Why does it seem so difficult to keep a blog current? I’m told I’m not the only blogger to struggle with this.
Anyway, the Reception for Bas-relief Cardboards was a hoot! The work looks good in the East River Bank, and Magdaliz Roura was dynamite on the guitar. She brought her violinist and percussionist with her, and we had a party – dancing and all! There were 40 or 50 people there on that First Friday Opening. People have been dropping in to see the work regularly since then, and commenting to me about the show.
It has been so nice and gratifying to organize this solo exhibition. Catherine Kelly and her staff at the East River Bank have been so very helpful and accommodating. Kitty Jauregui and Tully Speaker were key in helping to place and hang the Cardboards. Some of the Cardboards had been exhibited before in group shows, but being able to have them together in their own space makes a big difference, when they can play with each other instead of standing alone.
Last Thursday I gave a talk at the exhibition to about a dozen people from FitC (Friends in the City), giving a little history about how I came to work with Bas-relief Cardboards, and how other artists like Picasso, Braque, Rauschenberg and contemporary artists have used Cardboard. Then we moved on for a talk by Cynthia Groya about her work at the Muse Gallery. Groya’s culturally significant works are vastly different from my playful Bas-relief Cardboards (She makes complex vitrines of plexiglas and copper and other materials), but like my work, they deviate from the “usual” paint on canvas format.
From the Muse Gallery we moved on to the Clay Studio for a tour of their gallery, work space, and Residency quarters on the third floor – even received a demonstration from one of their Master Residents. Finally we moved on to Cafe Olé for coffee and discussion. A full afternoon!
The FitC tour was over-subscribed within half an hour of going on-line, so I will repeat the talk and tour for FitC this Thursday (Sept 22nd, 1:00pm). There is space for a few more people too, if they care to join the FitC gang. Then the exhibition stay in place until the end of September.
