Wednesday was a long but fascinating day tracking down sculpture made by Manuel Izquierdo, R’s current “subject” (show coming at the HFMA in 2013). Our first stop was a warehouse where the collection of PNCA is stored. Included in their collection are some small clay sculptures recently donated to PNCA by Manuel’s estate. The nice Melinda Stoops met us there and we looking at all the wrapped things…hmmm….
well…
so R just started in…this one maybe…
and those…
measurements…??
and then maybe a picture so when they are re-wrapped, she can find them when borrowing time comes…
and since we were out near the airport, we decided to go to the Port of Portland building and look for a sculpture in their collection. When we got to the port the nice lady had no idea…it was lunch time…she’d call somebody. While that was going on, your intrepid reporter began prowling around, and found the piece in question in a conference room…
and while notes were being taken…
I continued to prowl and found this nice Henk Pander painting.
In another conference room I spotted a Louis Bunce oil “sketch” (1958) for the big mural at the airport…
But…we digress. So (after a coffee and my fave…Pearl Bakery tuna sandwich) we went up to Congregation Beth Israel to locate a piece called “Menorah” of 1996…buildings all locked, call boxes, secret clicking doors and finally…we found it…
Coffee time again and then off to the museum to revisit the nice show of Manuel’s work on paper curated by Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson, Curator of Northwest Art at the Portland Art Museum, which includes this almost “encyclopedia” of images Manuel used over and over…
and FINALLY the day’s last event. Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson herself
introduced painter George Johanson who was a student with Manuel in the 50’s and then a colleague at the Museum school for years…good friend, fellow traveler. Insights abounded.
After a brief overnight with Mardy and Harry, and a yummy breakfast…
we took off for home…BUT…with one stop in Canby. R wanted to see a sculpture of 1995 that was supposedly at an apartment complex…here are photos of Manuel in November of ’95, installing the piece called “Whirlwind”…
but here’s what it looks like in 2012…
The internet is a marvelous tool, and this morning R had word that the apartment owner now has the sculpture at his home. Phew. Mysteries solved, time to practice the ukulele…
On The Way 
You have the most fun! I’m hoping to get up to Portland next week to catch Manuel Izquierdo’s show before it is gone. So glad Whirlwind is safe because what an amazing piece! Loving that photo you took of Roger studying the sculpture with your reflection in the glass. Priceless.
we second all that elizabeth has posted. thank you for this tour of oregon’s art legacy. we also worried, seeing the gazebo instead of ‘whirlwind’, that the sculpture might have been defaced. it is a beauty. (sloy & nic)
Wow! Looking forward to learning more about Manuel. Thank you Roger!