RESIDENT INFORMATION

Lori Kent
2017

Maison Gai Saber Residency

Maison Gai Saber, 2017

A place of beauty and a sense of permanence became the perfect site to generate new ideas and inventory old ones. In the short days of winter, I came from what can be described as a “destabilized” country. Nothing could have been better for, not a project, but the finding of the seeds of new projects addressed to the context of change. Every creative worker should be so lucky as to find beauty in everything like at the Maison– the individualism of old stones and courageous timbers, the smell of old books and fresh coffee, the feel of a finely made porcelain cup or inherited textile, the sight of old European culture, such as the revolutionary woman staring, almost accusingly, in the oil portrait or the brothers in uniform that illustrate the naive optimism of war. We know the history, yet seem to be stumbling through the making of our own.

As nice as it was to ponder comfort and narrative among old things, it was the hosts––Francine and Horst––who made the experience memorable. A conversation was always available, a real conversation---informed, kind, reflective, and connected to the long timeline of Classical, Eurocentric knowledge. The hosts are propelled by informed curiosity. The complete answer is always just out of reach. I needed to experience that.

The output:

• Proposal for an exhibition at Hunter Project Space on “Mapping Ambiguity”
• Concept development for text-based fiber piece on the random pages of books in captured in photos of the library
• A desire to be better at needlepoint and glassmaking
• A coveting of the idea of being in France four months out of the year…a renewal of impossible dreams. (or are they?)
• Connections to philosophic and litrary worlds that will sustain me, through illness, dictators, work-generated stress... whatever may come.
• A renewed belief in the sketchbook as the means to capture thoughts and images.
• A further edit on my memoir “Rot and Redemption”

––LK