INTERNATIONAL TAPESTRY PROJECT AND VIEWS FROM THE ROAD

I recently participated in the" International Tapestry Project: Fate, Destiny and Self-Determination".  This collaborative project is headed by Line Dufour, a tapestry weaver residing in Canada.  The project has three sections.  Line herself will be weaving a tapestry, a tapestry will be worked on by various individuals, and various shapes will be woven by individuals to be put into a larger installation piece.  

The project brings together a variety of fiber artists who will contribute to the installation work.  What a wonderful way to bring people together.  Below is the shape I worked on.

Created for Fate, Destiny and Self-Determination Tapestry Project,  Lori LaBerge  2013

The instructions for this piece were to work only in pure hues from the color wheel. There were also measurements included.  There is a Facebook page here where you can see other creations for this project.    

Once again, my husband and I are headed up to Vermont for a couple of weeks.   I am notorious for taking roadside photos everywhere we travel, even on local trips. There are always some memorable sights.

Humpty Dumpty was spotted in Colchester, Vermont.  It was created by my husband's cousin, Ann LaBerge.  She is an amazing artist working in a variety of materials.  We had a wonderful time talking about art when she visited us in North Carolina and I am hoping to have time to stop by and see her Vermont studio.

A dog made of hay bales lounging on the side of a long stretch of road. Such fun!

Further down the road, a companion for the first dog.  He looks a little worried. Perhaps he did something he shouldn't have.

I love architecture and upper section of this old barn has an interesting roof line with a slight outward curve at the bottom edge.

How often do you see a turquoise barn?  Love it and going to hook it soon.

Graffiti on an abandoned building.  Hooked graffiti would be great.

A cow made of moss greets visitors to the Stowe Craft Gallery in Stowe, Vermont.

Creativity is everywhere!  Take a ride, enjoy the sights along the way and have a great day.

GUEST BLOG: MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LA

Sadly, the Craft and Folk Art Museum in LA was closed this weekend in preparation for a new exhibition. I opted instead to go to the the Museum of Contemporary Art, or MOCA, on Grand Avenue in Downtown LA.

Many of the permanent works in MOCA's collection are, in a word, iconic.

 Works by Mark Rothko appear as colorful giants in one room.

The Rothko room leads into an equally large space with the monochrome works of Franz Kline.

I love the simplicity of these works by Piet Mondrian and Jasper Johns.

 

Pieces by Robert and Lee Krasner pop against the white gallery walls.

MOCA's current exhibition is a large, chilling grouping of work by Swiss artist Urs Fischer. The landscape of the exhibition is unpredictable; the variety of media in which Fischer works is astounding. You can learn more about Fischer and the exhibition on MOCA's website.

Fischer's work at MOCA is a collection of comical skeletal figures, harsh metal surfaces, imitations of white appliances, and soft blue raindrops. The work is surrounded by stark white walls with rough holes seemingly punched out of them by wrecking balls.

I ended my tour of MOCA in the courtyard where I'd begun. I was amused to see one of Fischer's skeletons admiring himself in a mirror.

Take some time this week to explore an art venue in your own town, whether it be a large museum or a small gallery. Have fun and have a great day!

COLLECT WHAT YOU LOVE

After last week's blog, I received an e-mail from a reader asking what type of art I collect. I have to admit I collect quite a variety of artwork. I truly believe in collecting pieces that you love. I don't adhere to art matching the decor of a room and I never think about where I will place a piece in the house until I get it home. If I like a piece of art, I will find a place for it.

Mountain painting by Jean Watkins. Jean and I used to have studios next to each other and this painting kept grabbing my eye. When I found myself still eyeing it a month later I made the purchase. I love the abstract feel of this and it looks perfect in the hallway of our mountain home.

Woody Higgin's "Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame" caught my attention right away. It was centered in a gallery with a few of his other works. The gothic feel, the various mouldings used, one of the little figures on the side bent over like Quasimodo, and the door that opens made me have to have this. This piece sits on a chest in our main hallway.

Linda Persons makes these wonderful ceramic horses. They come in various sizes. I love the form of these, the smaller head and long legs, and the little marks near the hooves as if the horse's hair is falling over them. It greets visitors as they enter the living area of the house.

Jim Waters creates encaustic work. I love this for so many reasons. The geometric shapes, the stripes, and the texture of the wax. The three pieces allow for a variety of ways for hanging, allowing one to mix it up once in a while. Beautiful and fun. This piece resides in the sitting area of the master bedroom.

I met Virginia McKinney at the Southern Highland Craft Show in Asheville. Her adobe dwellings kept me in her booth for quite a while. Love the way there is an opening in this piece, creating an aura of mystery. The ladder really invites you to come on in and enjoy. This piece reminds me of the trip my husband and I took out west and fits perfect on one of the timbers in our living area.

Collecting is such a joy and tells people a little bit about you. Enjoy whatever items you collect, buy what you truly love to add to your collection and have a great day.

ART AND MEANING, "FREE PASSAGE" COMPLETED

Since I began work on the Nomadic Series I have become interested in traveling, moving, the meaning of home, and surroundings. "Free Passage", pictured below, relates to routes we travel by land, sea, and air (the red lines through the piece). It also brings into play how lucky most of us are to have the freedom to move around the world when we want to. That freedom should not be taken for granted. The old lock represents how easily some people's right to travel is "locked" and they are not allowed to travel without permission.

"Free Passage"  Lori LaBerge  2012

The above is my interpretation of the piece I created. Someone else may view this as simply a decorative piece. I'm o.k with that. Art should be whatever you want it to be. I love the idea of a piece having multiple meanings to different people or no meaning at all. I have always been interested in all kind of art; be it decorative, realistic, shock art, simple pretty picture, social statement or anything else. To me, whether a work has meaning or not is up to each individual viewing the piece.  

I remember going into an art gallery with my daughter and looking closely at an abstract piece. The owner, who was also the artist, asked me if I liked the work. I said that I wasn't sure, but it grabbed my interest. He pulled the piece off the wall, turned it 90 degrees, put it back on the wall and asked what my opinion was now. He did this again, continuing to turn the piece before I made him stop. I immediately made out the abstract figures of a woman and little girl playing cards. I love the way the artist allowed for me to make my own interpretation of the piece. He certainly would have had no problem if I had brought it home and placed it in a different orientation than intended.

What a work of art means to the critics, experts or the masses does not have to be what it means to you. View some artwork, make your own interpretation of it and have a great day!

Note- I did go back to that gallery later to purchase the piece, but it had already been sold. Though disappointed, I was pleased someone else had found their own meaning to it.