ODE TO THE AUBERGINE

Talleen Hacikyan, in her art blog, wrote an entry on eggplants and art.

In it she mentioned the use of eggplants in the art of Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne and...Laura's Stray Eggplants! Here's what she wrote:

The Stray Eggplant Project
Stray Eggplant, is a conceptual art project by artist, author and ordained minister, Laura E. Gentry. The project consists of hundreds of small, ceramic eggplants, each with a random quote on it, sold in Art-O-Mat vending machines throughout the U.S.A., Canada and the U.K. Gentry gleaned the phrases from different sources such as song, TV, news, or an overheard conversation. Some of my favorite eggplant quotes are:

“host chocolate tasting parties”
“don’t pay the ferry man”
“a zeal for troll”
“poof, you’re a puppeteer”

Owners of stray eggplants are invited to stage a photograph of themselves posing with their purple fruit, thereby giving meaning to the quote. Some of these photos can be seen on this slide show.

Click here to read her whole entry.

Above is Henri Matisse’s Interior With Aubergines, painted between 1911 and 1912.

Update: Laura sent Talleen her own, specially designed eggplant. Read the blog post about this.

ANOTHER EGGPLANT BLOGGER

We just found another blogger who got a hold of a Stray Eggplant sculpture. Lelia writes at her stitching blog:

My husband & I visited The Chicago Cultural Center last month. (Yeah, I know -- shoulda posted sooner, blame it on the "bug") We had a cup of Starbuck's, enjoyed people watching, viewed the Tiffany Dome (a must see when in Chicago), a few exhibits, and couldn't resist the Art*o*mat machine.

I selected one of Laura's Stray Eggplants; DH chose a painting. I'll have to find it & post the image -- it is interesting!

If you are not familiar with Art-o-mat machines, see This Post, or their web site.

Read Lelia's blog 

Read Lelia's other blog

Visit the Eggplant Owner's Gallery

Visit the Stray Eggplant Homepage

FEBRUARY IN MCGREGOR

Now that we’ve reached the end of February, William and I have selected our favorite photographs from his McGregor Gallery to post here at the blog (read about this ongoing show at this blog post) Even though it was a short month, William captured an abundance of images around the town. We admit the amount of pictures posted below is utterly ridiculous but we couldn’t narrow it down any further because they are all so fascinating.

As an observer of William’s artistic process, it has been interesting for me. I never realized how much actually goes on in this town until he started photographing it so zealously. Now I am amazed to see the intricate details William notices. There are so many things that happen in the course of a day that one can easily overlook. By watching him document the people, places and things around town, it renews my belief in the sacredness of each moment. How exciting it is to see this place with new eyes—filled with wonder and excitement about what might happen next.

I’ve categorized the selections into 3 groups: people, places and signs. I’ll say a word about each before the photos begin.

PEOPLE
Let’s begin with the people. These images tell stories about the inhabitants of McGregor. You can see their varied expressions, actions, and interactions. While I love William’s studio photography, I think these candids are equally captivating. Seeing people in their context living their lives displays the narrative in a wonderful way.

We’ve continued to challenge ourselves to meet new people and deepen the relationships we’ve already established. Though this town is small, there are still many people we’ve yet to discover. It’s been great to see how the camera breaks the ice and helps us get to know people.



















































































PLACES

The architecture of McGregor has such charm. William continues to explore creative ways of capturing the buildings around town. He is especially gifted with night photography. Some of these illuminated buildings and homes emanate a warm glow that seems beckons you to come inside. I find these so compelling.

We've had some days warm enough to begin thawing the snow but for the most part, what you see here is winter. It's been a long, hard winter but it does make for some stunning images of things contrasted against the snow.

SIGNS

The final group of photos is that of signs. We've noticed that McGregor has an enthralling array of signs. One speed limit sign even got flipped upside down (by a prankster, I presume) and William got a shot of it before it was righted.

So that's it for February. Congratulations! You've made it through our selections. Please continue to visit the McGregor Gallery at The Gentry Joint. March is already upon us and new photos are getting posted there as I write this. Journey through spring in McGregor with us.

—Laura Gentry