Interview with Gage Hamilton

Mar 10

Gage is the driving force behind Forest For The Trees - a mural organization that is located in PDX and it’s easy to spot their work alongside buildings in most neighborhoods.

Gage is an artist, himself, who has hosted immersive solo shows at the FFTT headquarters in N. Portland. He combines a mural style with contemporary installation, and as quality artists should do, he makes you think about life in a new way.

His events are exactly what art events should be; they are immersive and help you disengage from everyday life. He is by far one of the truest artists in Portland who just wants to live life expressing his ideas in an unexpected form. Gage quietly grounds me as an artist when I go to his events. In a strange way he helps you realize that even though life can be a lot, we have art as a backbone to support us. Maybe that’s why I’ve always appreciated his presence and support him in everything he does.

This is a trait I wish I saw more of in people around town. There seems to be a constant battle, pushing and pulling, and often times feeling stepped on so someone else can be an inch higher. We as artists need to realize and understand that we are individuals who may march as one, but are all very different who don’t need to “take'“ from anybody but share and grow together. This is a bit of a rant, but it needs to be said. Thanks, Gage for helping me realize this.

If you run into him at an art event, you’ll likely not hear him, but you’ll see a group of people around him merely waiting in line to talk. He’s a seasoned member of the PDX art scene and has earned the respect of his peers.