Well, what an exciting time I had in the South of France for the opening of my exhibition of photographs of poets, with their poems about photography at fondation A.N.P.Q.
Arriving on Wednesday at Perpignan airport, after running the gauntlet that is Stansted (Ryanair and security), Gallery owner Richard greeted us in the bar with cold beer before whisking us off to Peret, where his other half (with enough energy for one and a half) Gabby, was getting the gallery spic-and-span. The prints which I had sent ahead were framed and on the wall, and it all look great.
The next day a band of helpers arrived to get everything ready for the private view, great quantities of food were produced, and even greater quantities of wine shipped out into the garden, where a bar was being constructed and lights being hung.
Tanguy Flot et moi
Around 6pm Tanguy Flot, the other artist being exhibitited, arrived and shortly after the first guests arrived. about 200 people turned up through out the evening.
first guests arrive
I stood around drinking wine and explaining about the photos & the poems & the poets. Thoroughly enjoying all the attention that both I and the photos were getting!
After wandering around the exhibition for a bit people gathered in the garden, drank wine and talked art! I met Geoff, a potter from Great Dunmow in Essex, and Tony, an artist who had illustrated a couple of books for the band ‘GRIMMS’ who had sparked my interest in poetry as a teenager.
dans le jardin
Outside as it grew dark the garden took on a whole new aspect as Richard’s light show took over from the daylight. The private view came to an end, Tanguy had sold a couple of works, and people began to wander off or were chased off by Gabby. A few friends, artists and helpers settled down to drink wine until the early hours!
Next morning (slightly hungover) I was greeted by a jubilant Gabby “I just got an email, we’ve sold one of your photos.”
Most of the day was spent sitting quietly in the shade, as Gabby and Richard cleared up from the night before, offers of help being flung back at us. Then in the evening it was off to Lodeve to the opening of a Bonnard exhibition at the local Musee & to meet the director of the Lodeve poetry festival.
Saturday the village of Peret was having a music festival, and the Gallery garden was open to the public for one of the events.
Richard sings Dylan
Saturday 20 June – Saturday 25 July 2009
traced in the shadows
derek adams: ways of looking at poets, photography
tanguy flot, tableaux
Photographs of contemporary British poets contrast with images cut from fabric and built with layers of hand-worked clay. Two artists whose work reveals a shared perception of the essence of the image.
A.N.P.Q 4 Avenue Marcellin Albert, 34800, Péret, France
http://www.anpq.org/
Traced in the Shadow 