My Hester Prynne Art Doll Published in Somerset Studio Art Doll Quarterly!!

http://www.artdollquarterly.com/http://www.artdollquarterly.com/ Hester Prynne art doll by m.diaz

Artist Assistantship with the De La Torre Brothers in Ensenada, Mexico

"Creativity is the defeat of habit by originality."-Arthur Koestler

This is the perfect quote to surmise my summer thus far. It implies taking a wet rag to the set ingrained dirty lines of dust on your windshield and wiping them clean of routine, it implies an end to the repetitiveness and turning your life inside out and upside down by taking a 6 hour flight and landing into undetermined circumstances...to endure something new, something unadulterated and fresh - never before witnessed by your sensory powers. Hence something original is born.

I was super fortunate this summer to be asked/selected by the my long time prof glass artist friends, the De La Torre Brothers, to assist them with their work for three weeks this summer.

And so after kissing my fam goodbye, flying into San Diego and driving down to Baja California, I am finally here. And I am loving the wine region, fish port land, the people, the spanglish and the creative studio gig! The flora and fauna is absolutely stunning...I'm mesmerized. I feel like the ranch we are stationed on is right out of a Georgia O'Keefe movie. So I thought I'd share some vignettes of my beautiful trip so far- oh n my trailer...I hope you like!!

Current Inspiring Chelsea Artist - Sculptor/Ceramicist Emma Rodgers

Using dancers as a source of inspiration, figurative sculptor Emma Rodgers had this piece in the Stricoff gallery that I fell in love with.

I found the sculpture to be riveting in its voluminous form. Both the solid parts, as well as the negative voids implied the girth, gesture and sensuality of a woman's body despite the purposely crude treatment of the tactile material. The tonalities and induction of foreign matter adds to the rich depth of the form and you're left with the desire to run your fingers over the body... very sexy.

However, when I did my annual Chelsea tour last Friday, I visited almost 20 galleries and the Stricoff Fine Art Gallery was the only gallery of the day that poo-pooed me taking pictures (with this age of free marketing and free publicity that bloggers provide both artists and galleries the reprimand seemed nescient and cretinous in nature) so heads up. I snagged this pic before I was told not to take pictures.

Emma Rodgers @ Stricoff Fine Art Gallery in Chelsea NY photo by m. diaz

I also found this fantastic video of Emma Rodgers at work. If you have any interest in Sculpture, Women Artists/Sculptors, Ceramics, Figurative sculpture or are just fascinated by creativity and you have 7 minutes to spare WATCH the female form come to life in this sculptor's hands.

Interesting & RELEVANT LINKS

• Emma Rodgers Flickr set

• I looked high n low for a website for Emma Rodgers but the site that comes up (www.emmarodgers.co.uk/) seems to be a broken link, instead this Contemporary Gallery SCA had the most extensive and prolific information on Emma Rodgers

• Video links from the Walker Art Gallery Rise of Women Artists

Been Feeling like only a Sculpture could tell you ...A Day at the MOMA

Sometimes if you are over extended the way I have been or you are just torn between emotional forces and are overwhelmed by defeat- You Just Feel Like THIS:

The River By MAILLOL located at the MOMA Sculpture Garden photo by m. diaz

Interestingly enough Maillol Began this piece as a commission for a pacifist and as a statement against war- he had developed it as a woman who had been stabbed in the back and was falling...and that is what I saw when I first laid eyes on it - but the commission fell through and when he completed it - he developed it as THE RIVER - hence all the movement in the piece- something he had once felt had no place in sculpture - IF you have just a ONE MINUTE and 37 seconds you should listen to this description by chief curator of the Moma on the piece:

OR I can say I have been feeling like this one too - legless - immobile and confounded by the characters in my life...

excerpt of Crying in Public 2003 1 of 8 from a series of nine lithographs with chine-colle by CLAUDETTE SCHREUDERS </span>

A portrait can be illustrated in so many ways - Take for example these portraits - one male and one female, Henrik Olesen‘s Portrait of Scott, a deconstructed 13-inch Macbook, and Portrait of Kirsten, a deconstructed Canon PIXMA iP4200 Photo Printer. Lots of food for thought here...every little underestimated piece a vital part of the whole and the object, the tool the extension to the human...

Me behind Portrait of S. by Henrik Olesen Portrait of S. by Henrik Olesen

Then I kind of fell head over heels over an artist who employs ACTIONS as his art - FRANCIS ALŸS who the students and I see his work akin to Guerilla Art- wonderful for them to see this is not solely a result of the 21st century, but considered much earlier by minds like ALŸS'...I've been intrigued and have started to delve deeply into his concepts.

One of my Favorite ALŸS pieces, ZOCALO in which a social situation lends itself to a sculptural one...read on...

Zócalo (Mexico City, 1999 collaboration with Rafael Ortega) is a 12 hour documentary following the progression of the shadow of the flagpole in the Zócalo (the main square in Mexico City) during the course of a day. The Zócalo was redesigned at the beginning of the revolutionary era as a setting for huge propagandist spectacles and became with time the ideal space to express public discontent. Alÿs' film records how arbitrary social encounters can sometimes be perceived as sculptural situations.

My Little RED Valentines Day- For the Love of the Beast Within Me and His Long Unruly Fur...

Figure 10. Kiki Smith. Rapture Bronze ©Kiki Smith, Photo By: Richard-Max Tremblay/Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York

For this year's valentine's day post, I want to share a passion that I have that has been ensconced within my work (see my illustrations) and thoughts for quite a while...our animal human divide, my animal instincts or how some academics prefer to call it our primitive brains.

my pendant by Poodlebreath

"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."- Mary Oliver

Actually for close to a decade now; I have seen the relinquishing of reason and justification in order to appease my deepest desires as a manifestation of my animal self. My ability or lack there of to reign in my instinctual desires to me is a reflection of seeing the beast (my true self) within me and allowing it to surface as a reflection of who I truly am. I also see our animal selves as the intercessor between the sacred nature of the environment and our regard for it.

My Wolf ring by Raven Designs

"...animals and humans respond physiologically to traumatic experiences and how our ‘animal body’ naturally responds to a threatening situation regardless of what our rational mind may think.
The nervous system’s response to danger is ‘hardwired’ in the reptilian (instinctual) and mammalian limbic (emotional) parts of our brain that we share with other animals. A threatened human or animal must discharge the adrenaline mobilized to negotiate danger, for example by shaking or trembling, or it will succumb to trauma as the residual energy persists in the body creating a variety of unpleasant symptoms.
While animals instinctively discharge this energy, humans are less adept at this and when confronted with a life threatening situation, our rational brains may become confused and override our instinctive impulses.

Levine(From Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine)... explaining that while our highly evolved neo-cortex (rational brain) cannot override the fight, flight or freeze response to danger, it allows an overcontrol which interferes with the instinctual responses generated by our older (evolutionarily) reptilian brain that are necessary for return to normal functioning..."

- Reclaiming our Animal Body Author: Tania Dolley

The Grimm fairytale that opens the window into this duality for me is Little Red Riding hood...

However, I see this tale as a preamble/ an introduction to a more interesting question, story and character, the girl who emerges saved from the belly of the wolf...that is who I am interested in.

In her 2002 study Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked, Catherine Orenstein claims that the tale “embodies complex and fundamental human concerns”

"[Red Riding Hood’s] tale speaks to enduring themes of family, morality, growing up, growing old, of lighting out into the world, and of the relationships between the sexes.
It brings together archetypal opposites, through which it explores the boundaries of culture, class, and especially, what it means to be a man or a woman.
The girl and the wolf inhabit a place, call it the forest or call it the human psyche, where the spectrum of human sagas converges and where their social and cultural meanings play out."

- From UNCLOAKED a Little Red Ridinghood study by Catherine Orenstein

recent lil red work by me, m.diaz detail of lil red by m.diaz ink on wood

As far as I am concerned at the very end of this fairytale is just when I think it starts. The end of the tale is where my wonderment and fondness begins. With my overactive imagination, to me there is no better topic for a Valentines day post than the misnomer of traditional Little Red Ridinghood interpretations and seeing perhaps the 'all-consuming' love between a hunter and his prey the wolf and the girl/ girl and a beast/ and the transformative power of that love since she emerges not unscathed from the belly of the wolf, but surely a force to be reckoned with as she is reborn in a sense from this consumption...

Little Red Ridinghood Brothers Grimm Illustrated by Daniel Egneùs

I bought the book above (- beautifully illustrated) and the t-shirt below and now so can you! BUY IT! But let's just agree to not wear it on the same day in the same place :))

Score this design: "RED," to help it get printed on Threadless!

" />

Miami International Art Fair IV- Glass Mosaics, Cardboard, Soap and Cocoa Leaves...

No that's not a recipe for anything, unless you want to call it a recipe of creative sparks being showcased at the Mia...

We're in February and I'm still reporting on all those creative flair ups that I saw in Miami back in January at that oh so sweet Art fair and though I have many more worthy artists in my picture file- I'm ready to wrap it up. But before I do, here are some of the last inspiring pieces I thought you would enjoy...

Remember- click on the pink links to learn/see more about the artists or their representing galleries!

Cuban Girl by Salvador Andrea rep. by Berengo Studio photo by m.diaz Supermarket Beauty by Salvador Andrea rep. Berengo Studio photo by m.diaz Till That Morning by Taro Hattori rep. by The Black Square Galleryphoto by m.diaz Detail of Till That Morning by Taro Hattori rep. by The Black Square Gallery photo by m.diaz Detail of Untitled (carved soap) by Felicity Warbrick rep. Waterhouse & Dodd detail of Untitled (carved soap) by Felicity Warbrick rep. by Waterhouse & Dodd by Gaston Ugalde rep. by Salar Galeria de Arte by Gaston Ugalde rep. Salar Galeria de Arte by Gaston Ugalde rep. by Salar Galeria de Arte

Miami International Art Fair III- The Mundane Gets Its Iconic Due

This is the third installment of Miami Art Fair contemporary art and I still have more to share. I'm anxious to show you all some more of what I've been doing lately too, so hopefully you keep coming back for more!

Nick Gentry, Antenna, Mixed Media on Computer Disks on Wood rep. Art Modern Gallery photo by m.diaz

Artist Nick Gentry's work represented by the Art Modern Gallery has gone viral on the blogosphere lately, my students love his work on old floppy disks. Above is one of his pieces entitled Antenna that I saw at the Miami Art Fair.

The next piece that I'm featuring here is this piece entitled Compound 3 by Colombian born artist Juan Raul Hoyos, represented by the Alejandra Von Hartz gallery, made entirely of paper bags. Anyone who is a regular blog follower of mine might recall my post entitled The Potential of a Brown Paper Bag that you can see here which resonates with the same idea of how much complexity you can build with such simple things. In the case of artist Juan, he has built what appears to be a whole congested city developed out of printed bags simply opened and left to evoke a war-torn time and place. For me what was quite powerful was the congested feeling still seemed overcome with abandon and emptiness...like an evacuated space. Too bad it seems Juan does not have his own site and or the Alejandra Von Hartz Contemporary Art Gallery site should have links to more of their artists work so that you could see more.

Detail shot of Compound 3, by Juan Raul Hoyos, white paper bags, Rep. Alejandra Von Hartz Contep. Art Gallery photo by m.diaz Compound 3, by Juan Raul Hoyos, white paper bags, Rep. Alejandra Von Hartz Contep. Art Gallery photo by m.diaz

This next artist is another one of my favorite three dimensional artists from the MIA. Her name is Shantamani living in Bangalore, India represented by the Galerie Helene Lamarque. Her series of work is entitled Carbon myths and she uses charcoal which for me infers earthy fire, combustion and residue to construct her pieces. Mother Goddess,by Shanthamani rep. Galerie Helene Lemarque Detail of Mother Goddess, by Shanthamani rep. by the Galerie Helene Lamarque photo by m.diaz MINT by Shanthamani, Charcoal, rep. by Galerie Helene Lamarque photo by m.diaz DETAIL shot of Mint, Shanthamani, Charcoal, rep. by Galerie Helene Lamarque photo by m.diaz

Ok so get ready! Here is another moment when my students came to mind...turning around in the Galerie Helene LeMarque booth at MIA and seeing all of these stacked yellow phonebooks carved into these portrait busts! A graduate of School of Visual Arts, artist Long-Bin Chen from Taiwan gave a serious sculptural treat...once again showing us the power of the pedestrian object being risen to iconic stature.

India Buddha Boston by Long-Bin Chen back of India Buddha Boston by Long-Bin Chen a photo by the Museum of Arts & Design Webcam tech blog of Long-Bin Chen at work in their studios


detail shot of Long-Bin Chen's work by m.diaz detail shot of Long-Bin Chen's work by m.diaz here another sculpture by Long-Bin Chen at Mia photo by m.diaz back view of sculpture by Long-Bin Chen at Mia photo by m.diaz another sculpture by Long-Bin Chen at Mia photo by m.diaz

If you have 7 minutes I found an additional treat for you all, this fun you tube video doc of Long-Bin Chen and his work- I think you;ll really enjoy it!

I hope you enjoyed this installment of my MIA art fair experience! I have one biggy left to report on before I start to move on and share some other creativity and art related news- so stay tuned and LET me know what you think! Anybody here who blew you away and why? or was this all just too on the 'what-ever-happened-to-fine-art-supplies?' for you?

-Ciao Amarettogirl

Miami International Art Fair II

All photos in this post by m.diaz @ the MIA Art fair

Christina Pettersson

In grad school I was told I was a better draftsperson than painter and that I should focus my energy on just drawing... regardless... at graduation I received a certificate of distinction at the Hoffberger school of Painting. I'm glad I didn't outline limitations around myself or be swayed by the big names that guided my path, but when I saw this artist, Christina Pettersson's work @ Mia it reminded how powerful an unadulterated graphite drawing can be. Her work comes across as pure as a piece of 18th century literature and iconic and romantic enough to make William Morris smile in his grave. The large scale of the drawings can be better appreciated in the video I found for you. I am also quite impressed with the artists featured by the Spinello gallery who had more than one of the artists I am featuring and reviewing here my blog.

Zora Neale Hurston's Grave, 2009, Graphite on Paper by Christina Pettersson rep. by Spinello Gallery</span> Eudora Welty's Grave, 2009, Graphite on Paper by Christina Pettersson rep. by Spinello Gallery

Euginio Cuttica

One of the artists I really enjoyed discovering at the Miami International Art Fair was Euginio Cuttica, who I believe was there represented by the Adriana Budich Arte Contemporàneo Gallery. Eugenio Cuttica is a contemporary artist born in Buenos Aires in the mid 50’s. The opening slideshow on his website is a treat enough to discover so I highly recommend clicking on his name anywhere in this post to go to it and peruse yourself.

Luna #19 mixed media on cardboard by Euginio Cuttica DETAIL Luna #19 mixed media on cardboard by Euginio Cuttica Luna #17 mixed media on cardboard by Euginio Cuttica DETAIL Luna #17 mixed media on cardboard by Euginio Cuttica

Sang-Sik Hong

Another very intriguing artist was South Korean Artist Sang-Sik Hong who was represented at MIA by the Patrajdas Gallery.

Sang-Sik uses a very pedestrian (everyday) object such as the plastic drinking straw and delivers a fun, yet deliberate and evocative punch of relief imagery!

He makes contemporary, symbolic sculptures & installations. A real special treat is to visit the Patrajdas site by clicking on it here and seeing SangSik Hong's Installation Works which are EXTRAordinary and fantastic feats of genius!

Representations of Power, Sex & Desire executed in a "weak" and basic, yet iconic material.

Mouth - Red (ed. 3/5)Straws by Sang-Sik Hong rep. by Patrajdas Contemporary Art Obstruct (ed. 1/5)Straws by Sang-Sik Hong rep. by Patrajdas Contemporary Art DETAIL Obstruct (ed. 1/5)Straws by Sang-Sik Hong rep. by Patrajdas Contemporary Art DETAIL Obstruct (ed. 1/5)Straws by Sang-Sik Hong rep. by Patrajdas Contemporary Art

**************************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed this second installment and trust me there is still so much more to come! So stay tuned! -

Ciao Amarettogirl

The Miami International Art Fair HIGHLIGHTS Report I

My MIA Press Pass

I am back in the cold Northeast from a visit to Miami International Art Fair this past weekend where the weather was warm, and some of the art was hot.

Fortunately, I met a fellow blogger/artist F.L. Campello from the Mayer Fine Art Gallery whose work I was struck by and who quickly hooked me up with a press kit. The fact that bloggers have gained some respect was new to me, but makes perfect sense since we have the ability to start accessible information chains that can go viral rather quickly. So I am now considered viable press in these situations which is so very cool!

I returned with over 300 photos in tow of contemporary art that I can now break down and parcel out to you in digestible bits and pieces.
Overall the fair seem to have an overabundance of Latino artists represented. I'll begin this feast for your eyes and intellect with a few appetizers, click on pink links to see, read or learn more.

artist - Cornelis Zitman rep. Ascaso Gallery, Caraca Venezuela photo by m.diaz @ MIA

NOTE: a quick reminder (especially if you're new to following my blog), I don't prescribe to antiquated definitions of fine art vs. craft or that one is a higher art form over another- I can be free to do that since I am not confined to markets, or to inciting market value.

Regardless of being involved in education and the value of certain pieces to the art to the student, I am not driven by academic high-art-speak babble, which can unfortunately just be a guise for a lack of conviction and a way to bs around the human need for personal expression. So some of my top picks may be due to a variety of different reasons which can vary from the gallery's attitude, content, a specific appreciation for a technique or skill that is manifested in a particular element of art, or simply my personal taste.

My top picks may not be your cup of tea and will range from blue chip to University of Miami students, but hopefully you'll see some value in what I chose to highlight here since I certainly won't be posting all 300 photos.

Salustiano (B. 1969), Spain, Isabelle, Natural Pigments, Acrylic Resin on Canvas, from Kavachnina Contemporary gallery Miami,FL Photo by m.diaz @ MIA Salustiano (B. 1969), Spain, SMILE, Natural Pigments, Acrylic Resin on Canvas, from Kavachnina Contemporary gallery Miami,FL Photo by m.diaz @ MIA Valeria Rocchiccioli, Agua, Plastic photo by m.diaz @ MIA Valeria Rocchiccioli, Agua DETAIL1, Plastic photo by m.diaz @ MIA Valeria Rocchiccioli, Agua DETAIL2, Plastic photo by m.diaz @ MIA Spinello Gallery Enrique Gomez de Molina photo by m.diaz @ MIA Spinello Gallery Enrique Gomez de Molina photo by m.diaz @ MIA F.L. Campello, Lilith,Mayer Fine Art Gallery Nazar Bilyk, Rain, Black Square Gallery, Polyester resins, Glass, fiberglass toned as a Bronze, photo by m.diaz

This visit was incredibly educational for me not only in what is happening with some of 'the up and coming' and inspiring creative thinkers out there, but also in regards to some of the behind the art scene of gallery etiquette, conventions, loyalty, and their time, energy and economic investments, so once in a while I'll post a nugget of info in that regard as well.

- Ciao and enjoy!- Amarettogirl

My Kate Cusack Inspired Plastic Wrap Marie Antoinette Wig!!

Every year I take on a very large and taxing wearable art/sculpture costume for a 15 min. walk of fame (thanks for pointing that out Mr. Warhol) in the Halloween parade at the school where I work. I mean how can I be a VISA teacher and not?

So last year I was a pretty gigantic butterfly and you can check that out here, but this year I decided to take it easy on myself and use some parts and pieces of old costumes. Since this year the murder mystery party that my hub & I are throwing is on a French Revolution theme - I decided to be Marie Antoinette. Honestly, I wanted to be the decapitated Marie but I just couldn't find anyone to sell me more hours in the day, so I had to settle for the regular intact Marie.

I was SUPER inspired by the phenomenal and beautiful plastic-wrap wigs made by designer Kate Cusack for Tiffany (which you should totally check out)and wanted to try my hand at it using only a 10 hour time frame. Here is the result:

My Marie Antoinette Wig made with plastic wrap and bags inspired by Kate Cusack

Note- If you want to blog about any of these images please be sure to give credit and link back to this site, Thank You :)

I'm planning on making a tutorial for this wig in November so that you can have your own masquerade ball any time of the year or set up for next Halloween early!

Tomorrow I will walk the parade in a pretty big get up- The skirt is an old wood frame skirt that I made to be the Queen of Hearts some years ago and it is MEGA big- so stay tuned for some pics of the WHOLE get up and my leeched white face!!

-Ciao Amarettogirl