Hello! I will be selling my signature "Mini Introversion Boxes" at The Affordable Art Show at 63 Bluxome Street Gallery, San Francisco! 7-11pm, Friday, December 11...hope to see you there!

http://www.clamlynch.com/blog/2009/12/

....

Hello friends and family,

I am the featured artist for this August's Virtual Tart Exhibition: http://virtual.tart.co.nz !

My exhibition includes a portion of my "Sorrows & Blessings" exhibition that is on display at Strychnin Gallery in Berlin.

Virtual Tart is administered by my fellow assemblage artist friend Dale Copeland, from New Zealand. I met Dale in Berlin at the International Assemblage Artist Exhibition in 2006. She is an incredibly spunky lady and you can see her gorgeous artwork on the website as well.

Thank you for looking!

Lisa Mei Ling Fong


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dale Copeland
Date: Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:47 AM
Subject: art for August
To: Virtual Tart exhibition


The exhibition for August on http://virtual.tart.co.nz is Introversion Boxes, by Lisa Mei Ling Fong of San Francisco.   I met Lisa at as Assemblage Exhibition in Berlin and have long admired her work.  (And envied her too, for living close to The Bone Room, which must be the best shop in the world if you're an assemblage artist!)

And while you're on the Virtual Tart site, have a look at the Showcase ... there's new work there from me, from Anne Holliday, from Tony Rumball, Sharyn Lee Hoskin  .....

Paul Hutchinson, my partner, has been trying to break into the USA art world.  He has sold two of his small painting-a-day works on eBay, and has just put another one on.  All of the small paintings are on his http://postcardfrompuniho...blogspot.com  site and his latest eBay one is on http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/..eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=..150362559587  Do have a look ...
Many thanks
dale

I am very proud to announce that my Introversion Box, "Whale Bone Arch" is included in the "Whaleless" show that has just been accepted as a Museum Exhibition in Reggio Emilia, Italy!!  I am honored to be in collaboration with the hard work of Giovanni Cervi, Strychnin Gallery and the esteemed Civic Museum!!

Best,
Lisa Mei Ling Fong

Hello Everyone,

I've been going through a lot of jam-packed changes since late April and I turn around and find out it is June! I completed my internship making props at Berkeley Rep, took two weeks off to move back into the Splung warehouse in San Francisco where Aleph and catton Sugi have been waiting for me since my internship started in July last year. Donated 10 boxes of art supplies to S.C.R.A.P. and capricornian-ly organized all my belongings before I started my new job at Virgin America Airlines! Trained for 3 weeks, took several tests/exams that comprised of hours of studying, passed with a baker's dozen of my fellow teammates and off we were thrown into the arena of the San Francisco International Airport! It's been quite exciting running around and meeting literally loads of people at the ticket counter and gates, getting used to full makeup, nylons and a white blouse but the best part so far has been opening and closing Airbus airplane doors. Ka-Ching! and off those people are onto their next destination. My world has gotten bigger and it is a relief and a blessing to know that I really can be anywhere I want. San Francisco has brought the world to me. Thank you Aleph for bringing me home!

...and during those two weeks off and since, I've sweated gas masks and bullets to get my art studio up and running. A folding table, four bookshelves full of eerie ingredients plus installing a peg board to hang all of my tools so that I can squeeze in all the creating creating creating in between eating, going to the bathroom, training, studying and having sex. Oh and sleeping.

Soon, I will be presenting my show "Sorrows & Blessings" at Strychnin Gallery's Vault in Berlin!! Approximately F-o-r-t-y F-i-v-e Introversion Boxes! I am extremely excited and honored to be there and able to attend. In the last seven weeks I have made thirteen boxes that I am very proud of. I suppose I am working well under my own self-induced pressure and procrastination and there is a part of me that wants to pop out four more on my day off tomorrow.

Some of the titles of my recent works: Mercury, Mars, Faust, It Won't Come Smooth, Fragmented Growth, Divided Vision, Dance of the Demon II, The Fool, Stability, Saint Agatha, Re Morse, Light, Time.

Soon I will post photographs of them. I haven't had the time to do that yet... they will be fully documented, wrapped up the best I can and my babies will be off to Berlin!

I am very much looking forward to showing with Nuclear Religion, the artwork of Davey Jones and photographic works by Dayvid LeMmon. I feel it will be a good match, considering the themes I have been interested in. I have learned so incredibly much about myself in the last three years, encompassing my last year of Seattle and on to New York then San Francisco. I often find myself in a state of reflection, outside of the box so-to-speak...and that every single moment of sadness, hardship or struggle that I went through was met and overrided with an amazing triumph and that is why I feel happy with my life. Sorrows & Blessings.

 I present to you the flyers and poster for the Strychnin show (please post them everywhere - thank you!):

Hello Everyone,

I am honored that my artwork will be included in the amazing kunStart Art Fair in Bolzano, Italy! If you are in the area, please go to the Strychnin Gallery booth. May 21 -24.

Go to their website: http://www.kunstart.it/

The following Introversion Boxes will be traveling down - perhaps not all will be included in the show but nevertheless they are all going to be experiencing the journey to Italy together:

Self Portrait
Flown
Biological Pressure
Whale Bone Arch
Felis Silvestris Catus

Thank you Strychnin Gallery! You've done it again.

Best,
Lisa Mei Ling Fong

An International Group Show dedicated to the Whales, featuring my Introversion Box "Whale Bone Arch"!

http://www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=com_conte... Here's my first *solo* article about me on Juxtapoz.com!

I've always admired the common bond I have with assemblage and collage artists. Our collecting and reinterpreting, thought processes and journeys to create a unique body of artwork and identity. I have gathered together some of my favorite assemblage and collage artists who I have had the honor of getting to know both artistically and personally. I feel we have a lot to learn from each other and am thankful that, along with Cait Willis, we are able to present to you our common language. Please join us December 4th in Seattle:







108 Occidental Gallery and Lisa Mei Ling Fong presents:

"ALLEGORICAL"

Assembled
Living
Lexicons
Exhibiting
Grouped
Objects
Represented
In
Collage
And
Layers

December 4 - 27, 2008
****Opening Art Reception First Thursday, December 4, 5pm - 9pm****
Open Thursday thru Saturday 12 - 5

Featuring Assemblage & Collage by Lisa Mei Ling Fong, Aleph Kali, Jennifer Gardner, Rebecka Woodward, Kathryn Conway and Barbara "Boots" Ireland. The featured artists have also created one-of-a-kind smaller holiday gift items for sale. All artists are in attendance at the opening art reception. All artists are represented on my top MySpace friends.

108 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104. Cross Street @ Yesler. In the heart of Pioneer Square, one block north of Art in the Park

Thank you to Vik, an artist who found me on MySpace, who is writing a dissertation on female artists who collect, and asked me a few questions that I found interesting to answer:

What kinds of things do you collect?

Items that friends & family find for me and that in turn holds their energy. Also, stereographs, antique photos, tintypes, bones, creatures, hair, nature, metal bits, skeleton keys, compasses, bottles, poison bottles, items representing time, hourglasses, watch parts, fabrics, jewelry, medical illustrations, and the etcetera includes all other items that speak to me.

Is there one main collection that you love?

They are all varyingly special... My "Time" and compasses collections. I am consolidating all of my poison bottles into one piece - another "Poison Cabinet". If my items are not separated by what they are, then they are lumped together from what country they are from and all of those hold a significant amount of love.

If so what is it and why?

Time: the quintessential reminder that you should do as much as possible while you can.

Compasses: Finding your direction and path is important. Also, I hold in high honor that I have actually become what my surname is: "Fong" means "Square" and "Room" (my boxes), plus "Direction" (world traveler and seeker), as well as a slew of other meanings, including "Occultic".

Poison bottles probably represent my sense of humor ;)

Items from countries: I've taken on a different meaning of "souvenir". Everything happens upon my path for a reason and I like to embrace it. The things I find while on my travels can be anything from a baby Robin from Vermont, a painted piece of wall from Morocco, a rusty hinge from Spain, a porcupine quill from Africa or a leaf from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan. My items are also representations of relics from places where its historical significance is what inspired me to visit.

Why do you think you collect?

Items hold a significant amount of energy and sentiment for me. They are evidences of an interaction from being to being and thoughtfulness and reminds me how lucky I feel to be close to people. And/or items are a part of nature and we are left with its reminder and remains. They are pieces of existence and become an honor to me. Once these items come into my life, they hold a story of where they came from. They continue to evolve into an Introversion Box to tell an entire story as they interact with other energies.

Is it the process of finding the collection pieces, or just having the collection that interests you?

The process of involvement and interaction of finding and being gifted items for my artwork means more to me and that is where the vitality comes from. Just having the collection is an interim stage where the items are holding great potential to become memoriams to each other, depending on their paths I choose for them to take.

How do your collections make you feel?

Items help me ponder about a lot of existential thoughts. My relation between what I can think and what I can hold in my hands reminds me that my body is a temporary vessel versus what I am holding may last forever here in this world. Perhaps I am attempting to transfer who I am into a form of permanence. This creates a feeling of urgency to create my Introversion Boxes, to tell my story from all of my senses and to share them. My storytelling through artwork gives me great joy in knowing that I am actively taking part in being a fully creative soul. I feel proud to be who I was meant to be and I feel honored by the people I affect through my work.

What do you do with your collections (ie, keep in containers on pin boards etc)?

They are all organized in stackable black metal mesh containers on 12 large shelves in my art studio. Books and random collages of images are in stacks. Or items are being put on hold with other items in a potential box but waiting for the right piece to come along to complete its story.

Do you have collections that you wouldn't ever use in your art and why?

I suppose all items I own have the potential to become an intentional art piece.

Do you think a collection can be art in itself?

Yes. The human thought of collecting items together in a cohesive or haphazard way is an artform in itself.

Are there any female artists that you admire that use collections in their work?

Ashleigh "Madame" Talbot. My friends Jennifer Gardner and Kathryn Conway are talented assemblage artists that I admire very much and I am curating a show of our work in Seattle at 108 Occidental Gallery... December 4th is our opening at First Thursday!

Best,
Lisa

I have been going through thousands of photos of maybe the last 5 years and trying to upload all of them to my MySpace "Family and Friends" album and still haven't finished after 3 hours of tweeking and living through several lifetimes of memories. I feel truly blessed to know such a wide range of characters. My life is completely enriched with every single one of your stories that you've shared with me. I wouldn't be me without you.

Hello all my Seattle people,

I just got a gig in Seattle this weekend to stage manage this show. I've been waiting to hear The Fags play live for 14 years now... can't miss it! With Ben Ireland, Barb Ireland, Dahny Reed, William Bernhard and Freddy Vomit! Special guest Stone Gossard! The lead singer of The Fags, Upchuck died of AIDS in 1991, right before making it bigger in the punk rock Seattle scene. I've talked to Dennis who was the one who promised Upchuck this show, and it will be amazing. Be there! I will be flying in Friday night and leaving early Monday morning - only time you may catch me until my curating gig in Seattle in December :)

The Nasty Habits
The Fags - Reunion and CD Release Party
White Trash Debutantes
King Cat Theater
Saturday, September 27, 9:30p - 1:30a

...check out The Fags on my top 40 MySpace friends... !