See you tomorrow on 4th Street in Berkeley

Book Cover waves

See them this Saturday 9/25 from 5 - 9 at the Erica Tanov store in Berkeley

Stella

... debuting at my show at the Erica Tanov store in Berkley this Saturday 9/29 from 5-9

The storm before the calm

Having a blast in my studio making a big mess and getting ready for the Opening at the Erica Tanov Store in Berkeley

Gallery 555 : East/West Installation 2011

Here is a new short from a show I did last year for the Oakland Museum at Gallery 555 in Oakland....

Collaboration with Erica Tanov - Fall 2012

Emily Payne / Erica Tanov collaboration, Fall 2012

Solo show September 29, 2012 - January 6, 2013

Opening reception: Sat. September 29
at ERICA TANOV Berkeley

Freshly installed: 3 pinwheels

Now serving at BayWolf Restaurant in Oakland, California: hand cut wire with a garnish of locally found book covers.

Dancing globes

A dream job

Berkeley-based clothing designer, Erica Tanov, and I have collaborated on the fabric designs for her Fall 2012 collection!  We have transformed images of original wire works, book cover collages and a lino-cut image into patterns that will get printed onto cottons, petal silks and more! I can't wait to see the dresses and shirts, pillowcases and comforters, coat linings and other juicy items that Erica creates from these fabrics!  They will start to appear in stores (in NYC, SF, Marin and Berkeley) beginning in July... more on this soon! 

Only Yesterday

Of Whales and Men

Kalassal Opening Party - Nov 2 from 6 to 9pm

This will be a great fundraiser for one of my favorite local arts organizations. I am donating a piece from my recent show at the Donna Seager Gallery.

Maybe see you there?

Emily

Donna Seager Show - Full Circle

Here is a preview of the catalog of my show FULL CIRCLE at Donna Seager Gallery in San Rafael, CA (visit their website to purchase the catalog). The show is still up until October 15, 2011.

Have a look...

See wire work at the Oakland Museum's 555 Gallery...

...by watching this slideshow or, better yet, going in person!



Today I visited the space with Sabine and Donna Seager and it was very foggy and grey out. But as time passed, the sun peaked out from the thick layer of clouds and, in a flash, the sculptures were illuminated and awake! The shadows, like drawn lines, introduce temporary marks onto the varied surfaces and architecture of the space and, with the addition of the direct light from the sun, the sculptures come to life as they shine and shimmer.

The curator of the show, Carin Adams, describes the show this way:
"Artist Emily Payne creates site-specific installations, sculpture, and works on paper based on delicate wire forms and the shadows they cast. She transforms materials by deconstructing them from multiple angles beyond their utilitarian function.The repetition of circular shapes clustered together, hovering in the air, and resting on the ground create shadows that expand their physical boundaries. In this way, the ephemeral qualities of the forms occupying space are as important as the forms themselves."

May 19, 2011 - August 5, 2011
This exhibition is located at 555 12th Street in Oakland. Curated by the Oakland Museum of California's Professional Services Division.

Show at Oakland Museum's Gallery 555

Dear Friends,

Gallery 555, the Oakland Museum's off-site exhibition space in the lobby of 555 City Center, is a light-filled and inspiring space. I have created a series of wire installations for the East and West bays where the sun shines in throughout the day.



The opening is on Thursday, May 19 from 5-7 and I am hoping the afternoon sun cooperates with us that day! 

The scale of this building, which is unlike any space I have worked in, has inspired new images that combine wire, pins, paper and shadows.



Please come join me at the reception!

Love, Emily

Oakland Museum of California at City Center
Gallery 555, 555 12th Street, Oakland, CA 04607

The Art of the Book at Donna Seager Gallery

Sixth Annual Exhibition of Handmade Books, Altered Books and Book Related Works

March 18 - April 30
Reception for the Artists:
Saturday, March 26th, 6 to 8pm

Donna Seager Gallery
851 Fourth Street
San Rafael, CA

Dear Friends,

I'll be at the opening and I hope to see you there! If you can't make it that night, I highly recommend that you go see this show! Consider it a visit to a quirky library where the books come in all shapes and sizes (including one that is round and 10' in diameter!!!???)...
All my best and happy spring!

Emily

Unsung Heros

LINE UP: 18 Out of the BOX Self-Portraits by 18 Artists

The Bohemian, 11/10/2010: "What is the Self" review
Petaluma Post, 11/10/2010 review

Cecile Moochnek Gallery: The Gift of Art Holiday Show 2010

November 17, 2010 - January 16, 2011
Opening reception: Friday, November 19 , 6 - 8 pm

Annual group show featuring small works by gallery artists.
Visit www.cecilemoochnek.com.

Opening TONIGHT Friday 11/5 ARTSPACE 404: Line-Up

Artspace 404, Santa Rosa: Line-Up
November 6 - December 11, 2010
Opening reception: November 5, 5 - 7 pm TONIGHT!

Featuring self-portraits by 18 artists curated by Catherine Devriese.
Visit www.artscouncilsc.com.

Unbound - last chance to see before closing

Only a few more days - go see it - show closes this Sunday September 19th.

This wonderful show at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek turns out to have been an incredible success.

Featuring the work of 43 artists (even including Andy Warhol) it should not be missed by anyone passionate about the medium.

Here is what they say

Mercury News
SF Gate
Chronicle Books Blog
Paper Musings Blog

I am so flattered to be part of this show!

New wire work: getting ready for their close-up

Recipe for low-tech lighting used in Emily Payne's studio:

Set-up

1 tripod = stool + 12 used books
1 ambient lighting = disassembled living room lamp
1 spotlight = Wall-E look-a-like table lamp

Take picture!

Enjoy !

Flip through the pages

Here is a fun way to view my portfolio and you can even forward it to friends, your grandma, your grandpa, your niece, your nephew ... enjoy!

Unbound A National Exhibition of Book Art July 11 - September 19, 2010

Come and see this fabulous show at the Bedford Gallery in the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek. This show features the work of 65 (!) book artists including a few of my pieces. It's a beautiful show - so stop by if you can!!

cooking up color

I'm back at it again, making big color field sculptures out of used book covers and spines. My studio is filled with all these gorgeous colors now and I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I just finished "Ground To Stand On" (pictured here) and it is going into a show in July at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, along with several other sculptures I have made out of books. I am working on a second larger piece (you can see pieces of it where I assemble it on the floor) that is filled with blues, oranges, beige and reds. This one is taking longer to come together - like a conversation that isn't exactly to the point and takes a little more patience - but I'm enjoying the process. Early morning sessions are necessary now - sometimes I just sit with my cup of tea and stare at the piece until I figure out what to do next.

Groundswell at the Kala Gallery on June 4th

Opening Reception on June 4, 6-8pm

Kala Gallery, 2990 San Pablo, Berkeley, CA 94702

read more here

New work in the JOURNEYS show at the Cheese Factory

I couldn't resist applying for another group show out at Art at the Cheese Factory, a gallery and outdoor sculpture space located on the Petaluma-Pt. Reyes Road in the greenest green hills of Marin County. I proposed doing an indoor piece called "239" that is comprised of, you guessed it, two hundred and thirty nine cast heels and two wall drawings inspired by old shoe parts. I installed the pieces last weekend and documented every step of the installation process (thank you Sabine!). We are turning these images into a little party favor that you can come and pick up if you can make it to the OPENING RECEPTION on SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2-4 PM.

work (cleaning) in progress

... getting ready for the Holiday show at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery...

I just finished installing "Hover" at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery and its all a bit exciting! This Friday is the opening, from 5:30-7:30.

The latest news is that the gallery has decided to also have a CLOSING RECEPTION on Saturday, October 3, 3:30-5:30. As many of you know, the Bay Bridge will be closed over the Labor Day weekend so it will be a little harder to get into the city this Friday. If you can't make it, come celebrate with me at the closing reception.

But, for those of you intrepid travelers who want to come to the opening on Friday, here are links to BART and to the Alameda-Oakland Ferry (which lets you off at Pier 41). Don't forget to check return times as well!

I hope to see you at one, or both (??) of the receptions!


All my best,

Emily

Guess what Emily is thinking about now?

... her upcoming solo exhibition at the SFMOMA ARTISTS GALLERY, of course!

SAVE THE DATE and come to the OPENING RECEPTION on Thursday, September 3, from 5:30 - 7:30. If you can not make it to the reception the show will be up until October 9.

A new installation at the Cheese Factory...

There have been high winds out at the Marin Cheese Factory, so I went to go check on Haven, my clay ball installation. All appeared unscathed but, upon closer inspection, one side of the tree (that USED to be in the water) had been hit hard by the wind and the clay balls were twisted up and tied around each other. With the help of my brother, Eric, we took down the tangled mess.






















I took those same bundles and did a new installation up high in the same tree.



















I lashed them together in a beautiful spot where two branches cross and sort of melt into each other. It seemed like the perfect place to build a nest or make whatever it is I made there!

From one cozy spot to the next...

I just had to post these two shots of "hover," the small version, before the sculptures left my studio (with the dustpans!) and finally installed at the Erica Tanov store (above the bed). My friend Isabel, who is thirteen, said these were her favorite pieces in the show. She said they seemed like they were waiting for the opening to be done so that they could finally just go to sleep on the bed. My sentiments exactly! Hanging there, they do look like dreams about to happen, memories of what has happened or ideas of what is to come...

Robert Redford must LOVE wire...

If you get the Sundance catalog, look at the fine spread on page 65! And if you want to see more of my wire sculpture work and shadow paintings in other cozy spots, make sure to come see the "Hover" installation at the Erica Tanov store in Berkeley (the opening reception is Friday, April 17, 6 -9).

Onto the next project...

Now that "Haven" is up and swaying in the breezes at the Marin Cheese Factory, I can now fully turn my attention to the upcoming Berkeley shows at the Erica Tanov store and the Cecile Moochnek Gallery. I am so honored and pleased to have my work up at Erica Tanov's store as I am a huge fan of her clothing and her design aesthetic. Her store is a beautiful space filled with so many inspiring patterns, shapes, colors and textures. Now I get to add my wire sculptures and paintings to the mix and I am thrilled.

And, just down the street, I'll be showing all the yellow "Basin" paintings as well as two larger paintings (6 1/2 feet long and about two feet high) from this series that are about the biggest work on paper I have done thus far. I will be showing this work alongside Seiko Tachibana (another one of my artist heroes) who will be showing a series of prints that also have a water theme.

Okay, back to work...

Day Four: my last day installing the clay balls

This is my favorite shot from the day.

Tomorrow is the opening. I'm hoping it is sunny like it was all week during the installation. I finally came up with a name for it which is "Haven." I like it because the clay balls all are hung in the nooks of tree branches and in somewhat sheltered areas where one would seek refuge, if one were a clay ball.... Also, if you were to add an "e," it would say "heaven," and that's where I felt I was all week long. Hanging out in trees, feeling the sun on my back, listening to the birds and the wind, making art - now that's my idea of heaven.

Thank you Sabine and John, for helping me hang the balls in the trees. Thank you Kalen for all your helping firing the clay. And thank you to the ball makers extraordinaire who helped me make over 1,500 clay balls in total: Kristin and Athos Argue, Sabine Elser, Audrey, Geoff and John Heller, Ann Holsberry, Breandain Langlois, Kalen Meyer, Dov Osheroff, Erika and Sabrina Siskind, Larry Raines, Michelle, Luisa and Maya Tellez, Jonathan and Hazel Waters.

I can't wait for the next project that we do together!

First day of installation: DONE!

The drive out to the Marin Cheese Factory reminded me why I live in California: the hills, the views, the springtime, all are breathtakingly beautiful.



















Redwing blackbirds and starlings were my companions as I worked. They like the willow tree as much as I do.























The beginnings (after I raked algae from the edges of the tree)... can't wait to get out there tomorrow morning with Sabine, bright and early, and keep going...