Event

Raw, Raucous and Sublime

May 31

30 Years Of Vanessa Renwick, An Oregon Department of Kickass Retrospective

Friday, May 31 at 08:00PM

There are few living artists as in tune with the rugged spirit of the Pacific Northwest as Vanessa Renwick and her Oregon Department of Kick Ass. Across work in experimental film, documentary and installations, this Chicago transplant has delivered unsparingly rough but sumptuous visions, ranging from travels with her pet half-wolf-half-dog to an operatic rendition of the Trojan power plant's demolition, to Kodak-hour panoramas of the industrial tidal flats of Puget Sound.

Her films serve as both history lessons and searing contemporary portraits of our region's peculiar wedding between urban and the natural landscapes. They also serve as Cascadia mix-tapes: Renwick has collaborated with some of the region's best musicians, including Lori Goldston and Sam Coomes. This program includes the long-awaited release of the DVD compilation North South East West: All Over The Map With Vanessa Renwick.

"Vanessa Renwick's films reveal the hidden stories and secret lives that define our great national weirdness, imbued with the radical curiosity and vision of a true pioneer." Todd Haynes, filmmaker