afra eisma: Hush at ICA Central - Balboa Park

by Patricia Frischer 

I walked into afra eisma: Hush at ICA Central in Balboa Park and immediately started to smile. I just could not feel anything but uplifted with the joyful colors and soft welcoming textures. Boobie Spider greets you at the top of the stairs and I found this cluster of tits with the long appendages anchoring his work  adorable, protective and powerful. The glass half empty might say aggressive, vulnerable and threatening, but that says more about the viewer I feel than the artist.

But the section of Warrior Garments gives more insight into the trauma that eisma has endured. Layers of silent protection are combined with revealing words which are quite frightening. These layers are also evident in the many framed drawings

The title Hush for this exhibition (her first one person show in the US for this Dutch artist) is not really about making sure you remain quiet. It is more about breathing and the hush sounds you make on exhale through your mouth. This exhale is known to be a calming act (at least in the yoga I do) and although the colors are lively, the ambiance created is intended to create a safe environment. Hush the installation rug was specially created for the ICA and with the sound and lighting elements, you are invited to take off your shoes and hug the soft sculpture to your heart content.

The texture of the wall hanging and the large area rug seemed to be a combination of tufted and hooked as tufted rugs are sheared to create a smooth pile, while hooked rugs are left unshorn to create a looped pile. I think I saw both. Some of the colors are almost day glow luminescent. They are scattered ceramic elements, the most appealing were the color glazed shoes.

A deeper dive reveals a whole make-believe world of comfort and acceptance. I think we all want to escape on occasion, especially so in the last years. The tapestries depict the places that eisma has created for herself and for us where there is no judgement, lots of love, healing can take place, everyone is accepted. Is it too bad that this is necessary…absolutely. But I am glad to have found this place where an artist has managed to win.

I want to give full credit to Jordan Karney Chaim, who is the curator for the ICA exhibitions and found  this artist in a Miami art fair. She is responsible for nurturing the artist and her team and went to Holland to visit the artist's studio. Bravo, Jordan. 

afra eisma: Hush
ICA Central, Balboa Park
Sat, Feb 15, to Sun. June 1
Thursday–Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 pm

detail

detail

detail

Hush, detail

Hush

Boobie Spider

Boobie Spider, detail looking down

Boobie Spider, looking up

Boobie Spider

Warrior Garments

Ceramic samples

afra eisma: Hush
ICA Central, Balboa Park
Sat, Feb 15, to Sun. June 1
Thursday–Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 pm

While you are in Balboa Park, don't forget to see the San Diego Visual Arts Network's San Diego Art Prize 2024 at the San Diego History Center. It closes on Sunday, March 16th.

Fredric Hope: Silent Storytellers at William D. Cannon Art Gallery

by Patricia Frischer

On a day I was glad for the rain as it reduced my fear of fires, I got a special treat. I braved the weather to see the new  Fredric Hope: Silent Storytellers exhibition at the William D. Cannon Art Gallery  and I found HOPE.. That is what really good art can do for you.

I knew nothing about this artist, but found out that his influences were Giorgio Morandi and  Wayne Thiebaud, two of my favorites. You can clearly see these artists in works that are well-crafted and studiously observed. Hope has a unique perspective. They are southern California shorescapes, but there is a surreal element to the works and some very modern twists. 

Although he was a commercial designer for Disney and Universal, he shifted to teaching and that gloss that results from the commercial world is not interfering with a sort of purity of vision you see in these compositions. There is a area for creation in the new layout of the Cannon Gallery to honor this artists dedication to his teaching. 

Fredric Hope: Silent Storytellers at William D. Cannon Art Gallery
February 7 through June 28
Reception Feb 22, 3 to 6 pm
Opening Times: Tues - Sat 12 - 5 p.m.

Hello, Dollies! Paper Doll-Making at Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad

By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt.

 A great start on a doll at the Artful Paper Doll Workshop on January 30^th.

 

I hadn’t been to Front Porch Gallery in a long time, but the idea of making paper dolls using colorful papers, fabrics, trinkets, and any interesting bits and pieces the Gallery had or you wanted to bring from home was appealing… especially since it was taking place during a big event: the annual Gallery Takeover by folks whose artworks were created at FPG workshops during the past year.

 Tiny Creative Habits.

More from the Gallery Takeover.

And an environmental piece.

“Creative thinking is part of being human,” said Gallery Director Cathy Carey. “Art is not a luxury; it’s a basic human need. Art practices promote healing, well-being, and even longevity, and they’re even more fun when you can do them in a social setting, like here in the gallery.”

Just walking in the door was an inspiration. And for someone like me, more used to putting words together than actual artworks, it was inspirational to see what others in the workshop were creating from the tables full of multicolored papers, ribbons, stickers, scraps of fabric and assorted doodads… plus of course their own imaginations.

Surprise.

Different.

Two Dolls, from one doll-maker.

The friendly staff were always ready to help when help was needed. I’d brought a few of my own bits and pieces, and I’ve had some experience with collage, but doll-making was a whole new world. So I definitely needed help, and Teaching Artist Robin Barrett was full of suggestions I’d never have come up with on my own…even the most efficient ways of cutting and pasting.

The Writer’s Doll.

There’s something for everyone at Front Porch Gallery, and all workshops and events are free of charge. Try to come while the Gallery Takeover is still on view. You’ve seen only a teeny bit of it here, and it closes March 13^th.

I’m closing with two images of a two-sided doll: one side a Gardener, the other a Glamour Girl--all this done in two hours!     

Two-Sided Doll 1. 

Two-Sided Doll 2.

 

And these last few words: What a great way to spend a couple of hours!

Whenever you’re here, you’ll be happy you came.

Front Porch Gallery
2903 Carlsbad Blvd.  Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: 760-795-6120
Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 11am-5 pm.  Saturday: 11-4. 

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Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles in San Diego County for over a dozen years. You can reach her at hew2@sbcglobal.net

 

The Half-Life of Marie Curie and The Art of Dr. Beata Mierzwa at New Village Arts

 by Patricia Frischer

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

At the play The Half-Life of Marie Curie, I learned a lot about Marie Curie that I did not know in the angst filled performance by Rachael VanWormer, which was delightfully countered by Leigh Scarritt as Hertha Ayrton, the engineer and suffragette. Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize TWICE and in two different scientific fields. She had an affair at a time that women simply could not do what men did without being labeled a harlot. I learned to see how “half life” can refer to a change in elemental make-up, a change in life direction and even as a concept of a further life after death.  The play Half-Life of Marie Curie at New Village Arts until March 9 does this all in one act of 70 minutes.

I was mesmerized by Leigh Scarritt who controlled the stage with her sidesways glances and moveable face. I knew nothing of Hertha Ayrton, but she is now seared in my memory and this role was made for Scarritt. A minimal stage with terrific lighting affects was the most visually artistic part of the experience besides the display by Dr. Beata Mierzwa in the lobby. 

I was moved by the notes in the playbill: 

Kym Pappas Director’s Notes:
"This is for the women. You who are strong. Resilient. You who combine courage and compassion. Thank you. This is for you. The Fearless. This is for the Mothers. For the Grandmothers. For the teachers. You who are sanctuary. This is for you. For the warriors. The ones who are deemed loud…assertive…demanding. Thank you. This is for you. This is for the poets. For the ones who speak…for the ones who dance…for the bitches and the witches too. Thank you. This is for the geniuses. For the girls who struggle in math class and the ones who excel. This is for you. This is for the ones who travel, who carve a path for all to follow. For the ones who strut. The ones whose laughter could heal a nation. The ones who love the animals. This is for you. This is for the ones who write the words and speak the words and sing the words too. Thank you. This is for the ones who feel like they just cannot anymore. Those who carry the dark. This is for you. This is for the ones who show up, who bring the light. This is for you. Thank you. This is for the women. For all of the ways we show up in the world, for all of the ways we get each other through. Thank you"

 Rachael VanWormer as the  scientist Marie Curie 

Leigh Scarritt as Hertha Ayrton, the engineer and suffragette.

A wonderful drunk moment in the performance

Special lighting by Curtis Mueller

Dr. Beata Mierzwa is a molecular biologist working on division of animal cells. Her works of art are based on this subject and her goal is to help communicate science in a different way. She uses fundamental scientific aspects to create drawings for both scientists and non-scientists to discover the beauty in fundamental biological principles. Her works for this show are printed and presented in rich color and a reflective surface. On display is also one of her fashion designs…fabric and jewelry as well as a digital game Microscopya. 

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

Dr. Beata Mierzwa

The Half-Life of Marie Curie
Ray Charles Stage in the Conrad Prebys Theatre at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center
Jan 24-Feb 23, 2025
Written By Lauren Gunderson
Directed By Kym Pappas
2787 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008
760-433-3245

Form and Shadow with furniture by Paul Henry at PHES Gallery

by Patricia Frischer

Paul Henry

Sometimes I think that Paul Henry is one of the best kept secrets in San Diego, but then I realize how famous he is for his amazing furniture designs since he has been here so long and knows everybody who knows anybody. The wide breath of knowledge extends beyond the history and skill of woodcraft. He listens to people, to their stories and concerns. The opening of PHES  (Paul Henry and Ellen Speert) Gallery gives him ample opportunity to expand those conversations.

And I truly believe those conversation exist between his furniture pieces, maybe not during that day but after 7pm when no one is around. I can see Paris, 1755 speaking down to Baltimore, 1810 and Vienna,1814 confiding to New York,1825. You see, many of his pieces are titled to reflect the originals of their inspiration. Henry delights in drawers and you can imagine those flapping well into the night. Not that they would have any complaints about their construction. It is impeccable, even when amazingly complicated.

In this show you also get a chance to see a collaboration between Paul Henry and his wife Ellen Speert. The cabinets doors, decorated with fret work from an old guitar, open to reveal a lovely little cloud painting on the background panel. Henry has been collecting bits and pieces of veneers and old parts of instruments and antique furniture, even rare wood and he upcycles those into modern works that cry out to their histories.

The Form and Shadow part of the show really references the black, white and shades of grey works that are on the walls of PHES.  Lisa Croner’s works is  subtle and seems to shimmer with silver hues. Lisa Archilla photographs have that look of a gelatin silver print*. They are dry mounted on metal, but none of the metal shows through. Instead, I think, it is just the contrast of the dark and light that give these beautiful works their exception quality. Rin Colabucci gives us starker images but they are still delightfully playful.

 *gelatin silver prints are black-and-white photographs made using a light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts and gelatin.

Paul Henry (detail)

 

Paul Henry

Paul Henry

Paul Henry with cloudscape by Ellen Speert 

Paul Henry

Lisa Croner

Lisa Croner

Lisa Archilla

Lisa Archilla

Lisa Archilla

Rin Colabucci

Rin Colabucci

Form and Shadow
PHES Gallery
Until March 9, 2025
PLEASE NOTE: The Gallery will be closed February 13 through 23 for Spring Break.
2633 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008 
paul@paulhenryfurniture.com (760) 696-3022
Thursday – Saturday
2 p.m.-7 p.m. and by appointment