Annie Heath by Cameron Kelly McLeod
“I’m really glad that Performance Mix #34: Remotely Yours turned out to be so productive for me. I was able to wrap my head around the ideas that were all circling in my head.”
–Annie Heath
Ouette
Bogliasco 10.30.09
Hello from Bogliasco,
I am excited today, because I have an idea for a new section for Ouette – I call it Glisten. My pieces often start from a reflection of where I am at emotionally and fueled by music. But here I have found that video imagery is a departure point for me to explore increasing thoughts about mortality and the richness of life. I have begun with two images – sparkles on the sea. Zooming into the sparkles I found that they had a shape and brownish blue color with a bright cross at the center. The second images are photographs and videography of golden jeweled relics that also give off sparkles and unusual shadows. I wish I could capture the smell of the relics. Hmmmm… not getting religion…. but there is something about making a connection between nature and artifacts. Adding to the mix, I have thought of interviewing people about their thoughts on their own mortality and kicking up my heels to David Bowie’s Dead Man Walking…. So we will see where this goes……..
A trip along the sea going south by train to Portofino, then boat to San Fruttuosa to see the abbey and back via Camogli, proved to be a magnificent site. Rugged hills spotted with warm color homes, palaces and churches jutted up from the still aqua water.
Fellow William Wall, professional writer, and his wife Elizabeth Kirwan, mathematician
William “Bill” Wall is from Carrigrohane, Cork (Ireland). He is currently working on a novel partly set in Italy – and he also plans to finish a collection of poetry. Bill is very opinionated and likes to play the devils advocate. But, he gets away with it, as his smile can light up a room.
Fellow Stefania Beretta, Photographer
Stefania Beretta is from Verscio, Switzerland. She is working on a project entitled Verifica di un’esistenza. Our group will have the pleasure of attending the opening of her show “Holy Places” at Galleria UnimediaModern Contemporary Art in Genoa on November 6th. The show continues until December 10th. As she mostly speaks Italian, I nod my head and pretend I understand, while being drawn into the expressiveness of her face.
Desert of the week – panna cotta with raspberry sauce.
Sad, but true – next Friday will be my last entry.
Bogliasco Diary 10.23.09
Hello from Bogliasco,
I have come to the end of week two. The days seem to slip through my fingers.
It has been a wonderful week working in my studio. I continue to edit my video, which creates ambiance and places where the live performance of moving tableaus live. I have incorporated images and sound tracks from the movie “Where Danger Lives” starring Robert Mitchum, as well as, re-editing an episode of exposing flesh via the repetitive action of taking off a shirt. A close-up of skin heightened by a detailed effect is far from the airbrushed skin of a young model. Out of context the last image could be an abstract painting. I am now working on matching the timing of the movement to the video. Now that the video component of “Ouette” has grown from 20 to 30 minutes, I will push myself to dig deeper into the physicality.
The highlight of the week was traveling to the old section of Genoa, which is a 30 minutes bus ride from Bogliasco. The Liguria Study Center arranged a guide to take us to unusual places including a 6th century crypt, believed to be the oldest structure in Genoa; the carruggie, narrow alleys that would lead to medieval mansions and palaces covered in frescoes; and gastronomic shops. We stopped at a café where I had hot chocolate with whip cream, which tasted like liquid homemade chocolate pudding. Our guide surprised us at the end of our tour with a visit to an art deco barber shop.
Meet Bogliasco Fellow, Edmund White, photographer Frank Mullaney.
Edmund White, writer and professor of Creative Writing, Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University lives in New York City. He has been touted as “one of the few literary giants of the gay world.” It is fascinating to listen to his stories about his time living in France, his lovers, as well as the writers, movie stars and riche that he has rubbed elbows with. Stacey D’erasmo, of The New York Times, said of his recent memoir, “City Boy” — “The New York that he left in 1982 was about to become a graveyard. “City Boy,” plain-spoken and knowing, is a survivor’s tale, a missive from one of those antlered boys of that era to the others who are gone: this is who we were, this is how it was, this was our city. Some stories don’t need to be embellished to glow.”
And so following a week of linguine with lobster sauce, risotto with lingostino, pheasant, veal chops, spinach with Liguria olive oil, persimmons, grapes that taste like flowers, a layer cake filled with chocolate mousse along side crème anglaise, a pot of white mousse with a top layer of chocolate, I roll into bed and say…
Ciao till next Friday
Bogliasco Diary 10.16.09
Hello from Bogliasco,
Here is a view of the sunrise from my room. Yes, friends and neighbors, Bogliasco is the creme de la creme of residencies. I wake up in the morning to breakfast while my room is cleaned and bed made. Truly heaven. Then up up up a path to my studio. The studio is small — but has a dance floor and is perfect for me. So far I have been busy re-editing the video of Ouette – new footage from 40’s noir movies and creepy shutters and shades in the studio . Suspense only needs a good sound track.
After a morning work I look forward to a lunch of — a pasta, fresh fresh cheese, salad or other delectable vegetable and fruit. Wine and espresso is abundant…..
More work or a side trip along the path that follows the sea.
My husband, Scott, has joined me for a week. While I work — he paints. Bogliasco has given him his own private work room and veranda looking out at — you guessed it — the sea — The light during the day glistens and his paintings are delightfully quirky and colorful.
We stay at Villa Orbiana, which we share with another couple — Nicholas Bartlett and Bogliasco Fellow, 
Dorota Mitcyh. Bogliasco is one of the few residencies that allows partners to join the Fellows.
Dorota is a visual artist. She explores and creates new work by incorporating drawings and video as a continuation of a starting process. Using an array of ephemeral materials, she explores the possibilities of working on a figuration that evolves into abstraction and becomes another figuration. By changing the formal aspects of an image, a different image as well as meaning appears. She will film the process to make a series of videos where in effect the viewer becomes the witness of that change.
Dorota is from Poland but has dual citizenship in Australia. She has been to many residencies over the last three years including MacDowell. She met Nick at a residency in Nebraska. Nick does sculpture. Following Bogliasco they will be at Roswell Artist-In-Residence in New Mexico for one year.
The days finish with a formal dress-up dinner. Amazing food. Mussels, pesto, tortellini with a grated walnut cream sauce, tiramisu, squid in light red sauce with hand picked mushrooms and potato slices, red and yellow roasted peppers with anchovies, stewed rabbit, cold veal with a tuna mayonnaise sauce — I could go on and on — oh yes — that lovely light yellow cake with pears….
Stay tuned in … till next Friday… Ciao. Karen
Ouette (work in progress)
On shared program as part of the Fertile Ground series; February 1st, 7 PM, $10 @ Green Space Studio
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All venues are wheelchair accessible.
