The Hope Frieze Pt. 1 - Day 1

Hi Faithful BB Blog Readers!

Today marks a significant day for us as we embark on the research/development phase of The Hope Frieze Pt. 1.

The lead artists on this project will be Ensemble Members GG, Amy, Brian, Natalia, Niki, and Rita. We also will have significant contributions from artists new to BB who are joining us for the process, Clinton, Nick, Spencer, Tyler and Emily. We are aiming to present the project as an open studio work in progress in early May (6, 7, 8); currently seeking a space.

Edvard Munch's Towards the Forest 1

My hope is that with this phase of the project, we will develop a structure and document the process, giving us significant material to use in grant applications and towards seeking funding to take the piece to the next level.

We've never attempted a project of this scope before, and frankly, its a little daunting. But this work, and the subjects that it covers, couldn't be more applicable towards our current condition as human beings and artists. I was chilled at the parallels between this article below, written just a few weeks ago, and the Stalinist horrors of the 30s I have been researching:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/03/mourners-bid-farewell-to-boris-nemtsov-but-fear-their-hopes-have-died-with-him

Ultimately though, the Hope Frieze is about hope, art, women, and change - and the belief that our society is making progress towards a future where beauty triumphs over brutality. Things are changing SO FAST in the 21st century!

In this process we'll explore:

• the experience of women & artists in early 20th c. Russia/USSR
• the human capacity for survival in the harshest of conditions
• kindness and art in an age of terror
• interconnections between generations in one family
• the political landscape of Russia/U.S. in the 20th c.
• the transformative power of art

I look forward to embarking on this journey with you!

Onwards,

GG

Banksy - There is Always Hope

Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

~ Emily Dickinson