Here it is; my newest post from the city that proclaims itself "Poor but Sexy!" This one includes the announcement of open studios at GlogauAIR, images of recent oil paintings, books, highlights from several adventures, restaurant reviews, and observations: art and otherwise.
These are some paintings I've made recently that are inspired by Adam Elsheimer's work. If you're in Berlin, come visit me during the December open studios event put on by the residency where I have my studio.
Here's the info:
December, 2011
16th Fri 19 - 24h
17th Sat 15 - 21h
16th Fri 19 - 24h
17th Sat 15 - 21h
Location: Glogauerstr., 16, 10999 Berlin – Germany
After AE: Moon Crop, 8" x 10"
After AE: Reflected Moon Crop, 8" x 10"
Detail of two paintings on paper, made from observation of the cover of the exhibition catalog of AE's work in 2006. I have since visited Munich to view the original, and am working from my notes about Flight into Egypt, the painting that inspired me to write the proposal for this project.
Lidlaufgang, 8" x 10"
Dämmerung an der Spree, 10" x 8"
We also traveled to Munich a couple of weeks ago, but I will dedicate a separate post to that soon. It's a 6 hour train ride, so I took the opportunity to read You Are Not A Gadget by Jaron Lanier. This humanist manifesto was extremely interesting, not only for the ideas presented, but because of the timeliness of everything Lanier discusses (published in 2010). I will also note that I appreciated the attention to detail in the design of the physical object of the book itself, and it was gratifying to handle while reading because of the raised texture that followed the pattern on the jacket, the careful selection of font and half-tone printing, and the overall design. Some quotes from Lanier's manifesto that I think are striking include:pg. 5 "Being a person is not a pat formula, but a quest, a mystery, a leap of faith."
pg. 17 "The central mistake of recent digital culture is to chop up a network of individuals so finely that you end up with a mush."
pg. 23 "Someone who has been immersed in orthodoxy needs to experience a figure-ground reversal in order to gain perspective."
pg. 28 "Information is alienated experience."
pg. 83 "If you want to know what's really going on in a society or ideology, follow the money. If money is flowing to advertising instead of musicians, journalists, and artists, then a society is more concerned with manipulation than truth or beauty."
Lanier's tone as an author and style of writing reads very much of the information age in the associations he makes, the variety of references he draws from, and in the synthesis and delivery of information. This is a must read, especially for anyone interested in macroscopic technology theory.
I've also started reading the collection of essays compiled by W.J.T. Mitchell titled Landscape and Power (1st ed. 1994, 2nd ed. 2002). I read a couple of these essays when contextualizing my graduate thesis paintings in writing, but I wanted to give this text more time and thought. Although the theory and criticism presented reads as a little dated now, it is very interesting in how it looks at the history and the concept of landscape with a critical eye, and in how the agenda of theory and criticism in the mid-nineties can be examined through these works. I will write more about what I find as I continue to read this compilation.
Besides painting and reading, the following images were taken during recent adventures around the city:
Los Angeles Zoo, only 9680 km that way! Photo by Imran Shafi
The zoo is in the Tiergarten, and we went when fall colors were in full effect.
The mountain goats were especially amazing to watch as they catapulted themselves up and down the faces of the jutting man-made rock mountain replicating the terrain they would inhabit in the wild.
Without planning it, we went into the big cat building during feeding time. A few feet separated us from these large predators. These cages are the indoor/feeding areas, but the cats have outdoor environments that they also access.
The owls were also amazing to see at such close proximity. The aviary was extensive.
Speaking of night owls, NYC should share the title of "The City that Never Sleeps" with Berlin. In celebrating Tyson's birthday, we felt the flow of the night, and the lifestyle that it supports here.
On our quest for an American-style burger, we found ourselves at White Trash Fast Food, a modish tattoo-parlor, restaurant and music venue that celebrates a kitschy, romanticized version of "White Trash" that had a lot more class than the term conjures in the US.
The ambiance of "White Trash"
And the burgers were pretty good, too!
The following night, we combined forces with our friend Joe Lake, whose birthday is a couple days before Tyson's, to do it up right. We started at the Polish bar Mysliwska in Kreuzberg, a fun place with a good DJ spinning records and tasty Mojitos. By about 3am, some of the party was hungry, so we left to get the most delicious Schwarmas at Maroush. By now it's 4am, so on to Roses, the fury-pink-walled gay bar that is a Kreuzberg institution. Needless to say, the sun is rising as we're getting home. With bars that stay open all night, and public transportation that runs 24/7, it's easier than you would think to find yourself staying out all night. The U-Bahn at 6am on a Sunday is well-populated, although more subdued than earlier in the morning.
Photo on left: from Mysliwska's website; photo on right from Qype review of Roses
Sunrise in Charlottenburg walking home from the U-Bahn.
Also this month, there have been some nice surprises in the gallery scene, such as Marc Handelman's recent show at Reception here in Berlin. Luckily we were able to make it to the opening!
It was great to see Marc, Jessica, and to meet their little one!
A couple of paintings from Marc's show, Continuous Grounds.
I'm also investigating other galleries in the area. We went to see Ingo Mittelstaedt's show Chromas at Galerie Koal--it was a good one.
Two photographs by Ingo Mittelstaedt from the exhibit.
I've also been spending most Thursday evenings at the Gemäldegalerie, looking at "Old Masters," and revisiting the three works in the collection by Elsheimer.
Adam Elsheimer, Hansaltärchen mit sechs Szenen aus dem Leben Mariae, 1597/98
After Adam Elsheimer (the original was lost, this is a copy by an unknown artist),
Landschaft mit badender Nymphe, 1605
Adam Elsheimer, Die Heilige Familie mit dem Johannesknaben un Engeln, 1599
Painting detail
Surface reflection, painting detail
The following are some images taken while wandering around our neighborhood...
Interactive public art
Recently we found an amazing Vietnamese restaurant in Charlottenburg on Wilmersdorfer Str. called Saigon-Today. Next store is this fun Friseur.
Outside the Deutsche Oper
A recent find at the Charlottenburg Flea Markt. A pipe case without the pipe.
Other optical textures observed recently...
Building folding iPad...
At the Holocaust Memorial, or Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. Near Potsdamer Platz.
Our friend and fellow Fulbrighter, Chrissy Matzen, was staying with us for the past week, so we've been going to many of Berlin's cultural hotspots together. On the right, amazing Greek columns and statue at the Pergamon Museum.
From the Middle East collection at the Pergamon. These gates date from the 6th century BC and are made of glazed ceramic clay tiles. From Babylon, unlike anything else I've ever seen.
Detail of the Babylonian entrance
Carved shell
Ancient Assyrian tablet, necklace of glass beads
Carved stone cats that would have guarded the entrance to a temple
Bracketing lips with gloved hands, with spotlight. Photo by Tyson Washburn
As always, more images can be viewed at my Flickr account.
Wishing everyone health and happiness for the holidays,
XO Caetlynn
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