May 2015 - Dreams & Divinities Press Release for “The Garden of Fernal Delights” We are happy to announce the launch of the new Dreams & Divinities book “The Encyclopaedia of Fernal Affairs” as well as its Travelling Show of artwork and events. This current project includes 114 painters and sculptors as well as video artists, musicians and performers. It is scheduled for exhibits-events in San Francisco, Los Angeles & Singapore. Information for images and text as well as email addresses can be found at the end of this file. I am available for questions on the holistic nature of the book, exhibits and events. Bruce Rimell is available to talk about his invented language “Fernalese” and Gromyko Semper is available to speak about the genesis of the Fernal cosmos. Welcome to the Fernal Garden, Liba WS
Collage by John Vochatzer
PROJECT DESCRIPTION - GARDEN OF FERNAL DELIGHTS DREAMS & DIVINITIES
THE GARDEN
Dreams & Divinities offers the public a window into an emerging planetary movement of ‘Conscious Art’ which spans a wide range of artistic styles from the indigenous visionary arts of the Peruvian Indians to high profile neo surrealists. We are united aesthetically and thematically with Universal Love, community and beauty at the core. Dreams & Divinities creates collaborations around a book theme and then works with the International art community to exhibit travelling shows and host events.
The Fernal concept was conceived by artist Gromyko Semper as a lush and verdant antithesis to the Infernal. His developing universe evoked the image of a contemporary ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ (by the 16th century Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch). As Gromyko revealed his concept, we both came to realize how many of our contemporaries were naturally Fernal. Whether lowbrow, visionary, surrealist, outsider, fantastic, or magic realists, the Fernal universe was already being expressed through fantastic landscapes and botany, surreal species and architecture, magically divine symbolism. It was so rich that I proposed to catalogue this co-created Fernal universe in an Encyclopædia. Thus the birth of this book, its exhibits and events. Bruce Rimell rapidly found his way into the core of our Fernal fantasy. We became three to brainstorm, invent stories together and develop a foundation for the Garden, which we describe as such: The Garden of Fernal Delights is a sublime and paradisiacal place where all the delights of the natural world from the sexual to the surreal, the visionary to the instinctive, are celebrated as fundamental joys of being alive. The Garden is a multi-dimensional place where all is conscious and divinely intelligent from the animal to mineral to vegetable to the etheric. All can communicate, co-create, cooperate. This Garden of Delights knows no violence, no notion of original sin, no hierarchy, no fixed temporal system. Rather it is a place of magic, of play and playfulness. It resides in the Garden of the heart and has no limit to its creativity. From here, I was able to build the structure and design of the book in order for artists to collaborate.
Map by Sandra Yagi
Click Here for a Video of the Book
“The paradox of Fernal Delights is the equinox of the moment we understand and comprehend the failing and beautiful life forms around us. This grand compendium allows us to linger while our small minds catch up with the gush of liquid ideas caught for a moment on canvas. A powerful presentation.” Ronald Edward Turner – Publisher/Editor in Chief at Last Gasp Publications
“The Encyclopedia” will be available in fine bookstores, galleries and it is currently on Pre-sale in my store: http://www.artwork-liba.com/#!/sitepage_7
THE ENCYCLOPĂŚDIA OF FERNAL AFFAIRS CLICK HERE FOR MORE SAMPLE PAGES A limited edition Dreams and Divinities full colour hardback book. This 245 page bilingual book (English-Fernalese*) will be launched May 29th 2015 Book Design & Production: Liba WS Curated by: Liba WS & Gromyko Semper Written by Liba WS & Bruce Rimell, Proofed by: Delvin Solkinson, Liba & Bruce Artwork and writing from 114 artists including Ernst Fuchs, Martin Wittfooth, Beksinski, Alex Grey, Mu Pan, Madeline Von Foerster & an eclectic community of Internationally acclaimed artists from genres including: low brow, visionary, pop surrealism, magic realism and fantastic. The EncyclopĂŚdia takes on the task of cataloguing the Garden of Fernal Delights. It is divided into alphabetical chapters eg: A for Architecture, B for Botany, C for Culture, D for Dreams, E for Erotica etc. Twenty-one different artists did the illuminated letters, Gromyko Semper created the borders throughout the book and Michael Hutter did the illustrations for the cover. I worked with artists on their texts and Bruce and I wrote for those who gave us carte blanche. *Fernalese is a working language invented for the Garden by artist Bruce Rimell.
ARTIST LIST FOR THE THE ENCYCLOPæDIA OF FERNAL AFFAIRS Agostino Arrivabene Alain Margotton Alex & Allyson Grey Aloria Weaver Amanda Sage Amy Aragon Aron Wiesenfeld Ben Blatt Bette Burgoyne Bienvenido Bones Bañez Jr. Bill Hammond Boris Indrikov Brigid Marlin Bruce Rimell Carey Thompson Carol Prusa Carrie Ann Baade Charles Wish Charlie Immer Cody Seekins Craig LaRotonda Daniel Mirante Daniela Ovtcharov Danny Malbeouf David Heskin Dean Fleming Dengcoy Miel Dexter Sy Dominique Desorges Don Farrell Eli Tiunine
Elisa Keir /Crico Baker - The Ether Miners Elisabeth Slettnes El Gato Erich Moffit Ernst Fuchs Frédérique Lemarchand Frédéric Voisin Gabriela Garza Padilla Gaia Orion Gareth Price Graszca Paulska Gromyko Semper Gwyllm Llwydd Hannah Faith Yata Hector Pineda Heidi Taillefer Heishiro Ishino Hugues Gillet Iain Whittaker Irina S. Zaytceva Jade Leyva-Frouge Jeff Wood Jericho Vamenta Joe Macgown John Brockington John Vochatzer Kathi Stutler Schmeider Lara Aleda Laurie Lipton Leeroy New Leslie Ditto
Liam Barr Liba WS Linda Ridd Herzog Lucy Hardie Luigi la Speranza Luis Tamani Madeline von Foerster Magi Calhoun Marc Garro Marcel Antonio Marcelo Suaznabar Marcus McAllister Martin Wittfooth Mark Henson Martin Stensaas Martina Hoffmann Matthew Couper Maura Holden Micha Lobi Michael Hutter Michael Page Michel Bassot Michele Hollanes Lua Mike Davis Nicola Verlatto Nobuki Omori Olga Spiegel Onanyati Oyster Pirates Otto Rapp Pascal Ferry
Patrick McGrath Muniz Pavel Gulyaev Peter Gric Philip Rubinov Jacobson Regine Kafeder Reinhard Schmid Robert Fronk Robert Steven Connett Robert Venosa Roku Sasaki Sandra Yagi Santiago Caruso Santiago Ribeiro Sarah Zambiasi Sergey Tyukanov Steven Kenny Stuart Griggs Sussanah Martin Tanya Miller Timea Tallian Ton Haring Tricia Cline Vesna Krasnec Vladimir Ovtcharov Wessi Wolfgang Harms Yoann Lossel Zeljko Djurovic Zdzislaw Beksinski
On May 29th, 2015 The Garden of Fernal Delights will launch at Space 1970 in San Francisco
The 30th, The Travelling Show and the Encyclopedia will launch in San Francisco at Bash Contemporary
THE EXHIBITS It is logistically too difficult to exhibit work from the entire Fernal family at one given gallery. Therefore we have set it up to spread a selection of artists from the book over three shows. This makes each show unique while maintaining the Fernal theme. For example, we are currently just starting the invitations for the Singapore show but we will include new artists such as Jean Labourdette, The Oyster Pirates and Robert Steven Connett. Some artists from the launch will also be participating. Keep posted!
In late October the show will go onto the new Sananda Gallery in Los Angeles.
We have been invited to exhibit by three excellent galleries, each representing a specific style featured in the book. Bridging these worlds through the Fernal heart, the show can celebrate the eclectic but harmonious nature of the project. I will make more specific press releases for each exhibit and their events as we arrive at the launch date. Please contact me at libaws@gmail.com if you would like one.
With a finale early 2016 at The Artesan Gallery & Studio in Singapore
Photo by Ben Ridgway
The launching exhibit includes 38 of the 114 artists and will be accompanied by three days of events. See the following page for details. Photo by Matt Elson
Photos courtesy of Roberta Dans
INFORMATION FOR THE LAUNCH IN SAN FRANCISCO
Three Days of Fernal Affairs: Book & Exhibit Launch Costume Ball with Events - Presentations - Film SPACE 1970
BASH GALLERY:
Friday May 29th 7:30 pm -3:00 am Costume Ball (wear a costume!) with Events, music, live painting...
Saturday May 29th 6:00 - 9:00 pm Launch for: The Encyclopaedia of Fernal Affairs and it’s exhibit of thirty-nine Internationally acclaimed artists. Artists will be present for a book signing.
8:00pm - Opening speech by Liba WS & Ben Stokes 8:30 - Acrobatic Cabaret performance by Featherpistol and Friends 9:30 - Audio Visual performance by Dimensional Holofonic Sound. 10:30 - Bay Area Belly Dance Talents 11:15 pm – 3:00 am DJ PJ & DJ Mophono -Video loop by Ben Ridgeway -Flute by Linda Michelle Hardy -Video Jockey – Ben Stokes -Live Painting (in alphabetical order) Aloria Weaver Bruce Rimell Carrie Ann Baade David Heskin Kathleen Stutler Schmieder Kathryn June Amorastreya 7 - 10$ at the door with donation hats for the cabaret and belly dancers. 1970 Harrison St San Francisco CA. 94103-4229 www.holofonic.com
Sunday May 31st 2:30- 3:15 pm Bruce Rimell does a presentation on his invented language “Fernalese” 3:30-4:00 pm Artist – Professor, Carrie Ann Baade presents: “The Critic and Kitsch: Another look at Narrative Art in the 20th Century.” 4:30 -5:30 pm Short videos: Artemis Seven produced & directed by Neirika. Filmed by Reed Rickert Dreams and Divinities in Mexico by Vincent Gallet BASH Contemporary 210 Golden Gate Avenue, CA 94102 (415) 926-8573 www.bashcontemporary.com image: Luis Tamani
ARTISTS FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO LAUNCH To see a larger album of full sized images as well as the illuminated letters which will be exhibited, click HERE
* indicates the artist’s image is only representational. The Fernal piece is still in progress.
AMANDA SAGE
ERNST FUCHS
JOHN VOCHATZER
I can supply you with a dropbox link for higher resolution images of the book cover, sample pages, the launch poster and larger versions of the artist collages (there are 4 which make my one) Please just let me know what you would like. Please feel free to grab text, logistical information and links from this pdf. If you have any questions about the project, feel free to contact me at libaws@gmail.com Liba Waring Stambollion For questions on Fernalese: Bruce Rimell - brucerimell@googlemail.com For questions on the Fernal genesis: Gromyko Semper - mykosemper@yahoo.com
www.dreamsanddivinities.com