SMOKING HORSE PRINT:

Signed/numbered, limited edition 11.5” x 17” prints, $10, printed at Container Corps

“About five years ago I was walking down Burnside near Old Town and spotted a beat-up playing card on the ground. Staring at me faceup was the Joker, which I thought was kinda funny. But it was the image on the flip side that blew me away—a black and white portrait of a horse framed in bright red. Twenty minutes later I was drinking a cup of coffee at the Half & Half, my favorite hangout back then. I had the coveted window seat.  Don’t know if it was the warm magic hour sunlight or the coffee was especially good that day, but I was inspired to take out my pencil and eraser and doctor the card as you see here.”

CERAMIC BUCK HEAD:

Made by Gretchen Vaudt, $12

“When I was a little kid, I joined the Manikiki Nation Y-Indian Guides, along with my little brother and pop. We’d meet once a month with other tribal members to make crafts, play games, tell stories and eat pepperoni pizza. I remember going camping once—canoeing, too—and learning how to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together.  As part of my membership, I got a patch (which my mom sewed onto my suede fringe vest), a colorful headband, and a new name—Running Deer. I was proud of my name because I thought it sounded fast and cool. I even burned it into a piece of wood with my wood burning kit I got for Christmas that year. I’ve liked all things deer ever since, especially these ceramic pieces made by Portland artist Gretchen Vaudt. Her Native American name, by the way, is Hanging Possum—bestowed by the Boys & Girls Club of St. Cloud, Minnesota when she was 10.”

BUCKMAN BOW & ARROW SET:

Made by Brendan Budge, $45

“I met my friend Brendan about 10 years ago, not long after he had emigrated from Appalachia, his motherland. In his Buckman neighborhood apartment, the one that towers over Sassy’s, he dreams up—and then makes entirely by hand—the coolest shit. Take his bow and arrow sets, for example. He delivered these to me on a drizzly afternoon while we were standing in line ordering burritos at Robo Taco. After we filled our bellies, I asked him to step outside and demonstrate the flyness of his latest creation. He moved to the edge of the curb, waited for a few cars to pass, then shot an arrow clear across Morrison Ave.  Brendan makes his bow and arrow sets out of hickory, birch, cherry and walnut. Note that he caps each arrow with a rubber thingy, so you don’t hurt yourself.”

All images/text © Norm Sajovie (MIR04)

HOBO NIGHT LIGHTS (hand-punched tin can night lights, assorted designs, all profits donated to Sisters of the Road; $6).

“I started making these for friends and family several years ago after reading about hobo symbols, those secret codes hobos and train hoppers would scrawl in chalk or coal near railyards, alerting their fellow travelers where they could find shelter, a free meal, or run into trouble. They’re a cinch to make. I punch holes in empty spaghetti sauce cans from Trader Joes—the ones that are lined gold. Those glow really nice when you stick a small candle inside. I like to light ‘em up at night when I’m sitting on the porch drinking a beer or listening to records.”—Norm Sajovie

Our members were lucky back in the spring of 2010 when Jon Raymond did a reading at Nationale of what was at the time work in progress. Two years later, Rain Dragon is here and, having just finished reading the novel, I can say that it was well worth the wait. Bloomsbury, $16, with a cover illustration from an other local fave, Patrick Long.

To understand what Raymond’s getting at here, you have to first consider his long history with regionalism. The climate and nature and temperament of the Pacific Northwest is as necessary to his writing as words and punctuation. Somewhere around the time that the characters of Rain Dragon pull away from the earth and enter an artificial, ironclad cocoon of corporate-speak and stale chain-store coffee, it becomes apparent what Raymond is doing. When we meet them, Damon and Amy are pioneers, traveling a great distance to come to the fertile Northwest in search of a new beginning, some sort of reclaimed innocence that the giants of American literature, from Whitman and Hawthorne onward, have insisted is possible. Soon enough, human desires—a need for security and familiarity—intercede, and, as the pioneers discovered, all this lush, gorgeous beauty has to make way for progress.

A lesser author would phrase what happens next in Rain Dragon as a spoiling of Eden, a tragic fall of man. Raymond understands that the truth is more complex, and infinitely more interesting, than that. This is not an up-or-down proposition. The thing about beauty and novelty and balance is that we get used to it. We take it for granted. We’re always looking for the next paradise, so we can make ourselves tired of it again, and move on.

—Paul Constant for The Stranger

Find a bit more about the novel in this great interview for Plazm. Jon’s previous books, Livibility and The Half Life, are back in stock. And stay tuned as Jon will be our next Merchant in Residence. Can’t wait to see what inspires him!

We’re spending more time on Instagram. Follow us there if that works best for you.

Shown here from the shop/gallery: Delaney Allen (Self Portrait No. 1, detail), Midori Hirose (C SQ II), Yellow Owl Workshop (greeting cards: Happy Birthday to our Merchants in Residence’s director Ty Ennis!), Libby cole (ode to Francois Truffaut tote).

DEAD MAN DVDS (written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, $15):

“Every once in awhile I’m asked THAT question: “What’s your favorite movie, man?” Unlike my favorite band or book or era I’d like most to visit in a time machine, I actually have an answer: Dead Man, an Acid Western written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. He describes it as a story “about a man who takes a journey which carries him further away from anything familiar.” Johnny Depp plays an unworldly accountant from Cleveland en route to a frontier town to assume a promised job as a bookkeeper. I love everything about the film—the black and white imagery, Neil Young’s improvised soundtrack, and that it contains jokes in Cree and Blackfoot that were intentionally not subtitled. This was done for the exclusive enjoyment of Native American viewers. What I love most about Dead Man, though, is that it loosely parallels my own naïve, wide-eyed passage west from Cleveland to the Pacific Northwest to accept a job. Crazy thing: Filming began in October 1994—the exact month and year I packed up and headed out.” —Norm Sajovie

“Waterproofs and conditions my work boots—and smells real good!  Since 1929, the original pine tar and beeswax formula. Contains no animal fats or tallow, preserver additives, or synthetic compounds. Comes in a metal can, as most good things do.” —Norm Sajovie

Norm Sajovie’s Merchant in Residence 04 will be on display through May 2012. Thank you everyone for such a fun night (including the post drinks at The Farm!).

SAJCAT TSHIRTS (screenprinted by hand, various sizes, $15):

“When I was in seventh grade growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, my classmates nominated me to draw a picture of a wildcat—our school mascot—for the cover of our yearbook. Stoked that they had chosen me, I ran home as fast as I could and busted out my Magic Markers. It was a tough assignment. I ended up working through the night at the foot of my bed in dim light, drawing dozens of wildcats while my little brother slept. I can’t remember if I drew what I imagined a wildcat looked like or used a photo from the encyclopedia for inspiration, but the end result was embarrassingly awful, especially considering how much work I had put into it. My stomach hurt. I expected the worst. I thought everyone would be disappointed. But I signed it SAJ—my nickname at the time—and presented it later that morning anyway. To my surprise they all thought it was rad and voted to put it on the cover.” —Norm Sajovie

TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT!

As you might know, Norm is not only the kindest soul in Portland but he also always knows of the best music, films, and everything else before anyone else. Seriously! Now you can get a special glimpse into his private world as we proudly presents the unveiling of his Merchant in Residence tonight, 6-8 p.m.

NORM SAJOVIE | MERCHANT IN RESIDENCE 04

Thursday March 15th, 2012 
6pm-8pm
Free

Merchants in Residence reconciles the two aspects of Nationale, the gallery and the shop, by inviting artists to share with us music, films, imagery, and objects of all kinds that inspire them, both in their art practice and everyday life. After Ty Ennis (MIR01), Storm Tharp (MIR02), and Midori Hirose (MIR03), we now welcome Norm Sajovie (MIR04).

Please join us on Thursday March 15th as Sajovie unveils his selection of discoveries found while journeying and wandering the streets of Portland.

From our MIR instigator, Ty Ennis: “The idea being Merchants in Residence is that I invite artists to showcase and sell items in the shop side of the gallery. It’s a sort of show-and-tell meets self portrait; an introduction to the space and artists for some, and an intimate glimpse at a hero for others. It could also be seen as a “so-and-so recommends.”