Niki de Saint Phalle

I love the round, the curves, the undulation, 

the world is round, the world is a breast

Niki de Saint Phalle

Niki de Saint Phalle, a master of color and pattern, the feminine and the mystic, here is another artist who's art was her life and her life was her art.   The definition of a multi-media artist, she worked in painting, installations, sculpture, jewelry, film and she has even designed gardens (the Tarot Garden, Niki de Saint Phalle’s esoteric sculpture garden based on the Tarot cards, located in Tuscany, Italy. and playgrounds.

Niki de Saint Phalle's Golum, Rabinovich Park, Jerusalem 1972
© Estate of Niki de Saint Phalle, courtesy Tom Little and The Playground Project

Her oeuvre is vast and her life intriguing so I encourage you to follow the links to learn more about this prolific and talented woman.

Two notable bodies of her works are her Nanas, her shooting paintings, or Tirs. ( click here to see video about her shooting paintings)
 

Another piece to note, Hon/Elle was a installation/sculptural 'cathedral for the Moderna Museet de Stockholm in 1966. Hon/Elle was a collaboration of Pontus Hulten, director of the museum who invited Niki de Saint Phalle (French), Jean Tinguely (Suisse) and Per Olof Ultvedt (Swedish).

... the three artists with the help of five assistants worked for 40 days almost day and night to build a 82 feet long, 30 feet wide and 6 tons heavy sculpture!

plans for 'Hon'

Niki de Saint Phalle creating one of her shooting paintings

nikidesaintphalle.org

Artist provocateur: Niki de Saint Phalle retrospective at Guggenheim Bilbao

Niki de Saint Phalle, artiste non-conventionnelle

art directory: Niki de Saint Phalle 

finding a groove

After all my anticipation and excitement about being at Vermont Studio Center, my first day here was difficult!! I felt sooooo out of sorts, out of my chair as a good friend says. Besides arriving a day late!! (my bad, had written the arrival day down wrong on a few of my calendars?!?!?), and coming in the middle of a longer session (most of the folks here are here for at least 4 weeks) I really doubted if I belonged here. But luckily that mental state or 'head trash' has past and I am feeling a little more like myself & LOVING being in my studio!!

Although I was doubting myself, I did set up a carbon footprint dress yesterday. I put it outside my studio door and my studio mates are being great about adding their Vermont dirt. The interesting thing is that since I was feeling pretty sheepish yesterday, the dress is a little

dress (note boots), a bit demure. But it is getting dirty fast!! but it is mud season here!!!!

Then today things got sensationally better ~ I went into a beautiful local bookstore, Ebenezer Books, to see if they sold blank CDs and they didn't; but I saw this amazing book about one of my utmost favorite artists, Niki de Saint Phalle. I could not believe it ~ I have unsuccessfully looked for books about her & here was one, in a small bookstore in Johnson, VT!!! I took it as a sign - that I am supposed to be here and that I belong here. So I bought the book and brought it back to my studio where it now is smiling at me as I set up a new project, that I wildly crazy about ... but more about that later.

so I found my groove & it feels good!!! (maybe someday I will learn this life lesson; that when I am consumed with self doubt & feel as though I have lost all my ideas and talent, that this too will pass. Every time this happens I panic & then I am so relieved!... maybe some day)

Peace & be well!!