in loka b, “the cloud room”

january 12 through february 21

matt sayre | metalworks

january 2009

we received the following piece from painter ona matulic, who was inspired to write it after attending two loka events in december: artist pierre delattre’s exploration on the subject of “coming home to beauty,” and poet dora mcquaid and photographer lenny foster’s reading/exhibition launching their 2009 calendar, “the dreamtime of horses.”  we decided to make ona’s poem/essay our first “guest blog.” what she says is something we all must consider.  let’s let 2009 be about that.  

the audacity of beauty

dares to reflect to us the truth of who we are…

birthright apparent…

folding away from the mundane, peeling it layer by layer, till every act is an act of beauty

i had decided to stop painting …there was simply too much stuff in the world …it can’t feed anyone i told myself.

my paintings didn’t fit in anywhere, not realistic, not completely abstract, not edgy, not hip, not, not, not…

why i would have thought that i should fit into a paradigm that touts independence while all the while keeping us in dependence is beyond me…why i would want to fit into a paradigm that values predatory profit over resource-based nurture is beyond me….what about interdependence?

leafing thru a daniel smith art supply catalogue I came across a quote: dostoyevsky said, “beauty will save the world”

stillness ensued and now

i savor the saving. let it roll around my tongue, palette and teeth:  take it deep within my being and i am fed….and so i continue to paint…not fitting in, rather creating my own space.  a new freedom birthed. others respond to this leap, and together we are nourished.

 

the audacity of beauty

idiom of essence

prayer of possibility

 

it’s how we speak source to each other.  How we remind one another of what it means to be

december 2008

as 2008 draws to a close, we have been musing on the functions of a public space such as loka.

sure, we pride ourselves on our fresh daily offerings of organic baked goods, seasonal food items made from scratch, and organic teas and coffee drinks.

and we’re excited about our december events, including explorations on the subject of beauty led by pierre delattre, the launch of a 2009 poetry and photography calendar by dora mcquaid and lenny foster, an exhibition of little-seen visual art by national endowment for the arts poetry fellow john brandi, cutting-edge music-listening opportunities spun by dj oliver knight, and the wonderful annual lighting of ledoux street.

but we like to think we’re more than just a food and art space. there’s a deep human impulse to gather and be with other humans. people want to be able to communicate face to face and in real time. (we saw a tremendous outpouring of this the snowy morning after the election, when people gravitated to the warmth of loka to share their thoughts, emotions, and energies about the momentous events of the previous evening.)

we find it odd that there’s a total absence of words to describe our need for our bodies to be with other bodies and to be seen by the other. what word(s) would you use, borrow, or invent to describe this phenomenon, this primal need we have as human beings?

we’d love to open up discussion about this. really, when you come into loka, what are you here for? 

july 2008

…just look for the ostrich…

Alexandra Gapihan at Loka | June 2008

E L I Z A B E T H   H A I D L E   A T   L O K A

Illustrator extraordinaire,  Elizabeth Haidle tinkers with Mother Nature in, “Hypothetical Creatures”, now showing Loka “A”.  Hypothetical Creatures isolates and reaffirms certain blissful secular values of the Age of Enlightenment and Age of Discovery.  Perhaps some caffeine-induced and vague post-baroque idea-origins of Gottfried Liebniz may arise, along with otherwise obscure and steampunk roots of modern learning referring back 19th century new world fantasies.   Beth’s amazing collection may even conjure - or arouse - the embattled ghost of Charles Darwin and his dilligent unbiased recordings of the natural world. 

The show’s central feature consists of a linear sequence of 25 clayboard etchings, each detailing a fictitonal hybrid lifeform designed by beth.  Each conceivable specimen is comprised of two functional biological parts, brilliantly and imaginatively tagged. 

Are these species fictitional or do they really exist?  That is the question given to consider. 

the e-word is alive and well.  we notice in beth’s work a socio-political wish-metaphor speaking to the profound dumbing down of – in particular – our united states of america.   coinciding with the relentless push of the likes of religious and otherwise large-scale collective organizational entities posessing the conspicuous intent to delete arduous centuries of progressive social agreements – agreements that power autonomy and free society -  a secular society we most often feel fortunate to be born into, rely on, and take for granted. 

Be in touch with Beth and her extensive range of projects via her website, www.ehaidle.com

We feel Beth deserves a medal for fearlessly and innocently stating the obvious.  Something local area Lab scientists refuse to stand up to (to inquire upon a local reference - and absolutely in no way referring to you, dear Amanda)

beth’s work will continue to show and be available for purchase at paper cloud, a fine paper goods store and all occasion gift shop located in the ledoux plaza courtyard across from cafe loka.  if you love paper and print, you’ll love paper cloud!

Current artist Elizabeth Haidle (right) at Cafe Loka on a warm summer day.  july 10, 2008.