Venezuelan artist, Mariana Monteagudo
There is something sinister yet innocent about the doll sculptures you create. What do they mean to you?
They mean everything to me. I cannot conceive waking up without an idea of how I will improve a piece, or how what I do during the day will contribute to my work.At the beginning the doll was just a pretext, a way of expression; after 15 years I’ve discovered that it's much more than that. For me the image of the classic doll depicts an ideal of beauty and innocence of childhood, but is somehow an over-dimension of tenderness that often touches the monstrous. My characters are inspired in dolls, but at the end they are a reflection of human expressions and emotions. Is a subtle sense of palpitation what I am looking for; is the constant search of that “thing” you cannot quite explain with words.
What's the process of making them? How do you come up with the various expressions on the faces?
It starts with an inspiration, it can be virtually anything. I usually conceive a group of pieces as if it was a cast from a theater play; every character has a specific role in the story. For instance, this time I have been obsessed with the classic images of the circus and the 1930’s Tod Browning’s film “Freaks”. A heartbreaking story of the human dramas within a traveling circus. So my new group is taking a lot from this story, and from the circus world. I begin with a theme, a starting point; then it evolves by itself, opening new windows to other reflections and sources of inspirations.
Are you into toy collecting?
Oh yes, I love collecting dolls. In fact I could say that when it comes to my work, I have the personality of a collector. That pervasive feeling of nostalgia (and an obsessive sense of accumulation) of collectors permeates into my work.
What medium is one you would like to explore with your work that has not happened yet?
Inflatable sculptures, fiberglass, resin, bronze, so many things yet to explore.
Anything coming up?
Yes, a new exciting group of pieces. I am currently producing approximately 20 pieces for my representing gallery in Europe.
Lowest point in your art career was when?
When I moved to the US and had to figure out a new way to make my sculptures. It was hard to adapt myself to a whole new environment. It is not easy to get out of your comfort zone and start from square one. But ultimately everything is for a good reason, and an opportunity to open your mind to new things.
Highest point in your career so far has been?
It is hard to pinpoint a high point in my career. In some ways, I consider my work to be in constant evolution. So, every new set of pieces is a new highest point. But I guess that my 2 solo shows in Madrid in 2002 and 2004, and my participation in the 2010 Sao Paolo Art fair have a special place in my heart. You don’t get to be alongside with great contemporary masters like Damien Hirst, Vik Muniz or Joana Vasconcelos every day. Also I am very proud of being part of collections such as the MOLAA Museum of Latin American Art in California, the Everson Museum in New York, and The César Gaviria Trujillo collection (former President of Colombia and Secretary General of the Organization of American States).
Art from Dallas, Ricardo Paniagua Interview
You just had surgery? Is everything alright? What happened?
Yeah I just had surgery for the second time in my life. The first time they waited until I was awake to remove the catheter so life is improving. I got appendicitis and almost died if it weren’t for Snow White (my girlfriend) telling me to go to the E.R. They rushed me in to surgery and also found a hernia which they fixed at the same time. It went pretty smooth though thankfully.
Do you think this will have any effect on your work?
Currently I am working on small works due to medical lifting restrictions temporarily on anything over twenty lbs. That is really the only way it is affecting my craft. As it stands I have a solid understanding on the desires of my design capability so I’ll be focusing on reducing my pin stripes to smaller geometric forms.
How is the scene in Dallas?
The scene in Dallas is actually very healthy at the moment thanks to the Internet. There are some pretty exciting things going on here right now. It seems like a bit of a renaissance of art and culture at the moment. Our down town Dallas arts district now has like more institutional bldgs. Designed by Pritzker accredited people than I think anywhere else or something like that plus we are neighbor cities to Fort Worth which has a world class museum district so in that regard there is never a dull moment. On the grass roots level it’s equally as healthy. There are just enough fresh out of art school art elitist Nazi-like hipsters to keep the critics happy. On the real though, we have Jeremy Strick and Maxwell Anderson really stepping up the programming at The Nasher and The D.M.A. I was blown away to see Katharina Grosse recently for the first time in Dallas. Across the street Mr. Anderson made the Dallas Museum of Art with Free admission. The advent of an annual art fair in recent years here has also spurred added international attention as well as the new programming with Peter Doroshenko at The Dallas Contemporary. So yeah. I’d say it’s been very progressive here.
Is it true you are a high school drop out?
Yes, this is true. In that regard I am an outsider. Dallas was always very stand-offish towards me for that reason. It’s not a town for outsider artists. My art is not identifiable with that type of jargon, but it’s true. I have a 9th grade high school education and that’s it. The tipping point was when I had to go to alternative school and they wanted to make me pull my pants up, tuck my shirt in and wear a belt. I set my books down and officially dropped out at that point. I believe my conduct with my Algebra teacher led me to alternative school. I figured out a word problem without her formula and got in trouble and then blew up and it all went downhill from there. I used to draw pentagrams on my homework assignments just to mess with her. Such a moron, but a funny moron so time well spent. The only regret about leaving high school was that I couldn’t play my Tenor Saxophone any longer because I could not afford one other than the school provided. I was good at it and loved to play.
must be filtered through in order to become manifest. One of those systems being “math”. But no, Math, to me is not readily identifiable for my work and only pertains to a facet of its overall make-up.
Where are some places you have shown? Any crazy stories?
In the beginning I used to show my work at bars and sidewalks. I sold some really good pieces for really cheap to drunk people and hope it’s not lost as a result. There was one really rich guy that paid me for a big canvas and he told me that it was going to be a family heirloom. He was pretty cool. I also showed on a side walk across the street from the local contemporary art dealers of dallas 2nd annual art fair back when those people were not my friends. I loaded my truck up, stacked the art in the bed and leaned it on a vacant warehouse wall. The people driving out from the art fair looked and laughed at me. No one stopped. Now, not even ten years later I am starting to show in museums so whateva.
Your work seems pretty mathematical, is it really?
“Mathematical” is only one form of a lowered manifestation of absolute universal truth. I suppose that there are several veils that the transmission of my work
What has been one of the most valuable things you have learned so far in this life as an artist?
To put art second and life first. I have been working so hard trying to get off the ground with output and innovation in my work for about ten years and have lost personally in different ways. Playing the role of an artist I have also re-affirmed other personal beliefs about life such as endeavoring with an independent outlook. Art has always been about freedom of expression, but once kids starting piddling around with art school and chasing the scene many of them get caught up in trends and the life style (whatever that is) of being an artist which is totally backwards. I have a saying, “life over art” and will always believe in what it can offer. As far as my craft as an artist is concerned I have benefitted positively with the evolution of my experience in life.
My art has evolved at some points to very high degrees of tolerance in design and this has cultivated my mental focus in general which has benefitted my life in greater way such as reading the directions on whatever it may be, be it assembling some weird piece of furniture or programming a television without aggravation. Also, I have opened myself up to the complex world of chemicals and how they relate to each other in regards to my various processes which also require greater focus. I don’t really feel I have learned about life as an artist rather my beliefs in and about life have informed my experience positively as an artist for the most part.
Talk with Meryl Pataky. San Francisco Neon Artist
YOU MAKE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS BUT HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WORK YOU MAKE?
ONE UNDERLINING THING I NOTICE IN YOUR WORK IS TEXT, HOW DO YOU DECIDE THE WORDS?
Spread Love in Children
Meng Zi, c. 300 BCE
Conversation with Paul Anthony Smith
Jonathan Stein, Artist Interview
Hightest point in your art career was when?
I was asked to be in, For Which It Stands, an internationally published book of contemporary artists who celebrate Americana. I was hand selected along side artists like Ai Weiwei, Kevin Berlin, Shepard Fairey, Steve McQueen, Barbara Kruger, and Vik Muniz.
Interview with Chris Valdes
Chris Valdes
Are you from Miami?
Yes. My parents lived in New York but I was born in
Newark, New Jersey for some reason. I came to Miami when I was really young and
have been living here my whole life so yes I would say I am from Miami.
What do you love most about Miami?
What I like about Miami is that it is a young city,
with art and everything else. It is very up and coming. Other cities are more
established because they have a rich history and they have been around for a
while, like New York or Chicago. Miami is up and coming. We can do something to
put this city on the map and I want to be part of that.
When did you start your career as an artist?
I have been painting since I was a little kid. My dad
was an artist, he did mechanical drafting, and my brother was a graffiti
artist. A few years ago I took it into the career direction. I started to rush
less. Now, I take time and leave things to dry and I plan things and put more
effort into it than I would before. The older I got the more I realized that I
have to stop messing around and really focus on my artwork.
What movie should everyone watch at least once and
why?
I am a horror movie guy. I like the original thing.
The old thing. A lot of the horror stuff is pure gruesome and you see stuff cut and
bleed. I like stuff like that.
Do you ever use that as an inspiration in your work?
I used to. Not now. Before, I used to paint very
gruesome and weird stuff.. I switched and now I have these weird and sad,
melancholy-type dudes. That is what they call them. I don’t think they are sad.
They have more of a blank stare, a normal stare. In most of my paintings what
stands out most are the eyes. I think, whether a person is happy, sad or
whatever emotion they are going through, they cannot hide it in their eyes.
Even though someone is smiling you can tell they have conflict in their eyes.
You can tell. Eyes tell a lot about people and their stories.
Do you start with the eyes when you paint?
Yes, most of the times I start with the eyes first.
First thing I draw. First thing I paint.
Many of your characters have two different size eyes.
Why?
I don’t like things perfect. Nothing is really
perfect. If you really think about it and you measure yourself, one eye is
always bigger than the other. I take what you learn from true art and true form
and twist it and change it up. I break the rules in my own way.
Some of your characters are recurring in your work,
aren’t they?
They are similar looking. I try to switch things up
and do different things.
Do you create a narrative around each of these
characters or is that irrelevant to your creation process?
It is irrelevant. It is more like a subconscious
thing. Most of the time I am not trying to portray certain things but they do
come out that way. When I paint I go with the flow.
Do you fashion any of your characters after yourself?
I don’t try to but I guess it does come out that way.
I think every artist kind of puts himself in every painting in a way, whether
it is visually or emotionally. They do. I won’t deny it but I do not do it on
purpose.
Who else do you think about or use as inspiration?
I take everything from everyday life to movies, music,
and friends. I just take a little bit of everything and I create stuff.
Do you title your work?
No I don’t. I am horrible with giving names and
titles. I also do not think they need it. I want the work to speak for itself.
I don’t want to call something “Tahitian Sunrise” because the background has
certain colors. Everybody comes up with these fancy names. I am not a big
writer. That is not my strength. I have talents in other areas. I like to
create worlds and characters. Coming up with names is just not my forte. If you buy one of my paintings or one of my
dudes you can call him “Juan” or Carlos or whatever you want to name him.
You paint a lot of dudes. Do you also paint female characters?
I used to draw only women. I got tired because that is
what everyone wanted me to do. Everybody was like, “draw me a pin up girl, draw
me a zombie girl, draw me a mermaid girl.” I got tired of the same requests. I
wanted to do something different. I draw dudes and it is different. A lot of
artists paint a lot of women. I have always drawn these weird little dudes and
I have my own style. I wanted to do something people recognize as mine. My
stuff is morbid and weird and has a different feel to it. I am actually doing
an Audrey Hepburn piece right now though. I have not painted like that in a while
but I can do it. I like testing myself. It is refreshing to do it once in a
while.
Since we have been talking about weird dudes…what are the “Chris Valdes
Top 5 Weird Dudes?”
1. The bad guy from ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Christopher Lloyd aka Judge Doom
2. Christoph Waltz, who was in “Django Unchained”
3. Daniel Day-Lewis who played “The Butcher” in “Gangs of New York.” He
really plays awesome characters. He is such a great actor
4. The dog “Jake” from “Adventure
Time”
5. I am a weird, bizarre character myself
If you could have an exhibition anywhere, where would you want to have
it?
I think Japan. Tokyo. That would probably be awesome.
I think I would do well there and people would like my art. It is a Mecca for
art and weird stuff so that would be cool and different from what everybody
else does.
What is your biggest dream?
If I can do art and live comfortable then I don’t care
if I get rich or famous. If I can do something that I love and still live in a
house and have a family and do art and get by then I would take that any time.
What is the most important lesson your parents ever taught you?
Work hard and be humble. I get that from my dad. I go
with the flow of things, I am humble and I do not let things get to me and I
work very hard.
Are you a perfectionist when it comes to your work?
Yes. I have a vision but it is never going to be as
exact as possible. Even when you think it is exact and a couple of days or
weeks pass and then you are staring at it you start thinking, “Oh I could have
done this or added that.” That is how you learn from it and you keep going and
going. As time goes by you start mastering your craft more and more.
What do people not know about you?
I give you something most people do not know. It is
something a little more personal. I have really bad anxiety. Really bad. Doing
art calms me down. In times of need, when I need to relax, it makes me function
in society. I am just a very anxious person. Only close friends and family know
about that. It is part of me. I am a weird, neurotic, anxious person. A lot of
the emotions and things that I have gone through shows in my art.
You have quite a few tattoos. Did you design any of
them yourself?
No. I love art so much and I love getting pieces by my
friends who are tattoo artists. I love getting my artist friends pieces and
work. I am such a fan of different styles. I love how people create different
things. That inspires me and keeps me going and pushes me to do better and be a
better artist. I do appreciate art. I am not one of those people who do art and
are snobby and do not like other people’s art. I enjoy people’s art and I see
what they can do and I love seeing people create. Even though they may not have
an artistic background or are not very skilled just doing what you feel and
putting yourself out there, showing your emotion, I appreciate that.
So you basically collect art on your body
Yes I collect art on myself
Do you collect art otherwise?
Yes. I have a couple of pieces from my friends at my
house. I love art. I buy art from my friends. I know they work hard and need to
make their money. I am all for it. I know what they go through to create stuff.
I love art and I am always going to love it.
You recently were part of a group show at Viophilia. What was the
experience?
It was awesome. I loved it. It was very diverse with
so many styles and different techniques. I truly enjoyed that. It was a cool
little show. A show like that really shows the art and the creative side of
people. It had a great turnout. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it.
You appreciate diversity of technique. Do you want to experiment with
other media?
I am always trying out new things. I always
experiment. I pick up stuff and see what other people try. As artists we learn
and pick up stuff from other people but always try to do our own thing.
Recently I have been using a lot of clear resin. I like to see what I can do
and I like to add it to my wood pieces to give this nice gloss.
I Am Wynwood - Learn more about this great project!
The I AM WYNWOOD Project, created by Miami Artist Barbara M de Varona in October, 2012, began as an on-going collection of stylized portraits depicting the personalities and artful contributions of people in the Wynwood Art Community. Today, a social media expansion of the original project is headed by Barbara, Miami Artist Buddah Funk and Amy Arce. Through the use of interactive social media platforms - Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook - the project seeks to engage the participation of the community itself....
Via the use of the #iamwynwood hashtags, people can share their own Wynwood experience, using social media to involve the whole community... Buddah Funk and Amy Arce have joined me in moderating Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr etc... and in this 'collaborative' way I'm more than happy to return to my drawings and finish what I started, proudly...
What: I AM WYNWOOD ‘Share YOUR Wynwood’ Photo Contest
Where: INSTAGRAM - http://instagram.com/iamwynwoodproject
When: Submission of photographs will be accepted throughout the month of August, and the winning photo(s) will be selected in September. Multiple chances to win.
How to Enter: Send your Wynwood photos to: [email protected] or hashtag your INSTAGRAM uploads with #iamwynwood for a chance to win Limited Edition I AM WYNWOOD TM Gear
For Art Basel Miami Beach 2012 I decided to create a series of portraits under the unified title “I am Wynwood.” After the first initial 15 portraits I took a bit of a hiatus from the project. There are actually 50 names in the series that I am going to start and finish. I took the hiatus because I wasn’t saying what I wanted to say as loud as I wanted to say it. That is what got me to stop and pause and get to know the community a bit better and in the process made some really good friends and developed a bigger vision. I really wanted for the community to take that statement of “I Am Wynwood,” and internalize it and make it their own and see themselves in it.
With the help of Buddha Funk and Amy Arce we branched the project out to a social media platform. People can hashtag their photographs and share their Wynwood. So many photographers and people who come through the area focus on the walls, the beautiful murals, which of course are there to be enjoyed but there is more. You go deeper and Wynwood is about community, a sense of belonging. There is an unusual dynamic that, I at least, haven’t found anywhere else. I have an analogy that Wynwood is kind of like a home. It has a very homey feeling. Invariably you run into people the way that you do when you visit your parents and then your cousins show up. Doesn’t this feel like family? I have only been here for three years but when I first got here I just fell in love with the nature of the place.
Through the use of social media we are trying to get everyone, from the person that is serving the beer to the person that is ordering it, to just take that ideal on and embrace it. Sort of the “I love New York” of Wynwood. It is community pride. By hashtagging your photo you join in the collective celebration. We did a little slogan: “ Am Wynwood. Celebrating Wynwood one face, one place at a time.” The concept is that eventually everybody will be sharing their photos and hashtagging.
The reason why we started the contest is that we wanted to get people stoked about saying to themselves “I am Wynwood.” We thought it would be cool to encourage people to share their photographs. Maybe you have some crazy pictures of a night out with your friends or from the last Artwalk and it is a picture of you having a great time. We want you to share it and be part of the “I am Wynwood” project.
Ruler of Life
not a slave, to meet life as a powerful conqueror, and nothing exterior to me shall ever take command of me." Walt Whitman
La virgen del Rocío aparece en los pápeles de Bárcenas
Fuentes cercanas a la Virgen de las Marismas de Doñana afirman que no le constan esta información, salvo algunas cosas. "Son tantas las apariciones", afirma su entorno.
La virgen del Rocío aparece en los pApeles de BÁrcenas
Fuentes consultadas por este medio, afirman que entre los famosos pápeles que probarian la supuesta contabilidad B del PP, la Virgen del Rocío se encuentra involucrada en este escándalo. Según hemos podido saber, dentro de estos pápeles figuran una imagen de la famosísima virgen onubense que el propio Bárcenas había comprado en la Aldea del Rocío en unos de sus muchos viaje hacía su tierra de nacimiento, a recomendación de la actual Ministra de Trabajo y Seguridad Social,
LA NOTICIA PROVOCA MANIFESTACIONES ANTE SU SANTUARIO CON GRITO COMO "MANTENER LA CORRUPCIÓN NO ES UN MILAGRO" y BAJAS "DEVOTAS" EN VARIAS DE SUS HERMANDADES.
Talk with Fashion Photographer - Oriana Layendecker
Faking Courage: the Stolen Valor Act
FAKING COURAGE:
THE STOLEN VALOR ACT
Signed into law by
President Obama on 3 June, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a federal crime for any person to
fraudulently claim, with the intention of obtaining money, property or some
other benefit, that he or she rightfully received any one of various military
decorations.
The Act represents a second bite of the apple by Congress. An earlier Act, the Stolen Valor Act, 2005, was struck down as unconstitutional in 2012 by the US Supreme Court in the Alvarez case.
Under the 2005 Act,
it was an offence merely to assert falsely that one had undertaken military
service or received a military award. Faced with a prosecution under the Act,
Mr Alvarez claimed that the Act was unconstitutional in that it contravened his
First Amendment right to free speech.
A divided (6-3)
Supreme Court agreed with this contention. However, the majority justices could
not agree on a common rationale for their decision and the dissenting judgment
of Justice Alito (joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas) is more coherent and,
in many ways, more impressive.
Alito J. asserted
simply that the Supreme Court has not historically extended First Amendment to
false statements that cause real harm and serve no legitimate interest. In his
view, the 2005 Act was a narrow law enacted to address an important problem and
did not present a threat to freedom of expression.
Not surprisingly the Alvarez decision generated a lot of criticism from veteran organizations. It also
prompted an almost immediate response from President Obama. In a speech to
military veterans delivered at the height of the 2012 presidential campaign, the
President announced that his administration would ‘launch a new website, a living memorial, so the American people can see
who’s been awarded our nation’s highest honors’ – and double-check any
claims that an individual might make in this regard.
The government website
(valor.defense.gov) lists recipients of the three highest awards available to
Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel. The 2013 Act extends to 11
named awards and any replacement/duplicate medals authorised by law.
Regardless of one’s
views as to the merits of the majority judgment in Alvarez, the 2013 Act steps back from making a mere false assertion
an offence. It requires instead that the person making the false assertion (the
liar) must be seeking some form of benefit.
Dr Max Barrett is a practising Irish solicitor. Views expressed in this article are personal.
*Mr Bowen does not endorse the author or contents of this article.
Interview with Miami artist David 'LEBO' Le Batard
I first noticed your work in the form of murals around the city of Miami years ago. How do you feel about all the murals in the city?
What are some things you are working on now?
If you could describe your work as a food by its smell, texture and taste...what would that food be?
Where are your favorite places to go in the world?
You work a lot with brands. How did that happen? Was it planned that way?
Lowest point in your art career was when?
Hightest point in your art career was when?
Can We Please Change Gears? - An Artist Cry for Transition
The group show featured works by striving local artists, who aim to make an impact on the local and international art conversation. Each artist differs in practice, however, all are up and coming Miami-based artists and present a glimpse into the future of the Miami art scene.
Artists like Atomik, Kazilla, Jeff Dekal, Kat King, Ivette Cabrera, Natalia Molina, Chris Valdes, Deming King Harriman and Buddha Funk presented a variety of work focusing on future, a new discourse on Miami and artistic transition. The exhibit featured painting, installation, illustration, video, collage, graffiti and performances by Xela Zaid, Kendall Morgan and newSense from ArtOfficial.
The works collectively explored the trajectory of Miami’s art scene while each piece individually represented a very personal examination of future perspectives and career visions by each artist.
Focused around a theme of innovation first time curator Tesoro Carolina produced an exciting exhibition inspired by the participating young and driven artists as well as by the community-centric concept of multi-artist studio Viophilia.
Opening Reception of "I-95 South" at the Art Center
Prayer
Attributed to the Prophet Muhammad
Look Into Your Heart
Carl Gustav Jung
manhood project
Post title...
The Miami Foundation "Our Miami" Public Space Challenge Launch
More than 400 young professionals, local
change-agents and engaged Miamians filled The Stage Miami for The Miami
Foundation’s Our Miami Project Launch.
The kickoff event, held on Wednesday, July 31, introduced two new
projects: the Public Space Challenge and Match305, a talent retention project. Both
programs are part of the foundation’s Our Miami initiative, which fosters community by building attachment to the city,
developing public spaces and retaining young talent in Miami.
Our
Miami uses research from the foundation’s Our Miami: Soul of the City study
that clearly shows attracting and retaining young, talented and creative people
in Greater Miami will grow the economy faster than other, more traditional
measures of economic development.
“Looking
around the room at all of this young talent, I can’t help but feel optimistic
about Miami’s future,” said foundation President and CEO Javier Alberto Soto
during his remarks. “We are not a place where you have to find your niche within
a sprawling, established city. Planting
your roots in Miami gives you a chance to shape this young, dynamic community. Our role on the global stage depends on your
vision and your contributions to our growth.”
The Miami Foundation developed the Public Space Challenge to
uncover the best ideas for creating and improving local public spaces: parks, libraries, public
buildings, markets, plazas, playgrounds or any place where people can convene
and connect. Anyone can submit ideas. Community experts and professional
placemakers will identify the top ideas; The Miami Foundation will invest
$100,000 to make the ideas become reality. The Health Foundation of South
Florida joined the challenge, adding an additional $20,000 to fund public space
ideas focused on nutritious food access and physical activity.
The Miami Foundation also launched Match305, a talent retention project and Web survey. The online tool measures an individual’s “attachment” to Greater Miami and provides suggestions about how to become more engaged where they live. Results will be made available to community stakeholders to help guide talent retention efforts. The tool is based on research from a Georgetown University study and has been instrumental in reducing year-over-year employee turnover at Fortune 50 companies. Florida International University signed on as a partner in the project, investing $10,000 with Match305 to aid their ongoing local graduate retention work.
The Public Space Challenge will accept ideas through September 19. Anyone in Miami-Dade County can submit a challenge idea or participate in Match305 by visiting ourmiami.org.
About The Miami Foundation:
Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation has helped hundreds of people
create powerful legacies by establishing custom, charitable Funds. More than
$150 million in grants and scholarships has been awarded in the Foundation’s history.
Today, the Foundation stewards more than $160 million in charitable
assets. Through its Our Miami
initiative, the Foundation positions Miami as a premier place for young talent
to live, work, connect and engage. Visit miamifoundation.org and ourmiami.org for more information.