"I'm done with the rainy, cold, and wet part of my day. Now I'm in the warm and dry part of my day. I'll be in the chocolate shop the rest of the evening."
Try Robert's new Lavender Shiraz.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Sculptural Caesar Salad
Last night, a crisp cool, quick-walking sort of evening was the invigorating backdrop to the crowded First Friday scene in Dupont Circle/14th Street areas. My fly-bys included Hillyer for Martha Jarvis Jackson's, "Ass Against the Wall", (2) WPA for Minna Nathanson and Joan Belmar's Coup d'Espace, "Influence = Convergence", (3) Smith Farm for Dulce Pinzon's "The Real Story of SuperHeroes", Congrats to Brooke Seidelman, on her job as new Gallery Directory, (4) Project4 for Laurel Lukaszewski's solo, "Once," and (5) Creme Cafe for a bite to eat with Ani and Dave.
"Superheroes" was thought-provoking, asking me to compare immigrant workers in generic jobs (from nanny to cook to prostitute) who are sending home a significant amount of their weekly wages back home. I was struck by the obvious, but no less poignant: How hard they must each work. How different their culture is that they choose not to spend their money on material goods, but on making their families' lives better.
"Once" is beautiful. Laurel presents clay cherry blossoms floating all over the space, evoking April in November.
"Ass" is a cool installation piece featuring a Tadjikistanian donkey, wood + ?. That donkey photo on silk is compelling, grounding. The crowd was too large to allow a complete viewing; the show needs a return visit.
"Convergence" is the effect of two artists' sharing studio space for a couple of years. For me this show is all about the delight and concern. It's delightful that another person can inspire you. Maintaining your own voice is a concern.
Creme Cafe served Ani, Dave and me some good food in a too-noisy atmosphere. They (Creme Cafe, though not to take anything away from Ani & Dave) have a good sense of humor. They're willing not to tell you what's in the vegetable platter which enticed us to order it and be wowed. They managed to make the humble Caesar salad look sculptural.
"Superheroes" was thought-provoking, asking me to compare immigrant workers in generic jobs (from nanny to cook to prostitute) who are sending home a significant amount of their weekly wages back home. I was struck by the obvious, but no less poignant: How hard they must each work. How different their culture is that they choose not to spend their money on material goods, but on making their families' lives better.
"Once" is beautiful. Laurel presents clay cherry blossoms floating all over the space, evoking April in November.
"Ass" is a cool installation piece featuring a Tadjikistanian donkey, wood + ?. That donkey photo on silk is compelling, grounding. The crowd was too large to allow a complete viewing; the show needs a return visit.
"Convergence" is the effect of two artists' sharing studio space for a couple of years. For me this show is all about the delight and concern. It's delightful that another person can inspire you. Maintaining your own voice is a concern.
Creme Cafe served Ani, Dave and me some good food in a too-noisy atmosphere. They (Creme Cafe, though not to take anything away from Ani & Dave) have a good sense of humor. They're willing not to tell you what's in the vegetable platter which enticed us to order it and be wowed. They managed to make the humble Caesar salad look sculptural.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Gestural Electricity
Tod Machover, from MIT's The Media Laboratory, created instruments and software that are helping people to create music. It's a magical combination of electrical stimuli and interactivity in the case of the Beatbugs and Shapers. The instruments measure sound, muscular movements and electrical current from the body to create music in response to the player's feedback. It seems improvisational. Gestural electricity is the essence of the Hyperchair. Penn n Teller were involved in the development of the Hyperchair, which happens to look like a magic prop, actually.
Learned that some researcher has discovered that simple repetition of singing songs to a stroke sufferer does nothing to help regain speech. Melodic Intonation Therapy uses half-tone variations and percussive movements to help retrain the brain in speech. No wonder so frustrating results-wise, but at least a humane, connective act.
The Hyperscore requires only the ability to read and draw a line. I was struck by Machover's comment at Carnegie Institute tonight that kids under 8 yrs and older folks over 70 yrs were most responsive (creative?) with the instruments. The Brain Opera, an interactive music creation experience using both these instruments and software resides in Vienna, Austria. Now I need a residency in Vienna!
Learned that some researcher has discovered that simple repetition of singing songs to a stroke sufferer does nothing to help regain speech. Melodic Intonation Therapy uses half-tone variations and percussive movements to help retrain the brain in speech. No wonder so frustrating results-wise, but at least a humane, connective act.
The Hyperscore requires only the ability to read and draw a line. I was struck by Machover's comment at Carnegie Institute tonight that kids under 8 yrs and older folks over 70 yrs were most responsive (creative?) with the instruments. The Brain Opera, an interactive music creation experience using both these instruments and software resides in Vienna, Austria. Now I need a residency in Vienna!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
All good architecture leaks
Hickok Cole Art Night: what a fabulous party! There were so many engaging people, all interested in architecture or art. A generous table too.
Hickok Cole purchases one art work at the annual Art Night Washington Project for the Arts fundraiser. The method is unusual. It's basically an "Employees' Choice" award. Thanks to all HC for choosing my work this year.
Tac, thanks for the dotty picture.
The other architectural highlight is an article that I wrote for the AIA/DC Chapter, interviewing two of my fellow Artomatic artists, Erwin Timmers and Fabian H. Rios Rubino. Take a look at How to ART-ify Your Architecture.
Cross Currents: Trends in Contemporary Art Media
Please check out a great sculpture group show called, Cross Currents. My fellow artists are Dana Reifler Amato, Elizabeth Burger, Ian MacLean Davis, Mary Early, and Hadieh Shafie. It's at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College, Paul Peck Building, 2nd Floor, 51 Mannakee Rd. It's up until November 6.
I have four pieces up including a corner work specifically made for the gallery. The steel is salvaged from an earlier work that didn't happen as planned. Going around a corner gives the work added dimensionality and really makes the ceramic pods pop out.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
New work - printing on steel
I'm printing on steel as I prepare for my fall shows. This is one of my new works, which is a highly-magnified image of a crinoid's exoskeleton on sheet metal.Installation view of WVSA exhibit:
My first show is Strata Displaced, a solo show partly funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH), an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Please join me at the opening on September 17, 2009, at the ARTiculate Gallery in Washington, DC, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
The DCCAH grant will help bring this new body of work to a wider audience. The pieces also incorporate some of the ideas I started to develop at last July's residency at Rocky Mountain Recycling, a metal scrap yard in Denver. The show runs until September 25 and 30% of all sales will support WVSA, a non-profit that provides arts-infused programs to children and adults.
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