Tess Black gently shared two interesting things with me. There are two movements going on at this time, and I was compelled to share them in this blog since they really should interest everyone. Also, although it might not seem at first, they are strictly related with the goals of our own local art movement, Arte Motu.
The first of the two movements is called "Transition Town". The movement began in 2005 in a small Irish village named Kinsale, and it has spread in other communities and other countries. The main idea is that small communities (towns, or villages, or islands, or...) need to equip themeselves with the tools that will enable them to keep thriving in the globalized world and develop sustainable living. Among the challenges that small communities need to face are: peak oil and climate change. Many of these tools, though, are just reaquaintances with old, forgotten lifestyles.
I think, both Tess and I see Pescadero as a transition town... and you?
Further reading: http://transitiontowns.org/
The second movement, Art and Action, sees art and artists as shaping forces of the social and environmental decisions in communities around the world. This eco-art movement (although I would call it "artecology", or "artecologia" in Italian) invites artists to connect their work with the public forum in order to make a difference in public policies, especially on those related to the environment. "Not only does eco-art promote understanding and appreciation of the environment and inspire social action, but it can actually affect the environment through collaboration and interaction with other disciplines" (Susan Weisberg, Art and Action: a more comprehensive view, October 14, 2008; see her blog link at the bottom of this page).
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
1st ARTE MOTU rendez-Vous
The first ARTE MOTU rendez vous was a success. Thank you to all those that participated!
Present at the meeting were: Rosanna Petralia (me), Ismael Flores, Beth Ross, Denise Marks, Tess Black, Logan Payne, Delma Soult. Also, Meredith Reynolds joined us later for a little time.
There was a very interesting and stimulating conversation when everyone shared interests and future projects. Interests were diverse: invisible cultures, the road home, reaquaintance with historical local art-making, creative source and spirituality, abandoned/orphaned children and their perspectives, who and where we are as persons and artists, bridges (both physical and conceptual). Artists showed a broad range of media: oils, acrylics, print-making, collage, photography, digital moving images, textiles, tridimensional paper, wood, book-making, etc. I think that this variety in intents and media represent a great starting point and art potential.
I envisioned all these different interests as being the creative force for a large common art project that could express in general the place and time in which we all live.
In Pescadero and surrounding areas, there are invisible cultures, cultures that silently live within our community without being seen or known. The illegal workers could be an example, but we could also think of other present and past examples (the Ohlones, the Japanese, or the Gay and Lesbian community).
The Road Home could have vast interpretations, depending on what one sees as road and as home. Personally, for example, I see the sequence of situations and people that brought me here in Pescadero. At the same time, I see the nostalgic thoughts that want to bring me back to Sicily. Where is really our home? And for those invisible cultures, where is home? And for the orphaned children? Can home be discovered through history? Can home be found in spirituality and in our own creative force?
Rediscover old Pescadero art-making, embark on a time travel into Pescadero Renaissance, are all ways to practically explore this place and its history. Other themes could be incorporated, and community ties could be revived. I see, for example, moving images at this point, a documentary or video, as well as tridimensional art.
Spirituality is part of art making. While making art there is a creative force that links our being with all things around, making unity with them. I personally can find this state of tranquillity while painting only occasionally, and it usually translate into good painting. Logan Payne has just recently produced a book together with a spiritual guru (I think the name was Lee Himes, or similar) which includes a CD with teachings by this master. The idea is original and inspiring, I think. What form of art can express the spiritual in Pescadero area? Are there spiritual characters in the community that we might want to celebrate through art, for example? Something to think about.
The theme of orphaned children is very compelling because it ties together a lot of the other themes: orphaned children as invisible culture; orphaned children and their road home; orphaned children in the history of this area; orphaned children and spirituality; orphaned children and social bridges.
A future series I personally had in mind is bridges. For bridges one could actually intend real architectural bridges; but also social bridges that exist or that don't between people within the community, between art and nature, between rural life and technology, between us and the image of us, and so on.
Everyone liked the idea of calling this project "WHERE WE ARE", and agreed to further think about the themes we discussed. How do we relate to each one? In which one we would like to start produce some art? How can we come up with individual pieces of art that can be organically showed?
I think that it would help considering a story for each painting (something that concern our location that we want to tell that can be written), as well as documenting the art-making process; also, perhaps, making some maps that can bring all together (I love maps!).
Our next meeting should be by the end of May, possibly at the beginning. Anyone interested in hosting it?
Present at the meeting were: Rosanna Petralia (me), Ismael Flores, Beth Ross, Denise Marks, Tess Black, Logan Payne, Delma Soult. Also, Meredith Reynolds joined us later for a little time.
There was a very interesting and stimulating conversation when everyone shared interests and future projects. Interests were diverse: invisible cultures, the road home, reaquaintance with historical local art-making, creative source and spirituality, abandoned/orphaned children and their perspectives, who and where we are as persons and artists, bridges (both physical and conceptual). Artists showed a broad range of media: oils, acrylics, print-making, collage, photography, digital moving images, textiles, tridimensional paper, wood, book-making, etc. I think that this variety in intents and media represent a great starting point and art potential.
I envisioned all these different interests as being the creative force for a large common art project that could express in general the place and time in which we all live.
In Pescadero and surrounding areas, there are invisible cultures, cultures that silently live within our community without being seen or known. The illegal workers could be an example, but we could also think of other present and past examples (the Ohlones, the Japanese, or the Gay and Lesbian community).
The Road Home could have vast interpretations, depending on what one sees as road and as home. Personally, for example, I see the sequence of situations and people that brought me here in Pescadero. At the same time, I see the nostalgic thoughts that want to bring me back to Sicily. Where is really our home? And for those invisible cultures, where is home? And for the orphaned children? Can home be discovered through history? Can home be found in spirituality and in our own creative force?
Rediscover old Pescadero art-making, embark on a time travel into Pescadero Renaissance, are all ways to practically explore this place and its history. Other themes could be incorporated, and community ties could be revived. I see, for example, moving images at this point, a documentary or video, as well as tridimensional art.
Spirituality is part of art making. While making art there is a creative force that links our being with all things around, making unity with them. I personally can find this state of tranquillity while painting only occasionally, and it usually translate into good painting. Logan Payne has just recently produced a book together with a spiritual guru (I think the name was Lee Himes, or similar) which includes a CD with teachings by this master. The idea is original and inspiring, I think. What form of art can express the spiritual in Pescadero area? Are there spiritual characters in the community that we might want to celebrate through art, for example? Something to think about.
The theme of orphaned children is very compelling because it ties together a lot of the other themes: orphaned children as invisible culture; orphaned children and their road home; orphaned children in the history of this area; orphaned children and spirituality; orphaned children and social bridges.
A future series I personally had in mind is bridges. For bridges one could actually intend real architectural bridges; but also social bridges that exist or that don't between people within the community, between art and nature, between rural life and technology, between us and the image of us, and so on.
Everyone liked the idea of calling this project "WHERE WE ARE", and agreed to further think about the themes we discussed. How do we relate to each one? In which one we would like to start produce some art? How can we come up with individual pieces of art that can be organically showed?
I think that it would help considering a story for each painting (something that concern our location that we want to tell that can be written), as well as documenting the art-making process; also, perhaps, making some maps that can bring all together (I love maps!).
Our next meeting should be by the end of May, possibly at the beginning. Anyone interested in hosting it?
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