Living Vancouver Canada

Monday, April 6, 2015

Leonora Carrington by Elena Poniatowska

Sir Edward James surrealist gardens in Xilitla , Mexico - "Un mural en la selva, Leonora carrington " Elena Poniatowska http://www.revistadelauniversidad.unam.mx/6209/poniatowska/62poniatowska02.html

The House Opposite is a 1945 painting by Leonora Carrington, a British-born surrealist artist who died Thursday. Edward James Trust - http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/05/27/vag-surrealism.html

May, 2012

Elena Poniatowska a renowned Mexican writer is celebrating her 80th birthday on May 19. One of her latest books is "Leonora" about Leonora Carrington one of the most famous surrealist painters. Two of Leonora Carrington's paintings were part of The Colour of My Dreams exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery last year.

The painter who passed away almost a year ago on May 25, 2011 was born in England and lived most of her life in Mexico, she was a close friend with the writer Elena Poniatowska. The book is a extraordinary novel about the fascinating life and art work of Leonora.

Leonora like other surrealist artists and many other personalities took refuge in Mexico during the Second World War, many like Leonora stayed in Mexico for the rest of their lives. She escaped from Europe with Renato Leduc a Mexican journalist, poet and diplomatic, and it is mentioned that their marriage was arranged as a way to help her escape.

Leonora Carrington, Wolfgang Paalen, many intellectuals, artists and thousands of Jewish and Spanish Republicans escaped the Second World War and came to Mexico thanks to Gilberto Bosques, a Mexican diplomat known as the Mexican Schindler. The documentary "Visa to Paradise" about him will probably be exhibited in Vancouver this year as part of the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival.

In Mexico she was a close friend with surrealist painters Remedios Varo, Kati Horna and with the eccentric Sir Edward James, who sponsored her and acquired many of her paintings. With him she visited Xilitla a small town in San Luis Potosí, Mexico where he had fallen in love with the jungle and it seems than also with Plutarco Gastelum Esquer. At that time Edward James was building the fantastic surrealist sculpture garden known as "Las Pozas" where Leonora painted a mural.

She was also friends with Luis Buñuel, Carlos Monsivaís, Carlos Fuentes, Wolfganag Paalen, Alice Rahon and surprisingly she met but were not close with Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo.

The book also has an interesting part about Leonora's second husband Imre Weisz frienship with Endre Friedmann (Endre Friedmann and Gerda Taro photographers created the pseudonymous Robert Capa), and how he is connected with the legendary Spanish Civil war negatives by Endre Friedman, David Seymour and Gerda Taro known as "The Mexican Suitcase". A documentary about it "The Mexican Suitcase" will be screened as part of the University of Victoria Latin American and Spanish Film Week at Cinecenta on September 18 to 23 2012.

An illustration to the book in Pinterest: Pinterest Leonora by Elena Poniatowska

Leye y Frade (detail) Lithograph on Arches paper - Leonora Carrington - Museo Francisco Cossío San Luis Potosí

Step-Sister's Hen (detail) Leonora Carrington - FEMSA Collection - MOA The Marvellous Real - Mexican Art in Vancouver

Elena Poniatowska and Leonora Carrington - http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/02/28/cultura/a09a1cul

Leonora by Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska - http://www.conaculta.gob.mx/sala_prensa_detalle.php?id=12470

The Secret Life of Edward James a great George Melly's documentary film from 1975 uploaded in YouTube by pangolinblues user. It was filmed in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico City and Essex, England. It shows some scenes with Leonora Carrington in Mexico City and some of his artwork it seems at Edward James house in Essex.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver - Kitsilano

Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver - Kitsilano beach park

Kits beach - Vancouver

Maple Beach B&B A Bed and Breakfast in Kitsilano - Vancouver, B.C. Canada

White plum blossom - Kitsilano - Vancouver

Cherry Blossoms in Kitsilano - Vancouver

White plum blossom - Kitsilano - Vancouver

Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver - Kitsilano beach park

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre - Cherry Blossoms in Kitsilano - Vancouver

Vanier Park - Cherry Blossoms in Kitsilano - Vancouver

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! - Kitsilano Beach - Vancouver, BC Canada

Monday, December 15, 2014

Museum of Vancouver Fashion Exhibition- From Rationing to Ravishing The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s

Museum of Vancouver

From Rationing to Ravishing

The Transformation of Women’s Clothing in the 1940s and 1950s

Museum of Vancouver Fashion Exhibition- From Rationing to Ravishing The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s

Museum of Vancouver

From Rationing to Ravishing

The Transformation of Women’s Clothing in the 1940s and 1950s

September 18, 2014 to March 8, 2014

Vancouver, BC Canada

For all the information about this exhibition visit: Museum of Vancouver website

Opening Reception Pictures

Check some pictures of the opening reception of the fabulous exhibition "From Rationing to Ravishing. The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s" at the Museum of Vancouver.
The exhibition features clothing from the collections of guest curators Ivan Sayers, Claus Jahnke and the Museum of Vancouver.

Museum of Vancouver Fashion Exhibition- Opening reception- From Rationing to Ravishing The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s

Click in the picture below to check more pictures in our Flickr photo album:

Museum of Vancouver Fashion Exhibition- Opening reception- From Rationing to Ravishing The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Museum of Vancouver Live Fashion Show - From Rationing to Ravishing The Transformation of Women´s Clothing in the 1940´s and 1950´s

Museum of Vancouver Live Fashion Show: From Rationing to Ravishin with historian Ivan Sayers

Some pictures of the live fashion show "From Rationing to Ravishing" with historian Ivan Sayers presented at the Museum of Vancouver last Novemeber 22, 2014.

Museum of Vancouver

From Rationing to Ravishing

The Transformation of Women’s Clothing in the 1940s and 1950s

September 18, 2014 to March 8, 2014

Vancouver, BC Canada

For all the information about this exhibition visit: Museum of Vancouver website

Museum of Vancouver Live Fashion Show: From Rationing to Ravishin with historian Ivan Sayers

Click in the picture below to see images on Flickr.

Museum of Vancouver Live Fashion Show: From Rationing to Ravishin with historian Ivan Sayers

Monday, December 8, 2014

Mexican Art - Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera, The Communicating Vessels (Homage to André Breton)

Diego Rivera one of the most extraordinary artists was born on December 8th, 1886.

We have been very fortunate in Vancouver to have his work included in different exhibitions, like Visions of Mexican Art hosted at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Some of his artwork were also included in The Colour of My Dreams exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the largest surrealist art exhibition ever presented in Canada.

Paintings like the "Communicating Vessels" a homage to Andre Breton, father of Surrealism was exhibited at "The Colour of My Dreams". The painting "Containing the ice in the Danube of Bratislava" was part of "Visions of Mexican Art" exhibition.

His paintings were also part of the "Shore Forest and Beyond - Art from Audin Exhibition", which is the largest collection of Mexican Modernist art in Canada at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

There is a portrait of Diego Rivera painting a mural taken by photographer Tina Modotti also exhibited at The Marvellous Real - Art from Mexico exhibition at the Museum of Anthropology.

Visit my Diego Rivera board on Pinterest with very interesting articles behind each pin.