Three visual artists, a ceramicist and a writer converged in the jungle and have emerged on the other side. Charlotte Mulliner, Patricia Fornos, Tony de la Riva were in residence the full month of May. They were joined by Marina Taleb and Antoine Poulain. They come from around the world, but all five have been exploring worlds obscured, unknown, sometimes in the past, sometimes in the imagination, in an effort to discover what can be gleaned from an examination of these moments.
Mexican/Spanish illustrator PATRICIA FORNOS has been diving head first into the world of the Alux—the mostly invisible, sometimes troublemaking, pre-hispanic spirits of the Mayan jungle. They are thought to be quite small and always craving offerings. Aluxes are part of the hidden world here in Mexico—many feel their presence and abide by the rules although they cannot see them. Seeing them in her artist eyes, Patti has re-created them...in the jungle. Her vibrant use of color and playful approach in her murals allows us to see aluxes in a way that makes us fall in love with them. Through her unique approach, an unseen world becomes visible. Just don’t forget the alcohol and cigarettes!
With Mexican ceramist and indigenous instrument builder TONY DE LA RIVA, it is similar. Tony has been busy in the jungle forming pre-Hispanic wonders in clay. He also builds and plays pre-Hispanic flutes and other indigenous instruments. His work bridges the divide between new and old, pre and post, hidden and seen. It is an important world not to forget. The ancestors and historic keepers of this land deserve to be seen, felt and remembered in this modern world. Feeling the clay, one can almost feel that ancient world. Tony has also built a kiln in the jungle for future artists to use—a gift between worlds indeed.
British playwright and actress CHARLOTTE MULLINER has been exploring her past worlds, long hidden in her new play Revelations. Having been heavily influenced as a youth by Christian bible camps, Charlie is exploring how the seen and unseen collide, how faith is invisible and yet consequential and how friendships can live and die by our beliefs. Religion often opens and closes doors, obscuring that which cannot be physically known. Through the world of her play, we see the intention and effect of belief, faith and trust—unobscured.
We are thrilled French painters ANTOINE POULAIN and MARINA TALEB joined us this month as well in the jungle. Inspired by and exploring one of the greatest means we use to reveal or conceal, Marina and Antoine paint portraits, often didactically opposite in color, tone and agenda exploring that which is hidden in the most vulnerable of all places: the face. All that is obscured becomes clear and visible in their haunting portraits, while somehow simultaneously concealing something else. It is up to us to decide the world we are in.
We were also joined for a week by two Americans: visual artist January Wyatt and writer Susan M. Fritz. Although there work is not represented tonight, you can read more about them and their work on their posted artist statements. And recently arrived American improvisers: Jim Robinson, Josh Will, Heather Meyer and musician Dennis Curley will take us briefly into the funny world of improvisation.
Through this year’s artists’ work, we get a glimpse into many otherwise unknown or obscured worlds. We get to know the artist through their examination of this world and surprisingly get offered a new way of living in our own.
Entrada actualizada el el 13 jul de 2018
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