My Second Home

roof lines in Grote Markt

I had the most wonderful, but entirely too short week in Antwerp. I spent my days wandering, visiting my favorite places in the city, and enjoying meals with friends. I knew my way around, visualizing in my mind where things were with no need for maps. I loved being there. It was fantastic to see all my favorite things again and to spend time with my Belgian people. It was also interesting to see how things have changed since the summer. What a luxury to revisit!

I saw some incredible jewelry and fashion: I attended the opening reception and artist talk of Karin Roy Andersson at Beyond Fashion, got to see the work of Begoña Prats in person, and went to Mode Museum to see an exhibition of couture textiles. I visited Carolus Boromeus, Conscienceplein, and Vlaeykensgang. I found more graffiti, danced to techno till 4am with my Belgian brother and sister, and got a new tattoo.

It went by too fast.

 Balenciaga at the Mode Museum

 graffiti at Park Spoor Noord

 an icon at Carolus Borromeus, my favorite church

student work at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts

I spent the day at the school with my friend, Jorge Manilla, an instructor there

at the artist talk of Karin Roy Andersson with some of my favorite people, Karen Vanmol, Linda Savineau, and Karin De Buysere

I loved being able to see how things have changed since I left...

I made a brooch about this piece for my Belgian show. It is quite different now.

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Observation/Translation: 90 Days in Belgium

I created a set on Flickr last night that includes all the images in order from my Yuma Art Symposium talk along with accompanying text. The talk was about my wonderful experience in Belgium and the work I made there for my solo exhibition at Beyond Fashion in Antwerp. It includes a narrative about my travel inside Belgium, details about the many interesting things I saw, how I developed my ideas for the work, my process, and images of the final pieces. I am really happy with this talk...I hope you will take a look and spend some time reading it. It took me about an hour to present but should only take about 15 minutes to read through. The images I posted here are all slides from the presentation.

wandering around Antwerp

my studio

list of ideas based on observations

making a paper pattern for a brooch

Nacht

Thanks for reading.

Hmm, Very Interesting Part 2...My Belgian Favorites

Lone Wolf by Dzia 

As you know I spent three months in Belgium and had an amazing time, everything was my favorite... While I was there I lived in Antwerp and visited Brussels, Gent, Brugge, Knokke, Roeselare, and Genk. Here are some favorites of my favorites that you can see online:

Daniel Von Wienberger video. It's entirely in Flemish but you will definitely get the idea regardless of language. He's an incredible artist/jeweler and I love this video. 

Nevin Arig is a new Belgian friend and her website and work is beautiful.

Richard Deacon

I discovered Richard Deacon when I saw one of his sculptures in the lobby of a bank in Antwerp. I couldn't find any information on the piece so I did this crazy Google search when I got home and was able to identify him. This made me feel very smart. In addition to his sculptures I really like his 2D work.

Absolutely, hands-down one of my favorite places in Belgium, in Gent to be exact: Verzameld Werk, more than just an art gallery...

Belgium has some incredible graffiti and street art and you can see it, too, at Street Art Belgium. The top photo is one I took of my favorite piece in the Antwerp. It's by Dzia. 

I spent a day on the North Sea beach with Karin in Knokke and saw my first Arne Quinze sculpture. 

Before getting to the beach, we stopped in Roeselare to visit Creme de la Crema, a wonderful jewelry gallery, studio, and coffee lab.

Shop Ra, a concept store so gorgeous I want to live there.

Mater Dolorosa by Simon Marimion

While I Brugge, I spent several hours pouring over an incredible collection of Flemish Art at the Groeninge Museum. It includes six centuries of art and this painting (see above) that stopped me in my tracks. This link will take you to an online collection.

Para-Production by Ni Haifeng, 2012 at Manifesta 9

Manifesta 9. I almost didn't go because I had laundry to do. Good thing I changed my mind--it's one of the best contemporary art exhibitions I've been to. 


A favorite Belgian blog, I Love Belgium.

An American friend told me about the clothing of Walter Van Beirendonck and I found a beautiful shop that had some pieces in stock. The designs, fabrics and tailoring are exquisite.

During a trip to Brussels I got to see the biannual "Flower Carpet," thousands of flowers arranged to look like a rug. Impressive up close and from above.

On my last day in Belgium, my dear friends, Karin and Rene, took me to Doel because they thought it would be perfect thing to do on my last day and they knew I would love it. And I did. It's a ghost town covered in graffiti. This link tells the story of the village and includes lots of pictures of derelict buildings. You can see my graffiti pictures here. 

And finally, and of course, my gallery, Beyond Fashion, where I spent many hours. (Be sure to click on the orange button to see a 360 degree view and my show!)

Thanks for reading.

Homage

Family

I've been back in the U.S. for just over three months, about the same amount of time I was abroad. My life in Europe feels incredibly far away, almost like it happened years ago, but it also feels like yesterday. I haven't devoted a post to any final thoughts on my experience overseas and since I've been doing a lot of looking-back lately, I realize now is a great time to do just this. 

My 90 days in Belgium were life-changing, as I hoped they would be. The experience far exceeded every expectation I had. It was as wonderful as I imagined and even more wonderful than I ever thought it could be. It was also exactly as challenging and hard as I thought it would be, although these moments were rare. I loved every single minute of amazement and difficulty. Traveling alone is probably the greatest thing I have ever done--experiencing things for the first time and being alone while relying on myself to find my way was incredible. I felt more like myself during this time and the entire experience makes me feel like I can do anything now. 

One of the best unexpected things that happened was the relationship that developed between my gallerists at Beyond Fashion, Karin and Rene and their family, and me. Before I left the U.S., I thought they would be welcoming and helpful, but I did not think they would extend their generosity in the way that they did. They invited me to spend time with them and helped me find what I needed. We became close and I left Belgium with dear friends and a sense of family. 

When it comes to the work I made, I did not know what to expect. I deliberately went to Belgium without a lot of tools and only a small piece of sheet silver and my leftover 18 gauge sterling wire. I tried to not think about what I would make until I was there and made no plans for the body of work I would produce. I just knew I wanted to find my ideas in my new surroundings. I spent the first few weeks getting settled into my new home, gathering more tools and materials, and collecting images from walking and exploring. In a short period of time I had sketches, short writings, and hundreds and hundreds of images all focused on my observations. It was then that realized this is where the work would come from. It was so simple and made so much sense. Next I started looking at all of this information and considered how I could translate it into jewelry. I began making the work in a simultaneously controlled and spontaneous way, choosing one piece to work on every day and leaving the studio with a finished piece about eight hours later. Focusing on one idea a day, gave me the structure and routine I needed, it helped me maintain a clear mind, and also allowed room for an idea to take form intuitively. By late August my show was complete.

my gallerist and me after my lecture

The opening reception and preceding lecture were wonderful. I was very happy with the work and was surrounded by friends.

Karen Vanmol, Ria Lins, and Linda Savineau at the opening reception

I am giving a presentation at the Yuma Symposium in February about my trip and solo show and I can't wait to share my experience with others. I had such an amazing time and just want to talk about it. I also want to honor it. When I got back to the U.S. I had to compartmentalize the experience in order to get back to real life. Before I knew it, it was almost like it had never happened. I am not comfortable with this. I don't want to just put it away with other memories and not acknowledge how awesome it was and do so in a big way. A presentation at a conference is perfect. I will publish the lecture texture here and create a set on Flickr after I return from Yuma in late February. 

I am sure those 90 days will continue to inform my work for years to come.

one of my favorite things I saw: 

Our Lady of Sorrows at Carolus Borromeus

I took over 5000 (!) pictures and put the best ones on Flickr. Please take a look if you haven't yet.

I know I've said this already, but I'm counting the days until I get on that plane again. Today marks 75 days to go. 

Thanks for reading. 

Now That Went Well!

I gave my lecture last night and it seemed to go very well. It felt like I was having a conversation and as I looked around the room people seemed engaged. This lecture was the first in which I did not have a Powerpoint to lead me through so there were no visual cues to help me. I stood in front of the audience and just talked. I gestured to the work a few times but mostly relied on my memory to guide me through text I had written a few weeks ago. I did forget some things including a part about my process but I added it at the end. When I was finished I got good questions from attendees and then talked with smaller groups about even more specific aspects of the work. Everyone was so kind and supportive! I had fun and it was a great night! 

And tonight is the opening and I am so excited! I am really looking forward to celebrating the work and my time here in Antwerp. The event begins at 6pm.

Beyond Fashion
Pourbusstraat 7
2000 Antwerpen Zuid
Belgium

Thanks for reading.

Almost There...

The opening of my show is just a day away and here I am again, excited and nervous and waiting. Tonight is my lecture which starts at 7pm and I feel almost ready. I plan to sit here in my apartment and read through my notes a few more times. This morning I went to the gallery early to display the work and to create a small installation of process pieces and photographs. I am very happy with the final look of the show.

Here are the details one more time:

Observation/Translation
solo exhibition
Beyond Fashion
Pourbusstraat 7
2000 Antwerpen Zuid
Belgium

The opening is this Thursday, September 6 from 6-10pm

The lecture is today, September 5 at 7pm.

I do hope to see you!

Thanks for reading.

Day Trip, Gent

I went to Gent on Friday to spend the day with my friend, jeweler Jorge Manilla. Jorge met me at the train station and we walked to his place where I got to see his studio and his work, always good moments for me. Then he took me to the center of Gent and showed me all the sights. 

Our first stop was St. Bavo Cathedral to see "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck. It's an incredibly complex painting and stunning in person. I used a head set to listen to commentary about the work, something I don't usually do. I realized quickly that it was an important tool to better understand the rich detail and symbolism of the work. After a few more sights Jorge took me down a narrow street with wall-to-wall graffit. I was in heaven! We even snagged some pieces of the wall composed of layer after layer of paint.

At the end of this little street was a nondescript house that is actually a gallery called "Verzameld Werk." The interior of the house is a work of art in itself--walls have been modified, furniture is placed just so, and there is a glowing, cylindrical hallway. The house also serves as an exhibition space and has a sparse, but wonderful selection of objects, jewelry, and books for sale.

We also visited Pont & Plas, a lovely art jewelry gallery near the Korenmarkt. Currently, the work of Malvine Marichal is on view and a beautiful show. I also got to see the work of Karin Seufert and Jantje Fleischhut, two favorites of mine.

rings by Malvine Marichal

Finally, Jorge and I spent some time with the work for my show. I laid it all out on the table in his living room and we had a great conversation. He was supportive and complementary and gave me some insight for a few simple changes that will make the work stronger. We even did a small display mock-up and he recommended that I give the work lots of room. 

More images of Gent on Flickr.

P.S. More on Jorge on Friday.

Thanks for reading.

A Tiny and Huge Lace Museum

Last week I left the studio early just so I could go to the Lace Museum at Carolus Borromeus. It is only open on Wednesday for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I'm glad I didn't miss it! When I arrived I had about an hour and didn't want to loose a minute so I asked where I could find it. I was escorted by a very nice woman named Maria who led me through several doors, down hallways, and up a few flights of stairs. When I told her of my interest in lace and embroidery she got very excited and said I was going to "love" the museum. And I did. It's very small, just two rooms, literally tucked away in this giant church. The first room includes various liturgical items and tapestries. The next room and the larger of the two has all the lace, several cases of examples from the 16th-19th century. My favorite pieces were definitely the oldest ones from the 15 and 1600's, pictured here. There were also two women making bobbin lace which is fascinating to watch. Their hands move so fast as they move around scores of bobbins and set pins to create the pattern. This is definitely something I would like to learn how to do someday. 

More pictures from the museum and of Carolus Boromeus Cathedral on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Day Trip, Brugge

a view from the Belfort

I went to Brugge a few weekends ago. I arrived at 10am and headed for the Belfort and its 366 steps. It was a gorgeous day so the view was incredible. Then I wandered around Grote Markt and the Burg before taking a 30-minute boat ride along the canal. After this I went to the Groeninge Museum, the Cathedral of Our Lady, and St. John's Hospital (Memling Museum). On my way back to the train station I walked around the Beguinage. It was a busy day and a wonderful one. My only regret is that I did not get more time to wander aimlessly around the winding streets, one of my favorite things to do when I am exploring a new place. I was so tired by the 6pm, I could barely walk to the train.

Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold

My favorite, inspiring things from the trip were both unexpected. When I visited the Cathedral of Our Lady, I went to see the remarkable Michelangelo sculpture and discovered the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold. I had read about them in my handy guidebook, but did not realize how incredible they were until I saw them. I did not want to leave and found myself returning two more times before I actually left the church.

While at the Groeninge Museum I was awestruck by the Flemish Primitives and the Bosch, but was stopped in my tracks from across the room when I saw Mater Dolorosa by Simon Marmion. This painting is so beautiful and rich with emotion. It made me cry. It is paired with one of a deceased Jesus and Mary is looking at him, weeping. Her eyes are red. I did not want to leave, again.

Here are a few more highlights from the trip...

 Portrait of a Young Woman by Hans Memling 
at St. John's Hospital
(Look at her hands, they are resting on the frame:
a lovely trompe l'oei effect.)

Portrait of Margareta Van Eyck by Jan Van Eyck

(the detail of the fabric around her face is incredible)

You can see all my pictures form my day trip to Brugge on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.