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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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Jun 16, 2014 - 01:23pm PT
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This is an example of the bronze sculptures which Berkeley Artist Harold Persico Paris was busy producing during the early 1970's. I was trying to post it from the Web, unsuccessfully at first; hopefully this time it'll stick.
I was one of his students of these years conscripted to help out with some of the tedious but necessary tasks necessary to create and refine the finished forms. Along the way, I received a piece similar to the work shown in this photo; about 6” x 3-1/2” x 1-1/2”.
Some of his pieces of the series where quite spacious, perhaps 48” square, with a height of up to 16”.
During this period, Harold was also busy with his series of “Souls.” Each was uniformly sized at about 8” x 10” x 3/8” thickness, and cast from phosphorescent luminous silicone. When the display lighting was directed upon a collection of “Souls,” their color palate appeared in neutral earthtones. Lights out, though, and the effect was a dazzling array of neon aqua; radioactive magenta – not unlike ultraviolet effects, but considerably more sophisticated.
His “Environmental Sculpture” redefined my Art experience. What was perhaps the finest of this series was included at the University Art Museum's Retrospective, about 1973:
An object resembling a pavilion or a black box 8' x 9' x 8' hgt was approached between, well, velvet ropes. While in a short queue, we were instructed to remove our shoes.
Now it's my turn, and I step through black curtains as if entering a photo darkroom lab. Somewhat ahead and left, a shimmering image appears. As it is approached, it is evident the image is not the poster-sized I'd apprehended at first glimpse – no, it's more like a full length mirror. And there's some depth, it appears after a time, to the tableaux, as if I were looking at a hologram composition of black and white and which, on second glance, may be more of a brushed stainless steel at the bottom, black vulcanized rubber; very stark accent light throwing everything into a brilliant contrast...yet the light source itself is nowhere to be seen.
I must have stood, gazing through what I'd thought was a window out onto a surreal diorama, for a few minutes, before I realized that I was standing on the threshold of a room, stainless steel floor – I was to enter this room and to interact with it.
Impossible to photograph, much less articulate in a wall of text, which I'll stop while I'm still ahead, other than to say that Harold, and his work, were certainly ahead of their time.
Sadly, Harold passed in 1977. Lots of dangerous chemicals; solvents; “aromatic hydrocarbons” involved in casting, printmaking. He was 50.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 23, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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hey there say, had lots of fun doing these and they are out into their new homes now...
one was fun, due to the scenery, and different greens...
and happy couple, of course...
and the other one was fun, due to the challenge of the flowers, that, i can easily turn into a mess, :))
and the different background and fun dress...
and of course, the 'happy newly weds' :)
now, i am working on a portrait with rock background again, and sometimes, depending on what kind of rock, i just have trouble with the texture...
smooth, rock, not... just that 'speckled type' ...
am getting better with 'shadow on humans' but still have a ways to go, when it is so dark, :O on the faces...
and my great blue heron is calling me to finish it,
:)
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jun 29, 2014 - 07:26am PT
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KabalaArch, that is beautiful work and a great story.
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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Jun 29, 2014 - 05:53pm PT
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Well. Did we meet up in The Gorge, once?
Thank you very much, phylp. I was afraid Paris has gone unnoticed here...but, of course, this is a climbing forum; not an art gallery – except to the extent that at one and the same time climbing is a performing art, further, it represents the art which we've come face to face, and have tried to live to resolution - to speak directly - with the moment of truth common to everyone on this Site. Perhaps many and several of them.
Time stands still.
I began my own etching age 16, while at Mills H.S..as a Burlingame teenaged resident; in contact w/ Harold's clique. Began to audit Cal's Art classes as soon as I could drive; I needed Harold's press to print up the images I was producing in my parent's garage. Materials: zinc plate; dilute HCL; Pyrex cook dish; acid resist (rosin; asphaltum – even spray paint will do). Interestingly to my potentate biographers, I'd yet to take a H.S. Art class – it was strict college prep; for which I'm grateful!
I was only able to afford an 18 x 24 copper plate once,
The Fine Arts Dept is located in Kroeber Hall (also Athropo); opposite the Quad from Wurster: Arch; L.Arch; C&R Pln'g. It was a short walk to there, in other words. Besides, when they were to have builded this Brutalist, 9 story piece, it contained the ceramic kilns; the casting foundry. Plus, that's where Harold kept and maintained his Office Hours.
While I've tacitly avoided faux pas, such as posting up my wife's Art site; my own Arch. I will make bold a piece of decadence I learned while still at Mills, reading Oscar Wilde:
“...as soon as we were alone again he would begin, 'Well, what have your been doing since yesterday?' Now, as at the time my life was passing rather uneventfully enough, the telling of what I was doing was of no interest. So, to humor him, I began recounting some trifling incidents. And noticed while I was speaking that Wilde's face was growing gloomy.
“ ' You really did that?'' he said.”
' “ And you are speaking the truth?” ' “
' “ ' “Yes.' “ '
'” “ ' “ 'Then why repeat it? You must see that it is not of the slightest importance. You must understand that there are two worlds – the one which exists and is never talked about; it is called the real world because there is no reason to talk about it in order to see it. The other is the world of Art; one must talk about it, because otherwise it would cease to exist.' “ ' “ '
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Yes Steve, we climbed together for a day in the Gorge some years ago!
Your architecture work is beautiful. Too bad we never got to build that house in Swall Meadows, that would have been fun.
The RV has turned out to be much more cost effective!
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Yesterday at LACMA: German Expressionism from Van Gogh to Kandinsky. Showed the great influence of the artists working in France on those in Germany. Great exhibit.
I could stare at this one for hours. What a master!
So gorgeous!
The commentary said that this was a transvestite singer at a local cafe
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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LACMA exhibit continued:
Isn't this Rousseau fabulous? I think it may be my favorite of his work I've even seen. Look at the expressions on the faces of the different members of the wedding party. Very sly. And the linearity of the trees juxtaposed with the people, making the connection, making the contrast. And the white bride. I just think this painting is clever on a lot of levels.
Vuillard in a kind of art nouveau mode. Lovely
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Pot fired in the campfire at JT with Josh flowers (flowers came from private property)
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jul 10, 2014 - 04:22am PT
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Phylyp, those are some very beautiful images, I agree. Thanks for posting them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Rattner
I'll just say that I appreciated these line drawings by Abraham Rattner, which appeared in the 1956 edition of New World Writing, a ten cent paperback which has not aged well; so, in order to hide the reddish leakage from the cheap binding glue, I decided to use a reddish tint when I scanned the pages of the book.
"Closer to Picasso" than to Roualt. Hmmm... That settles it: I wouldn't want this guy drawing my climbing topos.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jul 20, 2014 - 02:04am PT
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pachoquitas@gmail.com
I have known Darlene and her kin many years from the bookstore. She writes. She paints. She raises grand-kids.
It was great to meet up with her again.
Darlene happened to be exhibiting in the POOL HALL. For shame, but a good crowd with some bucks.
Darlene shared some of the same space inside the BILLIARDS ESTABLISHMENT with my neighbor from Middle Earth, Miss Lulu.
That's not her REAL name, but she does live almost next door. We had a grand time tonight.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jul 20, 2014 - 03:44am PT
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DRAW ME!
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toejahm
Trad climber
Chatsworth, CA
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Jul 25, 2014 - 09:34am PT
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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Jul 25, 2014 - 09:55am PT
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My grandfather, Marcus McCoy ( technically the first, myself being the second, from my frame of reference at least ) painted this after his experiences in WWII. This particular work is much different from most of his other war paintings, in that it's focus is clearly on the warfare/fighting. I wish I had copies of some of his more abstract work, but this is a fantastic piece to me, regardless.
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this just in
climber
north fork
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2014 - 11:32am PT
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Very cool Kahola and Toejam.
Mouse, both Lulu's and Dob's work are badass.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Jul 28, 2014 - 09:33pm PT
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"American River Bear" Oil on Canvas 48"x48"
This was painted at the confluence of Pyramid Creek, The American River and a few other creeks below Lovers Leap.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jul 30, 2014 - 10:40am PT
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INTERIOR/MOVIE THEATER SCREEN
The sound of a film projector humming to life.
On the screen...The naked soldier thrusts himself hard against the Innkeeper's daughter as they slide down the wall next to the hole, where light flickers onto them from the other side.
The movie theater image now fills the entire screen.
The Innkeeper's daughter turns him over with force and looks down on him in the final moments leading up to...
CUT TO:
EXTERIOR/PARIS /NIGHT
An EXPLOSION.
FIREWORKS ROCKETS SHOOT up into the sky from HEAT and PRESSURE.
They explode out of the rooftop of the cramped and damp room that separates the thin walls of the red house of sin from the cinema. Above the old theater, now ablaze, the sky is blanketed with every color imaginable. As fireworks shoot up into the night sky over Eiffel's tower, it almost looks like the tower itself is blasting off, above the bright lights of Paris and up into the stars.
Steven Appleby illustrations from the finale of The Good Inn: A Novel.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 30, 2014 - 12:10pm PT
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Mtnmun, your work continues to amaze me.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jul 31, 2014 - 06:16am PT
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There is "that word" again, Dingus.
The last four pieces are in this exhibit. There is lots more. Swing by if you got time, it takes not half an hour. Main St. at N in Merced.
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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Phylp, thank you for your kind words. I thought I recognized you, and the Millbrea association; how time flies! And so did I, off that day's final pitch. It seems that Gorge .10c has always been the gamechanger for me, 'cause that's where I start getting stonewalled.
It all comes back now. Things were contingent on the FDA approvals, for an insulfation med delivery system, if memory serves.
I was retained later by an older couple, down the hill from your Pinon property; designed a Miesian Box which borrowed a page from you and your Husband's Music “conservatory,” with floor to ceiling Kawneer storefront glass, full width Living, Dining, M. Bed, mitre glass x 12 foot returns each side. Also unbuilt, regrettably.
As a Modernist, I thought you might be interested in some of the interiors of my “Avalanche Ranch.”
See, the exterior is a relatively conservative treatment, due to the well intentioned Greyhawk CC&R Design Guidelines.
The Owner's desires for the interior design was another story: “we'd prefer brushed stainless, plate glass, smooth finish drywall...you know – something 'warm and cozy.'” I took this cue to expose some of the primary structural steel, and ended with just about everything else under the sun, from some David Flavin-esque colored fluorescent strip lighting; to the Kitchen sink!
Plus, the Owner has a terrific Art collection which placement and lighting drew upon savoir faire.
Plus, a Site photo is needed for context.
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