This week's Kid Pics

I'm thusfar happy with my switch to an IMAC; perhaps just because the new computer is umpteen times as fast as my ancient Gateway. Both Bonnie and Shari emailed photos that you see here. Bonnie, in Panama, is posing with 10 year old friend, Julie, at a site that shelters starfish, she says "more than you can imagine". She included the name of the place, but I didn't think to save that. I'm using that starfish photo on y desktop; the clarity of the water is amazing...Hope there's no oil to be discovered under those sands.

Shari too was busy with her Iphone camera. Here's a picture of grandson, Wyn, with his "City of Angels" haircut. He was a lead in his high school production of that musical. And how did Shari get into Dodger stadium, into the Dodger dugout to have her picture snapped? That's a question for our next phone call; but neither Ira nor I are surprised.

Heard from Megan Porter that the POP bubbe wrap show has been extended. So if you haven't been at ARTSPACE yet, here's another opportunity to enjoy the show.

POP Packaging for Pampered Patrons

Here are a few more photos of my installation taken a few weeks after the gala opening. The bubble wrap strips have been tied back to permit easier transit to the bathrooms, offices, for gallery patrons. However in this state, the participant doesn't have the tactile experience of going through that tunnel surrounded by the brush of the bubble wrap strips, the varying light coming through the material, etc. Would this occur in a NYC, L.A., Dallas, etal gallery? The title, seen by me as silly as the origin of this packaging, now seems appropriate.

Trapani tours

Our tour brought us to SEGESTA, once the center of the Elymian civilization: Trojans, Greek Phocaeans and Sicans.

The photos to the left show the unfinished 36 columned 5th c. BCE Doric Temple in that magnificent setting; the distance photo was shot from a bus that took us to the Greek theater high in the hills. The other two photos show the site of SELINUNTE, Segesta's enemy, founded in 628 BCE, destroyed by Carthage in 409 BCE. Only one of the eight temples found here has been restored. The restorers in the 50's reported that they couldn't be sure that the work they were doing was valid...that certain stones should be atop or next to one another, etc. So the other temple sites are piles of antique rubble. You can see how huge the columns, capitals were in these Doric structures.

Back from our great voyage

Our voyage on the Aegean Odyssey began in Piraeus. The next day's tour took us to Athens and the Acropolis. Its always full of tourists, school children, tour groups speaking a multitude of different languages, but in spite of the crowds, always a great experience. I think this was our 4th time there and we were delighted to see how much work has been completed. Lots of workmen putting up more scaffolding, using cranes, wahing down areas...There's still heaps more to be done.

The new Acropolis Museum opened recently. The huge glass fronted building looks out onto the Acropolis and houses the artefacts of only this site. The museum is built on the remains of another archeological area, and this is covered w. Lexan panels so the visitor can view the dig site easily. The second floor houses the original Caryatids of the Erecthion, and a huge display of the 4 sides (the metopes?) of the Parthenon. The latter exhibits the original stone pieces plus white plaster casts of the Elgin marbles held by the British Museum. I was shocked that so many pieces are totally missing. The whiteness of the reproductions may be viewed as a reproach to the British Museum that permitted Jos. Duveen to order technicians to scrub the original colors off the pieces before displaying them in the room he financed for their display. The British Museum's argument for not returning these to Greece is that if they hadn't preserved them, there'd be none now for anyone to view. The Elgin Marbles are the Brit. Museum's biggest draw.

Bubble wrap

Started working yesterday on my installation for the POP bubble wrap exhibit that opens on May 21. I've drafted a good studio assistant, Ira. Here, you see him cutting strips of the wrap that I'm hanging in the archway between the gallery and Giftspace. We've sliced miles of bubble wrap; finished one huge roll and we're just about halfway into the 7'x6' area. But we hope to have a wrap by Friday...meanwhile we've been utilizing our hot tub to soothe our aching backs, feet,

hands. When you walk through my "TamaGate", I hope you think its a worthwhile experience, lots of fun too.

Hoorah; Jazz at the Barnwell

The Barnwell was busy last evening. Not only was the outdoor jazz concert scheduled, a large exhibit of jazz related photos displayed in the large gallery but also the watercolor group was opening its show. I'll have to return to look closely at the photos and watercolors. For me the crowning jewel was the performance by the Luke jazz group, five of the most talented musicians in our area, 4 from Natchitoches, Chris Allen from Shreveport.

This was the first of 5 or is it 6 Thursday night jazz performances at the Barnwell on the riverfront. This year, the tent is larger and placed on the lower river deck with tables near, under this tent plus others on the upper patio. The sound system ensures good listening in the entire area. The musicians have their backs to the river and its rather glaring until the sun goes down a bit. We sat under the tent so as to better see the performers and found the decibel volume to be high enough not to do so again.

These guys were great. Apologies if I get the names, spelling wrong, but...Luke, the group leader, on a classic acoustic guitar had a wonderful sound, fascinating technique, Chris Allen on the bass sounded good and was fun to watch as he poured himself into his instrument, Sammy Nix was super on the drums, Dr. Forsythe played a smooth sax that often drew applause and Mr. Rodriquez made my heart sing when he played that marvelous trumpet. This evening was very special. If you weren't at the Barnwell, you missed a really special event.

And to add to the great music, I chatted w. Freda Powell whose sparkplug talents engendered this event, Mary Ellen and Dave Foley, Talbot and Robert Trudeau, and Kathryn Usher who had set up a table of her wonderful art wares for sale. The Barnwell Board sure goofed when Freda's contract wasn't renewed; they won't find anyone better suited for the job.

Artists' talk at The Meadows

Today, Sunday, April 25, the Meadows hosted several artists whose works are in the Triennial Show. Each spoke about the works in the show and responded to comments and questions from an interested and interesting audience : Jasmine Morelock, Bruce and Dorothy Allen, etal. I missed Ellen Soffer's presentation, but came in for part of her brother, Steve's, thoughts re his work that is very intuitive. Debbie Engle showed her found elements wall hung piece and a computer manipulated photo and explained the genesis of each. I wasn't familiar w. the young man from Ruston who showed his illustrations for several poetry chap books, and showed his beautifully crafted drawings.Sorry that I didn't get his name. I was surprised that he uses a 6B pencil...I'd have a smeary mess if I followed his example. My talk explained my use of narrative, challenging tech problems, the anti-war stance of my ploughshare series, and why I haven't been creating more concrete sculptures.

I wish we had more of these artist/audience sessions.