Salem, Oregon – Astoria artist Darren Orange will exhibit “Those Who Step Into The Same Rivers” in the Governor’s Office of the Capitol Building in Salem from Nov.14 to Jan. 21. In this new body of work Orange’s compositions stretch further from literal reference and deeper into abstraction. The artist continues to explore automatism, a practice of intuitive mark making that engages both play and meditative focus. The resulting built-up paint layers present suggestive imagery that reveal the history of the painting process in line, smudge and replacement. The exhibited works were created in Orange’s studio on the Columbia River. The exhibition title refers to a quote by Greek philosopher Heraclitus. In response to the ancient philosophical paradox known as The Ship of Theseus, Heraclitus stated that though a river changes as the water is replenished by other water, the river continues to be the same river. Likewise, a person who steps into the same river twice may also have changed, but still maintains the same identity. After studying art at Western Washington University, Orange moved to the remote area of the Lower Columbia in 2000, setting up a studio with friends in a defunct schoolhouse. He has resided in Astoria since then, minus a two-year sojourn to Santa Fe in the mid-2000s. The sublime and grandeur experience of nature, in the place where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, continues to inspire him.
