Marja-Leena Rathje

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by Marja-Leena

Blue Buddha

8:37 am in Culture, Films, History by Marja-Leena

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This past Monday evening ‘The Nature of Things with David Suzuki’ presented Blue Buddha: Lost Secrets of Tibetan Medicine. It traces the odyssey of traditional Tibetan medicine from it’s roots in ancient Tibet, to a worldwide interest in it’s traditional medical wisdom.

Twelve hundred years ago the people of Tibet developed a comprehensive medical system. They understood how the mind affects the body. They knew subtle ways of changing the body’s chemistry with medicines made from plants and minerals. They blessed their medicines in lengthy rituals. And they encoded this knowledge in a series of 79 elaborate paintings called thangkas (scrolls).

I found the program fascinating and inspiring from many perspectives – the history, the training and practice of the traditional medicine, the spiritualism, and the art. If this interests you, do read the informative website and the interview with “Blue Buddha” director Aerlyn Weissman where she gives her perspective on Tibetan medicine and how it has influenced her personally.

I tried to find online images of the 79 thangkas but only found a few poor images shown, such as at this detailed ongoing study. The author of the study mentions that the scrolls she saw are not very old. If I recall the film correctly, most of the original ancient medical thangkas, used in their teaching, were lost when the Chinese forced the Tibetans to flee their country. The monk doctors who had memorized all the information, slowly taught these to younger acolytes who painted new ones. In the program these looked truly amazing artistically and scientifically.

If you are able to view CBC where you live, the program is repeated tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld. I highly recommend it and I’m going to tape it this time.

As an aside for those who don’t know our great David Suzuki – he is a Canadian author, broadcaster, environmental activist, geneticist, and professor, and is well known for motivating people’s interest in science. He has written eighteen books, his latest being “David Suzuki: The Autobiography” (Greystone Books). Check out also the David Suzuki Foundation.

And finally, I must put in a plug for the CBC – this kind of quality programming is what CBC does well and should continue to do more of instead of the highly commercial non-Canadian offerings best left to the private stations.

2 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

visiting Interconnection

10:51 am in Art Exhibitions, Digital printmaking, Other artists, Printmaking by Marja-Leena

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We were sad to miss the opening last week of Michiko Suzuki and Wayne Eastcott’s exhibition Interconnection, also the grand opening of the new Bellevue Gallery. By all accounts the opening was very successful, attended by around 200 people spilling out onto the sidewalk.

Yesterday, my husband and I had one of our after-work “gallery and dinner dates” and went to the Bellevue, knowing that Michiko and Wayne would be there. We enjoyed a personal chat about their work, which utilize techniques of etching, inkjet, silk-screen and chine-collé. The work looks stunning in this lovely new space (and these photos do not do it justice). Even though we’ve seen most of the work before other than the latest new prints, it all looked very new and different in this spacious yet warm setting. As I’ve mentioned before this exhibition was first shown last year in Tokyo, then in Vancouver. Congratulations again to both artists for the success of this amazing collaboration!

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We also met Lynn Ray, the charming owner of Bellevue Gallery (her partner is her daughter Nicole Ray-Sharma who was not there this time). It was a pleasant surprise because Lynn and I knew each other many years ago and so enjoyed catching up with our lives since then. Lynn has a studio art and art history background as well as many years of business experience, so she has excellent qualifications for running a serious art gallery. An architect had been hired to do the interior of the gallery and this shows in the lovely architectural details, materials and lighting. The Bellevue Gallery is a great cultural addition to the charming Dundarave area of West Vancouver, right by the sea. Our very best wishes to the Rays for the success of this new gallery!

If you are anywhere near Vancouver and haven’t seen this significant exhibition by two very important artists yet, I suggest not to miss it. It is up until October 29th, 2006.

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by Marja-Leena

in the printshop

12:10 am in Art Institute (Printmaking), Being an Artist by Marja-Leena

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Detail from Silent Messengers: Hoodoos II

For the past week I’ve been happily back at the printmaking studio, my home away from home sometimes it seems. A new season always means new people and a new energy that I enjoy. We’re all pleased to have Michiko Suzuki back as artist-in-residence, continuing the collaboration with Wayne Eastcott. Wayne and Michiko had a very successful exhibition in June in Tokyo that I look forward to writing about in some detail soon.

After a summer hiatus it always seems to take a little time for most of us to get a momentum going on our projects, particularly the new people as they familiarize themselves with the shop and learn some printmaking techniques if they are new to the medium. I get into a creative mental space by looking over my sketchbook, notes, photos as well some of my last work as I plan new prints for my ongoing Silent Messengers series. An exciting incentive for me right now is a solo exhibition in November to prepare for, and I will be writing about that as well this fall.

Later today we have a visiting printmaker from New Brunswick coming in to talk about his work while he’s in town for his exhibition – watch for my next post on that.

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by Marja-Leena

print show videos

11:45 am in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Printmaking by Marja-Leena

A while ago, I posted about a printmaking exhibition by several friends at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Michiko Suzuki, one of the artists, has kindly emailed me that she has put up two videos on YouTube. One is of their exhibition opening. The second shows the installation process and one can see more of their amazing work. The gallery space is fantastic. Congratulations to the artists!

Added later: Michiko has also created a video of her exhibition ‘Flicker of Life’, shown in the Penticton Art Gallery in 2009. I wrote about it back then with a link to a slide show she had created. Wonderful work!

12 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Wayne Eastcott: Systems

11:19 am in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Other artists by Marja-Leena

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Another exhibition coming up very soon, by another artist friend and a mentor.Internationally known printmaker Wayne Eastcott will be showing his latest work at the Bellevue Gallery in West Vancouver. This new series, called Systems: New Works on Metal and Paper, explores:
the relationships between nature and technology and how they interact and form the human condition and environment. The surfaces of these works are developed by various combinations of digital silkscreen and hand painted stenciled enamel as well as pigments of mica and metallic dusts applied to either paper or riveted aluminum.

I’ve had glimpses of some his work in progress and it looks exciting. You may view some of Wayne’s earlier works as well as the collaboration Interconnection on the Bellevue Gallery pages.

A few related posts from the archives:
Interconnection: Eastcott / Suzuki
visiting Interconnection
Wayne Eastcott & Michiko Suzuki
Wayne Eastcott exhibition

6 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Printmaking, eh?

10:12 am in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Printmaking by Marja-Leena

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Printmaking, eh?: Four Artists Expanding the Boundaries
May 25 – July 20, 2012
Embassy of Canada Prince Takamado Gallery, Tokyo

Four of the artists in the previously announced exhibition are also showing concurrently and for a longer period at the Embassy of Canada Prince Takamado Gallery in Tokyo.

The Exhibition Announcement states in part:

The Embassy of Canada is pleased to present an exhibition in its Prince Takamado Gallery entitled Printmaking, eh?: Four Artists Expanding the Boundaries featuring works by Western Canada based artists who take experimental approaches to printmaking.
Steven Dixon of Alberta together with Wayne Eastcott, Davida Kidd and Michiko Suzuki of British Columbia share the common thread of consideration of the human condition in the 21st century. Dixon explores the consequences of human endeavour via the artefact/archival landscape while Eastcott pursues the interconnection of contemporary technology, humankind and nature. Kidd dwells on the internal – the dreams, guilt and passion of the inhabitants of our culture and Suzuki is concerned with the fragility and future of young women.

All of these artists are or have been associated with the Art Institute, Printmaking at Capilano University, three of them in a teaching capacity. All have been mentioned on this blog in the past regarding some of their exhibitions so if interested in learning more about them, please do a search, located at the bottom of the left bar.

(The above image is not in the exhibition, just a crop from a proof of my own to provide a decoration here.)

Updated Aug.3rd, 2012: Please see the videos.

3 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

hope and optimism

8:14 am in Current Events, Environment by Marja-Leena

sleepless for hours last night, with churning thoughts and emotions, including despair and anger and tears, over the tragedies in Japan as well as the messages in the Suzuki film (see previous post)
sitting in the dark with only the monitor’s light and a cup of hot cocoa and typing somewhat incoherent thoughts into a list seemed to help ease a grandmother’s pain

later, in the light of another grey morning, after weeks of grey days of heavy heavy rains and thunderstorms, I read the list and decide to leave it barely edited. it’s not saying anything new nor is it poetry so don’t be too hard on me….

we need hope and optimism
especially for all our children
traumatized or not
as parents and grandparents (even Suzuki is one)
nurture, nature, healing
in gardening, in the presence of nature
spring’s promise, fall’s harvest
like Suzuki, I identify with first nations’ and early peoples nature ‘worship’,
thanking the earth for providing
save the forests
reduce depletion of fish
organic farming
not factory farming of plants or animals or fish
without chemicals on land or sea
no GMOs
grow food close to home, save agricultural lands from development
backyard gardens, chickens, composting
clean potable water
not wasted on golf courses and ‘retirement’ homes in the deserts
need massive change fast,
time is running out for our planet!
reduce consumption and waste
no more nuclear!
drastically reduce dependance on oil, coal
reduce plastics
increase solar, wind, geothermal, wave energy
mass transit, bikes, trains
(building them will provide jobs – look at Germany and Denmark!)
less travel, fewer planes, cars, cleaner ships
change philosophy of constant growth, constant focus on shares and profits at all human and environmental costs
(isn’t it disgusting that Japan’s disasters only make Wall Street types worry about stock market drops?! – where’s the compassion?)
and how come Haiti and New Orleans and Aceh and so many ‘poor’ places are still struggling to recover from natural disasters while more money is quickly made available to wealthy nations – is it because business and corporations see profits in rebuilding in industrial nations – again the corporate bottom line, not the human line???

Now I need to somehow make some art to heal some of the heartache since it’s too wet and cold to go start some seeds….

Later: Please read this, a calm, reasonable, intelligent voice in the wilderness and madness of CNN style reporting: What Japan’s nuclear crisis means for all of us

8 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

B-Gallery exhibition photos

6:08 pm in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Other artists, Printmaking, Recent Exhibitions by Marja-Leena

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As I wrote in the spring along with a poster image, our Art Insitute printmakers group had an exciting exhibition at the B-Gallery in Tokyo. I was lucky during the show to capture one photo from the gallery’s site before it was gone so I’ve been eagerly looking forward to seeing more, as have all the artists who were not there. Today Michiko Suzuki, one of the artists who was there in person, wrote that the exhibition was successful, well attended and well received. She kindly sent many opening and installation photos to share here. Enjoy!

I want to add the artist’s names under their images, and though I know many of them, I’m not sure of all, so shall add that information sometime later when I get to see the catalogue.

6 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Making an Impression

7:59 am in Art Exhibitions, Being an Artist, Printmaking, Recent Exhibitions by Marja-Leena

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“Inertia” by Marie Price

I’m very pleased to announce that I’m participating in an invitational printmaking exhibition:

Making an Impression: Invitational Printmaking Exhibition
with Heather Aston, Marie Price, Rina Pita, William Steinberg, Ingunn Kemble, Marja-Leena Rathje, Patricia Baldwin, Valerie Metz, Susan Campbell, Arnold Shives, Jane Adams, Peter Kiss, Tania Gleave, Gillian Armitage, Michiko Suzuki, Wayne Eastcott, Ross Penhall, and Gordon Smith

Opening Reception: Tuesday, September 11, 6 – 8 pm
Artists’ Talk: Saturday, September 15, 2 pm
Exhibition runs September 11 – 29, 2007
Gallery Hours 11am – 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday
Ferry Building Gallery
1414 Argyle Avenue, Ambleside Landing, West Vancouver, BC

I am honoured to be showing with this wonderful group of artists – it should be exciting. I’m looking forward to being at the Ferry Building again. It’s a lovely historic old building located on the oceanside next to Ambleside Park and the seawall walk.

If you are in the area, please come by. Hope to see you there!

8 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Totally Manipulated

3:56 pm in Art Exhibitions, Art Institute (Printmaking), Digital printmaking, Other artists, Recent Exhibitions by Marja-Leena

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X Faces by Robert Jackson

Another exhibition happening this month, and one in which I am also participating in is:

TOTALLY MANIPULATED: Digital Art Today
at CityScape Community Art Space,
335 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver, BC.
Opening reception is on Thursday Oct.14, 7-9 pm.
Runs from October 15th to November 6th, 2004.
Gallery hours are 12-5, Wed-Sat., 1-4 Sunday.

This exhibition showcases sixteen accomplished and emerging artists pushing the boundaries of what we call art: Pierre Coupey, Wayne Eastcott, Carl Fletcher, Peter Frey, Grace Gordon-Collins, Robert Jackson, Bonnie Jordan, Mohsen Khalili, Maria Lobo, Irwin Oostindie, Sabrina Ovesen, Marja-Leena Rathje, Nicole Rigets, Michiko Suzuki, Joe Tompai and Biliana Velkova.

If you are in the Vancouver area, please come visit! This attractive gallery is run by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council. Also visit the North Vancouver Arts & Culture Commission pages and read ARTS ALIVE (.pdf) magazine.

Interestingly, eleven of the exhibiting artists are, or have been, associated in some way with the Art Institute at Capilano College**. Many thanks to Robert Jackson, a new member, for organizing this exhibition!

** Since this post was written, it has become Capilano University.

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