creative weave

On the eve of yet another beautifully intense, round, life-provoking full moon I found myself unable to stay home after a long day of work and meetings, so I rounded up Sarina & Solen, my infamous young apprentices, and headed down to the cultural beacon here in Vancouver, the VAG. I make a point of going to galleries when I visit a city, and make a point of staying current with the major galleries of the city I live in and a few smaller favorites as well.

Jeff Wall’s work is being exhibited and I felt drawn to see his works again. I have seen his works and attended an artist talk a few years back in my days of involvement with the CAG, but was very excited to see him in the gallery this evening. He was giving a private tour to some of the subjects of his photographic works, a collection of homeless/street youth, it was a very special event. As there was a crowd around him it was easy to stand in the back with other gallery folk and listen to his engaging talk. I enjoyed serendipitously running into his little tour of the exhibition at the beginning and having the chance to hear him speak about his creative process as he brilliantly fuses the creative with the technical. I think what I enjoy about his works, aside from the brilliant light coming from behind the images, is that he treats his works as if they are a movie, there is a production involved. His images always have such a story to tell, and much to say about the world we live in. And the city I live in.

I also enjoyed Kai Althoff’s exhibition, especially the collaborative instillation: The Weaving Place showcasing the work of San Fran artist Travis Joseph Meinholf, inventor of the Laser-Loom! The room was filled with weaving projects that you can work on, a modified handloom, woven fabrics, spindles, quilts and more! I was in heaven. Art and hand made textiles all under one roof! The instillation examines alternative methods of producing goods and really showed the beauty of fabrics made by hand, there is no comparison for me.

Equally as impressive was Evelyn Roth’s Environment for Reading Recycled from 110 Sweaters, 1974, a part of the WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution exhibition. A tipi-like structure was knit from the yarn of old sweaters with a light hanging from the middle. It was a beautiful work in alternative/sustainable media transforming the environment within the gallery.

Sarina and Solen’s favorite was Martina Minujin & Richard Squires’ Soft Gallery, 1973. Imagine a room created out of many mattresses and you could bounce freely or chill and watch a movie playing on the suspended tv. Or take a nap as one patron did. Solen polished his great somersault in the air move.

youth appreciating the arts

I am off to drink some tea and have a good conversation with the moon that is full. Weaving my kaleidoscopic-like roles that I have back into my heart.