kerstin wagners open studio sept 19 and 20

kirstin wagner opened her studio " ganesha"to friends and visitors over the weekend.kirstin is a friend and fellow member of the algarve artists network.
you can see more of kerstins work a http://www.kerstin-wagner-art.de/

exposicao "a danca dos ursos" loule

the dancing bears are on show in loule from 18 sept to oct 5 at the castello,here i am with "ursa major minor",alongside me is my friend joao espada with his "urso" , see more at http://www.dancadoursos.com/, the bears will reappear at a different location soon.the jazz band "quarteto belle de jour" played during the evening. a group of bears is called "a sleuth" can anyone tell me why?

listen to this, a blast from the past....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8zI5xjwKYw

mobile home project loule 2009

mobile home a project that was run in loule as part of the allgarve art shows shown across the region during the summer,many of the shows where presented in unusual locations for example the salt mines in loule, a church in silves and fonte de pipe an old manor house in loule. milita dore an artist friend took part in the workshops,running over 5 weeks a very concentrated work period. 25 artist from the region took part and where aided by a number of guest artist/tutors whose role was to instigate a series of workshops that where thought provoking, the course was a combination of practice and theory, all members bouncing ideas around and off each other.this show is a presentation of some of the experiences that the artists worked through.the show is housed in an ex olive press which is a fascinating environment in its own right.the work is presented anonomously as it is a collective experience no part more important than whole, it is an accumulation of the results of thinking, it is the start of a kind of self-questioning...searching for a new language a means of presenting ideas.the show has the feeling of a " laboratory", there are many surprises to be had, some statements are part of the fabric of the building, sitting quietly waiting to be seen...or not as the case might be?some of the works are collaborations between artists.

the museum is a intruiging idea using the contained spaces in the press like a labyrinth of ideas and images.we feel like giants in the land of lilliput, a cabinet of curiosities.

it was instructive and enlightening having milita talk about the input of each artist/tutor each bringing something different to the project, which was a part of the whole.how the participants related to each other..............

the great colin jellicoe

today i visited my manchester artist friend "the great colin jellicoe", his gallery has been running in manchester for almost 50 years, a real achievement ,he has seen gallerys come and go and he is still in portland street.if you visit the gallery then be prepared for an eccentric establishment i get great pleasure out of my visits. you can make a virtual visit at http://www.colinjellicoe.co.uk/ do not be fooled with this technology ,colin still uses a typewriter.he is a manchester legend with a mischievous glint in his eye.

a conversation with anthony gormley

here i am in crosby having a meaningful converstion with an anthony gormley man who seems to stuck in the sand.
this really is a spectacular setting for the iron men, they are dotted along a short length of coastline, like sentinels.when the tide comes in they dissappear only to reemerge as the tide recedes.
just before this i had lunch in liverpool town hall a local dish called"scouse"
and just before that had visited the tate a show on colour and a fascinating sculpture show.
if you have a photo of the men send it to me...dont forget a caption?

joana vasconcelos in loule

joanas show taking shape in loule the gallery was just like a studio for the first few days, it was facinating to have joana talk to me about her ideas and how she planned and developed ideas.she draws a very precise idea of the intention and then embarks on its construction using materials that she has collected from all over the world, traditional methods are employed from knitting to lace work and re-presented having a new identity, they are elevated to new heights. Wherever this sculpture is exhibited she adds fabrics and object that identify with the location, here in Loule she added Fishes and crabs as we are by the sea.Isabel and Palmeira helped her stitch some of these objects in place.It is reminiscent of when women used to meet and sew together, it is a collective effort that changes its identity over time the piece has an inbuilt history, people that are involved feel part of the work.This I think is important as we are living in an ever mass produced sanitised society. This piece really does invoke play and playtime. It was good to see everyone that came into the gallery smile immediately as they entered into the spirit of the work.The whole piece is subversive and all evasive, it is quirky and surreal and has I feel connections with Niki de Saint Phalle.Another aspect of the work is it is soft like a giant childs toy, I watched childrens faces in the gallery as they looked in wonder at this huge playful object which like all good work has its serious content albeit disguised The world we inhabit is wrapped in cotton wool dont do this dont do that, be careful you must not say this or that Contaminacao and Condutex are subversive interventions in our make believe world are they a dream or are they reality. This is the world of Pere Ubu.

friends

the general,bota filipe sets off with his paints for the latest adventure of the "salir project" painting the approach wall bright orange from the bridge to the gateway of the quinta.

here we see the general practicing his golf swing or is he just in one of his creative modes?

he is standing in front of the orange to be wall!!!!! and heres john lamonby the painter of the ria formosa....