Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting, sculpture | Tags: art, artist, decordova, deCordova Museum, drawing, museum, Orly Genger, painting, sculpture
This has been a rather rough week. A friend of mine, her two sons, and her husband died this week. I won’t go into the details, as those are even worse. I want to say something profound about the whole ordeal, and about her, but I’m at a bit of a loss. I feel as if my brain stopped working this week…my thoughts have been stuck like a needle skipping on a record, repeating the same awful refrain. Short periods of heartache and angst have been interspersed among longer periods of numbness.
I tried to find solace this week by going somewhere that I love: The deCordova Museum.
I have been coming here ever since I moved to the area in 1998. I find it to be peaceful and beautiful. It truly feels like an escape to me. This week, it helped provide me with fresh air and a necessary, albeit temporary, distraction. While I walked around like a bit of a zombie, there were things that made me smile and appreciate that there is still beauty in this world. I don’t mean beauty in a superficial sense, but beauty of thought and sensibility. I present to you what I saw at the museum…because I can’t talk or think about my sadness right now.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue, deCordova Museum
It was a cold and clear day. I aimlessly meandered through the grounds and was drawn to this new installation by Orly Genger. I first saw her work at Mass MOCA. This specific piece was originally commissioned for Madison Square Park in NYC.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue, deCordova Museum
I love to knit, so the loopy, monumental, yet somehow furtive, quality of this work appeals to me. I like that it becomes taller than a person at times, defying knitting’s typical scale and delicacy.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue, deCordova Museum
It winds its way around, changing from red, to yellow, to blue.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue, deCordova Museum
See how it winds around the grounds? Knitting is very meditative, and I looked at all of the silent stitches and wondered about each one.
Inside the museum is the biennial exhibition…
Ethan Morrow, Flotilla (detail), ball point pen
Morrow’s work fills the main staircase at the museum. His drawings are amazing. Detail:
Ethan Morrow, Flotilla (detail), ball point pen
Isn’t that breathtaking? He has drawn gorgeous, ethereal ships floating up the expanse of the stair wall. He included historical details and text along with his drawings. I bask in his drawing brilliance. You must go see this.
Bahar Yurukoglu, Primodial Future, Mixed media installation with projection
Please take a look at Yurukoglu’s website…it’s very interesting. I like bright colors and transparency, so I liked where this was going. Everything was wall bound…and I kind of wished that there was even more, somehow. Look at his website…lots of beautiful images and stunning photographs.
Laura Braciale, Rods and Cones, Mixed media installation
I liked this piece. I liked the translation of these odd objects into flat, 2D paintings. It looks like some kind of research project to me…an experiment in perception. I also like all of the white space (of course.) You’ll see that there are quite a few installation pieces in this biennial.
Xylor Jane, Magic Square for finding missing people, Oil and colored pencil on panel
I really liked Jane’s work. It felt very different to me. At times, it almost seemed to be like a textile, with seams. Her work was very bold.
Xylor Jane, Via Crucis XII, Oil on panel
There is something both dark and menacing, and happy and lighthearted about this piece. Overall, it’s chromatically dark…but you can see the sort of rainbow palette with almost heart shapes throughout. What you can’t see in this photo is the beautiful use of textures…the main background is a matte black, and the colors are glossy dots in a grid. So cool!
Xylor Jane, 2,3,5,7, Oil, graphite, marker and colored pencil on panel
This was really fascinating. This painting in particular felt like a quilt/textile…and yet it had such depth and transparency at the same time.
Xylor Jane, Nox Rex #26, Hypnos, Oil on panel
This is an amazingly detailed pointillist painting. I can’t help but think of The Matrix. (Perhaps, I shouldn’t admit that? Does that automatically make me a total philistine?) Again, the grid and precision are rigid, but the undulating colors brings some levity to the piece. I love how her four pieces worked together.
Petrova Giberson, Tree Flowers, Mixed media installation
I really liked how this piece and its shadows interacted. It’s kind of like a sad, old comforter that somehow went to heaven. It’s hard to see, but there is a line of threads hanging from the ceiling to the right of the comforter, which created an interesting threshold. The whole piece had a very intriguing way of occupying the space.
Upstairs, there was more to see…
Rachel Gross, woodblock print and acrylic
First off, I want to apologize to Rachel Gross because I did not keep track of what the title of this piece is. In any event, Gross’s work is stunning. Her woodblock prints are some of the most beautiful that I’ve seen. Please take a look at her blog. I love the layering, textures, color palette, composition…everything.
Rachel Gross, Pink Box, Woodblock print with spray paint
I love the simplicity of this. I love the crinkled paper and flat texture of the wood grain. (I also love hot pink…)
Hamra Abbas, Kaaba Pictures 1-7, archival pigment prints on dibond
Again, my apologies to Hamra Abbas, as I don’t know which number this work is in the series. Abbas does miniature paintings of the Kaaba, contemplating its historic, religious, and everyday influence. She then has the miniature paintings photographed and enlarged to form these prints. They have a mysterious and atmospheric feel to them.
Hamra Abbas, Kaaba Pictures 1-7, archival pigment prints on dibond
This is so luminous…with both flatness and three dimensionality…
Hamra Abbas, Kaaba Pictures 1-7, archival pigment prints on dibond
This has a fairytale feel to it…beautiful!
The final artist that I’m going to show is someone who’s work I love, and who I managed to meet at an open studio that he had.
Anthony Palocci, Jr., Empty Fridge, oil on canvas
Don’t you love it? He just looks at everyday household objects and reinvents them. Brilliant.
Anthony Palocci, Jr., T.V., oil on canvas
I love the cold glow of this T.V. So amazing…
Anthony Palocci, Jr., Phone Call, oil on canvas
I love this too! It’s sort of humorous…but there is something “vacant” about all of his work. The viewer is looking at these objects distilled to pattern and value. They’re so ubiquitous, yet now they have a sort of uncanny feel to them…
Anthony Palocci, Jr., Window Fan, oil on canvas
This is a large painting. Take a look at his website to get a sense how how large it is. It’s as if something that is normally forgotten and silent has somehow been given a voice.
Anthony Palocci, Jr., A/C, oil on canvas
I took a photo of this painting with context, so that you can see some of what I perceive as the humor in this work. It doesn’t look odd to see an A/C unit sticking out of a wall…but this is a painting, of course. I thought this was a wry location for the work…
Well, I’m signing off. It’s been a long week.
On Tuesday, there will be a vigil held for my friend and her family. If you’re in the Arlington, MA area and would like the details…let me know.
Peace be with them…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting, travel | Tags: 40th birthday, art, artist, cambridge, drawing, painting, PUERTO RICO, travel
This past Wednesday, I got back from a fabulous FIVE DAYS IN PUERTO RICO. No, it’s not April 1, I’m serious. This was a birthday celebration that my friends and I did because we are all turning/have turned 40 this year. SCARY! Luckily, we still have the maturity level that we did back in high school, so we had a blast.
Before I left on my trip, however, my son made me this birthday cake:
I think that it says “Halloween…40…For Mom.” I thought this was hilarious. Isn’t it creative, and adorable??? Look at the candle he drew! Awesome. It was pretty odd to be leaving my family for 5 days, as I haven’t gone anywhere since my son was born. For me, a trip to the grocery store is a big to-do.
Umm…let me just say that the oddness quickly went away as I was in pure Mommy heaven for those five days. Sitting by the pool…sitting by the beach…going for a swim…reading and finishing Orange Is The New Black…and gabbing almost continuously with a cocktail in hand. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE????
This was my view one morning. I know. Ridiculous, right? If I didn’t have a son and husband, I might not have come back! Sigh. I had to swap my flip flops for socks and boots when I came back to the Boston area. BRRR.
Okay, while we were outrageously decadent and lazy, we didn’t sit around the WHOLE time. We did go zip lining one afternoon:
This was beyond fun. (This is a photo of one of my friends…who shall remain anonymous…gracias.) I have no idea how fast you go on these, but it feels like 40 mph. Actually, when you’re midway…the wind is whipping past you and you’re looking at the amazing scenery…you don’t really notice how fast you’re going. BUT, when you are hurtling towards the end, then it gets a bit disconcerting as you can’t imagine how you could possibly stop without crashing into the cable support. Luckily, they have some kind of braking mechanism that kicks in during the last 20 feet. It’s kind of like how a roller coaster stops at the end…jarring, yet efficient. Most of the photos I have of people coming in are just a blur.
Okay. So, now I think that we need a zipline in our yard. Right??? (You must agree.) I’m a housefrau re-evaluating the laundry line for alternative purposes. During the day…it’s mommy’s koo koo adrenaline ride… but when my son/husband is home, it’s got clean towels on it again. Brilliant! I think that the neighbors already think I’m crazy, but this will ensure that they never come to my house to borrow any butter. Now, if I could only zip line to Starbucks and back, then I’d be a happy camper…
While I didn’t see ANY art on my vacation…I went yesterday to see the opening of the small group show that I am participating in. It’s in Harvard Square, so all you locals have no excuse for not stopping by…
Cambridge Art Association show
Let me just say that the work by the other artists is really amazing. I’ll show you some of the pieces:
Ann Strassman, Singularities IX – (Woman with cigarette)
Strassman does these fascinating portraits of people about town, often on a park bench. She uses discarded boxes as her canvas. I love how the people are caught in these familiar scenes…unaware of the viewer. I also love the cardboard with it’s own mundane story. Amazing!
Patricia Schappler, Coming and Going
Schappler does ENORMOUS, phenomenal drawing/collage/paintings. Mind blowing. I love the mixed media…the layers, the beautiful way that she draws. So gorgeous.
Daniel Kornrumpf, Mr. David Lasely
Kornrumpf does GORGEOUS portraits that have an unfinished and open ended feel because he often doesn’t paint parts that he has sketched in. There is a beautiful mix of complete/incompleteness to his work. Even his line drawing/painting is amazing. His sense of color, composition, and overall skill is breathtaking. I love that the subjects are often pensive and relaxed…aware that they are having a portrait painted, yet real and at ease. His work reminds me of Alice Neel, whose work I also revere.
Yair Melamed, The Extrovert
Melamed is a physician AND a photographer. I couldn’t find a website for him. I absolutely love the contrast between her gray hair/background and her warm face. I love how her face fills the frame. He has a series of really compelling photographs…a must see.
My own work is minimal in comparison:
Elizabeth Kostojohn, Are You Still There? series
Because my work is so small, I think that it’s good that they are grouped together. I wish the lighting was a bit better, as there isn’t direct lighting on the drawings…just the downlights for the hallway. As a result, I think that the drawings look slightly washed out. Hmm! In any event, I am super grateful to be participating in this show with these other, talented artists. The show is in the University Place building, at 124 Mt. Auburn Street. Go see it!
Now, you’ll have to excuse me as I’ve got a clothes/zip line and a latte calling my name…
Starbucks, here I come!!! Make mine a double!!!
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., painting, Photography | Tags: Porfirio DiDonna
Has anyone out there signed up for a CSA? We just did. I may have made a grave mistake. This is what I’ve been told that we’re going to receive on Saturday:
Lettuce, bok choy, broccoli,cauliflower, spinach, peppers, kale, escarole, tomatillos, arugula, napa cabbage, parsley, radicchio, leeks, salad turnips, celery, 6# carrots, 4#potatoes, 2#beets, kohlrabi, cabbage, fennel, garlic, onions, 3# sweet potatoes.
Are. You. Kidding. Me?????
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THE ENTIRE PRODUCE SECTION OF WHOLE FOODS IN MY KITCHEN????? SIX POUNDS OF CARROTS??? I really think that this is going to be a disaster. We can barely fit three people in our kitchen, never mind sharing that space with 20 pounds of produce. Ack! If anyone out there has some words of wisdom for me, let me know. I’m thinking vats of soup…forever…
My son and I have continued on our shrinky-dink kick. Here are the latest creations:
What I love about these is that they become PERMANENT drawings. I seriously think they’re indestructible. What’s not to love? He even makes them double sided, so that they’re drawn on both sides…brilliant!
I did manage to see some art this week. WOO HOO! I went to Danforth Art in Framingham…I love that place… They have an exhibit now of the work of Porfirio DiDonna and the New England Photography Biennial. Nice! Here are a few of the highlights…
Porfirio DiDonna, Egyptian Gold, 1979, Oil, gesso and graphite on linen
Gorgeous color…
Porfirio DiDonna, Untitled (PDN 86), 1971, Acrylic and graphite on canvas
I love how dark this is. The dots make me think of Aboriginal art. I like how it’s both orderly and chaotic…
Porfirio DiDonna, Red Hook (PDN 224), 1977, Oil and gesso on linen
This painting makes me think of a piece of lacquered furniture, with the dots being tiny nails. Beautiful!
Porfirio DiDonna, Untitled (PDN 353), 1971-72, Acrylic and graphite on canvas
Minimal and mesmerizing…She also had more colorful paintings and also drawings, but I somehow gravitated towards these works
The photography biennial was also great. I loved how many things there did NOT seem like photographs (nothing against photos…mind you.)
Noritaka Minami, Facade, 2011, Archival pigment print
Ahh…so cool. Actually, I love this building, so what’s not to love about its photo? This building is the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, built in 1972. Here is an image of the interior:
Noritaka Minami, B1004, 2012, Archival pigment print
Pretty cool, right? I hear that it’s slated for demolition, which would be TRAGIC. I was lucky enough to see it in 1997, but I didn’t get to see the interior. No one invited me into their capsule. Probably for the best.
Steve Duede, Evanescent I, 2013, Photograph, C inkjet print
I love this image. It obviously makes me think of my own series which uses thrown about food. The colors are gorgeous, and you can practically feel the humidity from the rotting veggies, fruits, flowers, etc. The color of the grapefruit rind is amazing. I wish that my trash looked this good. (Right now, I’m fighting a cold…so my picture would be mostly of wadded up kleenex. TMI?)
Andy Anello, 90 Worms From My Father’s Garden, 2013, 90 silver gelatin prints
Yes, all of those delicate little squiggles are worms. I LOVE how these prints look:
Andy Anello, 90 Worms From My Father’s Garden (detail), 2013, 90 silver gelatin prints
I apologize for my bad photography of what are very beautiful B&W images of worms with grainy bits of earth still stuck to them. Unlike typical photo paper, this paper looks like it has an actual tooth to it. Lovely.
Samuel Quinn, Untitled, Archival inkjet print
This is from his series, “A Houses Echo.” PLEASE look at his website to see the photos in this series. I love this image. While the landscape is just a projection on the wall (I think), I imagine instead that the hallway has been transformed into a camera obscura (even though the image should be upside down…) The natural beauty transposed onto the garment and the decaying interior is really compelling and haunting. Brilliant!!!!
Samuel Quinn, Untitled, Archival inkjet print
Another amazing photo…I want this one. I love the color palette, the composition, the emptiness, the space…GORGEOUS. I think that this image by Quinn might be my favorite from the show.
Jim Nickelson, Pyrotechnic #53, Archival pigment print
The deep umber color of this image is gorgeous. Look at the detail of it:
Jim Nickelson, Pyrotechnic #53 (detail), Archival pigment print
Aren’t those delicate and smoky marks stunning? SO beautiful. I suppose this is a negative of the actual image? I have no idea, as I’m not a photographer. This also appeared to have been printed on a matte, toothy paper. Love it. Please check out his website…there are more in this series.
So, wish me luck with this CSA pick up…send me recipes…let me know if you want a carrot or two…we’ll have plenty. Carrot soup…carrot stew…carrot muffins…carrot cake…carrot puree…carrot au gratin…carrot pancakes…
I may be a lovely shade of orange by November’s CSA pickup.
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, artist, carving, halloween, newspaper, pumpking
I had NO time to see any art these past couple of weeks (save for the stuff that my son makes, but more on that later…) I have, however, rediscovered shrinky dinks in the past week, which I am now OBSESSED with. The only negative is that I’m convinced that by baking them, toxic vapors are released into my home. Is this irrational? This is the reason why I haven’t bought any of those “melty beads,” that kids love so much. (well, I also don’t feel like sweeping up spilled beads for the next six months…)
That’s a whole lot of plastic. How in God’s name did they even do that? Maybe they used a hairdryer? I thought that you had to use an iron to fuse them? More importantly: why do I think that “shrinky dinks” are less toxic that these “melty beads?’ Who knows.
In an effort for your mind not to go completely numb, I did find some art online that I thought looked pretty amazing. Check out this FANTASTIC artist whom I thought I should share…MYRIAM DION.
That started out as a newspaper page. NEWSPAPER. She takes newspapers and turns them into beautiful lace. Is this not mind blowing? Don’t you think it’s phenomenal????? Look at the detail of her work:
Is that not completely gorgeous? Her work is sooo breathtaking. Please check out the links that I provided to her website. She’s from Montreal, so the website is in French. Here are many of her pieces together, with the paper scraps below:
Look at the papers draped together on the floor! AMAZING. I am in complete awe. I would LOOOVE to see these in person. What are the chances that she’ll come to Boston? Hmm. Well, it’s slightly warmer here…but then again, we have less fashion sense and most of us don’t speak French. Hmm. Yes, WHY would she come here? Sigh. Nevermind.
What’s also incredible is that I can’t imagine that these pieces will last, as newspaper is so fragile. She has created beauty of what is normally depressing and dirty. (Why does this immediately make me think of my lack of housekeeping skills???) I should get inspired to pick up around here. Or not.
Speaking of paper…my son has taken it upon himself to make Halloween decor for the house. Sigh. Clearly, my string of pumpkin lights aren’t enough. He felt the need to make THIS:
That’s a zombie.
And THIS:
That’s a mummy.
And THIS:
That’s me. (just kidding!!! Sort of…) I helped him a bit with this one, I confess. My arms and hands aren’t really that big, though…BTW…
He also convinced me to buy this pumpkin carving kit:
Do NOT be tricked into getting this. Yes, it is “safer” than using a kitchen knife. It becomes less safe, however, when your five year old keeps wanting to point out with his little fingers where you should be cutting WHILE you are cutting. They should have provided a set of handcuffs for the kids. My beef with this project is this: carving a really detailed pumpkin, while impressive, is A TOTAL PAIN IN THE TUSH. Here’s how ours turned out:
I know. This isn’t even THAT detailed, but it felt like it took aaaaages. Probably because I was frantically trying to work on it whilst making dinner. I’m a mommy who multitasks. My son was also interested in somehow doing the QR code, as shown on the kit:
No joke. I tried to explain to him gently that carving this would likely cause mommy to want to perform hara-kiri with the pumpkin knife. I’m sure that if Myriam Dion did a pumpkin, it would be pretty phenomenal. I’m just going to settle for “happy that I didn’t cut off anyone’s finger.”
Halloween is still 20 days away. I’m not sure I’m going to make it with my sanity, and fingers, intact…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting, Photography | Tags: art, artist, drawing, Fitchburg Art Museum, Georgia O'Keeffe, museum, painting, still life, visual art
I know…I know…it’s been TWO WEEKS since I last posted. Sigh. Things are just so busy. Hopefully, to make up for missing the past two Fridays, this post is an image-filled extravaganza, so hang onto your triple espresso…(and get me one while you’re at it! Make it a decaf though…I have plenty of self-induced stress, so I don’t need to rely on caffeine to put me in a state of hysterics…)
So, my big news is that the group show that I’m participating in (Still Life Lives!) opened last week at the Fitchburg Art Museum. WOO HOO! I was thrilled to see some of you come out to see it. Thank you!!! I totally appreciate the time and energy it took to head out there. I hope that everyone found it worthwhile, as I think it’s a very interesting show.
Elizabeth Kostojohn, Nameless Problem #2 & #1, 2013
Here are two drawings from my new series! (Yes, that’s food.) I think that they looked pretty good. It’s hard not to panic when your work is on the wall. But, as I wasn’t wearing a name tag, I managed to calm down a bit…
Elizabeth Kostojohn, 6 drawings from Hurt & Damage series
These are more of my drawings! I’m happy to see them up. This show is kind of a big deal for me, as I’ve got two bodies of work up…never mind being amongst the super talented people that are also participating. I kind of wish that we had name tags, as I would have liked to have met some of the uber talented artists!
But enough about me…here is some of the AMAZING work that is up…
Emily Eveleth, Snake Eyes, 2000, Oil on Canvas
I wish I had a wall in my house big enough for this painting. It is stunningly beautiful. Eveleth’s mastery of oil painting captures the soft and sticky essence of her subject in an intense gaze. This painting alone is reason enough to come to the show. This painting is breathtaking and mesmerizing. It’s gorgeous even on this lousy computer screen. It will blow your mind in real life…
Mary Kocol, White Crabapple Blooming Branch, 2011, photograph
Kocol had several photographs from her Ice Garden series. These are AMAZING. In spite of being frozen, there is something very dynamic about these images. I think that’s particularly true of the images where you can clearly see the sky beyond. I keep thinking, “POW!” in my head. (Please don’t ask me to explain myself…I am neither a writer, nor an art critic…) So beautiful. I love it.
Georgia O’Keeffe, Untitled (Pink Camellia), 1935, Pastel
Oh yes…I forgot to mention that this show also features work from FAM’s permanent collection! Amazing, right? This work by O’Keeffe is in the same room as the Kocol photos…brilliant! It’s like rubbing elbows with celebrities!
Elisa H. Hamilton, An Apple a Day, 2013, Mixed media on paper
Hamilton has an amazing talent with color. Each of these drawings really pop with vitality. Please take a look at her website!!! I also love her drawings of domestic interiors and objects, especially “Vermont Studio Portrait.” Very impressive.
Cynthia Greig, Nature Morte no. 18, 2010, chromogenic development photograph
Okay. This is a PHOTOGRAPH. I kid you not. I believe that the artist paints everything white, and then actually outlines the objects with charcoal…THEN photographs it. My brain still can’t wrap itself around this. It’s so clean and beautiful! I’m amazed at her analog virtuosity.
Victor Schrager, Untitled #7 and #472, 2011, Pigment print
These gorgeous, saturated, soft focus still life photos are the work of Victor Schrager. I love the vivid colors and in focus/out of focus combinations. Amazing, right?
Kathleen Volp, Wan-Li RUMBLE and Still Life with Impostor and Wan-li, 2008, Mixed media, oil and aluminum on panel.
These pieces are enormous, glossy, and embossed METAL. No joke. Volp’s work always amazes me…it is always compelling, masterful in technique, and truly impressive. Please take a look at her website so that you can appreciate the range of work that she does. Mind-boggling…
Evelyn Rydz, Gulf Pile I, 2012, Pencil and Colored Pencil on Drafting Film
This is an AMAZING and delicate drawing. Rydz is my “drafting film god.” She and I both use pencil/colored pencil on drafting film. I bask in her drawing brilliance. Her work is so delicate and GORGEOUS. She often draws piles of objects that have washed ashore. I’m sorry that this is not a good photo…it does not do her work justice. I just checked her website, and it says that she is having a SOLO show at the MFA in 2014. So impressive!!! That is MUST SEE show. (I’m not kidding. Check her website. Mark your calendar.)
Mary O’Malley, Altar #4, 2010, Gold Metallic Ink on Paper
Ahhh…this drawing is SO beautiful. I am in such awe of O’Malley’s work. I was lucky enough to meet her at the reception. She is a lovely person. I hope I conveyed to her how much I love what she does. Her work is so timeless…it feels both historic and yet so contemporary.
Shelley Reed, Ribboned Flowers, Ribboned Fruit (after Mignon), 2010, Oil on Canvas
These paintings were really breathtaking. I love how dark and intense they are. I believe that she looks at historic works and then interprets them in her own artwork. Please check out her website. I pretty much want to own all of her work. Maybe if I eat ramen noodles exclusively for a year, I could swing it? Hmm. I’ll still need that fantasy house with enough wallspace, though…more noodles for me, I guess…
Janet Rickus, A Bird Painting, 2012, oil on canvas
Yes, that’s a painting…not a photo. Rickus’s work is hyper-real and beautiful. Beautiful composition…color…light…realism…I love it. Her work will definitely make your jaw drop. I feel almost like they are views into a gorgeous world that I WISH I could be a part of. The elements in the images are unpretentious, yet they are so perfect that they are still awe inspiring. I might have to get this for my house so that I can meditate upon it, and somehow be inspired to make my disaster-area home be marginally more lovely.
On this note, my son (5 yr old) has decided that we should make our house a museum. He doesn’t seem daunted by the fact that we have nothing museum-like in our house. I’ve told him that no one is going to want to come to see our “junk.” We joke about this. He’s still determined to do it, somehow. In fact, he’s trying to entice passersby with this “advertising” at the front of our house:
Yes. That says, “MUSEUMOPNEG TADAY.” Yes, I allow him to do this to our house. Yes, those are little purple flowers stuck to the tape for aesthetic effect. Oh but wait…there’s more:
He wants to make sure people understand that they are “WALCAM” to come in. And:
Just in case there was any doubt that we were “OPEN” or not…
If you do stop by to check out our “Museum”…please note that the mess inside is what this museum is actually all about. Imagine taking a Joseph Cornell box and shaking it vigorously…it kind of looks like that, but with more Lego. Just try not to trip on it all whilst taking the tour. Currently, we’re working out the “gift shop.” Brace yourself…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting | Tags: arts, godzilla, Kindergarten, Michele Lauriat, Middlesex School
Well, this is has been my son’s first week at kindergarten, and ALL IS WELL. No major disasters/meltdowns/hysterics. I haven’t gotten any disgruntled phone call from his teacher yet, so I feel that everything must be going FABULOUSLY. Hopefully, my child’s rather grouchy side (understatement) has somehow NOT surfaced. He’s kind of Jekyll and Hyde…sometimes the most loving, polite child…sometimes devil spawn. I struggle with the devil spawn side of him, especially when it comes out in public, or with friends. I feel like I should wear a t-shirt that says, “I know…I’m sorry!!!,” just to make up for all of the times that he’s rude/grouchy/unfriendly. Sigh. I think that I am starting to feel my gray hairs growing in. Is that possible?
But, I know…what’s not to love, right? That backpack is bigger than he is. So cute.
Lucky for me…he likes to make weird stuff, just like Mommy. Here are a couple of recent examples:
What are those bizarre creatures??? WHO KNOWS. They’re adorable, though. I must keep them. FOREVER.
Hilarious, right??? He decided that his Godzilla head needed a block body. I love this. So cool. What’s not so cool, however, is the pigsty that we call a living room. I clearly have no shame to be able to publicly post this picture with my living room as a clear disaster zone. I hope that those of you with kids will have some empathy for the tornado-like effect that 5 year olds have upon a household. Notice the empty 2 liter bottle in the plastic crate. That bottle is apparently part of one of his “creations”, and it cannot be thrown out/recycled. Sigh. So now we’re literally keeping trash along with our toys. Great. I feel like Sisyphus shoving this mound of toys/blocks/trash up a hill, only to have it come tumbling back down on me. Next time that happens, I’m just going to take a nap underneath it all…
I did manage to get out this week to see some art. WOO HOO! I went to see the work of Michele Lauriat at the Cornelius Ayer Wood Gallery at the Middlesex School in Concord, MA. Her work is STUNNING! Everyone should go check it out.
She does GORGEOUS, large scale paintings/drawings of natural scenes in an abstract way. The is an enormous amount of layering and mark-making. She tends to pull out certain parts of a painting into deeper colors and higher contrast as focal points. I could seriously have stood and gazed at this piece all day. It’s really so beautiful.
This painting is enormous. I’m sorry that this is not a great photo…(which is why you must go see it yourself). Her work totally sucks you in, as you become mesmerized looking over both the work in its entirety, and the amazing details.
Stunning, right? You can’t see it in this photo, but the darker area in the upper left is just amazing.
She also had some very interesting pieces that have an irregular silhouette. I wonder if she made a larger work…decided what was really capturing her attention in the work, then painstakingly cut it out as the finished piece? I LOVE IT. The beautiful and delicate edge to the paper is now part of the work as well, as opposed to being just a neutral boundary. So cool.
WHEN, not if, you decide to see this show…I’m going to give you some direction as to how to find it on campus. There seems to be only one main road into campus, which terminates into a large, one way loop. JUST BEFORE you start to enter that loop…look to your right. There will be a gap between two brick buildings. Walk between these buildings and go straight down a staircase. There will be a gray building in front of you. Enter that building through its far left door, and you’ll be there!
Well, I’ve decided that I’m such the super-mom, as I managed to get my kid to school with a healthy lunch AND visit some art this week. I’m ignoring your comments that I’ve forgotten about the living room. I’m just going to lie here underneath all of the junk and take a nap. Wake me when it’s 2:00 so I can: 1. pick up my child from school. 2. maintain my self-proclaimed title of “Super-mom” in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Oh, and if there is an annoying advertisement at the end of this post, I apologize. Looks like WordPress is going to sully my blog artistry with tawdry ads. Fascists! So be it.
Carry on…
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., sculpture | Tags: art, decordova, Jaume Plensa, Lincoln Massachusetts, Parks and Gardens, sculpture, Sol LeWitt, Tony Feher, turkeys, Visual Arts
This week, I took my five year old son to the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA. I LOVE this museum. In spite of the fact that I had to keep saying, “AAAAAAA…DON’T CLIMB ON THAT,” I think he had a great time. He met some other kids and they spent a good amount of time climbing on some logs cut up from a fallen tree. I was wishing that I’d somehow brought a latte and a lawn chair, but no luck. They should rent those. (I mean the chairs, not the lattes…)
Okay Mountain, 4-Wheeler Rollover
This was the sculpture that I wanted my son to see. Hilarious, right? So awesome. The tire ruts in the ground are in a swirly/loopy path that noodles around until you reach the tipped over ATV. It just makes me laugh, for some reason. (I hope that doesn’t offend the artists…) It’s great to have this kind of thing in a place that’s rather highbrow…not that this art is lowbrow…(or Loenbrau…) but you know what I mean.
Tony Feher, The Nothing Before Something
Tony Feher currently has a solo exhibition at the DeCordova. I wrote about the show here. This is very striking…a brightly painted telephone pole. It’s like the Z axis…or a big stake in the ground…It makes me think of the astronauts putting a flag on the moon…kind of monumental.
Speaking of monumental…
Sol LeWitt, Tower (DC)
I like how pure this is. I kind of wish it was enormous…building sized…except that you can’t go in. That would be cool, right?
The next three works are all busts…so different, though!
John Wilson, Eternal Presence
I am SUCH a fan of his work. Gorgeous. He had a solo show at the Danforth, which I wrote about here. He is supremely talented and brilliant.
I’m kind of pondering the base, though. I think that they need to fill in the dirt around it so that we don’t see the rough bottom edge of the concrete. Thoughts? It kind of makes it look like an afterthought, or as if it could be moved anywhere, and isn’t properly rooted to it’s ground. Just my two cents. It’s a stunning work of art, though.
Jaume Plensa, Humming
I love how this is distorted and elongated. Don’t you love the title too? I think of the sound of Buddhist monks chanting a long “Om……” I like how this one is in the shade….seems right.
Joseph Wheelwright, Listening Stone
Fascinating, right? I don’t know whether to think his upper ear is listening, possibly to the sounds of nature or of my son’s yelling, or is he listening to the earth? Thoughts? Sometimes as a parent, I feel like my head’s made of stone and I’m not listening. Is that bad?
Aaron Stephan, Untitled (16 Cans)
You can see the silhouette of my son standing amongst this sculpture. It’s pretty minimal. It’s also kind of funny, because if you turn around…this is what you see:
No, that’s not part of the sculpture. That’s just a trash can. Don’t you love the DeCordova???
Besides this excursion, we also went to visit a friend who was renting a house on Plum Island. My son and my friend’s son had a blast generally running around and yelling. You know how it is, right? No? Well, you’re damn lucky, then.
Take a look at this RIDICULOUS dahlia we saw:
No joke.
Speaking of ridiculous, take a look at this turkey we saw at the same farm:
They are SO CRAZY looking. He really is like a big butterball. Sometimes, he would raise and fan out his scraggly tail feathers, like a moth eaten peacock. What an odd creature. I love the dark iridescent feathers on the main part of his body. I could do without the blobby snood. Look how freakish the domestic turkey is compared to the wild one:
Right???? If I was that wild turkey…I’d run, or rather fly, out of there STAT! It makes me think of these guys:
Run, Alice! RUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!!
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: Adobe Illustrator, Japan, Lego
The summer is winding down. We’re in that odd time period between camp and school…the parental Twilight Zone. (no…not with vampires, you young’uns…the old school one). This is the place where time stands still and an endless refrain of “Mommy?…Mommy?…Mommy?…” lulls me into a semi-catatonic stupor whilst I aimlessly wander down the aisles at Stop & Shop and wonder when I can have my brain back. I adore my child. Really. It’s just that the daily drudgery of adulthood sometimes saps my joie de vivre and makes me weary. Why can’t I just play with playdoh all day and eat potato chips for dinner? Oh yeah…because that’s not a job and I’ll be 300 lbs by the end of the first week.
My son made this drawing a few days ago. Hilarious, right? Doesn’t it kind of look like THIS?:
Or, is that just me? (ahem…not LITERALLY…thankyouverymuch…)
Instead of growling, my son’s horrible beast is yelling, “BOO” repeatedly. I’m going to have to find some “nice” drawings, in case the school psychologist wants to analyze what he creates. At least he didn’t label the beast, “Mommy,” I suppose.
I haven’t gotten out to see ANY art as a result of my dearth of childcare. We’ve been home creating all sort of random stuff with Lego:
We created a mini-city, shrinking down our usual scale of lego architecture. Cute, right? The “building” with the banana on top made me think of this one in Japan:
That’s the Asahi Beer Building in Sapporo, Japan. (I’ve actually been there.) The thing on top of the building is supposed to be a yam, I think. Only in Japan would a company decide to put a yam on their building. We can’t pass judgement, as we do stuff like this:
Sigh. That’s kind of sad.
Besides seeing no artwork this week (except for that created by my kindergartener) and getting barely any of work done, I got a new “toy”…check it out:
Nice, right???? No, it’s not a hot plate. Pay attention. It’s a super fun tablet for me to make remedial drawings on my computer!!! Why remedial, you may ask? Well, because I’m completely inept at Adobe Illustrator. The pen tool? Tool of the devil, more like it. So far, there is a STEEP learning curve for me to EVER get the hang of it. I’m basically trying to dig my way out of the Mariana Trench of ineptitude with a pressure sensitive stylus. I did manage to scrawl out this today:
No, that’s NOT some kind of deformed slime creature from the swamp. Yes, I was TRYING to draw with the stylus, and NOT my elbow. That’s SUPPOSED to be a jade plant. Egads. If anyone out there wants to give me some Adobe Illustrator pointers, I’m all ears…or eyeballs…or whatever. Why don’t I just pick up a pencil and draw it like a normal person? Who knows? Is it because I thrive on challenge? If that were the case, I’d be homeschooling my son. HAAA! No way. So, I don’t know what leads me to want to use a tablet and have to BASICALLY RE-LEARN how to draw. It’s the masochist in me. To give you an example of how hopeless I am…this was done in Illustrator by SOMEONE ELSE:
Illustration by www.khulsey.com
Hmmm….I have a lot to learn. Perhaps I should use my tablet as a hot plate, and get back to my playdoh and potato chips???
I’ll try to do better next week…both in seeing art and doing art. I’ll still be in the Twilight Zone, though, as my son doesn’t start school until Sept. 9. In the meantime, I’m going to try to convince my son that letting mommy have some peace and quiet is just as important as getting two pieces of Lego unstuck and taking the wrapper off of a stubborn popsicle.
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting | Tags: art, artist, cape cod, Gonzalez, mini-golf, painting
No post last week because we were at the Cape. AHHHH. I spent a lot of time vegging out, trying not to get sunburned, and struggling to maintain my sanity with my five-year old. I thought about trying to exercise in some way…maybe doing a pushup or two. I couldn’t be bothered, and so I continue to look like the “before” picture, in spite of my exercising somewhat consistently for two months. SIGH. Nobody tried to harpoon me or ran away screaming, so I guess that means a successful beach trip.
We had good weather…too much ice cream…and mini-golf…
My son felt that we needed a “mini-golf action shot”, so this is it:
Perhaps photojournalism is not my callling? Does it kind of look like that lady in the background is walking along the club? Or, is that just me? Don’t all photojournalists hope for that kind of quirky coincidence? Probably not.
At what age is it possible for a child to eat an ice cream without THIS happening? I’m hoping by 12. Only 7 more years to go. Hey, at least we were using my husband’s car for the week…sorry, Honeeeey!!!!
I didn’t bring my latest drawing to work on at the Cape. What a slacker! I thought about it…saw the packed wad of luggage in the back of the car, and decided against it. Do I really need sand and sunscreen smeared all over it? No way. INSTEAD OF BEING TRULY PRODUCTIVE, I worked on this little sewn pouch, which I am SUPER excited about…CHECK IT OUT:
Eh? Not bad, right? Lookit all the tiny fabric pieces I sewed together and quilted! And the back:
I attempted a sort of “sashiko” stitching to relate to the front. Nice!
The inside:
And a detail:
This was my first little pouch like this…I loved making it! There’s something seriously wonky about it, but if I make another…I’ll try to do better next time. The majority of it is hand-sewn…with just the zipper and overall construction done on the machine. Now, if I could just sell it for $1000, it will be worth the time/energy/materials I put into it! Ha ha! Just kidding! (Well, sort of…sigh…)
So, this week hasn’t been totally unproductive, as the previous week has clearly been. (Unless you consider getting all of the sand and ice cream off of my son at the end of the day “productive”.) I managed to get to the South End to check out a couple of galleries yesterday. Naturally, I had to stop by Carroll and Sons to see who they’re showing…
Raul Gonzalez at Carroll and Sons, Boston
The work of local artist, Raul Gonzalez, is in the main space. Two words: LOVE. IT. PLEEEEASE, go and see this show. It’s only up until Aug. 31, so leave NOW…esp if you are coming from Australia (that means you, Ruth…)
Raul Gonzalez at Carroll and Sons, Boston
Gonzalez paints exquisite scenes of horrifying depravity, decapitation, and dismemberment. Each painting could capture your open-jawed attention for an hour, at least. In most scenes, you’ll find a skeleton, possibly a lucha libre mask, and a pitiful character who is often simultaneously dishing out and receiving some heinous crime.
Raul Gonzalez at Carroll and Sons, Boston
The linework is amazing…the bright, yet dirty, palette is amazing…the composition is amazing…never mind the content, which is fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Stunning.
Raul Gonzalez at Carroll and Sons, Boston
I’m sorry that this one is blurry. I love how the bullet is ricocheting around the drawing perimeter. Naturally, it had to shoot out the eye of the snake…
Go see this show NOW. Just don’t bring the kids, lest you want to spend your whole time explaining why that guy no longer has a head, or why this guy’s eyes have fallen to the ground. I don’t know either, but it’s awesome. Gonzalez is oozing brilliance. I bask in his artistic glory. His work is AMAZING. A must see.
Speaking of oozing, THIS is what my son brought home from camp this week:
What in God’s name is that lumpy stick, you may ask? Why, it’s a “magic wand” of course! It apparently has a few coats of plaster of paris and paint on it. Hmmm. I’ve tried using it. It doesn’t work. My house is still a mess and I still look like a “before” picture. I might have to ask the camp for my money back…
My son drew this this week. What is it? I have no idea…but perhaps he’s a burgeoning Raul Gonzalez? Does anyone else see a lucha libre mask in this???? No? Maybe that’s for the best. Actually, maybe I need to get out of the house more than once a week…at least for fresh air, or something. I’ll be sure to bring my son’s magic wand…just in case the thing decides to start working. It may help me to finally find the fast moving line at Stop & Shop, or something non-existent like that. If nothing else, we can serve it to daddy after dinner and tell him that it’s a vegan cookie. Good times…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, arts, Cambridge Art Association, godzilla, iced coffee, Mixed media, painting, toast, Visual Arts
Is there anything more annoying than a sluggish computer mouse? I think not. I may have to fling this one into the backyard with the lawn clippings…
How has my week been? Perhaps I can summarize by asking if you can you guess what song my son has had on repeat today? No, not “The Wheels On The Bus.” No, not “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” He’s been playing the brooding Godzilla theme song all day. Why…WHY, you may ask? Well, because he listens to it (with the volume WAY UP) and then pretends to be Godzilla knocking down a block city and stomping on matchbox cars, that’s why. Most of his peers are interested in Skylander Giants, Ninjago, or Spiderman. My son finds those marginally interesting, but his heart belongs to Godzilla.
Sigh. He’s kind of a social outcast with his Godzilla obsession. As a worrier, this concerns me. Why can’t he just like Batman like all of the other kids? In addition, I am concerned that he will want to BE Godzilla for Halloween. This would be totally beyond my non-existent costume-making ability. Maybe he’s settle for a green sweatpants/sweatshirt combo with some strategically placed tie-hangers on his back?
No? Oh well. I give up. I’ll worry about that again in half an hour…
So, I had a meeting this week at the Cambridge Art Association about an upcoming group show. While I was there, I got to see the New Member Show that was up. This is an exhibit of the people who were recently accepted into the Cambridge Art Association. Congratulations all! There was some great stuff to see:
Elizabeth Hardjono, Silence, Magnesium Plate Etching
Ahem. I love this. This print is sooooo beautiful. I wish that the artist had a website. (HINT HINT) I’d love to see MORE of her other work. Don’t you LOVE the delicate figure? Isn’t the composition amazing? I love it.
Lynne Klemmer, Intuit Images: TD Woman #5, Gouache / Pigment
This painting is so different, yet also beautiful. Great colors…great form and markings…I love how it fills the paper…look at her face! I’d love to see more in this series as well. You can check out her website, but it seems that this series of paintings are not up yet.
Tom Stocker, Tom + Sally, Acrylic on Canvas
No, these aren’t fabric, they’re paintings! This artist’s technique is inspired by textiles, as I learned from his website. The images are comprised of tiny blobs of multicolored paint, gridded much like needlepoint. No joke. Isn’t that amazing?
Conny Goelz Schmitt, Luftschloss, Mixed Media
I was SO excited to see this beautiful piece, as I know this artist! (Does that somehow make me more important?) She participated in the Artist’s Professional Toolbox program with me at Montserrat College of Art. He work is amazing. She often works with materials from old books as well. Great job, Conny!
What have I been up to? Well, not much…
I’ve discovered how delicious cinnamon toast w/ butter and an iced coffee is for breakfast. I may have to make this my meal of choice for the whole day! Who needs vitamins? That’s what Flintstones are for!
I’ve also rediscovered how I love to make weird stuff and mail it to people. My latest:
This is one of those “fortune tellers” that we used to make as kids. I kind of made mine a photomontage. SO MUCH FUN. I know. I’m brilliant. What? The living room is a mess? No one has fed the fish today? Why is there spilled iced coffee on the dining room table? Pshaw. Don’t bog me down with such BANAL matters. I’m makin’ STUFF.
What’s this mess, you may ask? MWAH-HA-HA!!! It is an INSANE little patchwork project that I’ve started. LOOK AT HOW TINY THOSE PIECES OF FABRIC ARE! The small squares are 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm. I kid you not. CRAZY. Luckily, I’m nearsighted.
Umm…if you’re wondering how my latest drawing is going…it’s coming along. Sloooowly. Well, I don’t like to rush perfection. (That’s a joke). Actually, the truth of it is that I have A.D.D. when it comes to MAKING STUFF. Does anyone else have that problem?????? What’s the opposite of A.D.D.? O.C.D.? Sometimes, I do wish that I had O.C.D. about cleaning stuff, as I’m particularly weak in the housekeeping department. (I’m not making light of O.C.D….that’s serious, and I’m not.) I do SOMETIMES make an effort not to be messy. But, as I just finished reading, Coming Clean: A Memoir, by Kimberly Rae Miller, I feel like the queen of clean! Please read this book. It is a heartbreaking memoir of a woman growing up with a father who is a hoarder. Not just messy, like me, but an actual hoarder. It’s an AMAZING read.
Hmm. Maybe I will go and clean up something just to reassure myself that I’m not a hoarder…starting with my spilled iced coffee and the fallen block city that my son so lovingly toppled over this afternoon…then I’ll likely get distracted and start making stuff again…SEND HELP!
slightly wonky 