creature, man and nature

CREATURE, MAN and NATURE – The title for our upcoming exhibit. It surfaced from each of our areas of interest. They are timely subject matter. Carolyn observes the animal kingdom, Mary respects the land, and I honor the human body. Combined, we show a deep appreciation and concern for the natural world.

We’ve met regularly for some time, to organize this project. I include bits of some of these sessions, as they’ve occurred already.

We needed a clear title, and now with that –  We officially launch our blog.

Welcome to:

FORMAL exhibit  and an INFORMAL blog
CREATURE • MAN • NATURE
works by Carolyn Lavender, Monica Aissa Martinez, and Mary Shindell.

You’ll hear from all three of us in this blog. The plan is to share photos of our individual progress and our meetings until we are complete with the entire process. The final installation will include video, one from each of us. So  count on snippets of some of that too. We’re also thinking to invite in the occassional guest author. And we’ll post something we call a throw in.

Move over 21st century … we’re present. Though meetings always include digital equipment of some form or other…the sketchbook still presides, cause we’re visual artists.

Carolyn will draw (and maybe paint), I will paint (and maybe collage) and Mary will make sculpture (and maybe print) … maybe we’ll do a bit of all of it.  Mesa is giving us plenty of space and freedom.

Stay with us, go to the home page, look around, get acquainted, and feel free to comment.  You’re a part of it now.

…I’m done for a little while, chances are you’ll hear from Mary next.

Congratulations!

We are pleased to notify you that your North Gallery proposal was selected. Your exhibition will be on display at Mesa Contemporary Arts from January 11 through May 5, 2013.* Due to length and time frame of your exhibition, it will overlap with two receptions: Friday, January 25 from 6-9pm (5-6pm VIP/Members’ preview) and Friday, April 12 from 7-10pm (6-7pm VIP/Members’ preview). If there is a possibility that you can be in town for the receptions, please let me know so we can add it to our publicity materials. Our audience always enjoys the opportunity to meet artists during opening receptions.

Sincerely,
Patty Haberman
Curator
Mesa Contemporary Arts

*dates are subject to change

hmmm…hadn’t noticed that asterisk until now…
anyway… yes, we’ll be there.

Now let’s get to work.

“art’s never the same thing twice”

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and effects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.

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We’ll be doing it again. Mary, Carolyn, and I have met a few times since last March.  A new plan for working together took hold yesterday.

My favorite comments (paraphrasing) of the afternoon:

Mary Shindell:

On our working together again:  Art’s never the same thing twice.

On crap and coziness: Right now, I’m working over at the Jackson studio. I put crap everywhere. I want to make it cozy. I want to feel like I am working close to my stuff, not be in vast space.  I want cozier.

About her work: I want to take the most insignificant, inconsequential things in nature and make them have significance.

Carolyn Lavender:

On what she might do: I plan to have new large work.  And also a large grouping of my Journal pieces.  The Journal pieces (each alone), are not very defensible.
(That is to say, they are strong as a grouping.)

About a working title for the blog:  Particular Purpose…I like the particular.

and me:

To Carolyn about why the cat is free to roam my studio:  I don’t try to control her.  Cause I mostly control everything else (…in the studio).

To Carolyn: How did God come into this conversation? 
Carolyn: You brought it up! 

…and I won’t say who said it exactly or about what:
WTF!

You do see why we want to do this again?
New work. New blog.  New media.