Magazine Posts Table of Contents

Give Miami Day 2013

Posted 2013-06-12 08:07:51 | Views: 5,215

The Miami Foundation sets official date for

Give Miami Day 2013

Second annual online philanthropy event to build on 2012’s extraordinary success

In a social-network publicized announcement on givemiamiday.org, The Miami Foundation revealed November 20, 2013, as the official date for Give Miami Day 2013. Last year, Give Miami Day made history as the most active day of philanthropic giving in South Florida.  The unique, online giving event provides everyone in the community an opportunity to build a greater Miami through philanthropy. During the 24-hour period between midnight November 20 and midnight November 21, individuals may view online profiles of more than 300 nonprofit organizations serving Miami-Dade County, and make a charitable gift at givemiamiday.org.

“The inaugural Give Miami Day was a demonstration of Miami’s charitable spirit,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation. “On December 12, 2012, almost 5,000 donors gave more than $1.2 million to 300 organizations building a greater community.  Miamians united in their support of a better community for all, investing in our youth, health care, social services and the arts.”

 

The Miami Foundation will maximize the community’s generosity by matching a percentage of every donation between $25 and $10,000 received on November 20 through givemiamiday.org. Donors can search and give to organizations doing the work they believe is best for Miami-Dade, which makes it easy to support the causes most important to them.

“The Miami Foundation,” continued Soto, “together with a thriving and engaged community, will reignite the new, philanthropic Miami to make Give Miami Day 2013 another milestone for our city.”

 

To participate in Give Miami Day, nonprofit organizations must serve Miami-Dade County and create a free profile on givemiamiday.org. The profile will allow existing and potential donors the opportunity to see the mission, work and impact of each organization. For more information, please visit miamifoundation.org/givemiamiday.

About The Miami Foundation:  

Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation has helped hundreds of people create personal, permanent and powerful legacies by establishing custom, charitable Funds. With foundation expertise, Fundholders have fostered the arts, awarded scholarships, championed diversity, taught kids to read, provided food and shelter for the hungry and homeless, and more. More than $150 million in grants and scholarships has been awarded in the Foundation’s 45-year history. Today, the Foundation is steward to more than $160 million in charitable assets. For more information about The Miami Foundation, visit miamifoundation.org.


Interview with Kristen Soller

Posted 2013-06-11 18:49:21 | Views: 5,723
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What do you love most about Miami?

 

I love Miami's atmosphere. I feel like it's an intimate place for being a 'city' and I love its tropical temperature. I could be having a horrible day and I just have to go outside to feel better. I'll take a bike to the water and take in the salty air.

 

How did you get started?

 

I have always been interested in art and drawing. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I have memories of just scribbling on walls and in books. I would illustrate my life, my future. I would tell stories to my parents about wanting to be a doctor or about my future place. I actually started out drawing really realistically, like people and portraits. Then, in the beginning of college I started doing more abstract things. I would say people I have met influenced me, like when I started dating David (Marsh) whose work is very abstract; he opened me up to that world. I started taking art history classes and learning more about artists that I like, Julie Mehretu, local artists like Liza Sylvestre and I like Louis Bourgeois and the emotional aspect behind her work

You are marrying a fellow artist, David Marsh, how much and in what ways do you influence or inspire each other?

 

As artists, we are total opposites. I find this advantageous because it's a constant conversation between us because of how easy it is to talk about what we like or don't like certain things. My fiancé was definitely influential in going into abstraction. He taught me that concepts and imagery don't always have to be obvious, that you free your mind more with it.

 

What are the themes you are exploring in your art now, doing abstract work?

 

I am still developing my voice right now. The questions I am asking myself as I create these pieces are about femininity. My work looks very feminine. I am questioning what is feminine work and what does it mean to use floral patterns. It is a conversation I have with myself. When I started doodling and developing more I started questioning what is this imagery. I respond by looking to sewing and embroidery and questioning fashion.

Can you elaborate on your work?

 

I feel like my work is very obsessive. I am trying to break free right now and have looser drawings. It is very meditative. I find it very therapeutic. I though I would become a writer. I used to write a lot of stories and I feel like my drawings have the same kind of meditation as writing. I used to be very into poetry. My obsessive drawings can look cursive in a way and I feel like that is liberating. Now I find that I am trying to move forward even more by making it more abstract and have less distinct lines. I do not write anymore. My drawings are my outlet.

 

Have you ever considered incorporating text?

 

I have actually. I think in phrases and stories. I am very much still a writer in my mind yet, when I express myself, it comes out in drawings.

Do you remember which story goes with which piece?

 

There is one drawing that I have that is very abstract. It has jellyfish in watercolor with very fine lines and I titled it “There is Something Deeper Lurking Underneath” and I had a drawing of a ball of thread and I called it ‘A Little Unraveling Could be Liberating.” A lot of my titles are lines from poems I imagine.

How important is the naming of each piece to you?

 

Naming is important to me as it is an integral part of each piece. Sometimes my drawings are born from phrases or thoughts in my head while other times titles are my own conscious response to a more unconsciously created drawing. Naming in itself is a conversation with myself about my pieces.

 

Are your works continuations, like stories and poems, or is each piece separate and conclusive within itself?

 

I am not sure. A lot of the titles that I have are emotions that I am trying to express and they are all related.

 

How does it alter your view of a piece if you hear a viewers interpretation at an exhibition and it is completely different from yours?

 

I love that. That is the beauty of art, have people see other things in your work. At the same time, when I look at my work it is so personal to me. I feel like I hide behind those images at the same time. A lot of times people look at my work and they say they are beautiful drawings. They are so flat and so detailed that people often do not know there was a feeling behind it. People look at art and think it is a way of looking into your emotions and thoughts. That is the interesting thing about abstraction and my work.

What range of emotions do you express in your work? What mood do you have to be in to draw?

 

My drawings are an outlet when I am frustrated or when I feel like my thoughts are obsessive. The drawing is a release of that. The emotions can be positive and negative. My drawings are mental mappings, in a way. Some people describe them as mandalas but as soon as I start drawing I loose myself in the work. The embroidery especially is such a tedious process that I literally just loose myself in the work which is what I want to achieve. When I look at my work I see the personal conversations with myself and also isolated thoughts that I have had and yet people think they are beautiful. I can appreciate that. That in itself is enough for me.

When did you start incorporating the embroidery?

 

Very recently. I use thread on paper. I wanted to figure out a way to make the drawings more tangible, more tactile. I started the sewing based on my questions on femininity which then opened up more ideas of fashion and also surface. How can I get underneath the surface. How can I get more personal about it? What I am trying to experiment with is trying to draw people in. The patterns are so interesting. You think it is a repeated pattern but it is hand drawn so there is that personal aspect to it. As I incorporate sewing and the patterns and I think about textiles it definitely opens up a different avenue for me as far as concepts. It makes me think of why people wear certain things and why girls cover themselves and how do people express themselves through fashion and what is underneath all of that. I am thinking of skin and surface. I started making different drawings of fur of different animals like the tiger. This is part of my current experimentation.

Do you separate the left and the right brain, the scientific from the artistic?

 

Me as a person, I definitely see myself as a right and left brain kind of person. People have said the drawings look scientific because they are so precise. It is a weird conflict because I feel like being so precise is keeping me from being personal. I do not try to replicate but I am interested in the process itself and when I am done and look at it I think “wow that really came together.”

 

Do you know when a work is finished or do you always feel like you want to continue?

 

I feel like I can go on forever. I have to force myself to stop or else I could drown in a drawing. Another artist I am looking to for inspiration is Yayoy Kusama. I do not want to achieve her aesthetic but I am interested in her process. She calls it “self-obliteration,” a process of loosing herself in a painting. It is not necessarily about her, it is about something bigger than herself. That is how I feel about my work. I am still trying to discover and develop my voice. I am hungry about fashion and textiles and patterns and embroidery. All of those things I want to incorporate in my work.

How important are colors to you?

 

Very important. I try to play with different colors and contrasts. Right now, I really like black and reds.

 

Do you choose colors based on aesthetic or an emotional connection and the characteristics associated with them?

 

I guess for me it is more about the emotional aspect. Reds are very strong and passionate and black is very bold. I feel like those are the best colors to express myself with at the moment. Even when writing, I love writing in black ink and red ink.

 

You use a lot of circular shapes. What do you like about circles?

 

It is part of that meditative process. There is something therapeutic and spiritualistic about it. Your thoughts are a cycle.

Your parents are from the Philippines. Are you inspired by your heritage and do you incorporate it into your art?

 

That is interesting for an artist who is still developing her voice. My parents never really raised me in the culture so in a way I feel kind of culture-less. I feel kind of whitewashed. My drawings are cold in a way because they are so precise and that may be partly because I do not have a cultural backing and there is not a lot of imagery from my culture in them. I don’t see an influence from that. My drawings are like isolated systems to me, rituals of some sort.

 

What are you currently working on? Do you have any exhibits coming up?

 

Not right now. The last one was the “Solar Intuition” group show in Wynwood with David and Brandon Opalka. I am in a period of creating new things.


Wynwood Art Walk June 2013

Posted 2013-06-09 15:29:00 | Views: 5,022
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Miami Free Art Fridays

Posted 2013-06-04 18:43:27 | Views: 5,192
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Turns out I had an amazing time! Once I was accepted into the Facebook group I followed some leads but it turned out I was either too late or too early yet I remained determined to find something.

I had seen posts about it in the previous weeks and artists like Atomik and Luis Valle have mentioned it in interviews: Free Art Fridays. Last week I decided to participate in Miami’s Free Art Fridays so I made my way to Wynwood, iPhone in hand, to hunt for some art and have a good time.
The Miami Free Art Fridays Group was started by “Registered Artist,” who is friends with the people who had the original idea. For Art Basel Miami Beach 2012 the artist decided to give away pieces of his work. He soon was joined by a few local artists and 200 followers and eventually the group grew to 1305 members (this is the number on June 4 at 5.27 pm - wow 1.305 ! This group really represents Miami right now).
After 6 months many artists and art hunters are looking forward to Fridays and the hunting territory has expanded. Wynwood is of course still a hot spot as the galleries and bars like Wood Tavern and Gramps attract an art crowd but artists are dropping off free art work all over Miami and Fort Lauderdale from Kendall to Brickell, Downtown Miami to the Bird Road Art District. 
What I found were two record- coasters by Erik Ace. My glasses now sit on Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and “I’m a Man” by Chicago. I love the idea, especially since I spent many years working in the music industry and still host and produce a radio show. 
Last Friday I was prepared to invest some time and also made stops at some galleries such as PanAmerican Art Projects to see their “Argentine Photography” exhibit. In the afternoon it was my turn. A clue popped up with a photo and I recognized the wall on the corner of NW 2nd Ave and 24th Street. Luckily I had made a stop at Brisky Gallery on 24th Street so I made my way to the corner immediately and found my first envelope.
One of the photos that had attracted me to this Friday’s hunt though was a painting by Carolina Tesoro, a talented young artist whom I had previously met in the capacity of photographer during a studio visit. Born in New Orleans and raised in Miami Carolina started to immerse herself in the arts once she enrolled in college. With the encouragement of teachers Jennifer Basil and Tony Chirinos as well as visionary curator and gallery owner Anthony Spinello Carolina’s artistic pallet opened and she started to create her own unique art works. 
When Carolina finally posted her clue I was taking a break to eat at Pride & Joy, devouring some ribs, green beans and corn bread. The clue was “Make sure you tip the bartender.” Considering it was pre- 5 pm in Wynwood there were two options, Lester’s and Panther Coffee and both were too far to get to fast enough, or so I thought.
Thankfully though, I was wrong. I made my way to Panther Coffee and there she waited for me, the white haired lady surrounded by night skies. A tiny 4 x 4 painting on a mini easel sat right there next to the tip jar and nobody had taken her yet. It was my lucky day! I was so happy I basically jumped for joy. 
“The small canvass I made is inspired by one of my inspirations Vincent Van Gogh and his famous ‘Starry Night’ painting,” explained Carolina to me the next day and added, “I imagined what it would be like to live in that tiny village and find your self waiting for your lover to take you in his arms and love you under the magic of the moonlight. She is waiting, but is beginning to feel impatient..…”
Free Art Fridays was such a great experience and I spent a beautiful day in Wynwood that I ended at Wood Tavern’s Happy Hour with my favorite drink, “Berry Good.” Needless to say I am already looking forward to this Friday! This time around I will also drop off something. I want to give as well, just as the participating artists. Mind you I am no artist myself but I paint silk scarves and I hope someone out there will find it, enjoy it and have as happy a day as I had.

An Interview with Magnus Sodamin

Posted 2013-06-01 10:10:53 | Views: 5,576
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How long have you been painting?

 

Since high school. I am 25 now and I started when I was 17. I always painted when I was a kid visiting my grandmother. She always motivated me a little bit to do something creative.

 

Where did you grow up?

 

I was born in New York but I basically spent my childhood in Connecticut. I am of Norwegian and Austrian descent. I have lived here in Miami since I was 13. I like Miami and I consider it home.

 

Who is Magnus Sodamin?

A multidisciplinary painter, magnifying intimate encounters that embrace his surroundings. The course of each work is alert, exploring the territory between science, spirituality, and natural phenomena, engulfing each moment as that of accepting uncertainty.

Do you have a formal art education?

 

I went to a science school. I was majoring in science at the time and then I guess I shifted gears. I had an art teacher who kind of became my mentor. He took me under his wing and got me into art and we made some collaborations. When I came to Miami and went to New World.

 

You are incorporating a new technique of abstract mirror imagery into your paintings

 

I am using that because there is a symmetry in my work and I was thinking that there is another level of unexpected value in that. I was interested in bringing that out in my floral paintings . In my paintings there are a lot of things people can imagine and there is always going to be that thing that people can dream into. It is another layer of that.

Take us through the steps of your painting process, you start by pouring paint and letting it run?

 

When color reacts to color in its natural flow the patterns become very natural and also part of the natural world. To me, that process is kind of exciting. I am picking the colors and I am pouring them but the reactions and the color changes are not something I could have predicted. I enjoy that kind of unpredictability. The next step is painting the flowers with a brush but sometimes I like to leave the paintings the way they are. Sometimes the raw ones are like a finished experiment. Sometimes there is no reason to challenge something.

How do you create the texture?

 

Sometimes the top layer of paint cracks because the paint underneath has not fully dried. Sometimes the paint will crack off my paintings. I do not think that it is a problem. It is part of the life of a painting.

Some of your paintings are more abstract while others are more figurative. Do you move back and forth between the styles or is that a progression?

 

I am kind of process orientated . There are different processes I get intrigued by and I get really into that. Then I start considering what comes first and what comes after. When I consider before I start making the painting then I find it a lot easier to make the painting. Some paintings might sit for a long time until I come back to them. It just happens, in a way, the natural process of it. I kind of go back and forth through the figurative and abstract elements of it. I feel that there is a balance between the two. You can see some of the abstract in the figurative and some of the figurative in the abstract. I always feel like I am more happy with my abstracts in a way because they stand on their own, they don’t need any reference.

What inspires you the most?

 

Traveling is the biggest inspiration. When you are away from your regular routine that is when you see the world differently. When I am traveling I feel like I need to get back to the studio though and then, when I am back at the studio, I wish I was still traveling.

 

What is next on the traveling agenda?

 

I want to visit Norway again soon and see my grandmother, family and friends so it is important to me to get back there for a bit. Go fishing.

 

What do you have planned next?

 

I am mainly in the studio really. I have a couple of commissions that I am working on and I am trying to get ready for the opening of the new Primary Projects space. I want o have work ready. I am trying to push myself further.


Interview with Andrew Nigon

Posted 2013-05-30 12:28:05 | Views: 5,336

What defines the art of Andrew Nigon?

 

Chaos. Incompletion. Temper Tantrums. Christianity. Drag Queens. Circus Side Shows. The Color Pink.

 

Please share some of your artistic journey with us

 

While in undergraduate school I began working with clay. I liked the ability to directly affect a material with my hands and not be dependent on tools to manipulate form. I also began molding doll parts that I would assemble to quickly create human figures that would be deconstructed and reassembled. It was in grad school when someone suggested that, if I was interested in working with the human form, I should consider increasing my scale to life-size. Clay no longer seemed practical at this scale so I switched to expandable foam and plastic, but the process never changed. Since then I have continued an exploration of new materials or at least used familiar materials in new ways.

 

Tell us a bit more about your material experimentations

 

 

Experimentation is a way to keep myself on my toes. Once I understand a material I’m able to control it and control is something I aggressively avoid. In the studio, I maintain a process that is purposefully uncomfortable in order to set myself up for mistakes. The trick is to always be a novice with whatever material I am using.

 

What themes do you explore in your art?

 

I am trying to come to terms with chaos and unpredictability by finding an aesthetic that celebrates the volatility of the human experience. The further along I go the more I am convinced that God lives within madness instead of being an outside observer. Much of the work has a fractured look to it even in its completed state. This creates a visual situation where it is hard to tell if the piece is unfinished or just falling apart.

 

You are interested in gender, anthropology and religion. Can you elaborate on what fascinates you about those subjects?

 

To be more specific, I am interested in exploring various techniques to anthropomorphize the potential necessity for a religious experience. Without specifying any particular faith, I glean specific techniques used in ceremony and iconography that has the power to project divine sensations. More recently my work is focusing, in small part, on the mysterious power of Drag.

You have used casts of your own limbs for sculptures. Does this practice give you a closer connection with your work? Do you feel part of the final piece in a different way when you use yourself as a model?

 

I feel closeness to all my work and I don’t play favorites with the ones that look like me. What is weird is other people’s reaction to those particular pieces. A lot of people see them as self-portraits, which they are not. I think of them more as me’s in Halloween Costumes. Yes we look alike, but they are pretending to be someone/something else and there is a separation in that.

 

What is your balloon series “Knew Normal” about?

 

It’s the morning after. It’s about hangover and the heaviness of awkward regret. “Knew Normal” is an ongoing series that I have been exploring for a few years now. I started out filling balloons with expandable foam and tying them off. For the first day the foam expands, growing the balloon, but then, right before the foam sets, it shrinks slightly. This makes the latex wrinkle a little and the balloons start to look like old skin. There is a sadness to them when they hang in large groups but they are beautiful and peaceful as well. All good things come to an end, but the good news is that all bad things come to an end as well. Normal only exists in the past.

 

What else are you currently working on?

 

An eighteen-foot tall giraffe that is a companion piece to a life-sized elephant I made in 2010.


Interview with Rebeca Raney

Posted 2013-05-28 07:05:59 | Views: 5,862

Rebeca Raney’s world is filled with fantasy. The New York based artist creates characters inspired by her imagination as well as flora and fauna. She brings them to life via delicate, whimsical drawings and larger than life resin sculptures. Following the success of her Art Basel Miami Beach solo show last December and a collaboration with clothing line Madewell in 2012 Raney talks about her art, new plans for 2013 and her secret to happiness.

Share some of your journey as an artist

 

I have always made art and done so very happily. It was natural for me to attend consecutive art schools after high school. I first went to RISD for my BFA and then to SVA for my MFA. I take jewelry classes at FIT. Education plays significantly in my journey as an artist.

 

How would you describe your aesthetic sensibilities?

 

I appreciate craftsmanship. My drawings can be quick or detailed...I just make certain that the paper is of the highest quality. I have a deep enjoyment of using the best materials. Colorful things make me happy but so does quirky imagery.

What inspires your delicate drawings?

 

The need to work expediently inspires my delicate drawings. I strive for an economy of line when it comes to drawing the figure. I also can get very lost in my drawing and that gives me a meditative satisfaction.

Do you make up stories for the characters you create?

 

I absolutely make up stories for the characters that I draw. Sometimes they are not explicit or overt but I think about them a lot and consider them to be sentient beings who are thoughtful in their own right. Many contemporary overtly CUTE works are all about the surface. They seem not to have a brain. I like Hello Kitty very much but I don't think she is really thinking a lot or working on her difficult relationship with My Melody.

 

Which characters do you turn into sculptures?

 

I choose to make sculptures from the drawings that most interest me. If I am curious about what the back of something might be like or how gravity will impact a piece I will consider making it in three dimensions.

The faces of the sculptures are often covered in intricate embroidery. What appeals to you about the embroidery?

 

Embroidery is an excellent way to express the emotional quality of the character. It is a very pretty rash that spreads over the sculpture's face. Sometimes, people are into the embroidery exclusively and don't need the clunk and fuss of the character. But the character needs the embroidery.

 

You create a world of happiness with your art. What is your secret to happiness?

 

Happiness has a great deal to do with doing precisely what you want. I am a person without faith and religion and so I concentrate on my time in this life on doing exactly what I want. Figuring this out is not always a happy experience. Once I hit on art making and making the kind of drawings and sculptures that I wanted to it was easy to allow my characters to wallow in and evoke pure joy. Happiness is designing your own life.

What are some of the latest projects you have been working on?

 

I'm collaborating on a line of jewelry with La Selva, an incredible clothing line that uses indigenous Mayan textiles to create gorgeous women's ready-to-wear.

 

You had a solo show during Art Basel Miami Beach in December. How has that impacted your career?

 

That show was emblematic of many. many months of the hardest work I have ever done. It allowed me to recognize that I am very capable. I understand that I am making the best work of my career.

 

Do you have any other news you would like to share?

 

I'm moving my studio to a wonderful, large space in Brooklyn. I plan to document the new work that I make there on www.raneytown.com.


Interview with Andrea Peipe

Posted 2013-05-21 10:05:06 | Views: 5,786
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Can you share a bit about yourself

 

My name is Andrea Peipe, I am 32 years old and I live in Munich, Germany. I am a fine art and portrait photographer, but I don't like to limit myself to that because there are so many fields in photography that I find interesting and fascinating. Other than that, I love writing, traveling, meeting new people and getting to know other cultures. Photography is a huge part of my daily life because I have my own business and enjoy working in that field at lot.

What inspired you to become a photographer?

 

I had an early start and became interested in photography when I was quite young. It feels like I always had a camera of some sorts although I didn't start shooting with film until I was 12 years old when my parents gave me a camera for my birthday. However, when I started really getting into photography in the beginning of 2010, I knew very little about photography itself and nothing about how to handle a DSLR. Photoshop was something that I had heard about but never tried. It was a hard journey sometimes, learning all there is to learn about photography, editing, and lighting. What really helped me understand photography was doing a 365 project, which I started two days after I bought my first DSLR. I learned so much as a result, mainly because I had to! Every day I would discover something new or see photos of other people that made me wonder how they had been taken. About halfway through my 365 project, I decided to quit my regular job at a law firm because photography was what I had always wanted to do. I never studied to become a photographer or took courses in photography. Instead I read books, magazines and online articles, watched tutorials and went out and discovered photography by experimenting and having fun. For more than three years now, photography has been part of my daily life and I think there have only been a few days when I didn't spend some time of the day taking photos, editing or thinking of ideas and sketching them.

 

What defines the photography of Andrea Peipe?

 

I guess, my photography is defined by my passion and drive for perfection. I have to say though that I find it hard to define my photography because I feel that I am too close to the images I create. I just want to create images that evoke emotions in my viewers, move them and make them think.

 

Many of your images have an ethereal quality. What is your point of departure for images that play with fantasy?

The ideas for my photos are often triggered by dreams or songs, by a conversation or a memory, a scene in a book or a story somebody tells me. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and find myself thinking about a specific idea and I cannot really figure out where it even came from. Sometimes I just start sketching something in my sketch book that wasn't in my head a minute before. I find darker images quite fascinating and I like to provoke people's imagination but I also like to create lighter, somewhat happier images. While I do appreciate well-done portraits, my real passion lies in creating images that are somewhat surreal and show something that often not possible in real life, like levitation for example. At some point I would like to create a whole series of levitation images - women, men, children and/or whole families floating in mid air.

 

Your photography often connects with the elements. What aspects of nature do you incorporate and why?

 

I generally prefer working in natural light to working in a studio or using speed lights. I like the way you can incorporate different seasons or moods of the day into photography and by doing that, create a unique image. Unlike studio light, the light outside and the weather changes everyday and you have to be able to work with it. On a darker cloudier autumn day, your images will be darker and moodier while on a sunny and bright summer day, your images will end up lighter and happier. I particularly like to use lakes, rivers or the ocean because I love the motion of water and the different tones of blue and green in it. Over the years, I have taken photos in all kinds of weather and find each season has their advantages. The crisp and clean white snow that has just fallen can be equally beautiful to an early sunrise on a meadow full of dew in summer. I generally find it more interesting to use locations in nature like mountains or the ocean than shooting in a studio with different backgrounds. Of course, that kind of photography has its good sides too but nature just appeals to me more. Most of the ideas I have or the sketches I draw have to do with nature or an element of nature.

 

What emotions do you want to evoke?

 

I would say that depends a bit on the photo. If it is one of my brighter, happier photos, I would like the viewer to feel happy or even carefree and it would be great if my photo maybe even made that particular person smile and have a wonderful day. If it is a darker image or one that contains some surreal or mysterious elements, it would be great if it made people think. I would like it if my photo made them wonder how a certain effect was achieved or what the meaning behind the concept was. I have experienced that people view a photo differently and it triggers different emotions in them. It doesn't really matter to me what emotions are evoked in another person, as long as my photos touch them in some sort of way.

 

Can you share some of your career highlights with us please?

 

In October 2011 one of my photos was short listed in the category “Professional Photo” for a competition and hung in galleries in Berlin, London and Paris as part of a group exhibition. That was my first exhibition and I was more than thrilled about it although it was also a completely surreal feeling seeing my own photo hanging on the wall of a gallery. Exhibiting three photos at the Urban Art Fair STROKE in Munich last summer was also very exciting because of the huge amount of people looking at my photos and giving me immediate feedback. In May 2012 two of my photos were chosen as book covers. When one was published I bought it and seeing my name on the back of the cover was absolutely surreal as well. And when the Italian Vogue chose my first photos to put on their website last summer, that was completely mind-blowing to me. Even now that I have had more exhibitions, book covers and photos on websites, I still feel very excited and happy when that happens!

 

What would be your next dream photo shoot?

 

I would love to do a photo shoot for a well-known magazine! Something that includes a lot of crazy props - maybe even live animals like elephants or large birds - as well as dresses with lots of fabric or other extravagant clothing, jewelry and really great make-up, and which takes place in some exotic location. So far I have always worked with "normal" people like you and me, fellow photographers or amateur models and even though the people are great and I get good results, I am sure it would be such a great experience to work with a team of experienced people.

 

What are you currently working on?

 

I am currently working on a book. The working title is "A Journey Through Life" and it is a combination of short stories that I wrote and photos that I took. I really enjoy writing although photography will probably always be my main passion. I will self-publish the book on the website blurb.com and I am hoping for some interest and good feedback. There is still a lot of work to do but I am slowly getting there. If somebody is interested in the book or wants to hear more about it, drop me a line!


Q&A with David Marsh

Posted 2013-05-20 15:06:56 | Views: 5,787

 

Why did you choose painting as your medium?

My mom made paintings with me as a kid and it was something I was always inspired by since then. Then I went to school and started showing at galleries and people kept showing me support, so it showed me I was doing something good.

 

What are some the topics you explore in your art?

I explore shape, space, art history, color, and context.

 

How important is the emotional aspect of art today?

My artwork changes everyday because I’m always keeping track of and reproducing processes throughout different bodies of work. Sometimes the actual process of painting can be emotional due to the building and deconstructing of layers in the work. It takes time to produce my work and once I change it, it can affect me because I feel that sometimes those changes are drastic.

 

What are you currently working on?

A minimal series in which I use just a few colors and shapes throughout the body of work.

 

Have you been to any exhibit or seen a work of art that transformed your life or change your way of thinking?

Yes, several times I’ve been to great art shows. For example, the Francis Bacon retrospective at Met. The Jules Olitsky retrospective at Goldman Warehouse. I’m influenced by a variety of other shows and artists.

 

Do you listen to music when you paint? What is your perfect soundtrack?

I love Spotify—it allows me to listen to all kinds of different and related artists. Sometimes, I enjoy listening to the Miami Heat or Miami Hurricanes on the radio.

 

What else do you have planned for 2013?

Marrying my beautiful lady, Kristen Soller.

 

Congratulations!

 

 

 

 


Atomik Solo Show at Terminal Gallery

Posted 2013-05-20 09:51:16 | Views: 5,161
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Graffiti BBQ in Little River - May 2013

Posted 2013-05-17 10:08:31 | Views: 5,277
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Pop Up Show- Wynwood Art Walk May 2013 - feat Brandon Opalka, David Marsh, Kristen Soller, Atomik and Alan Gutierrez

Posted 2013-05-14 13:19:20 | Views: 6,337
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HOXXOH at Gallery Butter - VIP Preview

Posted 2013-05-10 11:05:31 | Views: 4,321
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THE VALDEZIACS by kiki Valdes at 101/exhibit

Posted 2013-04-30 09:55:37 | Views: 5,155
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The NacGroup Presents Ivan Roque “Lost in Cinema”

Posted 2013-04-30 09:30:04 | Views: 5,172

Ivan Roque’s “Lost in Cinema” is a series of 16 works based on the artist’s characters “Lost” and “Found.” Using collage and painting Roque pays tribute to 20th century cinema greats such as Al Pacino’s “Scarface,” Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky,” series and the cult classics “King Kong” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

 

Born on December 27th, 1991 Ivan Jorge Roque, also known as “The Lost Artist,” is a Cuban-American urban artist hailing from the inner city community of Carol City, Florida. Currently a student at the Miami International University of Art & Design, Roque is an emerging urban pop artists to watch. He has been working steadily and has accomplished quite a repertoire at an early age. Roque has participated in a number of group shows, has had a public installation commissioned by the town of Surfside and was chosen for the Pop Up Piano Series during Art Basel Miami Beach 2012.

Roque’s collages present his interpretation of the world. The artist explores morality and questions definitions of right and wrong within the context of contemporary American society. He created the characters “Lost” and “Found” as a representation of the two halves that make up every individual, good and evil, mischief and innocence, rebellious and loyal.

 

The new works present a move towards a new direction for Roque as he pushes his limits in “Lost in Cinema.” Movies are a source inspiration for the artist and he appreciates the medium’s ability to convey messages. Roque sees film as moving paintings with endless possibilities for interpretation. This association started the idea to merge cinema and fine art into this new series, which will be accompanied by a surprise site specific installation at Nac Gallery.

 

 

 

NacGroup is a global entity that consists of a group of like minded individuals with a shared passion and purpose, who have rejected today's accepted conventional wisdom as it relates to how a gallery should operate. NacGroup offers consulting services, brokering and collection as well as estate representation. Nac Gallery, a division of NacGroup, provides a vehicle for emerging and mid-level career artists to reach their respective audiences in a targeted and effective way. Nac Gallery is a fine art gallery located in the North Beach Arts District of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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“Lost in Cinema” runs from May 18th, 2013 through June 13th, 2013 at Nac Gallery, 3325 NE 32nd Street, Fort Lauderdale 33308

 

VIP Preview: Friday, May 17, 2013. 7-11 pm

 

Public Opening: Saturday, May 18, 2013, 7-11 pm

 

For more information on “,” the artist, or upcoming events such as monthly auctions at the gallery visit www.nacgallery.com or call 805.272.5831 or 239.321.9240