A label defined by a dictator by any other definition is still a falsehood.President (self-appointed) Assad of Syria has labeled the dissidents in his country as terrorists. That’s the new world-speak word for enemies of the state, or being against the status quo.In 1968, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley — who was one of the last of the big city bosses and was mayor from 1955 to 1976 — called the rioting protesters at the Democratic Convention “pinkos,” the anti-American label of the day. Daley was on record as saying “that an order be issued by [the police] immediately to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand, because they’re potential murderers, and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting.”Assad is doing much the same thing but with much bigger weapons. Faced with rising disapproval and protest in his country, perhaps as a result of the ongoing Arab-spring, Assad has simply taken to bombing, torturing and executing his citizens or anyone who is in the way — women, babies, and children included. And then those who are wounded he denies medical aid, preferring to target makeshift hospitals.Six times the United Nations has tried to get the world powers to censure this activity. Twelve times the League of Arab Nations has sent observers to try and stop the violence. All these attempts have been rebuffed. In the U.N., Syria’s only — and I mean only — ally is Russia. What’s Russia’s game? Oil and Iran’s nuclear program. How are they linked? Here’s how.Israel and the U.S. are opposed to allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapons program. Israel has, on occasion, targeted Iran’s scientists and facilities with spy-killings and bombings. Israel is rightly concerned that Iran will have a nuclear bomb capability as Iran is on record as saying Israel should not exist.However, let’s turn to Zbigniew Brzezinski, the ex-U.S. National Security chief who is now advising this administration (and the previous one, but no one remembers that). What are his credentials for assessing dangers in such areas of turmoil? When Gorbachev was under house arrest and the coup was under way in Moscow, Brzezinski was an advisor to ABC. On air he was asked how dire this change was for the U.S. His response so shocked Diane Sawyer and her team that he was not consulted again for five days. He said this: “Do you see any aircraft over Moscow? No? Then the coup has failed and will be over in five days or less.” While the rest of the world was certain the new Moscow leaders would reign terror across the world, Brzezinski was proved right. ABC somewhat sheepishly had him back on and quasi-apologized.Last week Brzezinski was quite clear on TV again. He explained that Iran has no delivery system, no miniaturization system, to make a deliverable atomic bomb. Even if they make one, they cannot deliver it effectively. And even if they could, an atomic weapon unleashed on Israel would kill as many Egyptians, Lebanese, Jordanians and Palestinians. This is hardly a credible threat to the region. Did he think then that such a weapons program is not a danger? His answer was classic Brzezinski. He explained that everything that could be done with sanctions should be done, and unifying the region’s Arab nations (not to mention Pakistan, India and China) against a bomb program should be encouraged.Why then is Russia backing Iran and Syria? Russia is exporting some $2 billion in nuclear power plant technology and equipment to Iran. Russia sees nothing wrong with that. Even if the residue from those peaceful reactors could be transformed into bomb fuel, that’s a different program, one they say they do not support in any way.As for Syria, for the Russians, that’s a two-step with Iran. Russia’s oil is more expensive to extract than Syrian and Iranian crude. Russia is also the largest European and Asian exporter of natural gas. Russia borrowed from China (bonds) and they are paying that back as quickly as possible. If Iran and Syria have sanctions running against them, oil prices will stay high, paying off Russia’s budget deficit — while Russia is strengthening ties with allies. If Syria were to fall as Libya did, Russia, which is not part of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), would find that OPEC was once again controlling the price of oil. Currently the U.S. has a hand at the OPEC table via Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, etc. In short, once we got control of any part of OPEC, Russia needed to ensure they had cards to match.As 500,000 people in Homs, in Syria are bombed, it is worth thinking about the price we, as humanity, pay for stable oil prices. However, like Mayor Daley, Assad’s time is coming and with his fall from power, Russia may become more desperate to control the world’s premier commodity.Some would argue that new drilling in the U.S. would alleviate this crisis. Perhaps, but only if such drilling was tied to removing the puppet strings we and the Europeans have attached to the new “free” countries rich in oil. Does anyone in their right mind think oil execs will agree to that, or the guys in Congress getting fat donations? In the end, their greed and manipulation may push us all to the brink in the Middle East once again. Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now lives in New Mexico.
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Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.
“I was always drawing as a child,” Justine recalled. Victor dreamed of illustrating magazine covers like those of the “Saturday Evening Post.”
Victor studied design and illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, then received a fellowship to study painting and printmaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. He graduated in 1967. The following year, he received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation to study printmaking in Paris at Atelier 17, an experimental graphic arts workshop founded in 1927.
“What a great experience that was!” he recalled.
Returning home after the Paris uprisings of 1968, he discovered that the magazine covers he’d hoped to paint had largely given way to photography. His agent suggested trying record covers, which he pursued along with illustration and graphic design.
He also began teaching at Kean University in New Jersey.
“Kean had a wonderful graphic design and illustration department. I loved teaching Graphic Design, even though I never thought I would.”
He later taught at Syracuse University and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
In the late 1980s, he decided to stop teaching and concentrate on his own art. He moved to Falls Village, to a house on the corner of Minor and Prospect Streets.
“I used to call the studio ‘Minor Prospects Atelier,’” he said.
He continued working in illustration and graphic design, creating book covers for stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, along with magazine covers, logos, advertising and murals.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback
His local commissions include the green and gold Noble Horizons signage and wall murals for the Stockbridge Inn, the Spa at Norwich Inn, Orchards Hotel in Williamstown and the David M. Hunt Library’s children’s section.
Justine grew up in the Bronx and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she took on whatever work she could find, including designing toys and novelty items for Russ Berrie. But her true calling was textile design.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue that calling, where she learned silkscreen printing from 1960s design icon Corita Kent.
“I was in her program at Immaculate Heart College. All fabric design at that time was silk screen. My first job in textile design was in L.A., creating wallpaper for Bob Mitchell Design.”
Justine returned to New York City, where the advent of computers required her to learn new design techniques. She enrolled at Parsons School of Design, studying Photoshop, Illustrator, Lectra U4ia and Kaledo.
Around this time, she met Victor online and moved to Falls Village.
A recruiter found her a job in Arkansas at Dillard’s, a department store chain operating in 30 states and known for its exclusive designer collections.
“They had the best equipment I’d ever seen,” she said.
She became a senior computer-aided design designer there, designing fabric and preparing purchased designs for production.
The Vallas left Falls Village for Little Rock.
“It was a big move,” she said. “It was a different culture, but Little Rock was very progressive.”
The originally planned to stay in Arkansas for five years but ended up remaining for nearly 10.
Then Justine was hit by a car. She suffered injuries to her leg and head and required four years of rehabilitation.
“I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.”
The Vallas returned to Connecticut, this time settling in Salisbury, where they’ve lived since 2013.
After leaving Dillard’s, Justine had planned to sell her work through Printsource in New York City, an international showcase for surface and textile design. But after the accident, she no longer had the mobility or energy to travel back and forth to the city.
Instead, she began selling her work locally at craft shows, including clothing, hand-printed tea towels and floorcloths.
She is currently working on selling her collection of textile designs.
In December, Justine will have a show of her tea-themed watercolors at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
Victor recently exhibited “The American West: A Pictural History” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library. The series, created in the early 1990s, was part of a commission from the Postal Commemorative Society for which he completed 100 paintings in two years.
He hopes to place the series in a museum and has created books from its images, complete with text. Over the years, he has designed many other books that are ready for publication, including “Looking In, Looking Out,” a cosmic view of the universe.
Reflecting on his career, Victor said, “It’s about doing what you love”.
Justine agreed.
To see, purchase or commission work, contact Justine at justinevalla@gmail.com or Victor at victorvalla@comcast.net, or call 860-596-4282.
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Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.
Cornwall ceramicist Jane Herold explained that there’s quite a lot of enthusiasm for Clay Way among the region’s ceramic artists.
“We all need work space, which is hard to find or afford in urban areas. The wood-fire crowd needs lots of wood and outdoor space. This area is great because it’s rural enough for us, but has a wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive population of pottery [patrons].”
While many of the artists are returning from previous years, the loose collection of unofficial organizers likes to keep the event manageable for the public, limiting the number of artists and studios each year. A direct drive from the southernmost point at Ann Heywood’s studio in Wingdale to Herold’s big barn in Cornwall is under 40 minutes. But if you want to catch it all, plan for a full day’s worth of art exploration along some of the most beautiful roads in New England.
Starting at its northernmost point, Herold’s studio will host Matin Malikzada of Afghanistan, whose polished, modern interpretations of traditional forms are instantly recognizable. They’ll be joined by wood-fired ceramicists Steve Johnson, with his raw, organic forms, and Harry Levenstein, whose works relate closely to Johnson’s while making even more direct references to nature.
Herold herself creates work that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Her prolific output of objects is intended to be used by everyday people as part of their daily lives.
Moving south is Todd Piker of Cornwall Bridge Pottery. Piker has been making pots in his giant wood-fired kiln since 1971. The kiln looks more like an ancient blast furnace than something designed to transform clay into ceramics, but over the years, he’s mastered its intricacies and produces an impressive amount of fine work.
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided
Piker will host Sanah Peterson, who works at Cornwall Bridge Pottery and draws inspiration from both her time with Piker and her time traveling the globe as a child. They’ll be joined by Stephanie Haines, whose vibrant, eye-catching work features underglaze illustrations of birds, fruit and the bounty of nature.
Further along in Warren, Jessica Dubin’s pieces will be on display at the studio of Christine Owen. Both artists seem to appreciate the chaos and unpredictable nature of clay but find ways to refine it all using their own unique methods.
Heading east to Washington, Conn., Will Talbot’s creates intricate work while allowing for the unpredictable nature of clay to play a role. His studio will house Tom Knox and his wide variety of textures and forms, as well as New York City-based Alex Lebedev, who lets music and the nature of improvisation guide his work.
There will be two studios participating in South Kent. Alison Palmner, whose page on the Clay Way website states she “strives to achieve a lighthearted meld of human forms, animals and the vessel.” Her studio will host Ben Eberle, who trained under the guidance of legendary potter Toshiko Takaezu; James Guggina, whose intricate work can appear both deliberate and whimsical; and Paula Shalan, who blends rough, unrefined surfaces with polished precision in individual pieces.
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided
Nearby is Joy Brown, whose work have become a staple of the area, with her figurative sculptures dotting the Northwest Corner. Brown’s studio will also feature Bonnie Levine, who taps into the beauty of chaos and destruction in her work, and Brendan Moore, whose more utilitarian forms are perfect for everyday use.
Finally, the tour crosses the border into Wingdale, New York, where the studios of Drew Montgomery, Ann Heywood and Amy Brenner will host Jackie Sedlock, Lynn Behrendt,and Kathleen Heidemann.
Brenner creates some of the most colorful and vibrant pieces on the tour, while Behrendt’s work is among the most studied and precise. Heywood creates carefully considered, intuitive forms, while Heidemann moves from simple minimalism to intricate textures. Montgomery and Sedlock both find new ways of playing with traditional forms, producing delightfully distinctive pieces.
To learn more about the artists and download a map of participating studios, visit clayway.net
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