Isla del Torso

Traveling can be a break —a break from our normal routines and habits.  For an artist, it can also mean going in a different direction and trying out some new things.  Puerto Vallarta has become a place I escape to a few times a year.  From my first visit I recognized an affinity for Cape Cod where I grew up.  Tropical Mexico or coastal New England, resorts towns have much in common at their core. Unsurprisingly, I prefer the quieter off-season, which in Puerto Vallarta is summer.  

I just returned after a few weeks of low-key tropical fun.  The world of bars, clubs, go-go boys and drag shows has little appeal for me. Give me a beer and plate of tacos, and I am happy.  That said, the alluring advertising is everywhere.  And from that I took my inspiration.  Filling a sketchbook with images of the imaginary resort Isla del Torso (Torso Island).   A tropical paradise of tanned landscapes, condo towers, the warm seas and UFOs that sparkle like a drag queen’s gown.

Places to visit and things to see...

 

   

 

 

This is what happens when you obsessively spend a few days drawing a map of an imaginary city.  The next step is to cut up the map into 4”x6” postcards and rubber stamp some letters marking the various imaginary landmarks and attractions.  Twenty of these are on the way in the mail.  The recipients can plan trips to the Hotel Rosa Lux, the Ministry of Fromage and the Museum of Postmarks among the many sites noted on the maps.  

May Mail

 

 

Melissa Wand asks, “Is it really worth getting dressed just to go check the mail?”  

The answer is YES!  Especially when you head up to the post office in the Upper Haight and find mail art like this In your box.  Some recent arrivals include the following:

1. Melissa Wand— Wisconsin
2. Pam Delucchi – San Francisco
3. Dori Singh – California 
4. Lubomyr Tymkiv- Ukraine 
5. Carolyn Oord (aka Kerosone) - Québec/Canada 
6. Marina Salmaso– Denmark
7. Gregg Biggs – Museum of Unclaimed Ephemera – California
8. Torma Cauli– Hungary
9. Serse Luigetti – Italy
10. Ryosuke Cohen– Japan

Mildred Howard

 
 

I have already seen Mildred Howard’s TAP: Investigation of Memory twice at the Oakland Museum.  Art that expresses time, memory and a big grid, so many of my favorite elements.  And then my recent trip to the di Rosa  up in Napa offered another look at her bottle house Memory Garden, Phase 1.  I am a big fan of bottle houses, both historic and contemporary.  

The SFMOMA has also posted a really good video and overview of her art.

I need to keep an eye out for every opportunity to see more of Mildred Howard’s work.  The installation in Oakland is on until September 1, 2019 — it is highly recommended.

Surprised by Viola Frey

We escaped from San Francisco today up to Napa for a visit to the di Rosa Preserve .  It’s been quite a few years, and I was looking forward to seeing their vast collection of Northern California art.  Until we began the tour, I hadn’t realized that Gallery 2, their largest gallery space, is currently showcasing a large exhibit of the work of Viola Frey. 

Before today, I was only familiar with some of Frey’s larger-than-life, ceramic, sculptures seen in places like the Oakland Museum.    Seeing a comprehensive exhibit of her work and discovering she was first a painter was a surprise and unexpected to treat.  Once you see Viola Frey first and foremost as a painter, her ceramic work even feels like paintings rendered in clay and glazes.

About once a year, an art exhibit comes through the Bay Area that is truly a don’t miss, incredible experience for art lovers.  It is rarely the most hyped-up, big museum extravaganzas.  We are only about half way through the year, but the show to see in 2019 is most definitely Viola Frey: Center Stage.

Let’s Play Surrealist Baseball!

Recently a friend gave me an old Topps Baseball Card Guide for the San Francisco Giants.  Perfect for some collage fun (not that I am opposed to cutting up actual baseball cards— I have in the past).  The results are a series of 20 Surrealist Baseball Postcards that are on the way in the mail.    Who would the teams be?  Would the Brussels Magrittes play the Barcelona Dalis?  

The Polka Twins

After finishing one artist scrapbook, I’ve started on another.  I have been digging into my collage boxes and ephemera and filling up an old book on graphic design and layout. The Polka Twins were found in a box of my old photos and they needed to make an appearance.