Joe Macca continues his exploration of subtle shifts of color. This rich body of work is so luminous that at first glance the viewer might think they are made of glass. The paintings are abstract, on panel; lustrous color fields, with pulsating spots of varying hues.
Colors are repeatedly glazed in oil and built up with approximately 100 coats of paint.
They are based on the objective color of various humble, found things such as insects, weeds and birds. Between 3 and 7 colors are scrutinized from each object. Macca created a contrived system of chance in order to develop and compose the paintings. The added forms are placed by using a system of assigning a number, 1 - 6, to each color. The number/color is chosen by the roll of the dice. That color is then placed within an invisible grid on the color field. These individual colors are added by airbrush onto the original color field.

Artist Statement
My current body of paintings are based on the objective color of various humble, found things: insects, rodents, weeds, etc. A contrived system of chance is created in order to develop and compose the work. Between three and seven colors are scrutinized from each object. Individual colors are then represented by airbrushed, pulse-like forms and placed within each painting by a chance system of grids and rolling dice. Colors are then repeatedly glazed in oil and medium and built up with approximately 100 thin coats of paint.
JM

Macca's Inventory
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Past shows
Oxygen Paintings, July 2006
The Color of Underappreciated Things, November 2004
Night Paintings and I, Virus, February 2003
HEDZ, November 2001 Show

Joe Macca Resume

Education

1999
MFA, Portland State University, Portland, OR

1992
BA, Film, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

Solo Exhibitions

2006
“Oxygen Paintings,” PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR

2005
“Flotsam,” New American Art Union, Portland, OR

2004
“The Color of Under Appreciated Things,” PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR

2003
“Night Paintings and I, Virus,” PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR

2001
“HEDZ,” PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR

2000
“Hypostatics,” PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR

1999
Gallery 114, “Stripes & Atmospheres”
Autzen Gallery, “Thresholds,” MFA Thesis Exhibition, Portland State University, Portland, OR

Group Exhibitions

2007
“18 Painters,” Mt. Hood Community College, Gresham, OR

2005
“Fresh Trouble,” Portland OR, Curated by Jeff Jahn
“drawing(s): A 25th Anniversary Exhibition,” The Art Gym, Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR
“Fresh Trouble,” Curated by Jeff Jahn, Portland, OR
“ArtSlate,” Condon, OR
“3rd Around Oregon Annual,” Artcentric Arts Corvallis Art Center, Corvallis, OR.
“Next,” PDX Contemporarty Art, Portland OR

2004
“Dialogue” Littman Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Summer Group Show, PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
24th Annual Gender Synposium Art Exhibition, Lewis & Clark College,
Portland, OR. Curated by Barbara Bartholomew.

2003
Annual Juried Group Exhibit, Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), Seattle, WA

2000
Gallery 114, 10th Anniversary Group Exhibition, Portland, OR
“A Dealer’s Eye,” Art Center Gallery, Clatsop Community College, Astoria, OR

1999
Fluid Gallery, Group Exhibition, Portland, OR
Gallery 114, Group Exhibition

1998
Autzen Gallery, MFA Group Exhibition, Portland, State University

Selected Bibliography

2006
“Shows of Note,” Oregonian, D.K. Row, 7/28/06

2005
“Joe Macca at PDX Contemporary Art,” Artweek, February 2005, page 21.
“Macca at Naav,” Portlandart.net, Katherine Bovee, July 2005

2004
“The Open Studios Pacific Coast Competition” New American Paintings, Volume 55, The Open Studios Press

2003
“Stretch Marks” The Oregonian, D.K.Row, 2/28/03, A & E, page 58
“Critical i,” nwdrizzle.com, Jeff Jahn, 3/4/03
“Visual Reviews,” The Mercury, Chaz Bowie, 2/20/03

2000
“Macca’s Masterly Strokes,” The Oregonian, D.K. Row, 7/14/00
“Joe Macca’s Hypostatics,” The Portland Mercury, Camela Raymond, 7/13/00

1999
“Visions of Light,” The Oregonian, D.K. Row, 10/29/99

Collections

Blackfish Creative Marketing, Inc. Portland, OR
Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP, Portland, OR
Opus Capital, San Francisco, CA
Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR

Awards

2005
Best in Show, “ArtSlate,” Condon, OR