Feed back on the discrepancy Show in Napa.

Describing Discrepancy

Mark Van Proyen

Helen Wilson’s grouping of recent images titled Boys Playing Martyrs and Infidels Playing Cowboys and Indians seems to reach for the core of the matter, as if to say that the impulse to enact violent struggle lay within the deep psychological make-up of the human male. It seems to have the right kind of psychological distance for the way that we experience real conflict via mediated images, and it invites an ambiguous multi-dimensional reading that might be taken as a universalist apology for the bad decisions leading up to our troubled times.

Pagan Brooke

What an honor to see your drawings at the Napa Museum yesterday.

They were profoundly articulate, layered and powerful. The drawings them selves of course are stunning, but the way they told the story and carried the concepts was provoking and urgent. Thank you for a great experience.

Icons & Reliquares plus Couch Paintings & Coffee Table Books.

Finally some images of the opening.

About the skeleton...

I have been working with the image of the skeleton for over seven years.  The skeleton that we carry with us always (not simply at death), has been for centuries (and in multiple cultures) associated with Death as a Memento Mori.  The Skeleton also plays a part as structure. Especially when referring to architecture. Without this foundation we would collapse.  I use these multiple meanings in my art, first as a Vanitas and second as a reference to our foundations both religious and social. While death and its inevitability is an equalizing force, our beliefs about it affect our reality.

By using Velum (a transparent paper used in Architectural drawing) and placing two drawings back to back I hope to open up discussions on how our foundations affect who we become. Through the combination of being raised Catholic and the study of art history I understand the religious implication of illumination. The act of passing light through an image is a spiritual one. What becomes apparent in this action and what remains hidden is for me more of a psychological investigation into individuality.

For me personally, remembering my mortality has a very resent and personal meaning. I assisted my father only a couple of weeks ago. He died at home holding my mothers hand on August 13^th. While socially and culturally this time of life is predominated by myth and personally at times felt darkly dystrophic, the actual experience was an awakening one. Understanding more about death in the end affects how we chose to live and die.

Wendy Willis Printmaking: DISCREPANCY: living between war and peace Opening

Wendy Willis Printmaking: DISCREPANCY: living between war and peace Opening: "DISCREPANCY OPENING RECEPTION What a night is was! The show looked amazing. Elegant. Powerful. Beautiful. There were artist statements..."

Napa Valley Museum Show

Oh what a night! This was a great opening and the show is fab. If you  have a chance you need to make it up.

Lynn visits San Francisco

The Dry point etching entitled Lynn will be on exhibition at Modern Eden in San Francisco throughout June.

Hawkboy finds a home.

Toy portraits...almost done

Modern Eden Group show up intil Jan 16th!

If you havent gotten to Modern Eden yet, it's up until Jan 16th.

The work looks great!

Opening In San Fran

December's show will showcase Modern Eden's favorite exhibiting artists with works in San Francisco sizes.  Featuring new works by Jaxon Northon, Leilani Bustamante, Bradley Platz, Kim Larson,  Sakuna Daring, Aaron Hodges, Ryan Gannon, Justin Loney, Daniel J. Valadez, Steve Javiel, Tanem Davidson, Kurtis Rykovich, Hilary Williams, Sheri DeBow, Anderson Lewis, Natasha Dikareva, Slug & Squirrel, Christine Benjamin, Helen Wilson, Double Parlour, and more!   Live music provided by DJ Edward Aten

Got to meet the Guerilla Girls first hand!

Been using their  "The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art"
 for years as an auxiliary text in my Art History classes for years...so cool. 

Public Sculpture

Just participated in my first Public Sculpture through the Palomar Sculpture Department were I teach.
It's at the Vallecitos Water District in San Marcos and is a solar driven fountain.
Using the hand of one of the students that created the design for the garden I made a bronze hand for the piece. Karen Wooten poured and I finished it. 
I think it turned out quite nice. 
The department is listed on the sign. 

North Beach Art Walk

Heading North to spend the weekend in San Fran. I'm going to be showing my work at the North Beach Art Walk

Come on by, I'll be in the garden at 2029 Powell. It sounds like the weather gods are with us. What a great way to spend a beautiful weekend, walking around North Beach looking at Art! 

Family Portraits

In my Wallet Portrait series, I’m thinking about real families. If you want to know about whom someone considers family look into their wallet. These are the people that we choice to carry around with us. These people choice to call themselves family by documenting their relationships through photography. People’s wallets tell stories. Some caricatures make multiple appearances as they move through their lives.  I’m using children’s toys to create these stories; after all we already have histories we bring to some of these caricatures.

All Images copywritten.

Wallet Portraits Proposal

The proposal for this piece is simple. Create a life through someone’s wallet photos.

One wallet setting on a pedestal, Large photos framed and hung behind on the wall, a family gallery with extra wallet portraits to be taken home.