Australia Artists Book Fair - Inter DaDa 84 book was selected for the fair

Richard Tipping provided this great view of the fair. Click to enlarge this impressive image.

 

Volume 2017 - Jim Anderson was there at 5 in the afternoon on Friday (13th October) and took a few quick photos with the tables barely set up and the crowd arriving. The Fair continues through Saturday and Sunday. They say the big publishers are having a hard time. The small publishers are just having fun. You can have a book made on the spot, have your portrait taken, interviews, talks, videos, a seminar or two. For aficionados, not to be missed.

 Hi Ginny, thanks much for getting a copy of your book, Inter DaDa all the way from California in '84 to us in Australia in 2017 (a Network event crosses both the Millenial and the Date Lines making history that just won't die). The image was made for us by Jim Anderson, famous for Oz magazines and the Oz magazine trials in London when London was the centre of the action. Hope to send a few bits and pieces from Jim's megaphone (better than Donald's) into the grinder of your publicity machine. Best to you. terry reid

 

The Most Dada Thing: Neo-Dada in San Francisco

Tuesday, November 1, 2016 through Saturday, December 31, 2016
San Francisco Public Library, Skylight Gallery, 6th Floor, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California, 94102

The San Francisco History Center's SF Punk Archive and Book Arts & Special Collections are pleased to present The Most Dada Thing, an exhibition of artifacts left behind by the Bay Area Dadaists and the creators of Inter Dada 84. Inter Dada 84 was an internationally attended celebration of the spirit of DADA. It took place over seven days in Sept, 1984 in multiple SF locations, showcasing performances, videos, films, mail art, photography, lectures and carousing.

As part of the SF Dada World Fair my collection of Inter DADA 84 posters, publicity cards, etc and a selection of mail art are on exhibit at the SF Library's 6th floor Skylight Gallery. It will be available to see through December 31st. Check out the photos at the blog.

Also the book InterDADA84: True DADA Confessions is for sale at City Lights Books or at my online store. Videos are at the Interdada 84 blog.

This exhibit is sponsored by the San Francisco History Center’s SF Punk Archive and Book Arts & Special Collections.

 

Wild Women Surrender

In 1986 an opportunity to put together an installation show in a former motel’s five rooms ended up in my lap. I had not worked in the entertainment installation format often but decided to “give” my rooms to four other artists under the theme Wild Women.

The premise of the theme was to pick an aspect of the female psyche expressing itself when going wild, meaning free from restraint. What happens?

Each woman (Anna Banana, Donna Mae Shaver, Doris Boris Berman, and Susan K) chose a different aspect that included sexual wildness, spiritual practice, back to the earth connection, political activist, and emotional purge. Her room was to reflect her chosen theme and the artist had to interact with the installation in some way on opening night. Each of the artists had a wild side to their personalities making them a good mix.

Anna

Susan

It was a successful turn out at the opening and many people grasped the concepts, especially the women. One budding writer (male) however did not like/understand it all even leaving out one installation completely in his review. Too bad! 

But the news I want to get to is something I learned this week. Two of the women died who were in that show, caught by cancer. That’s a high percentage. Donna Mae Shaver (Montgomery) January 9, 2010 and Doris Boris Berman May 10, 2015. To learn of two in one week rocked my world a bit.

Donna Mae

Donna Mae was a photographer and worked in other media as well, became a part of the neo-Dada scene in the Bay Area, showing her work in a gallery during the Inter DADA 84 week and participating in a photo group. I did not know her well but her art was always well made and quirky in a memorable way.

Peter Kaufmann artist

I knew Austrian Doris Boris much better especially in the early 80s. Another photographer, she showed her work at my space The Storefront and other spaces we both participated in. According to her obituary she grew up in Salzburg (in her family’s castle) and achieved recognition as a recording artist under the name Isabell Domin. To pursue her career as a multi-media artist she moved to the United States.

Photo of Ginny by Doris Boris

We were both fans of Nina Hagan and Doris Boris could do a great impersonation of her. We clubbed together in Berlin (most memorable was the Cave an old cavern wine cellar type place) with friends while I was there on my way to Poland, staying at an apartment with a European prince she knew. She took me for my first exposure to a massive anti-American demonstration, with the black ski masks and burning effigies. I was under strict instruction to watch but not speak for my safety.

Art by Doris Boris

The Berlin wall had not been knocked down yet and the mood in the city was bleak. I went over to East Germany one day to visit the Rehfeldts accompanied by Doris Boris as far as a bar on the East side. We sat for awhile to people watch the fascinating comings and goings through the checkpoint.

 “She was equally at home in San Francisco, New York, Berlin and Paris. A real pop princess her vitality and creativity touched many lives.”

In 2008 her friend Perry Vasquez produced a documentary film, Fotoaktion! about her life and work. If you like performance art there's some interesting info. Can you find me in the video?

San Francisco Art Institute Show

 

"It was quite a success overall for everyone! Even the school president came by and said it was great. The photographers are Dio Chen, Minoosh Zomorodinia, Eva Recinos, and Lisa Boling (me). Also all the graphic marketing stuff was designed by me, the photos in the marketing materials were taken by Alex Molinari." Lisa Boling, curator

The following are selections from my work:

 Art in Space - 1984 event/performance

DADA On Your Own performance - from Inter DADA 84

  

H'Art Attack reenacted - from Storefront project in 1981

 

 

Book Release!!

Officially releasing at the Miami Book Fair International - Nov 21 to 23, 2014 as part of the Exile Books project - EXILE's Artist's Book Lounge.

What happens when a group of international dadaists get together for a week in 1984? Photos, artwork, and confessions are just some of the topics included in this book. Stories and reports by: Banana, Behrens-Brigham, Bell, Bloch, Cavellini, Chew, Held, ING, Mollett, Olbrich, Spiegelman, Truck, and many more.