Table for Eight

Today I'm presenting my concept for a commission in the new coffeeshop at our university library. This process is something I have experience doing and one thing I've learned is that decisions made by committee are completely unpredictable!

My approach celebrates cafe society and the contributions that Virginia Artists and Writers make to our culture. Its a continuing dialogue since life is short and art is long. The words and images of the artists depicted in the mock up to the right transcend their lifetime and offer us greater insight into what it is to be human.

I would love to complete this commission and if given the chance will create work that will transcend my time, work that will transcend the life of the coffee shop, art that will become a part of the university's history and future dialogue.

Discoveries from the Archive

I've written about the comprehensive and always expanding Oliver/Kollatz archive before... but don't think I've expressed the wonders of its mysteries. It has fed my art and research, my husband's writing and now, during the first days of spring, a strong sense of sentimentality. Somehow I've managed to live these many years in places that span the nation and the globe without ever getting rid of the many things that so many people toss away without a thought. Really! It amazes me what people throw away. I DO love purging and tossing things that have lived a full life (like the fridge we inherited five years ago that has finally bitten the dust.)

In an attempt at a spring purge I unearthed a stash of my favorite photos of all time - images that I hold dear to my heart. I am SO HAPPY to have found them and to be able to share them with my family and friends in this way. Most of the selection above is from a collection of square photos taken when I was twelve and my favorite cousins and their mom visited us. They traveled from Germany to see us so it was a very celebratory time whenever we had the chance to visit. The one in the top left corner was of the three of them taken in front of our family home. The top middle and bottom left and right images were taken at Grenada Lake. The top right photo was taken at a party celebrating my brother's pending marriage and the bottom middle photo is of my best friend from highschool (the one with attitude) during her freshman year at a private college in the south. They looked like preppie girls but believe me, they weren't!

I'm struck by how much my 17 year old niece looks like my cousin depicted in these photos. If only we could all spend another afternoon together on that lake or another like it. We are long overdue a sweet afternoon in the sun.

The photo on the far left is of my other cousin Ruth Marie and her new husband flying off into the sunset for their honeymoon. That's a wedding I regret missing. This is the only one in this series where I wasn't present to witness the actual event. The middle photo on the top of Di and I at breakfast in the house I grew up in. The one on the top right is of her and her little brother Eugene. The one above was accidentally cropped. The photo on the bottom left is of my mother with me in her arms. I think she was 22 years old and a senior at the university. The middle bottom photo is of the same two German cousins depicted above on the right - all that great Grenada Lake. The photo on the bottom right is of one of those rare occassions when Oliver's come home to Mississippi. My great uncle and his wife visited the same farm he grew up on, the same expansive farm my Uncle Bobby continues to work... so my father's brother, his son and then my grandfather's brother and his wife are in the bottom right photo. A number of the people depicted in these photos are no longer around for us to share these photos with - another reason I'm happy to have fished them out of the archive.

Spring at last

This time last year I was waiting for spring to raise its sleepy head and it was taking its sweet laissez fare time. Really, spring doesn't do its thing until late April in Paris. The French Film Festival was about to happen at home and I knew my daffodils, crocus and weeping pussy willow would be bursting with glory... and it was still very much like February in Paris. As much as I adore this great city February made me homesick.

This year spring is literaly at my doorstep and every day I make time to plant something. Its difficult since everything else seems to happen in March. Deadlines make me dizzy this time of year and I've become as rebellious as I can afford to be... ok, maybe more rebellious than I can afford to be but that's the price of being 40 something. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do or else ya may never get the chance to.

Since I haven't had time to post photos of the spring here I've posted some rebirthish images from Chelsea and MOMA. Spring is where you can find it sometimes and it sure wasn't on the sidewalks when we were in NYC last weekend.

The blue-green painting to the right is by Joan Snyder. I wish I had asked for a title sheet so I could post it but I was distracted by the fact that she was in the gallery that morning and she was very beautiful and chatting up a young art history major. I asked her to sign her catalogue and then asked her if I could take a photo of her in front of one of her paintings. She said I was pushing it but she agreed to pose for me. I guess she empathized since if there is one thing she taught other women artists how to do is push it.

Between the East and West Side I found Currier and Ives

Sunday afternoon I left Harry and our bags at the NYC Historical Society where he spent time with NYC Divided - a timeline of the city during the civil war. It reminded me of Gangs of NY with real artifacts. We had several shows to see before our departure at 4:30 so I made my way across Central Park and found it to be even more enchanting than I expected. The roads had been cleared and were closed to automobiles so my journey was much easier than I assumed it would be. There were bagpipes, saxophones, joggers, strollers, dogs wearing designer galoshes and horse and buggies... it even had a soundtrack!

I tore myself away from all that to see the Lorna Simpson and Gordon Matta-Clark exhibitions at the Whitney. I encountered NO LINES! This was a first. I quess Whitney Lovers don't like snow. There proved to be nothing new for me in either of these shows since work by these two artists has been reproduced endlessly and both are well known. A few pieces stood out because they don't translate accurately photographically... particularly Simpson's photo silkscreens on flannel panel. I love those things. They have a quality that reminds me of the new tapestries Chuck Close is doing - though more subtle.

All in all it was a perfect afternoon made even richer when I dashed BACK across the park and came across a group of bagpipers from Quebec. (I am assuming this was their point of origin since French was being spoken.) Harry and I left the Historical Society and walked downtown to the ICP to see a collection of Louise Brooks photos (Harry's a Brooksian fanatic) and Cartier Bresson's scrapbooks. There was a wonderful video interview with Bresson I would have loved to have stayed for... maybe I'll find it on Netflix. Years ago I would dream of running into Bresson on the rue Rivoli and I was staying on rue de l'Hotel de Ville. Too late for that now.

We had an easy walk to Penn Station from there but barely managed seats on our bus at 33rd and Seventh. A lovely woman gave up her seat so we could sit together and that proved to be a real blessing. Sharing our dinner across length of the bus would have been true theatre. BTW, the Gyro place across the street from the bus stop is excellent!

Hanging out with St. Patrick

Vik Muniz installation, PS1, Long Island City, NY

Saturday was full of adventure with St. Patrick revelers filling the subway and delaying the trains. We spent a good part of the day in Chelsea after a very satisfying breakfast at the Empire Diner on Tenth. Those people know what they are doing in the egg department. We headed over to PS 1 for the Vik Muniz and other exhibitions. He's a photographer whose work I didn't embrace the first time I witnessed it but really, he is a zen artist with a photographic vice. He reminds of an urban, pop Andy Goldsworthy because ee draws things, makes things, imagines things and then photographs them before destroying them. His stuff is great as much as I love Andy's and I didn't think that was possible.

The NOT FOR SALE was also interesting in that it exhibited unlikely images from artists personal collections. It was one of the few shows I see these days where the title panels make a real difference in understanding what one is looking at and why.
My favorite piece in the PS1 collection is the Wiliam Kentridge piece installed on the stairs. Its just great. Between shows I kept trying to connect with my friend Carole. We had reservations for a restaurant in Inwood for 7pm. We had planned to meet up for breakfast but that didn't happen.

We may be old fashioned or stubborn or just cheap because we don't have cell phones. If I could find a service like the one I have in France I'd have a cell phone - but no, corporate greed prevents me from buying in and getting another phone. (I've had a few but they just don't suit my life - unless I'm traveling.) Anyway - a lovely staff member at PS1 helped me find the address and subway stop for the restaurant where I understood we were to rendevous... problem is, it was the wrong restaurant!!! We made our way there in a very timely fashion but our party wasn't there. It turns out they were at the New Leaf near the Cloisters. It was close enough to walk, even with the snow. The lamb was the best ever. It was a lovely evening topped off by Alan dropping us off at Park Terrace East. Ahhhhh. St. Patrick, thank yee for blessing us with a wonderful Saturday in the city! (sorry... it was a red wine night and we didn't consume our share of guiness with shamrocks
... we'll make up for it in 2008!)

William Kentridge installation, PS 1, Long Island City, NY

Chelsea in the snow and sleet

I met a painter from Alaska as I exited the 23rd St subway this morning. Joan and I made our way across Chelsea to 24th St and witnessed some very compelling art. I loved this installation of drawing, photography and sculpture. Maybe it was so effective because the artist lives in a place with real winter snowfall. It mirrored the streets in many ways and kept our attention for much longer than most anything else.

We also loved the William Wylie show at Charles Cowles Gallery. This installation of painting, drawing and assemblage work didn't grab me as much as his last show there but it was still warm and wonderful and funny and a nice respite from the sleet. I've decided that I prefer his work on paper or slate more than his work on canvas. His large paintings feel more laborious and lack the compression of the smaller work. That's not to say I don't enjoy many of his large canvases - but in general I prefer the smaller stuff.


above: William Wylie assemblage, Charles Cowles Gallery, Chelsea

Dreams and Possibilities @ Whitney @ Altria

This show runs until the end of next week. If you are in NYC please take time to check it out. The Whitney at Altria is located right next to Grand Central Station right across the street from the Central Cafe. (The Cafe under the bridge across from one of the exits at Grand Central) Harry and Carole both showed up with me at different times and were interviewed by the Praxis Team. It was interesting meeting other participants from around the country.

Open source concepts are a very new idea for people who aren't involved with computers as part of their livelihood. Thirty - forty actors showed up everyday to participate in the performance aspect of this installation and many of them were not comfortable with the idea that their interviews would be uploaded to the internet... even if the results promised a feature length film. That's where we're headed, people. That's where WE are - you, and I. Its a bridge AND a wall... an idea I find very compelling in its inherent contradictions. Like any tool (I read this as fool in a rereading....hmmmm...), it depends on how one uses it and how one thinks about it.

Praxis, Snowbunnies and Birthdays in NYC

"Message in a Bottle" (Journal Series)
1999 - present graphite on paper - Amie Oliver

I've been pounding the pavement in the big apple for several days now... dodging puddles, slush and snow damns in search of good art. It was a hit or miss selection of exhibitions but well worth the effort. Favorite evening this far: viewing the Picasso to El Greco show with Harry and Carole at the Guggenheim for a second time and then walking down to the Met to catch the Barcelona Art and Design show. Wow!

Harry came up on the CT bus this afternoon, we stopped by the Whitney at Altria to participate in the Praxis Project and then made our way up to the upper east side to meet Carole at the Gug. Afterwards we landed near Soho at the Noho Star, had dinner and then were fortunate to spend some time with her client in his Noho studio. His new tapestries are amazing!


above: Bill Viola installation at MOMA

Showdown: an Art Game with a real winner

Dear Readers-
Please click on this link to see a painting I've entered in the Showdown competition in London. You'll find info about the competition if you're interested as well as a bigger version of the artwork which can be seen above. (HINT - click on the star that ranks it as a 10!)

Regardless of whether you love the painting I've entered in this silly endeavor... or not... please consider that your vote could make a difference! Anything is possible today with the internet and reality tv creating lines of communication between artists and the public. Art and Democracy... what a strange concept in the Bush era!
But then the competition is in London and the winnings are in pounds sterling. (very good for someone who pays a mortgage and studio expenses in US dollars!)

Please consider Jennifer Hudson winning an academy award. Who would have predicted that? She was a contestant on American Idol for those of you who have other things to do than watch the Tube. I do, too but I grew up doing my homework with the TV on. No wonder I'm ADD! Actually I've never seen American Idol but I did see the academy awards and I must admit I was impressed with the impact this silly show could have on someone's life and art. Who'd a thunk it? SO - This art game will have a real winner so I would sincerely appeciate your vote when you click on this link !!!

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration of this request. Voting ends around noon on Sunday or 5pm or 6pm in London time. Its posted so please don't delay! In the meantime, Happy March!