Interview with Resa Blatman

Boston based artist Resa Blatman was kind enough to share about her crazy intense and surreal-y natural art. Here is what she says about her newest works, a tremedously cool blend of rich painting and cut edged canvases to expand the idea of hangable art:


"My current work is about fertility, abundance, sensuality, and an over-the-top beauty. The paintings combine decorative patterns with flora and fauna. The cut-edge surfaces are an extension of the painting itself, allowing the work to feel as if it is growing out of control."


Resa: "If you look at my “gallery” on MyArtSpace or check out my website at http://www.resablatman.com/ you can see the cut-edge panel paintings. This is my newest work and the direction I plan to pursue for now. I’ve completed two triptych cut-edge panels (the third, “Lemon Spray,” is nearly complete), and I’m in the process of starting a fourth in this series, which will be approximately 20-30 feet wide and include six or eight panels.
My plan is to keep the cut edges elaborate and have each of the panels integrate more often with one another. As for what I plan to paint, well, that’s my secret for now. Only my husband knows what I’m thinking about putting on the surface, and that may change."

You like them, don't you? I thought so. Resa's words come from a fabulously intensive interview with Brian Sherwin from MyArtSpace and can be read in full here: http://www.myartspace.com/blog/2009/05/art-space-talk-resa-blatman-part-1.html
Resa's work can be ogled at her website: www.resablatman.com

Camera Obscura: Wonder Ballroom June 4

All the back vowels in Scotland couldn't shy me away from Camera Obscura; darlings in their own right for being cute and sad with foppy bangs to prove it.  Backing their incredibly solid new album, "My Maudlin Career" they were kind enough to stop in Portland early this June to kick of a summer of light but introspective rock.

Openers Agent Ribbons hail from Sacraments, which is too bad for them, but they mentioned love being on the road.  There is a surreal quality to them, something like early Bjork; just being so entirely true to what they are that it feels like a Chinese-fingertrap: the more you want to be a part of it the less likely you are to obtain it.  So I just sat back and sipped the Malibu and pineapple and let the songs of carnivals and botched love wash over me.  Between the crazy vocal ranges, guitar/drum/cello/violin and the ragdoll attire, it was enough of a show to call it a good night.  Talking to the cellist later, she walked me through the process of how they make and decorate their own cds with little trinkets and pictures.  Each one means something to them, which was pretty sweet.

Camera spared no punches and opened with the title track off  "Maudlin." The live songs off the new album were definately highlights; they sounds a bit more forlorn and richer than the lp/cd/mp3 versions.  But the gem of the nightt was from their aptly named release "Underachievers Please Try Harder:" a sparkling "Books for Girls" which was a happy surprise to see live.  The stage presence of the seven band members (a few who were really moer just shakers of various instruments) looked impressive but the sound waned by the halfway point and it felt like a band gather suchh quiet acclaim was just phoning it in.  Perhaps the tour was weighing more on them than their previous visits to Portland, or maybe the sea of plaid shirts was a little too shocking for them....the ladies Obscura were holding the 50s fashion down on all accounts.  At any rate, the show was good, the girl very pretty, but their melancholy hearts just couldn't quite get into it.