I decided to say goodbye...without looking back / Vaig decidir dir adèu...sens mirar enrera

Vaig decidir dir adèu...sens mirar enrera / I decided to say goodbye...without looking back

2010 (160x40cm / 63x15.5in.)

left

right

This piece has been in evolution since early winter. It also contains embedded within the layers, the moving story I mentioned in a recent post.

What a find! UPDATED 29/09/10

UPDATE 29/09/10: Upon sorting these papers, I found that the notebook, the weekly church bulletins, baptism forms and some other receipts date back to 1899 and sequentially up 1922! Guess I'll be scanning those and keeping the originals.

On my walk this morning I came across a broken-up piece of furniture next to a dumpster. Apparently one drawer still had some things tucked away. I gathered these wonderfully-aged church prayer and song books and a few more personal effects. The most special item: a handwritten notebook of a priest's sermons. Who needs the art supply store when you have another man's treasure? Can't wait to find a home for them in my next collages.

...I'm contemplating scanning some of these, something feels strange about cutting and gluing the originals.

Open Walls Series, reworked

Here are some pieces from a group called Open Walls, currently on display at Artefacto gallery in Palma de Mallorca until October 4th.


Virtually all of the written text in this body of work was provided by anonymous contributor. He shared a 2-part story of a move from a small village in Mallorca to Barcelona, and then, his return to the island 7 years later, a changed man. The story is poignant and has provided inspiration for many recent works, not to mention that transcribing the words has helped my Catalan comprehension!



The pieces above have advanced since earlier posts, you can see the in-progress images here, and here.

Inauguration at Artefacto

Last Saturday evening, the 4th of September, I celebrated the opening of my current exhibit at Artefacto Gallery in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. We will host a second reception on September 16th, as it falls on a special night for the arts here in Palma, La Nit D'Art. Every year many galleries open on the same evening so that enthusiasts can meander through the city, mingle and see the exhibits spread throughout the diverse galleries in Palma. I'm very pleased to be part of it...even though I won't be able to actually sneak out and see the other shows myself!

Here are a few images of the inauguration.


Artefacto director, Inmaculada Vara Guttierrez, gave me an introduction before opening the lovely teak doors to reveal the show.




The on-lookers include Mallorcan painter Toni-Mari Escarrer, second from the right.



Miranda Giles, painter, has recently arrived to Mallorca. Expect to see her exhibiting soon as well.