Revenge, 2018
oil on canvas
20" x 24"
Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 24 1:30-3:00pm
Trumpcare, 2017
oil on canvas
16" x 20"
The Politician's Wife, 2018
What Ever It Takes, 2018
oil on canvas
24" x 20"
Michael Parsons Fine Art
716 S.W. Madison
Portland, OR 97205
Phone 503-206-8601
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 12pm-5pm
E-Mail: michaelparsonsfineart@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelparsonsfineart
Instagram: @michaelparsons_fineart
Miss Alabama, 2017
oil on canvas
20" x 20"
MELINDA THORSNES
Party Games, 2018
oil on canvas
20" x 20"
My Fragile Mind
Cheers, 2018
oil on canvas
18" x 24"
March 14 - April 28, 2018
Sheeple, 2017
oil on canvas
24" x 36"
Melinda will speak about her new work at 2pm
Mixed Feelings, 2018
oil on canvas
30" x 24"
Fraternity, 2017
oil on canvas
24" x 36"
oil on canvas, 24" x 36"
Like Father, Like Son, 2017
oil on board
32" x 39"
Artist Talk & Reception:
Saturday, April 7 1:30-3:00pm