Dream in Arles, 2023

It’s been a joy and a privilege to be so involved in this great exhibition at Musée Réattu in Arles, France - from July 1st until October 1st 2023.

One of my photographs has been chosen for the official poster and invitation, as for the cover of the beautiful catalogue published by Maison CF.

I am endlessly grateful to Florence and Damien Bachelot, passionate collectors, for giving me the immense honor to be exhibited in good company (with some of my masters, who inspired me over the years), and for this reunion with the audience and this immense artist : dancer Nicolas Le Riche, on the opening night on July 1st.

A dream, indeed.

Book published by Maison CF

Nicolas le Riche and I on the opening night

Second room of the exhibition “portraits” at Musée Réattu

LeeAlexander McQueen - Cyanotype - in the chapel of Musée Réattu, Arles, FR

Ann ray & Damien Bachelot

On the departure, in Avignon SNCF station, FR.

Back to my clouds

It could be a very long story. Vicissitudes of life, we’ll say.

This series of clouds was “in progress” for over a year. For very precise reasons, it proved extremely difficult to progress in a fulfilling manner. Bad vibes. I had to let it go, until the right moment.

The moment happened last Saturday. In just one day, I was able to finish “Nuage, I” and believe me my friends, this is a significant victory on the mean and the dark.

Well, voilà, I am beyond happy with this, I am writing between two work sessions on Nuages II, III, IV & V. (yes, I usually work on several compositions at the same time).

As I feel back to my very self, my art and my faith, let’s share ! Because, you know, right now, I am on my cloud ;-)

Joy & fear & joy

Exposure, indeed.

Next Tuesday will start my very first exhibition of Compositions, all sorts of tableaux made mostly on canvas.

The last one is called “Newborn”, my Gallerist Mr Matthias Kunz has not seen it yet, I will carry it in my arms tomorrow on my way to Munich. Every 3 or 4 months, Mr Kunz came to Paris to see new works in the atelier. These visits have been wonderful and crucial to me. During his last visit, he noticed something, a tiny thing, in my drawing books. And he inspired me. Merci Matthias. Difficult to say who has the paternity / maternity of the newborn. Merci, infiniment. It is such a gentle feeling to be understood.

I know that I will not be alone on August 23rd, for the opening of our exhibition. I can’t wait.

Exposed

Launching a new exhibition in 2020 - initially planned in May - on October 15th seemed like a miracle, honestly.

I am delighted, honored and grateful to Galerie Sabine Knust , and especially Matthias Kunz who wonderfully curated the show, for my new exhibition “Licence to dream” in Munich.

Please note that the exhibition has been extended until December 15th.

Visit, and enjoy !

Photographs :

McQueen collection

The Blind Faith project

Insensé

Film : “Insensé”, 13 minutes.

Collages : worldwide premiere

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Collages & Confinement.

Finalement,

J’ai l’impression que le confinement a accéléré un processus, personnel et créatif : celui d’être littéralement collée à moi-même, au plus près de ma vérité.

Il y avait beaucoup trop de cris silencieux à l’intérieur.

J’ai déconstruit, déchiré souvent, assemblé patiemment, écrit, collé. Et bien d’autres choses encore.

Je me suis perdue dans mes collages. Et trouvée, fatalement.

Il faut croire que j’étais en mille morceaux.

C’est vrai, parfois les croissants de lune sont en miettes.
On n’arrive plus à rêver.

Alors il faut tout recommencer.

Renaissance.

Music

I don’t think I could live in a world deprived of music.

I enjoyed an out-of-time spiritual experience with Teodor Currentzis conducting the Requiem / Verdi in Vienna’s Konzerthaus, with Music Aeterna choir and orchestra.

Just : divine…

Thank you Teodor. Thank you all.

Wishes

“Thank you”/ The Blue Room, 2017 / Adam Russell-Jones

Dreams

Don’t you dare to step into my dreams unless you have been invited to.

Now you know.

The Blue Room, 2017.

What I Saw

During my last week-end in September at the Photography Festival in Arles, I realised ironically that I didn’t have any decent tracks - apart from my IPhone snapshots - of that exhibition “Les Inachevés - Lee McQueen.” So I took my camera on the day of closure, the 23rd of September, and spent some quiet moments there ; in a last & final observation, I tried & captured what I saw. What hopefully the visitors saw.
Voilà: 13 years of love, art, work, and 20 years of thoughts, feelings, fierce experience, grief & joy wrapped up in a 1mn version for Instagram & websites...

Merci : Sam Stourdzé, curator. Myriam Blundell, at ART CINEMA, curator & producer. Collection Bachelot, Olivier Massart & Patrizia Pilotti for their precious support.

Transmission in on its way : stay tuned. China first, and then… To be continued.

Apparition

I perfectly remember the observation : Aurélie Dupont, rehearsing in New York, in Marta Graham studio. Privilege. We spent hours together in that studio, otherwise we've been walking in the snow : after a terrible snow storm, NYC was immaculate. It was in January 2016, and I never forgot the privilege of photographing Aurélie in Marta Graham studio. Through the window, we could see the skyline and the river.

The privilege was new and familiar when I photographed again Aurélie last Saturday, rehearsing & performing another solo after Marta Graham.

Apparition, indeed. Or Art Vivant. What I love: in and out of time, ultimately present in a fleeting moment.

Aurélie Dupont, Principal dancer & Director of Paris Opera Ballet : a true artist, one of a kind.

Aurélie Dupont / EKSTASIS solo choreographed by Virginie Mecene, after Marta Graham

© Ann Ray 2018 - any use of the image is strictly forbidden - copyright laws apply.