Silver Surfer

Space 39

Saturday, January 27th, 2007

The opening reception for the exhibit of "The Unconscious Mind: Surrealism and its Legacy," was held in downtown Fort Myers. This contemporary art gallery is placed in the heart of a dead town. It has created a life force of vividness and energy. Along with a concert across the alleyway, free drinks, Norman Loves Chocolate, and platters of cheese and grapes, the opening was a success.

The gallery owned by a once FGCU student has managed to display artists such as Dali, Warhol, Rauschenberg, and even Snyder!

to be continued...

Kelly and Cameron!

The RAD Report

I think I am going to design board shorts. All I need is someone to design a surfboard...

But, before that I am headed out to Jeffrey's Bay! Although, it will be a few years from now, it is in the projects. Even though this is located in South Africa and not in Central West Africa, the continent of Africa has been on my top fifty things to do or destinations to visit.

This brings me to another discussion topic I would like to bring up. Someone once told me that if you can make a list of the top fifty things you would like to accomplish before you die, you will have led a fully enriched life. My top fifty includes: surfing, working in Art history, owning a studio in Aix-en-Provence, traveling to the African continent to attend a safari, visit the Frisco Bay, hike the Grand Canyon and live in the desert for several months, re-visit (re-reside?) PDX, cruise the Greek islands, vacationing in Australia (preferably Perth), publishing children's books, write a biographical novel on my family, design clothing, buy my parents a cruise trip for their fiftieth anniversary, visit as many art museums across the globe, write a few fictional novels, write a screenplay about a certain iconic rock star from the 70s and today, and some others. These are ranked amongst my top ten.

Hemingway, Cuba, and Evans

1933 Cuba

Walker Evans is a photographer who was well known for his works in his later career. His photos were able to display emotions. Not the simple emotions of joy, sorrow, love, hate, but complex emotions. Despair of a single poor woman raising two kids in a house on the outskirts of civilization with little to eat and barely surviving. He is able to capture moments in peoples lives that not everyone can recognize.

We see this in some of his earlier photos in Cuba. At the exhibit in Naples Evans is able to portray people when they are off guard. By using a sly technique of ... the photographer captures shots of people who think they are looking at a photographer who has set up his tripod to take a shot of something intriguing, but when really Evans is hiding beneath his black cape and taking a picture of the person when they least expect it.

In addition to the collection, eerie photos of the tragedies of the upheaval in Cuba are also included. With graphic images that leave no room for imagination, images of Cuban youth who have been shot dead are mixed in with images of palm trees and Hemingway in his joyful youth spent in the jazz era and bar scene in Cuba's lively 30s.

De Young and Architecture

Dr. Cornell...

Musee d'Unterlinden, Bartholdi, and Colmar

Colmar, France or better known as one of the most traditional Alsatian cities, is home to the Museum of Unterlinden. This museum houses some of art history's most celebrity works. The Isenheim Altarpiece by Grunewald is an extraordinary piece to see up close and in person. Other works by Durer, who was from the Alsace region, can also be seen here.

Bartholdi is the man who made the Statue of Liberty. I am not sure how many people are aware that the precious emblem of the USA was actually a gift from a Frenchman. This Frenchman was born and raised in Colmar as well.

Artsy-fartsy-ness

Trying to write an artist's statement, wait no a curator's statement, wait no an art historian's statement (I know doesn't exist)?

Where do we draw the line between the diverse array of artsy-fartsy-ness. Is it true that in order to be an art historian we cannot be an artist?

"Fruits and Flowers"

Fruits and Flowers: Prints from the Salvador Dali Museum is now being shown from January 11 through February 13 at The Art Gallery located at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The opening reception was last night. Although, anyone can visit the exhibit in the Art gallery now until February 13, I love going to openings. Saying this, I would expect everyone to feel this way. How often does a chance like this come? The ability to see such a significant artist in your own backyard, may not be an option to many. Is opportunity made too accessible to people? Is easy access being taken for granted? I mean what artist has to show up in order to make such an impact that The Art Gallery would be packed so tightly anyone would be content with getting a glimpse of a piece(like at the Louvre waiting at least 15 minutes to get in eye distance with Leonardo de Vinci's Mona Lisa)?

Salvador Dali is one of the most significant artists in all of art history,(not to mention one of the most popular amongst the even the non-artsy fartsy), and there were few that came to his opening reception. Due to the fact that the prints present were not his most significant pieces, I would like to believe that this is the reason so few came.


On another note, I was taking a look at Dali's main website. This is on my list of places to visit: Salvador Dali .


I was also able to find a Curator's Choice from the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. This museum is excellent and has some of Dali's most famous paintings.