JaZzArt en València

Y ojalá ya no sea demasiado tarde para librarnos de ella…

Marguerite was formed…artistically…in the Bauhaus… She was a ceramist, educator and writer. She was born in 1896 in Lyon, but from 1940 she lived in the United States… As of 1914 she was studying sculpture at Berlin’s University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin), the biggest art academy of Europe. While working at porcelain factory in Rudolstadt Marguerite discovered her passion for the potter’s wheel.

Not long after WWI, and while in Weimar for a few days, she discovered Walter Gropius’s proclamation reference the inauguration of the Bauhaus school (1919): «A new artisan guild, without class distinctions, is lifting the arrogant barrier between artisans and artists». Immediately she enrolled as one of the first female students. She studied at the Dornburg Bauhaus from 1919 to 1925. Among her peers were Paul Klee and Vasili Kandinsky.

In 1925 Marguerite became the first woman to obtain the Master Potter Certification in Germany… In 1940, now living in California, Wildenhain became a professor at the California College of the Arts in Oakland and relocated to the artists colony of Pond Farm, created by architect Gordon Herr and his wife Jane…

Marguerite published three books: Pottery: Form and Expression; The Invisible Core: A Potter’s Life and Thoughts; and That We Look and See: An Admirer Looks at the Indians. She was an avid lecturer who gave conferences in schools throughout the US, South and Central America, Europe and the Middle East…

Marguerite Wildenhain died at the age of 88 years in California.

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CHEERS

No debemos pensar que el arte tiene que ser siempre algo bonito, elegante, decorativo y digno de nuestro salon porque el arte es un dialogo, e igual que los diálogos en la vida real, algunos son agradables otros inquietantes…

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We should not think that art always has to be something beautiful, elegant, decorative, and worthy of our salon, because art is dialogue, and just like real-life conversations, some are pleasant while others are unsettling or disturbing…

GRACIAS

CHEERS

Hay arte para todos y todo tipo de arte, hasta arte inquietante…

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There is art for everyone, and all types of art, even art that unsettles you and perhaps even haunts you…

CHEERS – GRACIAS

For me faces are a fascinating topic to paint. No, not as they are, or as they should be, but as I see them… Abstract art? I am still investigating but definitely intrigued… Jazz? That’s the beat man!

CHEERS

Verdad, ¿No?

Venga, comencemos reconociendo que Anni Albers fue profesora de la famosa Bauhaus, que nació en Berlin de una familia judía acomodada y que fue una gran diseñadora de textil, tejedora y pintora. Y, por supuesto, no fue autodidacta, en su juventud recibió clases particulares de arte en varias academias… Anni nació el 12 de junio de 1899… En 1925 se caso con el renombrado arista y pedagogo Josef Albers… Fue innovadora trabajando con tejidos, usando técnicas como la reflexión de la luz, absorción del sonido, y durabilidad. De sus diseños publicados le encargaron varios tapices… Fue alumna de Paul Klee… los Albers, siendo ambos profesores de la Bauhaus, se trasladaron a vivir a los alojamientos del profesorado junto a Klee y Vasili Kandinsky… Durante estos años Annie viajo a Italia y a España… En 1931 se habría convertido en una de las pocas mujeres a cargo de un taller en la Bauhaus, en la sede de Dessau… En 1933, con la llegada de Hitler y el cierre de la Bauhaus, los Albers se trasladaron a EEUU donde comenzaron a impartir clases en Carolina del Norte… En 1949 Anni Albers fue la primera diseñadora en tener una exposición monográfica en el Museo de Arte Moderna (MoMA) de Nueva York… Anni Albers murió en 1994 en Connecticut.

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Let’s begin by recognizing that Anni Albers was a teacher at the famous Bauhaus, born in Berlin to a well-to-do Jewish family, and was a great textile designer, weaver, and painter. And, of course, she was not self-taught; in her youth, she took private art lessons at various academies… Anni was born on June 12, 1899… In 1925, she married the renowned artist and educator Josef Albers… She was innovative in working with fabrics, using techniques such as light reflection, sound absorption, and durability. From her published designs, she was commissioned for several tapestries… She was a student of Paul Klee… The Albers, both being professors at the Bauhaus, moved to live in faculty housing alongside Klee and Vasily Kandinsky… During these years, Annie traveled to Italy and Spain… In 1931, she would have become one of the few women in charge of a workshop at the Bauhaus in the Dessau location… In 1933, with Hitler’s rise to power and the closure of the Bauhaus, the Albers moved to the US, where they began teaching in North Carolina… In 1949, Anni Albers was the first designer to have a monographic exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York… Anni Albers passed away in 1994 in Connecticut.

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GRACIAS – CHEERS

A veces sueño con los paisajes de mi ciudad y no se si los estoy viendo o los estoy imaginando. Pero la imaginación se nutre de lo que uno experimenta y vive, de lo que uno prueba y ve y de lo que uno lee y estudia…

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Sometimes I dream of the the sights of my city and I am not so sure if I am seeing them or imagining them. But the imagination is substantiated by what one experiences and lives, by one tastes and sees and by what one reads and studies…

A city is like a glove, it either fits perfectly well or it will be too large and fall off one’s hand or too small and will not allow one’s fingers to enter. So a city must be perfect for one’s soul and spirit to truly engage and one’s endeavours succeed…

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La ciudad nos tiene que venir como anillo al dedo, si el anillo es muy grande se nos caerá y si es muy pequeño no entrará en el dedo. La ciudad tiene que ser de la medida perfecta para que nuestro espíritu surja y para que todo lo que hagamos cobre éxito...

GRACIAS – CHEERS

Now this was «the» band during the early 60’s, of course without counting The Beatles… But the sound of The Kinks, their guitar riffs, their powerful vocals and provocative lyrics, made them a force to reckon with in those days and beyond… They formed in Muswell Hill, London, in 1963 by the brothers Dave and Ray Davies… Their song «You Really Got Me» (1964) made it to the number one in the UK and hit the top 10 in the US… But the Kinks were not only about this proto-punk sound, like in «You Really Got Me» and «All Day and All of the Night«, they also delved into British Music Hall, folk, and country. They were influenced by many types of music and they influenced many that came after… Songs like «Lola» (1970), «Destroyer» and «Come Dancing» are prime examples of their sound and why I became a fan, at a very young age, and still am… The Kinks! Five singles in the Top 10 Billboard; Nine albums in the Top 40. In the UK they had 17 Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums; Four Kinks albums certified Gold. The lads have sold over 50 million records worldwide. In 1990 the four original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2005 they were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Quite a record. They disbanded in 1996. Efforts to reunite have been unsuccessful so far, but who knows. The power groups of the 60’s and 70’s are the only ones filling stadiums and arenas nowadays, so maybe…

Enjoy!

CHEERS

I really loved this beautiful Catalan city… It is small, charming and with great food and drink. I hope you enjoy the video and let me know what you think.

CHEERS