Southern Portrait Project: October 2015

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Hattiesburg Arts Council 45th Anniversary Exhibit

My painting "Folds" is in an exhibit of works from the permanent collection of the Hattiesburg Arts Council called "Hats Off to Hattiesburg Arts Council - 45th Anniversary". The exhibit will run through October 28, 2015.

The historic library that the Arts Council is located in is worth a trip if you are in the area. HAC, 723 Main St., Hattiesburg, MS 39401.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

"Lisa Qualls and the Impact of Place"

I was born in Midland, TX and do have some very vivid memories of Odessa, prairie dogs and tumbleweeds before we moved to Baton Rouge, LA when I was a toddler. I have never considered myself anything other than a Louisianian. The lush greenery and tropical weather of Louisiana, the accents of Southern Louisiana, French street names and surnames and constant references to family, food and culture are the only things that make me feel truly at home.

I am incredibly lucky to have Céleste Wackenhut, who is my gallerist and friend, write a beautiful, intelligent and fluid essay about my work that encompasses not just the beginnings of the Louisiana Portrait Project but the years of work that lead up to this point. Growing up in Alabama and France, having parents and grandparents from France and Germany adds to the understanding that Céleste has of importance of place and identity. Her essay "Lisa Qualls and the Impact of Place" is the first of three wonderful essays in the catalogue "Lisa Qualls: A Collection of Silence". The catalogue that accompanies the exhibit of the same name, is a road map detailing what my work has investigated, how my work relates to artwork not only of the 21st or 20th centuries as well as earlier centuries and how the Louisiana Portrait Project not only relates to relevant issues of culture and identity but to universal humaness as well. Please go to the link here at French & Michigan Gallery to read "Lisa Qualls and the Impact of Place". Think about adding the catalogue, which includes essays the other two essay from Jacqueline Edwards and Darryl Ohlenbusch, to your collection. The ongoing series of catalogues published by French & Michigan is a wonderful set of books to own.

LPP One Year Ago

A little over a year ago my 6 month long self-propelled residency in West Monroe/Monroe began. On October 13, 2015 a large storm system covered most of Louisiana and a tornado that was part of that storm ripped through the Trenton Street area in West Monroe, across the river into Riverside Park and through the Monroe Garden District causing huge distruction.

It was a bad day for many people with flooding and loss of property. I managed to be ahead of or behind the storm the entire day as I drove from West Monroe to Baton Rouge and then north on LA HWY 1 to Alexandria and back to West Monroe on 165 north.

The light that day was incredible and allowed me to take the photograph of sugarcane fields that is one of my favorite images so far on this exploration of Louisiana. The image below was taken early evening after the storm had passed through the New Road area. This photo was taken somewhere past Port Allen but before the turn off to New Roads. The sky was heavily clouded and glowing with tints of green in the clouds. The air was electric.

It was difficult to safely pull of the road and turn around to take photographs of the cane fields because there was so much traffic. I am sure that many people were rushing to leave work in Baton Rouge and get home to see if their houses had flooded. There was a lot of flooding.

From 190 West I took LA Hwy 1 North which was pretty quiet. It was starting to get dark. I drove through New Roads where people were eating out and going about their business downtown after the storm had passed through. Closer to Alexandria I took another of my favorite photographs of the Piggly Wiggly in Mansur. I was hoping to go in but it was closed and glowing, missing a letter in the sign, but looking warm, cheerful and familiar.

I had to stop at a Walmart in Marksville to buy a car phone charger and some batteries and lights just before the Walmart closed. That was an odd experience. Strange conversations and a very odd mix of people added to the surreal feeling of the night. Onto Alexandria and back to West Monroe where a huge area was without power for one week. Luckily the trees had been cleared from the road just far enough to allow me to get to my apartment and my apartment was still intact. The roof had been torn off of part of the apartment building and near by houses and trees had been ripped from the ground by a tornado. I was fortunate to have been spared any problems the entire day of so much chaos around me.

That night I made the only audio recording that I have so far of what I consider complete silence. The roads were quiet since they were mostly impassable, no electricity was on so the air conditioner compressors were silent. Drops of rain falling from the roof and a few birds singing are all that can be heard on the recording. A day of rain and high winds ending in wonderful, peaceful silence.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Colors

I am working on a book of colors to be introduced in Hattiesburg, MS next April. All images will be photos from Louisiana. These colors are also part of an abstract sculptural piece that I am making called "From Ida to Venice".

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