News from the world of Astrid Adler

Art challenge

Astrid — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:54:02 +0000

12 pieces of work in 12 hours minimum of 6 mediums

10 artists participated and I won the overall!

These are some of the results. Reception Saturday 4th of September 7.00pm in the Butter Market Gallery, The Marine Hotel, Kilkee. Work of the participating artists will be on display till 1 week after date. All work is for sale.

Search for the divine female

Astrid — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:06:57 +0000

History of Mime

Astrid — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:16:33 +0000

Mime first stepped out of the shadows in ancient Greece. The Theatre of Dionysus played host to masked actors who performed the most elaborate form of mime, known as hypothesis, which saw the principles concentrate more on the development of their own characters than the story itself. Mime continued as an art form right through to the Middle Ages, reaching its pinnacle in 16th century Italy, with Commedia dell’ Arte. The Commedia dell’ Arte saw street performers donning extravagant masks to complement their acrobatic skill and to attract an audience. Notice-boxes, yes, but successful ones. These performers, who became affectionately known as Zanni, took advantage of their masked identity to ridicule contemporary society and its institutions.
Despite mime’s tenacity, the art form continued to be about as subtle as your mother indicating that your dress is tucked into the back of your knickers at a family wedding. Slapstick mime humour prevailed until the early 1800′s, which saw the emergence of a Bohemian acrobat by the name of Jean Gaspard Batiste Deburau. Deburau was engaged to perform at the Funambules theatre on the Boulevard du Tempe. Enjoying perhaps one of the longest gigs in history, played there until his death. In between he managed to elevate mime to the level of an art form, which became known as French traditional mime. Deburau also created one of the most enduring mime characters of all time – the Pierrot.

After World War I, Jacques Copeau continued to teach French traditional mime at The School of the Dramatic Arts. One of his students at the school, , went on to create a modern form called Corporal mime, which revived the arts fading fortunes once again. Decroux taught mime as the art of physical control, which requires grace, agility and versatility. His most famous student was Marcel Marceau, acknowledged as the world’s most famous living mime. Renowned for his poignancy, Marceau was influenced by cinema greats such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. His most recognisable creation was his character Bip, the white-faced everyman in the battered top hat.

In the 1980′s, some mime artists began to rebel against their minimalist constraints and increasingly started to use voice, lighting effects, props and costume in . Because of these changes, new forms of mime can be known by different names such as mime-dance and New Vaudeville.

“The coast in a bucket” by CATA ISLE MIME Theatre

Astrid — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:10:11 +0000

“The coast in a bucket” is the name of the upcoming show CATA ISLE MIME Theatre will be putting on in Kilkee. In early 2009 Astrid Adler was supported by the Arts Council to found CATA ISLE MIME Theatre.The group welcomes their new member Emer O’Carroll to their upcoming summer show in Kilkee community centre. Emer O’Carroll recently completed two years of Lecoq training in Paris and Barcelona. Mime is talking without words, expressing yourself with your whole body which constantly expresses our emotions and feelings; the language everyone understands. With Marcel Marceau developed techniques mimes brings fantasy and imagination to life. Because the body gives the picture inside a form it turns into reality,-for yourself and everybody watching. After producing a specially tailored show for Ennis Street Festival, this show depicts scenes of life at and around the coast. Using the universal language of the body, everyday scenes and stories are enacted with absurdities and unexpected solutions. All ages are welcome on Sunday 29th of August in Kilkee Community Centre at 4pm.

You find CATA ISLE MIME Theatre on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cata-Isle-Mime-Theatre/130105653695500?ref=ts

CATA ISLE MIME @ Ennis Streetfestival

Astrid — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:30:09 +0000

“If you need a vision, tell me what you want to see.”

Astrid — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:20:22 +0000

Felted Laptop-cover

Astrid — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:22:53 +0000

Inspired by the make of the felted chessboard …

Cata Isle Mime in the “Clare People”

Astrid — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:53:47 +0000

The coverage in the Clare People:

Cata Isle Mime @ Ennis Streetfestival

Astrid — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:28:20 +0000

CATA ISLE MIME Theatre with one of the specially tailored scenes for Ennis Streetfestival with its theme from 2010 “What a Wonderfull Life Underwater”.

Emergency Art

Astrid — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:15:00 +0000

The farmer, I get my weekly milk of, needed an ugly wall painted, because he had visitors coming the next day. The only wall not hiding a stone wall turned into a stone wall in 3 hours with my brushes and paint.

natural stone painted

This photo was send to me by Brenda Malloy taken in Venice. Looks like the perfect place for an emergency artist to exhibit!