Color Outside the Lines

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ON VIEW:
August 20 - December 7, 2024

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored purple leotard. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Derrick Adams, Eye Candy (detail), 2022, Screenprint with relief and collage with custom wallpaper, Edition 1/24, 45 x 30 inches, Published by Tandem Press, Madison, WI, Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Courtesy of the artist and Tandem Press, Madison, WI

Target with hues shifting from red to blue from the outside to the center

Polly Apfelbaum, On Target, 2019, Woodblock, Edition 11/15, 25 x 25 inches, Published by Durham Press, Durham, PA, Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, © 2024 Polly Apfelbaum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Color Outside the Lines

From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

An ongoing debate in the field of art history centers around the dominance of form versus color. From ancient Greece to modern times, artists and critics have weighed which element holds greater significance. In his book Chromophobia (2000), artist and writer David Batchelor argues that color is often linked with groups that have traditionally faced discrimination within mainstream society, including women, people of color, and queer communities. This exhibition aims to explore whether such groups can reclaim color as a tool for challenging established norms.

Color Outside the Lines from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation examines the ways artists have used color to question institutions, beliefs, and expectations. Some of the artists included here celebrate and amplify colors intrinsic to their cultures, showcasing beauty once dismissed or rendered invisible. Artists like Faith Ringgold and Christopher Myers, for instance, create works inspired by African quilts and stories; these pieces emphasize the vivid contrasts in color often prevalent in African textiles.

Other artists employ color to confront stereotypes and subvert expectations. Derrick Adams’s Eye Candy (2022) incorporates images of a Black man wearing brightly colored leotards; these images are borrowed from 1970s underwear advertisements, prompting contemplation of ideas around masculinity, sexuality, and who is considered worthy of being portrayed.

Furthermore, some artists utilize color as a tool to challenge institutions or to assert control. Caitlin Cherry’s Fruit Molotov Cocktail (2017) depicts a dying clay figure against the backdrop of a blazing colonial New England home, a symbol of the dismantling of colonial structures. Several prints by Anish Kapoor initiate discussions about the artist’s relationship with color and notions of whether a color can be owned, and if so, who can own it.

Artists include Derrick Adams, Polly Apfelbaum, Antonius-Tín Bui, Iván Carmona (OR), Lauren Hana Chai, Caitlin Cherry, Sam Gilliam, Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, Ana María Hernando, Jenny Holzer, Salomón Huerta, Anish Kapoor, James Lavadour (OR), Christopher Myers, Faith Ringgold, Isaka Shamsud-Din (OR), Andy Warhol, and Stanley Whitney.

Color Outside the Lines is curated by Maryanna G. Ramirez. Support for this exhibition is provided by Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, JSMA at PSU Exhibition Circle, Richard and Helen Phillips Charitable Fund, and Elements Roofing.

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored red leotard. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored orange leotard.. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored yellow leotard. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored green leotard. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Image taken from a vintage magazine ad of a Black man wearing a brightly colored blue leotard. A swirling lollipop covers the models face.

Derrick Adams, Eye Candy, 2022, Six screenprints with relief and collage, with custom wallpaper, Edition 1/24, 45 x 30 inches each; installation, 144 x 288 inches, Published by Tandem Press, Madison, WI, Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Courtesy of the artist and Tandem Press, Madison, WI

Brochure

CoL_Brochure_ReaderOrder.pdf

Please take a look at the exhibition brochure.

Written content by Maryanna G. Ramirez. Designed by Heather Lee Birdsong.

Past Events + Programs

Oil painting depicting a busy scene filled with psychedelic colors. The otherworldly scene shows a mix of nude figures surrounded by waterfalls, greenery and motifs of Korean folk art, including dragons and flowers.

Thursday, August 22
Opening Reception
5:00–7:00 PM

Join us for the opening reception of Color Outside the Lines from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. The exhibition examines the ways artists have used color to question institutions, beliefs, and expectations.

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

Text that reads "JSMA at PSU Presents Storytime with Latoya Lovely." A lime green book rests at the bottom of the design with the event date "September 7" written on the spine.

Saturday, September 7
Storytime
11:00 AM–12:00 PM

Join Storytime at the PSU Farmers Market led by Portland-based artist Latoya Lovely. Inspired by JSMA at PSU's current exhibition, we will read stories exploring color and its ability to build friendship and community. Join Lovely as she brings stories of art and whimsy to life!

This program is free and open to the public. ASL interpreting will be provided.

Maquette showing a colonial home ablaze. Bright orange, yellow, and red flames fill the foreground and purple contrasts the background.

Saturday, September 21
Exhibition Tour
1:00–2:00 PM

JSMA at PSU is pleased to present an exhibition tour of Color Outside the Lines from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. Led by museum staff, the tour will cover highlights of the exhibition.

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

Text that reads "JSMA at PSU Presents Storytime with Latoya Lovely." An orange book rests at the bottom of the design with the event date "October 5" written on the spine.

Saturday, October 5
Storytime
11:00 AM–12:00 PM

This program is free and open to the public. ASL interpreting will be provided.

Saturday, October 19
Exhibition Tour with Featured Artist
1:00–2:00 PM

JSMA at PSU is pleased to present an exhibition tour of Color Outside the Lines from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, led by Museum Director Maryanna Ramirez. Contemporary artist Iván Carmona will join the tour and share insights on his sculpture in the exhibition!

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

RSVP HERE >

Text that reads "JSMA at PSU Presents Storytime with Latoya Lovely." A blue book rests at the bottom of the design with the event date "November 2" written on the spine.

Saturday, November 2
Storytime
11:00 AM–12:00 PM

Join Storytime led by Portland-based artist Latoya Lovely. Inspired by JSMA at PSU's current exhibition, we will read stories exploring color and its ability to build friendship and community. Join Lovely as she brings stories of art and whimsy to life!

Due to the cold weather, this event will be indoors at JSMA at PSU, 1855 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201.

This program is free and open to the public. ASL interpreting will be provided.

RSVP HERE >

Saturday, November 2
Conversation with Derrick Adams
4:00–5:00 PM

JSMA at PSU is excited to present a talk with contemporary artist Derrick Adams moderated by Brennan Scarlett, Founder and President of the Big Yard Foundation, and Maryanna Ramirez, JSMA at PSU Director. The talk will take place from 4–5 PM on campus in Smith Memorial Student Union Room 327, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201. The talk will be followed by a reception at the museum where Adams’s installation Eye Candy is on view.

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

RSVP HERE >

Saturday, November 16
Exhibition Tour
1:00–2:00 PM

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

RSVP HERE >

Thursday, November 21
Fresh Connections: Antonius-Tín Bui
12:00–1:00 PM

JSMA at PSU, in collaboration with our university partners, invites you to the Fall 2024 Fresh Connections gallery discussion with visiting artist Antonius-Tín Bui, featured in the museum's current exhibition. Led and moderated by PSU students and faculty, the Fresh Connections program series spotlights community voices in dialogue with leading contemporary visual artists. This ongoing series seeks to engage our university community, inspire transdisciplinary connections through art, and empower students to play a critical role in shaping the future of intellectual and creative discourse at PSU.

Please contact jsma@pdx.edu or (503) 725-6238 two weeks in advance of the program to request accommodations for a disability or ask questions about physical access.

RSVP HERE >

Featured Works

Caitlin Cherry, Fruit Molotov Cocktail, 2017, Digital print, Edition 7/10, 44 x 67 inches, Published by University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Courtesy of the artist

Print of two mountainscapes. The top mountain is shown in shades of pink and orange against a maroon background. The bottom mountain is shown in light blue and green against a teal background.

James Lavadour, Summer, 2019, Lithograph, Edition 11/30, 26 x 34 inches, Published by Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts, Pendleton, OR, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Courtesy of the artist and Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts, Pendleton, OR

Sculpture made of four blue stacked semi-circular shapes mimicking the movement of a crab

Iván Carmona, Juey, 2020, flashe paint on ceramic, 34 3/4 x 30 x 9 inches, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Courtesy of the artist and PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland OR

Lauren Hana Chai, Souls in Motion 2, 2020, oil and acrylic on canvas, 54 x 64 inches, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Courtesy of the artist and Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Portland, OR

Print showing color blocking in various rectangular and square shapes. Colors shift between red, yellow, green, blue, and black.

Stanley Whitney, Untitled, 2017, Monotype on handmade paper, 48 x 72 inches, Published by Two Palms Press, New York, NY, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Courtesy of the artist and Two Palms, New York, NY

Stark modern home in persian blue. Two clean, geometric trees in light green are placed in front of the home.

Salomon Huerta, Untitled (Persian Blue House), 2004, Color aquatint etching with drypoint, 24 3/4 x 37 3/4 inches, Published by Paulson Press, Berkeley, CA, Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Courtesy of the artist and Louise Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Hand cut blue paper of two morphed figures. Ornament cut outs in the background.

Antonius-Tín Bui (Vietnamese-American b. 1992), that a moment can be a monument, that the monumental can be this momentary, 2022, Hand cut paper, ink, and paint, 76 x 42 inches, Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago, IL

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