Lecture: From Art History to Art Making: Emigrant/Immigrant: Culture and Identity in Art @ the San Diego Museum of Art, Saturday, Nov. 14

Mark Rothko
No. 7 (Orange and Chocolate), 1957
Oil on canvas
69 5/8 x 43½ inches (176.9 x 110.5 cm)
Collection of Kate Rothko Prizel and Ilya Prizel
courtesy SDMA

This Saturday, November 14, on the occasion of the exhibition "American Artists from the Russian Empire", I am participating in a lecture at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. I was invited by Alexander Jarman, Public Programs Manager for museum. It is very interesting for me to work on the presentation, it makes me go through a lot of photos of my work, including the earlier work. it's exciting to share this presentation with Marisol Rendon and Shadab!

From the SDMA website:
Lecture: From Art History to Art Making: Emigrant/Immigrant: Culture and Identity in Art. November 14, Saturday Saturday, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
Museum Boardroom and Art School

The Museum is proud to host a panel discussion about identity, place, and culture in art inspired by the special exhibition American Artists from the Russian Empire. Join Michele Guieu, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, and Marisol Rendón—artists originally from France, Pakistan, and Colombia, respectively—as they discuss the impact their cultural identity has had on their work.

After the discussion, join Museum Educators for a workshop inspired by the art of Russian-born American abstract sculptor Louise Nevelson.

Lecture: Free after Museum admission.
Workshop: $5; reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (619) 696-1978.

San Diego Museum of Art
American Artists from the Russian Empire
October 24-January 17, 2010
"American Artists from the Russian Empire features nearly 70 paintings and sculptures by many of the best-known artists working in America in the postwar period, among them Louise Nevelson, Jules Olitsky, Mark Rothko, and Ben Shahn."

1450 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, California
(619) 232-7931

Cacti

From a series of colors photos I took of organ pipes and saguaro cacti, during a family trip to Southern Arizona (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - on the Mexico border, Saguaro National Park - near Tucson, Tombstone).

Print Screen of my 2009 Art Works Files

Mohamed Ould Lambede

Mohamed Ould Lambede

I love working on my upcoming show at Art Produce, "Lucy, Darwin and Me". I did not yet really talk in this blog about the content of the show, but there is a page in my website.

This show makes me work on a series of drawings, on a mural, find solutions for all sorts of problems I never worked on before, like taking care of different techniques at the same time.

I went through a lot of old slides, it brought back beautiful memories from my teen years. The show is also a tribute to my father. This tribute is not nostalgic, but rather energetic and uplifting for me. I hope it will be the same for the viewers.

So the other day I was trying to remember the name of our guide, the Tuareg that helped us find the places my father wanted to go in the middle of nowhere, in the Saharan desert. I emailed my mother in Marseille and asked her, she did not remember either. She gave me the email of one of my father's colleague, another geologist, Bernard Simon.

And, magic of the internet, Bernard, whom I did not see since he was working with my father in Africa 30 years ago, answered to me in the following hour. Beautiful email. He attached a few interesting pictures that I never saw before. He told me he was actually writing about that period, when they were in Africa, and "free" he says. Now he is retired and sent me some "snowy kisses" from the cold mountains in France, where he lives.
So the name of our guide is Mohamed Ould Lambede.



Here are my father (with the hat) and Bernard Simon, they used to re-play some scenes of the spaghetti western when they were going in the desert.


My father (left) and Bernard Simon



Bernard Simon and the Renault 4CV, the first car my father had in Africa, before he used the Land Rover from the University. They went to the desert with that car. The nice thing is, when the car was stuck in the sand, it was not heavy to lift! But it got stuck often.

photos: courtesy B. Simon.

"Lucy, Darwin and Me"
Art Produce Gallery
Opening reception: December 12, 2009

Streets @ Project X: Art in Solana Beach, Nov 14

"Streets"
Greg Boudreau: Stencil Artist, Seattle
Robert Gruber: Photographer, Brooklyn
Daniel Thedell: Painter, San Diego

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 14, 6-10pm
Live music by the Pool Street Boyz
Video Projects on the new outdoor screen by Jeff Wiant
Silent Auction: Selected pieces will be available via silent auction.
Bids will be accepted until 9:30pm

Show runs November 10 – December 12, 2009
Gallery hours: M - F: 9 - 5; Sat 11 - 4
Project X: Art
320 South Cedros Ave
Suite 500
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 792-9685

Janis Goodman and Jessica McCambly @ JK Gallery, Los Angeles, Nov 7

Courtesy JK Gallery


Courtesy JK Gallery

PRESS RELEASE

For JK Gallery’s last exhibition of 2009, we’re proud to present a two-person show of works by Janis Goodman and Jessica McCambly. Both artists are interested in the expressive power of line and personal mark-making as well as the excitement of rhythm and movement found in nature.

Janis Goodman’s inspiration from the visceral experience of immersing herself within the landscape defines her as both an artist as well as simply a person. Goodman’s paintings and drawings remind viewers of the richness present in the lush, organic world often not contemplated by urbanites and of nature’s at times unexpected or unstable tendencies. Drawing from water, nests, marshes and earth, Goodman observes compelling movement, which in her imagery appears emotional and subjective (especially through her bold use of color), though also meticulously collected from the outside world.

Goodman has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. Her work is included in many public collections such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, MS, and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, OH. Goodman is a Professor of Fine Art at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington DC where she currently resides.

Jessica McCambly also represents the experiential nature of her physical surroundings through her art. She sees elegance in fleeting moments and in simple organic movements. Her current paintings specifically examine the “rhythmic instances of waves crashing on the beach,” reducing this phenomena visually to line and color on a blank field. Her poetic installations use this same imagery to create delicate movements across a wall. Documenting these moments first in 2006 in Puerto Rico, McCambly continues to make these observations on the beaches of Southern California where she now lives.

Receiving her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of North Texas, School of Visual Arts in 2007, McCambly has been widely exhibited on the West Coast and in Texas since 2005. She was the Artist in Residence at Southside on Lamar in Dallas, Texas in 2007 – 2008 and currently works as an Assistant Professor of Studio Art and Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, CA.

JK gallery
Janis Goodman and Jessica McCambly
November 7 - December 19, 2009
Opening Reception for artists: Saturday November 7, 6-8pm

2632 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
jk@jkgallery.net

Spraygraphic / Black and White Photoshow / submissions

Swap Meet, San Diego, 2009

I took a break from the preparation of the show!
I sent some photos to Spraygraphic for their upcoming "Black and White Photoshow". I created a series from some of the latest photos I took. I do not take pictures in black and white (I took the last ones with my Minolta-Leica almost 20 years ago!). But I find very interesting to transform an image into a black and white one with Photoshop. I dramatized the light a lot and I like the result.

First I worked a series of cacti close-ups (photos I took in Arizona two years ago). Then I thought, wait a second, these photos are going to...Arizona, I guess they are kind of overwhelmed by the cacti scenery! So I decided to change the subject of my series.

I submitted 5 [11x17"] photos through email. Spraygraphic handles the printing - I hope it will be good! The prints will be donated to High schools and art School at the end of the show in February.

Spraygraphic's energy is great. The website is super full of information and sometimes not very easy to navigate, but I like to be part of that community. A few months ago I participated in a show where they asked for 4x4" pieces. A lot of artist participated, I saw some photos of the wall, it looked nice!


San Diego-Vancouver, 2009


Backyard, San Diego, 2009


Torrey Pines Beach, San Diego, 2009


Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France, 2009

Submission details: Spraygraphic / Black and White Photoshow

Dali's house in Port Lligat, Spain

Dali's house in Port Lligat, where he lived and painted
from 1930 to 1982

My mother sent me those pictures. She just came back from Spain where she visited Dali's house, 100 kilometers away from Barcelona. I went there in my childhood. My parents were fascinated by Dali's work.

The family often took trips to Spain in Fall or Spring, and although I do not remember Dali's house (I may have been too young), I remember my first strong encounter with paintings: I was 6 or 7, it was in Madrid, in the Museo Del Prado, I was mesmerized by Jerome Bosch, specially "The Garden of Earthly Delights". I was standing very close to the paintings and I could see all the amazing (and disturbing) details.

I also remember El Greco, I thought the gaze of the people in the paintings were following me while I was walking.

I remember the calm. Except in the museums and towns, it was very calm. The fishermen villages were not crowded, the beaches almost empty, like on these pictures.












The Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueras


All photos: courtesy Denise Guieu

Dali's House in Port Lligat
Dali's Museum-Theatre in Figueras

Five weeks to go before the opening at Art Produce

I miss posting things on my blog! I am in the process of getting all the elements for the show at Art Produce Gallery together, and it seems that every moment I have is dedicated to that right now. It is a very interesting process but there are many things to do at the same time.

Kyle helped me a lot for the display case that I finally decided to build from a table we have. While looking and searching for the perfect display case, the solution was sitting on our porch. Well, the beginning of the solution, because then there are all the things that have to be done to make the table look like the display case I want. Several trips to Home Depot to find the right nails, the right wood, the right everything. And I still have a lot of work to finish it.

Then there are the objects. My friends Jean and Julia recently went to France, and while they were in Marseille, they met my mother who gave to them several precious objects that will be in the display case in the show. We could not send them through the mail and take the risk that they get lost. Also, we did not know what to put as the description of the content: "paleolithic tools, Mauritanian sand..." would have seem suspiscious. And plus it is forbidden to transport soil to the US. - although this sand is certainly completely free of any bacteria!
So there was this meeting between Julia, Jean and my mother. They did that for me, for the show here in San Diego.

Saturday night, just before Halloween, Jean gave brought me the objects. Sunday morning I unpacked them and showed them to Kyle and the children. They are here now: rocks, bifaces, stromatolites, and my father's hammer, the one he always had with him. Nice to have these objects here.

My mother called me to know if I've got them. Through email she sent me different short texts about the objects. Although I told her that my show will have more of a poetic approach rather than a scientific one, I think I will make good use of the texts. I have to say she is very excited about the project which makes me happy!

She sent me another series of beautiful slides through the mail, they arrived yesterday. I do not think I will use them at this point. I have already a lot of them. Getting scans from slides through ScanCafe is the cheapest way but it takes more than 4 weeks.

I finally finished mounting the series of inks on paper on wood panels. Long process. The paper is white, the handling is quite tricky. Still have to number them (there are nearly 100 of them, I do not know exactly how many I will use on the mural, I will have to decide on site). I took a picture of each of the inks, so I have to number both the inks and the photos, for archiving. The inks had to stay for at least two weeks under a heavy weight to be very flat and then I glued each of them carefully on the wood panels, finishing with a roll. And the result is very flat. I hope the contrast between the small inks on white paper on the dark paint of the mural will be interesting. On the tries I've made on Photoshop it is, so we'll see. I also like the opposition of the bold mural and the detailed drawings. I also, like at the San Diego Art Institute, used different depth for the wood panels, but I did not buy a lot of thick ones because, even on sale, they were quite expensive.

I am going to pick up the prints at Chrome tomorrow, I am very excited about this. Seven prints in total, for half the price. I found nice metal frames, on sale at Dick Blick.

I will have super small photos on the wall too (2x2"). I chose the photos of the plants and the desert within the million I have taken, ordered a few prints online, received them yesterday, glued them on foam core today. Then the cutting. They look nice, although it is very difficult to cut the foam core really straight and to get perfect squares.

Lynn Susholtz, the director of Art Produce, landed me 2 digital devices. In one I have a video, in the other one a slide show. I tried and tried to make the devices work properly: I wanted them to start directly on either the slide show or the video. It did not work. Finally I called Foci, and they told me to send the devices to L.A. and they would take care of them. And I did, I sent the devices plus my video and my photos. I was in touch with the nicest person there, who not only updated the software inside the devices, but did everything so that when I got them back, they were ready to hang - and it was a free service!
Now the devices work super nicely!

I had a credit on KodakGallery and I used it to print a booklet of photos from Africa. My idea is to print several of them and to display them on the table at Carpe Diem, the cafe next door to the gallery. In fact, people go through Carpe Diem to go to the gallery when the gallery is closed. I think it is a good idea to use that space too, I do not know yet how it will work and if it will work. But I like the idea that people can look at the booklet when they are having they coffee. Of course, I hope people will not take them away!

Because the show will open just before Christmas, I would like to have some t-shirts for sale. I designed several projects. My friend Claudia is working on the printing. Hopefully we will have a series to sell at the opening. We went together south of San Diego, almost to the Mexican border, to buy a few very nice t-shirts. If they have some success at the show, may be people could order some!

All of this takes time, including getting the things I need at a reasonable price!
I am enjoying learning in the process.

Meanwhile I still spend a lot of time with my family too. So these days I do not see a lot of shows, which is too bad, but I clearly cannot do everything!

I was happy to escape the other night to go to Art Produce for a talk about "United and Severed: That window of Time", the show installed at the gallery now. Although the theme of the show is rather haunting (based on the experiences of 3 women living with traumatic injuries), the way the artists talked about their project was uplifting and there were very good questions in the audience.

Working on my upcoming show @ Art Produce Gallery

I am working and working for that show! I could have make a series of new paintings. But after all, I have carte blanche. So why not trying something new for me? I am very excited to work with the space of the gallery. To do something which uses the transparency of the window, the length of the principal wall, the intimacy of the second room. For that show I sketched a lot, to see how the things I am thinking about will fit in the space.

I went to Art Produce between the shows and took a lot of photos, when the walls were bare. To think, to see. I am glad I am taking some risks for that show. I'll see how it goes. I am happy with the journey. If things are going like I think they should, it should be interesting. But many things could go wrong. Because there are many different medium to take care of.

Videos, drawings, photos, artifacts to bring from France, mural to paint on site, letters to apply on the window... There is a lot going on!

I will have to paint the whole mural in less than a week, and install everything else at the same time. I will have some helpers though! There will be not many things for sale. Things, like the letters and the mural, will disappear at the end of the show.

There will be a series of photos. I brought back from France some slides and then I asked my mother to send more. They arrived a few days ago. Nice memories.

I am still looking for the best ratio between price and quality that I can get for the prints. It will be quite expensive. I am pretty sure that I will ask Chrome Digital on Kettner blvd, they have a sale going on until the end of the month. Dennis is a really nice guy, I enjoyed talking with him the other day. I asked him to scan some slides (Lynn Susholtz, the director of the gallery, lends me a digital photo frame in which I will put a series of photos, I'll also use one for a video). Dennis asked me about the slides - the photos were taken in Africa in 1975. We talked about the wilderness. His trips into the wild take place in Alaska.

That was great to share that, in the middle of a morning where I was running from a place where I could possibly find a display case for the artifacts I want to have in the show, to another place where I was looking for nice but inexpensive frames...

I abandoned the idea to have the photos face-mounted with non-glare Plexiglas, it is way too expensive. But it is what I wanted. Because it is so beautiful and there is no need of a frame around, which I like very much.

I remember Sow's retrospective on the Pont des Arts in Paris!

Masai - mother and child - mixed media
courtesy "La Panse de L'Ours"


Masai - standing warrior, mixed media
courtesy "La Panse de L'Ours"

I just read that an ensemble of sculptures by Senegalese artist Ousmane Sow that were once shown on the Pont des Arts in Paris will be for sale at Christie's December 9. Proust's madeleine! Suddenly I was on the Pont des Arts again!

I was still living in Paris in May 1999. I remember the day I went to see the sculptures. I walked from my studio next to La Grande Halle de la Villette, in the XIX, to the Seine, taking my time, enjoying the walk, anticipating the joy to see Sow's work, one my favorite sculptors. I stayed a long time on that pedestrian bridge! Beautiful afternoon! Fantastic journey between Sioux, Peuls, Masai, Cheyennes, Zoulous... Unforgetable figures.
I took a lot of pictures but they are in France with a lot of other things I left there...

Tony Larson / New Paintings & Prints @ Project X: Art

New paintings & prints by Tony Larson
Opening reception: Saturday, October 10th, from 6 to 10pm
Show runs October 6 - November 7, 2009
Gallery hours: M - F: 9 - 5; Sat 11 - 4

Project X: Art
320 South Cedros Ave
Suite 500
Solana Beach, CA
tel (858) 792-9685

Notes from Paris: "Do free acts have a price?"

Iana Quesnell / Moving Point: Contemporary Drawing in Southern California @ William D. Cannon Art Gallery

Four of the six drawings by Iana Quesnell
shown at Cannon Gallery

I am an aficionado of Iana Quesnell's work. I do not think I missed one of her shows since I first saw her work at the MCASD in La Jolla in 2007 (Cerca Series). I did not go to CECUT in Tijuana to see her installation with the penciled walls and the long white tablecloth, "Limited Difusos", but I saw the video at UCSD. Quesnell lives and works in Tijuana. She teaches Foundations and Form, a sculpture class in the undergraduate Visual Arts department at USD.

Her work shown at the Cannon Gallery, which consists in a series of 6 drawings (pencil on paper), stroke me as the most interesting work in the show, it is almost like her drawings were glowing.

I love Belt and Silva's work. But Belt's work feels cold when I see Quesnell's work close to his, although the way he uses the space is stunning and the details are exquisite. I could feel the strength of Silva's work, but could not dive into it.

Quesnell's series is based on images taken of the burros painted as zebras one can see on Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana, with images of the gods and goddesses of the pre-colonial Mexico in the background. Iana is pictured in each image, sitting on a different burro, smiling and wearing each time a different sombrero.
The photos I took are not good, I encourage you to go see the drawings to enjoy them!


"Bonita Lucy"


"Cisco Kid"


"Drunk Again"


"Sexy Girl, Monica"


"Oh Boy! Barney"


"Pancho Villa, Ruben"

For those who do not know about the touristic attraction Iana Quesnell is picturing in her drawings, here's an image:


Courtesy Felixe

"Moving Point: Contemporary Drawing in Southern California"
August 30, November 1rst, 2009
Karen McGuire, Curator of Exhibitions
Artists:
Adam Belt
Joseph Biel
Tom Morgan
Enjeong Noh
Iana Quesnell
William Riley
Ernest Silva
Pat Warner

William D. Cannon Art Gallery
Carlsbad City Library Complex
1775 Dove Lane
Carlsbad, CA 92011
(760) 602 2021

San Diego Art Journal

courtesy San Diego Art Journal

I met John Lidot, owner and publisher of the San Diego Art journal, on the occasion of "Meet the Press" an interesting talk which took place at Art Produce Gallery in North last Saturday. I did not know about this website, specialized in videos about the San Diego art scene.

From the SDAJ website:
"Our mission: Build a visual journal into one of the fastest growing art scenes in this country. Build a foundation where communication between emerging artist and collector is enhanced. Build an incubation platform for emerging artists. Build a window with perspective for the savvy art collector.

In short we strive to build a place where art collectors can look closer into the making of San Diego's emerging artist and where artists can find access and insight to critical commentary and resources."

Publisher - John Lidot

San Diego Art Journal
contact john Lidot: john@sandiegoartjournal.com

Joshua Allen Harris' Inflatable Bags

News from "Trade Show / California-Turkey", now showing in Istanbul

At Isik University, Istanbul, Turkey.


Anna Stump, artist and curator (on the left),
presents the Trade Show project during the opening,
Isik University.

Anna Stump, organizer and curator of "Trade Show/California-Turkey" sent photos from the opening night which was yesterday in Istanbul, at Isik University. Anna says it was a great success! I do not know exactly how many artists in total (from Turkey and from California) participated to the project, but it is a lot. It's nice to think that all the paintings made in California traveled to Turkey to be shown there and vice-versa.


At the Garage, in San Diego

Trade Show / California-Turkey was first on view at The Garage in July 2009
The Garage
4141 Alabama Street #4
San Diego, CA
Email: deepseal2@aol.com
more info here about the show



Then the show traveled to L.A., at Edgar Varela Fine Arts in August 2009.

Edgar Varela Fine Arts
542 S. Alameda Street, 2nd floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Notes from Miramar Landfill, San Diego

Saturday morning at the Swap Meet Market, Sports Arena, San Diego

Isabelle Jenniches: Webcam Works @ Cabrillo Gallery

Webcam Works: Isabelle Jenniches
Cabrillo Gallery / Cabrillo College
October 2 – November 6, 2009
Reception: Thursday, October 1, 4:30-6:00
Artist Talk following the Reception: 6:00pm

"Jenniches’ fascination for webcams (public cameras on the internet) began over a decade ago. Since then, this technology has evolved from tiny grainy pictures to high resolution imagery, and from rarity to ubiquity. Jenniches utilizes webcams in theatre and online performances, in realtime collaborative creation and photographic series. This practice culminates in the creation of monumental collages of webcam pictures, the main focus of her first solo exhibition."
more info

At the park with Spiderman

Mail Art from Ivan Sigg

It is always a beautiful surprise to receive a mail from Ivan! Merci!

"The Essence of Daedalus Rimes: The Journey Begins", by Howard W. Lewis

"A Woman", 2005, acrylic on canvas, 54"x54" [150cm x 150cm]

A few months ago, I was contacted by Howard W. Lewis, who was interested in reproducing one of my paintings, "A Woman", on the cover of his book, "The Essence of Daedalus Rimes: The Journey Begins". He was truly enthusiastic about the painting. I read some excerpts of the book he sent to me, and I thought it was an interesting match.

Howard H. Lewis: "It's a science fiction thriller about alien abduction, memory transference, and the complexities that would develop if the minds of two individuals found themselves trapped in a single body. "
More about the book here.

This is the first book of a trilogy and it is now available.


Howard Lewis' website

About the painting

Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair @ The Grand Del Mar: some photos of the event

(copyright The Grand Del mar)

So it happened. Despite the difficulties of the times and the uncertainty in the economics: the very first "Beyond The Border Contemporary Art Fair" took place in San Diego in September 2009. Precisely at the Grand Del Mar, a luxury resort. The fact that it happened, is in itself very impressive, and for a first shot it was a good one.

There were 50 booths, including 8 booths dedicated to spotlight artists: Tomas Rivas, Michael Arata, Iana Quesnell, Hoon Kwak, Gale Fulton Ross, Jose Ricketts, Miguel Cordera and Sophie Matisse.

Kim McConnel, Brian Dick and May-Lynn Martinez represented the San Diego Art Prize in the SDVAN booth. You will find here what Patricia Frischer wrote about the art fair in her A + Art blog.


The interesting crossing of lines between the walls and the impossible-to-miss carpet!
All in all, A LOT of paintings were presented!




"The Poetics of Genealogy": Iana Quesnell's project on the stage of the theatre inside the Grand Del mar, where the contemporary art fair took place. Unfortunately I missed Iana and her mom during the performance - Iana was drawing on a white paper on the table and her mom was sewing (the small table on the left with the lamp). I hope it was recorded!


Spotlight Exhibit: "The Bird Series Project" by Paint Night Group (30 artists)

Beyond The Border International Contemporary Art Fair
September 2-4, 2009, San Diego
Ann Berchtold / Executive Director
info@beyondtheborder-art.com

"welcome Friends" @ Project X Art: some photos of the show

Chris Martino


Geoff Ballard


Kristi Cherundolo


Matthew Forderer

Project X Art
320 South Cedros Ave
Suite 500
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 792-9685
email: create@projectxart.com
map

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 11am – 5pm
Saturday: 12 - 4pm
Sunday-Monday: CLOSED

Notes from France: Breil-Sur-Roya

Breil-Sur-Roya

In France this summer, I spent some time in places I love. Breil-Sur-Roya is the village where my grandfather was born and where I spent sunny summers during my childhood, playing in the olive trees, picking ripe tomatoes for lunch, helping my grandfather watering the vegetable garden, watching him trimming the vines, hiking with my parents, eating the most amazing cakes (my grandfather was a pastry cook). It's always nice to go back there and to spend time with the family.

During WWII, the village, which is on the French-Italian border, was occupied by the German army. Soldiers occupied my grandfather's house for months while he and his family (my grand mother and their three daughters) were living there. I heard a lot of stories from my mother, who was 7 in 1941.

Sometimes when I am there, in the quietness of this beautiful valley, I cannot help thinking that during my mother's childhood there was that amazing episode, those years, the everyday fear, the bombs and the hunger - and even deportation: the people from the village were deported on foot to Turin, Italy, in October 1944 (until May 1945).

My mother talking about her childhood during the WWII is something amazing (but she very rarely talks about it). War was her everyday reality for years, when she should have spend most of her time playing and dreaming.
I should record her sometimes.

In the mountain where I like to go hiking there, in and around "La Vallee des Merveilles", one can still see the strategic roads paved with stones, which soldiers (French, Italian, German) used to control the border between Italy and France. At times those roads were filled with columns of soldiers transporting materials on horses, on donkeys and by truck. One can still see the ruins of military dwellings very high in the rough landscape. No trees around, only rocks. Sometimes a roll of rusted barbed wire. The weather there is harsh most of the year. The soldiers stayed up there for months, years, waiting, fighting.


The village seen from my grand father's yard


The trail in the back of the village


At my grandfather's: the land is planted
with olive trees.




Campei, in the upper mountain


On a trail near Casterino


Fontanalbe, a nice (and steep) trail,
in the "Parc National du Mercantour"

John Oliver Lewis and Kim McConnel @ Southwestern College Art Gallery, Chula Vista

I had the pleasure to see a beautiful show and to discover a very nice gallery space. I unfortunately missed the artists' talk (in fact, I could have bring the kids but I hesitated). I heard it was packed during the talk - but it was not recorded!
Here are some photos I took.

John Oliver Lewis/ New Work


John Oliver Lewis, "Cocoa Arch", 2009,
ceramic, acrylic, 29"x21"x7"
In the background: "Creases Pieces", 2009,
acrylic latex on wall, 11'x25'




John Oliver Lewis and "Big Diet Pink", 2009,
ceramic, acrylic, 38"x22"x12"


"Big Diet Pink" (detail)


"Plen-t-pack", 2009, ceramic,
acrylic, 24"x21"x11"


"Macho Mallow", 2009,
ceramic, acrylic, 28"x21"x8"


"Arctic Chunk", 2009,
ceramic, acrylic, 20"x20"x7"

Kim McConnel / Abstracts


Small Abstracts, 2009,
Acrylic with marble dust on canvas, 23.5"x23.5" each


Abstracts, 2009,
Acrylic with marble dust on canvas, 46"x46" each


John Oliver Lewis and Kim McConnel
From September 3 to September 30, 2009

Southwestern College Art Gallery
Arts & Communication Room 0710B
Chula Vista, CA (619) 216-6605

The books I brought back from France

I brought back some treasures from France, mostly books. Also a few slides taken in Africa years ago which I found at my mom's, a few portraits of my father during a mission in the Saharan desert, and two rings made of brightly colored glass I bought on a small market in Villefranche-Sur-Mer, near Nice. Here are the books (from left to right and top to bottom):

"Soulfood Equatoriale", Leonora Miano,
Exquis d'ecrivains, NIL Editions.
This book is a gift from my friend Fredo, on the occasion of our gathering with the students of our class from when we were in high school in Dakar, Senegal. She gave this book to each of us. Although the book does not talk specifically about Senegal, it is an incredible journey through Africa's food, recipes, smells, tales and modern life, spiced with funny stories about sex and food.
I had the good surprise to see that the design of the cover, which I found beautiful when I saw the book, was made by Philippe Apeloig, a long time friend, one of the best graphic designer I know.

"Les Hommes qui n'aimaient pas les femmes"
("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"),
from the Millenium Trilogy, Stieg Larsson, Actes noirs, Actes Sud Editions.
A book my sister was reading when I was in France and she was completely hooked. I bought it at CDG airport on my way back. An arrowing investigation about the unsolved disappearance of a teenager. I cannot wait to read the second one: "The Girl Who played with Fire".

"Caravane", Jorge Zentner, Bernard Olivie, Svart,
La Boite a Bulles Editions.
A beautifully illustrated story taking place in the Saharan Desert. A book given by my cousin Serge the day before I flew back. On the inside, he wrote: "Partir ici ou la-bas, rester ici ou la, mais toujours voyager" ("Going here or there, staying here or there, but always travelling"). The story happens mostly at night, the contrasts between colors are soft. The book reminds me of the unbelievable nights I spent with my family under the desert's sky in the Sahara. The moon and the stars, the softness of the sand, the campfire, the shadows made by the rocks and the figures we could see... A time when the landscape was not completely scorched by the sun.

"L'Art dans la Nature", Blaisine Cartellier
A gift from my aunt Blaisine. On the occasion of an exhibition of her work, she self-published the book, she is 80. It is beautifully done, alternating her inks on paper, the poems she wrote and the photos her husband took. It is a celebration of the landscapes and the plants of a place she goes to very often and loves: the Alpes de Haute-Provence and Mont Dauphin.
Merci et bravo!

"Kandinsky",
catalog of the exhibition, Centre George Pompidou, 2009.
I saw the exhibition in Paris. Crowded of course. Great to see all those works together. I've been more touched and interested by his early work.

"Elles@Centre Pompidou",
catalog of the exhibition, Centre George Pompidou, 2009.
A documented catalog about the exhibition, showing artworks from female artists in the collection of the Centre Pompidou, from 1900 to present. A "must see" exhibition. I am happy to have the catalog here with me!

"Michael Adams Gallery, Silkscreen Catalogue",
Editions Australes LTEE.
Another book given by Fredo. She loves the Seychelles, she went there many times in two decades, bringing back magical photos. She met artist Michael Adams, who lives there, years ago. His work is colorful, fresh and goes back and forth between dreams and reality. Fredo bought several pieces through the years and I always like the surprise to discover a new one when I go to her place, in the south of France.

ELLES @ Centre Pompidou: Female artists in the collection of the Musee National D'Art Moderne

I only stayed a few days in Paris this summer but I got the chance to see one of the most powerful exhibition I've ever seen: "Elles" at Centre Pompidou.

A gigantic show, at the exact same place where one usually finds the permanent collection galleries of the Centre Pompidou. 500 works by 200 female artists including Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle, Nikki de St Phalle, Annette Messager, Orlan, Eleanor Antin, Diane Arbus, Betty Tompkins, Cindy Sherman, Valerie Jouve, Agnes Martin, Barbara Kruger, Valerie Favre, Valie Export, Gisele Freund, Marguerite Duras, Nancy Spero...

From the beginning of the 20th Century to present, the show comprises paintings, sculptures, installations, drawings, photographs, prints, videos, furniture and architectural models.

I was stunned by the statement this represents. I really admire the courage of the "intrepid female curator", Camille Morineau, who organized this event.
The show is hung in chronological order, through 7 themes: Pioneer, Free Fire, Body Slogan, The activist Body, A Room on One's Own, Wordworks, Immaterials.

I spent hours in this empowering, ambitious, rich, diverse, disturbing, enchanting, surprising show. All the pieces present in the show are part of the collection of the Centre Pompidou - "known for its too male, too pale orientation" (The Guerrilla Girls). [Today the Centre Pompidou's collection includes works by 5000 artists. 17% of them are women.]

It was about time to finally show all that work together. It is the first time ever that a show paying a tribute to the female artists, of that scale, is organized. And It looks like a splendid manifesto.

I bought the catalog and brought it back to San Diego. I look at it everyday since. Although it was permitted to take pictures, I did not take many and unfortunately my photos do not reflect the diversity of the show - but here are some picks:


The entrance piece of the show is the hilarious/serious piece "Portraits Grandeur Nature" by French artist Agnes Thurnaeur




Orlan (France), "Le Baiser de l'Artiste, le Distributeur Automatique ou presque?"1977.


The entrance of the section: "Free Fire" (Feu a Volonte) in which one can find one of Nikki de St Phalle's pieces


Annette Messager (France), "Les Piques", 1992-1993


Les piques (detail)


Sigalit Landau (Israel), Barbed Hula, 2001


Guerrilla Girls (International) - please click to enlarge and read the texts!

In the show, I was very interested by the work of the Guerrilla Girls, extra bold and talking about the inconvenient truth of being a female artist. Funny and sharp.









At the end of the catalog there is a calendar, listing social events vs art events/openings, it starts in 1900 and goes up to the present. For the year 2008, one can read:
[2008 - Exhibition "Louise Bourgeois", Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou. First large retrospective of the artist in France (She is 97)].

Elles @ Centre Pompidou
27 may 27, 2009 - may 24, 2010

"I Live Here"

I live Here
Installation of 9 paintings
total size 42"x42"
2009
acrylic on canvas

This is the installation of paintings I present in the group show "Welcome Friends" at Project X Art in Solana Beach. The show runs until october 3, 2009.

Project X Art
320 South Cedros Ave
Suite 500
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 792-9685
email: create@projectxart.com
map

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 11am – 5pm
Saturday: 12 - 4pm
Sunday-Monday: CLOSED

Open Call for Artists and Curators to Submit Proposals to the Torrance Art Museum in Torrance, California

Here's a very interesting proposition from the TAM!



The Torrance Art Museum is Pleased to Announce an Open Call for Artists and Curators to Submit Proposals.
This is an Ongoing an Endeavor to Collaborate and Interact With Outside Curators and Professionals Worldwide.

To this end we would like to invite artists and curators (or anyone else for that matter) to present project proposals to the TAM. Our feeling is that, as a smaller museum of contemporary art, our strength lies in our ability to react to moments in art quickly (for a museum) and efficiently, within a limited budget.

TAM should be an artist’s museum, a curator’s museum and our audience’s museum for active engagement – so if this strikes a chord with you then feel free to send proposals to us. We will respond to them all and will shortlist those that we respond the strongest to (whatever that subjectively means) and try to schedule a number of these for the 2011/2012 programming.

We make no claims for this being an original idea, nor innovative, nor groundbreaking and we have no real idea how this experiment will succeed or fail but we feel it is worth finding out - so…proposals on a disc please to:

Torrance Art Museum
c/o Max Presneill, Curator
3320 Civic Center
Torrance, CA 90503, USA

John Oliver Lewis and Kim McConnel @ Southwestern College Art Gallery, Chula Vista

This should be a very interesting show!
I had the opportunity to see John's work in progress in his studio a few months ago and I absolutely loved what I saw. The first time I saw his work was at The Garage Gallery, and I was immediately interested in his very fresh, personal and poetic work made of clay. John arrived a little more than a year ago in San Diego with his wife Jessica McCambly - also an artist to watch closely! They are two great people.

This year Kim McConnel is the established artist who chose Brian Dick as an emerging artist for the San Diego Art Prize. A show of the two artists, "Discombulated", was held at L Street Fine Art.



John Oliver Lewis and Kim McConnel
Southwestern College Art Gallery - Chula Vista, CA

September 3 - September 30

Artists Talks: September 3, 2009 @ 11am
Opening Reception: September 3, 2009 @ 6-8pm

Two Together: Craig Kane and Timon Meyer @ Mount Airy Contemporary Fair

I wish I could see that show! Last time I saw Craig's work was at Keller Gallery in 2008. The same year in San Diego, he participated in the show "Cocked!" at Seminal Projects, and had a solo show "New Installation" at Spacecraft Gallery in North Park.



(From the press release)

Two Together
Craig Kane and Timon Meyer

September 4th - October 16th, 2009
Opening: September 4th, from 6 to 9 pm.

Gallery hours: Saturdays 12 - 4 pm.
And by appointment

(...)
In both Kane's and Meyer's work there is a sense of an internal narrative, a story told to oneself, that interfaces with a public narrative - how the world sees us. Both artists also incorporate materials and processes that reflect narrative's patchwork nature - improvisation, revision and the sense of a protagonist are ongoing subthemes. Two Together allows for a dialogue between Kane's and Meyer's work that plays off their shared interest in storytelling and personal mythologies.

Mount Airy Contemporary Artists Space is an artist-run exhibition space in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia PA. We mount shows that emphasize connections between art communities and networks among artists.

Mount Airy Contemporary Fair
Artists Space
25 West Mt. Airy Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19119
(215) 764 5621

Gallery Opening: "Welcome Friends" @Project X Art, Solana Beach

Tonight is the opening of a new gallery in Solana Beach: Project x Art, created by Chris Martino. I am glad to be part of this adventure!



"WELCOME FRIENDS"
A Group Show introducing Gallery Artists

AUG 25 - OCT 3, 2009
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 29, from 6 to 10pm

Wine tasting generously provided by Carruth Cellars
DJ Chuck Prada

Artists
Geoff Ballard
Kortney Ballard
Kristi Cherundolo
Samantha Churchill
Tom Farrell
Matthew Forderer
Robert Gruber
Michele Guieu
Tony Larson Mark Leone
Ryan Maher
C. Martino
Jen Martino
Amanda Mueller
Christine Rho
Daniel Thedell
Skye Walker

Project X Art
320 South Cedros Ave
Suite 500
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 792-9685
email: create@projectxart.com
map

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 11am – 5pm
Saturday: 12 - 4pm
Sunday-Monday: CLOSED

"Welcome back!"

I am back from my trip to France. For the first time I went through the customs as an American citizen. But when I arrived at Houston airport with my American passport in my hand, I could not help being nervous, still thinking about my last trip to France two years ago, when things went really bad with Immigration and I could not come back to San Diego for 4 months... It was about a missing paper, a sand grain in the machine.

So Wednesday afternoon in Houston airport, when a smiling custom officer said joyfully: "welcome back!" as I passed the control with my children, I froze for a second - was he really talking to me?

Note about today

Enjoying the canyon. Mojito.
Getting ready to leave for a few weeks.

"C'est La Vie" / videos

Noguchi Garden in Costa Mesa

Noguchi Garden
South Coast Plaza Town Center
611 Anton Blvd.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

My Kids' Chess

The kids re-organized their chess game their way, with Lego pieces. They know how to play their version and it is fascinating to watch them.

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see." Henry David Thoreau

"C'est La Vie": Territories Series / Troops and Territories Series / Landscapes

"C'est La Vie", detail


Territories Series: Troops - #3
2009, acrylic on canvas, 12”x12”

The small paintings in the exhibition "C'est La Vie", are from 4 different series I worked on:
- Territories series/landscapes
- Territories Series/Troops
- Territories series/connections
- Watching series

The show ends this Sunday.


Territories Series: Troops - #1
2009, acrylic on canvas, 12”x12”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #4
2009, acrylic on canvas, 12”x12”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #5
2009, acrylic on canvas, 12”x12”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #10
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 8”x8”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #11
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 6”x6”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #12
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 8”x8”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #14
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 8”x8”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #15
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 8”x8”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #16
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 4”x4”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #17
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 4”x4”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #18
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 4”x4”


Territories Series / Landscapes - #19
2009, acrylic on wood panel, 4”x4”


C'est La Vie
San Diego Art Institute / Museum of the Living Artist
June 5 - July 12, 2009
Monday - Saturday from 10 to 4.
Sunday from noon to 4.
1439 El Prado
San Diego CA 92101
(619) 236-0011
contact Debbie Wells: dwells@mola-sdai.org

Notes from Baja

In Tijuana, on the road to Ensenada: the old fence and behind it, the new one.


The new fence


On the road to Ensenada




In Ensenada










"El Alcobar"


"El Hombre Ballena" (The Whale Man)
by Alfonso Arambula


"El Hombre Ballena" (detail)


Quinceañera




Taqueria "El trailero" in El Sauzal








Evening in San Miguel


In the morning


On the road back to Tijuana


In Tijuana




Waiting at the border

Opening "Trade Show / California - Turkey" @ the Garage

Anna Stump who curated and organized the show,
and Larry Caveney (The Garage)










With Guy Lombardo, who will have a show at the garage in August.
Opening night: Saturday, August 8, 2009





The opening was Friday, July 3. The show runs until July 31.

To see all the pieces included in the show, go to:
Trade Show "California - Turkey"

The Garage
4141 Alabama Street #4
San Diego, CA Email: deepseal2@aol.com

"Trade Show / California - Turkey" @ the Garage, opening this Friday

Marcela Villasenor


Maura Vazakas


Hasip Pektas


L. Odom


Anna Stump


Michele Guieu

(above are some of the artworks included in the show).
To see more of them please check out this link.

After "Voices: Mapping the Hood / A Multi-media Interactive Collaborative Installation @ Art Produce Gallery", and "Give Some, Take Some @ The Garage", here is "Trade Show, California – Turkey", a swap of artworks between 100 Californian artists (a lot of them from San Diego) and 100 Turkish artists. The artists used a two-dimensional, 6” x 6” format. The show is organized and curated by Anna Stump.

Trading is a concept I am very interested in. The three shows/events are not related to each other but they are based on the same principle. I participated in the three events, each of them being a very good and positive experience!

I am looking forward to go to the opening of the show tomorrow at the Garage.

The opening reception: July 3, From 7:00 to 9:00pm.
The show runs from July 1 to July 30, 2009

The Garage
4141 Alabama Street #4
San Diego CA 92104
contact: deepseal2@aol.com
or: amstump@gmail.com

Notes About These Days

Spending a lot of time with the kids. No summer camp until next week and that's OK.
Going to the beach in the morning.
Overcast skies.
Tiny flies on the piles of seaweeds.
They fly away each time someone walks by.

The kids laughing in the waves.
White Zinc on the Face.
Me, a little bit worried about the waves! Shiny wetsuits.
Together, standing in the middle of a sea of white foam.
The sound of the waves, non stop.



Pelicans fishing.
Seagulls stealing food in people's bags.

Looking at the people walking on the beach, one of my favorite subjects. People walking in an almost empty space. No artifice.

Just watching. I do not take my nice camera every day.

Crunchy peanut butter bars.
Sand on my cell phone.

Sand in the house.
Seeing friends.
Taking my time sometimes.
Breathing.

Went with Kyle to the annual dinner given by the San Diego Museum of Art Contemporary Art Committee, hosted by Michele and Rick, contemporary art lovers. Sunny house - lot of cacti.
I was invited because I participated in the talk at Noel-Baza Fine Art, on the occasion of New Contemporaries II. We Had a great time.

Sketching and sketching for my upcoming solo exhibition at Art Produce in December. Wishing to do something low key but surprising and inviting. Thinking about something to give vs something to sell. Thinking about the scale of the work. should I use the second room? I still did not decide. There are so many things I can do. In fact I can do pretty much what I want. This is the nice thing about Art Produce.

Making some connections. Next week I'll meet with some people at the SDAI where I have my show. I am thrilled about that.

Taking one day after another.

A friend of mine, artist, just told me she has cancer. And money problems.

Watching the clouds, in an otherwise sparkling blue sky.

Another friend just went back to France. Hopefully she will recover quickly from the surgery she had here in San Diego. A surgery she cannot get in France. She suffered for 11 years, walking off and on, mostly with a cane, after an injury to her ankle when she was 15.
Great lunch together in Pacific Beach, close to the beach. She was telling me about her work in France. She has a show about History on TV: she invites politicians, writers, to talk about their books. I like her laugh!



Michael Jackson in pain. Dead.
Farrah in pain too. Dead too.
Long gone her beautiful smile and her unbelievable hair.

Seeing some shows.
Always concentrating on what I feel connected to.
Not the rest.

Tired of the endless wars: the big ones, far from here and the little ones, right here. Isn't it possible to be forgiven and compassionate to each other? Why the wars far from here and the people dying do not give us the desire to love more, to listen more?

I hear big words and big thoughts about what is going on in Iran.
But what do we do here, where we live?
Are we capable of real attention?
Could we be less judgmental?
More compassionate?

Talking to my neighbor. He gave me some beautiful lemons from his tree. I made some lemonade for all the kids. Sometimes the house is full, they all play Hide and go seek.
Lots of screaming!

Looking for the best series of paintings to show at Project X Art in Solana Beach for their first show which will be a group show at the end of August. Exciting.

Updating my website as often as possible with Dreamweaver, I still have to write some code some time to time!

Listening to my Pandora station.
Snow Patrol.

In the end we all die. No surprise here. But for now we are alive and it is quite amazing.



Years ago I lost a friend, she was 34. She had cancer. I remember going to the hospital every night. We talked, we laughed. We had a very good time. We were there, together, knowing that the end was close. And we just took a day after another. She was so alive and so close to die at the same time. I remember coming back to my studio each night, not sad. Light somehow. We shared something precious that I never forgot.
I still see her smile.

"Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life"
Snow Patrol / Chasing Cars

May-Ling Martinez: Measured Resistance @ Luis de Jesus Seminal Projects

May-Ling Martinez: Measured Resistance
June 27 - August 1, 2009

Luis de Jesus Seminal Projects
2040 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 696 9699

Pina Bausch

Lots of good memories about my years spent in Paris came back to me today... I was lucky enough to see Pina Bausch's work several times in the Theatre de la Ville before I moved to the U.S.

Artists' call announcement / "Capitalism in Question (because it is)" / Pitzed Art Galleries, Pitzer College

Deadline: July 20, 2009

Pitzer Art Galleries
1050 North Mills Ave., Claremont, CA 91711
Director, Ciara Ennis
Email, CapinQuestArt@Pitzer.Edu
Website, http://www.pitzer.edu/artgalleries
Tues.-Fri., 12-5pm

The Center for Social Inquiry at Pitzer College and the Pitzer Art Galleries are pleased to announce an open call for art works addressing the broad theme of "CAPITALISM IN QUESTION (because it is)."

The rampant capitalism of the last decade, and its recent catastrophic crisis, has left us in a peculiar and unfamiliar space. Capitalist economic ideology and practices are suddenly under renewed scrutiny. "CAPITALISM IN QUESTION (because it is)" invites artists to explore our current economic predicament and to consider a range of alternatives to it. Visual artwork in all media-painting, installation, sculpture and photography-is encouraged.
.......................................................................
about the juror, Daniel Joseph Martinez