Comments for Optimistic Pursuits

Comment on Stuff I like by carla tak

carla tak — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:28:43 +0000

Val – thank you for your comments about my work, I really value your feedback…
See you in the hall!
Carla

Comment on Drawing in the dark by A review of West Side Story | Entertainment Blogs

A review of West Side Story | Entertainment Blogs — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:44:31 +0000

[...] Read more about the drawings here. West Side Story: Timeless Classic by Michael Cox When you’re a Jet, You’re a Jet all the way From your first cigarette To your last dyin’ day. First of all, is it an opera or musical theatre? And does it matter? We’d only seen the 1961 Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise film version of on DVD; as the cast began the first number, one could imagine being in that theatre in New York in 1957, how shocking it must have been to have onstage what was happening in the gritty urban streets only blocks from the theatre. It wasn’t hard to imagine: internecine gang turf fights, now with guns instead of knives, but just as deadly, was in the news in Metro Vancouver the night we went to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The set had a bold angled wall hanging downstage, upstage were movable brick walls plastered with torn posters and graffiti, and windows which were used to great effect during the balcony scenes between Tony and Maria, where mobile stairs were rotated by performers below, as each climbed toward the other, much like a camera’s circular dolly shot. Could it be? Yes, it could. Something’s coming, something good, If I can wait! Something’s coming, I don’t know what it is, Tony sings, and we know what’s coming, and it is good, and then it is tragic. I had remarked to my partner, as we milled with the nattering classes in the lobby, that it was a measure of the resonance this story has that audiences had not tired of it in over four centuries. Shakespeare based his play, published in various forms between 1609 and 1623, on The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Iuliet, written in 1562. Doug Tuck, in his always popular pre-show talk, noted that West Side Story had been staged in over 40,000 productions, over 300,000 performances, from school auditoriums to Broadway and London, but unlike many, if not most, of these re-mounts, Vancouver Opera’s production has the original choreography, as it was first designed by Robbins. We knew the music, we knew the story, we knew Tony and Maria would die, but still, it brought tears (the man sitting next to me wasn’t the only one who removed his glasses to dab at his eyes), as Maria sings, to her friends gathered in her bedroom, I feel pretty, Oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright! And I pity Any girl who isn’t me tonight. The first act is lively, funny, exciting; we were impressed by the dancing, there wasn’t a false move by any of the energetic cast; a notable standout was Scott Augustine as Riff, who got it spot-on, one of those “triple-threat” perfomers (singer, dancer, actor). My partner sketched the scene as the girls taunted “the craziest girl on the block,” fetchingly performed by Lucia Cesaroni, who captures the star-cross’d innocence of young Maria with a thousand-watt smile. Val Nelson. Blind contour drawing. Pen & paper. 8.5 x 11 in. One night, that’s all Maria will have with Tony, played with ardour by the handsome tenor Colin Ainsworth. A young man trying to break free of gang life, to go straight, make something of himself, the gang’s putative leader, Riff, reels Tony in for a rumble—“We’re gonna have us a ball,” he says, but all Tony’s mind and heart are elsewhere: Tonight, tonight, Won’t be just any night, Tonight there will be no morning star. Tonight, tonight, I’ll see my love tonight. And for us, stars will stop where they are. Val Nelson. Blind contour drawing. Pen & paper. 8.5 x 11 in. The second act, shorter than the first, is less successful, in part because there is no happy ending in store—no great surprise—neither the Sharks nor the Jets are going to have their way, the rumble turns deadly, Tony runs, and Anita sings to an unbelieving Maria: A boy who kills cannot love, A boy who kills has no heart. Val Nelson. Blind contour drawing. Pen & paper. 8.5 x 11 in. Maria, holds her dead lover, who only hours before had sung with her, “Hold my hand and I’ll take you there, / Somehow…”; for her, there is no future without him. [...]

Comment on In the Studio by Val Nelson

Val Nelson — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:37:43 +0000

Hello Junichiro,
Thanks so much for writing, and for the kind words. I hope to see you soon! And I hope your work is going well.

all the best,
Val

Comment on In the Studio by Junichiro

Junichiro — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:51:57 +0000

Looking forward to your next exhibition! Pressure Pressure!
Just kidding. You’re work always seems to amaze me.

Comment on About by Val Nelson

Val Nelson — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:54:36 +0000

thanks so much, Dale!

Comment on About by Dale Smith

Dale Smith — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:44:53 +0000

Whenever I despair about the state of painting in these, the early years of the 21st century, I look at images of some of your work and I feel better!
(Recently, I notice that there are other painters/photographers who share my opinion and are ‘incorporating’;), a few Val Nelson composition/subject elements into their work.)
Wishing you the very best…

Comment on The Wanderer by Val Nelson

Val Nelson — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:25:40 +0000

My art school pal Chris Catalano wrote in with this comment:

“Ever hear Gretzky talk about those kids whose parents made them go to hockey school in the summers, play hockey when they woke up, go practice after school, watch hockey videos in the evening? Not him. He claims that in the summer when other kids were obsessing on hockey perfection, he went swimming, or played ball, or just chilled. Look at what became of him.

Too many people think if they simply focus on one task, their acquired virtuosity will make them the best at their chosen field…but it doesn’t always work that way. Creativity DOES have to breathe, retreat, fool around, fuck up, innovate. One trick ponies are usually boring, limited in conceptual scope and vision.

Gretzky “saw the ice”…and hockey became better because of it.”

Comment on Drawing in the dark by Val Nelson

Val Nelson — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:13:07 +0000

thank you Nicole! hope to see you in November.
all the best, V

Comment on In the Studio by nicolerigets

nicolerigets — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:12:04 +0000

i Look forward to seeing your November show.

Comment on Drawing in the dark by nicolerigets

nicolerigets — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:08:13 +0000

Love this type of art… and your drawing Val!