We would like to extend our genu ne thanks and appreciation to ever yone who has contributed to the realization of Edge Zones' programm ng and projects, nclud ng this pub ication F irst, we would like to thank the ar tists whose work is in the book as well as the many ar tists who have par ticipated in exhib tions at Edge Zones over the years. Super mix simply would not have been possible w thout the generosity of the ar t sts whose contr bution enabled its production
We wish to thank David Vardi for his tota suppor t and commitment to Edge Zones and its pro ects since the beginning We owe a special thanks to Ruben Ubiera Gonzalez who so wil ingly des gned this book We would like to thank Steven and Susan Bloom who have generous y granted us our premises in The Wor ld Ar ts Building since 2003. We wish to thank our editors and our many contributors: Renaud Anselin, Marino Cabrera, Hope Conner, Juan Ever tsz, Polibio Díaz, Jose Antonio Evora, Marcia Facundo, Álvaro Rodríguez Fominaya, Rosario Rivera, Luise Johnson, Matt Dukes Jordan, Amable Lopez Meléndez, Marcos Lora Read, Thimo Pimentel, Cristina Rico-Bor nay, Fer nando Rueda Koster, Mar a Teresa Ruiz de Catrain, Maricel Ruiz and E isa Tur ner We owe a special thanks to Rober t Mil er for his suppor t and encouragement
To al the personnel of the Museum of Moder n Ar t of Santo Domingo, (MAM) To all of the personnel of the Spanish Cultural Center of Santo Domingo, Bacardi USA and Br ugal & Co.
This publication has been made possible with the suppor t of the M ami-Dade County Depar tment of Cultural Affairs and the Cu tural Affairs Counci , the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners Sponsored in par t by the State of Flor da, Depar tment of State, Division of Cu tural Affa rs, the F orida Ar ts Council, and the National Endowment for the Ar ts
Essays and inter views by Allysa Browne, Jose Antonio Evora
Marcia Facundo, Rita Indiana Her nandez
Amable Lopez Meléndez, A do Menéndez
Eduard Reboll and Elisa Tur ner
Spanish translations by Charo Oquet, edited by Hope Conner
Matt Dukes Jordan and Maricel Ruiz
Book design by Ruben Ubiera
All works are cur rently in private co lections unless otherwise noted
Supermix is about presenting and document ng the works of many outstanding South Florida, Latin American, and Caribbean artists who exhibit at Edge Zones. Most of these art sts have recently exhibited at Edge Zones or have somehow crossed paths with us here in Miam . Edge Zones Press chooses to be a platform that ser ves to underline the dynamic transformat on of Miami's ever-changing cu ture As a result, Edge Zones facil tates the exploration of artists’ personal and cu tural identity, developing greater self-realization through discourse and personal exhibitions. Edge Zones supports art stic nd v dual ty through diversity and recognizes the necessity for group interact on and cross-cultural d scourse. Edge Zones’ programming encompasses a wide range of contemporar y art media including photography, installation, painting , performance, soundscape, scu pture, and v deo The diversity of our monthly exhibitions increases and strengthens awareness of contemporar y art practices among artists and their audiences This diversity creates multiple depths of interact on that ser ve as catalysts and proponents for a globa art commun ty At Edge Zones we do not subscribe to the notion that M am should have a single view of art, an dea that would have a devastating effect on the various cu tures here We are not fixated on imposing a value system based on power, domination, and the imposition of a monocultural viewpoint
Instead, we prefer to promote a value system emphasizing plural ty, unrestrained expression, communication, and diversity
In 2004, Edge Zones published ts first book, Miami Now. Subsequent publ cations include Wet, in 2005 and Wet 2, in 2006, al documenting Miami s rapidly expanding , plural stic contemporar y art culture The absence of exist ng contemporar y art publications in M am prompted our book's publication Despite our limited funds, these publications have ser ved as a catalyst for the growing number of other publications about art in Miami Edge Zones’ books feature a range of emerging and established local and regional art sts, bridg ng the gap between them and creating a platform
5 s u p e r m i x
Edge Zones Ga le y "Miami Dreams" show 2008
for international recogn tion and discourse Edge Zones aims to make contemporar y art accessible and engaging whi e creating a focal point for international research and awareness Edge Zones is committed to assist ng local and regional artists from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds with their creative production by prov d ng opportun t es for dissemination in a wide range of national and international forums Our aim is to reveal certain aspects of art in Miami. They stem from the attitude that t is not about find ng results but rather processes, dynamics and rhythms that are manifested within the marginal, the enduring , as well as n the unpredictab e that coexist within us in the ever yday l fe
To our neighboring islands and countr es, M am is the gateway to the United States The resulting pluralistic culture is what sustains Miami’s prominence as a dynamic art capital Edge Zones’ publications reinforce our m ssion to promote, stimulate and challenge
Miami’s contemporar y art scene by creating numerous levels of interaction while boost ng and solidifying new art forms. By promoting cultura d versity, Edge Zones and Edge Zones Press contribute to a broader understanding of contemporar y artistic practices. Super mix is v ta to strengthening artistic content through development, discourse, and involvement in the broad spectrum of creativity.
The mode s for Edge Zones and Edge Zones Press are M&M Proyectos and Landings M&M Proyectos n Puerto Rico was created by M chel e Marxuach in 1999, and is a hybrid organization based in San Juan.
Land ngs is a project created by Joan Duran in Belize that exhibits, publishes and promotes emerging Car bbean artists worldwide Landing's Catalogs are one of the most recognized and important contemporar y sources for information on emerging Car bbean artists today
Charo Oquet Director, Edge ZonesIn her installatrix phase, Charo Oquet dedicated herself to the understanding and ar ticulation of d fferent Afro-Caribbean un verses, injecting a unifying and consolator y sense to the pantheon rituals of the Antilles From her Miami obser vator y, Charo inhab ts a devotional aesthet c space through which she apprehends her sp ritual and racial ancestr y and questions any theor y that we may have about our own In Charo, the magicial-re igious references are not prop nor are they backdrop; the pieces do not pretend to imitate any specific denominat on, yet they never the ess posses a reality even more powerful than cer tain "real" altars.
This concentration of energ y s on y understandable star ting from Charo's process that, illuminated by voodoo trances, identifies popular Dominican vernacular and global tendencies and sensitiv ties that adhere to her proposal with that subatomic glue wh ch we are a l made of And I enter the wor ld of quantum physics w thout a diving mask; because to deal with Charo's work one needs to know what one is dealing with, as Alanna Lockward a ready perceived, as with one of those famous two-headed creatures who sticks her hand n the wor ld of science and in magic as if it were one and the same thing
In recent years, Charo's work has resigned the baroque eloquence with which she exploded at the end of the n neties and has ach eved tremendous clar ty This new clarity allows her to direct y connect with her intentions that, a though faithful to the core of the contemporar y Car bbean magica -religious, fac litate new readings It is interesting to point out that th s tur n towards a new communicative intuit on in Charo s work, to my understanding , begins with the wooden a tar/str uctures of the beginning of this decade and coincides with the dedication of many of these pieces to E egua - Limping God that grants understanding and opens the por tals that connect with the other wor ld The yor uba Elegua and Voodoo's Legba is, ike the Greeks' Her mes, patron of communications, of exchange and of the crossroad; the same crossroads to which more than one Afro-American musical stanza has been dedicated
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In "Eleguás Way" (2001) Charo uses another pr mordial language, that of the line, basic tool not only of the ar tist but also of the devotees who make drawings on the ground translating a sacred message The overlapping superposition of objects and wood creates a great myster ous etter that, ike voodoo's vevés, attracts the presence of the gods and the r power Vevés, symbols drawn on the ground with gunpowder, flour, or any other type of powder that the officiator cons ders suitable (voodoo is not known for excluding materials but rather for assim lating them) More than representationa drawings of the divinities, they are a type of trap or astral figure that forces loas (gods) to descend F igures, l ke the skiers who make a crossroads viewed from the sky, mark the spot, attracting , as sacred magnet, the beings of other wor lds
In her "Seduction Series" (2005), Charo is able to demonstrate the power of the vevés to lure, star ting from decidedly sculptural pieces, where the ar tist compresses the intensity of her monumental instal ations in a space occup ed by a more or less human s ze sculpture. These experiments of mag cal engineering achieve several things; one of them to i lustrate, in a ver y expl cit way, the nevitable unity of the cosmos that Charo ins sts on acknowledging , paying a tender tribute to the human and post-human energ y that lives in the objects that makes up al their work This precious human ty of the objects is what Charo found n the Gagá of the Ceja in the Dom n can Republic around 1997, where in the sweetest "Dominican Ha tian, crossroad" create vestments that wil be used during Easter, gar landed in crepe paper, r um, and sequ n
In the ser es of inter vent ons "Translocal" (2007) and n the perfor mance "All T ied Up" (2006), Charo takes a step closer towards that communicative forcefulness that Eleguá grants and even abandons the objects, inser ting human beings in the place occup ed before by second hand toys and utens ls The on y other element in these pieces other than people's bod es are ribbons that tie, un te, im t and make accessib e, in an almost obscene way, the inev table interdependence of our condition. These ribbons descr be trajectories that are crossed -ntersections l ke mytho ogical crossroads Charo Oquet travels through these intersections without the need of a traffic light
Easton, PA 2007
Pr ev ous page Transloca temporar y ar t zones” - Istambu , Turkey 2006
Le t: “Trans oca temporar y ar t zones” - Be n Ger many 2006
Top: “Trans oca temporar y ar t zones” - Par s, France, 2006
Sometimes when people in the ar t wor ld refer to alter native exh bition spaces, there s the assumption that the ar tists who are exhibit ng there are nexperienced, lacking credent a s and lacking an exhibition record. To this mistaken idea we might also add several other points Some people, when refer ring to alter native spaces, un ustly describe the fresh and creative work as frivolous, say ng that alter native spaces cannot offer high quality programs and exhibitions because funding is l mited. However, throughout ar t histor y, there is much ev dence that contradicts such statements
We know that good programming and vanguard movements are found n underground scenes as wel as n sophisticated spaces and galleries. Fur ther, alter native spaces are not exclusively dedicated to presenting emerging ar tists
Edge Zones, located in the Wynwood Ar t D str ct with ts enor mous area of 25,000 square feet, is tr uly what s considered an a ter native space. This is because of the diversity of offerings presented under the same roof Edge Zones offers galleries of solo or group exhibitions, video theater, and, as if that were not enough, temporar y ar tist studios and residences at reasonable rates.
This is what we could call an ar tist c complex that, through its projects and d versity, achieves the status of a cu tural center It is a place for exchange where, in a ver y relaxed atmosphere, the spectator and the ar t st can commun cate in a direct and active way. It is a platform that supports diversity of communication and ar t stic expression without geographic im tations, accepting proposals from both local and inter national ar t sts It is a multipurpose place that has the space and tolerance for both the irreverent and the sacred. It encourages experimentation and innovation on al levels In addition, the commercia aspects of the ga ler y work to the advantage of the ar t st. In the spirit of experimentation, to erance, and openness, Edge Zones Press pub ishes complex and r ch resource books on contemporar y ar t They comb ne up-to-date infor mation on ar t and ar tists and feature moder n design, high-quality pr nting and beautiful, full-color i lustrations
It de ights me to know the director of Edge Zones, the Dominican ar tist Charo Oquet She is an energetic, confident woman who has great enthusiasm and mature judgment. She is receptive to multiculturalism, and eager ly assumes the role of cu tural producer Her position at Edge Zones gives her war ness about g obalization and a suspicion of the way a cap talist media of spectacle tends to suppor t a growing cultural hegemony. This is not as a wor ld-wide extens on of the web of human commun cations but as subjugation of humanity by the generalized for mulation of human experience that resu ts from relentless merchand sing and commercialization Charo prefers to emphasize the tr ue communication for ms that remain apar t from al this; works on the marg n of the imposed globalized system, works creating a common space devoted to diversity and difference. The work she chooses isn’t subject to the un versa ity of merchandizing; rather points to alter natives which evoke the crossing of borders She’s never limited to a local and regiona perspective even when dealing with a minor ty viewpoint. Confl cting and dynam c str uctures and ideas are al owed to confront each other Differing ideas and perspectives that exist outside of the straightjacket of conventional think ng are accepted and given the right to exist at Edge Zones
Charo also constr ucts a commun ty that takes advantage of new technologies, the bur ning tools that are changing the face of the globe, st mulating their use in activism and social crit cism In her persona work she reflects with originality and weight a multitude of different ideas and influences, mainly ethnic and religious She is engaged in the appropriation and recreation of elements of mythologies and ritua s drawn from her own Caribbean and Easter n experiences. She extracts the complex potential of characters and mythic figures and influences that were previously confined to spec fic cultural practices and uses them in her ar t. She is an ar tist of transgression, of conflict, yet she is able to achieve a synthesis of a wide range of influences.
Aldo Menéndez
by Eduard Reboll
translated by Charo Oquet
Under a blanket of yellowish-white color, aggressive lines are broken and flawed on panels replete with o l paint In this exhibit, v ewers will find images that include a garden chair, an eeri y peaceful monkey staring at ts viewer, a peacock that is plucked of its color, an empty fer ris wheel, a hand grenade, and a saddened boy wear ng a rabbit costume
Hope almost always separates her work in two par ts The diptych breaks the work whi e simu taneously provid ng metaphys cal coherence. This separation emphasizes the panels’ need to fit together more than as a means to div de itse f Two elements that reflect her l fe past and present are confir med in her ar tist statement, “ diptychs and singular imager y became predom nant in my work after seeing the effects of my father’s ong disease and premature death at fifty-eight years old” Sometimes the objects rest innocuously in their space, as though they came right out of a Pop Ar t piece, minus the co oring The pa ntings are most y monochromatic, but her use of two-dimensiona ity, image select on and singularity limits and enhances their reading The influences range from a mixture of the pastel pieces of Thiebaud and the free outlines of street game and for mal experimentation of Cy Twombly.
Full of violence and approach, as in Peacock 2 or If I Could Think, a memorab e “Baconian seal” emerges where the reduct on and death of the figures are the reason for their discourse Often her images arise out of her memor y, as peculiar elements [such as an odd point system] are reflected in pieces such as Skee-bal at the Contemporar y Th s odd labyrinth of point dispersion becomes the beginning call of the visual game of the work Hope Conner produces un que work w th a diaphanous, simple, and stir r ng language.
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In the ear ly 1980s, Miami’s ar t scene chiefly ncluded the Lowe Ar t Museum at the University of Miami and the Bass Museum of Ar t in Miami Beach; ga ler es r un by veteran ar t dealers Dorothy Blau, Barbara Gillman, G oria Luria, and V irginia Miller ; and the recently opened ArtCenter/South Florida “The Miami Generation” at the Cuban Museum of Ar ts and Culture exhibits Cuban-bor n ar tists making ar t in exile in Miami.
1983 Chr sto and Jeanne-Claude create “Sur rounded Islands” in Biscayne Bay.
1984 Center for the F ne Ar ts, a non-co lecting ar t museum, opens.
1985 Located on the ground floor of a university building , the ambit ous V isual Ar ts Galler y at Florida Inter nat onal University, directed by Dah ia Morgan, changes its name to Art Museum at FIU. (The museum is now called Patricia & Phi lip Frost Ar t Museum and w ll open in a new bui ding )
1986 The Bakehouse Ar t Complex, a for mer baker y retrofitted for ar t st studios n Wynwood, celebrates its renovations with an Open House.
1990 The Ar t Miam ar t fair begins
1994 Mar t n Z Margulies Sculpture Park is founded at Florida Inter national University w th long-ter m loans from Margulies
1996 Center for the F ne Ar ts changes its name and m ss on Directed by Suzanne Delehanty, it is now the Miami Ar t Museum, a collect ng institution. “Defining the Nineties: Consensus-making in New york, Miami, and Los Ange es,” curated by Bonnie Clearwater, is the inaugural exhibit of Museum of Contemporar y Ar t n Nor th Miami Rube l Family Co lection, founded by Don and Mera Rubell with their adult children Jason and Jennifer, opens to the public in Wynwood Rosie Gordon Wallace opens D aspora V ibe, a valuable for um for ar tists of Caribbean descent.
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Late
1990s
Artist-run exhibition spaces start to open around town They inc ude Box, founded by Manny Prieres, Jose Reyes, and Leyden Rodriguez Casanova; the House, with shows curated by Daniel Arsham, Bhakti Baxter, Robert Chambers, Mart n Oppe , and Tao Rey; and Locust Projects founded by Westen Charles, COOPER, and Elizabeth W thstandley
1999 Ar tCenter/South Florida and Centre Galler y of M ami Dade College spotlight emerging Miami ar tists Ar tist Eugenia Vargas begins stag ng “Home Shows” for ar tists n her home.
2000 The Margulies collection can be viewed in an expanded Wynwood warehouse that’s since been expanded “Depar ting Perspectives,” a show in an abandoned bank building and loosely curated by dealer and New Wor ld Schoo of the Ar ts teacher Fredric Sn tzer, highl ghts emerging and established Miami ar tists Dorsch Galler y, which often shows emerging M ami ar tists and is r un by Brook Dorsch, moves to a Wynwood warehouse.
2001 Ar tist Rober t Chambers curates “globe>Miami< sland” at the Bass Museum. Miami Ar t Museum begins a series of solo shows for Miami ar tists The Moore Space, spearheaded by Rosa de la Cr uz and now directed by Silvia Kar man Cub na SPANISH N, ACCENT ON A, opens.
2002 The ar t fair Ar t Basel Miami Beach begins in December
2003 Miami Ar t Central is founded by Ella Fontanals Cisneros (in 2007 it becomes par t of the Miami Ar t Museum.); Edge Zones founded by Charo Oquet
2004 Ar tists Her nan Bas and Naomi F isher found the Bas/F isher Inv tational exhibition space.
2005 Hans U rich Obrist comes to Miami to choose ar t for “Uncer tain States of Amer ca: American Ar t in the 3rd Mi lenium” at the Astr up Fear n ey Museum of Moder n Ar t in Norway “At This T ime: 10 Miam Ar tists from the Rubell Fami y Collection” is curated by Mark Coetzee The Cisneros Fontanals Ar t Foundation opens
2006 Terence Riley, former ch ef Architecture and Design Curator for New york’s Museum of Modern Art, is appointed Director of the Miam Art Museum. He guides efforts to expand its permanent collection and raise funds for a new building near Biscayne Boulevard n downtown Miami.
2007 Miami ar tists are more visible as a group than they have ever been in previous years of Ar t Base Miami Beach Dur ng the fair, M ami Contemporar y Ar tists by Paul C emence and Julie Davidow, published by Schiffer Books, is aunched and there are pane s and two shows, curated by Gean Moreno, based on the book.
2008 Margulies Collection at the Warehouse hosts the Januar y Ar ts Week for National Foundation for the Advancement in the Ar ts finalists n painting , sculpture, and photography
Sources:
Inter view by Amable Lopez
MeléndezIn her recent paintings, Rosario Rivera-Bond effectively mater a izes her poetic v sion and her pass on for the medium, using color and imag nation Poetic, passionate and rad cal works: abstracted, progressive, lyrical, playful, and energetic; opened polychrome, discreet and engaging , mplying metaphysical references from its own mater a ity; key spaces for a perpetually amazed instinct in the hyper-mimesis; fragments of ordinar y moments, dreams and silences; fug tive react ons and movements; war m and whitewashed transpos tions of sameness; games of intensity and intimate existence
When did you acknowledge your need to express yourself imaginatively?
Maybe in my subconscious I have always known that ar t is my veh cle My route Speaking for myself, ar t is the thing that ident fies me People have always told me that I was talented. In my fam ly, my sister Ada is a so ver y ta ented; t just happens that we have many different talents. Perhaps that was also why I stayed away from ar t This can be also considered my weakness; never theless, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
Your roots are in the Caribbean, but your artistic formation and your existential certainties are based in your "experiences abroad.” How did you decide to go the creative route when you arrived in Paris in the mid 70s?
When I first entered L'Academie of the Great Chaumiere, the atmosphere real y affected me. I took ar t and language classes When I met I my ar t professor P er re Jerome, it confir med my love for the place. He encouraged me to submit a work to the "Salon" (1975), and the my work was selected The piece was a nude n the academy style with strong colors
31 s u p e r m i x
What did you do after Paris? And what impact have the different experiences which you had while living in the great contemporar y ar t centers of the wor ld have on your work?
In 1975 I was in Florence, Italy, doing an ar t res dency with a painter ca led Anton o Cicureza and in October of that same year I moved to London where I registered for ar t classes at The Camdem Ar ts Centre, where I studied for a year It was in London where I met A lan, whom I later mar r ed in Santo Domingo in 1977 In fact, the London ar t scene at that time did not appeal to me nor did it have any great impact on my work, but I cont nued to paint. I was pa nting in oil, watercolor, and tempera I did some neo-expressionist nudes and still-lifes. I ve never really liked landscapes In 1978 we moved to New york, where my daughter Car la was bor n I st ll continued to paint, although there was nothing new n the work. In 1979, I retur ned to Santo Domingo and I s gned up for ar t c asses at the Candido Bidó Academy Cand do himself was a ver y stimulating teacher He d d an exhibition of my work and he bought the first work I ever sold. It was then I reconnected to my countr y
How do you deal with the feeling of being uprooted?
My stays on distant shores have been relatively shor t Perhaps f I had remained all these years in England I would feel more uprooted. Miami is ver y similar to Santo Domingo I am near my family I feel as if I were in Santo Domingo. I am ver y broad-based. I like to mix with different people My feelings of being uprooted are related more to things of the past It is really nostalgia.
In the rhythm, the freedom, the expressive vehemence of your recent paintings, I sense an atmosphere or a sense of the land. Do you think that is tr ue?
The land means a lot to me. Perhaps you see it more in the co ors that I use So, I do have to adm t, that nature has had a great influence on my work I am ver y visua . There are some ar tists and critics that say that they do not believe in the eye, but n the mind
I am nfluenced by nature, but really the organic for ms are most y in my head. I am also influenced by the moment and all the things that are happening spontaneously around me
Are there any par ticular abstract ar tists or any school or any special influences on your work which one could easily recognize?
Another impor tant period of my life was 1992, when I retur ned to Miami Although th s period wasn’t connected with ar t, I was still interested in ar t. In 1995 I visited Nor th and South Carolina, and Santa Fe, New Mexico where I met Betty Ridgeway who is an ar t st. W ith Betty I studied action painting techn ques. Experimenting , study ng , and taking workshops are some of the ways that I’ve kept updated and tied to ar t and have fue ed my love for it
Color, for m, matter, and expression are key elements in Brian Gefen s painting process. His aesthetic and ethical responses are the result of a visceral connection w th the poet c, enchanted practices of wester n contemporar y painting: abstract expressionism, Italian infor malism, transvanguard a, minimalism, neo-expressionism, Jackson Po lock (1912-1956), W i lem of Kooning (1904-1997), Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), George Baselitz (1938-), Cy Twomb y (1927-), Anselm Kiefer (1945-).
Why neo-figurative expressionism?
I began with non-objective abstract painting I think that through neo-figuration you get more across faster. Because pa nting is considered a high, e it st ar t for m, it should have a message. But, today peop e move hur r edly, have ver y litt e time to look, and ar t is not an exception to that
Do the materials play an impor tant par t in your painting?
In my large pa ntings the materials are ver y impor tant. I use thick paint I express what I am like as a person I waste pa nt I don't tr y and save and use paint sparing y. I don't think about how much I should save. I’ve always had what I wanted The express on is what matters. I draw the image and later my mind tells me where the for m and color should be, where each surface and each feature goes The excess of reality s expressed in the excess of the materia s. I am between excess and abundance Excess represents me
How do you personally activate the creative process? I have to enjoy and amuse myself with anything that I do I can be serious, but there has to be humor n it It must be more positive for the viewer. We have to lighten up People sometimes get ver y negative; we shou d be more pos tive. Many people are scared to show who they really are They do not have to show others who they are It does not matter what others think.
37 s u p e r m i x
I am moved by what I perceive is a deeply felt need to create a dialog in your paintings... yes, it is an inner need I want to throw ideas at peop e and that puts me in a vulnerable position
The humor is about me, because my works are basica ly self-por traits The arge face or the huge head says someth ng about who you are It is a fast por tra t. In the smal paint ngs, I put myself in the place of the other ; people are ver y quick to judge
It is a fast image of others made in the same way in which they look at me or I look at them when I pass by people on the streets This is what I am and there is no se f-denial. When I expose myself, I become vulnerable because they do not know me It is about total honesty about what I am and who I am.
How impor tant is reality in your creative process?
It’s like having a per manent mir ror It s what I see about myself n a par t cular moment. The small canvases are stories of regular people When I see peop e in the streets, I think about how they would relate to me When I obser ve the people's expressions, I imagine how they are feel ng Therefore, I realize that they also are n a vulnerab e position when express ng themselves pub icly
Photographer Luise Johnson is among a group of ar tists in South F orida who are making new ar t for ms w th old techniques In "Naturalis", a series of photo grams or "shadow pictures", Johnson explores the creation of the feminine identity through myths and symbols The images synthes ze myths that have attr buted creative, nourish ng , and regenerative powers to the fem n ne soul.
At the age of six, Johnson star ted working in her native countr y, El Salvador, with renowned ar t st Rosa Mena Va enzuela who introduced her to abstract expressionism Ten years later, and after many sketches and drawings, Johnson was convinced that her medium wou d never be painting and star ted to lear n and master the ar t of photography
In this inter view, Johnson shares the motivat on beh nd her photography and the recent, d fferent path her ar t has taken her.
How did you become interested in ar t?
I star ted taking painting classes when I was six years o d with a ver y famous painter in El Salvador, Rosa Mena Valenzuela My family had always been interested n ar t, but I was the only one that had the oppor tun ty to go to an ar t school It was under Valenzuela’s guidance that I star ted painting and really became interested in ar t. Later, in h gh school, I had the oppor tunity of taking ar t classes and continued my art studies in college in the United States.
What did you find attractive about ar t?
To be ab e to express myse f without being verba ; to be able to manifest my feelings on a canvas. The technique that she (Valenzuela) was known for was an abstract expressionism, much l ke ear ly De Koon ng , figurative and ver y abstract, and that is what she taught me Not to recreate reality but to be able to express myself with strokes. And it was not unti I became an adult that I discovered what she taught me. As a teenager I did not make sense of the school I had, but as an adu t I have been able to discover my roots and the way she influenced me
41 s u p e r m i x
What kind of ar t did you do during your teen years? Basically I dec ded that I wasn't a good enough painter and, at the age of 15, my mother gave me my first camera On Saturday mor n ngs I would go out in the fie d and take pictures. In order to graduate from high school I was required to write a thes s as a prerequis te for graduation
My thes s was based on photography as an ar t for m That was in 1989, and there was an ongoing debate in museums and galleries whether photography could be accepted as ar t So I decided that I was going to make my po nt that photography was indeed an ar t for m. It is a science, because t has technical requ rements that you need to know in the darkroom and in the camera equipment, but it is also an ar t for m So when I made the decision that painting was not my medium of choice, I decided that I was going to work in photography instead.
I stopped painting after the age of 15 and I put ever ything down: my acr ylics, my oils, and I took on photography That has been my ar t for m ever since Now I am ver y much interested n historical photography’s old processes. It wor ries me how people that study photography say it's easier for them to p ck up a digital camera, shoot mediocre work, and then say, ‘oh, I'l fix it in Photoshop’ And that is not what photography is for me To really be a good photographer one really needs to know their equipment before they can take a good p cture I am not saying that I am right. But, in my hear t of hear ts, I fee that you need to know your camera so that it becomes an extension of yourself, and you need to really know what your l mitations within that piece of equipment are. If you are not able to understand your limitations and you tr y to cheat yourself through Photoshop… to me that is wor r some So I am ver y much interested in the historical era of photography and bring ng back those old processes that ver y few people use today.
You have done a lot of traveling . Has that influenced your photography? yes I've gone ever ywhere; ever y year I go to South Afr ca, I travel to Latin America, I go to Europe Th s has opened my eyes to a ot of possibilities and now, in my new direction, t has made me more socially conscious It has given me sensitivity towards life and towards people. Cur rently, my photographs are ver y people-oriented I am interested in the awareness of humans; how people are able to grasp the r own dentity and how their identity s created And it's been a progression, from those pieces ("Naturalis" series) questioning what my identity is as a woman to what I am cur rently working on Now I tr y to por tray the people that I photograph: how they see themse ves and how other people see them For me, photography s not necessar ly just ar t for you to look at, it also becomes a social tool. you are ab e to talk about human suffering , you are able to talk about human oy, and you are able to ta k about human ty itself through photography So I am able to tell a stor y, and able to get it across not necessarily w th words, but transcend words and use my photographs as a tool.
What kind of people interests you?
I am interested n people that do not have economic resources I am interested in wa king into a vi lage whether I do it in Africa, Guatemala, or El Salvadorand look at how they live and look at them in their environment Mostly because I am nterested in how they get the r dentity through their mytho ogical histor y I am interested n myths. Modern society has, in a way, forgotten its mythologica histor y But, if you go to a village and you obser ve someone living in a hut, you see that they continue to live and they continue to grow with that baggage, if you will, of their mythological histor y That is the r tribal dent ty. So I am interested in that. In South Africa, I walk to d fferent villages and I vis t, for example, a xhosa, a Zulu, or a Shangaan (witch doctor). I want to see how they l ve, how they see themselves, and how they, in a way, cont nue to ive within that stor y that has been passed on from generation to generation. I travel w th a 1946 Linhof It is a 4x5" large format camera. The film I use is a positive/negative Polaroid fi m that allows me to give a positive photo to my subjects and keep the negative to be processed and printed when I return home. This means I can leave them with an actual record of where they were at that particular period in time. Th s creates a different type of relationship with people I encounter n these travels Taking their picture and eaving them with their image creates the possibilities for a d alogue. I am nterested in their verbal stor es, not ust their visual histor y I like to bring that into my work
So from that experience, your work has become in a way more primitive?
yes. I am like the traveling photographer from the past who trave ed in wagons and d d ver y for mal por traits of people I am rediscover ng that sty e of photography
But what you describe is the way you work, how about the content of your work, is it primitive as well? No I would not call it prim tive; rather, it is for mal It is, n a way, a pose because it is a large for mat camera. It is not in the photojour nalistic style. The camera has ts unique limitations; I need to look through the ground g ass and focus The ight has to be right. Mor n ng and evening is best; I use on y natural light I have, in a way, limited myself because t is so for mal. It is, however, going back to these historica roots of photography It is that old-school por trait of people in their element
David Marsh s (1984) ar twork emerges like a test of strength and vitality of the penultimate Nor th American ar t When confronted w th his impressive abstract paintings, exhibited within the framework of Ar t Basel M ami Beach 06 at Edge Zones Ar t Complex, one can senses his prec sion and resistance In his creative practice, spirituality accedes to a maximum degree of material transmutation. His paintings revea expressive freedom, subtle lyr cism, and an int mate connect on w th the poet c essence of the greatest abstractexpressionistic ar t of the xx centur y There is no need to hur r y, let us ca ibrate the urgency of h s work as the first effects of an amazing trip towards the fer tile abysses of the excess
How would you define the first or last motivation of your pantings?
I am not just a painter But, through pa nt, I say things that I cannot say with any other media. My paintings express special moments in time Much has been said and done through paintings from Giotto to Jackson Po lock Those two ar tists have been ver y influential in my work They have left an impor tant mark in the h stor y of moder n pa nting . For me a great painting is an anti-product People could make products but one cannot produce a masterpiece through mass production Tr ue ar t is something ver y special
The active density of the materials, the energetic load of your powerful abstractions, especially impresses me. Have you ever questioned yourself about the existential, metaphysical or poetic reasoning of these expressive marks?
I am young and hot blooded When I am moved by something related to painting , I want it to be really hot and intense-- a total expression of my inner being I paint ver y fast. It is a for m of emotional re ease so that I don t have to think too much Poetr y is my family My fami y taught me to always be a tr uthful person. you only have one life. As a human be ng , what legacy will you leave behind? I just have a shor t time and will always have something to say W ith my friends and with myself, I always tr y to take ever ything to the highest level
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How do you begin your work process and how do you develop your work?
I star t each painting like Pollock did: as if they were roots Draw ng with a st ck and letting the paint fa l as if it were roots on the so l. I am ver y interested in space Those trees are there as if they were within a landscape I create an mplied perspective through which I express the problems and images that I have in my mind I begin to draw them in that space, but never represent them. My favorite painting s Duchamp's "Nude Descending A Staircase" He is the only cubist who wanted to represent the image in different times For me that is not enough. I do not make images representing the simultaneity of t me It is a nar rative without figures. The figures or the mages are ins de.
What are the roots and the limits of the dialog of your ar t work?
I base my work on historical references. For example, I reference the more impor tant movements and transcendental ar tists: Pre-Renaissance, Giotto, Cimabue, the Baroque, Rubens, Rembrandt they did not have references They had to invent ever ything I have a connection to them because they went far beyond their own limitations They were excessive I also make references to V incent Van Gogh, who is the first ar tist who destroyed the idea of the canvas He was pushed to make another thing , another type of paint ng , another type of ar twork. Van Gogh is the first ar tist who breaks with ever ything He breaks with more things than all the Impressionists. My favorite references in contemporar y ar t still cont nues to be ar tists like Pollock and Jules Olitsky, they are the most impor tant representatives of the search for expressive freedom To me, they changed pa nting
Having lived outside your countr y for years, and navigating through your 50s, what do you plan to do as far as your work is concer ned, what are your conceptions and your criteria at this time? Navigating through them, yes, but more towards the perspective of the 60s
Not too long ago, a young and prominent ar tist praised my work, among other things, for something that has become more and more mpor tant to me, experimentation, as well as the paths that I bring face to face w th the ar tist c commercialization that seems to triumph ever ywhere, that tur ns ar t into a lucrative bus ness, a s mple stock market game, a to-and-fro of investments and revaluations, of indulgent pyrotechnics staged especially for the nouveau rich and for a cer tain spate of consumers in deve oped countries who are endowed with a “new sensibility” that results from a spiritual cross between a broker and a decoration enthus ast, that have tur ned into supreme pontiffs of their year n ngs the auctions (as if they could rep ace the critics), dea ers, curators and eulogizers of the global village and of a “massiveness” dictated by cultural capitalism; nothing more and nothing less than the economy attempting to emu ate with the capability of creating identity, something up until now reser ved for ar t and culture.
I recognize the need for global zation, but this does not mean that I accept it as based solely on the cultural hegemony of the deve oped West Instead of globalization, I like the spir t of brotherhood and of solidarity among ear th ings; today’s mediatic wor d homogenizes, transfor ming whatever into a spectacle, tur ning representation nto a sham, it’s like counterfeit cur rency, an all-purpose patter n that robs authent city In my work, I tr y to preser ve my incl nation of yore to slide the results of testimonial vision, I want to show that I was there, that I am there although I avoid fall ng into literal reconstr uction unl ke the new e ectronic media, which in reality moves us away from an event s real time.
Officially, I rely on the collage, on the photographic foundation that new technologies continue to situate n the ar tistic foreground Through it, I constr uct
a un verse of poeticized obsessions; the title of an exhibition which I had in 2001, Cuba en exceso, establishes the guidelines it s d fficult for me to recall having done anything whose star ting point is not Cuba as a fundamental experience, but that does not imply that this is where I w ll remain while putting up a resistance to globalization, acting as a loca ; just right now my star ting point is Cuba in attempting to understand its problems, in quest oning its reality, and all of a sudden I end up quest oning as wel the war in Iraq, analyzing the manipulation of the image of Chr st, or want ng to peep at the bright path that Ch na is following .
Is that why your new series is entitled Retratos en Chino?
Wel , that s equivalent to admitting that we l ve in ver y confusing times and when something is difficult to understand we say that it “sounds Chinese”; today, almost ever ything sounds Chinese I want to eave the for mulas behind and to apply common sense to my reflections, tr ying to avoid being trapped talking in the ear of another epoch, translating and interpreting this hodgepodge by means of a vocabular y in the present tense, but one thing is to want to do something and another thing is being able to.
Does Miami contribute anything as far as you are concer ned?
Of course. To begin with, here I am sub ect to intense miscegenation this is a point of coexistence of individuals from all over Latin America and I don’t fee out of place or that I have lost my roots, and n add t on I expose myself to having direct contact with Nor th American culture. It is fascinating to see how this place tur ns out to be so conser vative and camp, reactionar y and snob, but at the same time many major future tendencies make their way herein
Is it also a wild art market, an opportunistic market?
Cuban ar t above al … What I do believe in a general sense is that it s a false prem se to define the ar t market as trade I make echo of Ross ’s thoughts, and of many others because a work of ar t is not a fungible asset, that is, one replaceable by a like asset,
and ts value is never linked to ob ective parameters such as cost of materials, durat on of execution, dimensions, etc Ever ywhere, we are gover ned by cur rent marketing laws, what happens is that here in par ticu ar too many “dealer gent emen” abound who never keep their prom ses, especially those that refer to increasing the dollars invested by their clients because they in fact promote anything in order to reap immediate benefits, likew se increasing pr ces to ver tiginous figures without ustified reason. Even better if the person with whom they are dealing is a moneyed ignorant not conversant n matters of ar t something that is widespread in our mi ieu someone who is easily persuaded by that kind of con ar tist, of snake char mer.
It seems as if you don’t like places where those elements manifest themselves?
I consider myself al -ter rain and it is possible for me to function in ver y different scenar os; for tunately, there are ver y strict galler y owners but also spaces such as Edge Zone, which recreates a fair-l ke climate where multiple experiences may be put nto practice I cannot c ose my eyes and persuade others to inhabit an illusor y planet unpolluted by money, and I would be a hypocrite if I pretended to be completely out of that game; as Rober t C Morgan maintains, nor is it good to “create solely with a manifest market orientation, because an ar tist’s real task is l berat on, he makes the future poss ble through his own, deeply personal creative effor ts
These quest ons were par t of a quest onnai e that the ar t c it c Jul án A Gá ego nter na iona y renowned Span sh au hor, subm tted o A do Menéndez in 2005
Inter view by Amable
Lopez MeléndezHere we find two uncontrollable and essential ter ritories materialized with "inevitable grace" in the effusive imager y of the great monochrome canvases of Rober t Mi ler Before these paintings, one tends to hallucinate and to meditate on life, nature, ex stence, imagination, and on the enigmat c content that maintains its transparency These paint ngs are mutant, subt e, and intense y suggestive. M ller's incorporates w th precise integrity the ucid, poetic, neo-abstract, and post-minimalist elements found within the pictorial practice of the xx Centur y
How should one see the persistence of the geometric symbol in your recent paintings?
The last pictures have to do with a s te that I have never seen in T ibet: Mt Keilash They are thoughts on that mountain
Why do you think about a mountain that you have never seen?
It s a sacred site n Tibet People make pilgrimages to t Why and for whom do they do it?
People have gone to this mountain for thousands and thousands of years ---- longer than anyone can remember People simply do pilgrimages to the Mount Kei ash. It is not for re igious reasons, nor for any God, nor for an ar my Buddha was not a god He taught about the human mind
Have you been to T ibet?
I will never travel there. They are thoughts. It offers a liberation of mag nation It frees me to pa nt What impor tance does freedom have for you?
Pa nting is not illustration I am a ways as interested in freedom as n painting. Nor mally this room is full of paintings
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What are your thoughts on the contemporar y myth of the death of painting?
They can say what they want It is l ke say ng that l terature or the novel is dead Painting has never been ver y easy. To write poetr y is a difficult task. There are those who do not like difficult jobs
Poetr y is not a job!
Neither is painting Perhaps that was what happened with ar t. It became a job for many people. That’s the bad thing about the ar t market It is l ke the myth of Sisyphus. Ar t sts cannot stop painting. They push the rock and the rock rolls back The painter is the myth It is much easier to flee from painting than to live, than to persist and car r y on w th paint ng.
What do you think of ar t as a spiritual practice?
The only time that I can med tate s when I am painting Meditat on is not a spiritual practice It is intended to stop your mind.
And why it is necessar y to stop the mind?
Ask your m nd
What are your goals as an ar tist? Do you think your goals are similar to the ar tists you admire?
One of my goals is to make peop e augh, to recogn ze that we are l ving in an imperfect wor ld, w th th ngs that are insane, il ogical, and ir rational. And the only way we can cope w th that fact is to laugh Not to say that I admire only ar tists that use comedy, Clemente is a humorous just as Mun z s, but I adm re a host of ar tist that I wouldn’t say are par ticular ly a gas but I l ke them for other reasons; I guess I admire invention and it's something I tr y to exp ore in my work
Is there an autobiographical connection to your alien character? Are you alienated? Are you living vicariously through his experiences?
Cer tainly, the alien does a lot of what I wish I could be do ng He gets away with anything It’s a lot of fun creating a character to work w th; you can have him do most things you wouldn’t do
Have you ever been abducted?
No, but I do have the flu and am on heavy co d meds Kind of spacey
There are ver y subtle humorous elements in your work in addition to the more obvious ones. I’m thinking of your Polaroid series where you are capturing an instant, yet are using several photos to collage It took a long time to create a hoax of something that is supposed to occur in a single moment. For your installation work, Under the Influence of Love, 2005, what’s the hubcap and disco ball doing there in your installation universe? Does your alien live in a kitsch creation?
W ith the items floating above the alien like the disco ball, coffee pot, vacuum cleaner and hubcaps, those are elements that have just enough infor mation to appear as a universe filled with UFOs and stars, but a so have domest c implications that the al en wants to have in his life. The alien is in love and wants to have this fami ial ife as he acc imates himself to our wor ld. So the float ng tems are two fo d, just as the a ien and the Polaroids in front of him are phony in nature It’s obvious, but they a so are th ngs he wants to sw r l around him just as his wor d or universe. I let the viewer put it all together
Bor n in Havana, Cuba, in 1985, Payares came to the Un ted States w th his fam ly in 1995. Soon after, he got involved w th pa nting through graffiti and s nce then has been drawing and paint ng nonstop Experimenting with his imag nation has always been an outlet or an escape from any situation he is in Payares considers h mself a postmoder n ar tist, since it doesn't limit his work to any tradit onal style. In ar t, he says, "a simp e guide does not exist"
It is said that postmoder nism is the end of histor y, concluding utopias. Does the use of collage by painters like you announce the end of all topics as well?
Selecting fragments of existing mages to compose another image is a way to give those fragements a new mean ng . When people are decorating their houses, ar ranging their dinner tables, and when women are doing their makeup, and so on, we are creating collages. Our l fe is sur rounded by collage and we don't even realize it But the under lying issues are there. If there were no topics and issues, I would not be able to ar range anything
How do you recognize the difference between a great collage and an insignificant combination of patches?
Great collages just don't happen by throwing a bunch of images together you need to accumulate the cor rect shapes, colors, and lay out the appropriate viewpo nt in order for it to bloom. Beyond be ng able to qu ckly come up with a decent compos tion, col age is for eter nity a symbol of radical freshness.
I can tell you focus on composition. Why is that? Compos tion in my work always says someth ng , but the topic seems ver y vague. It may appear at times as if the paintings are divided into segments, but that’s because language is the sum of various par ts, and it s in the comb n ng of par ts that we have the basis for creating nar ration It s like a big chain - each link does nothing without the others.
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Today, ar t techniques are deeply committed to technolog y. It seems, though, that this influence appears throughout your work more in the conceptual side than for mally...
Beyond ar t, technolog y plays major roles n all of our l ves today We are capab e of doing ten things at a time and drive to work My aim is to transfer this energ y to the ar ts and create an association that connects my work with the viewer who is aware of the existence of that power. Ult mately, I want to use a range of techniques that illustrates the instab lity that susta ns our way of life
How is it noticeable in your paintings?
In its apparent confusion At first glance the ar t can appear carelessly made, but a closer examination will reveal the layers and complexity I set up a space within cer tain areas to attain depth, or to specify a personal point.
Do you have the spectator in mind when you work?
No, but I am ver y nterested in aspects of the individual relat onship peop e have with the paint app ication A so how an image can bond with you in a touching way, connecting both know edge and memories My drawings can trigger many associations for the viewer because it’s not clear what they’re tr ying to say, so the viewer becomes engaged wih the work and then t becomes a fulfill ng experience
M ami Beach Apr l 1st 2007
Body Language: A Multi-Media Exhibition
Grant Bloodgood
Joy Chr stiansen
Carola Dreidemie
Lamia Endara
Rachel Hoffman
Cour tney Johnson
Billie Grace Lynn
Charo Oquet
Jana C Perez
Elizabeth Renfrow
Christine Shank
Kari Snyder
George Blakely
George B akely was born 1951 in Long Beach Californ a. He lives and works in Ta lahassee, Florida and is an award w nning teacher and Professor of Art at Florida State University since 1978. He has exhib ted his artwork in over three hundred exhibitions across the countr y, in fact in almost ever y state, at museums, universities, galler es and non profit spaces. Over thirty of these exhibitions were solo shows He has lectured about his work and researched at over seventy venues inc uding universit es, museums, galleries and conferences across the countr y Currently h s favor te museum is his own house and yard where he routinely has bus loads of schoo children vis t on field trips He has curated two major Museum exhib tions: “Heartfe t” 2005 and “BANG: The gun as Image” n 1997 and is currently working on h s third (with a working title of “Appetite”) He approaches the curatorial arena w th his histor y as an installation artist
Esteban Blanco
Cuban-born Esteban Blanco m grated to the U S in the early 1960s. After iving in New york and Mexico City, Blanco moved to Miami, where he currently resides He studied art n Miami with Duane Hanson and at the Brooklyn Museum School and the School of Visual Arts in New york City He had his first solo show in 1981 at the Razor galler y in Soho, New york. His hyperrealist paintings from this period are in the collection of the E F Hutton Co and Pan American Airways. He has also exhibited h s work in Mexico City and Miami During the 70s and 80s he worked as a travel and commercial photographer, a graphic des gner and copywriter. In 1994 he co-founded Accentmarket ng, an advertising company that, by 2004, had grown into the fourth argest Hispanic agency in the Un ted States During the 70s and 80s Esteban produced a body of work that ranged from minimalist drawings and paintings to a series of object art p eces based on his interests in the excesses and waste of our consumer society The 2005-2006 series “Playing With Dolls” was his first major effort away from painting and drawing into object art and was featured in Art Miami 2006 and shown at the Chico Zapote galler y in Mexico City Current work depicts his preoccupation with power, wealth, re ig on and society Esteban’s work is represented by B ue Door Fine Arts in Miam and Chico Zapote Galler y in Mexico City
Grant Bloodgood
Grant Bloodgood was born and raised in Stillwater, Oklahoma He attended Parsons School of Des gn in New york in the late 80s and early 90s where he studied art After years in New york, he moved to Portland, Oregon where he finished his degree in sculpture at Portland State University This is also where he began learning and participating in tradit onal ceremonies with a Lakota Sioux medicine man His experience w th the Sioux has had a lasting influence on his life and work. Since his arriva in Miami, Grant has been in numerous exhibitions nclud ng the Lowe Art Musuem, Bruce Lur e Galler y, Remapping the Carribean (Santo Domingo, Domin can Republic), and multiple shows during Art Basel His work resides in the collection of Mark Kostabi as wel as numerous private collections Currently, Grant is working towards an MFA n multi-media at the University of Miami His current work uti izes photography, v deo, performance, as we l as traditional scu pture materials
Rosario Rivera Bond
Born n the Dominican Repub ic Lives and works in M ami, Florida. Studied architecture and Interior Design at University Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic. Studied art at the Academy de la Grande Chaumiere n Paris and at Camden Art Center in London
Selected Solo Exhibit ons: 2006 Edgezones, Spir tual entertainment“; 2006 Edgezones, “Content” Miami, FL; 2005 Artformz “Rave” Miam , FL; 2003 Juego de Colores, 20th Centur y Theater Galler y, Notting Hil , London, UK.
Selected Group Exhibit ons: 2007 Latin Amer can Art Auction for Miami Museums, Gar y Nader Galler y; 2007 Unesco“ in Par s - Away“ Femme, Creativite, Diaspora; 2006 Artformz, Miami Fl ; 2006 Ping Pong Basel MiamiProjektraum M54 Basel, Sw tzerland; 2005 Ambrosino Galler y, at Edgezones “Pink s for Miam ”; 2005 Artformz “Resolutions”; 2005 “Plural M ami” Curated by Antonio Zaya; 2005 Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo, Santo Dom ngo, Nac onal; 2005 Edgezones, M ami, FL “Beyond a l of that”; 2005 Quinta Dominica, Santo Dom ngo, D R 2005 Edgezones “L quid Blue/Azul Liquido“, Edgezones, M ami, FL “Wet” Edgezones, M ami, FL “Scramble It” Artformz, “Scratching the Surface” Miam , FL; 2004 Edgezones, “Now” Miami, FL M ami
Joy Christiansen
Joy Chr stiansen s an active exh biting photographer and instal ation artist Her work has gained recognition through regional and national exhib tions and ectures
Recent and upcoming exhibitions include The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future in Dallas, Tx, the Houston Center
Brent Cole
Artist Statement: “Viewing artwork is always a leap of fa th As artist and viewer, we enl st ideas and materials to convey and conv nce. We grab at water and it slips through our hands Perception and contrivance are volleyed about; buoys, tethered, listlessly bob upon the surface.” Cole received h s BFA from the Cleve and Institute of Art and MFA in Sculpture from the University of I linois He has been an assistant teacher for Penland Schoo of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School and The New Orleans Schoo of Glass Work Co e was also chosen as one of the representative NC artists in North Caro ina Museum of Art’s "Defying Gravity" Exhibit on Residenc es have included Ucross in Wyoming and the Headlands Center in California. He s current y a visit ng assistant professor of glass at the Un vers ty of Miam , Florida
Elisabeth Condon
Elisabeth Condon, born Los Angeles; lives and works in Tampa, FL and Brooklyn, Ny. Rec pient of a 2007-8 Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant and 2007 Hi lsborough County Individual Artist Grant. Artist residencies include yaddo, Red Gate, Beijing and Stock 20, Ta chung Recent two-person and group exhibit ons include ADA Galler y, Richmond, VA; Fantastic Routes, Lab Galler y, NyC; Shenghua Art Centre, Nanjing, China; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC. Condon is represented by Dorsch Galler y, Miami
Hope Conner
Hope Conner was born n Rahway, NJ, in 1973 She is an emerging artist currently working and residing in Central Florida After spending eleven years as a sales manager and v sua merchandiser in Orlando she returned to college and in 2006 received her BFA in paint ng from R ngl ng College of Art and Des gn Currently she s completing her master’s in education at the Un vers ty of Central Florida Recently Ms Conner
was featured in Ocala Magazine and has partic pated in numerous solo and group shows throughout the United States, inc uding Vespine Galler y and Studios, Chicago, IL; Lake Eustis Museum of Art, Eustis, FL; Zones Contemporar y Art Fair/Art Basel 2007 at Edge Zones M ami
Diana Copperwhite
Whether pa nting from sources that are deeply personal to the artist or images from mass media, Copperwhite’s pa ntings relate strongly to memor y The dreamlike quality to Copperwhite s work is not only achieved by her choice of mager y but is ver y much tied in w th the physical act of pa nting itself Copperwhite claims that the first painted layer s never strong enough; images get painted over, she changes her mind and gradually a histor y builds up For the pa nting to emerge she must be wi ling to destroy what she already has. W th th s repeated working over of the surface, layers are somet mes obliterated by the next, depending on the thickness of oil paint. How we see, how we remember and how we know, are the themes which weave through her work Her paintings revealing a glimpse of a parallel universe balanced between the remembered and real, the abstract and representationa
Magdalena Correa
Engraver and photographer was born in Santiago de Chile in 1968. She graduated from the Fine Arts School of the Cathol c Un verstiy of Pont fica w th honors Thanks to her successes as an art st, Correo received in 1999 the ''President of the Repub ic'' scho arship award to continue her doctoral studies in photography and v deo at the University of Barce ona, which made her imm grate to this Spanish city She is now a professor at the both Pompeu University and the Polytechnic of Cataluña in Barce ona, Spain
Polibio Díaz
Polibio Díaz is a native of Barahona, Dominican Republic He began h s studies in photography at Texas A&M University, USA, where he graduated in Civil Engineering His voluminous work has been collected in the books: "Scarecrows from the south", (J. M ller) Editora Corripio, 1984; "Images of Carn val", (J Mi ler/ F Lizardo / R Tibo / P.Verges / M.Rueda) H.G. Graphis,USA, 1993; "An Island, a Landscape", (M Tolent no / Rau -Joan Moulin, with a poem by Manuel Rueda) Serigraf, R D 1998; "Interiors" (Ricardo Ramón Jarne/Antonio
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Zaya/Edited by the Santo Domingo Museum of Modern Art. MAM, (2006). Mr. Díaz's photographs were included in "100 years of Photography, 1899-1999: Personal Visions of the 20th Centur y", an exh bit organized by the Discover y Museum of Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.A., from 1999-2000 His work has been exhib ted in Europe, the Americas and As a Hav ng had a noticeable partic pation in the Biennials of Havana, Venice, and the Caribbean, where his work has been awarded and rewarded with favorab e reviews by a host of nternat onal critics Also his work were inc uded in the First Cu tural Fest val of the Africa-Caribbean-Pac fic (ACP) countries, Santo Domingo Museum of Modern Art (MAM), October 2006 Mr Diaz's works were exhibited in the United State at the fol owing places: Miam Art Basel, in the Edge Zone Galler y, in 2005; Merengue Visual Rhythms, Museo del Barrio, New york in 2006; and at the Museum of the Americas (OAS), Wash ngton D.C. in 2007. Dur ng this summer (2007) his work can be seen at the Mér da's Biennal, yucatán, Mex co, and at The Infinite Is and: Contemporar y Caribbean Art, Brooklyn Museum, New york and in the Galler y section of Current y he is Ambassador, Cultural adv sor under his countr y's Ministr y of Foreign Affairs
Tebelio R. Diaz
Tebelio R Diaz was born on 1951 in Havana, Cuba He received his BFA from Florida International University and his MFA from West Virginia University He l ves and works in Miami, Florida. He teaches for the M ami-Dade County Public School System and is also an adjunct Professor at Miam Dade Co lege Kendall Campus His most recent work deals with his experiences as an mmigrant and how it re ates to the American Experience, the struggle between detachment and assim lation that synthesizes into a bi-cultural identity Recent exhibit ons: Faculty Exh bition / Miam Dade Co lege, 2005; “CIRCA 11011” / Edgezones, Dec 2005; Group Exhib tion / The Firehaus Project, Dec 2006; “Vessels” / ‘ISM GALLERy @ Zones Contemporar y Art Fair, Dec 2006
Carola Dreidemie
Carola Dreidem e was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and currently lives in Miami, FL Dreidemie works ma nly in video and photography, she often collaborates w th her sister, Monica Dreidemie, who is a dancer and a choreographer Carola’s work explores perception and
understanding through images and sound It quest ons what is real and investigates the complexity and ncongruence of a system of percept on and response
She currently is a faculty at the University of Miami, n Flor da. She has been awarded residencies at the Exper mental Television Center, at Anderson Ranch in Colorado and at Global Arts Village in India Her videos were recently screened at the Centro Reco eta in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Viena de video in Santiago, Chile, at Galeria Tomas Chavez Morado in Guanajuato Mexico and in the US at the Dallas Video Festival and the Independent Television Network among others
Jacqui Drinkall
BA (Visual Art) Honors 1 (University Medal) and MA by Research (V sual Art), Institute for the Arts, Canberra School of Art, Australian National University; PhD (Art Histor y and Theor y, 60% studio) College of Fine Arts, Sydney Jacqui Drinkall is a practicing artist who works in painting, sculpture, performance, installation, and video. She was recent y awarded a PhD for her thesis titled Te epathy in Contemporar y, Conceptual and Performance
Art’. Jacqui has been awarded over a dozen grants and awards, inc uding two awards from the Art Galler y of New South Wales, the Marten Bequest Travell ng Art Scho arsh p and an Austral an Postgraduate Award
She has been selected as an exh biting finalist five times for the prestig ous Helen Lempriere Art Scholarship at Artspace Visual Art Centre, Sydney, Australia, and for other prestigious awards such as the Wollahra Small Sculpture Prize As an undergraduate teenager, Jacqui received a small scholarship to study as an exchange student at Ecole Nat onal des Beaus Arts, Paris, 1994-95, w th nternat onally renowned v s ting art professors Mar na Abramovic and Krzysztof Wod czko. In 1999-2000 she participated in a residency at the Cite International des Arts, Paris, France, and during this time had a solo show at the Cite exhibition complex in Galler y 1, and participated in a group exh bition at Gal er y St , Paris
She has had at east 8 s gnificant solo exhib tions and over 25 group exhibitions in Sydney, Canberra, Miami, London, Moscow (plus 15 other Russian cities) and Paris
She is represented in co lections in Australia, France, Germany, Serbia, and the United States Jacqui is current y working a long-term visual art (quasi-architectural
installation, endurance performance, objects, sculpture and video) project exploring the quasi-religious and mystical experiences of left wing Marxist-inspired terrorists, such as Weatherman cult (Weather Underground)
Natasha Duwin
Natasha Duwin was born and ra sed n Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has s nce ived in New york, Tokyo and M ami In her work, Duwin explores the deas of female-ness and womanhood, and how to construct a strong fema e identity without fall ng into the traps of tradition and expectations. Duwin use non-traditional materials, such as metals and organic matter, in tradit onally “feminine” techniques, such as weaving and embroider y She has shown extensively over the last couple of years, and is a recipient of a MFA in V sua Arts from Flor da International University
Lamia Endara
Lamia Endara was born in Egypt. She received her MFA from the University of Miam in 2007 She currently resides in Miam , FL. Se ect Exh bitions include: 2007 Portray ng the Self at UM Project Space, 2006 Body Language at Edge Zones, 2006 Basel On Edge at De uxe Arts Ga ler y.
Izlia Fernandez
Native to Miami, Izlia Fernandez concentrates on the dynamics of the drawn ine Her work is ntuitive, expressive and ful of emotion. The lines, a complex network of time appear lost amid a dense web of fleeting moments and m splaced memories, akin to walking into a cloud of gnats. In her work, the subject of geometric and organic abstraction is densely layered Sometimes these elements are monumental, choking ts environment. But they can almost be obliterated, existing only as faint lines or ghost y images These abstractions act as markers of time and memor y, each representing an ephemeral moment of existence Izlia Fernandez is current y in the process of receiving her BFA in Draw ng at Florida Internationa University Her work has been on display in the Edge Zones Contemporar y Art Galler y (2008), The Frost Museum (2007), the Graham Center Ga ler y (2007), Kunst Motel (2007), Studio 100 (2004), the Miami-Dade Col ege Wo fson campus (2004) and the Jackie Hinchey Sipes Galler y (2001)
Meme Ferre
Meme Ferre was born in Miami, Fl. She currently lives and works in Miami and Puerto Rico She rece ved her BFA from Pratt Inst tute, and her MA from NyU Selected Exhib tions inc ude: EARTHFEST 2007, Biscayne Nature Center, Key B scayne, Fl , Bote lo Gal er y, San Juan, PR 2007, Art Center/ South Florida, 2007 and “Ju ce/Champola” The World Arts Building, Miami, Fl 2003
Ivonne Ferrer
Ivonne Ferrer was born in Havana, Cuba. She received formal training at the School of Arts San A ejandro, graduating n 1987 After be ng a member of the Rene Portocarrero workshop team and following her first solo exhibition, Atribuciones, she left Cuba in 1990 and soon thereafter joined the plastic arts scene in Spain by means of two other solo exh bitions, La temperatura de Dios and Fisiología decorative Her consolidation takes p ace, without a doubt, in Miami where she l ves and presents the exposition WWW ivonne com at the Durban Segnini Ga ler y (2001) Selected shows include:
The Castle Galler y/New york; Botello Galler y/Puerto R co, Museum Maria Zambrano/Malaga; xeito Ga ler y, Arte y Natura eza and Pepe Herrera Print Shop/Madrid; Cuban Masters Collection/Miami, yolanda Rios Galler y/Barcelona; Sonos Galler y/New york; Museum of Latin Amer can Art MOLAA/California, among others.
Patrick Flibotte
Born Boston, Massachusetts, 1978; M F A , 2005 University of Georgia, Sculpture / 3-D Studies: B F A , 2002 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, (cum laude); Scu pture / 3-D Studies; Solo Exhib tions: Superhero, World Arts Build ng, Miami, Florida, 2006; Lamar Dodd School of Art Main Gal er y, Georgia, 2004; William J Thompson Galler y, Georgia, 2003 Group exhibitions: Project Space, Wynwood Art Galler y, University of Miami, Flor da, 2006; Under Current Over view, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, Florida, 2006; Next Hot Art Stars, Fay Gold Gal er y, At anta, Georgia, 2006; Contemporar y Bronze, University Galler y, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 2006; Aesthetic Revolution, Buena V sta Building, Miami, F orida 2005; young
Sculptors’ Competition, Hiestand Galler y, Oxford, Ohio, 2005; Introductions 05’, Fay Go d Galler y, Atlanta, Georgia, 2005; Thesis Exhibit on, Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia, 2005; CAA Regional MFA Exhibit on, Lowe Galler y, Atlanta, Georgia, 2005; Synthesis, Athens Institute for Contemporar y Art, juried by Isabel Wallace, Athens, Georg a, 2004; Pet Teachers, Fay Gold Ga ler y, Atlanta, Georgia, 2004; Fresh Assortments, Lyndon House Galler y, juried by Michael Lucero Athens, Georgia, 2004; F ve of Six, Clemson Un vers ty Galler y, C emson, Georg a, 2003; Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Monroe Art Complex, Georgia, 2003 La Moestra, Piazza Garibaldi, Cortona, Italy, 2003.
Louis Foy
Born on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, of French American descent, Louis' career has been one of peregrination and discover y on a globa scale. His photographs are a stor yboard of the road less traveled Having worked in the editor al and commercial fields, he is currently devoting his time to several fine art projects across the Un ted States; his pictures have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Tema Celeste, the New york Times and Paris Match Internat onal, as well as in several prominent private collections.
René Francisco
René Francisco was born in Holguín, Cuba, n 1960. He lives and works in Havana, Cuba Selected so o shows include: 2006 Patio de Nin, 9th Havana Biennial, Miramar Trade Center, Havana, 2005 L sta de espera, Nina Menoca Galler y, Mexico DF, 2005 Pasta Cortada, MA Contemporar y Ga erie, Berl n, 2003 Cositas sueltas, Schloss Wiepersdorf, Germany and 2003 A uste de cuentas, 8th Havana Biennial, National Museum of F ne Arts, Havana Selected group shows include: 2007 52nd Ven ce Biennial, Ita y, 2007 Killing time, Exit Art, New york, 2006 Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami, 2006 Fantast c Frameworks Architectural Utopias+Des gns for life, Art Galler y of Greater V ctoria, Canada, 2004 26th Sao Paulo Biennial, Brasil, 2004 Unknown Sister, Unknown Brother, Kunsthaus Dresden, Germany In 2000, with Galeria Dupp he won the UNESCO Prize. In 2001, he won the Honorar y Doctorate from the San Franc sco Art Institute. He has rece ved different artistic residences including: Ludwig Forum International Kunst, Germany;
Hers iya Artist in Residence, Israel; Scholss Wiepersdorf, Germany; Mattres Factor y Pittsburg, USA; Cuban Art Found, New york
Lauren Garber Lake
Lauren Garber Lake was born in Tampa, Florida and ives in Gainesville, Flor da where she is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Florida, School of Art and Art Histor y Her artworks ut lize an economy of means and delineation. These pictorial creations use and reference the mnemonic device of her late mother’s vestiges, spec fica ly incomp ete quilt squares collected by the artist
Ana Garcia
Artist Statement: "For the past three years, I have been plagued with dai y headaches. Recently, I began to work through it with the use of drawing and found that the pain was al eviated It is the energy and rhythm of the lines that helps rel eve the pain. The dynamics of a headache are ocked in a chaotic confinement The fluid ty of an Ind a ink pen m mics the pain’s travel pattern n my head. Th s controlled system of mark-making conta ns my condit on by turning an uncomfortable negative state into a creative positive one. And from this condition, it is tak ng the drawing into new areas of the unknown "
Ana Garcia was born and raised in Miami, FL She graduated from Florida Internationa University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Art. She exhibited at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum in December 2007 as part of the graduating B.F.A. students from the School of Art + Architecture at Florida International University. She also has exhibited at the Graham Center Art Galler y at Florida International University and the Master’s Myster y Art Show at the Ritz Carlton n Miami Beach
Vanessa Garcia
Vanessa Garcia is a writer and visual artist working in var ous mediums. A graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University (Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa), Garcia s currently living in her native Miami after seven years of living and working n New york City. She has shown in New york, San Franc sco, Miam , and Santo Dom ngo. Her most recent shows nclude: “Intensely Superficial” at Artformz, Des gn District, Miami; Locust Projects Raffle, Miami; “Pregon,” part of Miami Dade
Publ c Librar y project cal ed “Call and Response;” “Dood e,” Broadway Galler y, New york; “Tactics and Strategies,” juried exhibition at M ssion Cultural Center for Arts, San Franc sco
Brian Gefen
Gefen was born and raised in South Florida. Being brought up by his mother and father, Gefen was also able to spend a lot of time with his grandmother, Jerr y He was able have a privileged up bring ng and a support group that bel eved in h m and anyth ng he pursued When it came down to high school Gefen did not know what direction to take Late in teenage school years he came across photography The ability to express him self through mages is what drew Gefen nto photography. Four years of college and high school for photography made Gefen realize that there s more to learn in visua arts then ust one angle. He applied to M.I.U.A.D., not knowing that h s ife was about to change He had good teachers and meet some awesome friends, with there help he figure out that he is an art st, and that is what he wants to be
Anthony Goicolea
Anthony Goicolea was born in 1971 in Atlanta, GA. He is based in Brooklyn, Ny Goico ea obtained a BA in Art Histor y and a BFA n Painting from the University of Georgia and received his MFA from Pratt. He was accepted into the “AIM” program at the Bronx Museum of Art and has been awarded the Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship, the 2005 BMW Photo Par s Award and the 2006 CINTAS Fellowship Goicolea lives and works in New york and has exhibited both n the US and overseas. Go colea is in the co lections of The Wh tney Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, MOMA, The Guggenheim, The Ch cago Museum of Contemporar y Photography, The ASU Museum of Art, The Helmond and the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, The Herbert Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, El Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla in Leon, Spain, The yale University Col ection and 21C Museum in Kentucky
He has publ shed two books of work and a collect on of videos. His third pub icat on is underway. Solo Exhib tions include: Photographs, Drawings and V deo: The Arizona State University Museum of Art, Tempe, AZ, 2005, SHELTERED LIFE, New Drawings, Photographs and Video Installation, Postmasters Galler y, New york, Ny, Sandroni-Rey
Galler y, Los Angeles, CA, 2004, KIDNAP , New Drawings, Photographs and, Video installation, Torch Galler y, Amsterdam, The Nether ands, 2004, Casa De America, Madrid, Spa n, 2003, Contemporar y Center of Photography, Melbourne, Australia, 2003, Art Space, Auck and, New Zealand, 2002, Galerie Aurel Scheibler, Cologne, Germany, 2002, The Museum ofContemporar y Photography, hicago, IL, 2002, Detention, RARE Galler y, New york, Ny, 2001, The Corcoran Ga ler y of Art and Des gn,Washington, D.C., 2001, MCMAGMA, Mi an, Italy, 2000, SOLO, Vedanta, Chicago, IL, 2000, Luis Adelantado, Valencia, Spain, 2000 Group Exhib tions: NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS, The Groninger Museum, The Netherlands, 2005, DITTO: Multiples From the Collection, The Museum of Contemporar y Photography, Chicago, IL, 2004, ExCESS: Food as Metaphor and other Strategies of Consumpt on, F ne Arts Center Galleries University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 2004, OUT OF PLACE: Part II, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporar y Art, Ind anapolis, IN, 2004, Boys Behaving Badly, Contemporar y Arts Museum, Houston, Texas, 2004, Potentia Images of the World, SPEED Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, 2003, Reality vs. Fiction, Jama ca Center for the Arts, Queens, Ny, 2003, Child in Time, The Museum of Helmond, The Netherlands, 2003, Constructed Rea ities, Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2002, How Human: Life in the Post-Genome Era, International Center of Photography, New york, Ny, 2002, Mursollaici, Centre Culture Suisse, Par s, France, 2002, Masquerade, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan,WI, 2002, Situated Realities, MCAD Gal eries, M nneapolis Col ege of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN, 2002. www anthonygoicolea com
Victor Gómez
Date of Birth: May 27tlh, 1941, Place of birth: Havana, Cuba. Citizenship: Cuban-Amer can.. Actua residence USA Graduated from “San Alejandro Fine Art School, Habana, Cuba, 1963-1967. Participated in more than 160 Group Shows n Cuba and abroad Has participated in 21 one-man shows and four two-man shows Participated extensively and was selected and awarded in ver y important Internat onal Print Compet tions and Exhibitions in Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and United States. Founder and Director of the Miami-Press Workshop, Miami, F orida, as well as Master Printmaker. He published his own art and the art of 39
other Cuban Masters and contemporar y artists in the technique of serigraphs, etchings, and monoprints. In his career, Victor Gomez has obtained 8 International awards in the printmaking field, receiving the Honorable Mention of Monoprint, 9th B ennia of Iberoamerican and the Caribbean, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1991; the Spec al Organizer Award, The Internatriona Triennial Competit on of Print, Osaka, Japan, 1991; Tai-Ho Masterpiece award of the Internationa Pr ntmaking Biennial of Beijing, Popular Republic of China, 2003, and others. His work was published in Four Cuban Art Books, “Incurs on in the Cuban Pr ntmaking 1949-1997", by David Mateo, 2001; “Art of Cuba in Exile” by Jose Gomez Sicre, 1987; selected by a group of Cuban curators to appear in the volume”Memoria, Cuban Art of the 20th Centur y, 2002; and recently selected to partic pate in the book “Voces de Cambio”, New Cuban Literature, 2006, Victor Gomez' works are ncluded n many public and private col ections such as Norton Galler y, West Pa m Beach, Florida; Housatonic Museum of Art, Connecticut; Archer M. Hunt ngton Art Galler y, University of Texas, Aust n, Texas; Instituto de Cultura Puertoriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Osaka Prefectural Contemporar y Art Center, Osaka, Japan; Printmaking Nat onal Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina, yang Huang Art Museum, Be jing, Popular Republic of China, and many more Juan-Sí González
Juan-Si Gonza ez was born n Santiago de Cuba He lives and works in yellow Spr ngs, Ohio. He received h s MFA from Higher Institute of the Arts (ISA), Havana, Cuba in 1984, and his BFA from National School of the Arts (ENA), Havana, Cuba in 1979. Se ected performance and exhibitions include: The Face of the Enemy, (Performance) Edge Zones Art Fair, World Art Bu lding, Miam , Florida, 2006; It’s so Good! How Much is That? (Performance) Art Base , Convention Center Miami Beach, Florida; Andar Miami Series, Street Performance series around Miami during Art Basel, Miami, Florida; Patriotic Games / Domino Effects, The Frost Art Museum, Florida Internationa University, Miam , Florida; Natural Amer can Spirit, (JP p a r a l e l o s Exhibition) Archetype Ga ler y, Dayton, Ohio; 2005 -Interface / Interfase, (JP p a r a l e l o s Exhibition) Herndon Gal er y, Ant och College, yellow Springs, Oh o; Preser ving memor y, (JP p a r a l e l o s Performance), Herndon Galler y, Antioch Co lege, yel ow
Springs Ohio; 2004, More Lies About Me, (Exhibition)
SOF Art House Galler y, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; I Feel Guilty all the Fucking Time, (Performance) 5th
International Lat no Fi m Festival, Toronto, Canada
Selection of Group Exhib tions: 2007 Waiting List - Time and Transition n Contemporar y Cuban Art Art Museum, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Traveling Exh bition, Lithuania, Barce ona, Florence, Paris and Exit Art New york (Upcoming); Five Artists / Five Cont nents, Spaces
Galler y, C eveland, Ohio, (Upcoming) -2006 Love, Loss, and Longing: The Impact of U S Travel Policy on CubanAmerican Fam lies Traveling Exhibit on Select Awards:
2007 Ohio Arts Counc l, Individual Excellence Artists
Fel owship Award, Oh o; 2005 Rosewood Arts Center and “Award of Merit -The View,” Kettering, Ohio;
2004 Ohio Arts Counc l, Individual
Samuel F. Gualtieri
Samuel F Gualtier was born September 17, 1986 in Miami, FL. He will receive his BFA from Florida International University in Fall 2008 He lives and works in North M ami, FL He was awarded the Fall 2007 Florida International University F ne Art scholarship for an outstanding body of work in November, 2007 He has exhibited in many places in South Florida, including an exhibition at the Patricia and Phi lip Frost Art Museum uried and curated by Fredric Sn tzer, 2007; So o show " And Now For Some Po nted Thought" at Edgezones
Galler y in Wynwood, Curated by Charo Oquet, 2008; Guerilla Galler y showcase at Art Basel Miami Beach, Rogue Exhibit Project, 2008
Ivania Guerrero
Ivania Guerrero received her BFA in F ne Arts from Florida International University in M ami, Florida. Her work has been exhibited at the Frost Art Museum’s BFA Fall 2007 Exhibition, Master s Myster y Show sponsored by FIU (2005 and 2007), Graham Center Exh bition at FIU (2006 and 2007), and the Fire House Project Exhibit on n Miami, Flor da. Additional ga ler y exhibitions include the Exposition of Nicaraguan Art sponsored by Miam Dade Col ege and the Nicaraguan Consul; “The Spir t of Ability” Art Show & Auction presented by New Directions Inc , and the Museum Education Art Exh bition at Bacardi Art Galler y. Guerrero was born in Nicaragua and resides n Miami, Flor da.
"When the subject awakens, dreams and faded memories lingering in the unconscious coalesce n a transcending and somber rever e whereby the lucid curta n that div des the rea and imaginar y is suspended and the l ne between these two dimens ons is blurred so that internal elements clash with the environment of the subject It’s through the merging of these two worlds in this dreamy spell that the subject hopes to capture the underlying meaning of each, making them mutually dependent of each other for dreams signify nner des res, memories are a person’s indiv dual experiences, and reality is the structure in which we exist Drawing from contemporar y art, psychology, and philosophy, these draw ngs relate to the fundamental and universal human desires preser ved in the collective unconscious of the viewers’, entic ng them to construct the so emn and mysterious narratives of the solidarity between dreams, memories, and the tangible wor d.”
Miguel Guzmán
Miguel Guzmán was born in New york City in 1974
He currently works and lives in Miami, Florida He has studied at Florida State Un vers ty, Flor da Gulf Coast University, and The Art Institute of Chicago He has exhibited at Walter Wickiser Galler y in New york, the Tampa Museum of Art, and Art Chicago 2005
Large d gital col ages focusing on the war in Iraq are aggressively worked over with encrusted layers of sand, iron oxide, spatters and drips of acr y ic, charcoal and collage. Their thick, corrosive textures in rusty and charred hues engulf the photographic images beneath, evoking notions of ruin and neglect Other works display a more refined surface and controlled approach. Quasi-landscape compositions are populated with greener y, flowers, and re ig ous imager y, along w th suggestions of a decaying world More llusive n subject, these works utilize a r cher palette Printed onto reflective aluminum, steel and gold leafed panels, these handsome works are luminously seductive, yet disconcerting
Alex Heria
Alex Heria was born n New Jersey to Cuban parents and raised in M ami, FL. He achieved h s BFA n Photography from Florida International University in 1992; and his MFA in Photography from Massachusetts College of Art. Heria currently teaches at Miami International University of Art and Design He is a juried resident artist at Art Center South Florida, 810 Lincoln Road, Studio 108. His
artwork explores themes of dentity, isolation, abstraction and find ng home and family in alternative lifestyles. Currently, Her a’s work focuses on landscapes alongside highways in South Florida, frequently overlooked in their beauty due to surrounding ugliness of interstate junk and single-minded purpose of the road Concurrent to landscape work, his dual portra t series of Cuban Mothers and Domestic Guys exp ores and contrasts the powerful tradit onal Cuban matriarch and the domestic gay ma e
Rita Indiana Hernández
Cal ed one of the two most important voices n Dominican literature, Rita Ind ana published her first novel La Estrategia de Chochueca at age 21 The coming of age tale about Dominican kids became an immediate cult read Together with her second novel, Papi, the ife and times of a Domin can-york mobster seen through the eyes of his eight year-old daughter, these narratives lay out a Caribbean postmodern andscape that traces and subverts the egacy of other Caribbean artists such as writer Garcia Marquez or director Gut érrez Alea Rita Indiana is a prolific multimedia artist known for her many inter vent ons, action art pieces and video art, in and outside of her sland She has directed, written, and produced theater, te evision, commercials and short films. Her works are being taught and d scussed by professors and students n institutions across the United States, Latin Amer ca and Europe such as Berkeley University, Cornel University, Un vers ty of Notre Dame, NyU, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Un vers tet Antwerpen de Bélgica, among others She is now in the process of d recting her first feature film, Espejito Espej to (Mirror Mirror) in the Domin can Republic.
Rachel Hoffman
Rachel Hoffman lives and works in Tampa, Florida In 2004 she achieved her MFA in studio art from the University of South Florida. Hoffman teaches courses in Color Theor y and Design at the Art Institute of Tampa, and is a contr buting writer for M/The New york Art World Magaz ne She exhib ts nationally and internationally, inc uding performances at PS1 Contemporar y Art Center in Long Island City, New york, the Transmodern Performance Festival in Baltimore, Mar yland, Edge Zones Art Space in Miami, Florida, CIRCA PR in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Reassessing the Caribbean Diaspora project between M ami and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Repub ic.
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Berta Jayo
Santander 1971 L cenciada en Bellas Artes en la especialidad de Pintura, por a Universidad del Pa s Vasco, 1992-1996 Postgraduate D ploma in Fine Art Espec alidad: Técnicas Mixtas. Che sea Col ege of Art and Design The London Institute, 2000-2001 Master Degree in Fine Art Chelsea College of Art and Design. Londres. 2001-2002. I.S.C.P . (International Studio and Curationa Program) New york 2004-2005
Art sta en residencia. Dresden. Berlín. 2007 ULTIMAS ExPOSICIONES INDIVIDUALES; 2008 "New life Visual"
New Life Shop Galler y Berlín; "On Earth" Edge Zones Miam . CA: 2007 “making love”. Ga ería Antonio de Barno a Barcelona; “Ahora o Nunca” Galería de Sol st Santander ; “Let things happen”. Escue a Superior de Náutica Santander ; 2005 “ears” ISCP New york “e Puente de la visión 2005" Museo de Bellas Artes de Santander.ULTIMAS ExPOSICIONES COLECTIVAS 2008 "SIx" Partic pante y coordinadora de esta Exposición Internacional. Ca a Cantabria. 2007 “ o bello y lo triste”. Cordoar a Nac ona Lisboa y Cámara de Comercio de Frankfurt; Is ington Contemporar y Art Fair Londres; Colectiva de Aniversario. Del sol st. art galler y. Santander ; Bread and Butter Barcelona; Artesantander Fer a Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo. Santander ; Awo
Project Documenta Kassel Alemania; Velvet Box B lbao
2006 La casa encendida Madrid (itinerante: Santander, Barcelona, Sevil a, Valencia); Projekt 30. New york.; II Biena Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo en Shumen Bulgar a; "espacios compartidos" Pa acio de Pimentel de Valladolid.
Edgar Jimenez P.
Edgar Jimenez was born in Tener fe, Spain He lives and works in Caracas Venezuela. Se ected Solo Shows: "Zones", Edge Zones, M ami, Fl, curated by Charo Oquet, 2008 "Signs", Tabaco Bar, Caracas, Venezuela, 2000 Education: BFA, Central Un vers ty of Venezuela, 1989.
Awards: ANDA Publicity and Creativity Price: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Courtney Johnson
Courtney Johnson was born on Januar y 1, 1982 in Houston Texas She has lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mendham, New Jersey; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Dobbs Ferr y, New york; New york, New york;
and Richmond, Virginia She currently resides in Miami, Florida where she explores the art and technology of photography by utilizing both historica and current techniques to il uminate the effects of technology on our wor d. She rece ved her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography and Imaging from New york University, T sch School of the Arts, and is work ng on her Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography and Digita Imaging at the University of Miami
Luise Johnson
Luise Johnson was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. She is a photographer and installat on artist She lives and works n Key Largo FL, where she has her stud o She earned her BS in Communications and Photography from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL and an MFA from Miam International Un vers ty of Art & Des gn, M ami, FL. Recent exh bitions include: Naturalis, Solo Show, Edge Zones, Miami; Reassessing the D aspora, Museo de las Casas Reales, Santo Domingo; Transparencies, Edgezones, Re- Flowering the Garden: Women and Nature, St James, Ny; Fem -n ne, Miami
Frank George Kanelos
Frank George Kanelos received his MFA from the V sua Arts Program of Miam International University of Art and Design and his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, VA. He interned w th Ilias LaLaoun s, Greece. Selected exhib tions include: 2007 The Synthetic Zero Event, Tribeca, New york: experimental forms in performance, film, mus c, and visual arts; 2006-2007
Edge Zones Celebrating Art Basel, Celebrating Art Miami, Zones Performances, Miami; 2006 Photography Exhibition, Charles Tay or Arts Center, 2006 Artists that Teach exhibition at the Charles Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA; 2006 Armstrong S ater Galler y at Hampton University, FAPA Art Bienn al, VA; 2004-2005 Web Center Galler y, Old Domin on University, VA; 2004 Group exhibition at the Loca Pro ect Ga ler y, New york; 2004
Video and Performance at Old Dominion University, Norfo k, VA 2004 Group Shows at Jaffe Art Center Galler y, Norfo k, VA; 2002-2004 Group shows at the Art Downtown Access (ADA) Galler y, Richmond, at the Urban Light Works, International Video Festiva s, VA; at the Orange Door Gal er y, 1983-2000 at 1708 Art Galler y, and at the Anderson Galler y, Richmond, VA. Exhibitions n Athens, Greece at: Pandora Art Ga ler y, The Athens
Ga ler y, Maniatis Greek Art Frissiras Museum of Contemporar y Greek and European Art; Ilias LaLaounis Museum; Nationa Galler y of Painting and Modern Art, Athens, Greece, juried group exhibitions
Frederick G. Karrenberg
Frederick G. Karrenberg developed a passion for photography while ser ving in the Air Force He returned to college after his militar y discharge and earned a master’s degree in mathematics. Then, he taught mathematics while working on a PhD For several years, he was head of the photography department in a un vers ty, taught and also ran his own commercial photograph c studio His creative direction continues to be influenced by the ana yt c character of the scient fic method and by his teaching background Much of Karrenberg’s work has involved obser vation, ana ysis, and investigat on. He is now pursuing an advanced degree program in v sua arts The purpose is to develop h s vision through the nterplay of a variety of media. Recent professional shows and exhibits include: Group Show, Off The Map Galler y, Januar y 2006, Miam , Florida; Group Show at Atlas Plaza, June 2006, Miami, Florida; The Eight, group show at Off The Map Galler y, November 2006, Miam , Florida; “Zero Gravity” juried group show, Miami Dade College Novmber 2006 –Januar y 2007; “Intersections” curated show Macy’s Downtown Gal er y Space, December 2006-Januar y 2007, and “FIU Project” curated exhibit, Art M ami 2007, Januar y 5-8, 2007.
Demet Koç
Demet Koç is from Istanbul, Turkey. In 2003, she received her undergraduate degree in Visual Design with a minor of Fashion Design from Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL She earned her Masters in Visual Arts at the Miami International University of Art and Design in 2005.She exper ments w th mater als and too s to manipu ate the paint and to pa nt the organic movement in the most express ve way. She finds most of her visual inspirations in the deta ls of mostly abstract Islamic arts, such as Arabic calligraphy and n the sensuous dance movements of the East. She works to br ng the sinuous movements of Orienta dance (Near & Midd e Eastern) and the whiplash cur ves of the Arabic ca ligraphy into her art. She is also fascinated by ever ything that has
organic and graceful movements, such as Art Nouveau, Japanese sexual prints and the main source of all; the nature “I dance in front of a mirror and a m to sketch the movement in my head From there, I know how I am going to start but I never know what I am going to end up making It is a myster y that I crave to feel It is sort of like falling in love in a first sight It s ent cing you want to expand your arms and move gracefully as you spread the feelings onto the canvas I get connected with life at a more profound level, et myself go, use my entire body to move as I paint and imagine to be danc ng over the canvas It is ike making love to life and create beaut ful colors”
Francesca Lalanne
Francesca Lalanne was born in South Flor da of Haitian parents and, after graduat ng from Miami’s D A S H, received a BA in arch tecture in 2003 and a BFA n Visual Arts n 2005 from Florida International University She has curated three solo exhibitions in South Flor da as wel as partic pating in var ous group exhibit ons from 2000 – 2006, including such venues as Hunter College in New york and Miami s Frost Art Museum. She was recently chosen to represent Hait in Art Miami’s second annual Car bbean Crosscurrents project. Although she is of Caribbean origin, Francesca’s penetrating pa ntings on d stressed p ywood focus on the spir tual nature of globa experiences and the r effect on the human soul.
Melissa Lockwood
As a multi-disciplinar y artist, having worked extens vely in performance, video and sound, Lockwod has recent y re-discovered an aspect of live art within pa nting. The immediacy, engagement and interact on with mater als have astonished Lockwod w th the feeling of being in the moment In her performance work Lockwod experiences a heightened sense of time facilitat ng an altered state in awareness and entr y po nt to ecstasy. Wh le painting Lockwod feels a sense of ife not always found n her day-to-day experiences. Pa nting for Lockwod is an absolute y ive art, as the moments that pass in creation are completely contingent upon the moments that pass between the paint/canvas and herse f. Lockwod states: “As an artist I live n the moments,
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striving and embrac ng the tact le The tang ble real ty, my hands and body can create and experience.”
Her series of paintings are the beginning of conversations she has had and w ll have with liv ng and dead poets
The subject matter is a meditation on how to create peace in the world, especia ly amongst so much worldwide violence and war
Stefan Löffelhardt
Stefan Löffelhardt, born in 1959, lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany After a sculptor-apprenticeship and study visits at several academies of art, Stefan Löffelhardt received 6 scholarships by important institutes, e g the Karl Schmitt-Ruttloff Stipendium of the Studienst ftung des Deutschen Volkes and the Stiftung Kunstfonds, Bonn scholarship this year During the forthcoming Art Cologne he is one of the recipients of a "young Talents“ sponsorship program.
Marcos Lora Read
Marcos Lora Read was born n 1965, n the Dominican Republic. He currently lives and works in Santo Domingo. Educational background includes:1987 - 1989: A.A.S. in fine arts, Altos de Chavon, La Romana, 1990 - 1991: Advanced studies in bronze casting, Scu pture Centre, New york, USA, 1992 - 1993: Post-grade program Ateliers Arnhem, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Arnhem, The Netherlands. -Exhib tions : 1990 – 1996, 1990: xVII
Bienal de Artes Plasticas, Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1990: "The book as art / the book in art", Barbara Fendr ck Galler y, New york, USA 1991: IV Bienal de la Habana, Museo Nacional de la Habana, La Habana, Cuba, 1992: "Un nouvel regard aux Caraibes", Espace Carpeaux, Courbevoie, 1992: Stoffwechsel: "Encounter the others", Kassel Documenta, Kasse , Germany, 1992: "Archivos", ExPO '92, Sevi la, Spain, 1993: "Se s d s de Babel n Amsterdam", Galler y Met s, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1994: 22. Bienal nternaciona de Sao Pau o, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1994: Frank und Zimmerman Ga ler y, Cologne, Germany, 1994: "Die 5 B ennale van Havanna", Ludw g Forum, Aachen, Germany, 1995: 1st Biena of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Afr ca, 1995: "Renuncio", Galler y Berini, Barcelona, Spain, 1996: Contemporar y Dominican Art, American Soc ety, New york, USA, 1996:
"El retrato de otro", Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, 1996: ARCO '96, Berini Ga ler y, Madr d, Spain and 1996: Amsterdam Art Fair, Galler y 20 x 2, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Recognit ons nclude: 1990: Rubin Scho arship, Sculpture Center, New york, USA, 1993: Invited guest, V Bienal de la Habana and 1996: Artist in residence, Altos de Chavon, La Romana
Cynthia Lovett
Cynthia Lovett rece ved an MFA from Tyler School of Art n Philadelphia (1996) and MPS in Interactive Media from the Tisch School of the Arts-New york University (2001) She has partic pated in residenc es such as the PS1 International Studio Program (Ny) and the Harvestworks New Works Residency (Ny). She has exhibited at The Sculpture Center, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Rotunda Galler y, and Momenta Art In 2005-06 Cynthia was a Swing Space Artist through the Lower Manhattan Cultural Counc l, and a F nishing Funds Grant recipient from the Experimental Televis on Center (Ny).
Jules Lusson
Jules Lusson has a ong family histor y n Flor da, and her work is inspired by the natural world that surrounds her It centers on the idea of Nature’s abi ity to recla m and heal what has been destroyed, and is inspired by the andscape of both Nature and memor y of South Florida Her mixed-med a paintings evoke the dream-like Everglades habitat, and combine drawings of insects, reptiles, bone and shell fragments with excavated artifacts and vintage photographs Continuing themes of disintegration and regeneration are at play, as well as the exploration of the interrelated qualities of seeming y unrelated systems Lusson rece ved her BFA from the Californ a College of Arts and her MFA from Florida International University
Billie Grace Lynn
Select solo exhib tions: 2007 – University of West F orida, Pensacola, FL; 2006 – “Oh Say Can you See” Deluxe Arts M ami, FL; 2005 – “Mort fication” Miam -Dade College, Kendall Campus Art Galler y, Miami, FL; 2005 – “Metaphor & Mimesis” (two-person exh bition), Rochester Contemporar y Rochester, New york; 2005 – “Uncanny” The Lowe Museum, Coral Gables, FL; 2003 – “Child's Play” (twoperson exhib tion) Dowd Fine Arts Center, SUNy Cortland, Cortland, New york Select group shows: 2007 – Group
Exh bition, Bernice Steinbaum Galler y, Miami, FL; 2007 –
New Art South Florida 2007, South Flor da Cultura Consortium, Fe lowships for Visual and Media Artists, MOCA Go dman Warehouse, Miami, FL; 2007 – Animals in Art, Athens Inst tute for Contemporar y Art, Athens, GA; 2007 – Individual Artists Fe lowship Exh bition, Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Tequesta, FL; 2007 – Digital VD: Viral Video Art, trave ing group exhibition, curated by Moira Payne, Eddie Summerton and Michael Windle. Venues include: Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland, August 26, 2007; The Ice Box, Crane Arts Center, Ph ladelph a, Pennsylvania, September 2007; Galer e Weissraum, Kyoto, Japan, September 20, 2007; Dundee Contemporar y Arts, Scotland, October 20, 2007; Groenhazengracht 1, Leiden, Netherlands, October 6, 2007; Mat's Flat UI, Holowki, Warsaw, Po and, October 20, 2007; Margaret St Ga ler y, Birmihgham City Univers ty, UK, November 2007; 2007 – Artscapes temporar y public art installation at Barnes Park, Miam -Dade Department of Parks & Recreat on, Summer 2007, Miam , Florida; 2006 – Body Language, Edge Zones, Miami, FL
Héctor Madera-Gonzalez
Héctor Madera-Gonzalez was born in Bayamón in 1977. In 2004, he graduated from the School of Visual Arts of San Juan and partic pated n a res dency offered by the Foundation Antonio Ratti in Italy under the tutelage of artist Jimmie Durham Through d verse med a that includes painting, photography, sculpture and installation, the artist comments on the d fferent levels of cultural issues such as social, economical, political and esthetics
Selected exhib tions inc ude: Optica Borderline: housing development project, in the Museum of Contemporar y Art of Puerto Rico; M grations to/from the Caribbean, Madrid ARCO; Art of Uncertainty, San Salvador
David Marsh
David Marsh was born in an industrial area of Connecticut, in 1984. His mother has always painted wh ch lead to h s interest in art His father works hard as a contractor and be ieves nothing shou d ever be handed to anyone Marsh studied art during the weekdays in classes with his mother and in schoo and on any other availab e day his father usually put him to work as a roofer. Marsh be ieves that these two styles of development in his life molded
him to do well on h s own, in the world around him In the winter of 2003, he moved to M ami to study at the Art Institute Shortly after moving there he started work ng with Jordan Massengale and Ralph Provisero Jordan started throwing little art shows in empty build ngs and he stuck around to learn what it involves to put one of those together Jordan and Ralph both influenced Marsh to think hard about what he was making. Ra ph has thought Marsh nearly ever ything he knows about metals and welding, which is something he hopes to put to good use in the future Marsh would spend most morn ngs that he worked for Ralph discussing art and ideas It seemed that ever y time he turned around in life there was another person wi ling to stick out a hand to help Marsh go where he wanted to go. “Com ng out from under these nfluences I’ve had makes me believe that I will continue to be the artist I am and when I question its worth I have good fr ends to look to for opinion”, states Marsh.
Aldo Menendez
Aldo Menendez was born on December of 1948 in Cuba
He is a painter, performance, artist, seriographer, art crit c and curator. A do is absolute y mu tifaceted and s a fascinating communicator He has written severa books The most recent one being Cuba, la tradición de un tal er, editorial A to, Duero/España He has won several major recogn tions, from awards n national ha ls to the National Order of Cuban Culture in 1987. H s works are inc uded in the permanent col ections (Cuban Halls) of the Museo Naciona de Bellas Artes, n Havana, at the Centro Cultural de la V lla de Madrid, Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), in California, Museum La Tertul a in Ca i, Colombia, Oslo Museum, Norway, Fundación Gabarron, Valladol d, Kathy and Jose A Perez-Gurr col ection, Beb t and Franc sco Mestre collection, Truly and Richard Burton collection, Mela and F del Sendagorta col ection, Martha and Jorge Valdes collection, and Arte y Naturaleza co lection. In addit on, he was the founder of the mythical Rene Portocarrero serigraphic workshop, in Havana (1983) His personal principa works are: A golpe de maquina (Havana, 1972), Lágrimas negras (Managua 1983), Pan con intriga (London, 1987), Básico, no-básico y adicional (Barcelona, 1989), Se acabo lo que se daba (M ami, 1995), Trinomio Cubano (Puerto Rico, 1996), Cuba en exceso (Europa-USA, 2001), Ojo x Ojo (Europa-USA, 2002) and Archaeo ogical
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F ndings (M ami, 2003) Ever y year he has participated in and still participates in several projects and expositions involving several art sts in Museums, Internationa Fa rs, Foundations, and European and American pr vate galleries. His home and studio are currently in Miami, Florida www AldoMenendez com
Robert Miller
Robert M ller s influence in the art world has spanned decades. Orig nally trained as a painter, he began his career as a major art dea er, eventual y owning h s own galler y in Manhattan.
Now a permanent resident of Miami, Mr Miller fully devotes himself to his painting, the mentoring of young artists worldwide, and to the pract ce of Tibetan Buddhism The later of which has ser ved as a primar y source of inspiration for h s art Recently shown col ections have included the “Tibetan Song Bowl” series, “Lama Norlha” series, “Remembering the Future” and “Thoughts on Mt Kailash” Robert Miller has previously exhibited at Dorathy Blau Gal er y, Brook Dorsch Galler y, J.Johnson Galler y, Broward County Public Librar y, Miam -Dade Public Librar y Main Branch, Odegard, Edge Zones, Miami, World Arts Bui ding, Miami, Florida International University and an installion, n perpetuity at the New Miami Beach Public Librar y consisting of 10 large p eces from the “Lama Norlha” series.
Miti-Miti
A transnacional duo formed by Raina Mast (Pennsy vania, USA) and R ta Indiana Hernández (Santo Domingo, DR), Mit Miti is the multimed a consequence of Rita Indiana’s third world tantrums and Mast’s obssesive compulsive craft ness. Whipping the worst of both worlds into a critical romantic comedy, their performative pieces are executed ona day to day bas s, ranging from overtly pol tica inter ventions of public Latin American spaces to min mal attacks on american domest c gatherings
Vanessa Monokian
Vanessa Monokian was born and raised in Miam , Florida, and has been addressing educational themes in her work for the last 6 years Focusing more spec fy on the creative tendency of ndividuals who struggle to excel within the academic environment An example of th s, is her resent series of photographs tit ed "Momoges", which highlights the creativity of one child's mind as he builds
ittle figures out of paperclips, pencils, or whatever else he can get h s hands on. Monokian's talents truly shine in her ability to address such issues with a un que and whimsica approach
Igor Montoya-Laske
Igor Montoya-Laske was born in 1962 in Lima, Peru. He studied at the Universidad Catol ca, Faculty of Art, Lima Montoya-Laske's work draws upon a broad range of cultural influences that goes from Peruvian Pre-Co umbian cu tures, African art, Medieva Macabre art, and Pop culture. He has been featured in many exhibitions, inc uding: 2006, St ll Moving Miami, curated show at Photo Miami Art Fair ; "I Hate Last Summer" Edge Zone gal er y, Wynwood Art D strict, Miam ; 2005, Art Basel events at the Miami Design District, Camp Bu lding, Solo Show; 2004 The Art Galler y At Government Center, M ami, Art Basel Miami; event Master Myster y Art Show, Ritz-Carlton, Miami Beach; 2003 Rocket Projects Miami, The 2003 Jupiter City Hall Galler y Annual Exhibition. He has a so participated in Art in Public Places, Bay front Park, 2003 The 2000 “3x3” exhib tion at Miami s South Art Galler y; the 1997 – 98 “Art Against AIDS” exh bition at Coral Gables’ Sheldon Lur e; the 1996 – 97 “Angels and Devils” exhibition at Coral Gables’ The Eccentr c Galler y; the 1995 – 96 exh bition at Miami Beach Unknown Art st Galler y; The 1991 “Hispanidad in U S A” exhibition at M ami Herald Galler y n Miami. He l ves and works in M ami, Florida
Elsa Carolina Muñoz
E sa Carolina Muñoz was born in Chile and ives and works in Miami. Her works are a reflection of ife and energies, focusing on moments of ever yday iving, discover y, and aspects of societal interact ons. She recently exh bited in an exhibition curated by Jane Hart from Lemon Sky Projects+Edit ons at Indian Creek Hotel, at Showtel5, curated by Kara Walker-Tome n West Palm Beach, and at Nude Nite Orlando, curated by Kelly Stevens. She has part cipated n art studies abroad n Austra ia, China, and Italy and is an Art st-In-Residence at the ArtCenter/South Florida on Miam Beach
Yolanda Naranjo
yolanda Naranjo has lived in Santo Domingo, New york and San Juan She is a graduate of Escuela de Diseño de Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic, and Parsons School of Design of New york, where she
received a Master’s degree in F ne Arts(1990-92); at present she lives and works in Athens, Greece. Breves crónicas de una dominicana ausente, Casa Olaverri, San Juan, Puerto Rico(1993); El Secándalo, Makana, Salón de Arte y Arquitectura, Santo Domingo(1996); Norte, Casa Jardín Ada Balcacer, Santo Domingo(1999) and Obras Recientes, Amalgama Galler y, Brussels, Belgium(2003) are among her most important solo exhibitions She has participated in a number of collective exhibitions, among which: lI Bienal de P ntura de Caribe y Centro América, Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo(1994); Contemporar y Art of the Caribbean and Sweden, Havana, Cuba/Stockholm, Sweden(1997); Colores en la arena, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina(1998); Volupté, Galerie Bourbon-Lally, Port-au-Prince, Haiti(1998); xII B enal del Grabado Latinoamericano, San Juan, Puerto Rico(1998);
Ident dades: Artistas de América Latina y el Caribe, Passage de Retz, Paris, France(1999); Pape es Preciosos, Casa Jardín Ada Ba cacer, Santo Domingo(1999); Artistas Latinoamericanos, Amalgama Galler y, Brussels, Belgium(2004); xx Concurso de Arte E León J menes, Santiago de los Cabal eros, Dominican Repub ic(2006); Away: mujer, diáspora, creatividad y diálogo intercultural, UNESCO, Paris, France(2007); and Paradis Perdus, Fest val V brat ons Carabes, Galer e JM’Arts and Alliance Française de Paris, France(2007)
nicoykatiushka (NyK)
nicoykatiushka (NyK) s a collaborative duo formed on June 20, 2003 in Brooklyn, New york S nce then they have been creating multi-media installations which combine new technologies with traditional too s of video production The pieces often address a narcissistic view on the r own lives, often integrat ng themselves as the main element of the piece Their work has been shown extensively in USA and Chi e, as we l as in Germany, France, New Zealand, Mexico and China. In 2006 NyK formed NyKFFA (nicoykatiushka Foundation for the Arts) which supports the idea of artist community and networks by hosting v deo fest vals and contemporar y art exhibitions Now based in Bei ing, NyKFFA has recent y curated a Chi ean and Ch nese contemporar y art exhibition called SEWN NyK wi l present new work in a solo exhibition in NyC and Ch le in July and October 2008. For more information please visit the r website: www n coykatiushka org
Her work considers the attempts and the limits of human consciousness and the structure of knowledge and belief we employ to interpret and visualize it Though she spent many years paint ng, Oquet works in a variety of media, inc uding instal ation, paper, prints, freestanding photography, scu ptures, and clay Her work s replete with allusions drawn from religious ideologies exploring the territor y delineated by the destruction of the natural world, with references to entropy, redemption, apocalypse, the fall from grace, the temptations of commercial culture, and the relationship between science and magic Many of the Works draw from historical and persona experiences reshaping into something beautifu and heartfelt, with the power to transform. Born in the Dominican Republic, Charo Oquet l ves and works in Miami She received a BFA from Florida International University graduating with Suma Cum Laude. Oquet's work has been wide y exhibited, inc uding solo exhibitions at the; The Bass Museum of Art, 2004, Casal Sol eric, Palma de Mallorca, ’03; curated by Antonio Zaya, Convento de Santo Domingo, Lanzarote, Cannar y Islands, Spain 02. Recent group exhibitions include "Away", UNESCO, Paris, France ; “Art, Re ig on and Politics” curated by Jean-Hubert Mart n at The PAC in Milan, Ita y, ’05; “Charo Oquet – Printed Works, American Confluence, Edsvik Konsthall, Sollentuna, Sweden; curated by R cardo Donoso. Pink s for Miam , curated by Genaro Ambrosino, Edge Zones, Miami, Fl The Bass Museum, 04; Etter Columbus com/After Co umbus com, Kunstnerne Hus, Oslo, Norway, 03; V Biennal del Car be’03, Museo de Arte Moderno de Santo Domingo; En Ruta pR’02, M&M Projects Puerto Rico, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, (CAAM) Gran Canarias, pain; Publ c November, curated by Anton o Zaya, Maritnez Galler y, Ny ’02, Contexto, Santo Domingo,’02, , Bass Museum of Art. A book of her work was published by Antonio Zaya n Spain n 2002 Her work has appeared in the cover of “At antica” magazine, Spain Her work appears in “Fi es” Edited by Octav o Zaya, published by Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon, MUSAC, Spain; WET and Miami Now, publ shed by Edge Zones Edit ons, Miami, FL and Arte Contemporaneo Dominicano, Turner Editions, Spain. Her work is n the Public Collections of Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, National Art Galler y of New Zealand, Govett-Brewster Art
Galler y, N Z , Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Museo de las Casas Rea es, Sto. Dgo. ; Bass; Ministr y of Foreign Affairs, N Z Charo Oquet is the recipient of fe lowships and awards most recently: the State of Florida Artists Fellowship, Artists Enhancement Grant, South Flor da Cultural Consortium 2005 Visual and Media Artists Fe lowship Award; Creative Capital Grant; South Flor da Cultural Artists Access Grant and New Forms Florida Grant Commun ty Action Grant Currently Charo Oquet is the found ng Director/curator of Edge Zones a non-profit art space n Wynwood, M ami
Jay Oré
Jay Oré Born 1964 in M ami, Florida BA 1990, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. 1986 Pre-Graduate Work, Miam -Dade Community Co lege, M ami, FL; 1984 Exchange Student, Avignon Academy of the Arts, Avignon, France .Solo Exhib tion : 2005 “Concrete Evidence,”
Curated by Robert Perez, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, Miami, Florida; 2004 “I Can’t Believe They’re Real!” Curated by Al ysa Browne, The Dorsch Gal er y, Miam , Florida “The Savvy Traveler,” Curated by Charo Oquet & David Vardi, World Arts Building, Miam , FL.
Selected Group Exhibitions: 2007 ”Al Media Jur ed Biennial”, Curated by Claire Breukel, Art and Cu ture Center of Ho lywood, Florida; 2006 “I Used to believe,” Curated by Me issa D az, David Castil o Galler y, Miam Flor da; “Growth Spurt,” Curated by Charo Oquet & David Vardi, World Arts Bui ding, Miami, FL 2005 “L quid Blue,” Curated by Charo Oquet & David Vardi, Santo Domingo, Domin can Republic “We,” Curated by Charo Oquet & David Vard , World Arts Building Miami, Flor da; “Tsunami Benefit Art Auction,” Curated by Brook Dorsch, The Dorsch Galler y, Miami, Florida; 2004 “Till the end of the year,” Curated by Brook Dorsch, The Dorsch Galler y, Miami, Florida; “Myster y Masters Art Auction,” De ano Hotel, Miam Beach, Florida; “Cha-Cha-Cha,” Curated by Josè Car os Diaz, The Collins Building, Design Distr ct, Florida ;“The Last Show,” The House, 2330 N E Fourth Ave , Miam , Florida ; 2003 “C O D E , ” Curated by Brook Dorsch, The Dorsch Ga ler y, Miami, Flor da; 2002 “No Show,” Curated by Robert Chambers, Fredric Snitzer Galler y, Miami, Florida; “Selections from the Permanent Collection,” Miam Dade Public Librar y, Miami, Florida; 2001 “The Sears Building,” Curated by Robert Chambers,
The House, 2330 N E Fourth Ave , Miami, FL
Julie Pagano
Julie Pagano (b Pimentel) was born March 1980, in Fayettevil e, North Caro ina. She moved to Miam in 1989 and has been living in both Florida and North Carolina since then. She received her BA from Ai Miam International University of Art & Design in 2006, w th a concentrat on n painting and draw ng She has exhibited her paint ngs n various group shows, the most recent being Zones Contemporar y Art Fair at World Arts Building in Miami Other group shows include: Transpiration (Miami), Raw,Hot,Fresh,New,Awesome,young,Emerging,Talent (Miami), Quiet (Miami), Worth It’s Weight n Dirt (Miam ), Hurricane Katrina Relief/Art Cares Auction (Miami). Awards she has received include: Silver Key Award 1997 (National Scholast c Art & Writing Contest), and First Place Award 1994 (Office of Multicultural Student Language Educat on Association) Since Januar y 2007 she lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she intends to ive and work indefinitely
Hugo Patao
Hugo Patao was born n Camaguey, Cuba in 1972
At the first moment that a human used a stone as a too , technology was created Ever s nce, we as a species have been in direct nteraction w th machines (manmachine interface) by either creating them and or using them This idea has formed an environment in which we no onger re ate ourse ves mostly to nature but to manmade commodities (technology) The more the mysteries of nature are answered and explained the more the vo d left in the collective imagination gets filled with the new wonders of sc ence Patao believes that technology n itself is not evil; it depends on the human attitude toward sc ence and the w ll and moral ground to make it work on our behalf Most of the time, to do this all we need is common sense, for example, most people w ll not agree in the use of a nuclear miss les while, as far as I know, no one opposes the use of a pacemaker. Most of the time all we need is to ask ourselves three questions: do I really need it, s it useable, and is it real y useful. Th s idea relates directly to Patao’s work. In the series MMI and BN he worked and p ayed around with the dea of technology d rectly affecting human be ngs as well as other liv ng forms. He tried not to take sides and
instead left it open so as to make the spectator decide for himself what the answer to that possibil ty should be. The question of how far we shou d allow technology to interfere in our lives depends mostly on ever yone’s philosoph cal v ews, scientific know edge, and religious be iefs Patao is interested in creating a debate more than in provid ng a concrete resolution on the subject Working on a computer and do ng what looks like traditional media paintings further val dates the central idea of the series: Man-Machine, Human-Nonhuman.
Victor Payares
Born: -Havana, Cuba n 1985 Education:-Art Institute Miami International University of Art & Design BFA 20032007 . So o shows: 2007 "New paintings" Victor Payares
Lyle Reitzel ga ler y M ami, FL 2006 Above the clouds, Edge Zones Miam , FL Selected group shows: 2007 FAST, Lombard property Miami, FL./ Wild wild wynwood, Edge Zones Miami, FL \ New paint ngs & sculpture, Zones Art Air Miam , FL./ Quiet, Objex art space M ami, FL. /2005
Ai MIU Juried Student Exhibition/ Best in Show Hot, New, Raw, Fresh, Awesome, Dorsch galler y Miami, FL / Esperanto, Objex art space M ami, FL./Diaspora Vibe art ga ler y M ami, FL
Jana C. Perez
Jana Perez ho ds an MA in Graphic Design and is working toward an MFA in Photography at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas She s a so the 2007 Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award in the College of Arts & Sciences and the 2006 recip ent of the Robert B Toulouse Master’s Award for graduate students Currently, Perez is a full-time faculty member at The Art Institute of Da las and also works independently as a graphic designer. Her background in design and advertising is a strong component in the creation of her photograph c works Perez’ work has been featured n several exhibitions nationwide including the 4th Photography Biennial, the ReFresh Print B ennia I, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, as a Portfolio Winner at The Houston Center for Photography, and wil be the focus of a solo show at Woman Made Galler y, Chicago, Illinois n 2008 She l ves in P ano, Texas, with her husband Rolando and son, Kelly.
Rafael Perez
Born Dom nican Republ c, lives and works in Par s,
France Select Solo exhibitions: 2004 -Recent Work, Elespacio Art Gal er y, Santo Domingo; 2003 Malpaso stories, Ferrand Cano Galler y, Barce ona, Spain; 2002; Corn Fake, Spanish Cultural Center of Santo Domingo; 1999 Sombras & lunáticos, Bastidas House Museum, Santo Domingo Select Group Shows: 2006 Art sans fin II, Paris, France Concurso Bienal E Leòn Jiménez, Santiago, Dom nican Republ c; 2005 Art sans F n, Art festival, Carcassone, France Red Collective II, Espai Quo, Barce ona, Spain; 2003 Contemporar y art fair, Lina Barce ó Hotel, Santo Domingo Dominican Issue”, NAG café, Os o Norway Underpaper, Slussen Galler y, Stockholm, Sweden; 2002 Eduardo Leon Jimenez Bienn al, Santiago, Dom nican Republ c; 2001The Space in miniatures, E espacio Ga ler y, Santo Domingo. Proyecto Maletas, IV Biennial de Caribe, Casa de Teatro Sto Domingo Simi la de Paz art festival, Oranjestad, Aruba. Institute of Culture, Oran estad, Aruba; 2000 Espacio abierto IV Fernán Cano Gal er y, Barcelona Spain. Puertos de Mar, Ayto. De Blanes, Cataluña. Spain.
Brady Robinson
E. Brady Rob nson received her BFA n photography from The Mar yland Institute, Col ege of Art in Baltimore, Mar yland and her MFA n photography from Cranbrook Art Academy n Bloomfield Hi ls, Michigan. Her photographs have been exhibited national y at The Aspen Art Museum, Cranbrook Art Museum, The Corcoran Ga ler y of Art and Florida State Museum Additional galler y exhibitions in Washington, DC include Strand on Vo ta in Georgetown (2005) and Troyer Galler y in Dupont Circle (2004). Her recent solo exhibition Shift features new photographs curated by photographer Chan Chao and was on exhibit last fa l at Flashpoint Ga ler y n Washington, DC Robinson is a native of V rginia and resides in Orlando, Florida. She is Assistant Professor in the MFA in Studio Art and the Computer Graduate Program at University of Central Florida in Orlando. As a photographer, she examines the social and cultural landscape and documents her environment at home and abroad Her work s informed by technology, travel and landscape photography Rob nson offers the viewer multiple po nts of view and cross-cu tural references n a split second of t me, capturing fleet ng landscapes from the window seat. Locations var y as far and wide from Europe and across
North America New relationships between disparate images are formed through sequencing and purposeful juxtapositions through rhythm of one image to the next, offering socia /cu tural landscape, the document, memor y and beauty of pure aesthet cs.
Jesus Rojas
Jesus Rojas was born in yauli, Peru He graduated from Art Faculty, PU C P He is a Miam based visual artist Selected exhibitions and participations inc ude: Art Director & Illustrator-Art Basel 2006, Wynwood Arts District, Miam , FL; Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Praxis International Art Galler y, Lima, Peru; Cu tural Center for Hispanic Arts, Tx; Allianze Francaise, Coral Gables, FL; Southern Vermont Art Center, VT; Peruv an American Cultural Institute, Lima, Peru; UNESCO, Delegation du Bresil, Par s, France; Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, Ny. Instructor of Art, Wolfson Campus Miami Dade Community Col ege, South Florida Art Center
Margaret Ross-Tolbert's Margartet Ross Tolbert is a painter and performance art st from Gainesvi le, Florida. Her explorat ons and immersion in the freshwater springs of the Florida aquifer generates her paintings, performances and ser es of mages about Sirena, (spr ngs denizen) The images, narrat ve and dances from sites on the Silk Road and ancient trade routes form another continuing series. Recent solo exhibits nclude: Margaret Ross Tolbert: Doors, University of Richmond Museums, Richmondm VA, Passages, Po k Museum of Art, Lake and, FL; Spr ngs Eternal? Gulf Coast Art Museum, Largo, FL, Aquifer, LeMieux Ga leries, New Orleans, LA;. Recent group exhibits include: Jord, Eld, Vaten, Martenpersskalla, Brantevik, Sweden, Tiden, Galler y Infra, Sweden, Amer can Confluence, Edsvik Konsthall, Sollentuna, Sweden; WET, Edgezones, M ami; Performances: n Reassessing the Diaspora, Edgezones, Santa Domingo, DR. ,ENERGy, Brantevik Sweden and Shands Arts n Medicine, Gainesville, Fl ; Sirena photography: Stefan Craciun.
Maricel Ruiz
Maricel Ruiz was born in 1984 in M ami, Florida from Cuban parents In 2007, she achieved her BFA with honors from Florida International University. Her concentration has always been n drawing, pr marily graphite on paper Ruiz’s works are intuitive based Each work of art is formed by a sp ritual connection
between the artist, the paper and the moment in time in which it was created. As a result, Ruiz s drawings appear as lyrical atmospheres that transcribe energy in a subconscious, primitive or child-l ke nature
Gretchen Scharnagl
Gretchen Scharnagl was born in Greenw ch, Connecticut, and she received her MFA in 2004 from Florida Internationa University Scharnagl is a multimedia and mixed media artist, whose works inc ude installation, found object work, sculptural work (primarily in clay), as we l as works on paper, such as pencil drawings, col age, dig tal photography and other forms of m xed media drawing Her work exp ores the events and issues at the intersection of human behav or and the natural wor d and the mpact that that intersection has had on specific species and environments She lives and works in M ami, Florida, where she also teaches at Flor da International Un vers ty.
Onajide Shabaka
Onajide Shabaka has forged a path for artistic interests that challenge the status quo of the mainstream art wor d, espec ally the hermeticism and austerity of the white cub c galler y space At the same time, Shabaka’s work, n its engagement with nature, histor y, techno ogy, and ritua , al ows the v ewers to experience a more ho istic view of the world
Lazaro Sigler
Lazaro Sig er has an educational background from the Institute of Mechanical Design, in Havana, Cuba Ind vidual exh bits nclude: 2006 Edge Zones , "Junk Anatomy". Miam , Florida. 2006 Miami Internationa University "The Elements of Spirit" 2003 Marphat Art Galler y, Miami, Fl., 2001 Nabuc Art Ga ler y, Miami, Fl. 2000 Marphat art Galler y, Miam , Fl 1998 Arra Galler y, Badajoz, Spain 1997 La Puerta Ga ler y, Mexico 1996 Guerrero Art Ga ler y, Havana, Cuba. 1994 The Br dge Galler y, London 1992 Mirta Cerra Museum, Havana, Cuba Group exhibit ons include: 2006 Miami International University 2006 Ardex Gal er y, Biltmore way, Miami, Florida 2006 Miami International University 2006 Art M ami, Convention, Center, Miami, Florida 2004 Marphat Art Galler y, Miami, F 2003 The Point Art Gal er y, Rome, Ita y. 2001 Lights for Hope, A pha international Galleries, M ami, Fl 2000 Marphat Art Galler y,Miam , Fl 1999 Arts Council of the Notherireland, Belfast, N Ireland
1999Cuban Art Museum of Miami 1998 Nabuc Art
Ga ler y M ami, Fl. 1998 Cuban Pa nter, Toronto, Canada. 1998 Nabuc Art Galler y, Miami, F 1996 Latin view Points a Selection of Great Latin American Artist, Rome Ita y. 1996 The Cuban Art Space, New york. 1995 Mirta Cerra Museum, Havana Cuba 1994 Eduardo Abela Hall, Havana Cuba 1994 "10" Cuban Painters in Germany
1994 Reencuentro, Havana, Cuba. 1993 Ar stidez Fernandez Hall, Havana, Cuba Awards and honors include: 1994 Arisridez Fernandez, Juror of Exellence. 1993 Eduardo Abe a Hall, Havana Cuba 1992 Wilfredo Lam Commemorative Award, Havana, Cuba 1991 Engraving, Seventh Biennal of Latin American and Caribbean Engrav ng
Yomarie Silva
Born n Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1973, yomarie Silva spent her early years in New york, Ph ladelph a and New Jersey She currently resides and works in Miami, Florida where she received a Sculpture Master of F ne Arts degree at Florida International University Silva’s search for a beautifu form encompasses work in a variety of materials. Her works emphasize the beauty and delicacy found in natural forms such as eaves and orchids Currently, making reliefs using latex, p aster and etching plexig ass, she has taken a more “scient fic” approach that makes her pieces resemble specimens
Franklin R. Sinanan
Franklin R. S nanan was born in Trinidad and currently lives in Toronto, Canada Selected So o Shows include: Birchwood Galler y, Artic Circle, November 2007; Elder gal er y, Charlotte, NC; Februar y 2007; Elder galler y, Charlotte, NC; Ju y 2006; Fitchburg State University, Massachusetts, 2003. Selected Group Shows: The Pearl Factor y, Hami ton, Ontario, Canada, (3 Man Show), October 2007; The Pear Factor y, Ham lton, Ontario, Canada, May 2007; Scratch Galler y, Toronto, Ontar o, Canada, Apri 2007; Miami Herald Easter Group Show, Miami, Florida, 2006; Galler y B bianne, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2005 Awards: Honorable Mention at “At in the County” Show, Picton, Ontario, Canada, 2000; Juror’s Award at “At in the County” Show, Picton, Ontario, Canada, 2003; Canada Counci for the Arts Grant, 2003 and 2001. Artist in Residence at South Beach Art Center, November 2005- Apri 2006. He is currently represented by B rchwood Ga ler y, Art c Circ e, and Elder galler y, Charlotte, NC.
Kari Snyder
Kari Snyder was born in Peoria, IL in 1975. She received her BFA in Painting in1999 from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA and her MS in Technology Education in 2002 from Central Missouri State University. Snyder is in her final year of graduate schoo at the Univers ty of Miami and w ll receive her MFA in Pr ntmaking in May of 2007. Kari currently teaches Introduction to Drawing classes at the Un vers ty of M ami She also taught pr ntmaking th s previous summer for EnFami ia Art Center n Homestead, FL Some of Snyder’s recent exhibitions include Stories of Women in Print at Texas Tech University, Impressit: A Curated Exhibit on of Art st-Pulled Prints in M nnetonka, MN, Sixty Square Inches: 15th Biennia Small Pr nt Competition at Purdue Univers ty, and Print Now at Edge Zones in Miami, FL
Mel & Dorothy Tanner
Mel Tanner (1925-1993) was born in Brooklyn, Ny He studied art at the Brook yn Museum Art School with John Ferren and Max Beckman Dorothy Tanner was born in The Bronx, Ny She studied wood car v ng with Chaim Gross at The Educat onal Alliance, and sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum Art School with M lton Hebold The Tanners met whi e students at the Brook yn Museum, and married in 1951 In 1952 they founded the Syracuse Art Workshop, Syracuse, Ny, where they taught pa nting and sculpture. In 1963, they opened Granite Galler y on East 57th Street, New york City The Granite Art Association was founded to further an understanding of the goals and trends of contemporar y art In 1965, after traveling in Europe, they returned and established a studio in M ami. Through creat ve experimentation, the use of light and the unique light transm tting qual ty of acr ylic became the bas c elements in the development of the Lumonics art form Lumonics is a sensor y environment and performance space that blends art and technology to transport the viewer to the outer reaches of the mind; a new art form comprised of light sculptures, fountains, projection, v deo, lasers, aroma, and music. The first Lumonics Theatre opened in Miami, FL in 1969 Installations have been presented in San Diego, CA; Bangor, ME; Boston, MA; and n Fort Lauderdale, FL since 1988 After the pass ng of Mel Tanner in 1993, Lumonics performances have continued
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Dorothy and associate Marc Billard col aborate on e ectronic mus c, v deo, fountains, and sculptures. Since 2005, Dorothy has created a series of new scu ptures that use LEDs as the ight source
Elena Tejada-Herrera
Elena Tejada-Herrera was born in Peru. She has partic pated in over 100 group exhib tions in Canada, Sloven a, Hungar y, USA, France, Russia, Peru, Spa n, Australia, El Sa vador, Ecuador, Japan and 6 solo exh bitions Her artwork has been acquired by the Museum of Art of Lima, Peru, and by the Museum of Art of the National University of San Marcos, Peru Her artwork has been included in the Encyclopedia of Contemporar y Peruvian Art Histor y. She has received scho arships from the Summer Institute Program at the Kitchen, New york City, 2006; Prize for Best Insta lation Artwork and Honorable Mention in the Art Contest New Waves at the Contemporar y Art Center of Virginia, USA, 2005. In 2004, she received the Nexus Award for Latin American Art st, fellowsh p and art residency at the Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA, awarded by Art Nexus International Magazine.
In 2004, she achieved International Prize for best video-choreography awarded by Luksuz International Fest val of Cheap Film, S ovenia and Internationa Prize for best video-installation project support by Werkleitz Gesellschaft, Germany She a so received First Prize and honors scholarship to Paris in the competition Passport for an Artist, sponsored by the French Government, a ong with an art residency at The Cite Internat onale Des Arts, Paris. In 2007, representing Peru, Te eda-Herrera was involved in the International B ennial of Sao PauloValencia. In 2007, representing Peru, she attended Nipon Internationa Performance Art Festiva ; in Tokyo, Nagoya and Nagano, Japan In 2006, “Urbe & Arte: Imaginar os de Lima en transformacion: (25 years of architecture, visual arts and music); Museum of The Nation, Lima, Peru. Between 2004 and 2006, “Miradas de Fin de Sig o”, several juried historical retrospective exhibitions of Contemporar y Peruvian Art at the Museum of Art of Lima, Peru. In 2006, Come Together, the Kitchen, New york, USA 2004-2006, Selected for the DVD catalogues of the
OUTVIDEO Festivals in Russia In 2005, Actionism in Peru, Histor cal Retrospective, ICPNA, L ma, Peru. Included n book of same name by Emi io Tarazona 2001 Lat nAmerican Video Exhibition at the Queen Sofia National Museum of Contemporar y Art (MNCARS), Madrid, Spain.
2006 Performances at Galler y Sensei and on the streets of Chinatown and Union Square, New york City, USA
Second Nat onal Art Biennial of Lima, Peru.
Solo exhibitions: 2005 Live Cinema, Glover Galler y of O d Dom nion Un vers ty, Virg nia, USA 2004 Performances, Scu ptures and Installat on, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, USA Paintings, draw ngs, photography and video by Elena Tejada-Herrera, Cite Internationale Des Arts Art Galler y, Paris, France. Performance in the First lbero American Art B ennia of Lima, Museum of Art of Lima, Peru “Como D os Manda” (paintings) School of Art's Galler y of San Marcos Un vers ty, Lima, Peru. Other exhibitions: 2006-2007 Edge Zones Art Fair ; Celebrating Art Basel 2006, Celebrating Art Miami 2007, Miam , USA.
2006 “I Hear you” The Fifth Paralle Galler y, Un vers ty of Reg na, Saskatchewan, Canada 2004-2005-2006 Luksuz Connection Fi m Festivals, Slovenia. 2006
Artconcept Tendentious Art Festival, Russia 2006 Her Shorts, International Film and Video Festival, Tucson, Arizona, USA 2005 Artists Against Sed tion Laws Exhibition at CASULA POWERHOUSE ARTS CENTRE, Sydney, Australia. 2005 Armenian Center for Contemporar y Experimental Art, Armenia 2001-20022003 Urban Light Works , R chmond, Virginia, USA. 2003 Lustre, Stefan Stux Galler y, New york, USA
Donna Torres
Torres drawings and paint ngs reflect her nterest in shamanism and medic nal plants. Her works are portals nto the histor y, botany and cultural use of visionar y plants In 2004 and 2006, she taught botanical llustration to an indigenous group from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile The group was recording the use of medicinal p ants in that ver y unique environment. The work was partially funded by an American Society of Botanical Artist s Grant In 2006 and 2007, Donna curated several botanical art exhibitions and an exhib tion dea ing with issues of censorship Her work has been exhibited in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Hol and,
Spain and Nepal She has also taught art workshops n the USA, Colombia, Chile and Nepal. Donna is currently an adjunct professor of Painting at Flor da Internat onal University and nstructor of Advanced Botanical Art at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
César Trasobares
TENDER HOUSE marked the future site of the de la Cruz Collection building at Miami’s Design District The project was commissioned for Art Basel Miam Beach, beginning in 5 December 2006 After viewing 24/7 until early Januar y 2007, the Reno r and Mondrian banners were stolen During the past three decades, Trasobares has defined his practice as an artist broadly: in the art world, he ser ves as art activist, curator, mentor/friend and performer ; n the studio, he produces work in various media; in the institutional field, he works in education and art adm nistrat on. He has worked with dol ar b lls and shredded currency since 1997 He lives and works in Wynwood. www.cesartrasobares.com
TENDER HOUSE site photographs by Rafael Salazar, December 2006.
Raymundo Travieso
Raymundo Travieso was born in Cuba He lives and works in Miami, Florida. Selected Solo Exhibitions: 2006 –TO DRAW IS TO MEDITATE, Edge Zones, Miami, FL; 2003South Art, Miami, FL; 1999 – Har vard Un vers ty, Cambridge, MA; 1997 – The C ean Mach ne, M ami Beach, FL – Select Group Exh bitions: 2006 – COLLECTIVE SHOW, Alejandra Von Hartz Galler y, Miami, FL; A WELL KEPT SECRET, Miami Dade College, Miam , FL; REASSESING THE DIASPORA, Museum of Modern Art, Santo Dom ngo, Republica Dominicana; 2005 – DRAW, Son Espace, G rona, Spain; AZUL LIQUIDO, Quinta Domin ca, Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana; CUBAN ART IN NEW yORK, Dacty Foundation, New york, Ny; THE CONSTRUCTORS, Alejandra Von Hartz Fine Arts, Miam , FL; GROWTH SPURT, Edge Zones, Miami, FL; WET, Edge Zones, Miami, FL; BEyOND ALL OF THAT , Edge Zones, Miami, FL; 2004 –MIAMI NOW, Edge Zones, Miami, FL; INDEx MIAMI, Edge Zones, Miami,FL; 2003 – Centro Cultura di Aruba, Aruba; Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL
Ruben Ubiera Gonzalez
Born 1975 in the Domin can Republic, lives and works in Weston, Flor da BFA, Art Institute of Ft Lauderdale, FL, 1994 “One is the magic number”, Lost Souls Galler y, LA, Los Ange es, CA, 2007-2008. Art Whino permanent collection, Washington, VA, 2008 Select solo shows: Edge Zones Ga ler y, Miami, FL , Curated by Charo Oquet, 2007 – 2006. Select group shows: Zones Art Fair, Miami, FL , 2008; Miami Dreams, Miami, FL 2008 www.urbanpopsoul.com.
Morten Viskum
Morten Viskum , Norway, Born in Hels ngoer, Denmark 1965; Norwegian School of Veterinar y Science, Oslo, 1987-1993; Royal Academy of Fine Art, Oslo, 1993- Select So o Shows: 2006 Norrtälje Konsthall, Sweden; 2005 Hol enderiet, Vestfossen, Norway; 2005 Bragernes Church, Drammen, Norway; 2005 Gallerik, Sarpsborg, Norway; 2005 V skum2, Vestfossen, Norway; 2005 Son Espace Ga ler y, Barcelona, Spain; 2004 Hollenderiet, Vestfossen, Norway; 2004 Moss Kunstgalleri, Moss, Norway; 2003 Moss Kunstgaller , Moss, Norway; 2003 Galleri Christian Dam, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2002 Galleri 21,Malmö, Sweden ; 2002 Galleri Chr stian Dam, Oslo, Norway; 2002 Galleri Bouh ou, Bergen, Norway; 2001 Locomotion, Os o, Norway Se ect Group shows: 2005 "Draw", Son Espace Galler y, Barcelona, Spain; 2004 "Novemberutsti lingen", Drammen Museum, Norway 2004 "Tusenfr yd", Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Norway; 2003 "Retur", Pilotgal eriet, Drammen, Norway; 2003 "Small", Son Espace Galler y, Barce ona, Spain ; 2003 "For al " , Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Norway 2003; "Cha lenging Attitudes", Galler KIT, Trondheim, Norway ; 2003 "Art Miam " , Miami, US
Kacey Westall
Kacey Westall was born on October 23rd, 1978 in Tallahassee, FL. She received her BFA from Florida Internat onal Un vers ty in 2008 She lives and works in Miami, FL. She has participated in live drawing performances throughout South Florida including The Wallflower Ga ler y and Kevro Art bar, 2007 Her work has been exhibited in numerous places in Florida inc uding: The Patric a and Phillip Frost Art Museum,
Exh bit juried by Fred Snitzer, 2007; Re-Emergence, Juried by Wendy W scher, The Graham Center Art Galler y, 2007; The Urban Nomad Film Festival, Scope Art Fair, Miam , FL 2007; So o Show, The Serendipity of Memories, Edge Zones Galler y, Curated by Charo Oquet, 2008
Magali Wilenski
Born in Argentina 1984, graduated from The Miami Internationa University of Art and Design with a BA n Visual Arts 2006 Select So o Shows: Roll Up , Dorsch Galler y, Miami ,Fl (2006); Inspiroll , Edge Zones, Miam Fl, (2006 Select Group Shows: Wrap, Surface librar y, East Hamptom, Ny, (2007) ; Iberoamericana, F rst bank of Miami, Coral Gables, Fl (2007). Deviant Behavior (National Juried Exhibit on), Artformz, Miami Fl (2007); Stretching the Threads, Atlant c Center of the Arts (ACA) New Smyrna Beach Fl, (2007); Organic, Edge Zones, Miam , Fl (2007); Bridge Art Fa r with Dorsch Gal er y in (2006). 20 questions, Dorsch Galler y (2006), Threat Count , Dosrch Galler y, Miami, Fl (2006) This, That, and the other in Edges Zones, Miam Fl (2006), Quiet, Lombard Property, Miami Fl. (2006); Soda, Orange Galler y, Miami Fl (2005), Fourmation, Estefano Art Center, Miami (2005).
En su fase de instalatr z, Charo Oquet, se ha dedicado a la comprensión y ar ticulación de d stintos universos afrocaribeños, inyectando la cosmogonía ritua de las antillas de un sentido unificante y conci iador. Desde su obser vator o miamense Charo habi ita un espacio de estét ca devocional a través del cual aprehende su ascendenc a esp ritual y racial y cuest ona cualquier teor a que podamos tener sobre la nuestra En Charo, la referencia mágico-religiosa no es prop ni escenario, las piezas, no pretenden imitar una denominación específica y s n embargo ostentan una realidad aún más poderosa que cier tos altares "reales".
Esta concentrac ón de energía sólo es explicable a par tir de los procesos de Charo, en los que, ilum nada por trances más rec entes que el vudú, identifica tendencias populares y sensibildades de lo ver náculo dom n cano y global que se adhieren a su propuesta con ese pegamento subatómico del que todos estamos hechos y entro en el ter reno de la física cuántica sin escafandra porque para bregar con la obra de Charo hay que saber que se está tratando, como ya lo intuyera Alanna Lockward, con una de esas célebres criaturas bicéfalas que meten mano en el ter reno de la ciencia y la magia como si de una misma cosa se tratara.
En los últimos años la obra de Charo ha renunc ado a la elocuencia bar roca con que explotara a fines de los noventa, para alcanzar una tremenda claridad. Esta nueva claridad per mite conectar de manera directa con sus ntenciones, que aunque fieles a la médula magico-rel giosa de caribe contemporáneo, posibil tan nuevas ecturas Es nteresante señalar que este giro hacia una nueva intuición comunicativa en la obra de Charo, que a mi entender se inicia en los
altares/estr ucturas de madera de principios de esta década, coincide con la dedicación de muchas de dichas piezas a Elegua Dios cojo que concede entend miento y abre los por tones que conectan con e otro mundo, el Elegua yor uba y Legba del vudú, es, como el Her mes de los griegos, patrón de la comunicación, e intercambio y el cr uce de caminos; ese crossroads a que la mús ca afroamericana ha dedicado más de una estrofa
En "Elegua's way" (2001) Charo utiliza otro lenguaje primordial, el de a línea, her ramienta básica no sólo del ar tista s no también del devoto que hace d bujos en la t er ra traduc endo un mensaje sagrado La mbricada superposic ón de objetos y madera crea una gran letra misteriosa, que como los vevés del vudú, atrae hacia s la presencia de los seres y su poderío Los vevés, símbolos hechos en pólvora, harina o cua quier otro polvo que el oficiante cons dere adecuado (el vudú no se conoce por exc uir mater ales si no por as mi ar los) sobre el suelo, más que dibu os representacionales de las divinidades son una especie de trampa o figura astra que obliga a los loas a descender. F iguras, que como a equis que for ma un cr uce de cam nos visto desde e cielo, mark the spot, atrayendo, cual magneto sagrado, a los seres del otro mundo.
En su "Seduction Ser es" Charo cons gue demostrar este poder de convocatoria de los vevés a par tir de piezas dec didamente escu tóricas, en donde la ar tista comprime la intensidad de sus instalaciones monumentales en el espacio que ocupa una escultura más o menos del tamaño de un ser humano. Estos experimentos de ingeniería mágica consiguen varias cosas, una de ellas lustrar de manera exp icita a nevitable unidad del cosmos que Charo se empeña en resaltar, r ndiendo un tier no homenaje a la energía humana y posthumana que hab ta en os objetos que componen toda su obra Esta prec osa humanidad de os objetos es lo que encontró Charo en el Gagá de La Ceja en la Repúb ica Dominicana allá por 1998, adonde en el más dulce "cr uce de caminos", haitianos y dom n canos crean vestuar os que utilizarán durante la semana santa, enlazados en papel crepe, ron y lente ue as
En la serie de inter venciones "Amar res, Transloca " y en el perfor mance "All t ed Up" Charo da un paso más hacia esa contundencia comunicativa que concede Eleguá y abandona inc uso os objetos, co ocando en el lugar que antes ocupaban juguetes y utensil os de segunda mano a ser humano El único elemento ajeno al cuerpo en estas piezas es una cinta, que amar ra, une, limita y hace asequible, casi de manera obscena, a inevitable interdependencia de nuestra condición.
Esta cinta describe trayector as que se atraviesan, intersecciones que como e crossroads mitológico, Charo Oquet transita sin necesidad de semáforos
Aldo Menendez
A veces en ar te cuando te hablan de un espacio alter nativo tal parece que cert fican se trata de un loca donde exponen los inexpertos, os sin curriculum; lo que l evado a enguaje taurino sign ficar a que al í solo se per mite a novilleros tomar la alter nativa, hay otros co oridos por el estilo agregados a este equivocado retrato que apuntan hacia lo improv sado y snob Algunos al referirse a e los injustamente califican sus resultados frescos y espontáneos de poco serios; dicen que sin inver tir toneladas de dinero empeños como este nunca ofrecer an una programación aceptab e Sin embargo toda a historia de la p ástica contradice semejantes afir maciones.
Sabemos que las buenas activ dades y as tendencias avanzadas surgen lo mismo de espacios y galerías sofisticadas que de ambientes underground, tampoco es un principio ir refutable que los sitios alter nativos se ded quen ir restrictamente a presentar creadores emergentes.
Edge Zone en Wynwood Ar ts D str ct con su enor me área de 25,000 pies es lo que realmente se considera alter nativo, sobre todo por la opción que brinda de cohabitación bajo un mismo techo de diversas galerías en diferentes sets y colecciones tanto individuales como colectivas, brindando al mismo t empo círculos especializados, un teatro para v deo ar te y por s todo esto fuera poco Edge Zone también hace asequible al ar t sta estudios y residencias temporales.
Así se perfila lo que podríamos lamar un comp ejo ar tístico en cuyos proyectos se ntenta alcanzar la condición de foco cu tural, un punto de intercamb o donde inter relacionar de for ma muy directa y activa al espectador con el ar tista, una platafor ma donde apoyarse para ensanchar el marco de relaciones y por ende el perfil social, sin limitaciones geográficas, aceptando las propuestas surgidas del pat o al igual que las internaciona es, un lugar polivalente que da cabida a lo ir reverente y a lo sacralizado, que a ienta la experimentac ón, que comerc a iza la obra a través de for mulas en extremo ventajosas para el ar tista y que divu ga sus logros con eficacia.
De esta suer te los catálogos de Edge Zone Press se han conver tido en cuidados libros de consulta, profusamente ilustrados a todo color, con infor mación actualizada a cerca de os par t cipantes, moder na presentación y una impresión de altísima calidad.
Pero un concier to así puede derivar en desar monía, en caos, en falta de r gor y en aplicac ón de un criter o selectivo ind scriminado Por tanto se requiere de una batuta, de un director que vaya mas al á del papel de concer tar esfuerzos, de un genu no curador que per manezca al d a, que demuestre amplitud de miras, capaz de promover con sagacidad el material escogido, se necesita una figura con sensibil dad y carácter negociador, en condic ones de integrar en un mismo show a maestros, a valores consolidados y a jóvenes debutantes, de esta persona dependen los detalles y el éx to del con unto Un individuo así es difícil de encontrar
Me alegró mucho conocer a la directora de Edge Zone, la ar tista dominicana Charo Oquet que ha sabido conjugar estos rasgos, una mujer enérgica, segura, poseedora de una dosis mpor tante de entusiasmo, de juic o maduro, adscripta a las doctrinas art sticas que postulan la multicu tural dad, asumiendo el rol de productora cultural, colocada en un borde desde el que interpreta a cabalidad y rechaza lo que significa "planetar zación" en términos del capitalismo informacional contemporáneo, que no es otra cosa que hegemon a cultural p anteada no tanto como ampliac ón mundial de tejido de comunicaciones sino como avasallamiento de la humanidad por la for ma generalizada de la mercancía Me parece que Charo prefiere priorizar
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las for mas de comunicación autent cas que quedan apartadas, al margen de mpuesto sistema g obalizado, recreando un espacio común dest nado a la diversidad y a la d ferencia, que sin entrar en confrontación directa con la universalización de los mercaderes, señale a ter nativas apelando a traspasar fronteras, nunca a encer rarse en localismos y perspectivas regional stas aun tratándose de expresiones minoritarias o de carácter contestatario
Estoy convencido de que las estr ucturas bipolares per manentemente enfrentadas, trabajando como camisas de fuerza quedan fuera de las proyecciones de Edge Zone donde se las hace actuar a manera de cor rientes transversales que aseguran el derecho a la discrepancia y a desacato.
Charo es consiente también de la relevanc a de constr uir comunidad aprovechando las nuevas tecnologías, las flamantes her ram entas que están cambiando el rostro de orbe, estimu ando su uso dirigido al activismo y la crítica que desentraña el valor de la conjunción entre práctica cu tural y práctica social. En su obra personal ella refleja con originalidad y peso especifico multitud de apor tes ndepend entes –sobre todo étn cos y relig osos- que ilustran su inclinación a reaprop arse y recrear elementos de mitologías y rituales legendar os, ama gama de sus propias vivencias caribeñas y orientales; extrayendo potencialidad e inspiración de los caracteres que antes solo poseían as prácticas cu turales. Ar tista de la transgresión, su trabajo opositor se reorienta ahora recomponiendo e sentido de su práct ca
En la obra de la ar t sta y en las convocatorias de la promotora cultural se percibe la huella de ese movim ento definido como nuevo ar te en d áspora, que lama a generar infinidad de cé u as que pueden actuar en común ante deter minadas expresiones ofic osas (enfrentándolas) disgregándose después de marcar un compor tamiento que implica un sencillo go pe de resistencia, porque en nuestro tiempo no es viable a gran confrontación
Ba o un color amari lento en e fondo, unas l neas se quiebran como rajaduras de cuchillo en un panel repleto de una espesa capa de óleo. En esta exposición pueden aparecer desde una si la de jardín, a un primate en actitud pacífica frente al público; desde un pavo real desplumado de su color, hasta una nor a de feria vacía una granada de mano o un niño triste bajo un disfraz de conejo Hope separa casi siempre sus obras en dos par tes. Como un díptico que necesitara encajarse más que dividirse Un dípt co que rompe siempre la obra y per mite una coherencia objetua en sus proposiciones Dos e ementos que reflejan en su vida un antes y un después, tal como o afir ma en su dec aración de ar tista “...mesas, edificios, pájaros o casas se me aparecían después de la larga enfer medad que padeció mi padre y su posterior muer te prematura a la edad de c ncuenta y ocho años” A veces los objetos descansan inocuos como si hubieran salido de pop, pero no por su colorido –sus obras son b cromas en su mayoría- sino por a utilizac ón del primer plano y la singularidad a a hora de escoger los y limitar su lectura Una mezcla de las piezas de pastel de Th ebaud y los trazos ibres del juego calle ero y la experimentación for mal de Cy Twombly L enos de v o encia y acercamiento, como en Peacock 2 o en If I Could Think -una obra memorable de sello “baconiano”- donde e desgar ro en las figura así como la propia muer te son el motivo de su discurso. Surgen a menudo de su memoria fotográfica, elementos tan peculiares como el refleado en Skee-ball at contemporany Un laber nto de puntos, se convier te en la diana del juego visual de la obra Una obra digna con un enguaje diáfano, simp e y conmovedor.
Entrevistada por Amable Lopez Meléndez
Signos y espacios de la mismidad
En sus pinturas recientes, Rosario Rivera-Bond material za de manera efectiva su poética y su pas ón por el médium, el color y la imaginación Poética, pasión y obra radicales: abstraídas, progresivas, l ricas, lúdicas y energéticas Policromía abier ta, discreta y abrasadora, impl cando sus referencias metaf sicas desde su propia materialidad Espac os claves para un instinto perpetuamente ab smado en la hiper mímesis. Fragmentos de instantes, sueños y silencios cotidianos Reacciones y pulsiones fugit vas Calidas y encaladas transposiciones de la mismidad. Juegos de intensidad e íntima existencia
¿Cuándo reconoces tu íntima razón para la imaginación?
Quizás en mi subconsciente siempre he sabido que e ar te es mi camino M vía Egoístamente hablando, el ar te tiene que ver conmigo S empre a gente me decía que tenía talento. En mi famil a, Ada es lo mismo, se da eso de ser exper to en muchas cosas y quizás eso fue también o que me apar tó muchas veces del ar te, o qu zás m debilidad, pero yo sabia que eso era lo que yo quería hacer
Tus raíces están en el Caribe, pero tu for mación ar tística y tus cer tezas existenciales se registran en tus “experiencias alógenas”, ¿cómo fue que te decidiste por la vía de la creación cuando llegaste a París a mediados de los 70s?
Cuando entré por primera vez a L’Academie de la Grande Chaumiere el amb ente me conmovió especialmente Me inscribí en ar te y en idioma
El ar tista y profesor Pier re Jerome me reafir mó Inc uso, fue él quien me estimuló a enviar una obra a “Le Salón” (1975) y fu selecc onada La obra era un desnudo de líneas académ cas y co ores fuer tes.
¿Qué hiciste después de París y qué impacto han tenido en tu obra las distintas experiencias en los grandes centros del ar te contemporáneo?
En 1975 estuve en F orencia, Ita ia, en una res dencia con el pintor Antonio Cicureza y en octubre de ese mismo año ya estaba en Londres Lo primero que h ce cuando llegué a Londres fue nscribir me en The Candem Ar t Center y ahí estuve durante un año. En Londres conocí a Al an, con quien me case en 1977 en Santo Domingo. En rea idad, el ambiente ar tístico lond nense de ese momento no me motivó ni me impactó tanto, pero seguí pintando Trabajaba el ó eo, a acuarela y la tempera. Hac a desnudos y bodegones neoexpres onistas Nunca me gustaba el paisaje. En 1978 nos fuimos a Nueva york y nació mi h ja Car la Segu a pintando Nada nuevo En 1979 regresé a Santo Domingo y me inscr bí en a Academia de Arte Candido B dó, quien me estimuló, me hizo una exposición y me compró el primer cuadro Ahí me reconecté con mi tierra.
¿No te toca a veces el sentimiento del desar raigo?
M s estancias en tierras lejanas han sido relativamente cor tas Quizás si me hub era quedado todos estos años en Inglater ra hubiera sentido más el desar raigo.
M ami es casi como Santo Domingo Estoy cerca de mi fam lia yo me siento como si estuviera en Santo Domingo. yo creo que soy muy cosmopolita. Me gusta compar tir con personas diferentes yo siento desar raigo respecto a cosas pasadas, es la nostalg a.
En el ritmo, en la liber tad, en la vehemencia expresiva de tus pinturas recientes, creo percibir la atmósfera o el sentido de la tier ra, ¿tú qué piensas?
M tier ra s gnifica mucho Quizás en el color Ahora, la naturaleza influye en mi obra definitivamente yo soy muy v sual. Hay a gunos ar tistas y críticos que dicen que no creen en el ojo, sino en la mente
A m me influye a naturaleza, pero la for ma de la naturaleza está en mi mente A mí también me influye el momento, lo que sucede a m alrededor de manera espontánea
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¿Reconoces alguna influencia especial en tus convicciones abstraccionistas?
En 1992, cuando regresé a Miami, se presento otro período impor tante en mi v da Nada que ver con el ar te, excepto que me gustaba y seguía interesada.
Sin embargo, en 1995 me fu a Carolina del Nor te, Santa Fe, Nuevo México y South Caro ina En Santa Fe conocí a la ar tista Betty Ridgeway. Con ella practiqué intensamente los proced mientos del Action Painting
Exper mentar, estud ar, tomar clase, actual zar me, ha sido como una for ma de reenamorar me del ar te constantemente
Amable López Me éndez
Cu ador del Museo de A e Moder no. Santo Dom ngo, Repúbl ca Dom n cana Pres dente de a secc ón dom n cana de A CA
Brian Gefen
Entrevistado por Amable Lopez Meléndez
Sobre el exceso de lo real
Co or, for ma, materia y expresividad son elementos claves en la práctica pictórica de Brian Gefen. Los resor tes estét cos y éticos de ta práctica resultan de su visceral conexión con as poéticas, procesos y taumaturgias capitales de la p ntura contemporánea occidental: expres onismo abstracto, infor malismo, transvanguardia italiana, minimal smo, neoexpresion smo, Jackson Pollock(1912-1956), W illem de Kooning(1904-1997), Jean-Michel Basquiat(1960-1988), Georg Baselitz(1938), Cy Twombly (1927), Anselm Kiefer(1945)
¿Por qué el expresionismo neofigurativa?
yo comencé con la pintura abstracta no objetiva Pienso que a través de la neofiguración e mensaje l ega más ráp do Porque la p ntura se considera un ar te culto, elitista y que debe tener un mensaje. Pero, la gente anda ráp do, mira ráp do, y el ar te no es a excepc ón
¿T iene significado especial la materia en tu pintura?
En las pinturas grandes es muy mpor tante Uti izo Ensa lomateriales gr uesos Expreso lo que soy como persona. Sobreutilizo la materia. No soy muy conser vador con los materiales No tomo en cuenta cuánto tengo
que ahor rar Siempre he obten do lo que quiero La expresión es lo impor tante. yo dibujo la magen y después la mente me dice dónde están la for ma y el color, dónde va cada plano, cada rasgo El exceso de a realidad está expresado en el exceso de la mater a. yo estoy entre el exceso y la abundancia El exceso me representa
¿Cómo asumes íntimamente el proceso creador?
Tengo que gozar y divertirme con cualquier cosa que haga Puedo ser serio, pero tiene que haber humor Tiene que ser más pos tivo para el que mira. Deberíamos ser más “l ghting- up” La gente a veces se pone muy negativa , deberíamos ser más posit vos Muchas personas t enen miedo de mostrar quiénes son rea mente No tienen los co , el coraje de abrirse y mostrarse A tí no te debe importar o que piensen os demás.
Me impacta esa especie de intención dialógica, íntimamente reflexiva en tu práctica pictórica…
Si, es una compuls ón inter or. Quiero t rar ideas a las personas y eso me pone en una posición vulnerab e. El humor es sobre mí mismo, básicamente mi obra es un autor retrato. La gran cara o la cabeza grande te dice quien eres Es un retrato rápido En las pequeñas pinturas me pongo en el lugar de los otros: las personas juzgan muy rápido. Es una imagen rápida de os otros rea izada de a misma manera en que ellos me miran a mí y yo los miro a ellos. Esto es lo que yo soy y no hay autonegación Cuando me expongo me hago vulnerable, porque e los no me conocen Se trata de una honest dad total sobre lo que soy y quién soy
¿Qué tanto cuenta lo real en tu práctica creativa?
Es como tener un espe o per manente Es lo que yo veo de mí m smo en ese momento par ticular. Los pequeños cuadros son historias sobre los personajes cotidianos. Cuando me encuentro con as personas, pienso cómo sería su relac ón conmigo Cuando obser vo las expresiones de a gente, implico la idea de lo que puede ser esa persona. Entonces, entiendo que ellos también están en una situac ón de vulnerabilidad al expresarse de tal forma púb icamente…
Amable Lopez Meléndez
Museum o Mode n A Curator San o Domingo, Domin can Republ c Pres dent o the Dom n can sect on o AICA
Entrevistado por Amable Lopez Meléndez
Sobre los fér tiles abismos del exceso
La obra pictórica de David Marsh (1984) emerge como prueba de la vitalidad del penúltimo ar te nor teamer cano A confrontar sus impactantes pinturas abstractas exhibidas en Edge Zones Ar t Complex en el marco de la celebrac ón de Ar t Basel Miami Beach 06, resu tan prec sos y resistentes sus hallazgos. La suya es una práct ca creativa donde a esp ritualidad accede a un grado máximo de ransmutación material Pintura de una iber tad expresiva y de unos resor tes líricos tan suti es como sus íntimas conexiones con las poéticas capitales de las viejas vanguardias abstractoexpresionistas del siglo xx. Pero no hay que apurarse, calibremos ahora la emergencia de su obra como os primeros efectos de un viaje sorprendente hacia los fér tiles abismos del exceso
¿Cómo definirías la primera o última motivación de tu obra pictórica?
yo no sólo practico la pintura Pero con ella digo cosas que no puedo dec r con otras expresiones. Mis pinturas expresan momentos especiales Desde Giotto a Jackson Pol ock se han dicho y hecho muchas cosas a través de a pintura. Esos dos persona es me han motivado mucho Han dejado una marca impor tante en la historia de la pintura moder na. La buena pintura es para mí e anti-producto La gente pude hacer producto pero el valor de una buena obra no se puede lograr a través de una producción masiva El ar te verdadero es algo muy especial
Me impacta especialmente la activa densidad de la materia, la carga energética de tus poderosas abstracciones, ¿te has cuestionado en alguna ocasión sobre las razones existenciales, metafísicas o poéticas de estas claves expresivas?
Soy jóven y de sangre caliente Cuando estoy motivado por algo relacionado con la pintura quiero que sea lo más cál do. Una expresión total de mi interioridad. yo p nto muy rápido Es una for ma de descarga emocional para no tener que pensar demasiado.
La poesía es mi fam lia Mi familia me educó para que fuera una persona sincera. Só o tienes una vida. ¿Qué marcas vas a tener como humano? yo tengo poco tiempo y siempre tendré algo que decir Con mis amigos y conmigo m smo siempre trato de llevar o todo al nivel más alto
¿Cómo ejecutas o desarrollas tu proceso de trabajo?
In cio cada pintura como lo hacia Pol ock Como si fueran raíces. Dibu o con un palo y dejo que la pintura caiga como raíces en la t er ra A mi me nteresa mucho el espacio. Esos árbo es están como dentro de un pa saje Creo una perspectiva implicada a través de la cua busco expresar los problemas y las imágenes que p enso en mi mente. Comienzo a dibu ar los en ese espacio, pero jamás los represento Mi pintura favorita es “Mu er bajando la escalera” de Duchamp E es e único cubista que quería representar a imagen en d ferentes tiempos Para mí eso no es suficiente. yo no hago la imagen representando la simultaneidad del tiempo Se trata de una nar rativa sin figuras Las figuras o las imágenes están dentro ¿Cuáles serian las raíces y los limites de dialógicos de tu práctica pictórica?
Intento varias referencias históricas Por ejemplo, sobre los mov mientos y ar t stas más trascendentes: Pre-renacimiento, Giotto, Cimabue, el Bar roco, Rubens, Rembrandt Ellos no tenían referencias Tuv eron que inventar lo todo. Tengo una re ación con ellos porque fueron mas allá de los l mites Fueron excesivos También hago una referencia a V incent Van Gogh, primer ar tista que destr uye la idea del cuadro. E estaba empujado a hacer otra cosa, otro tipo de pintura, otro tipo de obra de ar te. Van Gogh es el primer ar tista de r uptura Rompió más que todos os impresionistas Mis referencias favoritas en el ar te contemporáneo siguen siendo ar t stas como Pollock y Jules Olitsky, ellos son los representantes más impor tantes de la búsqueda de liber tad expresiva. E los han hecho cambiar la pintura Olitsky es el mejor color sta sobre la tier ra y acaba de mor r
Amable López MeléndezCurador de Museo de Ar te Moder no
San o Domingo, Repúb ica Dom nicana Presiden e de a secc ón dom nicana de AICA
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Después de años fuera de tu tierra y transitando los cincuenta ¿Qué te propones hacer con tu obra, cuales son tus concepciones y criterios de esta hora?
Trans tándolos pero mas hac a la ver tiente de los sesenta… Hace poco un joven y destacado ar tista celebró de mi obra entre otras cosas algo que cada vez me resulta mas mpor tante, a exper mentación, así como los caminos que enfrento al mercant lismo ar tístico que parece triunfar por todas par tes, que hace de a plástica un ucrativo negocio, un simple juego bursát l, un ir y venir de inversiones y revalor zaciones, pirotecn a complaciente montada en especial para nuevos ricos y cier tas oleadas de consumidores de países primer mundistas, dotados de una “nueva sens bi idad” resultante del cr uce esp ritual del broker con el aficionado a la decoración, que han conver tido en sumos pontífices de sus anhelos a las subastas –como si estas sustituyeran a crítica- a los dealers, a curadores y a los loadores de la aldea g obal y de una “masividad” dictada por e capitalismo cultural; ni mas ni menos que la economía ntentando emular con a capacidad de crear dentidad, hasta aquí reser vada para el ar te y la cu tura
Reconozco a necesidad de una mundialización, lo cual no s gnifica que acepte la que se plantea únicamente sobre la base de una hegemon a cultural del occidente desarro lado Me gusta la hermandad y la solidaridad entre ter ríco as en lugar de la globalización, el mundo mediático actual homogen za, transfor mando lo que sea en espectácu o, hac endo que funcione lo representado como un simulacro, es la falsa moneda, el patrón generalizador que todo lo desautentifica. En mi obra trato de conser var mi v eja propens ón a deslizar os resultados de una visión testimonial, quiero hacer ver que estuve ahí, que estoy ahí -aunque evitando caer en una reconstr ucción l teral- y no como en la new media electrónica, que en verdad nos a eja del tiempo real del acontecim ento.
En lo for mal me apoyo en el col age, en a base fotográfica que as nuevas tecnologías continúan
colocando en os primeros planos de la plástica Con el a compongo un un verso de obsesiones poetizadas, el nombre de una exposición que hice en e 2001, Cuba en Exceso marca la pauta, me es difícil recordar haber hecho algo en que no par ta de Cuba como experienc a fundamental, pero eso no qu ere dec r que me quede en el o resistiéndome a la planetización, ejerciendo de local; ahora mismo par to de Cuba de p antear me entender su problemática de inter rogar su realidad y de repente ter m no cuestionando tamb én la guer ra en Irak, analizando as manipulaciones de a imagen de Cristo o queriendo atisbar en la flamante r uta que emprende China.
¿Por eso tu nueva serie se titula Retratos en Chino?
Bueno, eso equivale a adm tir que viv mos un momento de gran confusión y cuando algo no se entiende bien decimos que “suena a Chino”, hoy en día cas todo suena a chino yo quiero salir me de as for mulas, aplicando sentido común a mi reflexión, pretendiendo evitar quedar atrapado hablando al oído de otro t empo, traducir e interpretar esta mescolanza a través de un vocabulario en presente, pero una cosa es querer y otra poder
¿Miami te apor ta algo?
Por supuesto, de entrada estoy sujeto aquí a un ntenso mestizaje –es un punto de convivencia de ndividuos de toda Hispanoamérica- no me siento ni nadaptado, n desar ra gado y además me expongo al choque directo con la cultura nor teamericana. Es fascinante como este lugar resulta de lo mas conser vador y camp, retrogrado y snob pero a la vez en él se abren paso muchas impor tantes tendencias de futuro
¿Igual es también un mercado salvaje del ar te, un mercado opor tunista?
Sobre todo de arte cubano Lo que si creo en sentido general es que existe un error de principio al definir el mercado del arte como un mercado - me hago eco del pensamiento de Rossi y de muchos otrosporque la obra de arte no es un b en fungible, esto es, suplantable por uno semejante y su va or nunca esta igado a parámetros ob etivos como el coste de os materiales, tiempo de e ecución, dimensiones etc En cualquier parte estamos regidos por las actua es
leyes del marketing , lo que pasa es que aquí en part cular abundan demasiado los “señores traficantes” cuyas promesas jamás se cumplen, en especial las referidas a incrementar los dólares nvertidos por sus clientes, porque de hecho promueven cualquier cosa con tal de sacar beneficios inmediatos, lo mismo incrementan los precios hasta alcanzar cifras de vértigo sin que exista una razón justificada. Mejor si su inter ocutor es un ignorante con dinero, un desconocedor en materia de arte –algo que prolifera en nuestros predios- alguien que se deja persuadir fáci mente por ese tipo de embaucador, de encantador de serpientes
¿Tal parece que no te gustan los lugares donde se manifiestan esos elementos?
Me considero todo ter reno y me es posib e operar en muy diferentes escenar os, afor tunadamente existen ga eristas con mucho r gor y tamb én espacios como Edge Zone que reproduce un cl ma ferial donde pueden desar rollarse experiencias múlt ples yo no puedo cer rar los ojos e inducir a otros a habitar un p aneta ir real descontaminado del d nero, sería un hipócrita si pasara por estar completamente fuera de este juego, tampoco es bueno como asegura Rober t C. Morgan “producir únicamente con manifiesta orientación hacia el mercado, porque la verdadera tarea del ar tista es la liberac ón, él posibil ta el futuro por medio de sus propios esfuerzos creativos, profundamente personales
Es as p eguntas for maban pa e de cuest onar o que le somet era a Aldo Menéndez e cr tico de ar te a agonés Ju ián Gál ego en el 2005, es e au o español de enombre n er nac ona ha escr to pa a la Revis a de Occidente y para, a él se deben ensayos tan famosos como E cuadro dentro del cuadro
He aquí dos ter ritor os refractarios y esenc a es material zados con “grac a inevitab e” en la imagética efus va de los grandes l enzos monocromáticos de Rober t M ller. Ante estas pinturas, uno tiende a alucinar y meditar sobre la vida, la naturaleza, la existenc a, a imaginación y sobre el caudal enigmático que ret ene su misma transparencia.
Pintura mutante, sutil e ntensamente sugestiva
La práctica pictórica de Miller incorpora con precisa integridad las más lúcidas poéticas neoabstraccion stas y posminimal stas de siglo xx
Cómo adver tir la persistencia del símbolo geométrico en sus pinturas recientes?
Los últimos cuadros tienen que ver con un s tio quenunca he visto en el T ibet: Keilash Son pensamientos sobre esa montaña
¿Por qué piensa en esa montaña que nunca ha visto?
Es un s tio sagrado en el T ibet La gente hace peregrinaje a su alrededor.
¿Por qué y desde cuándo lo harán?
La gente retor na a esta montaña desde mi es y miles de años antes de que se tenga memoria La gente sencil amente peregrina alrededor de la montaña de Keilash No es por relig ón, no es por ningún dios, ni por un ejército. Buda no fue un dios. Fue un Maestro sobre la mente humana
¿Ha estado usted en el T ibet?
Nunca llegaré hasta al á Son pensamientos Es una descarga. Me deja libre para pintar.
¿Qué impor tancia tiene la liber tad en su ?
La pintura no es ilustración. yo siempre estoy tan interesado en la liber tad como en la pintura Nor malmente este cuar to está lleno de pinturas…
¿Qué piensa sobre el mito contemporáneo de la muer te de la pintura?
Pueden decir lo que sea Es como decir que la novela está muer ta, que las novelas están muer tas. Pintar nunca ha sido muy fácil Escribir poesía es un trabajo difícil Hay gente que no le gusta el trabajo difíci
¡La poesía no es un trabajo!
Tampoco lo es la pintura. Quizás eso fue lo que pasó con el ar te Se convir tió en un trabajo para muchas personas. Eso es o malo del mercado del ar te. Es como el mito de Sís fo. Porque los ar tistas no pueden dejar de pintar Empu an la roca y la roca se vue ve E pintor es el mito. Es mucho más fác l huir de la pintura que vivir, que pers stir pintando
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¿Qué piensa del ar te como práctica espiritual?
La única vez que puedo meditar es cuando estoy pintando La meditación no es una práctica espiritual Es parar tu mente
¿Y por qué hay que detener la mente?
Pregúntale a tu mente…
Amable López Me éndez
Cu ador del Museo de A e Moder no Santo Dom ngo, Repúbl ca Dom n cana Pres dente de a secc ón dom n cana de A CA
Entrevistado por José Antonio Evora
Nació en La Habana en 1985 y vino con su famil a a Estados Unidos en 1995. Poco despues llego a la pintura a traves de graffiti, y desde entonces no ha dejado de dibujar y p ntar. Segun sus prop as palabras, siempre ha sentido la necesidad de crear, y su imag nacion le ha ser vido de escape en las encr ucijadas de la vida. Se considera a si mismo un ar tista posmoder no, porque la denominacion no lo l mita a ninguna escuela especifica. "E ar te", dice "no tiene una guia unica"
Mas alla del ar te, a tecnologia juega hoy un papel deter minante en nuestras vidas Somos capaces de hacer diez cosas s multaneamente y ademas conducir el auto Mi meta es traspasar esa energia al ar te y for mular una asociac on que conecte mi trabajo con el espectador consciente de la existencia de esa energia En ultima nstancia, lo que quiero es que el rango de tecnicas de m s obras ilustre la inestabi idad que sostiene nuestra for ma de vivir
Si la posmoder nidad es el fin de la historia y de las utopias, ¿puede decirse que la recur rencia al collage en pintores como usted anuncia el fin de los temas?
Seleccionar fragmentos de imagenes para ar mar otra es una for ma de dar le un nuevo orden a experiencias diferentes Me llama la atencion como la gente decora su casa o el mantel que elige para su mesa; las mujeres cuando se maquil an Nuestra vida esta rodeada de collage y no nos damos cuenta Pero los temas siguen estando ahi. Si no hubiera temas, yo seria incapaz de ar mar nada
¿Como se distingue un buen collage de un ar rebato insignificante?
Los grandes collages no se dan por la simple combinacion al azar de un puñado de magenes
Es necesario que tengan las for mas y os colores precisos, y que todas se integren en la orbita de un mismo punto de vista para que florezcan juntas Mas alla de si se logra o no una composicion apropiada, el collage es para siempre un s mbolo de frescura rad cal.
¿Por que insiste tanto en la composicion?
Porque en m s trabajos la compos cion es la que siempre dice algo, aunque el tema parezca muy vago Si la pintura parece estar dividida en segmentos es porque el d scurso es la suma de s gnos diferentes, que en definitiva son la verdadera base de la nar rac on. Es como una cadena, en la que cada eslabon no hace nada sin el otro
Hoy las tecnicas ar tisticas estan muy comprometidas con la tecnologia, pero esa influencia parece llegar le a usted mas por el lado conceptual que por el formal...
Mas alla del ar te, la tecnologia juega hoy un papel deter minante en nuestras vidas Somos capaces de hacer diez cosas simultaneamente y ademas conducir e auto M meta es traspasar esa energia al ar te y for mular una asociacion que conecte mi trabajo con e espectador consciente de la existencia de esa energia En u tima instancia, lo que qu ero es que el rango de tecnicas de mis obras i ustre la inestab lidad que sostiene nuestra for ma de v vir.
¿Como se aprecia eso en las obras?
En su aparente confus on Aunque a primera vista una p eza mia parezca hecha al descu do, un examen mas deten do de las diversas capas que o componen va revelando poco a poco su complejidad Si en cier tas areas de o espac os abier tos es para inyectar le profundidad o para subrayar un punto de vista espec fico
¿Piensa en el espectador cuando pinta?
No, pero en sentido general me interesa mucho la relacion indiv dual que el espectador establece con la tecnica usada por el ar tista, y que la imagen ogre conmover lo med ante una conexion de conocimiento y memoria Los dibujos son capaces de disparar incontables resor tes en la persona que los mira, porque nunca queda c aro lo que quieren decir. Ese vinculo activo entre el espectador y a obra es lo que deter mina que la contemplacion se convier ta en una exper encia
Miam Beach, 1ro deAbr l 2007
