December 26th, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PAINTER SAM ROLOFF TO HOST FIRST ART SHOW IN TEN YEARS
After a Decade Dedicated to Raising His Family, Roloff Picks Up the Palette Again

On Friday, January 4th, artist and Portland resident, Sam Roloff, will present a variety of new pieces and reproductions of older pieces at Souk (322 NW 6th Avenue, Suite 200).  This open house marks a return to a creative community for Roloff.  Once a painter by trade, Roloff has spent the last ten years building his website design business and spending time with his family.

Roloff received his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993.  His canvases ran in numerous galleries and shows in San Francisco in the early nineties, including the renowned Luggage Store Gallery.  During this time, Roloff witnessed the birth of the Mission School art movement.  Centered in the Mission District of San Francisco, the movement took its cues from mural and graffiti art and emerged from a group of Roloff’s classmates at the San Francisco Art Institute.  Roloff was friends with many of the Mission School artists, but ultimately decided to pursue his own path.

In 1994, Roloff moved to Prague, Czech Republic for a year, where he originated his “Women in Prague” series.  This was a defining year for Roloff, for even now, Roloff finds that a new piece often harkens back to that figurative series. 

Those familiar with Roloff’s paintings will not be surprised to learn that he received his degree in etching.  Roloff has transferred many of processes involved in printmaking to his painting.  Known for his thin layers of glazes, Roloff will often apply paint to paper or a board and then selectively wipe the paint off.  The thin washes and smooth surfaces, coupled with subject matter that is up for interpretation creates a surrealist effect in many of Roloff’s pieces. 

For someone who was a full time painter for five solid years and then took a ten-year hiatus, Roloff describes his sudden return to his craft as boiling down to a matter of timing.  With his three children now all school-aged, Roloff was able to reinstate a home studio and resume taking art classes.  Now back to working with a full palette of oils, Roloff is thrilled to be back in the saddle.

Roloff’s show is sponsored by the Working Artists LLC. 

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For more information, or to schedule an interview with Sam Roloff,
please contact Kaitlin Parker at kaitlin.m.parker@gmail.com