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Performing in Campiglia Cervo: Into the Unknown

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The stadium in Campiglia Cervo is scaled to match the interstate highway system that blazes through the center of town.  We packed the stadium to the gills with what I am told was 65 people, including the vice mayor who introduced us, but not including the mayor himself who had more important things to do like look at himself in the mirror.  Just so you know, this was a much bigger show than the show Metallica put on at the same stadium!

The show was actually very good.  Intimate. Interesting. Tight.  During the rest of our time in Rialmosso we ran into lots of people who either attended or heard through the grapevine about our performance.  That was both really cool and very gratifying.

So what happened, exactly?

First we invented the idea.  And we practiced.  Then Matt arrived and things got remarkably much better.  in the end, the performance included:

April Claggett, realtime art

Gary McGraw, violin, mandolin and vocal harmony

Matt Savage, piano

Sogol Shirazi, piano and dance

Rhine Singleton, guitar, dobro, vocals, songwriting

The road crew set the stage after arriving the day before to check electricity levels and make sure all of the seating was available.  We have nothing but admiration for our intrepid road crew.  They work so hard so we can do what we do.

The show consisted of three parts as shown on the billboard above.

Here is a stage floor view of the set list for those of you collecting bootlegs.

And a view of the nosebleed seating in the back before anyone was in the house.  You can see the dancing props professionally built by our dedicated construction crew.

Publicity was run by our crack PR team who were able to put up a poster with the last of the tape.

Fortunately that poster was all it took to fill the space to the gills.  When we started (only 5 minutes late), people were standing because the seating was gone.  Even the reserved section for mastiffs and toddlers was full.

We sincerely appreciate the willingness of the locals in the area to support our art with enthusiasm and love!

The stage is set.  The weather is perfect.

And we’re off. Sogol and Matt play Bach together.

Dancing to Vivaldi Concerto in G major for Two Mandolins, Strings and Continuo, RV 532 (re-re-arranged for violin, guitar and piano).

Realtime art during We Will Float Away.

Then the game.

Here is a (raw) video compilation of the show, barely edited.  This is six minutes of an hour long show.

A complete properly-produced video will be available someday (or so we believe). We are told it is being edited by the BBC in cooperation with NPR.

Another view of the Finale from the audience.

We had so much fun inventing the game and performing it that we want to do it again.

 

 

Creating a New Art Form

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Eight of us have convened in Rialmosso, Italia to create some art together.  Sadly, three of us were almost immediately infected with COVID from the trip across the ocean.  So far, the other five of us are healthy and working together to create, well, something.  Here’s how that is going.

We have a movement artist, a painter, and three musicians.  For one section of the show we are performing this Sunday we’ve decided on an art form where we pass a token between us, one after another (and sometimes to a group).  The idea is for each artist to improvise in their medium given what the artist before them came up with in another medium.

This set of videos shows our second attempt at this performance game.

It all starts with April Claggett

 

Who passes the token to Rhine Singleton (uncharacteristically playing the dobro).

 

Who passes the token to Sogol Shirazi.

 

Who, uh oh, passes the token to me (Gary McGraw).  Fortunately, I was unable to film myself playing the violin.  (Though you can find some video on Rhine’s blog Blame it on Sally.)

Now that Matt Savage has joined us on the piano, we have five players.  This is an interesting experiment that we’re having fun with.

 

Ready…

Set…

Go…

We are also performing some classical music.  Here is some Vivaldi being worked up.  Sogol will dance to this once we figure it out.

A more pedantic video of the Vivaldi sessions.

There is Bach being worked up, and Chopin too.

 

And we’re spicing up some Where’s Aubrey tunes with simultaneous art and dance.

The incredible result of one of our improvisations

Our time together at Villa Emma has been filled with ideas, collaboration, and the joy of creating something together.

 

Megan Caldwell and Everyone Else at Longbranch

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For a long time now, the only painting by Megan Caldwell in the collection has been this little painting on a tiny block of wood in the kitchen.  We fixed that.

Sad to miss the opening due to Indiana, though we got a preview of the show before everyone invaded.  What a fantastic collection of work, not just Megan’s but also great stuff from Winslow McCagg, Anna Billman (whose photography is excellent) and Leigh Henry.

So now we have some Megan in the house.  Or we will.  Or something.

This one depicts a local stretch of the river very close to home.

The artist and the mini artist

 

A whole nother artist

Same spot, different time of day.

Because Eli and Romey insisted, the upper left painting now belongs to me. The water is magical.

This is a study for the painting I purchased. Had to get it too.

Winslow and Anna’s work was in another room.  The pairings were perfect.  An incredibly well-designed show.

Nice to see such great work at Longbranch.  Clarke County’s art scene is top notch.  (The show will be up through May 8, 2022.)

 

 

Picasso Perfection at the Phillips Collection

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The Phillips Collection remains one of my favorite art museums.  The incredible level of curation at the new Picasso exhibit shows why.  Great combinations in addition to world class art.  Top notch.

For those who know their picasso, this is early stuff, basically 1901-1904 (including the blue period).

We went to the show as a last birthday present of the 38th year.  Thanks Romey. What an excellent present, art with the ones you love.

PICASSO

 

 

NOT PICASSO

 

 

My favorite painting at the Phillips.

In a new spot.

After art, we were hoping to have brunch at the Bistrot Du Coin, but once again the google hours were wrong.  Fortunately, there was La Tomate to fill in admirably.  We had lots of cacio et pepe.  Ahhhh.

Art in Oslo: Purenkel

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Visting purenkel.no is always a pleasure.  One of the owner’s excellent pieces now lives at the Stick.  The first post covid lockdown visit to Oslo included some art.

First the monkey.

 

 

My current favorite.  Can you tell why?

 

Line

 

Last… Kaffe (just next door)

April Glaggett: Gangster of Art

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What happens when two art school colleagues unite in one studio space?

Love.

We visited April’s beautiful new studio in New Hampshire on August 16th.  Here is some of what we saw.

 

 

These new works look kinda familiar.  Oh boy oh boy!

Can’t wait to see these pieces completed.

Just look at this gorgeous light.

Want to support excellent work like this?  Buy some.

Nancy Polo at the Barns of Rose Hill

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Nancy Polo, a Clarke county artist, recently put on a solo show of her work at the Barns of Rose Hill.  Lots of hard work paid off.  Here are some bits from my visit.

The artist herself gave me a tour (lucky dog)

 

BORH

 

Nancy explains a new technique for light

 

I love how this lady’s crazy hair and the bird have something in common.

Great show.

This has nothing to do with anything

 

 

 

Nancy Polo at Tin Top

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Turns out that visiting the Tin Top is a good enough reason to head into Winchester all by itself most anytime. But throw in an opening and some very interesting art by Nancy Polo, and you can make an evening of it.

We’ll leave it up to you to read up on bunny.

Tin Top co-owner Neil’s cool things

Study in Ivanka

Watching this one evolve on twitter was interesting. Bell Ringer is now part of the collection.

When in Winchester, try out Em.

Kitchen at Em

Tater Tot Waffles

Manor House by Karen Rosasco

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On an art-filled weekend, we travelled down to Union, WV to play the Civil War show. A stop off on the way back home in Staunton led us to an artist coop where we found the Manor House painting.

Manor House by Karen Rosasco

Manor House by Karen Rosasco

Karen Rosasco taught art for years in an upstate NY high school. She now resides in Staunton, VA.

Karen explains how the piece was implemented

Karen explains how the piece was implemented

It always amazes me how artists handle their own work

It always amazes me how artists handle their own work

This work has a glaze treatment by knife first, followed by acrylic. One of Karen’s tricks is to put the very darkest spot in the painting right next to the very lightest part to capture your visual attention. I like how the focal point is enhanced with the oval in the middle of the painting which seems to me like a photographic artifact.

In context of other work by Karen.

In context of other work by Karen.

More modern work by Karen

More modern work by Karen

The gallery also had a student space. One student paid attention to shadows with their work, which was very cool indeed.

coffee filters

coffee filters

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Great Advice

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[imagine this posting accompanied by Rachmaninov’s etudes-tableaux op 39, no 2 in A minor, a winter fire in the kitchen, and some roses]

Dear Winslow,

You are correct. I’m pretty sure we should deliver this now.

Thank you.

Untitled but obvious by Winslow McCagg

Untitled but obvious by Winslow McCagg

Yes.

Yes.

The dogs are on it!

Here they come Stick!

The front yard at the Stick

The front yard at the Stick

See more winslow.

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