Amy
Franceschini and the Future Farmers artist talk UCSD: Facilitated
by Pinar Yoldas
I
am so grateful to get to hear from these artists arranged by UCSD. There is no
doubt in my mind that these zoom presentation give the listeners a chance to
really understand their lives and their work. It is a silver lining from the
pandemic and I hope once we are able to meet again, these zoom talks continue.
When
you read the blurb about this talk, unless you are an art historian or art
critic, you have no idea what will be presented. Hearing them speak is so much more
revealing and it is not that the words written are true, but most of us don’t
think about projects in long sentences and generalities. Reading about architecture
as human settlements becomes building something where people gather. Agriculture becomes Agri-culture
Amy
Franceschini was a direct action activist but she found that approach unaligned
with her personality. She is constantly trying to figure out if art is a way to
activate change but in a gentler way. She is not always convinced that art is
the path and continues to explore research as well. But her start was an
experience that set her path. A large format camera that took two to use made
her realize she wanted collaborations. Franceschini is part of Future Farmers
founded in 1995 as an interdisciplinary group interested in scaling up projects
and working collaboratively.
Amy Franceschini
Large format camera, then and now
Spreading the collaboration
Future Farmers does projects that last a long duration of time and that evolve as one of their main attributes. The project works because being vulnerable enables project participation and large group of people are involved and help guide the course of each. During the onsite projects, they also do museum shows. Her group has become good at negotiating with museum on what can be presented and who can speak for the art.
Then
Now of 2007
Victory
Gardens 2007 was a chance to push out from the containment of the Museum.
Researching to find out what used to exist on the site has become a hallmark. They bring something back in a new form. In San
Francisco, that meant garden plots that were tended by all the local organizations
that were interested in urban gardens.
Horse motif symbolizing the former home of wild horses
Giant constructed horse, not Trogon, towed from town to town to start conversations
Tree house radio station
Future Farmers was
then invited to Italy. They were in a place that used to have wild horses and
ended up using the horse metaphor to connect from community to community. The
belly of their constructed horse was covered in blackboard paint and people
were asked to write what they wanted in their farming community. Another
hallmark is creating something that makes people ask questions as a way to start
a conversation. Eventually, they buildt a tree house to house a radio station
to broadcast the conversations. Their focus was on farms growing grains in high
altitudes as they were endangered. In an exchange for a farmer interview, they
would work in the farm and that gave a different perspective for conversations.
Grains and garden and all things farm is a third hallmark.
Storage of grains as flatbread from the past
First outside version, three types of ovens for flatbread and a heated bench
Final permanent oven and gathering space
Large varieties of flatbreads.
Ovens made over into a sound system for live performances.
Museum exhibition with symbolic boat, mask through the roof and shelf for seeds. Video monitor is on the reverse side.
In
Olso there is still the right to roam. They decided to uses seeds and grain in
Norway and the resulting flat bread that was an ancient custom of storing grain.
The planted cropped and built a special three part oven to encompass all the
ways that flat bread is made. The space became activated and is now after 6
years permanent. They started a grain exchange and traveled to Turkey by boat,
foot, and truck, where many of the grain originated. They then roamed full
circle coming back to the bread ovens and converting them into sound sculptures
for a brief celebration. The work on display in the museum is boat shaped with
a shelf for grains and a live feed video of the voyage.
Marching band stomping on clay.
Marching band wedging clay close up.
Amy
Franceschini and the Future Farmers have a current project in San Jose which
reached up to the skies and down in the earth. They collaborated with a school’s
marching bands and the ceramic department. The band marched on the clay, wedging it and
making shapes. Ceramicist formed clay instruments and together unique
compositions of music were created.
I recommend that you watch the video and let your world widen as mine has. Also check out their website with so many more projects and artifacts from exhibitions.Future Farmers
Anna Stump and Ben Allanoff - Militarized Desert: Life and Death in the Mojave March 1 – April 7, 2022 San Diego Mesa College, 7250 Mesa College Dr., San Diego, CA 9211 Free Parking in Lot # 1. Park in student spaces only
I was so delighted to be able to actually go to a gallery exhibition again and Mesa College is making it easy to park for free right in front of their space on campus. This gallery runs by Alessandra Moctezuma never fails to intrigue and please.
Anna Stump and Ben Allanoff have been spending time at 29 Palms near Palm Springs and they have given new life to the idea of recycling. Taking useless bits of tin roofing, squashed oil cans, rusted hand tools even rocks and making them into not just a concept but a visual treat.
It took me a while to slow down and appreciate Allanoff's various assemblages. In fact, it was only when taking pictures with my phone that I realized that a group of stone slabs which comes with a request to reposition a random set of found objects, was actually in the shape of a bomb. In fact, I think all of the images of Anna Stump with helicopters signal war to me. Restricted No Shooting is a pretty good clue that these items are from a military base. The stones below have something called desert varnish on them. This mysterious substance has also been found on rock on Mars. Allanoff suggests this could be the matter of life itself. All of the sudden a box of rocks has meaning. Is that like spinning straw into gold?
Stumps works almost all contain images of low lying dwellings of some kind always with big skies. We see lustrous sunset, lightning strikes and any number of soaring birds. We can imagine the occupants but there is no sign of them. But somehow these homes don't look lonely, but appear as shelter from the action above or the harshness of desert life. In today's world, who isn't looking for safe shelter.
Partly due to the Athenaeum Music and Art Library in La Jolla and the efforts of Erika and Fred Torri's Artists' Book Collection, book art has a strong place in San Diego. We actually have a San Diego Book Arts association which hold workshops and exhibitions on a regular basis. But we know that any exhibition curated by Karen McGuire at the William D. Cannon Gallery will be exceptional. This one is so full that we could only make a limited selection to illustrate the quality.
There is a very wide definition of Artists' Books. These are not books about artist, but they also not just artist using books as their subject matter. Words on paper, ceramic, metal, wood qualify here as do a variety of paper sculptures made from deconstructed books. One thing that you might notice is that the color in the show is subdued and this helps to tie all the choices together. This elegant show comes highly recommended.
Most of the works in the show need to be viewed from all angles. This short video will give you an idea of the just four of the artists featured. Susan Joy Share's works are followed by a folded book by Amandine Nabarra and finally Judith Christensen's armchair travelers and little houses. A flashlight is provided so you can read the three words included in each one.
Judith Christensen
Judith Christensen
Judith Christensen
Judith Christensen
Susan Joy Share
Susan Joy Share
Susan Joy Share
Linda Ekstrom
Julie Shaw Lutts
Julie Shaw Lutts
Elena Lomakin
Mary Ellen Long
Viviana Lombrozo
Viviana Lombrozo
Viviana Lombrozo
Daniel Essig
Mary Ellen Long
Pop-Up Art: An art-making event themed to the exhibit Saturday, April 9, 11 a.m., Free Children’s Garden, Dove Library Complex
Guided Gallery Tours: Register for a guided tour of the Cannon Art Gallery’s newest exhibit at: carlsbadconnect.org
William D. Cannon Art GalleryFeb. 26 - May 14, 2022 Carlsbad City Library complex at Dove Lane and El Camino Real, Carlsbad Tuesday through Thursday: Noon - 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday: Noon - 5 p.m. Admission is free.
