Home and hearth: An artist’s perspective

Portland State’s Master of Fine Arts program has a real treat in store for its Visiting Artist Lecture Series this week: Internationally renowned artist Olaf Breuning will pay the university a rare visit and premiere his latest film, Home 3.

In a last-minute change of venue from its original location in Shattuck Hall, Breuning will screen his film at the 5th Avenue Cinema tomorrow evening. The university screening will mark the film’s West Coast debut. In addition, Breuning is expected to speak briefly about his body of work.

“Breuning is an internationally known artist who is all over the globe,” said Pat Boas, professor of art practices and chair of the university MFA committee. “It’s rare for Mr. Bruening to do visiting artist lectures at schools, so we are very lucky.”

Breuning is a Swiss-born multimedia artist who currently works in New York City. His work ranges from photography and drawings to sculpture and full-scale installation pieces. It has been shown in exhibitions throughout the world and addresses a breadth of social themes, such as cultural westernization, war and sexuality.

In addition, the artist works extensively with film. Home 3 is preceded by two previous Home films, both of which feature Breuning’s colleague, Brian Kerstetter, in a starring role.

In Home 1, Kerstetter portrays a man detached from reality, wandering through his hotel room as he relates personal anecdotes real or fictive. His tales are projected as surreal visual narratives.

Home 2 features Kerstetter as a naive Western tourist, traveling throughout the world and imposing his cultural view on the locals. His travels take him to Africa, Japan and Switzerland, and in each locale, he personifies the Western visitor’s invasive ignorance.

It remains to be seen what Home 3 has in store, but there can be no doubt: Tomorrow will provide a one-time opportunity for students to take a look at a new facet of the artist’s work and social commentary.