PILLAR OF PRINT. "RWONG ideas," the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center’s 25-year anniversary show, is on display through April 26. The show features the work of Roberta Wong, who curated shows at the center for 18 years. Pictured is "Cocoon," a meticulously placed tower of books exploring the contemporary idea of transformation. (Photo courtesy of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center)

From The Asian Reporter, V18, #15 (April 8, 2008), page 15.

"RWONG ideas"

On view through April 26

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 North Interstate Avenue, Portland

Gallery Hours:

Tuesday through Friday, 11:00am to 6:00pm & Saturday, noon to 4:00pm

By Toni Tabora-Roberts

In a statement about her current show at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC), Roberta Wong writes, "The exhibition title, a play on words, is a pun based upon my name, ‘R. Wong,’ and the sing-song character of the spoken word "wrong" by a ‘B’ actor mimicking an English-speaking Chinese immigrant."

And such is the work of Roberta Wong — clever, layered, and elegant. "RWONG ideas" is on display through April 26 at the IFCC Gallery. Wong is the featured artist for the cultural center’s 25th anniversary — a fitting honor, given Wong’s connection to the space. She was IFCC’s curator for 18 years. The retrospective exhibit showcases her work over two decades.

Roberta was born and raised in Portland, the daughter of immigrants with a Chinatown family business. Immediately after high school in the ’70s she went to art school at Portland State University (PSU). She started as a sculpture major, but in her last year of school her artistic perspective made a big shift when she and fellow students in local arts luminary Mel Katz’s "Current Concerns" class were challenged to work outside the norm. Katz also introduced the budding artists to the idea of conceptual art.

"One of the artists I responded to was Chris Burden," remembers Wong. Burden is an artist best known for controversial performance art in the ’70s — many works involving a high level of danger — including one piece in which he enlisted an assistant to shoot a loaded rifle at his arm. "It was all about provoking human response — that we will live in a complacent society and we need to wake up."

However, Roberta knew she wanted to be less prescriptive in her work. "I believe change happens internally. For me, it’s not about being judgmental, and to dictate. But for people to think and explore internally their own beliefs and biases and hopefully walk away with self-knowledge and understanding of the world they live in."

One of her earlier works, "All Orientals Look Alike," is a good example of this approach. She created the piece in response to a local arts grant for ethnic artists. "It was monies for ethnic artists, but under the context that ethnic artists do traditional art. I wanted to underscore that not all ethnic artists do ethnic art." The work depicts a typical Asian funeral alter with photos of different individuals, each a different Asian ethnicity. The central photo consists of a weaving of the four other photos, referring to the title. Wong notes, "The funerary setting mourns the loss of identity that’s imposed by stereotypes. But at the same time, I wanted to express the power of individuals to shatter the image." The piece delicately balances a traditional Asian aesthetic with a contemporary perspective on racial stereotypes.

A few of her other ’80s works show early explorations above and beyond culturally specific issues. The "Last Supper" installation juxtaposes military and Christian imagery to examine political machinations around the nuclear arms race. "Used Dolls" shows a deflated sex doll alongside a baby doll, investigating how society acculturates gender, "condoning a female child to learn the aspects of nurturing, and condemning men for their sexual play with adult toys." Wong encourages viewers "to think in context of not so much right or wrong, but how much we are complicit in creating this environment."

The show also highlights some of Roberta’s current work. "Cocoon" is a meticulously placed tower of books exploring the contemporary idea of transformation. Built with self-help titles like Undoing Depression, Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich, and Six Pillars of Self Esteem, she illustrates how we "use books as an insulator — to fortify who we are, to define who we are."

In the "Lint Series," Wong explores even more subtle expressions. It can be characterized as 3-D wall installation — since it leans more toward 2-D painting (albeit with lint as the medium), but with a sculptural element and conceptual outlook. "Cascades" and "Diptychs" are especially intriguing, literally using lint as a sculptural "paint" to create texture and landscape. "Diptych #3" and "Diptych #4" are highly successful at mimicking painted or photographed diptychs, where one image bleeds into the next. The series also serves to elevate the mundane task of laundry to an artistic level.

"RWONG ideas" takes the idea of "culturally specific art" and turns it around to become intelligent, specific art from a cultural perspective. Wong says, "The visual clues, the title of the work is sort of the entrance. You can either choose to walk through or step back. But once you have that visual experience, you can’t extract it from your mind. You’ll carry it with you forever." A very small sampling of the work in the show has been introduced here. Do yourself a favor and head over to the IFCC for a wonderful treat!

Also, this writer is pleased to note that I will be a guest facilitator at the Artist Tea with Roberta scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at 1:00pm. For more information, call (503) 823-4322 or visit <www.ifcc-arts.org>.