Strokes of luck

‘Lucky to be Alive’ showcases art inspired by a brush with death

Artist Steve Pickering takes viewers on a healing journey through his subconscious mind in “Lucky to be Alive,” opening this Friday, Oct. 13, at the Newport Visual Arts Center.

The exhibit, presented by Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, will open with a reception this Friday, Oct. 13, from 4 to 7 pm, featuring wine, refreshments and a talk from the artist.

The show stems from Pickering’s involvement in a terrible automobile accident that left him battered, bruised and dealing with a concussion.

While Pickering has no conscious memory of the accident, in the aftermath he began to create art as a means of documenting inner explorations and outward expressions of physical and emotional sensations. The resulting exhibit takes the viewer on a journey through his subconscious — with the energy and freedom of his collage and mark making — arriving on the other side of his trauma with excellently executed compositions.

"Initially this art paired aggressive marks with static ones, juxtaposing the energized with the serene," Pickering said. “The work has gradually evolved to a more balanced dynamic of these elements."

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Pickering earned both a BFA and MFA at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is included in the collections of City of Portland, Microsoft Corporation, Kaiser Hospital of Santa Rosa, The Print Consortium of Kansas City, and in many private collections. Throughout his career, in addition to exhibiting nationally, Pickering taught at Loyola University, repaired porcelain, designed custom picture framing and even performed in and designed costumes for a dance concert in San Francisco choreographed by Joah Lowe. Prior to his move to Newport in 2020, Pickering lived in Portland for nearly 30 years, where he focused on designing picture framing.

"Steve was a very active artist for a long period of his life," said Newport Visual Arts Center Director Chasse Davidson. "He stepped away from it while pursuing another career, but trauma brought him back to his craft and passion. It assisted in his mental and psychological healing. That really grabbed my attention."

Pickering’s current body of work combines collage and a mix of media, creating abstract works on paper. Materials include envelopes that arrive in the mail, as well as “street finds.” He begins by laying down collages as a base for additional media — then adds pencil marks; some deliberate and aggressive, others delicate and sometimes random. He also makes use of acrylic paint, crayon, colored pencil and graphite.

 "The dynamic strength of composition and raw, unfiltered energy contained in each work is exciting," Davidson said. "This exhibition truly celebrates the transcending and healing capacity of art."

“Lucky to be Alive” will be on show through November 26, available to view Wednesdays through Sundays, from noon to 4 pm at the Newport Visual Arts Center, 777 NW Beach Drive. For more information, go to www.coastarts.org/events/pickering.