Dennis Hollingsworth

Something's Happening

Henry and I will be returning to LA soon. Less than a week.

I like to say that flying both directions across the Atlantic feels like coming home. It's also like leaving home too, going both ways.

Work on Paper

Henry and Shirley in Tossa

Shirley Morales visited us for a short time in Tossa de Mar. She, like Henry, charmed the town, making fast friends up and down the social spectrum here. This video is a small sample of the week we shared together.

Work on Paper

Work on Paper

Painting

Painting

Work on Paper

View larger here.

WhatChaLike

(Henry Taylor)

Painting

Painting

WPA

We Poop Art: this was one of a long list of irreverent alternate names for WPA, an artist run gallery space created by a number of my pals in Los Angeles. I wish I could recall the others, the list was hilarious. This list and it's reference to the New Deal era also conveyed the playful and ultimately pragmatic attitude that animated the creation of this DIY art space so relevant to our bursted-bubbled historical moment.

Here's the about-blurb from their website:

WPA is an art space organized by artists

It is a straightforward and simple project that will provide opportunities for curated group shows, solo exhibitions, performances, screenings plus any other ideas that come to mind.

We have no single declaration of intent except to make possible an ambitious array of exhibits and activities by pooling our resources and taking advantage of this moment in Los Angeles. As a group we facilitate the individual.

WPA is a multi-purpose acronym; it can stand for anything you like, but it does intentionally recall the Works Progress Administration, Roosevelt?s New Deal relief agency that highlighted the arts and employed artists as artists during The Great Depression.

It looks like they will open the show today and celebrate the opening next week with a reception on the fifteenth. Be sure to check it out, they're a great group of people, all very talented and inspired.

Ahora

Henry in Tossa, Part II

Ahora

Henry in Tossa, Part I

Guest Blogger: Henry Taylor

I'm still gathering my force to resume blogging at my typical rate. Things here have been swirling with guests, friends from Tossa/BCN and the usual have-to-do's, all integrated with the pressure to make art like an artesian well. Pretty tough at times, but no one on earth can complain about that.

So without further adieu, here's Henry Taylor to fill in a few blanks in the meantime:

anyway, you may or may not know but but the brothas in tulsa, oops the wrong fucking tulsa my black ass ain't never been to oklahoma but i have an aunt there and well yall know they did at one time drop bombs there on black folks but we'll save that for another time 'cause tossa's what really on my mind and my two kids noah and jade. anyway, i thought i'd speak specifically to black people 'cuz they tend to stray or stay away from water at times not necessarily because they can't swim but sometimes it has to do with their "DO", meaning hair-do. it might also have to do with the fact that there were blacks in the t.v series Seahunt, or diver dan, or even bay watch but fuck all that i say, blacks get in the ain't no cops down and you'll have so much fun you won't care about yo hair. but more than all that it is, "all that"! today i snorkeled for my first time, noah, jade you checking dennis's blog? did you hear what yo daddy just said, i went snorkeling! but you should of saw me this weekend when the beach was packed (& with rough seas -ed.) and i was embarrassed and had to come back.....to the shore, that day it was too rough for the brotha and i'm sure the white folks on the beach were saying, * in a dutch, portuguese, russian accent, "what , maria do ya see what's happening here, there's a black man getting in da wata', hell there's a black man in the motha-fucking whitehouse, too motha fucka! but again, we know that too doesn't really mean a dam thang either but back to my peeps, it 's really beautiful down there in the water, the ocean water and if you ever get the opportunity, go for it, by the way always go for it, but you already know that pimpin...actually, i was more concerned with sharing this experience with my son Noah who has a lot of fish and fish tanks and this is definitely on my list of things to do with you. jade, you heard me?!

Ahora