Wondering what Zen Monday was about yesterday?It was about art. Or maybe magic.
New Town is a diverse arts group dedicated to bringing art to the public in myriad media and venues. This past weekend they presented On the Trail Of: A Half Mile of Al Fresco Installations, Sculptures and Performances, funded by grants from Pasadena Art Alliance, the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The photo above shows part of Stomata/Stigmata by Karen Bonfigli & Andreas Hessing. The two artists hung about 100 terra cotta pots in Oak Grove Park. I've never spent much time at Oak Grove Park because that's where they play frisbee golf, and Boz tends to like frisbees a little too much. But on Saturday the old oak grove was alive with art, frisbees and something more. The pots seemed to have been hung by elves instead of humans, making the grove even more magical than it already is.
From each pot hung a little cord with a tag, and at the end of the cord, a tempting ring. My intrepid friend Linda took hold of one of those rings and pulled. At the other end of the cord was something we hadn't noticed. A cork.
The artists describe their work as "an abstracted version of 'stomata,' the pores on the surface of a leaf responsible for gas exchanges and transpiration." Their purpose, they go on to say, is "to make obvious why it is cooler under the shade of a tree and provide some entertainment and respite for the audience." They provided more. They cast a spell.
You may have guessed that yesterday's work was more on the order of performance art. Joseph Ravens and Taisha Paggett entitled their work I think that I shall Never See... But you shall. Tomorrow.
More photos on Overdog.
More photos on Overdog.
16 comments:
Gosh, I just looked at yesterday's - scared the BeeGees out of me!!! This one, on the other hand, is quite restorative. I love the water! Did they do refills?
Fab fab fab
I'm still laughing about yesterday's. I just looked at it. Wow!
This is lovely and strange. (And aren't you tired of shooting pictures in overcast light? Everything is cast in white!)
Magical! Definitely looks like an enchanted forest. (Well, maybe not so magical if you were standing directly under one of those pots when the plug was pulled.) I'm so glad that yesterday's photo didn't portend an invasion of Pumpkim People in Pasadena.
It was indeed odd to be walking along the path and see the pumpkin man coming along the way. He was sweet, though. Non-threatening.
Laurie, I don't know if that white is what the camera picked up or just me working in unfamiliar iPhoto. The program's got me working in such a small view I can't tell what I'm doing. I need to figure out how to get a larger view of my work. I was on it for hours yesterday.
What fun. April's Fool Art.
How much fun! I'll have to check this out.
Beautiful! It's funny you mention elves, because that's what I first thought when I saw the top photograph. I hope your friend didn't get too wet from pulling out the cork. :)
I just loved "an abstracted version of stomata". It did cast a spell.
~ Zoé
I think that I shall Never See... something as lovely as thee. Or so you he said to me. Lol.
Another group to see, although they are fantasy, not artwork, is the society for creative anachronism; they recently met on the lawn at Caltech.
oh this is much better for me. at first i thought sleepy hallow....headless horseman, then i thought of an enchanted magical kingdom. all i need to see now is Petrea in her royal highness crown ;-)
You've honed blogging to a fine art, Petrea. Lovely images and words.
The exhibit was just for the weekend, but click on the New Town link and see what else they've got coming up.
The "stigmata" was the splash we received--not too bad, and worth the fun.
I love the SCA, Jean. It would be a riot to see them out and about at Caltech.
Maria, no crown for me. But I'd really like to find a hat I look good in.
PJ! I was typing while you were sending. Thank you very much, that means a lot to me.
Fun to read the follow up to yesterday's post. It IS like a fantasy land with magic pumpkins in trees that bring rain and character toting fruit of the vine along a barren path (while wearing his special "fruit of the looms") :>)
This is really quite wondrous!
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