Artist Robert Canaga has a show about his near-death experiences at Oblivion Gallery, 3925 Cross Street in Eugene. Oblivion is out off Roosevelt in the light industrial area where Eugene’s favorite found objects sculptor Jud Turner and partner Renee Mahni have built a gorgeous gallery space. It’s open tomorrow from 1 to 4, a terrific place to treasure hunt after Thanksgiving.
Canaga has had multiple near death experiences (NDEs), and this show is his attempt to paint what that was like.
When he was 16 his car was hit by a train, and he died for thirty minutes—they’d already told his dad and the newspaper, which printed it, that he was dead before he re-entered the world. He painted his re-entry as a dynamic red and black portal.
He said that on the Other Side, his spirit was so weak and “frayed” that many entities or spirits or angels “braided” themselves with him to make him strong enough to return. At Oblivion, a whole series of shadowy, evocative figures are grouped under the heading, “They might be angels.”
He said while on the Other Side that he was in the presence of all knowledge, all beings, all time, which was Not Time.
He came back a different person. “Once you’re there, you’re always there. I’m never not connected.” He represents this harmony with abstract vibrant circles or colorful dots on a light or dark background.
He said from then on he “knew everything.” He never had to study for a test and became an effortless top scholar.
One of the characteristics of his abstract art form is he always paints from above, a bird’s eye view because part of him has never come all the way down. This is a characteristic to look for when you go out to Oblivion on Saturday afternoon.
“You’re always connected,” he said at the end, “you’re always singing the same note.”
