SRISA Contemporary Art Gallery

Exhibition:

Jana Harper

Nature Games
February 19th-March 5th 2009

Inauguration: 19:30-21:30 Thursday, February 19th, Via San Gallo 53r
phone: +39-055-4627374, rolsen@santareparata.org

The photographs and videos in this exhibition document a month spent in the
Montagna Val di Pesa, an hour outside of Florence. While taking daily walks Jana Harper sought to experience the land as a child would: with fresh, innocent, and playful eyes. Perhaps naturally, she made up games. “Game One: Assemble the tiniest bouquet. Ever.” “Game Eight: Sit under an olive tree and try and catch the flowers as they fall.” “Game Eleven: Try and draw the wind the way it feels on your body.” The games are intimate, quiet, subtle, simple, and sometimes funny. Many of them are about being still and engaging with that stillness. Ultimately, they draw attention to the way profoundly small
things often make us feel the most alive.

le fotografie e i video di questa Mostra documentano un mese passato dall
artista nella Montagna del Val di Pesa, un luogo situato ad un'ora da Firenze.
Durante le sue passeggiate giornaliere Jana Harper ha cercato di vivere la sua
esperienza con il luogo come lo vivrebbe un bambino: con occhi allegri, freschi
e innocenti In maniera spontanea si è messa così a creare dei giochi per interagire con il contesto e la natura. "Gioco Uno: Assembla il piu' piccolo dei bouquet in assoluto.", "Gioco Otto: siediti sotto un ulivo e cerca di catturarne i fiori mentre cadono", "Gioco Undici cerca di disegnare il vento come si sente sul corpo” I giochi sono calmi, intimi, semplici, sottili e a volte divertenti anche se molti di essi riguardano lo stare fermi e tranquilli.Questi giochi infine guidano
l'attenzione portandoci a comprendere nel profo nd o quanto spesso siano
proprio le piccole cose a farci sentire piu' vivi.

BIO: JANA HARPER

Selected Exhibitions

2009
GANJIFA, Hörnan Gallery, Falun, Sweeden
MIMB, Southern Graphics Council Conference, Chicago, IL

2008
YOUR PERFECT LIBRARY*, PSTL Gallery, St. Louis, MO
NOW ON FILE, Snowflake/Citystock, St. Louis, MO

2007
1:16,108 LOVE AND CHANCE*, Annex Gallery, FPCC, St. Louis, MO
THE DRAWING GAME, curator and organizer, thedrawinggame.com
ARTIST’S BOOKS, Library of Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
FROM FLAT TO PHAT, Arts Incubator, Kansas City, MO and Gallery 100, Tempe, AZ

2006
LET IT GO*, Beverly Gallery, St. Louis, MO
4th International Artist’s Book Triennial, Contemporary Arts Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania

2005
JANA HARPER/GINA ALVAREZ, Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, St. Louis, MO
4th International Book and Paper Arts Triennial, Center for Book & Paper Arts, Chicago, IL
*solo shows

Residencies

2009
PYRAMID ATLANTIC, Silver Spring, MD
HAND PRINT WORKSHOP, Alexandria, VA
LA CIPRESSAIA, Montagnana Val di Pesa, Italy

2008
PEAKED HILL TRUST, Cape Cod National Seashore, MA

2007
LA CIPRESSAIA, Montagnana Val di Pesa, Italy

2006
LA CIPRESSAIA, Montagnana Val di Pesa, Italy

2004
CITE INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS, Paris, France

Collections

Janet Turner Print Collection
J.S. Blanton Museum
Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry
Viewing Program and Artist Registry, Drawing Center
Kohler Art Library Archives
King St. Stephen Museum