R. Crumb at the Portland Art Museum
Portlanders: anyone who has not gotten the chance to go see The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis at the Portland Art Museum needs to go soon. Rarely have comics met with the walls of museums, but this show marks a new and well-deserved turn. The book took Crumb over four years to render and it is filled with his trademark scratchy, exaggerated characters and cross-hatched detail. It’s wonderful to look at all the pages up close and see his pen work, the waviness of the paper, and the dabs of white-out all over. It’s a truly unique experience because as you examine the pieces, you can’t help but get sucked into reading the text as well. Though the museum’s layout for the show is not the easiest to follow, you can always get the 224 page book if you’re itching to delve into it a little bit more.
The exhibit runs until September 19th. Tickets are $12 for adults or try and catch “Free Fourth Friday Night” at the museum on August 27 from 5-8pm. More information at www.portlandartmuseum.org.
