Groove 11 is mounting a salon series called What Matters Now, with an Opening Reception on August 18, 6-8 p.m. in our San Rafael office. What Matters Now is an exploration of ideas that inspire thinking in new directions, and touches on a wide variety of issues from the environment to human rights, community to healthcare, among others. The series is also a chance to support dialog amongst artists, business, and the larger creative community.
Seven local artists are participating in our first show,. We spoke with each one about their work. Our next interview is with Anna Ludwig.
Grass
People's Park – Detail
Lake Mattamuskeet No. 1
The theme of the show is What Matters Now. In what way did that strike a chord with you?
What matters now is history and the specificity of a particular place, as opposed to the nowhere space of the digital world.
What interests you as an artist?
The idea that history leaves a trace or a stain on the place in which it occurs.
The work of Wangechi Mutu, Luc Tuymans, Ann Hamilton, Ana Mendieta and Mika Rottenberg. The writing of Rebecca Solnit, James Berger and J.B. Jackson.
What inspires you?
Researching politically significant landscapes. Unexpected beauty. “Wait” was inspired by the suspense invoked by the fog around Mount Tamalpais. “He Eats Pigeons” grew out of a bizarre encounter while visiting a friend living in Hawaii.
What new projects are you working on now?
I am working on a large indoor mural for the new Capoeira Mandinga academy in Oakland. As a practicing capoeirista, I am excited to work on this project that I hope will honor the roots of capoeira while addressing some of the changes in this incredibly adaptable art form, which used subversive body dialogue to resist the brutal oppression of slavery in Brazil and has grown to be a worldwide celebration of Brazilian culture and a community-building tool.
Is your work currently on exhibit anywhere else?
“A Baker’s Dozen for the Goose Tower.” TUMULT. Vordingborg, Denmark. Group exhibition – collaboration with Mark Dion.
What upcoming shows do you have?
“100 Under 1,000” Group exhibition at Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh North Carolina. November 2010 – January 2011.
I’m also organizing a group exhibition with some other San Francisco and Oakland artists.
For more information on Anna, and to see more of her work, visit her website.
And come to Groove 11 on August 18 for the Opening Reception for What Matters Now.