Fifty-one years ago about quarter to or past eight am I left my mum's womb to be cast into a world I have not so readily embraced until this day.

Arent' we all struggling with everyday's reality? I heard that it is but a number, for another I am now on tram number 51, another track in my life, new times of reflection which things to choose on my path of development. I read a great deal of wise books this past year, one of them was called the Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz on how to apply Toltec shamanic wisdom in our daily life to get back to the innocence we had in our first 2 years of our life.

Ohters were Seven Arrows (on the peace shields and chiefs of the Plains Indians from North America) and a Castaneda one known as The Teachings of Don Juan (2). I liked them all but applying them in my daily life seems easier when read than carried out to the letter.

It is about finding my new balance in my new lease of life. Right now I am torn between continents...where do I feel best and what will I do with my art in the future?

Will I create more once I am back on the road and left the UK or will I become a recluse? 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25422068/BLOOD-AND-SPERM-I-always-wanted-to-be-an-Indian-but-instead-I-became-a-painter-by-ALANN-DE-VUYST

 I have finally made a blog account in Blogger, where I will post older stories of me as a nomadic painter. 

You can access it there at:

http://looborojoview.blogspot.com/

http://redgland.blogspot.com/

http://alann-cartoons.blogspot.com/

and for my photo work go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wayrainti/

Thanks and enjoy

 I made or have made people to cast some of my tribal design in good luck charms in brass. Some time ago that was in India.  

I was amazed by the craftsmanship of the sculptors in Mahabalipuram, a place by the sea near Chennai. Lots of Hindu deities carved out of rocks, and apparently divers have found that the site was much bigger than what we can see now.   

Underwater is another extension of 100 meters into see of sculptures and palaces of what once was a village.  

Anyway, I had made design of those tribal charms made on paper and had the carvers carryi it out in soap stone. This was the year 2000. I carried the original pieces to Nepal and had them cast in brass by a blacksmith. It took some perseverance to have him start the business. Only with and advance of some money, he agreed.   

The man, who got his first down payment for the start of the production of a 100 pieces, i had 7 different designs. Next day he was supposed to start the work, but instead he spent the money on booze and didn't turn up. When he was back 2 days later, he started, it took him a week, and the very same day I had to leave Kathmandu he was again nowhere to be found, I had paid him the rest I owed him. His colleagues gave me what he had made, but he had also gone with the originals. I though, he is clever and will find some market to produce his own copies...I would never know would I? 
Anyway this is the nice story behind the collection.

 I hope you enjoy them.

Cheers

Alann 

 I left Peru for some time, I need some reflection of how and with what to move on in the Old world.

Yep, twice I went down with a bronchial infection and it nearly nailed me into my bed, so I spent hrs on the net and before long I started getting new ideas and began creating a new body of digital works which you can see in New.

My show and perfomance called 'Mundo Chaman (Shaman world) en dubbed by the press as the exhibition of the "Indio Rojo" (Red Indian).
I had layers of clothes from all the countries where I lived and spent time with indigenous peoples, the colours predominantly red.

About 200 people gathered from all layers of society in Loja, artists, musicians, students, young and old had spread the word or heard it. 

I thought no one woul dcome in time but for once they did and waited 20 minutes for me to make my big entree in red, the only drawback was audio errors, so my vdo clips could be shown but not be hear.

However no one complained and had all but praise for the performance and told me how deep they found my work.

20 de Mayo de 2009
 

Las raíces de las comunidades nativas o primitivas son tan antiguas como las historias que se han levantado en torno a su modo de vida y la razón de su existencia. Poco se conoce de esta cultura y aquellos que se apasionan por el tema descubren que siempre falta algo por hacer.
Es el caso de Alann De Vuyst, un artista plástico nacido en Bélgica, pero hijo de varios países que lo han acogido en su seno durante el largo itinerario que ha recorrido. Él dice creer en la reencarnación y el llamado que hace la sangre cuando tú (él) perteneces a otro lugar.

Tradiciones
Alann llegó a América Latina en 1989, antes estuvo en la India conviviendo con sus pobladores y conociendo las tradiciones y costumbres del pueblo hindú. Allí escuchó de la reencarnación y se identificó con las creencias de las comunidades nativas que habitan este país.

Con el tiempo y las vivencias adquiridas comprobó que su percepción no estaba alejada, siguió viajando y al llegar a Sudamérica visitó Brasil y conoció a tribus nativas del lugar cuya experiencia lo llevó a nuevas conclusiones sobre los hechos que componen las culturas primitivas.
Sus dioses y creencias son el principio en la historia del hombre, su presencia en el mundo son una constante lucha contra la enajenación y alienación que sufren otros pueblos. Así lo cree este personaje de 50 años de edad y con un destino que no tiene fin, pero sí fundamento.

Exhibición
Alann ha recorrido 59 países de los cuales posee una historia distinta que prevé reflejar en una muestra pictórica que presentará en la ciudad, mañana, desde las 18:00. El evento se cumplirá en el Centro Cultural "Alfredo Mora Reyes" y son alrededor de 16 obras las que se exhibirán

CIFRAS
1 mes permanecerá en exhibición la obra, seis lleva en la ciudad el artista, su próximo destino es Perú
 
 
 

Yes, just when I thought it would never happen here, I got invited by the ministry of Culture in Loja city Ecuador, to exhibit. 

As I started getting organised for it I faced my works I made during my last weeks in Peru and the ones I made here in Loja in February and got a jolt of energy and stimulus which prompted to add a few new ones.

That is...because I started painting again! At least for this show. I will probably leave all of my works in custody with a museum...

And I am quite happy with the result. You can see in FRESH a few new works, and I will add the others later. During the vernisage I will also show my video clips of my travels.  

If you happen to travel through Loja, pop in!
Cheers  

Alann

There comes a time when at some point one feels he has nothing more to say and fights to keep his mind going. I have arrived at that point and I ask myself 'should I stop or should I continue' creating?' (Sounds like The Clash). 

Not that my mind has stopped creating. it never does, and ideas keep on surging. Sometimes when I have half opened up my eyes at dawn, but then I never write it down and half way through the day I have forgotten the whole idea. 

I just read that scientists discovered that our brain is at it's peak at 22 and at 27 it starts deteriorating. Next week I am half a century old, after I read that I wondered how far mine has deteriorated. 

But my drive has gone, I don't find the motivation any longer to sit in front of a canvas and do something on it. ('Do it ', Nike said). 

Perhaps, because I think nobody is waiting for another painting of mine and I just thought of much art there is already out there. I thought of how much I craved freedom of not possessing anything and be able to wander the world without anything but a suitcase or backpack. 

I looked at what i have done in my life and what i have created already. I have had a full life. I am tired of the idea that one has to compete to get the attention, that's what it all seems in the arts world. Competition, to have the latest scope, the latest hattrick before it becomes old hat, the newest idea, the latest shock, and I never was into competition in my life, as a matter of fact I hate it. 

Now here I am, I have to teach English in a foreign country to survive as a painter. The teaching job is so intense that I have no energy left to think of something else or to do anything else. 

My decision to do nothing for the moment has come from a feeling of déjà vu. I have seen the most overwhelming pictures in my head and I wonder why I should try to compete with my brain in getting as close to depicting it as my internal camera saw it. Impossible, every fraction of a second I saw something so perfect beyond imagination. 

I blurted it out: Oh, my lord, how and why would ever want to paint again when I have these images right here in my head. What for? What's the use or point of it? 

Perhaps that has triggered of the the delay in painting new works...I have done a few between last year September and  December this year, but they were only scetches from 2004 put into acrylic paint on canvas and paper, and the Gods knows how I hate to copy myself. 

Let's admit it, I am questioning everything, me, life in general and mine, people, creation in itself...Is it a midlife crisis maybe...I hope I find an exit soon.  I would like to de-compress.