Artists' Talk - Food for the Body, Food for the Soul

Well, the talk is over and done with.  I had prepared a short paragraph describing what my art is all about but was, instead, asked to talk about my interpretation of the show's theme.  My painting, "Repose" (see image in my previous post) is about seeking balance in one's life.  We nourish our bodies with food and drink, but we also need relaxation and some quiet time to re-energize our mind and bodies.

Someone asked if "Repose" was a self-portrait, perhaps, because of the subject's Asian features, but it wasn't really.  I did not have a model for the painting so I created the image of a woman trying to achieve a moment of tranquility in her busy life.

   

REVIEW OF OLPE AT THE WATERGATE GALLEY

Here  is a review by Dr. Deborah Sokolove, Director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion, Wesley Theological Seminary.

Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion, part 2

Cynthia Angeles, "Grief", oil on linen, 31" x 25"

A few days ago, I attended the opening reception for the Watergate Gallery portion of Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion. Owner and Curator Dale Johnson showed the work of 33 artists. Of course, Cynthia Farrell Johnson and Helen Zughaib, as the instigating spirits of the show, were represented, but since their work is so familiar to me, I spent most of my time looking at works by artists who are new to me.

Nancy Frankel, "Lemmings", paint and toy cars, 54" x 60"

As is true at the Dadian Gallery, a group show like this one shows many different, idiosyncratic interpretations of the theme. Some works, like Nancy Frankel's whimsical, yet insightful, "Lemmings", reflect stressful situations or the multiple demands of everyday life. Others, like Cynthia Angeles's balanced, harmonious, luminous, yet somber "Grief,"respond to the image of "Our Lady" with images of women weighed down by burdens named and un-named. Still others, like Alfredo Ratinoff's "42 Icons for the Relief of Exhaustion," offer respite in references to the past, suggesting that it is not only modern life that drives us to the brink of giving up. As Ratinoff writes,

Alfredo Ratinoff, "42 Icons for the Relief of Exhaustion",
glass and litho transfer

The idea of the 42 icons for exhaustion relief was conceived with many of the stories that I have used all my years as an artist: Romeo and Juliet, Helen of Troy, Adam and Eve, Aphrodite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Turandot, Tristan and Isolde, Aida, and others. These are not icons in the traditional religious sense, but are icons in their own right in that they represent various literary, epic, and historical themes that over the course of human history have brought us respite when we have felt exhausted or were on the verge of giving up. They remind us of the best in ourselves. I believe that icons have a very strong spiritual power that can help to bring us back to ourselves. However, even icons need inspiration and often were spurred on through the influence of a muse. Interspersed in this collection are a series of muses, exemplifying their positive relationships with these icons. In the midst of all of these characters and stories lies Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion, her life a thread that has run through the course of each of these tales and in the story of each of our lives.

http://luce-arts-and-religion.blogspot.com/2013/09/our-lady-of-perpetual-exhaustion-part-2.html

OLPE Exhibit Extended at the Watergate Gallery

The exhibit "Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion" at the Watergate Gallery is being extended until Saturday, October 19, 2013.  The varied interpretation of the theme by 33 local artists (including myself) has drawn quite a bit of interest.  If you haven't seen the show, there are additional receptions scheduled as follows:

Reception:  Thursday, September 26,  6:30-8:30 pm
Reception:  Saturday, October 5, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

PARTY TO END THE EXHIBIT:   Saturday, October 19, 5-8 pm

The OLPE Art Reception

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion  September 7 – October 5, 2013

The opening reception came and went.  The gallery was crowded and the atmosphere lively.  The show was quite interesting, each piece representing the artist's interpretation of the theme accompanied by a narrative explaining the artwork.  I wrote the following narrative to describe my painting, Grief:

The theme of the exhibition inspired me to revisit my paintings of women in distress.  I have always been drawn to create portraits of suffering women.   It is my way of paying homage to my mother and the women in my family, not only because of their tenacity to face daily challenges, but also for the courage and resolve with which they confront life's adversities.  Grief reflects all these things and more - pain, exhaustion, grief, despair.

 
If you did not make it to the opening, there will be additional receptions at the gallery:

Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm  (end of exhibition)
 
Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.
 
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037 
tel: 202.338.4488

OLPE Exhibit - A Reminder

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion

I will be part of a group exhibition at the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design from September 7 - October 5, 2013.  Opening reception is on Saturday, September 7, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.

If you are in the Washington, DC area,  please come and see the show.  Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.
September 7 – October 5, 2013
  
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037tel: 202.338.4488

If you can't make it to the opening reception, the following are additional receptions:

Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion

I will be part of a group exhibition at the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design from September 7 - October 5, 2013.  If you are in the Washington, DC area,  come and see the show.  Below are the details.

Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL EXHAUSTION

September 7 – October 5, 2013
 
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037
 
tel: 202.338.4488

Opening reception:  Saturday, September 7, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Additional receptions:
Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Miami condo update

I finally found another condo for our vacation in South Beach.  It was a pleasant flat but the complex was too big and too crowded.  The parking was too far to walk with luggage and all.  Anyway, this may be our last visit there.  We had mostly stormy weather and only 1 1/2 days of sunshine during our 11-day stay.