Jim Denevan Drawings in the Sand

Here's a project for those of us who can (sometimes) get bored at the beach:

Jim Denevan makes temporary drawings on sand, earth and ice that are eventually erased by waves and weather.

I am always in awe of artists who have the ability to systematically let go of  their works. See more of Jim's work here  and take a few minutes to watch this very nice video to find out more about his process:

Still Catching Up..

Here are a few random things that I came across or did during the week and which I want to share:
I would have loved to see this sound/visual  installation by French artist Celeste Boursier Mougenot at the Queensland Art Gallery in South Brisbane Australia that just ended in April:



Copyright Queensland Art Gallery - via All the Mountains



See more picture and read about the project on Flickr here.

Last night, we went to the Gateway Art Fundraiser in Brookline; it's a place where artists with disabilities get to practice their art full time, a bit like Creative Growth in Oakland, Ca. We got this great piece of art by Donna Johnson:

Oh, and I went to Brimfield on Thursday hoping to find some trinkets I could integrate in jewelry.. I didn't but of course had to get a few pieces of linen:

This one reminds me of the Japanese mosquito netting (Asa Kaya) but it comes from Turkey. And I couldn't resist another grain sack with mending:



I can never quite explain why I'm so attracted to those used & darned textiles; maybe it's because of the history they hold, or the fact that so much time was spent fixing them in the simplest yet most beautiful way. Anyhow, it's a bit of an addiction and I have a closet full of them:

And that's only a small part... sick, no?

Talking about addictions, if you haven't listened to this broadcast of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on NPR with Michael Pollan, it's one of their best and it always cracks me up; Paula Poundstone's addiction to RingDings rivals with mine to textiles..

Henry Moore (English, 1898 - 1986) Textile Designs

This week, I'm trying to go back to doodling using pens and pencils instead of thread, and it hasn't been the easiest thing... This textile design by Henry Moore is a good reminder of how fun and playful it should be..



Caterpillar and Insect Wings, 1947 - Serigraphy in 3 colors on rayon, 330 x 650mm



These other two might be less playful yet they are very lose which I envy:



Four Heads, Half Figures and Animal, c. 1946 - Serigraphy in 7 colors on rayon 320 x 720mm





Figures and Symbols, Page from a Design Notebook, 1943 - 203 x 165mm

 See more of Henry Moore's textile designs in this book.

One 9B Pencil = One Drawing

I wish my pencil doodles would come out like that...




Alejandro Almanza Pereda - Out to Lunch - 2008 - one 9B pencil



Gerhard Richter's Drawings at the Drawing Center in New York City



30.5.1999, 1999  Graphite on paper  11 7/8 x 8 1/4 in.
Permanent loan from a  German Private collection, Courtesy Kunsthalle Emden

I highly recommend the exhibition  "Lines which do not exist" at  The Drawing Center in Soho. Loved the energy that came out of them. Most drawings are in graphite, and the lines and marks go from crisp to blurry, constantly pulling you in and out. I liked how he used the eraser to make marks too.


Untitled, 1966 Graphite on paper. 8 13/16 x 6 7/16 in.
Courtesy of Winterthur, Kunstmusem Winterthur

1.6.1999, 1999. Graphite on paper. 8 1/4 x 11 11/16 in. Courtesy of Winterthur,
Kunstmuseum Winterthur



These two are much larger and part of a group of 4 that's beautifully displayed on the gallery's back wall, at human height , so you feel like you can almost walk into them:

Drawing II, 2005 Graphite on Paper 59 1/2 x 40 3/8 in.
Collection of Donna and Howard Stone

 

Drawing III, 2005 Graphite on paper 59 1/2 x 40 3/8 in.
Collection of Donna and Howard Stone

 There are also a few stunning ones in very densely pigmented ink and watercolor that are worth seeing:

G. EL. 2, 18.1, 1984, 1984 Watercolor on paper, 7 x 9 5/16 in.
Private Collection, Berlin

22.3.88, 1988  Colored ink and watercolor on paper 6 1/2 x 9 3/8 in.
Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, New York,
Gift of the International Council in honor of H.R.H. Prinz Franz von Bayern, 1989

The reproductions here don't do the artwork justice - go see the show if you can - it's up til November 18, 2010. More info here.