"Writing down the Bones"

"Writing down the Bones" title of Natalie Goldberg’s 1986 book on writing, on getting to the core, striving for the essential awakening… I am using it to describes my art books. These are full of content, but not words. The books are made of recycled materials and embodied energy. Each material and/or image inspired its own book form. Thus Bird Flights is shaped as an unfolding book that takes flight; it is full of bird photographs by JD.

The Book of ‘Ours is a play on the medieval Book of Hours that were prayer books carried by women along their pilgrimages. MSF is a case with enclosed booklets made from recycling a mailing bag plus a mix of Japanese paper saved from the trash. Other books are Boxed Light, Folded Gold, and Cuba Journal—this one integrates bits of Cuba.

Hot news!

So hot today, but the sedums on the green roof continue to thrive these seven years later; the red currants are abundant and gorgeous in a tart; the walls are clean except for an heirloom linen & indigo dyed wool tapestry — which was given to my grandmother EEG by a cousin Angie — who was cousin Angie ? I can’t find this person in her family tree… This brings me back to my ongoing direction now that the months of work on the two Cuban photography exhibitions are winding down.

I am opening the collection of family scrapbooks and the letters, photos, and writings only to rediscover the layers of stories, the iconic images, and the intensity of history. The collected documents are volumes to read and contemplate; the travels and associated diaries extensive; and the course of political history more than I ever knew. No wonder I have been moving them around so much without opening a thing.

I will add this one quote however — it is from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) centennial publications From Semaphore to Satellite, Genève, CH 1965 where my father worked for 14 years. As I read about the first cable linkages connecting continents (UK to America in the 1850s and Europe with Africa in the 1960s) I think about our currents uses of these initial communication lines and now the development of AI interfaces. How hot is our world?

Le câblier Long Lines, mis en service au milieu de l’année 1963 pour contribuer au developpement du réseau de câbles télèphoniques transocéaniques. Cette unité appartient à la Transoceanic Cable Ship Company, filiale de l’American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

‘Tis done ! the angry sea consents, the nations stand no more apart.

With clasped hands the continents feel throbbings of each others hearts.

Speed, speed the cable ; let it run a living girdle round the earth,

Till all the nations ‘neath the sun shall be as brothers of one hearth.

Tiré d’une ode laudative publiée au Canada en 1859, au moment où le câble de 1858 était provisoirement en service.

HANGING A SHOW TAKES A TEAM

Thanks to Jane and Jay for help in hanging the Cuban photographic images at the Darkroom Gallery… And thanks to all the Vermont photographers for lending their images of travel for the show at the Pickering Room.

Darkroom Gallery is OPEN F/S 11am - 4pm. Show runs till July 1, 2023.

Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington is OPEN during library hours by asking at the Front Desk. Show runs till July 6, 2023.

Thanks also to: Ken Signorelli at the Darkroom Gallery, Barbara Shattara at FFL, and folks at Green Mountain Camera, South Burlington.

CUBAN IMAGES - Join us!

Cuban Images by Cuban and Vermont artists abound! Such talent surrounds us as we strive for beauty in our world. Please join us at these two events to celebrate coming together again. The exhibition FOUR CUBAN PHOTOGRAPHERS is at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT and the VERMONTERS’ VIEWS OF CUBA is being held in the Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT.

As of today, we are still unsure of whether the Cubans will be able to get US visas in time for these events, but we are very priviledged to have their photos and the exhibition of 50 images is going up as you read this.

Plus we are delighted with the availability of the FFL Pickering Room to show off the images of Cuba that have been taken by Vermonters traveling to Cuba. The number of Vermonters traveling and photographing Cuba is impressive.

Other notes: We have a beautiful poster and Exhibition Book for sale. Of course the Images are for sale — with the money going to support the Cuban artist…. We also plan on videotaping the shows in order to create a media exchange if the in person exchange doesn’t quite happen… stay tuned!

And thank you to Green Mountain Camera for the printing!!!


Dark inky sky

three stars and a crescent moon

pure Joy!

Call to Artists

Vermonters’ Views of Cuba… This is a call to artists for a parallel exhibition to the FOUR CUBAN PHOTOGRAPHERS upcoming show to be at Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction, VT June 3 thru July 1, 2023. Reception June 11, 2023 3-5pm.

The Vermonters’ Views of Cuba… show will be less formal but just as lively. Images do not have to framed, but must be ready for hanging. Depending on the submissions this could be a dynamic parallel to the Four Cuban Photographers (see images below). Please email: greentaraspace@gmail.com for an application form to submit your low-res image and information. This is all happening with a short-timeline! $10 submission contributions. Submissions DUE: May 28, 2023.

Also once you’ve sent me your images, please be ready to bring them to the Fletcher Free Library at 10am on June 5th for hanging! RECEPTION will be Friday June 16, 2023 from 4pm to 6pm in the Pickering Room.

Beauty calms the thrashing of the soul — James Hillman.

CAFÉxchange Project

GreenTARA Space is so happy to be moving forward on this Cuban-American Friendship Exchange project : CAFÉxchange for June 2023. This will be our main focus for the year.

 CAFS – the Cuban American Friendship Society in Burlington, Vermont, sponsored a recent visit to Havana to reconnect with several photographers that we met in 2020 before the Covid pandemic.  Our goal is to rebuild trust in a mutually beneficial exchange of cultural identity and aspiration for the future.

The team of CAFS, VICII (Vermont Institute of Community and International Involvement), The Caroline Fund, and Friends of GreenTARA, Inc. met with three of the four photographers that have been invited to visit Vermont as part of our program for community development and ongoing future exchanges.

 The Feb/March trip included meetings with Tomas Inda Barrera, Alfredo Sarabia Fajardo, and Yadira Ismael Sotomayor.  The fourth photographer Nadhiesda Inda Gonzalez will be coming from Argentina. 

Their work talks to the social contract we have with the environment, humanity, workers, and cultural constructions. The international level of their photographic art is world-class and we are very honored to be able to invite them to Vermont.

the Way... forward

Listening to the Hagakure, written nearly 300 years ago by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson, and read by Brian Nishii reawakens everything. The title translates as “In the Shadow of Leaves” or “Hidden by the Leaves” and immediately I think of the Hindu stories under the name of Patanjali “a handful of leaves”…. Of course there are many stories we can learn from.

Hagakure summarizes the very essence of the Japanese Samurai bushido and breaks down the Japanese meaning to lead us into the Way, of the Chinese Tao.

In this vein of being our ultimate selves, and of being pure, free, forever - we are starting to offer meditation times in April - Tuesdays, 5pm. Please join us know if this is of interest; free; bring something for the Food Shelf if you want.

On View