My friend Jackie Wall

20" x 20" flashe, acrylic and graphite on birch panel 2007
part of WALK THE WALK on view at Plant Zero through December 23rd
the obituary below was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on December 13, 2007.

WALL, Jacqueline J. "Jackie", passed away on December 10, 2007 surrounded by the beauty of her land. Jackie was born to the late Geoffrey and Olga Jardine in Calcutta, India. At the age of six, she moved to England with her aunt, Marjorie Cleghorn. At 14, she traveled with her aunt through Ellis Island en route to Baltimore, Md. During WWII, Jackie served in the WRENs (Women's Royal English Navy) in Norfolk, Va. Jackie Wall attended Longwood College and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Westhampton College with a degree in Psychology. In 1952, she married the late J. Barrye "Bo" Wall Jr. and lived in Farmville. She worked for The Farmville Herald as a staff writer and compiled a cookbook of the best known recipes in the area. Jackie received her Masters in Art Education from V.C.U. She taught art at Prince Edward Academy, the Campus School of Longwood College and Prince Edward County Public Schools. She was also a professor at Longwood College, teaching art education and supervising student teachers. While at Longwood, she was instrumental in procuring the Governor's School for the Arts for the college. She was director of the summer program for the years it was at Longwood. Upon retirement from teaching, Jackie became a full-time artist, her work being shown in galleries in Virginia and North Carolina. She drew her inspiration from her land and her spiritual beliefs. Jackie Wall is survived by her three sons, Barrye of Singapore, Geoffrey of Greensboro, N.C., Angus of Los Angeles, Calif.; one daughter, Marcie of Richmond; and three daughters-in-law, Victoria, Charlotte and Linda. She also has seven grandchildren, Jardine and Eliot Wall, Kenny, Ian, and Alex Wolfe, and Quinn and Jake Wall. In addition, she leaves behind adopted members of the family, Eleanor and Sidney Trent, and their family and many loyal and generous friends. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, Office of University Advancement, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, Va. 23901 for the Jackie Wall Memorial Fund. Online donations can be made here.

Please note the one time donation to be allocated to "Other" and specify "LCVA-Wall Memorial". Memorial services will be held at John's Memorial Episcopal Church in Farmville on Saturday, December 15, 1 p.m. Doyne-Burger-Davis Funeral Home is in charge.

To hear Jackie talk about her life in an interview on NPR you can listen to the second part of the Separate but Unequal story linked here.

An Appreciation

Elizabeth Murray: FORMERLY FLEET

1994-95, oil on canvas on wood, 199 x 76 x 6 ft

Elizabeth Murray died of cancer on Sunday at age 66. I remember reading of her struggle and assumed she would beat it. Her work is so strong she seemed formidable. Her constructed paintings were frank, yet delicate; bold, delightful, curious and eccentric. I've always made time for her work when I'm pounding the pavement or the marble halls in search of inspiration. Her visual language contained an iconography I related to. I definitely want to rewatch her video interview on Art:21.

up and coming

Day is done, gone the sun. As the days drag on during this 100 degree heat we watch the clock waiting for relief and embrace the quiet as time to prepare for the business of September. I hope the painting above anticipates this season with the bittersweet optimism of August.

Walk the Walk opens on September 28 at Plant Zero.

1935

Keith Olberman's hosting of the Democratic debate tonite is the inspiration for this post. I have a feeling its going to take regular shots of humor to get through this election. Thank God I live with the Harryman since he knows how to make me laugh and quoted Will Rogers tonite after the debate was fini - with the first quote in this series.


Left: Will Rogers made the statements below in and around 1935. The other nuggets of wisdom are from the same period are as true today as any Jenny Holzer truism. Does anyone know if Roger's quotes ate included in her truisms? They could be.


I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat. A fool and his money are soon elected. About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation. Buy land. They ain't making any more of the stuff. Even though you are on the right track - you will get run over if you just sit there. Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke. I have a scheme for stopping war. It's this - no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one. If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out? If you want to be successful, it's just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing. It's not what you pay a man, but what he costs you that counts. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in. People's minds are changed through observation and not through argument. Things ain't what they used to be and never were. Things in our country run in spite of government, not by aid of it. Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due. You've got to go out on a limb sometimes because that's where the fruit is.

Korean Dynasty

pictured above from the left: C. Erdal, Melissa Burgess, Tom Papa, Amie Oliver,
Kathryn Henry-Choisser and Bong Soo Lee. In front center - our fearless leader HeeJa Sung.

I ran across this photo today nestled in the Oliver/Kollatz archive. It was a beautiful afternoon in South Korea in February of 2002. Artifacts were on view in the mound behind us. Charming tourist traps were out front for Americans to fall into. We were riding a wave of new friends and bobbing under when the seas were too rough or the tourists too flashy. Our Papason (the artist Bong Soo Lee, a native of Korea who speaks no English but has proven to be the most patient man I've ever met) is dressed in the western style sport coat and slacks and no, it isn't a rental like ours. He's probably wondering why he's in the photo next to a bunch of goofy Americans.

Mutual goofiness is what I really, really love discovering in a new terrain. On the way back to Daegu that night Bong Soo played a special CD for us in his van. It consisted of numerous renditions of the song Danny Boy. All styles and orchestrations. I dunno if the vocalists are all famous in the east but those of us from the west were amused, charmed and flabbergasted to hear such a collection of recordings while riding through the Korean night. Does the song have special significance here? Do Koreans think the song has special significance for all of us? Or, is it meant to be a joke and they are waiting for us to laugh? The unsolved mysteries of traveling in a foreign land with gracious hosts and guests who each speak different tongues are endless.

There is a collection of artwork by Virginians on view in Korea at the moment. It has traveled from Daegu to Seoul to Chine and is now somewhere in between. I am very happy to have work included in the show and just wish I could be traveling with it. If you recognize any of the artists in the photo above you have very good facial recognition. We were jetlagged, younger and, well, the photo is a little fuzzy like us. We were the first group of artists to be part of Artificum of Humanitas. Heeja invited us to participate in this cultural exchange to celebrate the 2oth anniversary of a similar collective she was part of in Daegu. It was challenging and incredible. I hope to be able to fly over again one day since I loved the food, the people, the landscape, the culture... I could go on and on... and the Korean paper was beautiful and very cheap!

Too many things and not enough clock

Present Tense

The byline "pondering art and its possibilities" has been particularly relevant of late since I am preparing for a show that will open in October. There are several bodies of work I haven't shown here so I am in in the process of "framing" the show conceptually and literally - and thinking about what to include and what will need to be made to pull the show together.

Everyday my journal work is scanned in my "lab" so I can see the pages in digital sequence. It's difficult to balance it all... time in the studio, lab, garden, classroom, etc, etc... in the meantime it is compelling for me to see how the work changes after very "natural" looking watercolor, gouache and collage on mulberry paper is viewed on a backlit computer screen. It's a different medium, different aesthetic, etc.

The sunflower drawings were inspired by an August 2006 residency at Moulin a Nef in Auvillar, located in southwestern France. If you are curious to see a few more scans just click on the title of this post. Translating the interior world of a journal into work that is meant to be seen in a more public realm is as challenging now as it was when I was an art student. Believe it or not it took many years for me to feel comfortable inviting people into my studio on the hill...

Rauschenberg's follies

Everyone here is headed to DC to see the retrospective of Jasper Johns' paintings before it closes at the end of April. There was a time when I found great inspiration in John's work and sense of humor. His work doesn't do it for me these days. The last time I looked it seemed dated.

Last month I managed to make time while I was in NY to visit a small exhibition of Rauschenberg's early transfer drawings. I found them to be just as delightful in March as I did 20 years ago. Maybe I am a sucker for his mark-making? They remain to be current for me... even work made so long ago... and personal. It is work that combines the personal and the political with a vibrant curiosity about artistic boundaries, technology, etc. I haven't given up on John's work. His show at the National Gallery closes at the end of April. It deserves a visit and I hope to make the time to see it.

I've linked the title of this post to a great site I've just discovered. As much as I try to always look forward its just my nature to look back. This drawing and the music and graphics from this link were made within a very short time period of each other. Although each artist work comes from a very different place here is a sweetness in both that I find sorely lacking in contemporary art pop culture. Irony is a bitter pill and I've lost my appetite for it.

a now a moment for a word from our sponsor

I am not a God fearing gal though I think there should certainly be more Godliness in the world. We're wired for it, right? That's what they say though I don't know what side of the propaganda fence is being paid for that research... Anyway... regardless of how busy we are we've always taken time out to celebrate the wonder of spring and the rebirth it signals in all of us. It is a sacred time for us if there is one. Harry and I walked across The Fan to Monument Ave to pay our respects to the season, drink wine (too much, too early!) and honor this time in our lives.

Most everyone was dressed in winter garb and several asked Harry "Who are you supposed to be?" He always wears his seersucker for Easter, regardless of the weather and the undying tradition people have of never wearing linen or seersucker before Memorial Day. The birds like it. I like it. The rest of the world, with few exceptions, looked like they were going camping. I told my husband he should have answered "Oh, I'm supposed to be Harry Kollatz, Jr."

It was a splendid afternoon. The only thing that could have made it better would have been the presence of my mother, who has used up her time card for Virginia this season... and the presence of our beloved friends the Cusacks who were transferred to Massachusettes more than a year ago... where everyone must wear goose down until the summer thaw.

We miss them. Liz, I smoked a cuban cigarillo in your honor this afternoon!

Mister Man and Moon Face

There will be a panel discussion on Jerry Donato's artwork at Reynold's Gallery on March 5th at 7pm. Howard Risatti and Myron Helfgott will be asking questions and making informed observations. It should be fun. Donato's show has been extended which is great. I missed the opening and when given some gallery time I chose to spend the afternoon at the Anderson Gallery. It is presenting a retrospective of Donato's drawings, prints and paintings though the studio installation on the third floor is the place I spent the most time. It closes on March 4... tomorrow is the deadline for VMFA Fellowship applications... Feb is over and the business of March is already at hand. Tune in the second week in May when we hope to be toasting the winners.

1994

Harry has been in purge mode. His corner office is lined with books and numerous entries that are part of the Oliver/Kollatz archive. He discovered the two photos above over the weekend and all I could say was "what happened?" Time is the ultimate teller of all truth... well time and gravity.

My life was about to drastically change on more levels than I could imagine when these photos were taken. More on that later, maybe... though my goal of late to focus on the present tense and the possibilities for the future. Our love of history can impair this focus but we are determined to make it so. Harry's collection of Flashbacks will be published this year. After that maybe we should focus on science fiction? No, no... present tense is more than enough.

tick tock

This photograph was taken on the right bank of Paris during September of 2004. Time has been fluid and unpredictable since then. I can't quite put my finger on it... life is different. Better in some ways, disappointing in others. Its not a free fall, more like a trip and fall down a big, rocky hill. I hope there is a river at the bottom.

Perhaps the world is no different than it has always been. America is probably no more shameful now than it was in the 70's... and prior... but now everyone who watches CNN or reads a newspaper knows of our disgraceful acts. Walter Reed, post-Katrina, Iraq... We've lost our credibility as humanitarians, heroes, innovators. Its going to be a long fall. We don't even have "street cred" anymore. Its just pathetic.

At uni a group of fellow art, architecture, drama and creative writing students staged a Caberet of the New Pathetic... and gee, there was so little to complain about then though I can't imagine a more Weimar experience. The bar we held it in was full or what would become the new Republicans (fraternity and sorority types), balanced by the crusty hippies who never left their college town. By the end of the night there was a great fist fight, blue lights and a lot of spilled beer. Best of all, I think the cabaret turned out to be very good art.

Praxis Studios: Dreams and Possibilities

Have I written about the Praxis Studios Project I've been participating in? It is a collaborative interactive video project which utilizes web-based technology to produce a feature film. (I've since learned that the project is being filmed in 16mm which makes it even more of a hybrid affair.)

I've been uploading video for their project since last fall and took some time in Madrid to conduct a few video interviews. It was great fun. During the past few days I've been laying low with this bronchial thing so its been a good time to reteach myself iMovie in order to create a trailer for their project. The Praxis website, linked above, contains links to several trailers that have been produced for this project.

For more info you can also visit the Whitney Museum website.

Preview of Coming Attractions

I leave for Madrid this afternoon and am surprised that I haven't been as stressed as I normally get before an international flight. Maybe its because I'm meeting C and the entourage? Its usually my job to negotiate all details in advance and I've decided that would be a pointless task when there are so many other factors to consider:

C and her responsibilities
the winter weather here and abroad
strikes
travel complications
art and inspiration!

Ruth and Charlie invited me over one night and lent me a number of travel books on the Alhambra, Seville, Madrid, tapas, etc. My head started to spin with excitement but after thinking about past winter excursions I decided to play it by ear this time.

Before departure there is always the last minute list:

deadlines (a few competitions and fellowships I feel compelled to enter... remember FAILBETTER!)

bill paying

plant watering

guest preparations (we have a new housemate in the guest quarters! She's great.)

credit arrangements

packing

airline security measures

kitty concerns

harryman measures

travel itinerary and resources

Ok, now its time to start checking it twice. Its work, leaving town... but its always worth it. With luck, my muse will travel with me on this journey.

Premature elation

Ok, NOW the holidays are over and I SHOULD be doing many things to counter the unfinished business of 2006 but I wanted to take a few minutes to count the number one blessing in my life, my Harry. We celebrated the anniversary of his birth tonite with a few folks he's known since college. We don't see them often so its really an occassion to make sure we get together and tally the zeitgeist, eat pizza and drink premium beer to celebrate a premium Harry.

There was a toast to celebrate the upcoming publication of his book of Richmond Flashbacks as well as a play he has been commissioned to write about the friendship between Tessla and Twain. (Imagine David Bowie and Hal Holbook playing Tessla and Twain since they both know the roles so well.) But I digress -

It was a lovely evening that ended on a dark note because, like all anniversaries, the most recent resurfaced... and we were reminded that last year we spent Harry's birthday at the Harvey's service and candlelight vigil at the Unitarian Church. We ran into R and L and
ended the evening with thai at Mom's Siam. A memorable birthday, yes but if we could go back and change things wouldn't we ALL, the whole community of artists and musicuans, just start partying at the Harvey's on Dec 31, 2005 and never leave? If we were up all night maybe things would have been different.

Last night DC and MN-R were there, SS of S and F, RF of R and L, PK and P and B, JJ of J and T and of course my Mom. Our tree was tilting due to the attentions of our youngest cat Flannery... perhaps the Bushmills has a little to do with it. Tomorrow it will come down after a long day of paperwork, bill paying, letter writing, research, etc, etc. Happy New Year, really; everybody!

Get ready, get set, GO!

Ay yi yi.
Finally. The holidays are over. NOW, if I can get through a birthday celebration this week I will finally concentrate on life as it is normally lived, directed by a series of NY resolutions that will aid in all things Amie... a better world....or World view, at least. I do what I can but lets face it, I could do more... I WILL do more.

Last night we made the rounds to a number of NYeve parties. The weather held so we were able to take the bus, which was FREE on NY eve! How wonderful! This is a resolution from last year that has stuck.

We landed back at ground central in time to pick up my Mum and walk over the the Byrd for the first ever NYeve celebration in Carytown. It was a good thing and very educational. I learned what a tough old bird my mom is and that was refreshing. We wound up in a bottle neck with dozens of college age kids pushing though. I looked at my mom fearing she would freak out... NOPE. She had a big smile on her face and was pushing back with her umbrella in place to protect herself! What a relief!

Black Cash was playing - which was a perfect sound for this crowd. Every generation loves the original music outlaw, Johnny Cash. The family lore is that my grandfather spent a night in the drunk tank with Mr. Cash... so I have a particular affection for his music. My Mom liked it. "They were good!" She'll be 70 her next birthday so she's heard a lot of music in her day.
If the Carytown event hadn't happened we probably would have made our way to Art6 to hear Rattlemouth. We don't have many traditions in our household but a long standing one was to dance to the Mummies wherever they played on NYeve. Rattlemouth features 3 former Mummies so its the next best thing.

Problem is, as open minded as my Mom is she just doesn't respond to that kind of beat. She's a tough bird, though! Happy 2007 to all, and to all a good night!

Holiday on Ice!

Harry brought up this scene from the Marx Brother's "A Night at the Opera" during one of our Monday evening walks from the VACR. I don't remember the context of the conversation but I knew it would be the most appropriate source of inspiration for our holiday card this year. 2006 has been a long year full of tragedy and hope. I am more in the mood for Holiday Spirits than Cheer and that's not good! My husband's sense of humor is one of the saving graces of our life together... another blessing I'll add to the list. Ho, Ho, Ho!

Lesson for the Day

Tenneessee Williams

La mémoire est un drôle de brouillard.
Memory is a strange kind of fog. --Valère Staraselski

Something best emplified by southern writers like Tennessee Williams and William Faulker. My dad recently reminded me that Faulkner was a postal worker in his early days. He got some of his best material sitting behind the mailboxes and eavsdropping on the chit chat of the locals when there were lulls. So, even foggier than ours, are the memories of others.

And just when you thought the tears would stop...

Thursday night I had a flashback. It was 1982. It was a time when music and art were the things we were fighting for... and living for...all to a New Orleans backbeat. I remembered the names and faces of the people who were part of my circle of cohorts as well as the nameless faces of those who inspired me to be better...to do more... to be more p r e s e n t. It was very healing.

I felt inspired to email one of these cohorts over the weekend and check in with him. His family escaped Katrina with their car and the clothes on their back. He is still working to rebuild Pass Christian, MS while is wife and children live in Alabama... waiting for what? The Pass (as the locals call it) will not be the place he wanted to raise his children ever again - but if it ever recovers it will take until his kids are in college or have children of their own. It must be tough for people down there to shed anymore tears - even for those who lost loved ones on 9/11/01 - when they are still mourning the loss of family, friends and homes.

Its all just too much. Our youngest cat Flannery jumped on the bed (a rare thing since this is not her domain). She curls up next to me as I remember that morning five years ago... I was numb... and then my mourning for New Orleans and the gulfcoast one year ago. Today I am inspired by how those who have lived those experiences first hand have the stregth and the faith to work rebuilding their lives.

Mixed with this inspiration is the sense of shame I feel everytime I think of the lies and deceptions broadcast by our goverment. Perhaps I am more sensitive to this because I've spent so much time as an expatriot. Its not easy. Click on the link above for a small sample of the things that some across my desktop... it is just pathetic.

days of wine and roses

One of the things I love about working in new (old) parts of the world where artists have lived and worked for hundreds of years is the realization that art doesn't lie - even when it tries to. Many great paintings exhibit what I once attributed to artistic license - until I witness the subject matter in the flesh. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the truth is stranger than fiction... most all of the time.

These images record my last week in SW France. One was taken in pouring rain while exploring a small cemetary in Bartique. The stone structure is noted to be the remains of a Roman pont on the trail to St. Jacques. It follows a four kilometer stretch between Auvillar and Bartique. I was a dripping pilgrim on the walk between the two villages and don't know if I would have finished the journey if it hadn't been for the knowledge that the fantastic cafe Auberg's was at the end of the trail. After three espressos (cafe normal in French terms) I didin't mind one way or the other if the rain stopped or not. The sunflower fields and I leaned into the rain in unison and I was glad to be on the trail in August rather than October.

The image of children were blowing bubbles was taken off the viewpoint in Auvillar during the Schneider wedding reception. It was an idyllic afternoon and a splendid time and place for a ceremony. I felt lucky to be witness to the festivities which preceded and overlapped our vernissage and reading that marked the end of the August artist residency at the Moulin a Nef.

The "Klimt" forests that are planted here and there throughout the Pyrenees surrounded us. These trees are planted and harvested and during the interim they've inspired a great deal of painting. It's all very lush and beautiful... with air that smells like lavendar that is also filled with big billowing clouds. They waft across the sky and lead one's eye to their point of origin: the nuclear power plant on the horizon . oohh la la.....