a landscape in portrait } the filming of the making of two pictures
my new friend, the ridge
This morning, two film-makers, two curators and two artists headed off to the Mutla’a desert to film a teaser for an upcoming Gulf landscape exhibition organized by the British Council and, in Kuwait, the Contemporary Art Platform (CAP). So this morning, Hamad Khalaf (artist #1) and I (artist #2) met with Alia Farid and Liane Al-Ghusain (CAP) and film-makers Nawaf Alali (Nawaf #1) and Shaheen (Nawaf #2 [we were confused too]), and drove off to the North for an afternoon of non-stop painting, spray-painting, collecting desert debris, filming and eating yummy sandwiches (thanks, Liane’s mom!).
*I didn’t get a chance to look at Hamad’s work and I’m kind of irked with myself for not doing so. But he was perched on a little sand plateau thing and believe me, being out in the sun and sand painting is exhausting and really took its toll on us. And I couldn’t make the (very short) climb. Plus he was busy. Oh I’ll see it when I see it! And then I will definitely share what he created.
the stark whiteness and sharp edges of the canvas served as a perfect contrast to the brown sand
everything clean and neat, the sand still shy and distant
the canvas is ready. the ridge is in a perpetual pose
some photos were just so hard to resist
drip drop
liane's 'falling heads'
it's almost done. just a few more touching up at home, in the comfort of my own studio. and away from the sand
Very cool- “extreme” plein air…. nice work!
This is the closest I’ll ever get to extreme sports! Thanks, Artboy.
Always wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
It’s my pleasure! Thanks, Peach.
You are very welcome.
This work is, quite simply, breathtaking. And the photos are, to use today’s terminology – AMAZEBALLS. Truly.
Very colorful. Thank you.
‘amazeballs’ – we share one of the world’s most descriptive languages. I cannot believe we have run out of words to the extent that we are reduced to the use of ‘amazeballs’ through which to register our recognition of fine work? Whatever next will we hear in the ‘hood, bro’?
It is precisely because of the richness and expressiveness of this language that it gives us the freedom to create new descriptive extremes. It’s a living, breathing language. The words we will speak tomorrow are already being used in school playgrounds and online today. It has always been the same. Except before there were school playgrounds or an online anything. By the way, I think your work, particularly that of the last couple of years, is totes amazeballs.
mashallah ghada!! looks like so much fun! i LOVED your pix on instagram! and i loved the idea even more after reading the reason behind it… ya36eekum el 3afya oo best of luck. keep us posted on when the event is going to happen. I am more than interested to attend.
So it rained whilst you were there?
Not at all. This was last Sunday.