January 26, 2007, Images of India at Bordello Galería, By Lynn Padwe, San Miguel Art Salon opens, By Stefanie Graves, New space for old traditions, By Marcella Andre, A narrative of hesitation, Photographs by Deborah Turbeville

“Rajasthan, India: Women, Water and Work”

Photo essay by Lynn Padwe

Friday, February 2, 6–8pm

Bordello Galería, Casa de la Turca

Organos 19

I am a Third-World traveler and photojournalist who thrives on meeting people from different cultures. I was drawn to India at age eight when my father traveled to Madras in the early fifties to purchase tobacco for his cigar business. His slides whet my appetite for world exploration.

I have a special love for India with its chaos, colors and ever-changing character. Last November and December, I was there to photograph the Puskhar Camel Fair and life on the Ganges in Veranasi. I had a special interest in photographing women doing the work of daily living.

Their colorful saris, gorgeous smiles, and exotic jewelry often belie the dismal standard of living of most Hindu women in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. Although India is projected to prosper in the next half-century, it suffers from persistent poverty and malnutrition, an inadequate education system that favors boys, and environmental degradation.

Except for the wealthy and well-educated, an Indian woman’s autonomy is severely limited. If the dowry her family offers is not adequate, she is often harassed and punished after the wedding. In Hindu families, only the sons inherit the wealth of the parents. It is difficult for women to leave their homes for more than brief periods as there are no public facilities for them. Widows still shave their heads, wear unattractive clothing and are often blamed for their husbands’ deaths if they are untimely. Indian women are not allowed to participate in last rite ceremonies, like cremation. Unmarried working women are at a severe social disadvantage, and the oppressive caste system still plays a dominant role in India.

My experience on the Ganges was truly transformative. As my boatman paddled me to the cremation sites in the early light of dawn, I found it difficult to believe that the Ganges, which is 1,560 miles long, is the most septic river in the world. It has a zero oxygen level. Although filled with raw sewage, trash, food and human and animal remains, Ganga Ma—Mother Ganges—is not just a body of water. It is a sacred entity.

All Hindus want to be cremated there; they think that if their ashes are deposited in the river, they will be ensured a smooth transition to the next life. Believing that the Ganges’s divine waters purify those who immerse themselves in her, they drink her waters, brush their teeth, bathe, swim, pray, launder their clothes and wash their cows in her. The result of this pollution is an array of water-borne diseases, including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery.

I couldn’t go to Rajasthan without going to the famed Pushkar Camel Fair. Surrounded by hills and sand dunes, Pushkar forms a remarkable backdrop for this annual religious fair that occurs at the height of the full moon in October–November.

On the edge of the Thar desert I slept in a modest tent so that I could easily get to the auction of 12,000 camels and horses. Viewing the fair from atop a spirited camel, I had an orchestra seat for the gypsy dancing, music playing and excessive shouting and battering over the animals (this, with camera in hand!).

Half the proceeds from photo sales will be donated to the Centro de Crecimiento, where I do pro bono photography.

Opening reception, San Miguel Art Salon

Friday, February 2, 6–9pm

Posada de San Francisco ballroom, Plaza Principal 2

150 pesos/US$15

What do you get when you combine a select group of San Miguel artists, an exciting alternative exhibition approach and imaginative event planning with an emphasis on personal contact between artist and buyer? The answer is The San Miguel Art Salon, a new annual event created and sponsored by artists seeking new ways to promote high-quality fine art.

The San Miguel Art Salon makes its inaugural appearance February 2 through 4 at the Posada de San Francisco ballroom. “An Evening of Art and a Little Bit More,” a benefit for Mujeres en Cambio scholarship for girls, promises a sumptuous opening to tantalize the senses and spark the imagination. The festivities include lively mojigangas, hors d’oeuvres, wine and margaritas, and entertainment by the guitar and violin duo Hopalong and Mariana. The main event, of course, will be the eclectic mix of styles and media of the 11 artists who are representative of the abundance of artistic capacity within the community. All of the artists will be present, not only at the reception but throughout the weekend, to meet the public and offer insights into their art.

Early on, a priority was established in the San Miguel Art Salon to be an international artists’ organization. This meant working to incorporate both Mexican and American artists in their exhibitions. The idea here of opening dialog and bridging the gap between cultures serves to strengthen and enhance the artistic expression. The 11 artists in the show are a multicultural group representative of the community at large with the inherent influences that such a diverse mix brings to the arts. The type of art is also equally varied, including paintings in mixed media, watercolor and batik; etchings; sculpture made of found objects; fine jewelry; custom-designed furniture; and art photography. Of special note among the artists are the rug hookers from Agustín Gonzales who design and make exquisite folk art-style rugs and pillows. Their work is a project of Mujeres en Cambio and helps to provide essential income to the families of Agustín Gonzáles, a rancho outside of San Miguel.

Mujeres en Cambio, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1995 by six local women to support talented young women from rural communities in pursuing further education—and their dreams. For over 10 years, the organization has provided financial assistance in the form of scholarships to nearly 500 female high-school and university students.

Charlotte Bell is a photographer, print maker, author and fiber artist. She combines multiple images, creates subtle surrealistic effects as well as capturing those special moments of light and subject.

She is noted in San Miguel for her photographic book Tears from the Crown of Thorns, a historical essay on Easter in San Miguel.

In describing her work, Dawn Gaskill states, “My intention in my art is to draw upon symbols and colors from ancient sources to help people achieve their own purpose and intentions.” As a corporate consultant to Fortune 500 companies, she traveled throughout the world and studied many cultures and discovered her passion for color, texture, symbolism and art. Stories within stories are layered within each piece of her mixed-media artwork, bringing a fresh perspective to ancient designs and concepts.

David Godinez began working as a child in San Miguel talleres (workshops), where they created traditional crafts made from brass, glass, copper, nickel, tin and papier mâché. His transition to jewelry began 20 years ago, influenced by fellow artist Joe Miller. Since then, he has become one of the area’s finest jewelry designers, combining the traditional with the wonderful colors of stone and the noble metal silver.

Stefanie Graves, a watercolorist, uses a contemporary style to portray detailed glimpses of life in various cultures. Her evocative paintings capture the vibrant colors and spirit of the people and places from her travels, depicting a way of life reflected in common rituals and everyday existence. The richness of color and detail in her watercolors frequently cause them to be confused with oil paintings.

David Lucht has been developing his skills at batik for the last 15 years, teaching himself the technique while trying to push the limits with his highly detailed, realist style. His subject matter deals with people engaged in normal activities, though sometimes translated into surprising settings. “There are universal qualities that reveal themselves as we examine the human form in even the most exotic or surprising settings. These qualities can help to tease out an understanding across cultures. I use contemporary realism in this way to become engaged with the people of the world.”

Joe Miller has been involved in creating mostly three-dimensional objects of art for over 50 years. From architecture to jewelry, garden sculpture to lighting, furniture and fountains, his creations adorn people, homes and businesses from coast to coast. Using found materials including copper, wood and glass, his work is influenced by the collective imagery from primitive man through modern man’s artistic creations.

Gerardo Ruíz Maldonado has over 30 years of experience as a professor of the arts at the most prestigious national schools. His works are included in permanent collections in Mexico and abroad. At the moment he resides in San Miguel de Allende, where he continues to work and teach courses in basic and experimental techniques in etching/printmaking, painting and drawing in his private studio located next to Fábrica La Aurora.

For more than 30 years, Wolf Sittler has been designing and making wooden furniture and accessories for home and office use. His pieces reflect creative imagination at work. Not bound by any particular style, but influenced by nature, his pieces can be humorous, functional and sculptural, all at the same time.

Donna E. Drinnon is an artist who expresses her soul through mixed-media works of art depicting women and children of various races and in various states of dress. Using acrylic, pastel, ink, beads and fabrics on paper, Drinnon creates vibrant characters, full of life, color and motion that can talk and play with an engaging viewer. The mother of a biracial child, Drinnon is sensitive to the limitations some might place on defining beauty. Whether the reference is skin or dress, the more colorful and variable the world, the better.

Mark Vranesh began his art career over 30 years ago while finishing law school in San Diego, California, and since that time has developed his unique style of watercolor impressionism. Exhibiting in galleries and festivals throughout the United States, he eventually returned to his native Las Vegas to concentrate on landscape and rock art images of the Southwest. Now a full-time resident of San Miguel, he captures the light and architecture of the town in his watercolors. His mixed-media works combine collage, papermaking and weaving techniques.

Besides the opportunity to benefit a worthy cause and experience an evening of entertainment, reception guests will enjoy an exclusive preview of the latest artwork available from the artists, allowing them to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase works prior to the weekend event.

Tickets are available in advance at Solutions Mail Service (Recreo 11), Casa de Papel (Mesones 57A, in the China Palace building), RE/MAX Colonial (Portal Guadalupe 12, diagonally opposite the Parroquia) and Deserve (Posada de San Francisco, Plaza Principal No. 2), as well as at the door the evening of the event. There will also be a table set up in the Jardín for ticket sales January 26 through 28 and February 1 and 2.

At the close of the weekend show, select pieces from each artist will be on exhibit at RaLuz Gallery in Posada de San Francisco from February 5 through 14.

For more information regarding the San Miguel Art Salon call 044-415-107-8775 or email char@charwolf.com

Andre Creacion Gallery inauguration

Life Force 2007

Saturday, January 27, 12–5pm

San Francisco 7

The new Andre Creacion Gallery will serve as the exhibition venue for the Kestenbaum art studios and the Luna family. The Onno-Kestenbaum art studios have the distinction of being the longest permanent studios in San Miguel, and the Don Felix Luna Romero family has been creating sacred art and ceremonies for centuries in San Miguel.

The gallery is housed on the ancestral property of the López de la Cerda family, inherited from Marcella Andre’s grandfather, Don Ezequiel López (de la Cerda) Escobedo, grandson of Battle of Puebla Field Marshal General Mariano Escobedo. Next September, the gallery will expand to include San Francisco 5 next door and the charming salons upstairs, completing the restoration of one of the oldest buildings in San Miguel de Allende’s historic district.

Mai Onno Kestenbaum

Mai Onno Kestenbaum’s paintings seem to be invested with a living soul, exhibiting clear strength of feeling and supreme technical mastery. The absolute skill, energy and ease with which opposites coexist in harmony on the canvas causes the vibrant colors to fairly sizzle.

Free from the structured intention of one point of view, Ms. Onno’s brushstrokes accurately take us to illuminated knowledge. Each painting is a tantalizing door, opening to an oasis one seems to have known before—a life force, a coming home.

Marcella Andre

Marcella Andre (López de la Cerda) has created art jewelry and special event designs since 1974. She combines Eastern and Western design arts with centuries of family tradition and sacred art decoration in San Miguel de Allende, creating jewelry designs to fascinate the eye, heal and inspire the spirit and showcase the extraordinary talents of the gallery’s atelier. Each jewelry design is one-of-a-kind.

Although Andre was raised in San Miguel, she spent some of her childhood in Malibu, California. She is an expert on environmental history and restoration of the region and has studied and taught sustainability and yoga in San Miguel and around the world. She has been awarded numerous scholarships and yoga titles and gave classes on XESQ radio for several years. Currently, Andre is the conch keeper for the oldest native Chichimeca lineage in San Miguel de Allende.

Don Felix Luna Romero

Don Felix Luna is interviewed often by international journalists, dignitaries, PhD candidates and anthropologists as well as historians and government representatives as the main cultural authority on and spokesman for San Miguel’s historic ceremonial proceedings and processions. He heads the group of original descendants of the founding Chichimeca dignitaries in San Miguel de Allende.

His artwork—normally only found in museum exhibits, national art showcases, tours, art competitions and private collections—are known for their authenticity, quality and preservation of the rich heritage and traditions of the region. His baroque work, inspired by the Chapel of Loreto in San Miguel and currently on exhibit at Andre Creacion Gallery, won first prize in a national contest showcasing popular arts in Mexico. Other Luna family work will also be exhibited.

The late Lothar Kestenbaum, who taught sculpture at the Instituto Allende and Bellas Artes, was renowned for his mastery and gifts as an artist and a teacher, drawing international scholarship recipients and talented students from around the world.

His superb technique, independence and passion for work are seldom seen in any field.

His pieces are in fine art museums in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Europe and in private collections around the world. The famed atrium in the Bellas Artes School (Centro Cultural El Nigromante) has an outdoor area set aside to exhibit sculpture in commemoration of his decades of invaluable contributions to the school, which enhanced its prestige worldwide.

Originally from Germany, San Miguel became his home in the 1950s until his death in the 1990s. His wife, Mai Onno Kestenbaum, is the keeper of his artistic legacy.

David Kestenbaum

David Kestenbaum inherited a large number of gifts from his creative parents, Lothar and Mai Ono Kestenbaum. Along with specialized training, his skills produce work that is always surprising and deft. Kestenbaum’s work is diverse, encompassing everything from a wall and garden walkway to stone, iron and wooden sculptures. His ability to find different perspectives in space is notable, and his work encourages one to rediscover one’s own movement in the space of one’s life.

The gallery’s website is located at http://yogaplanetjewels.googlepages.com/gallery Gallery hours are 11am to 6pm. Appointments can be made by calling 044-415-102-2108. The work from Kestenbaum art studios can be seen online at www.kestenbaumartstudios.com

A narrative of hesitation
Photographs by Deborah Turbeville

Thursday, February 1, 6–9pm

Galería Casa Diana, Recreo 48

Galería Casa Diana presents photographs from Deborah Turbeville’s Guatemala and Mexico series, “El viaje de la Virgen de la Candelaria,” along with paintings and sculptures from the gallery’s permanent artists, including Pedro Friedeberg, Meta, Luis Espridion, Miguel Ángel Morales, Gabriel Pérez, Carmen Gutiérrez and Cyn Casas.

Often described as mythic, Turbeville remains an enigma both in and of herself and as an artist. She has remained faithful to her style, early on studying her mistakes and utilizing the more successful of them in her vocabulary, adopting them as supporters in her oeuvre. There is effortlessness in her work, and artlessness in her art. The very print quality of her photographs underscores something in her subjects that is hesitant, a little faded and scratched, or that, having emerged into a harsh light, stands frozen in space, overexposed. Light acts as the conductor in her work, emphasizing the drama, developing the narrative and contributing strongly to the mood of unease, dislocation, mystery and threat. With pins and tapes she deliberately exposes her attempts, the successes and the failures, placing one image over another, emphasizing the narrative effects and revealing the surprises she is searching for. A mannered work in progress, this has been her classic procedure for nearly three decades.

Turberville has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums in New York, France, Italy, England, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Mexico and Japan.