Montpellier: The Art Scene

Our two weeks in Montpellier afforded a diverse exposure to art shows.  I was very impressed by the free exhibits in two city sponsored spaces: the Carre Sainte-Anne is a converted church which houses contemporary exhibits (a marvelous space in which to look at art) and the deceptively large Pavillon Populaire.

Elina Brotherus was featured in the Pavillon in a sweeping show entitled: La Lumiere venue du Nord, Photographies, videos 1997-2015 (June 29-September 25, 2016).  Her work is stunning and very current feeling.  Searingly emotional but also calculated she makes comments on very personal subjects using herself as subject matter.  Her most confrontational works in this show were about her struggle with unsuccessful infertility treatments.  The work was brilliant and hard to look at but the pain was visualized in a most compelling way.  Her landscape work is beautiful, use of light complex, and her commentary on the history of painting and the female gaze pushes dialogue further.
Her self-portraiture was also very interesting in terms of today's social media obsession with the "selfie."  She was taking selfie's with a personal documentation feel long before smart phones hit the scene.  Can you tell?  I loved this show.

www.elinabrotherus.com

Barthelemy Toguo was featured at the Carre Sainte-Anne.  Deluge (June 22-November 6 2016) is an installation of 54 wooden coffins in the center of the space surrounded by large ink on paper transferred to canvas works.  Toguo was making commentary on war (especially referencing Africa in some pieces) and the resilience of the human spirit to regenerate through nature.  The show was very succinct and his point was quite clear.  I liked the ink effect and the way his imagery was painterly but stark.  It enhanced the subject matter.

www.barthelemytoguo.com

On the day before the Frederick Bazille show opened at the city's main art museum the Musee Fabre
we visited the permanent collection.  (An oversight on my part.)  This space was recently renovated and has some lovely works.  France has reasonable museum entry fee prices and we spent about 2 hours with the collection which is good for 2 kids under 10 I'd say. 
Overall the city is a joy to look at art in.  Viewers of all ages were at the galleries while we were there. France certainly appreciates art.
Back with more from our France adventure soon.
JJ
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Artist Travel: What to Pack

We are now 10 days away from our 6 week France adventure. I have been gathering supplies and despite being away for weeks we are travelling light.  Since the boys will not have lots of toys or books to keep them occupied many of their activities will involve us hanging out together.  One activity that we enjoy doing together is drawing.  We took a trip to the art supply store and each boy picked out their own sketch book.  Elliott at age 5 needs a simple spiral bound which will be easier for him to keep open while drawing.  Kyan at age 8 chose a black sketch book.  I had some older ones laying around and am bringing two for myself.  We also have a set of pencils, sharpener, glue in case of any scrapbook inspirations and a thin black Sharpie. I'm also brining a gouache paint set with three brushes, and a set of 24 colour pencils.   

Last year on our trip to England I brought a piece to work on.  Our trip was only 3 weeks and we kept very busy with sightseeing.  When we did have down time I decided to read rather than stitch.  This year there will be much more regular day-to-day living since Dave will be working regular work days.  So I plan to take advantage of sewing time to get a several pieces stitched towards a two-person show.  And I am bringing a small piece of fabric that I designed in my course with fabric paint on muslin.  It will be a keepsake for me to hang in our home.  In the future I will look at it and remember our time in the south of France.

When deciding what art supplies to bring your trip intentions are the first thing to consider.  If you will be sightseeing 99% of the time a sketchbook and camera may be all you should carry.  Any other supplies will just weigh you down.  Trips are a great time to soak in new inspirations and rest your making side.  If you are travelling for an art retreat that is another story.  Finding compact options for sketchbooks and supplies will be a big help in terms of keeping your luggage weight down.  

But if you are travelling and staying for longer periods bringing along small projects can be useful, especially during down time in airports etc.  There are often times while travelling that you have to wait unexpectedly and having something to do with your hands to fill the time really helps with patience.  

I will add a small lidded jar for carrying water when we are out and about and I may add more embroidery floss to this pile as well and my DSLR camera is also not in the photo above.  All the art pieces will be bound for finishing after the trip.  There is no room for sewing machines on this journey. The excitement is mounting...if you are travelling this summer I wish you the best.

JJ

Behind the Art: The World Tree Series

Many artists have themes that work their way through their art as the years progress.  One such theme for me is the four seasons.  In the spring of 2011 as I waited for my second son to be born Spring in the World Tree came to me.  A robin's nest with bright blue eggs surrounded by a flowering tree.  At the time of course it was a drawing that waited in my sketch book while I birthed and bonded with a new baby.

When the time came to make a piece (probably a year or so later if we are being honest) I began work on Spring.  And when it was completed I thought it would be great to create a series of four, one for each season and each one featuring a different bird.  The World Tree, Tree of Life or Yggdrasil in Norse mythology is a fairly common image in popular culture.  What I wanted to explore in these pieces was capturing the essence of each season, along with the essence of a universal tree as it passes through a yearly cycle.

Spring: birth, stirrings of sap, awakening, colour's return...

Summer: Abundance of green, buzzing energy, wild and unruly lushness...

Autumn: Abundance of harvest, bright red apples, leaves turning and falling, fading warmth...

Winter: Grey silence, cold, a whiteness contrasted by the evergreen's promise of Spring....

And the cycle begins again.
Please click through the title of the post to comment or view past posts.  All pieces are currently for sale please contact me via my website for inquiries.

JJ

2016 Vancouver Area Quilt Shop Hop

As often as we can my friend Heidi and I try to take a day and have an adventure together.  This adventure is one that is unique to our interests together and most certainly does not involve "boy things" since the four boys we have birthed between us and the two men that partner us have little to no interest in joining in on our jaunts.
We have flown to Toronto (that was a special 48 hour version), visited the flea market and I believe there may have been a few movies attended long ago.  Last month we decided to shop hop to six quilt & fabric shops in the Lower Mainland.  Here is a little review on each.  (I was planning to take photos in each shop to share but the last two shops suffered from my growing fatigue.  Turns out I'm good for about four shops and then my eyes start to glaze over a bit...)

The Cloth Shop - Granville Island, Vancouver

Our first stop at 10 am (to avoid the crazy amount of people at Granville Island on Saturdays) was this tastefully laid out shop.  They have a great selection of fabrics, notions and books.  This one was Heidi's favourite for the friendly staff, location, fabrics and notions.

Spool of Thread - 15th Avenue, Vancouver

We have both been to Spool of Thread many times.  They have a large area for sewing classes, modern fabrics and lots of clothing patterns.  They curate their fabric very carefully to fit the modern, hipster vibe but are welcoming of sewers at all skill levels.

Fabrics Etc. - Kingsway, Vancouver

As of this posting date Fabrics Etc was the newest shop we visited.  They opened about a year ago and have a large selection of clothing fabrics, traditional quilt fabrics and a large notion section.  The store is laid out in more of a outlet style with plenty of room to browse.

Stitch and Bobbin - Old Dollarton Road - North Vancouver

This shop has a lot to offer.  Classes, Bernina Sewing Machines, a great fabric selection, Aurifil threads, and they do retreats as well.  This shop was my favourite as their fabrics appeal to my palate and the staff are helpful.  I also like that it is in a quieter location with no need to circle looking for parking.

The Needle and I - 6th Street, Burnaby

Offering a more traditional selection of fabrics, some good thread options like Italian thread Genziana, and Pfaff and Husqvarna sewing machines this shop also offers tons of classes.  The owner is lovely and helpful and had some interesting little quilters charms and gifts for quilt lovers you may know.

Quilted Treasures - Austin Avenue, Coquiltlam

Our last stop but not the least by far.  This shop offers lots of kits, traditional fabrics and long arm quilting for hire.  The owner is friendly and gave us several demonstrations of some of the products she has on hand including some applique adhesive paper.

This shop hop does not include all the fabric shops around but was doable in about 4 hours with lunch and tea breaks sprinkled in.  Click through on the title of the post to comment or tell me if you visit any of the shops.  And happy fabric hunting.

JJ

Old but not Precious

"One man's treasure is another's trash." 

I do not think it is too harsh to say that today's North American, and perhaps even Western, culture is disposable.  We are systemically forced to discard a phone, toaster or television that we purchased a few years or dreadfully even months ago and replace it with the latest model.

This culture effects us all in countless ways. Hoarders, collectors, minimalists, consumers: we label our relationship to stuff, justifying our behaviour one way or another.  

My own relationship to things has evolved dramatically in the 20 years I have lived on my own. I love old/vintage things. I grew up appreciating antiques.  I adore flea markets and thrift shops. There are whole professions dedicated to the recording, preserving and caring of vintage treasures.

And then there is just old stuff. 

The linens in these photos are such items.  They are old textiles; I would date them to early 20th century.  A cotton skirt, silk blouse, and two cotton pillow cases edged with hand-crocheted lace.  They are stained, ripped, they smelled of moth balls and the blouse has several holes that have darkened to a crispy brown at the edges.  As vintage items they are not worth preserving.  A museum would de-accession these items.  

But for some artists these items are valuable. While they are not only historically significant in their own right, they also carry stories that can be transformed. In and of themselves they are not precious.  No one will buy them for lots of money at auction, no one has kept them carefully preserved in a cedar lined chest and most would discard them. Their decomposition would resume and eventually their fibres would mingle with all organic organisms.




Since these items were sent to me I plan to transform them. They will be made into art.  This practice of transforming old textiles is a common practice these days in the textile art community. I follow several talented artists who bring new life to unwanted fibres. Amy Meissner has created a crowdsourcing project and people from all over the world are sending her hand work from doilies to needlepoints. Susan Lenz uses old garments for rusting and natural dying. These pieces are unwanted clothing that is then used for installations or cut up for art quilts.

As for what my old but not precious items will become I am still pondering.  Gently washing them and hanging them in the sun to dry was my first interaction with them.  As an aside if you have vintage linens that you want to preserve hanging them in the sun is not recommended.  The beauty of linens drying on a clothesline in the sun was too hard for me to pass up.  I think they will tell me the story that they need to tell in time.  I am grateful that art offers up a place for old things to transform and that I get to use my own hands to transform them.

*Please click through the title of the post to comment or look for previous posts.* 

JJ

Uncovering History

Hilma af Klint: Recently discovered as a pioneer of abstract art

There are always biases and preferences in our working life.  The diversity of humanity is refreshing and helps us to feel like we are not alone.  The internet has opened up a world to us introvert types; it is a place where we can seek out role models, heroines and positive reinforcement for the path and choices we are making.

At art school I learned about hundreds of artists.  So many that my mind blurs when trying to recall any exact amount.  Art history is a vast world of smooth faced cherubs, imposing bronze sculptures, colourful impressions of landscape, and hard edged acrylic surfaces.  I certainly felt inspired by many artists: Monet, Klimt, Schele, Raphael, men who's last names say all that needs to be described about their identity.  Household names by and large.

While their work inspired me, as an individual I was not inspired.  There was little to nothing about their lives that I could relate to.  Not merely because they lived in different eras but mostly because they were men.  I felt deep down that their way of seeing the world and living in it was vastly different than my own.  And while I could share their sensibilities about creating I could not use their life stories to inspire choices in my own.  I needed role models that had broken through a patriarchal system to expose their work.  I had to search,  look deeply at the handful of women artists presented to us in art history texts to find the women whose work and lives I could relate to.

The internet and a growing understanding of the exclusion of women in the art history world has seen tons of women artists being pulled out of the shadows.  Many worked alongside men who became famous but never achieved that level of recognition.  Some were muses, some were muses and then mothers to babies begot by their famous lovers/husbands.  Some pushed against glass ceilings, fought mental illness, hid and painted but never had a single show.

On my way to New York city in the late 90's I read Judy Chicago's book: Through the Flower.  Despite her huge impact on me I was not able to see her masterpiece The Dinner Party in New York at that time.   Now the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art in the Brooklyn Museum houses The Dinner Party permanently.   I see these changes as very positive for the art world.  Now young (or not) artists can find role models with more ease.

This long explanation has been my little manifesto into why I am so heavy on the female artists.  I admire many men for their achievements, but in this space I focus more on the women's side of the stories.  Someday I may not need to have such a bias, but until then I want to share the work of women, including my own, and let our voices reverberate in a changing world.

If you feel compelled to know more about women artists in history I recommend the following links:

Jennifer Higgie on Instagram

The Story of Women in Art a BBC Documentary

Why Have there been no Great Women Artists by Linda Nochlin

Back Soon.  JJ

Art and Family

Sometimes it is hard to know where to best post when my art and family life intermingle.  Over at my personal blog is a post about raising kids as an artist:  http://chasingdomesticbliss.blogspot.ca/2016/02/growing-up-with-art.html

Back soon with more art related news and views.

JJ