Le Gang

An ongoing work in progress: Portraits of my circle of radness. The three up top are Tülay, Hannes, and Hélène. I am going to have a portrait show of my "Paris Portraits" in Marfa next year. I'm really excited.

The interior shot is of the sacred flat, 'Martel'. It belongs to dear friends who have lovingly shared it with Adrian and I and it was the best liason into my Paris living. I put some papel picado flags up for a spell to give the flat a little Mexi blast of vibe and color. A magical space. Lots of epic memories shared inside that room.

Erlend, Eirik and Les were in town last month, so naturally a cozy night off the road (or life) had to happen at chez nous. Shoes and pressure off. Les is stoking on the Glass Slipper, a current project yet to finish it's prototyping chapter, by Adrian and his Glass Cube world.

Balcony Tears

What a night. At Le Bataclan, we watched our Bergen boys, Erlend and Eirik, from the balcony with permo smiles. Warm light hit every face in the crowd and we sang, snapped, and clapped along to some of the most beautiful modern music the world has to offer. The bros dedicated a song to Adrian and I, "Homesick", and Erlend blew a kiss up to the balcony. Sweetness.

The Kings of Convenience are so heart stringy and dear to me. Simone, Adrian and I went on tour with them during both of their US tours and lived out of suitcases and tourbus sleeping pods. It's been a few years since those days, so last night's concert was a major reunion that brought me right back to my dense northern California days of musical and artful friends, spontaneity, and a deep love for all things pure and golden.

To top it off, Feisty happened to be in town, and at the end of the performance, she appeared on stage and sang two duets. The audience went wild and we, up in the balcony, held hands with joyful watery eyes. Im such a softy for radical moments that remind me of how amazing my friends and life are.

Afterwards, in true sister-of-the-band tradition, I made carrot-ginger soup for all. Although I'm far from California, I can still experience the same golden moments that keep life warm and full of sun. Stoked.

The Yay Bay

I discovered something. Stopping in NYC en route to Home is a natural way to transition into American life again. NYC feels a little bit Euro and a lot US. It's sort of like tempering your body and mind slowly and warmly, rather than jumping into a cold pool. NYC was quick and magical. Checked in on Mariella at her ballet school, and her 16-year-old-in-nyc world. Saw Linda before her move to Minneapolis. Watched sister Simone play with Rubies. Collected a new hat at the beautiful Worth & Worth hat shop. Walked passed the blanket rapped Vanessa Redgrave in the newly Fall central park and pretty much hugged the city in general.

It feels so good to be back in California for a spell now. After a week in Santa Barbara surrounding Brooke & Crosby's wedding we headed back to the bay last night. Had yet another incredible meal at Charlie's restaurant, Pizzaiolo, where Ingrid and I traditionally go to reconnect. To start, there was flatbread with eggplant, a cucumber and farro salad, a few perfect beets and ricotta. Next up was a halibut mantecato that reminded me of a dish I had in Portugal resembling salt cod (Bacalao). The pizza for us was cherry tomato with arugula with a perfectly salted crust. YUM. Some shell beans on the side with a bit of aioli as well. For desert I had an affogato and a walk home.

Excited about a shoot on Friday with the lovely Kacey Johansing. We met eachother in Paris via Bart Davenport and was FLOORED by her singing. Going to do something magical with her involving inventive looks with 70's lighting. New and old at the same time. That's how I roll.

Kings in Paris

I hung out on set yesterday in magical Provins, France, and absorbed the ins and outs of creating a music video project. Francois was a positive force on set as he smiled his way through it all. My friends from Norway, Kings of Convenience, have a new record coming out in October called "Declaration of Dependence" and this video shoot was for the single, "Mrs. Cold". I shot the cover of this record while we were all spending time together at Casa Rincon, Mexico. So nice.

"Paris suits you well"

(drawn by Erlend in wet cement ouside Glass Cube Studio, Mexico )

Been calling Paris home for almost 3 months now. Moving from California back to Paris, after 10 years of jumping around in Oakland-Santa Barbara - Mexico - Paris - Marfa, feels incredibly new again. I feel new. I lived here straight after graduation in 1999 and had a trippy year of vision quests and independence. Im here again now with the love of my life and inspiration nation. Decade circle.

The latest project I recently finished was working with EMI records on the new Kings of Convenience record. It was a sweet surprise when they said I had "won" the competition. The image they chose was shot on the Rolleiflex camera and has a natural mood at the dusk hour in Mexico. Considering the hang outs at Casa Rincon Mexico are always super-duper-intense-and-rad, I am proud the photographs from such a magical vortex will live on ... attached to music that I LOVE. Check out Casa Rincon's recording studio, Glass Cube, where other KOC member, Erlend, recorded his latest record with WBA while renting the house for a 2 month period.

My mind is swimming with ideas for projects and I have began revisiting video & film as an extension of photography. Back in art school, I had a bunch of friends in the film department, and shot lots of 8mm and 16mm footage from the back seat of vespas and inside creepy old Chicago hotels. Some of those old 8mm films are now living in the archive of the Art Institute. I can't wait to see those again. It will be either tear-style funny or really heavy and poignant. Along with video, Im starting a travel blog dedicated to art, architecture, food, and finding all places 'in-between' that deserve publishing. I am way into sharing. I'm a twin afterall. Hi Simone.

Will be heading over to Belgium for the Pukkelpop music festival after Vetiver perform tomorrow. Will chill with Mike and see him play with Wilco, and then hook up with the duke when WBA play the following day. Between Vetiver, WBA, and Bart Davenport playing here and there, along with visits from travelling bros, I feel Im living in a place with a beautiful glistening bridge between Paris and home. Let our worlds expand.

Even though I've moved far away from home... home keeps coming back to me. So stoked to be feeling IT.

Moving Onwards

Hello friends,

A little news on my show in San Francisco:

My current show at Mollusk is coming down this week. Mollusk is a unique gallery space that has turned into an culty corner of contemporary art by Californian artists, carving a sweet niche in the art world. Other artists involved with Mollusk are Geoff McFetridge, Thomas Campbell, Alex Kopps, Kyle Field, and Nathaniel Russell. There are two more Mollusk locations, one in Brooklyn and another in Los Angeles.

The opening in April was such a fantastical evening (live performance by Rubies, and hors d'oeuvres by Miel) ... and now it's time for the work to move on to the next space... where will that be? It wants to travel and has long white wings, so if you have any ideas please be in touch. I tend to book a live act and make the opening a 'happening' not to be forgotten. Let's do this. I want to.

If you haven't had a chance to see it, the gallery has the exhibition online. Find the "line" that horizontally connects them all. Get horizontal and click on the 'art' link HERE .

Every piece is from a new series taken within the last year on my Rolleiflex, and the frames were designed and built by Adrian from wood salvaged from my childhood home in Santa Barbara.

I would love to hear any feedback or comments you might have...

Enjoy

Santa Barbara Portraits

Been taking portraits of several special women in my neighborhood. One is Chloe. She is pregnant. Adrian taught her how to walk when they were toddlers on the ranch. The other is Mariella. She is my sister-in-law. Both have such extreme beauty and specialness. Both are inbetween something. Becoming a mother. Becoming a woman.

Yummy

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Sauce and Pain d'Amandes

I shot food photographs for the lovely Ingrid Pankonin yesterday. Her private chef business is Miel Cooking and if you were at my opening at Mollusk you have already tried her magical creations. She cooks delicious food and I highly recommend hiring her pronto. She also makes mustards, jams, her own 'lillet' and other apéritifs. Have a party! Learn how to grow food and have her design your vegetable or kitchen garden.... she can do it all. She also just started a food blog. Yay Ingrid!

A clip from the opening last saturday at Mollusk

Hi-Res photos for Press & Press Release / INVISIBLE THREAD

Here is the press release for my show at Mollusk...and here are a few hi-res images for now (printable up to just 4"x4" or so).

Email me for any other info or if you just want to say that you are coming and can't wait.

Danielle

NEW BLOG / Art & Projects

I have a new blog. It's my art & projects blog. For now, this blogspot blog will stay active and feed into the new one to sort of temper the blog stew. Please email me feedback as to which one you prefer during this testing-the-waters phase.

This blogspot one has an extensive archive and I will keep it online, but I'm pretty stoked on my new blog so check it out. I will make it easy for you. blog blog blog. blog.

one line

blah blah blah

My Next Show | COME!

Some words:

In her current show, Invisible Thread, Rubi confronts the variety of her cast of subjects head on through the imposition of technical and compositional parameters. The criteria are simple: all images in the group were shot on her favorite camera, a 1950, square format Rolleiflex and are all printed the same size; also, every image contains a strong horizontal line across the frame. Displayed, the images are justified according to their individual horizon line, rather than the top, bottom, or center of the frame The effect of these parameters simplifies and connects a seemingly disparate group of images, in effort to show their common provenance: Rubi's eye. Another notion that emerged from this specific undertaking is the significance of horizons in the way we process, regard, and experience the world. It is how we arrange our written language, it is how we show chronologies, it is what happens when two arms reach for each other, it is what infinity looks like.

Show opening is April 25th , 7-10pm , Mollusk SF (Rubies peforming , Miel cooking)

Find the Glow

Fire pit out on a ranch here in Marfa. Here you can breath well.

Marfa after Mexico

I have so many stories from my last chapter in Mexico, that I have to wait to post some nug photos because it will take some tiiiiiime and a circle around the sun before I can share those with you all. But let's skip ahead to the NOW. I am back in Marfa enjoying the sweeping lands and the folks. Here to work on "west Paris" (or little green roofed white adobe house) and finish the second half of the material for my upcoming show at Mollusk, "Invisible Thread". Here I will shoot desert scapes and feelings that are not coastal in any way. Time to tie it all together.

Brazil Show

Last month was the Santos Surf Art II in Brazil. I was honored to be part of the show. This show was the inaugural show of the new art museum pictured here. They featured an excerpt from my New York show, Coast (feather & work adjacent).YAY. Poster master, Nat Russell, created the poster for the show. Jair, the curator, has more info here.

Boa Buddy

Check out the baby Boa that came to visit us today! Every day is an adventure around here. That is why I love it soooooooo

Mexican Time

Just saw the new palapa get built by master palapa builders. Such a strong, natural, and simple way to make a roof that looks amazing. SO cool.

Also been learning mega recipes from Alicia, our housekeeper. Tamales, Sopes, Chaya Agua Fresca, Jamaica, and more to come.

Feeling slow.

Inspired.

Creating 'home' in so many places feels wierd. I can't believe how fast 2008 went by.

Bucerias Carnival

Haven't been outside the Casa too much, so I've been itching to go into town a bit more to get into the coastal vibes of this area. So we went to Bucerias the other night and went to the town fair. Had such a nice time being around lively sidewalks full of kids and grub, cotton candy and balloons, inflatable castles and punchy polka music. We were honored to meet a Huichol artist. He told us many mythical stories about his work.