NOLA Art & Gallery Love

When we arrived in New Orleans last week, it was 

the day before the French Quarter Fest

The festival brought in artists from all over the country, 
lining their work around Jackson Square and 
adjacent side streets.

This artist's work above, Epaul Julien, was among
my favorites. His photographs use a gold leaf/resin process.
I wish you could see the patina of the gold in the photos.
Simply exquisite.  The juxtaposition of the reclaimed
lumber frame against this rich texture was intriguing.

Next to him was an artist who did geographical maps on reclaimed lumber. Her process involves building a frame out of wood, painting and staining the planks, varying the planks by adding vintage fabric and then somehow adding the map to the top of the boards.  The map has a raised texture and 
I couldn't help but think this looked quite Anthropologie-ish.

I wish I could find her card.  
I probably threw it in a pocket . . . somewhere.

The piece below with the man and his kite,

actually moves.  It's as if you feel wind blowing.
 How someone could carve, paint, build

and then make it movable is well, beyond me.

I learned a new term, as it is known as 
a Mixed Media Automatron.  I fell deeply in love

with this artists work.  His name is Tom Haney, from Atlanta,

and the gallery in NOLA where I saw this is Red Truck Gallery.

My boss, Susan Jackson, alerted me to the next artist's work.

Chris Roberts-Antieau has her own gallery, and I'm not

quite sure you can categorize her art or her by simply 

saying she is a fiber artist.  Much of her art does involve

using a needle - quilted, embroidered, etc., but the vibe

of the gallery and the humor in the work is 

something extraordinary.

Take this squirrel with the mustache.  Part of an

installation called "Phantom Limb Illustrated."

Hanging from the ceiling are various false legs

with wings on them.  Below the legs, is a wooden

landscape with all types of taxidermy animals

like Mr. Maximillan Squirrel (the name I gave him).

There is a lot going on in this gallery.

I went back about 5 times.  This artist has a prolific

body of work.  I even got to go back in the offices

and in a behind the curtain gallery.

Chris had subject matters that just kept making me laugh

out loud.  Like "James Brown's Legs" and a piece

thanking little people in film with depictions of

a flying monkey, R2D2, Yoda, E.T., etc.

I could have shot 1,000 pictures just in this space.

You can find Chris' work at Antieau Gallery, which is at 927 Royal Street.  Chris is a woman, by the way, and has reddish hair.

Look for her, as she is often there, and is one of

those artist who doesn't tell people about her work.

She's more interested in what you think about it.