International Academy of Art

"Madame" did not speak english and my french was lousy this morning, but we finally understood each other and she lead me through the ceramics gallery to the "Academy" behind. the "Academy", at first glance, is a gravel parking area, complete with large sleeping dog and a variety of straight backed chairs. Max; young, tousled and English-speaking (stereotypical art student type), greeted me next with a handshake and a friendly smile. i was instructed to meet Jurgen Waller (the headmaster) in my last contact via phone, so after asking for him, i was sent through the double doors off the gravel parking area to a sub-terranian series of whitewashed stone-walled rooms known as the Ateliers (workshops or studios). three people, one man i suppossed correctly to be the Jurgen in question, an elegant looking lady in her early 60's (stereotypical going-back-to-her-art-after-having-kids type) and another fellow i've since completely forgotten, were standing about. an awkward moment of silence. then a round of greetings in English, German and French. ok, now we are rolling. so, what's the deal with this school then, what's next? we sat in the gravel parking area drinking coffee and getting acquainted for the next hour or so. me, Max, the elegant British lady Diane and Jurgen Waller. Jurgen, headmaster and currently sole professeur than asked me what i wanted to do. hmm, ok....what do i want to do? (realized reason why i didn't receive class schedule..THERE ISN'T ONE!) this day was so wierd, i just re-read my above entry and realized it came no where near to explaining the experience. so, here are the bulletpoints: >Jurgen Waller is a very well known artist in Germany, prolific since about 1968. he was once kicked out of France but has returned to open and run the "Academy". he is currently painting black. black paintings. only black. suppossedly a statement against high unemployment rates. >Max is working harder this month after having spent too much time with drinking buddies the three months prior. he has a fridge full of strange spreads (anchovie, pepper, nut) that he doesn't actually like to eat, but offers instead to strangers and guests. >Neena is a good dog, a bit chubby and lazy, but a good dog. >Marc makes large (HUGE) pieces of pottery in the adjoining ceramics studio/gallery...large pieces of his own work and then much smaller bits of fluff pieces to sell to the tourists. "Madame" is his mother, who helps out in the studio. >current student roster: Max, Diane...and me. >i was given a key to the "Academy". i don't know what's stranger...that i was given a key...or...that there is only one key. much, much more to come. of that i am certain. as i told mom...art or no art, when this is done, i'm going to have one hell of a book to write.