Walking up this morning: Nov 3rd, 2010, was not as bad as waking up on November 5th 2008: Bush’s reelection, but certainly not as joyful as waking up on November 5th 2008 : Obama’s election. I am certainly not looking forward to Boehner‘s face as the House leader, but I take little comfort at the White House and the Senate still blue.
Below two paintings: “Fear Factor” from Nov 3rd, 2004; and “VLand #3” — part of the Vulvic Space Series — finished yesterday. Will see what gets painted next, though I will keep working at the Vulvic Space Series for a while…Do I have two years to finish it?
Off To Nola
Thank you all of you who came to hear Trialogues at The Local 269 on Monday. Pierre Joris, Michael Bisio & I had a wonderful time and the captive audience provided great support and inspiration. At the end of this post you will find the photo gallery of the gig —courtesy of my friend documentalist/ videographer Chiaki Matsumoto.
Next gig for me will be Sunday afternoon at the Gold Mine Saloon in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Megan Burns & Dave Brinks are organizing a mega event to try to raise funds for “ProtectOurCoastline.org“. The event will feature: a silent auction —paintings by George Rodrigue, as well as my painting “Unfinished Business” (see picture above) will be part of it, as well as a poetry/performance reading by “La Voix de Nola Poétique” and I am honored to be featured as one of them. There will also be performances by the Saintsations, Cyrill Neville, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, plus many celebrities & great food. It is open to the public and please forward the info to anyone you know in the Gulf Region.
I am looking forward to be among my friends but also a bit anxious to be confronted with the Gulf devastation from close up. I was there right after Katrina and I remember too well how different it was to be there than from getting the info via TV or the newspapers. There is always a lot of issues that are not discussed in the main stream media & I highly recommend reading Dahr Jamail‘s posts about the devastating use of dispersant sand how the fisherman are being lied to, used & abused by BP. So not really a “Laissez les bon temps rouler” kind of trip but an “All-hands-on-deck” experience:
Trialogues at The Local 269 Monday August 23rd 2010
All photos by Chiaki Matsumoto
Thanks for the support and keep in touch!
Up-Coming Shows
NP—From Concert Series @ Local269 / May 2010
Graduation, birthdays, family visits, drawings, preparation for up-coming shows kept me away from the computer, but here is the schedule for the next few weeks. We hope to see you at these very exiting shows:
Sunday June 27th
Metropolitan Museum
1:00PM
“Picasso, Pablo Ruiz: Spanish Poet Who Dabbled in Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture””
A conference by Pierre Joris, co-editor and translator of Pablo Picasso’s poetry: Burial Of The Count Of Orgaz & Other Poems
I will be the reader for the French & Spanish versions of Picasso’s texts.
TRIALOGUES @ The Vision Festival XV
Tuesday June 29th
9:15PM In the Downstairs Theater
Mike Bisio/Nicole Peyrafitte/Pierre Joris
Thursday July 1st
5:00pm -midnight (our time TBA)
at the Brooklyn Bridge Park
Pierre Joris & I will be among the many poets & performers of:
I Do Not Doubt I Am Limitless: Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn
Grass Snake / Couleuvre
More painting, listening, writing, practicing than cooking the last few weeks. Below a text and a painting.
Many meanings, thoughts, influences, mythologies come into play here but also the french saying: faire avaler des couleuvres, literally: “to make someone swallow grass snake” meaning: “to have to do or accept something that one doesn’t want to”.
Couleuvre /Grass Snake
“To whom it may concern”
Snake
Mouth Vulva
Mouth
Snake Vulva
Snake
Vulva Mouth
Vulva
Mouth Snake
Once I saw it
Pain disappeared
And you with it
Your slime de bully
Lubricates me now
And heal the “self”
Inflicted wounds
Thank you!
NP/ March 2010
Surviving 19th Century Immersion
NP 04/26/2010 —Ink & pastels on paper— 5×7 (hi-res here)
The only way I can survive the 19th century immersion I have to go through, is by having a sketch pad next to me and doodle as needed…really an obsession replaced by another. I found it healthier than reaching for a beer or a cigarette, though the thought has crossed my mind a couples of time! As already announced on the last post I will be giving a talk (in frog tongue) on my dear Augustus and family Thursday in NYC:
Comité des loisirs du personnel de l’ONU
L’ASSOCIATION CULTURELLE FRANCOPHONE
est heureuse de vous inviter à la conférence de
Nicole Peyrafitte
Le Retour al Paìs d’Augustus Saint Gaudens
Une En/Quête sur l’immigration, la vie et l’œuvre
du célèbre sculpteur Américain né en Irlande,
de père gascon et de mère irlandaise.
Le jeudi 29 avril à 18h15
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
801, 2ème avenue ( 43ème rue ), suite 605, New York, NY
more info on my work on Augutus Saint Gaudens here
NP 04/26/2010 —Ink & pastels on paper— 5×7 (hi-res here)