catalogue
exhibition images

The Weight of Jupiter
By Megan Dunn

The day of the opening the hue above the hills of Upper Hutt was apricot. The light diffused, faint as a Rothko. The sea a blue sliver of shining knifae. The students were graduating and I came out of the shop at lunch time and watched them walking along Lambton Quay in their black caps and capes, each degree a splash of colour. Pale pink for the arts. The bagpipes ushered the smiling students along. It was a day to reflect on success, a rite of passage. The future awaits and it doesn’t always come with a ribbon. Later, I trudged towards the exhibition opening in the dark of night, abandoning another day in retail and preparing for the satellite world of contemporary art.

Up the top of the narrow stairs the three works at Enjoy exhibited a lightness of touch, their meaning was vaporous, difficult to grasp. Planes of color – or its deficit washed over the walls. On the wonky wooden floorboards, 50 yards of bright green ribbon was curled into a nest. This work had so much kinetic potential. I wanted to drop a cat, wild of temperament and claw, into its midst. Once, years ago, I arrived home to my Fathers house to find reams of toilet paper curling along the corridor. My Father’s cat (the artist) sat at the end of this trail, licking its paws.

The ribbon was the most problematic work. Splashed on the floor the loopy green ribbon accentuated the pink blush of Lisa Benson’s nearby abstract photograph. These two works were clearly getting on well together. But how was I meant to respond to the ribbon? With delight or quiet outrage? Or perhaps just a cynical smirk? At the very least I managed not to step on it during the opening. That’s one of the many problems of installation art: you have to be careful not to put your foot in it. Sprawled on the floor like a drunken gallery goer, the ribbon was an organised mess. But who said contemporary art has to behave?

I considered the artist, Rossana Martinez, in her moment of play, like the cat, working freely with her materials. The forces that drove her were probably mostly sub-conscious. Later I found out the artist emailed the gallery a set of instructions from New York. The ribbon was hard to find, eventually located in a bridal shop in the depths of Palmerston North – via cyberspace. Martinez requested that her work be arranged in a hill formation – a homage to New Zealand, home of many hills and paintings about hills! A volunteer had stood on a ladder and looped the bridal ribbon into a mound. This seemed a satisfying conclusion for the ribbon, freed at last from the bridesmaid’s skirt.

Lisa Benson’s photographic work on rice paper was that touch of early morning Rothko I glimpsed over the glittering lights of Petone. This was a delicate work, pink hued and pretty but not in a Katy Perry kind of way. The lines of colour were at once reminiscent of Wellington sunrises, frequently salmon over a metallic wedge of sea. Yet, there was also a futuristic angle at work – the palette and planes of Logan’s Run. There was a quiet confidence here and the process was subtle too: the artist’s materials consisted of gathered light. John Hurrell has called Lisa Benson ‘the most exciting photographer’ working in NZ today. Trawling her website, I’m not surprised to find photographs of sparkling snowscapes, decidedly lunar in appearance.

The long and large wall painting by Zoe Rapley was hard to see at the opening. People were standing in front of it, wine or beer in hand – white shoes worn with panache, a whiff of corduroy. Rapley’s work was slightly buckled like a massive piece of a house coming away. For an ant this work could have been the surface of the moon. My first instinct was that I’d like to look at the painting (is it a painting?) lying on the floor. This would also have been easier for the ant. Intricate charcoal swirls covered the right hand corner. The gases of Jupiter? The doodles of an obsessive day dreamer? Or the topography of a map taken from a satellite suspended in the depths of space? The work emitted a sense of melancholy. It felt distant. Although I was told the artist’s studio is in Lyall Bay. This seemed apt. Lyall Bay has always been a windswept place, the houses along the beach are battered and worn by the onslaught of sand and sea. I could imagine the wind howling off the shore as Rapley, rolled her paint. She had presented us with a panoramic view of the surface: but what do we see?

Just what is the weight of Jupiter – 50 yards of green bridal ribbon? When is a photograph like a vapor? The hands of the artists dipped in and out of each work. Erica van Zon, the curator, wanted the exhibition to touch on the sublime. Enjoy is a gallery that supports these strange migrations into the mind. On earth we like to look at the solar system and marvel at the planets as though we are something apart. Back down on the ground in Wellington, the national Budget was about to be announced, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Somewhere underneath Jupiter’s surface of gases there must be a solid crust…

You Can Sing Me Anything, 2011
Installation at Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Green ribbon
Photos: Lance Cash

You Can Sing Me Anything was part of a three person exhibition entitled The Weight of Jupiter in Wellington, NZ. The exhibition, curated by Erica Van Zon, included work by Lisa Benson and Zoe Rapley.

For the installation, I wanted to create a hill of green with the simplest materials. The idea was to convey my experience visiting New Zealand in 2007. During my visit, I made a note about how the landscape, shapes and colors reminded me of the Caribbean — where I grew up. But at the same time, I noticed how different the types of trees, hills and green hues are found in New Zealand to those found in the Caribbean. This connection to me represented the perfect balance of nature.

Cultivate

1) to prepare and use for the raising of crops; also: to loosen or break up the soil about (growing plants)

2)
a) to foster the growth of — cultivate vegetables
b) culture — the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education
c) to improve by labor, care, or study: refine — cultivate the mind

3) further, encourage

4) to seek the society of: make friends with

Maybe is the cooler weather, but lately this fascinating word has kept me thinking about how we use our time. How do we cultivate creativity, health, love, community and all the other good qualities we want to see and experience?

I use a simple practice that works for me. Everyday, I try to dedicate a couple of minutes to do things that move me. Of course, I’m not always successful at it, but I happily write that most days I find a good balance between work and play. There are also special days when those dedicated minutes become hours…very special hours.

As with any process of growth, finding a practice that is uniquely yours takes time. But to me, the most important moment is when the idea is planted. Once the idea is definite and clear, nurturing happens naturally and gracefully.

For those lovers of books, language and life, here is a wonderful children’s book. The story and illustrations are beautiful. Happy nurturing!

De como nacio el amor (How love was born)
By Mrinali Alvarez Astacio
Published by La Editorial, Universidad de Puerto Rico

Desde los primeros tiempos, existe el día…
…y la noche.

Cuando el día se aleja a descansar,
la noche, vestida de estrellas, sale a pasear.

Y cada vez que se encuentra a la luna,
la invita a bailar.

Danza la luna en el cielo,
sobre las montañas y entre las estrellas.

Y el cielo se llena de danzas,
cada una diferente.

Baila nueva, baila llena,
a veces creciente, a veces menguante.

Tanto baila que siente el latir
de su corazón.

Y queda enamorada…
…de la vida.

Summary from publisher: The author uses a metaphorical story of love between the Sun and the Moon to explain the continuous cycle of night and day. The constant cycle is then presented as a passionate dance between two beings that love each other, and this in turn becomes the means to explain courtship to children. The author explains the origin of romantic love as something natural.

So scary — it’s November already. What happened to 2010?

Hope you all had a great Halloween. Brooklyn looks beautiful in fall colors.

Enjoy!

One absolutely beautiful day,
two trains,
three boroughs,
equals a magnificent view of endless diversity.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
-Confucius

On the Run, a blog about the New York City Marathon. The Marathon this year is on November 7 and will have about 43,000 runners. So looking forward to it!

A Running Start, a free online coaching resource developed by New York Road Runners in response to rising obesity levels in children.

Enjoy and wishing all a happy healthy weekend!

Among the many reasons I couldn’t find time to write is that I have been having longer, deeper runs. Yes, my usual 3-mile runs have matured into 6, 7 and lately 8 miles. Longer runs make me feel great and have me inspired and playing in the studio much more. I’m still thinking about it, but I may run a half-marathon next year. As you can see in the photo, I have an incredibly active trainer who keeps me on the move in running and non-running days.

As part of my job, I’ve been taking an interesting class and traveling around the city. I like that I’m spending more time meeting people, and visiting and learning about new places in the city. There are days that my commute is so long, but to see the positive side of it, at least I’m not in front of a computer all day.

At the beginning of the month, we traveled to Miami for the opening of Matthew’s two-person exhibition (with David E. Peterson) at Alejandra von Hartz Gallery. It’s nice how art takes you to places. Loved her gallery space and the exhibition (on view thru Oct. 30) has great energy and dialogue. The art world needs more galleries like hers. Alejandra has such a friendly and welcoming personality. Congratulations Matthew and David!

Image:
Michelangelo
Sistine Chapel
fresco
ca. 1511

Happy weekend everyone!

Finding of the week:

“We always need to remember that behind almost every great moment in history, there are heroic people doing really boring and frustrating things for a prolonged period of time.”

From New York Times, My Favorite August by Gail Collins.

If you want to get a real view of what an artist’s life is all about, check out Julian Dashper (1960-2009): It Is Life at MINUS SPACE. On view from August 7 until September 4, 2010. A must see, read, experience, feel.

In 2007, I wrote the post, Your Heart Makes Me Feel, after I read a wonderful tribute to artist Elizabeth Murray (1940-2007) in The Brooklyn Rail. Since then my feelings about the connection between art & life have only deepened more…

As Robert Gober wrote: “…art comes out of life, and that you had better pay attention.”

Image:
Julian Dashper (1960-2009): It Is Life, MINUS SPACE

The taste of summer is…

fresh
I’ve been giving life to those whispery notes/sketches I often add to my Eco Ciak. I love that little recycled paper sketchbook. It’s always a fun process to go back to the notes/sketches and try to understand the where/what/how/why.

warm
To me there is nothing like a simple and open conversation about interests, ideas and life as artists. I had the opportunity to moderate the virtual panel Resource: Where Abstract Art is (From) with a great group of artists: Glen Cunningham, Mark Dagley, Laura Fayer, Molly Herman, Lori Kirkbride, Ben LaRocco and Rachael Wren. All artists were part of Source, an exhibition curated by Susan Ross and Melissa Staiger. Both, exhibition and virtual panel, were presented and sponsored by PowerHouse Projects. Source was on view at The Halls at Bowling Green from April 22nd through May 28th. Check out the virtual panel and take a look at their websites. It’s all good!

sweet
I finally signed up my family to a CSA. The fruit begins to arrive next week. I’m excited and so looking forward to it…

The upcoming weeks and months look exciting and enriching as well. This fall, I’ll be taking a course on advocacy for children at Citizens Committee for Children of New York. This is such a great organization and resource in the city.

More soon and I wish you all a great rest of the summer.

Hope you’re all having a great summer. Here are some of my summer thoughts after having a wonderful time with family and at my favorite place: the beach.

It pleases me immensely to see how my boy loves the ocean. He was born in NYC, but his blood is Caribbean…and I truly love that!

Fruit and vegetable stands, surf shops and Rex Cream’s Ice Cream are my kind of places.

<3 running barefoot on the beach. I know I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but it was hard to run this morning and wear running shoes.

A bikini never goes out of fashion.

My nieces and nephews are awesome! When I grow up, I want to be just like them.

Photo:
7am swim with mama.

Swimming in the Caribbean. Surrounded by family and nature. I’m counting the days…

Where is yours?

Where is My Mind
By The Pixies

Oh
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there’s nothing in it
And you’ll ask yourself

Where is my mind

Way out in the water
See it swimmin’

I was swimmin’ in the Caribbean
Animals were hiding behind the rocks
Except the little fish
But they told me, he swears
Tryin’ to talk to me, coy koi.

Where is my mind

Way out in the water
See it swimmin’ ?

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
If there’s nothing in it
And you’ll ask yourself

Where is my mind

Oh
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Oh
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Oh
Oh

“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.”

-Oscar Wilde

“Yoga is about the union and integration of breath, movement and body, both on and off the mat. Our practice on the mat should hopefully guide us towards actions in the outside world: if we observe our actions on the mat, perhaps we can all try to apply them to the outside world, and together, in a united way, we can make a difference.”

Green Goa: Green Yoga, Karma Yoga and the Art of Transforming Practice to Life by Inna Costantini. UK Yoga Magazine, July 2010.

Happy summer!

Photo contest submission by Jennifer Day
From We Love Birds, a site for bird-lovers from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Dorothea Tanning
Costume Design for Bayou, 1951
Graphite and gouache on green paper
12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches
Collection of the artist

On view Dorothea Tanning: Early Designs for the Stage at the Drawing Center, April 23 – July 23, 2010.

I’m glad to be back after a couple of weeks of too much happening at the same time. Here are some new discoveries that kept me balanced during busy days.

To begin a yoga practice at home, I got the podcast Yoga For Morning, Noon & Night with Jason Crandell. Each practice is twenty minutes and Crandell is such an excellent teacher. The noon practice is perfect during lunch break at work. The night practice feels great after a busy day.

I often find myself waiting for the bus to travel from the East side to the West side and viceversa. While I commute, I’m either reading or writing. But lately I’ve been looking and learning about NYC’s trees with the application for iPhone, Trees Near You. Watching how trees change in the spring is one of my favorite things and with this new application it feels magical.

With magic in mind, Nueva Luz, the photographic journal published by En Foco has always wonderful artists to discover. The current issue has a fantastic series by Pato Hebert entitled Trying to Catch Your Breath. Hebert describes breathing as a “manifestation of existence”. Wow! and to think that most of the time we take breathing for granted. Pato Hebert writes about the series:

“The images record my breath made visible when exhaled into the cold night air. This very simple but beautiful manifestation of existence moves me. Like my breath, which floats off into the chilly darkness, these images float between figuration and abstraction. They continue my explorations into the evocative and the ephemeral as it relates to our well-being. The title, Trying to Catch Your Breath, refers to the literal process of making the images, my effort to try to record my breath in photographic form. The title also alludes to the spiritual process of trying to catch my breath, to slow down and nourish a healthier, calmer mental state.

The hectic pace and imbalance in my daily living can lead to insecurities, anxieties and fear. Breathing is more of a process than a ‘thing.’ But in cold air, the breath is made visible. In this way the breath materializes and becomes a kind of thing, ephemeral yet palpable, unstable yet compelling. This chilly, condensed form of my breath is fascinating and magical to me, and I wanted to see how it would appear in photographically. These photographs reference the Buddhist meditation practice of focusing on one’s breathing as a technique for being more present and aware. By learning to listen to my own breathing and by remembering to breathe calmly and deeply instead of rushing or holding my breath, I am able to think and act more clearly. I have found this technique to be tremendously helpful in my efforts to improve my own awareness.”

Enjoy and Happy Earth Day!

We’ve been having glorious days filled with beautiful colors and sun. The weather always inspires me to choose what to experiment with in the kitchen. I have two new favorites: quinoa and kale. Cooking them is simple, their benefits are plenty and they taste great.

I was about to write about the benefits of kale when I found all I wanted to say (and more) in the great Brooklyn blog — Butter Beans Kitchen. This is a must read blog if you love real food. I agree with what they write about their blog:

“…If we want quality lives full of goodness, we have got to learn to make good choices about the food we plant and the food we eat. We have got to spend some more time in the kitchen and appreciating the food we have.

We have to teach our children, in a way that makes them want to celebrate. What could be more magical than the colors and tastes and sights that the Earth produces with sunshine, rain and a few pairs of dedicated hands…”

And here is the information about kale:

Kale — in April’s glow by Butter Beans Kitchen. They will add kale recipes this month.

Enjoy!

Finding of the week:

The 5 Warrior Warm-Up by Margaret Burns Vap

-Swami Veda Bharati

Everything feels so new in the spring. My curious boy has been showing me the world from a new perspective. This weekend, we spent long hours with friends, playing in the park, and looking at fresh bits of color — trees, magnolias, daffodils. Very refreshing!

The beautiful sun has inspired me to introduce him to the magic of running. So I’m looking for a running stroller and would love to hear about your experiences. Here are some of the qualities I’m looking for:

*lightweight (mama is petite and our charming neighborhood is old — streets have different levels)
*easy storage (we live in Brooklyn = small apartment)
*reasonable price

I really appreciate any suggestions and/or recommendations.

Thanks and happy spring to all!

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
-Marcel Proust

What a pleasant surprise I received yesterday when Erin Loechner from Design for Mankind wrote about my new performance drawings. I feel honored to be part of this great community.

As many of you know and for those who don’t, Design for Mankind is an award-winning blog dedicated to showcasing the talents of the emerging art and design community. They receive over 11,000 visits per day (wow!) which makes them great hosts. I encourage all to take some time to look, read, subscribe and certainly to enjoy this awesome resource for art and design.

Muchas gracias Erin and everyone at Design for Mankind!

running with
my favorite music
creative thoughts
and a happy heart

returned home
found two beautiful smiles
and a cup of good coffee

simple things taste so good!

The last couple of weeks have been full of creativity. I found some time to draw, run outside and explore for titles. I like titles especially for abstract work. To me, titles are the little things that tell our story. They help us share ideas with others, and begin a dialogue…

Finding of the week:

“What is often overlooked in this modern world is that everything and everybody has value, that each atom in the universe does indeed have a place…”

-Aadil Palkhivala

Fresh snow makes everything look so pretty in the city…

Lately, the weather has been warmer than usual — perfect to run outside. Last Sunday morning was a beautiful and sunny fall morning. I managed to run five miles and felt I could keep going. I enjoyed the longer run, but now that the weather is changing again, I’m looking for ways to trick my brain to enjoy running in the cold.

In the I’m a Runner section of Runner’s World, I found an interview with Wolfgang Ketterle, Nobel Prize-winning physicist from MIT where he says:

“It’s quite nice running when it’s cold out. I like the contrast of the warm body, which is at a wonderful operating temperature, with the chill on the skin.”

I like the beautiful way he describes running in the cold. It also sounds like good material for a performance. I’m definitely going to remember his words while I’m out there pushing to get to the six mile…And maybe when I think of my next performance/drawings.

What If
By Ganga White

What if religion was each other,
If our practice was our life,
If prayer was our words.

What if the Temple was the Earth,
If forests were our church,
If holy water—the rivers, lakes and oceans.

What if meditation was our relationships,
If the Teacher was life,
If wisdom was self-knowledge,
If love was the center of our being.

-For the Rainforest Benefit, NYC, 1998