At Long Last, Show Time!

My  exhibition, “ALLUSIONS: Things Not as They Seem" is finally opening  tonight, from 7-9pm at Berlin Bar. Still dealing with details—labels, price lists, guest book, flowers, etc. But the show is hung—with lots of help from Pascual Hijuelos and Carlos Ordoñez. It really looks good. I’m excited, and a bit jittery.

I’ve been working on this series for about six months (I had to choose from hundreds of images), and have spent the last two months preparing for the show. David Mackenzie’s short video of me talking about this work will be showing on the screen opposite the bar, and there will be wine and botanas. Hope you can stop by. The show will continue through January 13^th.

Carlos Ordoñez, Berlin Bar’s 'restauranteur extraordinaire'

As you must know by now, having badgered you with updates, I’m having a show of my work, “Allusions: Things not as they seem,” opening at Berlin Bar & Restaurant on November 7.  It’s been great working with Carlos Ordoñez, to pull this show together.

Carlos took over Berlin about a year and a half ago, and it keeps getting better. New food, renovations, a convivial atmosphere, and Carlos as your charming, helpful, charismatic host. It doesn’t get much better than that. We are hanging the show today, with the help of Pascual Hijuelos. 

Hail, Forager!

One of the challenges of the new series I’m showing at Berlin Bar (show opens Thurs, Nov 7, 7-9) is getting fresh flowers and leaves in the colors I need for the current work. I forage the streets for fallen blossoms, and there are a few kindly flower-sellers in town that let me pick through their leftover petals and the random broken stem, and who are patient with my buying just one or two flowers.

I confess to the occasional vandalism:  Sometimes if I come across just the color I need (sometimes it is a very particular shade or shape), I furtively grab a blossom in passing.  One of the best sources is my friends’ gardens (thank you Sheridan, Maggie, Anado and Richard, Leigh), not only because they so amiably accept my pillaging, but sometimes they feed me and offer tequila.

Schmutz Bunnies: Can’t help myself

When I have taken photos of a finished piece in my new series, I wipe off the flowers, scrape off the paint and wash the glass. I love the fact that the piece no longer exists, except as a photograph. But the little piles of paint scraps and flower detritus call to me, and I scrape the leftovers—the schmutz—together and use the paint scraper to turn them into animals and birds and snakes. As you can see, I am easily amused. But I am also easily embarrassed, so I haven’t decided whether to include a couple of them in my show opening at Berlin on November 7.

Click here to see some more of the new work.

Click here to watch me talk about this new series in the five-minute movie made by the amazing David Mackenzie.  

A Toast to David Mackenzie, and Susan Perkins and Tom Pink

I met David Mackenzie the day he took this ‘official’ 70^th birthday photo. Imagine being new in town, and having someone with a painted face and a headdress of flowers and vegetables show up at your door. Well, it was great fun. Mezcal was involved. His partner, Susan Perkins, and Tom Pink, who introduced us (and, by the way, generously printed all the small work in my upcoming show), acted as stylists.

The reason I bring up this story now is that when I returned home to my studio, my whole glass-topped work table was strewn with leftover leaves and flowers, wax beans and tangerines. So I started distributing this detritus artfully on a half-finished “Palettable” series painting  I was doing directly on the glass. One thing led to another, and soon I was madly engrossed in “Allusions: Things not as they seem,’ which I am showing at Berlin Bar, opening November 7.  And just to close the circle, the amazingly talented David Mackenzie made the five-minute video that is part of the show.

The Frame Puzzle

I’ve been preparing for a new exhibition that will open on Berlin Bar on November, checking off the many details involved. In an effort to cut expenses, I bought an odd lot of large frames from Karen Clement as she was closing La Fortuna Framing, and a bunch of small frames from Lavinia’s overstock, at generous prices.   Almost every frame is a different size and style. The puzzle was to first figure out which frames looked good together in which rooms, and which images I wanted to show in what size, and then have the images I want to show printed to fit each frame, and to number the images to match the frames. Now I’m waiting with fingers crossed, brain fried, and a glass of tequila by my side—fervently hoping that it all works out.

Here’s a link to some of the new work.

The amazing David Mackenzie made a five minute movie of me talking about this new series. You can see it here. 

Opening All Too Soon-- 

ALLUSIONS: Things Not as They Seem

My exhibition at Berlin Bar opens Thursday, November 7, less than three weeks from today, and (what else is new?) I think I still have five weeks of work to do. Does the word ‘procrastination’ come to mind? “ALLUSIONS: Things Not as They Seem” is a series that, like its predecessors, is hard to decipher at first. You seem to be looking at a flower-strewn fountain or terrace, but something is off.

This time around I am playing a direct role in creating the illusion, rather than just finding and photographing it. I start with photos, shot from above, of ponds and cobblestones and fountains. Then I build up layers of glass, with spacers in between, adding flowers and leaves and other detritus that relate to the original photograph, as well as painting with glass paints, markers and oil pastels to enhance the sense of depth and movement in the original picture. I photograph this layered assemblage at night, lit from the side so that whatever is on the glass layers casts shadows. My intent is ‘point to’ the motion and reflection of what our eye really sees in that fleeting moment.

Once the photographs are taken, I brush the flowers off the glass and scrape off the paint or markers, wash the glass and start on a new piece. The ephemeral nature of this disappearing act delights me.

Here’s a link to some of the new work.

The amazing David Mackenzie made a five minute movie of me talking about this new series. You can see it here.

The Breakdown of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

When are they gonna do something about these gun laws? The guy was just dancing.
This is what happens when you have a gun in the house,

or on the spaceship

N0W ON THE BIG SCREEN

AT BERLIN BAR + BISTRO

 

"QUINTESSENTIAL SAN MIGUEL"

(Old Themes, New Photos) 

 

Well, as usual i've taken a long, lazy lapse from posting on my blog, which as usual I solemnly promise to correct. (Does the word 'unreliable' spring to mind?)

Berlin Bar + Bistro is showing a 6-minute looping video of recent photos I've taken, using old themes still dear to me:  battered cars, open market tarpaulins, dashboard reflections and rear-view mirror shots of taxi drivers.

The show will be up through September at Umaran 19. Happy hour is 5-7.

In November, I'll be showing a new series, "ALLUSIONS," throughout the Berlin spaces. A 5-minute movie, made by David Mackenzie, photographer/cinematographer extradinaire, of me talking about this work, will be showing on the big screen. Details to follow....

You can watch the "Quintessential San Miguel" video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA32UBAvWBw

Well, I've been out of touch for awhile. Not unusual for moi... but for the last few months I've been dealing with breast cancer surgery and treatment. The good news is that I'm doing fine. Truly fine. All things considered, I've felt energetic and well, all through the surgery, and so far three bouts of chemo--only minor symptoms so far, absolutely zero barfing. 

But I believe that the reason I feel so good is that I've been carried along through it all by the love and care of friends, family, and the amazing community of San Miguel. There really are no words to express the cushion of care that is holding me up.

All this support is now coming together in a big way.  Marilo Carral Gallery is hosting a special sale of my photos to help cover the cost of my surgery and treatment.

Friday December 2nd through Sunday December 4th

Everything you need to know is on the web at:
http://www.lulutorbet.com/

It's a unique sale, in that you can choose an image, by number, then the size and framing style. There are also wrought iron tables I've designed that have my photos under glass on top. You can also simply purchase the digital file on a CD, good for one-time use, which you can have framed wherever you live. There will also be framed and unframed images in bins at the gallery.

Marilo Carral Gallery in the Fabrica Aurora Locale 9-A
(first gallery on left at end of center hall)

Gallery Hours: Friday 12-9pm (the December ArtWalk is Friday from 6-9)

Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm

Work by Marilo Carral and MariJose Marin will be on exhibit in front gallery.

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PEJU WINERY "CARumba!" Opening May 1 1-4 PM

I'm off to California to visit old friends in Marin County, and for an opening of my photos at Peju Winery in Rutherford, in the Napa wine country. It's the first time back since I moved to California in 2005, so I'm as excited about seeing old friends as I am about the opening.

The exhibtion opens on May 1, from 1-4 PM, at Peju Winery, 8466 St. Helena Highway (Route 29), in Rutherford, just north of Napa, and will be up through June 25th.  

I'll be showing large photos from "CARumba!"  images of the dented, scratched, much-repainted cars that ply the streets of San Miguel. (Here's a link to the pix). I hope you'll get a chance to stop by, either on May 1st or during the show's run.

New "Palettable" series at Generator Gallery

Although I'm still obsessed with taking pictures of the tarpaulins in the markets and the dented, re-painted cars of San Miguel, I have a new distraction. One day as I went to clean off months of cumulative mess on the large glass tabletop in my painting studio, I was caught by the compositions formed by the smeared, dribbled paints, the pastel dust and general detritus, and took a few pictures. At home, on my computer, I noticed that the light slanting through the window cast shadows from the paint onto the table beneath. So I was off and running,  putting another layer of glass on top, moving the compositions around on the table, adding writing and spilling water that also cast shadows.

A few photos from this new series, "Palettable,"  will be part of a group show, "Fotolandia," at Generator Gallery in the Fabrica Aurora through the month of June. These images are kind of a test run for what I can feel is going to be another long, obsessive exploration. Whoopee!

Report from Mexico + All Best Wishes for 2011

OK, here are the two big lies about Mexico:

One, there are no drug traffickers in most of Mexico, and I still walk home alone at night with no sense of danger. Two, it's not manana-land. I'm busier here than ever, though the fun quotient is much higher.

It's been a good year. I've had four photo exhibitions, which has been very gratifying and exciting. I think i'm even starting to make a profit with my photos, though I haven't quit my day job. Links to lots of photos can be found in the posts directly below this one.

The publishing business is pretty much history, and so now I write for private clients. At the moment I am editing a novel about Mexican history of the last century, written by a woman whose husband is part of a prominent Mexican family that figured prominently in the reign of Porfirio Diaz and through the Mexican Revolution.

I feel fortunate to live in this diverse, colorful, festive country, fortunate to have so many supportive and lively friends. In 2011 I'll have a show in Napa Valley, and hope to get back to Marin for the opening on April 28th. On August 19, I'll have a show opening at Bellas Artes, the cultural center here in San Miguel. So I guess it won't be the year of living languorously, as I'd fantasized.

Thinking of you and sending much love and best wishes  for a peaceful and pleasurable year for us all.

Lulu (Lolly, Laura)

The Call of Nature: New Photos at Camino Silvestre

I’ve never thought of myself as a nature photographer—or, for that matter, a nature lover. I feel more closely aligned with Woody Allen (“I am at two with nature”) than with John Muir. But when I find myself in the wilds—the Charco, Candelaria, a pond with frogs darting across the lily pads, an artful garden—I succumb to the charms of the natural world.

So I’m leaving photos of battered cars and market tarpaulins behind for the moment, and showing my photos of the botanical garden, the annual plant fair, and a couple of floral paintings, at Camino Silvestre (Wild Road), a beautiful new shop in San Miguel. Here are some images. 

In the end, the subject matter doesn’t matter. The myriad visual pleasures of the everyday world we inhabit are what I want the viewer of my photos to see and appreciate.

Camino Silvestre    Zacateros 46  Centro, San Miguel   Open 7 days, 11-7.

Pozos Party Photos: !NOW REVOLUTION!

NiCk and Manrey at Galeria6 in Pozos know how to throw a party.  It was a picture perfect day, the installation was superb, the gardens abloom, the crowd lively, food and drink aplenty from our generous hosts. And I sold two photographs. Whoopee!  Here are photos of the opening. 
The show is up through January 2, if you want to spend a leisurely day in the country, visiting the old silver mines, the lavender farm, a long lazy lunch...  



Galeria6  Plaza Principal 6  Mineral de Pozos  

!Now Revolution" exhibition at Galeria 6

Mexico's Bicentennial is being celebrated in many and sundry ways, but perhaps none so wild and wacky as !Now Revolution!, a group showing of five artists at Galeria6 in nearby (to San Miguel) Pozos, a growing new arts community. Lena Bartula's got cross-dressed revolutionary heroes; Anado McLaughlin's installation has ten thousand Buddhas doing something or other; Ezshwan Winding says her torched encaustics are "about the underbelly." Jim Pasant's  (who will also do DJ duty at the opening as Notorious J.I.M) is showing photos of Mexican street graffiti. And me?  Banners, fireworks, and things that explode (images here).

Doesn't this sound like fun?? One way or another, we're all playing with fire....

!NOW REVOLUTION!    

OPENING NOVEMBER 6, 1-6 PM

 Galeria6  Jardin Principal 6  Mineral de Pozos

"AUTOreflejo" at ArtPrint Photo Gallery Opening Sept 10

Well, things are heating up as Mexico's Bicentennial gets underway--parades, fireworks, theater, bullfights, fairs, parties, dancing. It promises to be a long and lively celebration.

I'm adding to the mayhem by having an opening on Friday, September 10, at ArtPrint Photo Gallery, just off the square. It's new work, but more cars (images here)--battered old cars, reflections through closed car windows, the rear-view mirrors of taxis. I have several other series in progress, but I just can't seem to get over these cars. Someday I'll move on, I suppose, but their serendipitous beauty still catches my eye.

Viva Mexico!

Photo Show at Cafe Iberico June and July 2010

I know you've all missed me terribly in the many months since I last posted (not so much?), but as usual I've been far too busy for someone who moved to Mexico so I would have more free time. Don't believe everything you hear about Mexico--the threat of narco-traffickers, the killer swine flu, or that it's a manana culture. I have to admit I've had more time for photography and painting, which has been wonderful, even though it now contributes substantially to my perpetual whirlwind state. Fortunately, I do spend an inordinate amount of time having fun, seeing friends, and being charmed by this great country I live in.

At the moment I have three photography shows in the works. One is up now, at a great new restaurant in San Miguel, Cafe Iberico, which serves authentic Spanish tapas, very good wines, and dazzling desserts in a beautiful setting. I'm showing more large images of scraped, repainted cars (there are always new battered beauties) that look like paintings; dashboard dolls; and a couple shots from a new series, "Smithereens," of things that explode in San Miguel: Judas figures, fireworks, pinatas. The show is up through the end of July.

In September, I'll have a show of new work at ArtPrint Gallery, which opens on September 10 in time for Mexico's bicentennial celebrations, and will run through October. Next year I'll be having a show at San Miguel's cultural center, Bellas Artes. Details in due course.

I hope you Sanmiguelenses will have a chance to stop in and see the show at Cafe Iberico at Mesones 101. And I hope to find a little more free time to post all the great quotes and funny videos I've been collecting for you.

Opening Night--Queretaro Museum: "CARumba!" and "LONAmiento"

The opening of my photography show at the Museum of the City of Queretaro on December 16 was a blast. Two busloads of friends came along for the ride. We had wine, popcorn, and chocolates en route. The buses got lost, and we ended up far from the museum. Then we got lost trying to find our way through the streets, so I was almost an hour late to my own opening.

But it was a thrill for me to see such a large show of my work in a museum (a beautiful colonial ex-convent) with so many friends in attendance. There were six openings at the museum that night, so there was a lively crowd. Walking back to bus, we passed through the stunningly decorated squares of the historic center--one with a towering tree, dozens of hand-crafted tin lanterns, and angels; and another that is famous for its devil theme--though the meaning of the flamingos interspersed among the crouching and menacing devils eluded me.

Here are some photos, taken by my pals Roger Brudno and Carol Jackson; and a video of the event shot by the talented alTirado, edited by the ever-patient and savvy Roger Brudno. For me, a night to remember!

Museo de la Ciudad Guerrero 27 Nte Centro Historico Queretaro Tues-Sun 10-6
Show continues through January 31, 2010

"CARumba!" and "LONAmiento" at Museum of the City of Queretaro

Two exhibitions of my photos will be on view at the The Museum of the City of Queretaro from December 16, 2009 (opening from 8-11 pm) through January 31, 2010.

The first show, "CARumba!," depicts the rusted, scraped, dented and much-repainted cars that ply the streets of San Miguel. Shot close-up, they first look abstract, until you notice the details of the car door handle, or a chrome strip. Shots of the car interiors document the mixed bag of sacred and profane items that typically hang from rear-view mirrors here: images of saints and Guadalupe, rosaries, pine-tree-shaped air fresheners, mininature stuffed animal mascots of every description, parking permits. Taken through closed windows, these shots also overlay multiple reflections from the street outside. I'm also showing four paintings based on the car exteriors as part of this exhibit.

"LONAmiento," in the second gallery, documents another of my ongoing photo obsessions: the colorful tarpaulins (lonas) that hang over the open markets, shape-shifting and overlapping and changing color as the wind moves through them. I photographed these photos the first day I visited San Miguel in 2003, and i'm still at it. These photos, too, seem abstract until you notice the ropes from which they are suspended, the rips and folds. "Sailing Through the Market," a video of the tarpaulins moving in the breeze, with music by Gil & Cartas, is a part of this exhibit. Here is a sampling of photos from the exhibition.

Preparing for the show has been intense, stressful and--finally--exciting. I feel like I've been going non-stop for months, with 70+ pieces to select, print and frame, label, pack and then hang at the wonderful Museo de la Cuidad that was once a convent, in the historic center of Queretaro. Then came the details of postcards and publicity and planning the opening (2 buses, popcorn and wine for 80). Friends, and the director and staff at the museum, have been helpful and supportive, in so many ways, every step of the way. As I write this, the opening is two days away. I can hardly wait...

Museo de la Cuidad Guerrero 27 Norte Centro Historico Queretaro
Open Monday through Sunday 10-6