Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100Artist at work 48 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine from left: jay york; leah brown (2) all of 2008,” he says. “I thought I was de- pressed. Then, in 2009, vertigo set in, along with unbearable knee pain, anger, rage, fatigue, and depression.” Plourde eventually tested positive at St. Mary’s in Lewiston in 2010. “It stole my life com- pletely. I got standard six-week CDC-ap- proved treatment, but the symptoms per- sisted.” Later in 2010 he met Dr. Patrick Mulcahey, “a Lyme literate” physician in Kennebunk who introduced him to new treatments. These led to even greater pain, “which he told me is good. I received mas- sive doses of antibiotics. The pain gets worse once you start killing it. It means the infection is leaching out of your body. At one point I couldn’t walk. Finally, by October 2012, I felt okay. I’m one of the lucky ones,” In April 2013, Plourde enjoyed a com- plete sell-out of his 14-piece show at the Aucocisco Gallery in Portland, further lift- ing his attitude and energy. Although he’d had much success in earlier shows at this gallery, selling 40 of 50 small works for be- tween $100 to $400 over two days in 2011, this was different. “I made every piece spe- cifically for this show.” The most ambitious was Circus Wagon, eight paired animals riding in their wagons ($10,000)–an idea Plourde has been developing for a larger project ever since. “Circus Wagon was kind of a prelude later I visited him at his home and studio in Cushing. He taught me that you don’t have to be a Henry Moore. You can work from reclaimed stuff. His work was fresh, wildly eclectic. I felt a rush of learning it was OK to be crude, expressive, not overly pristine. Langlais was living in a farmhouse and having so much fun just being creative, be- ing free.” As we speak, a huge bird structure mo- tionlessly swoops over my head. “An eagle,” Plourde says. “The body is made of a large grain shovel cut in half, folded into itself. The tail wing is a lawn edger. The wings are made of nine steel rakes. I forged the talons myself.” And the big driftwood over there? “That’s new–a wild boar skull with ant- ler pieces for tusks and vintage nails as teeth. I found the driftwood at Brassua Lake near Greenville. This piece is for Da- na Street (restaurateur and co-owner of Fore Street, Street & Co., and Scales). “Da- na likes my jawbone structures. He uses them in his restaurants.” Plourde and Street “met in 1989, when I was opening Street & Co.,” Street says. “I was looking for an artist who under- stood that form isn’t just about the utility but involves capturing what the mind’s eye sees and creating something universal. Pat made us a collection of structures to hold veggies that bring to mind hay feeders. “He’s done many projects for us,” Street says. He creates these objects for the space because we need them, but they are essentially art. Like the Boston Bar at Fore Street,” says Street. “For Scales, we wanted to create an environment with a maritime ideal that doesn’t hit you in the face. There’s a subtlety to what he does.” He points out the driftwood “with an edge” that Plourde has integrated into the booths and the sail cloth neatly fitted into wrought-iron posts bordering the seating by the bar. Then it hits us like a rush. Plourde is at the heart of the signature ‘look’ of Street’s popular restaurants. While we Portland diners have been collecting memories at Fore Street, Scales, and Street & Co., we’ve already become collectors of Patrick Plourde. Highs & Lows Plourde battled the debilitating Lyme dis- ease from 2008 to 2012. “I napped away “The pain gets worse once you start killing it. I’m one of the lucky ones.” GiraffesfromtheCircusWagonseries.Ifyou’vedinedatForeStreet,youmayhavespotted someofPlourde’shandiworkhiddeninplainsightsuchasthesculptureontheservice station(topright)andthedramaticcurvedcounterinthewaitingarea(belowright).