hannahsule

[hannahsule]

My time in Spain was concluded with an exhibition in Barcelona of some of the work I created at the residency. Here is the exhibition text:

EMERGENCE is an exhibition featuring the work of two artists who met during their stay at Mas Els Igols Artist Residency. The renovated wine estate and the surrounding vineyards of the Penedès countryside, has situated their practices. Conversation and new work emerge as the sun streams into the courtyard and their shared studio space. Environment is a parallel in the work of Carien Vugts and Hannah Petkau. Enveloped in their process, the landscape that surrounds them is evident in what transpires.

The interplay of generative and reductive occurrences are employed in the delicate work of Hannah Petkau. The technique of frottage collects the pattern of surfaces she encounters, a record of her fieldwork. Thread by thread, the existing warp and weft of a piece of silk is meticulously deconstructed, revealing a pattern or image. Intimate and precise.

The gallery space has been the formative habitat for Carien Vugts for which she has developed a new work-in-situ. Layer by layer, various sheets of white material emerge into the gallery space. The wall itself becoming part of the work, as if forces from the other side are pushing the image forward. Integrated with the architecture, the work reveals itself gradually, becoming integral to the space. Slowly but surely.

Shades of white, light grey and earth tones fill the gallery. As time passes, the work’s presence intensifies, permeating the space.

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Right in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic neighbourhood is the Picasso Museum. The first few rooms were dedicated to his early work, these painting of the Spanish countryside were done when he was 15. There was also a substantial collection of drawings, prints and correspondence with friends, the simplicity of which I appreciate more than his paintings. It was also nice to finally see his ceramic work.

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Flowers and plants left at the Torrelles de Foix cemetery.

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A sign to nowhere inparticular.

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A single grey day in Spain. Precipitation so soft, you could hardly call it rain.

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Francesca joined me from London for my final days at the residency. We had talked about collaborating on some drawings for quite a while but never had. After purposing a show of large scale drawings of just this nature for the gallery on Cortes, we decided it was time to try. Our independent contributions came together with ease. I guess our 18 years of friendship was good practice.

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A welcome visitor at the waterfall.

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I have hiked to these waterfalls three times now, jumping into the freezing waters twice. Quiet, peaceful, almost always without inturpution. It is a magical oasis.

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The developing friendships with some of the artists has grown from creating alongside each other and also our love of food and wine. Beginning with a weekly shared meal, our collaborate cooking became a fixture in our days, planning the next before we’d even finished the first. There was a collective agreement among three of us that creating beautiful and delicious nourishment was part of our artistic practice.

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Large silk in-weave in progress. I do not expect to finish this piece before leaving Spain. Perhaps this will be my starting point for graduate school....

at.... Univeristy of Oregon!

[hannahsule]

Agave plants grow like wild here. So wild, that sometimes they have to be cut to keep the narrow roads passable.

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Hollow, an exhibition of Barcelona artist, Patrica Dauder, at projecteSD. I came across this gallery and images of her previous work in my pre-travel reasearch. I feel so lucky to have seen the installation in person.

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Colour blocking in Barcelona. Subtle pastel tones were a welcome change from the typical vibrancy found in this city, the perfect prelude to the gallery on the other side.

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I continue to challenge myself to see what is possible with the wood ‘segment’ frottages. Working on a larger scale (100 x 140 cm) so far with up to seven pieces of intuitive or memory inspired forms. I am preparing an installation of a few of these silk works for exhibition in Barcelona at the end of the residency.  

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A mysterious large seed pod I collected off a vine erupted with tufted seeds / Shadow of the gauze silk unweave.  

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One sunny Saturday, three of us drove to the beach. With dreams of a secluded ocean paradise, we tried to lower our expectations for the inevitable over developed. Leaving the car for the breathtaking expanse of the Mediterranean, picnic basket in arm, we followed a path down a steep rosemary and pine covered hill, crossed train tracks and traversed a rocky cliff. With only three other women there, our idyllic playa de mujeres was waiting.

I took the plunge, swimming out into the icy swells, beaming with happiness. Laying on the beach with our books and concluding our afternoon with a fabulous picnic of salads, cheese, strawberries and sparking rose. Pure bliss.

[hannahsule]

vine ‘rope’, a fine form of mimicry.