The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU is pleased to present Labor of Love, featuring the work of Tania Candiani, Tannaz Farsi, Jay Lynn Gomez, Midori Hirose, Charlene Liu, Alberto Lule, Narsiso Martinez, and Patrick Martinez. The exhibition is on view from January 16 through April 27, 2024, with a panel discussion and reception on Thursday, January 18, at JSMA at PSU, 1855 SW Broadway, in Portland, Oregon. All events are free to the public.
Reception: Thursday, January 18, from 4–7PM
Panel Discussion: Thursday, March 7, 5:30–6:30 PM, RSVP: bit.ly/laboroflovepanel
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 AM–5 PM with extended hours on Thursday until 7 PM
The artists featured in Labor of Love produce work that aims to expose and highlight labor practices that have been historically and systematically concealed from the public sphere. Working across a wide variety of media and using a range of conceptual approaches, the eight artists exhibited seek to explore that which is often hidden just under the surface or kept at arm’s length: the physical, emotional, and intellectual labor that is vital to the smooth and ongoing function of innumerable aspects of our everyday lives.
Labor of Love takes its title from a collaborative artwork by artists Jay Lynn Gomez and Patrick Martinez. This mixed-media artwork, made in 2021, pays homage to domestic workers, who are often overlooked as their crucial labor goes unappreciated or unnoticed. Many of the artists in the exhibition, informed by direct and personal experience, aim to make these invisible workers visible. By depicting the individuals who maintain our public and private buildings and gardens, who care for our children and family members, who pick the fruits and vegetables we eat, these artists shine a light on the inequities that perpetuate the oppression of marginalized individuals and communities throughout the United States.
During the fifteen-week run of the exhibition, JSMA at PSU will host a variety of free programs, including public exhibition tours, Storytime for families, talks, and a panel. Information on all exhibition events and updates are available on the JSMA at PSU website: pdx.edu/museum-of-art/
Labor of Love is curated by Alexandra Terry, Curator of Contemporary Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe. Support for this exhibition provided by The Ford Family Foundation, the Richard & Helen Phillips Charitable Fund and the Exhibition Circle.
Image: Patrick Martinez and Jay Lynn Gomez, Labor of Love, 2022, stucco, neon, ceramic, acrylic paint, spray paint, latex house paint, family archive photos, ceramic tile and LED signs on panel; acrylic on cardboard, fabric, 60 x 120 inches, Courtesy of the artists and Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles