(Above: Beach Drift with Figures by Mike Van, part of a retrospective show at the White Lotus Gallery)
By Randi Bjornstad
On the Edge of the Palouse — the region where Idaho, Washington, and Oregon meet — reflects the terrain of Mike Van’s upbringing
At nearly 90 years old, Eugene artist Mike Van has spent at least two-thirds of his life either creating art or teaching other people how to do it.
He’s long been represented by the White Lotus Gallery in downtown Eugene, and gallery owner H.P. Lin marvels both at his longevity and his productivity.
“He still paints,” she says with obvious affection for Van and his work. “He hasn’t had a show here for awhile, but every time he does, he always has new pieces.”
This show is titled The Innovative Eye: A Life’s Work by Mike Van, and it’s curated by his daughter — herself an artist — Kim Still.
His earliest piece in the show is a 1955 landscape of his native Idaho. Another early piece, painted in 1966, is titled On the Edge of the Palouse and shows his progression into semi-abstraction and a combination of earth tones and vivid red.
Two/Four is an example of artist Mike Van’s interest in faces, created in 2011
“He always wants a challenge in his work,” Lin said. “Sometimes it’s color, but it’s also many different mediums — watercolor, ink, oil, acrylic, charcoal, pencil, or a combination.”
After completing his undergraduate work in Idaho, Van relocated to Eugene for graduate school at the University of Oregon, “and he’s been a prominent figure in Eugene ever since,” Lin said. “He started teaching art at South Eugene High School in the 1960s, and he did that until 1989. Some of Eugene’s most prominent artists were his students there.”
Even after retiring from teaching, Van continued both painting and volunteering as a docent and tour guide at the UO art museum. “I first knew him as a friend and an admirer of his work,” Lin said. “Whenever I think of him, it’s always with a piece of paper and a pencil or pen in his hand — he is always drawing.”
Chef with Blue Spray, done in 1997, is one of Van’s more whimsical series inspired by the tall white toques worn by professionals
Van’s art often focuses on the beaches, mountains, forests, and animals of the Pacific Northwest, portrayed through studies of contrast, contour, and composition. It sometimes takes a whimsical turn, as in a series that portrayed kitchen chefs in a variety of poses and activities, because he liked the white space occupied by their toques.
Van’s first solo show was in 1960 at the Yaquina Art Center in Newport. He has shown his work in several Art About Agriculture exhibits at Oregon State University, as well as in Eugene at the White Lotus Gallery, Maude Kerns Art Center, the University of Oregon, and the former Alder Gallery.
The Innovative Eye: A Life’s Work by Mike Van
When: Through Oct. 3
Where: White Lotus Gallery, 767 Willamette St., Eugene
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, subject to masks and social distancing, or by appointment
Information: 541-345-3276 or online at wlotus.com
Mike Van’s Beach Geometry reflects his affinity for the Oregon Coast and the infinite shapes and colors it offers to artists
