Gary Larson Rock Collection

I have come into possession of an old rock collection previously owned by Gary Larson. The discolored label on the bottom of the wood-backed display reads:

Batil Merman's Grandchildren
Collected by Andrew Miller - Summer 1882
Property of FIHS

I Think Gary got it at a garage sale. Either that or he stole it. It looks really old.

Gary Larson Rock Collection - Batil Merman's Grandchildren
Photo by Kevin Imper

@kevingimper

Cold Comfort

My photo entitled "Cold Comfort" has been selected for exhibit at the 2021 juried Collective Visions Gallery (CVG) in Bremerton, Washington. The competition's juror for the show is Michael D'Alessandro, Executive Director at the Northwinds Arts Center in Port Townsend.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/coldcomfort/

Cold Comfort - Fort Flagler  2019

Following is my end of a discussion of the work with David, my brother, and favorite critic.

"I took this photo up at Fort Flagler. The chair was abandoned in a pile of rubbish near the end of an old loading dock and had to be moved up next to the door. An overcast November day.

Your analysis of the photos is exactly my intention. And your boldly detailing your thoughts with such confidence tells me we share a view of the world and its dangerous, or at the minimum, ambiguous, nature. I think of the chair as “cold comfort.” Take the mind's image of a veranda on a warm summer night, witness to the neighbors as they parade in front of an inviting southern home with all of its friendly hospitality - then twist it. A hard chair, actually a shell of a chair, sitting in front of the chain link, the bars, the locked gate and an exposed porch, with no warm light coming from within. The angle of the shot, the strong diagonal shapes out of balance, make the photo teeter. And hopefully make the viewer uncomfortable. I darkened the edge of thick mat a bit in Photoshop to heighten that sense of unbalance - of suspension off the plane of the porch. It is a cold day and there is no comfort to be had on this porch."

@kevingimper

Galerie Montmartre

Every tourist in Paris, and, I am sure, most Parisians, end up in Place du Tertre near Sacre Coeur at some point. The square is packed with galleries, street artists, and sometimes maybe just a little too much humanity. But you can occasionally find some relief from the jostling tourists by stepping into one of the adjacent galleries. I suggest the Galerie Montmartre. Peering into the window you will see a quiet space populated by great art—Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall. I did this last June.

A Miro, visible from the window, drew me in. Gallerie Montmartre is a peaceful environment, and you will be surrounded by beautiful things. The gallery specializes in Picasso and Dali, and there are both sculptures and prints for sale. As I was viewing that Joan Miro, I noticed a stack of framed pieces leaning against an adjacent wall. I could have tripped over them. I began flipping through the pile to see if there was a Chagall lithograph hiding in there. There may have been, but I got side-tracked by what I found in the pile. There was a very beautifully framed Francis Bacon triptych, in gorgeous condition, numbered and signed. The triptych was priced way out of my range, but that didn’t stop me from drooling over it. I had been working on my “Chasing Bacon” photo series for a couple of years before I wandered into the gallery, and this discovery was an unexpected treasure.

Gallery Art Advisor Noemie Snieg, saw my interest and invited me back at a quieter time to discuss Bacon’s work. When I returned, I found that the triptych had been hung. Our visit was too short, but the conversation was exceptional. While I was there, I saw that other visitors were also being treated as special guests by the staff at Gallerie Montmartre.

If you stop in, don’t be shy about starting a discussion with Noemie or any of the other staff. They are friendly and helpful. If you are a tourist, this will be a highlight of your trip you will not forget. There is no pressure to buy. The gallery is run by professionals that love the artists they represent.

As a side-note: I checked their quote for the Bacon online after I left. It was very fairly priced. And it was exquisitely presented. (As you can see in the photo)

Noemie Snieg with the Bacon Triptych at Gallerie Montmartre.

http://www.galerie-montmartre.com/