NBAF is manifesting more this year: more impact, more engaging programming, more opportunities for artists, more exposure, and more funding. We are coming for it all in the new year! In celebration of what will be an amazing year, it is my honor to give you a peek into what we have in store as we prepare to do things even bigger and better in 2024.
Our programming theme for this year is “Artistry Unbound,” an exploration of the resounding power of African American art to propel us toward the realization of our collective freedom. This theme celebrates the profound contributions of African American artists in their relentless pursuit of social justice, equality, and financial equity. It celebrates the trailblazers who have paved the way for a new generation of artists, continuing the legacy of social commentary and artistic innovation. This theme calls us to be “black on purpose” and create programs that directly speak to the injustices that we still face as a people and find artistic and creative ways to address these issues.
We are excited to bring this theme to life through carefully curated programming that will kick off with the NBAF Black History Month event, “Blacklisted! Banned Book Fair”, which speaks directly to the injustices highlighted through recent campaigns designed to censor and diminish Black voices.
Blacklisted! Banned Book Fair takes place on February 24th and 25th, and aligns with NBAF’s mission to:
Expose audiences to important and diverse works by African American authors,
Educate the public on how the banning of African American literature has been part of a larger pattern of censoring voices that advocate for social justice, civil rights, and the dismantling of racial prejudices,
Engage young and old readers alike with the wealth of African American books available to them, and
Entertain audiences with informative panel discussions, staged readings, an indie book market, and more! For more info, please visit our Black History Month page on nbaf.org
There are so many exciting things on the horizon for NBAF this year and we look forward to bringing you quality multi-disciplinary programming focused on uplifting and highlighting Black art and artists in new ways throughout 2024. As we continue our transition back to larger immersive events and chart a path back to the renowned NBAF Festival, our team is committed to innovatively presenting the best in Black art and we look forward to continuing to make an impact in the community with your partnership. We look forward to seeing you soon online or at an upcoming event! For the Silo, Stephanie R. Owens.
Reflecting on the remarkable journey of 2023, we’re excited to share the significant impact your support has made on our mission and community. We encourage you to delve into the highlights and accomplishments of the past year in our 2023 Impact Report, available here.
Click on the image above to view a visual journey of the transformative moments and positive change that helped us achieve in 2023.
NBAF PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Check out these upcoming events from NBAF!
Blacklisted! Banned Books Fair Saturday & Sunday, February 24th & 25th Atlanta, GA Calling all authors, literature lovers, and vendors to join us in celebrating the written word! NBAF’s 2024 Black History Month program, Blacklisted! Banned Book Fair celebrates the African American authors creating work that challenges the status quo and speaks truth to power.
The programming features:
• Moderated panel discussions with Black Authors, Activists & Intellectuals • Indie Black Book Market featuring African American booksellers and authors • Youth Book Fair with interactive children’s activities • Community Book Drive to benefit youth-centered non-profits • Interactive exhibitions about banned African-American literature and authors • Social Photo booths, food vendors & more!
Mark your calendars and get ready for a weekend filled with storytelling, creativity, and activism. This interactive experience is in partnership with the Morehouse College Movement Memory and Justice Project, South Fulton Arts, 44th & 3rd Bookseller and the Black Writers Weekend.
If you’re an author, bookseller, or have literature/education or activism related products, apply to be a vendor on the NBAF website. Spaces are limited, so secure your space today!
Taking place at the Atlanta History Center and in partnership with Neiman Marcus, FA+F attendees enjoy food + drinks, an impeccably curated fashion show, fashion icons and artists award presentations, and are introduced to the winning student designer of the annual Fashion Forward Student Design Competition.
Fine Art + Fashion raises funds to support NBAF’s operations and programs for artists of all ages and disciplines, particularly our youth arts education programs for underserved students of African descent.
2024 NBAF Fashion Forward A Competition for Student Fashion Designers NBAF Fashion Forward honorees are selected by a distinguished panel of judges and receive a cash prize of $1,500. The 2024 NBAF Fashion Forward honorees will be presented at NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion Benefit on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 in Atlanta, GA. To get started, check out nbaf.org/fashion-forward to download the Fashion Forward Fact Sheet to learn more about the application requirements. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Fashion Forward Coordinator, Page Yang, at pyang@nbaf.org. Please mention thesilo.ca when contacting. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 26, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST. APPLY HERE!
2024 Artist Project Fund Applications Eligible Metro Atlanta Artists Apply Today The 2024 Artist Project Fund (APF) is a $2,000 usd grant and 6-month artistic development program for Metro Atlanta artists seeking funds to complete an ongoing project. APF supports 20 professional artists in the completion of an ongoing artistic project, fosters a sense of community and creative collaboration, and provides immersive artistic and career development experiences to help them grow as artists and creative entrepreneurs. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST.
New Merch! Your purchase supports NBAF’s year round programming.
Select from special limited edition art prints, t-shirts, tote bags, note books, and more!Black Art Matters TeeNBAF Commemorative PinsRadcliffe Bailey NBAF 10th Anniversary PostersBlack Art Matters stainless steel tumblerNBAF tote bagNBAF Logo Unisex Hoodie With Shop Payyou can get it now and pay later! Pay in 4 interest-free installments for orders over $50.00.
Don’t miss out on NBAF news and events. Follow us on social to stay in the know!
The League of Wrestling Mask Portraits is a growing body of work, undertaken in 2023, by realist painter, Richard Delaney. The work is a satirical, Pop Art-style, examination of the famous and controversial people of our time, such as Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Elon Musk, and Greta Thunberg. Delaney paints their approximately, life-size portraits, in an unconventional manner. Politicians and celebrities are depicted wearing personalized wrestling masks (as in professional wrestling, aka Lucha Libra, often referred to as Mexican wrestling masks). They wear their masks as if ready to battle/wrestle in the social and political ring.
Each mask is customized for the individual wearer with clues to their identity imbedded in the design.
The symbolic clues help the viewer identify the person when the facial features alone are not enough. For example, the design of Greta Thunberg’s mask reflects her climate activism. Yellow flame-patterned, patches, around her eyes, nose, and mouth, rise up to symbolically melt what appears to be an ice cap on the top of her head, causing melt-water to flow into the blue, ocean-like area of the mask, covering her face. The dominant colours, light blue and yellow, reference Thunberg’s country, Sweden, and its flag.
Delaney’s paintings in oil and acrylic are garish, bombastic, and humorous. They are fresh and contemporary while being reminiscent of 1960’s Pop Art. The visual aesthetic is like a combination of cartoon, realistic painting, and or photo collage. The mask component has a hint of vintage, comic book art, and pulp art illustration. In contrast, the facial features of the subjects are rendered in a somewhat, photorealistic style.
Conceptually, the League of Wrestling Mask Portraits, is very much Pop Art, and may have roots in the work of Warhol.
Both artists use mass media as a reservoir of ideas. They each present the concept of fame and celebrity in a uniquely identifiable style. There is no doubt that the ‘mask’ in Delaney’s work is simultaneously a visual brand, and a concept to be pondered.
Delaney has coined the terms “maskified” and “maskification,” to describe his portraits. The maskified portraits cannot be viewed without some consideration for the basic idea and purpose of a mask, that is, to conceal true identity, and or to project a persona. The maskification of Donald Trump, for example, in a red mask with gold trim and crown, draws a comparison to classic comic book superheroes or villains, depending on one’s political stance. The connection with Mascaras de Lucha Libra is of course, intentional, and it is this simple juxtaposition that makes the work visually and intellectually, compelling.
Delaney plans to produce a large collection of portraits by the end of 2024.
Ultimately, he imagines them displayed and for sale in a contemporary art gallery. For the time being, they are available to view on social media in the form of humorous reels and videos. There are many potential subjects that Delaney would like to paint, including, for example, Dylan Mulvaney, Joe Rogan, Kamala Harris, King Charles, Pierre Poilievre, and Jordan Peterson. Who do you think should be maskified? You can make suggestions by following Delaney on social media where he will be frequently unveiling new paintings for his League of Wrestling Mask Portraits.
(New York, December, 2023)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the acquisition of a monumental Tiffany three-part window, Garden Landscape. The window—over ten feet wide and nearly seven feet tall—was designed by Agnes Northrop in the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the attribution of which is based on a signed design drawing for the center panel that resides in The Met collection.
As part of the Museum’s American Wing 100th anniversary, the window will be installed in the Charles Engelhard Court in November 2024. The window will be dramatically framed by the columns from Laurelton Hall, Tiffany’s Long Island country estate.
The acquisition is made possible by Alan Gerry Gift; 2023 Benefit Fund; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; funds and gifts from various donors, by exchange; Ronald S. Kane Bequest, in memory of Berry B. Tracy; Lila Acheson Wallace, several members of The Chairman’s Council, The Erving and Joyce Wolf Foundation, Martha J. Fleischman, Elizabeth J. and Paul De Rosa, Women and the Critical Eye, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lockwood Chilton Jr., Cheryl and Blair Effron, The Felicia Fund, Julie and James Alexandre, Elizabeth and Richard Miller, Anonymous, John and Margaret Ruttenberg, and The Gerald H. Ruttenberg Foundation Gifts.
Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, said: “This stunning work of art is an extraordinary example of the transformational creativity of Agnes Northrop and Tiffany Studios. Magnificent in concept and execution and more than grand in size, it deepens the American Wing’s Tiffany holdings and will enhance the already stunning Engelhard Court with a powerful, immersive viewing experience.”
Sylvia Yount, Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing at The Met, said: “Northrop’s remarkable environmental work further strengthens our representation of women artists in the American Wing and allows us to share broader stories of early-20th-century culture with our visitors.”
The window was originally commissioned by Sarah Cochran, Pittsburgh businesswoman and philanthropist, for Linden Hall, the grand Tudor-Revival estate she had built in 1912 in Dawson, Pennsylvania. She personally requested the subject of the window, which represents a lush landscape and garden suggestive of her own at the estate. Placed on the stair landing of the house, the window enticed the viewer up marble steps and offered a long vista through tall, majestic pines flanking a central fountain amidst profuse flowers—pink and blue hydrangeas, poppies, and nasturtiums. The two side panels depict, on the left, foxglove and peonies, and on the right, hollyhocks, exquisitely rendered in glass. These were subjects favored by Northrop and American Impressionist painters.
Northrop was one of the most important designers in Tiffany’s employ and his preeminent woman designer. In a field dominated by men, Northrop established herself as one of the leading designers of windows, and was recognized for her work by winning a prestigious award at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. She helps shed light on the critical and often unrecognized role played by women in the art of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Northrop and Tiffany pioneered new landscape and garden subject matter for stained glass, and the window reveals Northrop’s careful observations of nature and her gift for translating it into glass.
Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang Curator of American Decorative Arts, said: “This extraordinary evocation of a garden landscape is Northrop’s masterpiece. Made during the height of Louis Tiffany’s career, it was conceived, commissioned, and crafted by women. Featuring flowers in bloom from spring through summer, seen in the enigmatic light of approaching twilight, the window presents a luxuriant garden perennially in bloom.”
Tiffany’s opalescent glass shares a zeitgeist with American Impressionism, merging imagery with chromatic light. Northrop exploited the varied textures, lush colors, and light effects that were only possible with Tiffany’s special Favrile glass made at his furnaces in Corona, Queens, utilizing especially innovative and unusual techniques, some unique in a stained-glass window. The ingenious selection of the glass as well as the cutting of the glass into often thousands of pieces of almost impossible shapes was done by Tiffany’s skilled artisans, who were also largely women. Tiffany deemed the Linden Hall window of such note that he put it on public view in his New York showroom before shipping it to Cochran’s Pennsylvania home. Featured image: Image: Three-part Garden Landscape window for Linden Hall, Designed by Agnes F. Northrop (1857–1953), Tiffany Studios (1902–32), New York, 1912. Leaded Favrile glass. 124 × 82 inches; 88 3/4 × 81 5/8 inches; 88 3/4 × 81 5/8 inches; center panel: 124 × 82 in. (315 × 208.3 cm); side panels: 88 3/4 × 81 5/8 in. (225.4 × 207.3 cm)
Shoe tossing and shoe posting are seen in most Canadian cities and rural motorways.
Its history and its symbolism are remarkably complex.
Shoe tossing is when shoelaces are tied and tossed over telephone or power lines so that the shoes hang loosely above the ground. Yet shoe tossing does not accurately describe shoes that are affixed to telephone poles or other inanimate objects using nails and staples. It seems that “shoe posting” would be a more appropriate terms for such occurrences. Nevertheless, each tossed or posted shoe represents either personal or cultural meaning.
There is a cultural meaning to each and every ‘tossed’ shoe- but what is it?
It may come as some surprise that shoe tossing holds a distressing history.
For example, many have noted that tossed shoes indicate the specific location where drugs like crack and heroin are used or sold. Moreover, others have mentioned that tossed shoes signify the physical boundaries of gang territory. For this reason the mayor of Los Angeles, California launched a campaign to remove tossed shoes from the city altogether. Further still, shoe tossing may be the product of bullying, theft and other forms of civil disobedience.
Is it safe to say that shoe tossing is primarily a form of civil disobedience or is there more to it?
On the other hand, there are some positive aspects of this mysterious phenomenon.
Shoe tossing, for instance, has been known to represent a rite of passage associated with graduation from an educational institution or a discharge from military service. While tossed and posted shoes mark our social environment in negative and positive ways they also call to mind images from the not so distant past.
Could there be a deep rooted collective unconscious meaning to shoe posting/nailing? H Joie Crockett Photos – Near the entrance to Rangeley Lake State Park you will find this oddity of a telephone pole with shoes nailed to it. The question is “Why?”
The pilfering of clothing and other possessions in extermination camps by Nazi forces during World War II included the shoes of men, women and children. These shoes were generally thrown on top of each other one by one. The result is a dense heap of shoes that were once filled with Jewish feet. Now, these shoes piles exist in Holocaust museums around the world as evidential markers of Nazi atrocity.
Holocaust shoes
Can tossed or posted shoes be thought of without considering the indelible Nazi shoe piles?
This is an idea that has not been explored and deserves further attention in visual culture discourse. It is difficult to deny that the formal appearance of tossed and posted shoes in contemporary society reference past images of Nazi piles of Jewish shoes during the Holocaust. This may arguably be a far stretch for some; but for others, the sight of tossed and posted shoes may trigger the painful memories and agonizing reminders. Shoe tossing is at once close to life but never far from death. The meaning one subscribes to these curious objects is, like most things, one’s own. However that does not suggest that particular objects seen in everyday life, like tossed or posted shoes, cannot allude to the images of history. For the Silo, Dr.Matthew Ryan Smith.
PURPLE are now working on a multi-city arts project in China and Hong Kong with The House Collective, a collection of uniquely intimate luxury hotels that includes Upper House in Hong Kong that was just listed as part of World’s 50 Best.
‘Encounters Across Cultures’ will be an immersive journey that travels across four dynamic cities: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Beijing with The House Collective taking a stance on the importance of creativity within Chinese tourism.
The projects will feature singer-songwriter Vicky Fung, music producer TJoe, erhuist Chu Wan Pin, and the visionary new media artist, Keith Lam. Together, their work will harness the power of biometric data to craft mesmerizing musical compositions and awe-inspiring data sculptures that capture the very soul of each city. Below is a quick snapshot of the key elements of ‘Encounters Across Cultures’:
· Vicky Fung and Keith Lam have created a series of multi-sensory data sculptures that follow four traveling artists – TJoe, Chu Wan Pin, and themselves – as they tour each city.
Data sculpture rendering
· Creating a tangible journey for audiences, ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ will weave together these stories to create four musical pieces and data sculptures, designed with soundscape recordings of the musicians’ movements and biometric data, such as pulse and skin resistance.
Graphic Notation Keith’s Biometric data
· The process includes Lam’s representation of this biometric data into emotive graphics, which Fung reshapes into musical tracks; the biometric data is then transformed into data sculptures that embody each traveller’s visceral sense of the city.
· The House Collective’s four Houses will host the installations, capturing these private journeys into one shared experience for visitors.
This journey begins in October and continues until January, with specific dates for each location as follows:
• The Upper House in Hong Kong: October 9th to October 23rd
• The Middle House in Shanghai: October 30th to November 13th
• The Temple House in Chengdu: November 20th to December 6th
• The Opposite House in Beijing: December 14th to January 15th, 2024
THE HOUSE COLLECTIVE UNVEILS ‘BIOMETRIC’ SENSORY ART EXPERIENCES INSPIRED BY FOUR CITIES FOR THIS YEAR’S ‘ENCOUNTERS ACROSS CULTURES’
Artists and travelers collaborate to capture the heartbeat of four cities, inviting viewers to experience their emotive journeys across each city soundscapes through art, music, and technological forms.
The multi-sensory installations combine numerous art mediums to question whether technology is always a force disconnecting us from one another, or if it can reveal our innermost emotions.
October , 2023 – The House Collective, a collection of intimate luxury hotels, announces the third iteration of its biennial program ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ , which celebrates the immeasurable creativity fostered through multicultural and multidisciplinary collaboration. This year’s program explores the intersection of technology and the creative arts through four multi-sensory data sculptures and music tracks, inspired by biometric data captured during journeys across four cities — ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ will open at The Upper House in Hong Kong, travelling to The Middle House in Shanghai, The Temple House in Chengdu, and The Opposite House in Beijing.
“Art and culture are part of The House Collective’s core DNA and values. Since the launch of Encounters Across Cultures in 2019, we’ve worked with global artists to stimulate creativity and showcase the power of collaboration across borders. This program is not only an extension of The House Collective’s values, but we also hope to invite our guests to explore the beauty of cross-cultural connections, and to be immersed in this unique and sensory art experience together.” – Teresa Muk, Head of Brand and Strategic Marketing at Swire Hotels.
In their first ever collaboration, Hong Kong-based artist and music producer Vicky Fung and media artist Keith Lam have created a series of multi-sensory data sculptures that follow four travelers – guitarist TJoe, erhuist Chu Wan Pin, and themselves – as they tour the four cities. Creating a tangible journey for audiences, ‘Encounters Across Cultures’ weaves together all of these stories to create four musical pieces and data sculptures, designed with soundscape recordings of the musicians’ movements and biometric data, such as pulse and skin resistance. The process includes Lam’s representation of this biometric data into emotive graphics, which Fung reshapes into musical tracks; the biometric data is then transformed into data sculptures that embody each traveler’s visceral sense of the city. The four Houses will host the installations, capturing these private journeys into one shared experience for visitors.
“I do not see the biometric data that we have collected as cold and lifeless data points – instead, each biometric moment is a representation of the traveler’s thoughts and feelings through their movements, and their changing reactions as they enter new environments. We wanted to share our heartbeats, our senses of touch and sight, with everyone through this immersive installation so that they could really feel exactly as we did in each city.” – Keith Lam, Program Artist.
“While we may come from very different backgrounds and live in different places, when I studied the biometric data, I instead found that we were all experiencing many of the same feelings and emotional journeys. The installation brought us closer together, as I felt totally connected to the person on the other side.” – Vicky Fung, Program Artist.
“Earlier this year, we celebrated the brand’s expansion in Tokyo through a cross-disciplinary dance performance that tells the story of honored tradition, modernity, harmony and new possibilities. For this year’s Encounters Across Cultures, The House Collective continues to tell cross-disciplinary stories, pushing the boundaries of innovation and delving into the dynamic realm of Art Meets Tech. Through these programs, we aim to share unforgettable experiences with our guests and expose them to locally curated artistic flavors, where we offer the comfort of being Houses not Hotels.” – Dean Winter, Managing Director of Swire Hotels
Viewers are invited to take a seat on the multi-sensory data sculptures, where they can be immersed in the music created from the biometric data. The result allows viewers to interact with their sense of touch, sight, and sound as they explore the installation.
The House Collective by Swire Hotels is a group of refined, highly individual properties that defy comparison. Each uniquely imagined, The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu and The Middle House in Shanghai were designed for seasoned travelers who seek a different, intimate and personalised experience in luxury travel. Each House is a sophisticated, singular piece of design, created by talented architects and designers, that reflect the unique qualities of their surroundings.
Program Creators
Keith Lam – Media Artist
Media Artist and Co-founder and Artistic Director of Art & Technology studio Dimension Plus. His works have won awards at international art festivals, including Prix Ars Electronica and Japan Media Arts Festival. His works have been shown around the world at top museums and art festivals including Hong Kong Museum of Arts, The National Art Centre at Tokyo, OK Center for Contemporary Art, Ars Electronica Festival, The New Technological Art Award Biennial at Belgium, FILE, ISEA, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, National Taichung Performing Arts Center and Hong Kong Art Festival.
Vicky Fung – Artist and Music Producer
Artist, music producer, singer-songwriter and curator, Vicky has always presented uniqueness and novelty in her works with a strong sense of emotional synchronicity. A Clore Fellow of 2023, she has worked with many prominent music artists in Hong Kong with an impressive list of music awards from media and professional associations and seeks to develop her interest in socially engaged art projects. In recent years, she has ventured into multi-media creation, including “Utopia…Momentarily” (2016) in the New Vision Media Festival, interactive virtual reality experience “Silili and The Tree” (2021) and immersive art and music performance “Soul Walk” (2022).
Joel Kwong – Media Art Curator
Joel Kwong is a media art curator, writer, producer and educator based in Hong Kong. She is currently the Program Director for Microwave International New Media Arts Festival, and the founder of SIBYLS – a creative Arts x Tech consultation and production agency. Most recent produced and curated projects include Reimagines Heritage (online portal) (2023), Out of Thin Air – HK Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition at Hong Kong Heritage Museum (2023). Juried around Asia include VH Award (South Korea) (2022), and Siggraph Asia 2020 (South Korea) etc. She has given lectures in many Hong Kong tertiary institutions and universities and has also given talks at international art festivals including Ars Electronica in Linz, Transmediale in Berlin, and ACT Festival in Gwangju, South Korea.
Tjoe Man Cheung – Guitarist
Tjoe Man Cheung, London-based musician and producer working across with artists across UK and Europe, including Brown Penny and PYJÆN, and in different festivals across the world. Alongside, Tjoe also initiated his own solo music projects and has founded NTBM (a jazz collective formed by emerging musicians from around the world) and his solo music projects. A graduate from the Musicians Institute, Tjoe was inspired and nurtured under the tutorship of Scott Henderson, Allen Hinds, Brad Rabuchin and Daniel Gilbert, with influences of jazz, funk, blues and pop.
Wan Pin Chu – Erhuist
Wan Pin CHU is an international award-winning Erhuist and film composer based in Hong Kong. Wan is recognized as a versatile performer with rich emotions and limitless virtuosity in his music. In the UK, he is the first Chinese instrumentalist to perform in The Duke’s Hall in Royal Academy of Music and have performed in over hundreds of concerts all over the world including UK, US, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and won an impressive list of national and international music competitions. Chu is is also a dedicated composer and have participated in the scoring of many films, televisions, games and commercials.
A few years back, I posted the “I Found a… Pipe” blogpost – an attempt to initiate a series of found object accounts; exploring the dynamics of curiosity, the chance encounters, the chains of association, the pratfalls and prat-uplifts that may accompany such discoveries.
One of the persistent themes is the idea that electronic-equivalents of sound-making processes can be found for free in the physical world – an ideal driven by poverty and its resultant anti-capitalism, and accompanying skepticism towards commercial electronic hardware flavours-of-the-months. Whereas the “pipe of 2018” had limited sound-making value, this new blogpost examines the musical scales obtainable from multi-holed hollow flints, found during pandemic walkabouts.
I’ve been traipsing around fields.
The flint-rich geology of the locale boasts rocks with hollow cavities – channels left by decayed ancient sea sponges. These hollow flints are difficult to spot, as their holes are usually clogged with mud. After some cleaning with water and bell-wire, the cavities can be cleared, creating almost ocarina-like ‘instruments’. So far, a number of different flints have been found with interlinked channels, each offering unique microtonal musical scales.
These stones, each with their own in-built set of pitches formed 500 million years ago, are good grist for the arbitrary tuning mill.
Why is arbitrary tuning important? I consider it a topic all-too-frequently dismissed. For those who enjoy the divergent aspects of differently-tuned music, or wish to escape the ubiquity of the equal tempered musical scale, it may be surprising that microtonal/xenharmonic music offers very little refuge – it is here that just intonation and “pure” harmonic mathematical dogmatism supplants one tyranny with another. I exaggerate here a bit, but it’s fair to say that random/arbitrary musical scales are generally viewed as unsophisticated in microtonal music circles.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1273936272562753536
A few years ago I tried to establish a historical basis for ‘intuitively selected tuning systems’ in my Radionics Radio project (on Sub Rosa records), but drawing upon a fringe science – no matter how artistically groundbreaking those acoustic-radionic activities were in the late 1940s – didn’t convince many (radionics involves ‘psychically’ selecting frequencies that correspond to thoughts).
Random tunings offer complete freedom, and reveal the idiosyncrasies of the instruments used, as well as the identities of soundmakers. I would go as far to politicise it: arbitrary tuning is perhaps the ultimate musical ‘decolonisation’ whilst also being a practical and philosophical ideal for microtonal music’s LGBTQ+ lineage that embraces such varied personalities as Kathleen Schlesinger, Elsie Hamilton, to Harry Partch and Wendy Carlos – a lineage rarely-discussed, but deeply rooted, I believe, in the opposition to the norms of western equal temperament (and the contra-norms of just intonation and equal divisions of the octave).
The hollow flint… containing a scale.
Hollow flints found in fields speak of the primacy of arbitrary tunings: random, fully individuated tunings literally set in stone.
My favourite is a handheld flint with five channels. Unlike the specially-lipped ocarina, hollow flints cannot produce pure tones when blown into, unless a sharp ‘labium tip’ is expertly chiselled into it somehow (a feature of all fipple flutes). This isn’t necessarily a problem – for instance, sound artist Akio Suzuki has been playing upon unrefined natural stones for decades, eliciting exploratory pitched noise: half-tonal, half-percussive, and sensitively done. Covering the holes on the flint while blowing does produce vague pitches, but too broad to measure precisely.
Kathleen Schlesinger, in her 1939 deep-study of ancient greek auloi (reeded wind instruments dug up from historical sites) and their possible scales remarked that “it is impossible to determine the pitch, scale, or modality of any pipe that lacks a mouthpiece which will play it”.
These rocks are not instruments, and it is indeed tricky treating them as such: even if a fipple mouthpiece (from a wind recorder, for instance) is introduced to the rock (which I did), the pitch of the notes varies due to its player’s breath pressure: the more open holes there are, the more breath pressure is required to produce a tone – and the natural reflex action is to supply more breath pressure, an action so unconscious that it almost feels as if the rock becomes an extension of the body. Try it yourself.
It is possible to connect a small lapel microphone to a loudspeaker amplifier, and place the microphone inside the flint to hear feedback. The feedback pitch is relative to the cavity, and alters according to the fingering of the cavities. I did a brief experiment with this on camera, and posted it to Facebook to advertise the episode of Wavelength on Resonance FM where I describe these experiments.
On the internet, there’s always either a miserable don’t-know-who, or a know-it-all nonsenseclown poised to blurt.
If they’re remotely connected to creative doings, it tends to spur on the mission to legitimise arbitrary scales. On this occasion, one such character (I can’t discern which) emerged from the woodwork to advertise their obliviousness to these experiments’ contexts: “eh, this is like sticking a piezo transducer in anything. Ok; weird, somewhat regulated noise. ‘Man farting in field’ has been Lucier’d to death.”
Maybe this person is rightfully irate to some extent: the volume required to obtain the pitches of the flint cavity is horrendous on the ear. To record it, one rainy afternoon I walked to the field where the flint originated, specifically to avoid remonstrations. Alvin Lucier used compressors to limit the volume of his object-based feedback. This feedback technique actually pre-dates Lucier’s work by eight decades – the feedback flute was proposed by Alfred Graham, patented in 1894 – a failed history I’ve excavated and written about in ‘Magnetic Music…‘ and ‘Failed Histories of Electronic Music‘, and recreated as a working model. Graham recognised the many variables affecting the flute’s pitch, such as battery power, the shape and construct of the loudspeaker and microphone, and their relative positions.
Nevertheless, the feedback flint, if held stable enough, is a fairly accurate approximation of the pitch intervals obtainable. By comparing the feedback-generated intervals with the intervals obtained with an attached fipple, and also with the vague windy tones created when blowing, mean averages can be obtained.
Alfred Graham’s feedback flute, 1894.
With the lowest note registering as 669Hz, the ratios are calculable as 1/1, 737/669, 775/669, 263/223, 269/223 and 828/669 (giving an ascending 167.590, 254.628, 285.622, 324.674, 369.149 in cents).
What can be done with these notes?
Well, the scale of this handheld flint encompasses less than four semitones (3.69, to be exact), which is a restrictive set of notes, but frequent exposure to the notes acclimatises the ear to soundmaking/melodic possibilities. This is something noted by the composer Susan Alexjander who derived scales from DNA bases. DNA bases’ tunings might as well be arbitrary, such is the inharmonic chaos – they seemed “so strange and alien that one at first despairs of ever creating a beautiful work of art, or making any coherent ‘sense’ out of them”, according to Alexjander. By constant exposure to the new scales “played over and over on the synthesiser, some arrestingly beautiful combinations began to appear”… so when dealing with such disorientating scales, perseverance is key! For the Silo, Dan Wilsen.
More can be heard on Wavelength, broadcast on Resonance 104.4FM on 19th June 2020. “A programme of multiple agendas presented by William English. This week: a tape sync with Oscillatorial Binnage member Daniel Wilson who, prevented from bin-diving during the Covid-19 epidemic, instead turns to “ground-diving” to dig out unusual stones from the earth. The potential for producing ‘rock music’ is showcased after a lengthy preliminary chat with William on the current state of the second-hand book trade.”
“This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, June 27, 1936
A Rendezvous with Destiny: 1930s American Art, the new online exhibition from Helicline Fine Art, has started and runs through November 5, 2023. The exhibition features a variety of artistic styles and subject matters from urban, industrial and rural to abstract, people working and scenes of everyday life. For New York City based artists, the City itself was glorified on canvas, paper and bronze. Several of the artists who thrived during that period are still well known today, but most are obscure.
The exhibition, of predominantly 1930s artworks, features that range. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Art for the Millions: American Culture and Politics in the 1930s” celebrates the American spirit during the depression era and serves as the inspiration for Helicline Fine Art’s new exhibition.
After the stock market crash of 1929, Americans experienced a time of great transition at every level of society. After a terrible slump, the men and women of the country came together to rebuild the economy, their lives and their spirits. For the first time, our government paid artists to create. To this day, many Federal buildings – post offices, court houses, schools, hospitals, administrative buildings – still have the murals of WPA artists emblazoned on the walls and statues standing in courtyards. The work of these artists reflected that renewal.
The artists of that generation are being rediscovered in 2023 and for generations into the future, thanks to the Met’s new exhibition, and galleries that keep the modernist art flame burning. Helicline’s proprietors, Keith Sherman and Roy Goldberg, recall discovering the WPA period. “We had just moved into our first apartment, constructed in 1929, on the Upper West Side. In attempting to furnish our home we realized we had no sense of style or taste. We spent time in the Strand Book Store to see what homes looked like in the 20s and 30s,” said Goldberg. “We discovered Art Deco, the Machine Age, the WPA and more.
We spent time in museums, art fairs and something that has disappeared from the cultural landscape, antique shows, where we developed our eye. Today we are collectors turned dealers still collecting. The WPA period is in our hearts,” added Sherman.
Highlights of A Rendezvous with Destiny: 1930s American Art include a bold Stuart Davis gouache on paper; a “Mercury” bronze by Joseph Freedlander that sat on top of 5th Avenue traffic lights from the 1930s-60s; two works by Daniel Celentano (Thomas Hart Benton’s first and youngest student), many works depicting New York City, including a Cecil Bell of street life under the EL train and a Reginald Marsh depicting the Brooklyn Bridge, mural studies, and a Mervin Jules oil of a tailor with astonishing perspective.
MORE ABOUT HELICLINE FINE ART:MORE ABOUT HELICLINE FINE ART:Helicline Fine Art,founded in 2008 by Roy Goldberg and Keith Sherman, specializes in American and European modernism. The gallery’s core offerings are works from the WPA period. Additionally, Helicline offers American scene, social realism, mural studies, industrial landscapes, regionalism, abstracts, and other artwork. Located in a private space in midtown Manhattan, Helicline is open by appointment. The artworks on the site represent a sampling of available works. Helicline’s offerings are also available on artsy.net and 1stDibs.com.
[CHICAGO – August, 2023] – Alex Katz: Autumn is the artist’s tenth solo exhibition at GRAY and the first exhibition of large-scale landscapes since 2018. The exhibition follows his lauded career retrospective, Gathering, which opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in the fall of 2022. As Guggenheim curator Katherine Brinson described: “[One] might be surprised by the unbound rapture of the landscape paintings that have consumed much of the artist’s still-considerable energy in recent years. But [these works] are in fact the culmination of a lifelong artistic project that aspires to compress everything into ‘a single burst of energy… to paint it wide open.'”
Alex Katz has painted figures and landscapes in equal measure throughout his career. Expressed at great scale and in vivid color, the paintings exhibited in Autumn present enveloping compositions measuring as wide as fourteen feet. “I started to think about the environmental landscapes [as] being really an environment that wraps around you,” as Katz notes, “There is no narrative. You’re dealing with perception.”
Wedding Dress by Katz shows how much of a departure his new landscape paintings are.
Across eleven monumental canvases, Katz depicts the vibrant foliage, sweeping fields, and windblown trees of the changing season. Created between 2022 and 2023, Katz’s Autumn series relies on a bright fall palette, while other paintings in the exhibition, from the related series Field’s End and Tree Top, present quieter responses to the landscape in muted greens, yellows, and grays. The paintings are exhibited alongside a series of sixteen new portraits on paper. Each drawing possesses an economy of line and is titled after its sitter – Vivien, Niki, Levi, Isaac, Vincent, and others– in reference to the friends, family members, poets, dancers, and artists most central to the artist’s life.
Alex Katz: Autumn opens at GRAY Chicago (2044 West Carroll Avenue) with a public reception on Friday, September 8, from 5-7 PM CT, and will be on view through October 28, 2023. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue featuring a new poem by Vincent Katz.
A behind the scene look of the conceptual artist’s solo show SHADOWLAND
It is the first Saturday of Upstate Art Weekend and I am standing in a chemistry classroom of a former public school looking at inverted works, listening to Gregorian chants meets Jimmy Hendrix inspired music, and feeling that I am falling into a trance. In reality, I am meeting the artist Margaret Innerhofer for the first time at her solo show SHADOWLAND, at Ethan Cohen Gallery at The Kube Art Center in Beacon, NY. The renowned gallery describes her exhibition as: “Photo-based prints and framed canvases that explore the transitional spaces between spiritual and psychological borderlands. Each of the large-scale meditative compositions printed in color has a jarring and surreal black and white reflection that invites the viewer into an alternate psychological and temporal dimension.” So, what is behind these works laden with heavy and deep symbolism of awake versus sleep? I sat down with the elegant and stylish Margaret to understand how a dreamy child from the Tyrolean mountains became a philosophical artist in Beacon, NY. It turns out that we are all in a trance.
SHADOWLAND at Ethan Cohen Gallery at The Kube Art Center in Beacon
Let’s begin with your upbringing. Where were you born and raised?
I was born, and raised in the Tyrolean Alps, Italy, immersed in the idyllic beauty of its nature and harmonious sounds. My childhood was filled with long mountain climbs, horseback riding, yodeling, playing the guitar and drums, and singing Gregorian chants in a strict convent boarding school. I found fascination in Western movies and the Apache Indian lifestyle, particularly their deep connection with nature and the imagery of wild horses roaming freely in vast deserts, accompanied by their rhythmic chants and drum circles. These early experiences forged a profound bond with the natural world, which continues to be a driving force behind my visual and sonic artistic expression.
SHADOWLAND at Ethan Cohen Gallery at The Kube Art Center in Beacon
What was your first introduction to art, and how did you start evolving as an artist?
During my Architectural and Fine Art studies, I relocated to Milan, a city that would leave a lasting impact on my artistic path. Dating an artist during that time exposed me to a bohemian lifestyle and immersed me in Milan’s dynamic art, architecture, and design scene. The conceptual and minimalist concepts of the Arte Povera Movement captivated me, drawing me deeper into the contemporary art world. Socially engaging with fellow artists and actively attending art shows in galleries and museums across Italy and Europe, I was inspired by the diverse expressions of creativity. My early fascination with photography, particularly the works of conceptual artists from the Dada and Surrealist Movements, like Man Ray and Andre Breton, further fueled my artistic interests. This multifaceted exposure played a pivotal role in shaping me as an artist. It broadened my horizons, offered fresh perspectives, and allowed me to find my own artistic voice.
DECONSTR-ACTIVIST II, 2023
You now have a solo show called SHADOWLAND at Ethan Cohen Gallery at The Kube Art Center in Beacon, NY. What is the main inspiration for the three different series: Sandmen, Heavy Metal, and Deconstr-Activist?
In my latest exhibition, I delve into the intricate realms of the subconscious, guided by profound philosophical and scientific readings. Carl Jung’s exploration of collective consciousness has deeply fascinated me, leading me to explore how our subconscious influences our waking decisions and movements. Through my artwork, I seek to unravel the enigma of our subconscious control, drawing inspiration from scientific research, which reveals that a significant 80% of human behavior is governed by our subconscious, heavily influenced by experiences from our formative years, particularly ages 0 to 10. This revelation sheds light on why logical arguments may often be overshadowed by emotional reactions rooted in the gut. Another crucial thread in my exhibition revolves around the environment. I have been an environmental activist well before it became a trend, and I’ve actively co-produced environmental films and fought against practices like fracking. In SHADOWLAND, the subjects in my works interact with nature, and, in many instances, nature appears to reclaim them. This theme highlights the fragile bond between humanity and the natural world, provoking contemplation on our relationship with the environment.
Is it this exploration into the subconscious why the artworks are designed to be inverted? That they can be hung in either vertical orientation?
As I present my art to viewers, I give them the unique opportunity to evoke different visual and emotional responses by allowing them to choose how to hang each piece. They can opt for the color side up, revealing a figurative and realistic view of the artwork. Alternatively, they can explore the more conceptual, surreal, abstract, and volumetric perspective of the black-and-white ‘Shadow image’ when it faces upward. What’s intriguing is that showing the ‘Shadow image’ facing up, actually, represents a more realistic worldview, one that most people might be unaware of. It’s a perspective that delves into the subconscious, which I believe rules humanity and ‘runs the show.’ It’s a fascinating paradox: while the color side portrays the conscious perception of the world—what’s readily visible—the ‘Shadow image’ uncovers the hidden depths and complexities that shape our lives. By offering this choice of orientation, I invite viewers to question their own understanding of reality and delve into the intricacies of their subconscious minds. This art goes beyond mere aesthetics; it prompts introspection and contemplation, creating a multi-layered experience that challenges us to consider the complexities of human perception.
DECONSTR – ACTIVIST III, 2023Signature on the back. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Cotton Canvas,109.2 x 109.2 cm, 43 x 43 in, Edition of 3
Looking specifically at the three different subjects, can you first tell us more about Deconstr-Activist?
My Deconstr-Activist series draws inspiration from the ‘Deconstructivism’ architectural movement, challenging the rationality of modernism and embracing and revealing chaos and complexity. I delve into the intriguing world of shadows, volumes, negative versus positive space, and the interplay between light and darkness. This exploration stems from my background in architecture, which ignited my fascination with these artistic elements. Throughout the series, I endeavor to capture neglected structures that are gradually being reclaimed by nature. By doing so, I aim to shed light on the physical structures we create to accommodate our fragmented psyches. The juxtaposition of abandoned structures being overtaken by nature serves as a compelling visual metaphor for the inherent fragility and impermanence of human constructs.
HEAVY METAL – VOLKS WAGEN, 2023Signature on the back. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Cotton Canvas,109.2 x 109.2 cm, 43 x 43 in, Edition of 3
What about Heavy Metal?
In my “Heavy Metal” series, the transition from the pristine mountain range to the Hudson Valley exposed me to a striking contrast—defunct cars replacing the beauty of flowers in many backyards. This encounter sparked an obsession, leading me to spend years capturing these scenes with vintage analog Leica cameras, which I acquired from flea markets, embracing the slight imperfections in their lenses as a welcomed artistic element. In this body of work, I explore my fascination with American vintage cars left abandoned and outdated, captured within the passage of time and the encroachment of nature. Each photograph alludes to the poignant collision between the past and the future, symbolizing our own embodiment within these vehicles that are increasingly outdated, yet perpetually trapped in the present. In “Heavy Metal,” I seek to evoke a sense of nostalgia while urging reflection on the transient nature of our material possessions and the fleeting nature of human creations. The juxtaposition of these forgotten vehicles with the ever-encroaching embrace of nature serves as a poignant reminder of the impermanence of all things, urging us to ponder our place in the grand tapestry of time and the inescapable passage into the unknown future.
SANDMEN III, 2023Signature on the back. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Cotton Canvas,152.4 x 152.4 cm, 60 x 60 in, Edition of 3
And finally, what can you tell us about Sandmen?
Within each frame, beachgoers blissfully inhabit the horizon, seemingly unaware of their inverted doppelgängers lurking just below the surface. This juxtaposition of colors and reflections becomes a visual metaphor for the duality of human existence—the conscious experience of the moment above the surface and the hidden depths of the subconscious below. Drawing inspiration from Carl Jung’s concept of the Shadow persona and Quantum Physics, I explore how these profound elements influence human actions and behaviors. The dreamy beachscapes serve as a canvas for contemplating the interplay between our conscious and unconscious selves, the tangible and the intangible aspects of our existence. In this series, I invite viewers to immerse themselves in the enigmatic world of “Sandmen,” where time seems to stand still, and the boundaries between reality and imagination blur. The photographs become a gateway to introspection, inviting you to reflect on the transient nature of human experiences and the profound complexities that shape our perceptions and actions.
What is your favorite piece in the show and why?
As an artist, it’s challenging for me to pick a favorite, each image represents a moment of inspiration, creativity, and a reflection of my inner world. Each image carries a distinct essence, resonating with different viewers in various ways. Together with the sound piece ‘Shadowland’ that I have composed, performed, and recorded specifically for this show, the fusion and synergy between my visual art and sound adds a multi-dimensional layer to the overall experience. The fusion of visual and auditory expressions allows each piece to resonate on a deeper level, connecting with viewers in unique and profound ways.
SANDMEN II, 2023On the back. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Cotton Canvas,152.4 x 152.4 cm, 60 x 60 in, Edition of 3
What is next on the horizon?
A beach vacation in Italy, is on the immediate horizon!
This post is a response to the comic book article found at popuniverse which begins like this:
“The comic book industry is the launchpad for one of the most unique and innovative storytelling mediums ever created. Powered by imaginative creators highly skilled in the written and visual arts. Forged by businesspersons who recognize the power of ideas to make an iconic impression on a global scale. Propelled by readers and fans who support the industry and the people who make the stories. The comic book industry is the source of multimedia interpretations of mythic and personal stories that inspire people, entertain the world, and ignite lifelong careers.
It is the adventure of a lifetime.
The comic book industry is a ruthless Darwinian landscape of cronyism, narcissism, and power moves. Its main fodder is the creators who are the engines of its continued existence. Full of flair and pomp, colors and characters both fictional and real-life. A road to hell paved with landmines, bear traps, and the opportunity to work on high-profile, profitable media while living on the precipice of poverty. The industry is fueled by organizations with finite funds and infinite hubris.“
“The comics industry is the illusory world of grenades disguised as dreams.“
The issue I see (and our comic illustrator household has personally experienced) in the comics and illustration / publishing industry is that the original contract terms were never set up fairly to compensate the artists and illustrators. While photographers and videographers retain the rights to their original images, and someone must pay them usage rights fees based on the size of the audience per usage, the artists are never granted that same fair compensation.
While actors get residuals when their TV shows play on in perpetuity, and musicians earn their royalty checks with every needle drop, the comics publishers can repurpose an illustrator’s iconic cover art in perpetuity and make millions from the image—on puzzles, lunch boxes, hoodies, sweatpants, and pajamas in my husband’s particular case—while the artist never sees a dime beyond the initial ANEMIC work-for-hire fee in these insanely unfair, one-sided deals. And if the artist DARES to complain? The smear merchants are only too happy to start their whisper campaigns, blackballing the artist as “too difficult to work with” and completely destroying their already financially challenged lives with nuisance law suits.
When I think back on how Ghost Rider co-creator Gary Friedrich was made the industry scarecrow in the last years of his life as greedy lawyers descended upon him like buzzards picking the last flecks of flesh from his bones, it sickens me.
This impoverished, unwell, elderly man was just trying to eke out the last days of his hard-scrabble life by selling sketches of his OWN co-creation at comic-cons. There’s nothing I despise more than anyone preying on the vulnerable. It’s appalling how Gary was treated.
And then we have AI “art” apps exploiting my husband’s already way underpaid art to create new, derivative works, but only GETTY Images can afford to lawyer up and go after these apps…because the photography world always negotiated image usage the CORRECT and fair way from the start.
The sobering truth is that if illustrators (and line artists, colorists, and letterers) were paid as well as photographers, every comic would sell for $100 per floppy and that would be the final nail in the #comics industry’s coffin.
…DAVE DORMAN… told me at dinner tonight that someone was selling AI art at SDCC last week and was summarily kicked out of Artists Alley. It gave me a brief glimmer of hope…I imagined a deafening crescendo of cheering as the non-talent skulked away, tail between his/her legs. That takes some gall to occupy the highly competitive table space of an ACTUAL hard-working artist (who’s paying off about $100k in art school student loans) with some Mid-Journey derivative crap. Wowzers. For the Silo, Denise Dorman.
Mainstream Social is DEAD! State censorship, sponsored spam, cancel culture and inciter-banning means everyone who’s anyone is on the dark web. And no one knows it better than Tucker Scott.
Rampant cyberbullying. Fake news trolling. Spying, voyeurism and privacy invasion. This is Contraband, the ruthless entrepreneurs’ digital underground – where profit-hungry mobs prowl city streets filming violent events to satisfy society’s demand for sensational content.
Contraband is a unique cross-Atlantic graphic novel collaboration published by Markosia. Here are a few good reasons why you should definitely pick up this superbly relevant graphic novel.
1. Contraband focuses on one of the more timely, relevant topics in this year of our Lord, 2021, zeroing in on the early violent, criminal abuse of underground community sharing – and by doing so, adds a whole new meaning to disruptive video mobile and social media technology convergence.
But when activists hack Contraband giving control to any influencer with the most followers, it’s complete chaos as everybody chases the money and fame of being number one!
2. Some interesting comics and mainstream news media folks like what we’re doing: “Behe’s dialogue brings a hip, hyper-real energy to his plot while Elliot’s deceptively plain artwork evokes a shabby world of compromised morals.” The Financial Times
“As visionary as the technology Behe writes about. “ Broken Frontier
“Behe’s critique of the public’s willingness to watch all manner of depravity is a righteous, if not an original, one.” Entertainment Weekly
“Beneath Contraband’s ultra stylish cover lies a tale of high action and drama in a very near future where technology and communications have become inescapable.” Forbidden Planet
3. They’re an odd but solid partnership for making tech fiction graphic novels: There’s TJ Behe -a Canadian CEO of a self-sovereign ID privacy firm, an experienced social / telecoms consultant and an Ivey MBA graduate – along with Phil Elliott- a British illustration pro who’s been busy creating amazing comics for over 25 years with the likes of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Eddie Campbell.
This year’s SWISSARTEXPO 2023 will be held in the beautiful Zurich main station. The art festival expects to draw 80,000 passers-by every day at the most visited hotspot in Zurich!
What is the ARTBOX.PROJECTS? The ARTBOX.PROJECTS have been taking place at regular intervals since 2015 at the most sought-after art hot spots worldwide. The aim of the ARTBOX.PROJECTS is to provide a platform for specially emerging artists so that they can be seen by a large audience. So far, for example, very successful exhibitions have been held in the following locations: Miami during Art Basel, New York during Armory Art Week, Basel during Art Basel, Barcelona, Venice during the Biennale d’Arte and many more! How does the ARTBOX.PROJECT Zurich 5.0 work? Our most popular art project, the ARTBOX.PROJECT Zurich, takes place every year during the SWISSARTEXPO. SWISSARTEXPO is a Swiss art festival that takes place in late summer in Zurich’s venerable Main Station Hall and presents over 100 artists from all over the world. The ARTBOX.PROJECT has a very prominent place in the front part of the exhibition, where the two 86″ HD screens are located, on which the artworks of the ARTBOX.PROJECT Zurich participants are presented digitally throughout all exhibition days.
The Raketa Watch Factory launches a new tool watch dedicated to the Lun-class Ekranoplan: a Soviet era hybrid machine — half ship, half plane — unlike anything else in the world.
Legendary soviet achievement
Part ship & part plane, the Lun-class Ekranoplan was built in the early 80s by the Soviet Union as an experimental coastal defence vehicle. It can claim to be one of the most extraordinary machines ever built by mankind. It combined the best characteristics of a ship and that of a plane: it could carry as much cargo as a ship and fly as fast as an airplane at speeds of up to 500 km/h. It flew over distances of up to 2,000 km using lift generated by the “ground effect” acting on its large wings when about 4 metres above the surface of the water. This enabled the Ekranoplan to fly undetected by radars.
The name “Lun” was chosen because it comes from the Russian word for “harrier”, a bird which characteristically hunts by flying silently low over open ground.
A remnant of the past
The only Lun-class Ekranoplan ever built lies today on a beach of the Caspian sea near the city of Derbent (Russia) as a lonely reminder of past achievements. With its gigantic size, unique hybrid characteristics and quirky design, the Ekranoplan is a testimony to the incredible originality of Soviet-era engineering. Even now, after almost half a century, it looks incredibly futuristic.
A watch as testimony to the Ekranoplan Lun
The Raketa Watch Factory has always been inspired by incredible human technical achievements. It has therefore designed and manufactured a tool watch as testimony to the Ekranoplan. Raketa also hopes this will attract more attention to the Ekranoplan, and thus contribute to saving it.
Especially for this model, Raketa developed a new stainless steel case and metal band: its sturdy design corresponds to the looks and spirit of the Soviet-era Ekranoplan. The Raketa “Ekranoplan” watch is directly linked to the Lun-class Ekranoplan:
– The insert of the rotating bezel is made from a piece of metal from the Lun-class Ekranoplan, officially given by the city of Derbent which is in charge of safeguarding the Ekranoplan;
– The design of the compass markings on the bezel is directly inspired by the design of the compass on the control panel in the cockpit of the Ekranoplan;
– An embossed image of the Ekranoplan is printed on the dial.
The back of the watch reveals the beautifully decorated 24-hour automatic movement which is entirely produced by the Raketa Watch Factory in Saint-Petersburg.
The Raketa “Ekranoplan” watch model is limited to 500 pieces.
Each watch model is complemented with a leather strap. The model is also available as part of a Gift set which includes the Raketa “Ekranoplan” watch model with stainless steel bracelet, an additional leather strap and a 1:400 scale model of the Lun-class Ekranoplan.
The price
The cost of the watch is 1.667 EUR (without VAT) $2,410.08 CAD at time of writing. The cost of the Gift set is 2083 EUR (without VAT) $3,011.52 CAD at time of writing. For the comfort of customers, Raketa watches are delivered worldwide free of charge by DHL directly up to their front door.
The insert of the rotating bezel is made from a piece of metal from the Lun-class Ekranoplan.
Specifications
Factory:
Raketa Watch Factory (Saint-Petersburg)
Movement:
Calibre:
2624
Functions:
Automatic
Number of jewels:
24
Testing positions:
4
Average rate (s/d):
-10+20
Average running time (h):
40
Frequency/hour:
18.000 / 2.5Hz
Bi-directional automatic winding
Yes
Decoration:
Nanocoating Neva waves Print
Case:
Material:
Stainless steel
Material of the bezel insert:
Metal from the Lun-class Ekranoplan
Size:
41,6 mm
Front glass:
Sapphire
Back glass:
Mineral
Water resistance:
20 АТМ
Hands:
Superluminova
Dial:
Superluminova
Strap/bracelet:
Material:
Stainless steel Genuine leather
Width:
22 mm
Sex:
Male
For the Silo, Lera Komolova. Photos: Lera Komolova
RAKETA “EKRANOPLAN” Entre ciel et mer !
La Manufacture horlogère Raketa lance une nouvelle montre spécialisée qui est dédiée à l’Ekranoplan Lun : un appareil hybride de l’ère soviétique – mi-avion, mi-bateau – absolument unique en son genre.
Un exploit légendaire de l’époque soviétique
Construit par l’Union soviétique au début des années 1980 en tant qu’engin expérimental de défense côtière – mi-avion, mi-bateau – l’Ekranoplan peut être considéré comme l’une des machines les plus extraordinaires jamais créées par l’homme. L’Ekranoplan réunissait les meilleures qualités d’un navire et d’un avion : il pouvait déplacer autant de cargaison qu’un bateau et pouvait voler aussi vite qu’un avion en atteignant une vitesse de 500 km/h. Il volait à des distances allant jusqu’à 2 000 km grâce à “l’effet d’écran” qui se formait sous ses immenses ailes à environ 4 mètres au-dessus de la surface de la mer. Ceci lui permettait de se déplacer sans être repéré par les radars.
Son nom « Lun » se traduit du russe comme « le busard », et non sans raison, car cet oiseau de proie est connu pour sa chasse en vol silencieux à basse altitude.
Un témoin du passé
Le seul Ekranoplan Lun jamais construit se trouve aujourd’hui sur une plage de la mer Caspienne près de la ville de Derbent (Russie), comme un rappel solitaire des exploits passés. Sa taille gigantesque, ses caractéristiques uniques et son étrange design témoignent de la force et de l’originalité de l’ingénierie soviétique. Encore aujourd’hui, presque cinquante ans après sa conception, il a l’air extrêmement futuriste.
Une montre en hommage à l’Ekranoplan Lun
La Manufacture horlogère Raketa a toujours été inspirée par les plus grands exploits techniques humains. Elle a donc produit une montre spécialisée en hommage à l’Ekranoplan Lun. Raketa souhaite aussi attirer l’attention sur l’Ekranoplan Lun et contribuer ainsi à sa préservation.
Un nouveau boîtier et bracelet en acier ont spécialement été conçus pour ce modèle : leur design rugueux et viril correspond à l’esprit de l’Ekranoplan soviétique. Le modèle Raketa “Ekranoplan” a plusieurs liens avec l’Ekranoplan Lun :
– l’insert de la lunette tournante est fabriqué à partir d’un morceau de métal de l’Ekranoplan Lun, officiellement transmis à la Manufacture Raketa par la ville de Derbent (qui est en charge de la préservation de l’Ekranoplan) ;
– le design des signes de boussole sur la lunette est inspiré de la boussole du tableau de commande situé dans le cockpit de l’Ekranoplan ;
– une image embossée de l’Ekranoplan est imprimée sur le cadran.
Le fond du boîtier permet de contempler un mouvement automatique à 24 heures Raketa, magnifiquement décoré et entièrement créé par la manufacture horlogère Raketa de Saint-Pétersbourg.
Raketa “Ekranoplan” est une édition limitée à 500 pièces.
Chaque montre est livrée avec un bracelet en cuir supplémentaire. Le modèle est également disponible dans un coffret cadeau comprenant la montre Raketa “Ekranoplan” et son bracelet en acier, un bracelet cuir supplémentaire et la maquette de l’Ekranoplan Lun à une échelle de 1:400.
Prix
Le prix est de 1 667 EUR HT pour la montre seule et de 2 083 EUR HT pour le coffret cadeau. Pour le confort de nos clients, les montres Raketa sont livrées gratuitement dans le monde entier par DHL jusqu’à leur porte d’entrée.
(New York, June, 2023)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today its upcoming summer and fall exhibitions along with new live arts performances and summer initiatives, including the return of the bike valet program, ongoing date night offerings, and more.
“The stories we tell at The Metropolitan Museum of Art are ever expanding,” said Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met. “Through groundbreaking exhibitions, compelling displays, and powerful performances and programs, this upcoming season is sure to delight, inspire, and engage audiences from near and far.”
Highlights of The Met’s summer exhibitions include: Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery(opening July 14), a presentation of Pueblo Indian pottery and the first community-curated Native American exhibition in the history of The Met;Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200 BCE–400 CE (opening July 21), featuring never before publicly exhibited masterpieces that trace the aesthetic impact of the religion on Indian art; Art for the Millions: American Culture and Politics in the 1930s(opening September 7), surveying how artists searched for cultural identity during a decade of political and social upheaval in the United States; The Facade Commission: Nairy Baghramian, Scratching the Back(opening September 7), the fourth in a series of contemporary commissions for The Met’s facade and the artist’s first public installation in New York City; and Picasso: A Cubist Commission in Brooklyn (opening September 14), a focused exhibition dedicated to a captivating, but lesser-known chapter of the artist’s Cubist period. It will bring together for the first time six paintings linked to Picasso’s unrealized decorative commission for the Brooklyn residence of artist, collector, and critic Hamilton Easter Field (1873–1922).
Fall season highlights include: Manet/Degas (opening September 24), the first major exhibition examining one of the most significant artistic dialogues in the genesis of modern art; The Great Hall Commission: Jacolby Satterwhite, A Metta Prayer(opening October 2) an immersive multi-channel video installation and a series of performances that will transform the Museum’s iconic Great Hall; Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism (opening October 13), exploring how the artists manipulated and experimented with color to create a new artistic vocabulary; Proof: Maxime Du Camp’s Photographs of the Eastern Mediterranean (opening October 23), the first exhibition to focus on The Met’s rare collection of photographs made by Du Camp in advance of his landmark 1852 book, Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie; and Lineages: Korean Art at The Met(opening November 7), which will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Museum’s Arts of Korea gallery with a collection of works tracing the history of Korean art.
Additionally, Africa & Byzantium (opening November 19), a major exhibition of nearly 200 works that explores the tradition of Byzantine art and culture in Africa from the 4th through the 15th century and beyond, will be presented at The Met Fifth Avenue through March 3, 2024, and feature many international loans being exhibited in the United States for the first time.
On November 20, 45 galleries dedicated to European Paintings, 1300–1800 will reopen, following the completion of an extensive skylights renovation project that began in 2018. The major reinstallation will highlight fresh narratives and dialogues among more than 700 works of art from the Museum’s world-famous holdings.
The 2023–24 season of MetLiveArts will include music, dance, and theatricalized culinary experiences that will invite deeper connections and make powerful observations about relevant cultural narratives as well as the Museum itself.
Upcoming public programs include Short Films for Short Nights, screenings of early video art accompanied by live music (July 7-9); the grand opening of the 81st Street Studio, a new children’s library and multipurpose active learning center (opening September 9); and the return of MetFest, the Museum’s community-wide block party (October 21).
The Museum also announced a continuing tradition of the summer season: the return of its popular bike valet program, which will be offered on Saturdays, Sundays, and select holidays through Labor Day (September 4). Guests visiting the Museum, regardless of transportation method, have the opportunity to experience The Met’s current blockbuster exhibition program, including Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty(through July 16), with extended viewing hours until 9 p.m. on Sundays, and Van Gogh’s Cypresses (through August 27).
In today’s rapidly-evolved internet landscape, finding an effective domain name can be crucial to online success. Yet have you considered its immense power when choosing words? Linguistics – which studies language structure – is an indispensable asset when selecting domain names; in this article, we’ll look into how understanding its fundamentals can assist with building memorable and effective names for domain registrations. Let’s start this discussion with an example to highlight its significance!
Real-Life Story:
Sarah is passionate about sustainable living and has launched an eco-friendly store online. Sarah spends hours brainstorming possible domain names that reflect her ideals and those of her target market audience. Finally, after extensive research and studying linguistic principles, Sarah opted for “Greenovation.com.” This domain name captures both her brand’s essence and commitment to eco-consciousness instantly – her intuitive understanding of linguistics proved instrumental as this domain name resonated strongly with customers resulting in increased brand recognition and, ultimately, business success.
History & Foundation of Linguistics in Domain Names:
Its historical context must be investigated to understand linguistics impact on domain name selection. Early internet domain names were selected based on keyword availability or company names. However, as more domains crowded the online landscape, linguistic principles significantly distinguished one domain from its competition.
Linguistics encompasses numerous components that can substantially affect domain name selection, such as phonetics, semantics, and syntax. By understanding their function, you can craft memorable domain names that elicit positive emotions among your target audience and are easily pronounceable.
Domain names need to take into account language factors when creating domain names:
Phonology: Selecting domain names with appealing sounds and easy pronunciation will make them more memorable and accessible, like CrispClean.com, which features repeated “c” sounds that create a catchy rhythm while emphasizing cleanliness.
Semantics: Words have meanings, so selecting domain names that resonate with your brand’s values and offerings can increase its overall impact. For instance, specifying EcoGuru.com as the domain name conveys both environmentalism and expertise – creating instant trustworthiness associated with eco-friendly practices.
Syntax: The arrangement and order of words within a domain name can have an enormous effect on its readability and memorability, such as ShopQuickly.com, which utilizes simple syntax making it easily understandable and memorable.
Take advantage of the large choice at Squadhelp when looking for a domain name akin to exploring a linguistic treasure trove. From playful alliterations to clever word combinations, the linguistic aspect of domain names allows businesses to craft a distinctive online identity that resonates with their target audience.
Utilizing Linguistics in Domain Name Selection:
Building an impactful domain name takes careful thought and strategy. Here are a few helpful pointers:
Research Your Target Audience: Take steps to learn about and comprehend their language preferences, cultural nuances, and values to ensure your domain name resonates with them.
Focus on clarity and simplicity: Choose words that are easy for people to remember. Avoid complex or obscure terms which might mislead or confuse the audience.
Consider Emotional Appeal: Words can evoke strong emotional responses in people. Choose words that produce this desired emotional reaction in your target audience while aligning with your brand tone and messaging strategy.
Be distinctive and memorable: Separate yourself from the competition by choosing an eye-catching domain name that conveys the spirit and value proposition of your brand or value proposition.
Other considerations also play a part in domain name selection besides language considerations, including availability and compliance with your brand’s legal requirements. Furthermore, domain extensions like (.com.net.ca or org) could provide more relevant options that meet industry or target audience demands. For the Silo, Grant Polachek.
Conclusion:
In today’s digitally competitive landscape, harnessing linguistics as part of your domain name selection strategy can give your online presence a significant edge. Harnessing their power can give them a significant competitive advantage by understanding basic linguistic principles and considering historical context when selecting domain names for online ventures, harnessing their power can give them a significant competitive advantage. Words hold power that can impact perceptions and emotions and ultimately leave a lasting, impactful memory, so make wise selections when selecting names for online endeavors to maximize their full potential and achieve maximum returns from online ventures!
Upon it’s release in 1982 Bladerunner polarized film critics and quickly divided the viewing audience. Critics had no cinematic basis on which to make a comparison and watchers were unsure what to make of it. There were a few forward thinkers who sensed its bold departure from the ordinary and they mainly focused on the mindblowing design of its imagined world. We can say the same about the Pontiac Aztek upon it’s release in 2001.
More than an exercise in design.
Bladerunner crammed a lot into a relatively short running time: a detective story (which really should used the phrase “bounty hunter adventure”), a love story (how could Deckard NOT fall for the gorgeous Rachel?) , a revenge story (Batty’s answer to the inevitable end of his four year life span was to murder his creator)and a number of subplots that are beyond the scope of this short article. As the years passed, re-cuts and re-releases proved the critics to be wrong. Bladerunner is Shakespearean.
Before becoming a leading Futurist and designer for Hollywood, Syd Mead was an automobile concept artist. Top: A taxi cab design by Mead for Bladerunner. Bottom: The 2001 Aztek GT in Aztek Yellow.
Aztek
When it was released, The 2001 Aztek GT didn’t win over automobile reviewers or the car-shopping public but in the last half decade perspectives have changed, online fan pages have sprung up and buying demand is on the rise.
Vancouver, B.C. – Art Vancouver, Western Canada’s largest international art fair is once again uniting the world through art, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West on May 4–7, 2023.
Art Vancouver’s vision is a noble one that seeks to use the universal language of art to connect people from different parts of the world and to promote a sense of global community.
By bringing together artists and galleries from across Canada and around the world, Art Vancouver aims to showcase a diverse range of contemporary artwork that reflects the unique perspectives, experiences, and cultures of each participating artist.
Art Vancouver marks its 7th edition, welcoming 100+ exhibitors, making Vancouver a destination city for artists, collectors and art lovers alike. Unique to this year, is a panel discussion about the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and art, providing valuable insights and perspectives from experts in the field.
Artist talks, demonstrations and art classes are always a great way for attendees to learn new skills and techniques, and having more of them available means that more people can benefit from the educational opportunities.
Art Vancouver has put together a diverse and engaging program that offers something for everyone. Whether attendees are artists themselves, or simply enthusiasts of art and creativity, there should be plenty of opportunities to learn, engage, and be inspired.
Established in 2017, the non-profit organization was started to make art accessible to everyone, with the goal of promoting and developing Vancouver’s visual art community into a thriving international art scene. VVAF hosts their main annual event, Art Vancouver, a four-day international art fair showcasing artists from across Canada and around the world. For the Silo, Christina Ioannou.
Berlin’s vibrant art scene just got a little more exciting with the opening of Selina Berlin Mitte, the latest property from skyrocketing hospitality company, Selina. Dubbed an ‘art-forward’ hotel, Selina Berlin Mitte boasts a guest concept that revolves around art and music, offering visitors a memorable cultural experience to feel like a local.
Located in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, Selina Berlin Mitte offers guests an eclectic mix of accommodations, including standard, suite, shared, and hybrid options.
I was offered one of the suites, and I literally felt like I had relocated to my very own apartment in Berlin, stocked with a kitchen, fridge, modern shower and bathroom, couch, vintage record player and expansive views of the city. Perfectly situated for exploring the city, the hotel is steps away from some of Berlin’s best design stores and boutiques, galleries, restaurants, shops, and bars.
If you are looking to socialize, Selina Berlin Mitte features a rooftop co-working and bar area, plus a restaurant with contemporary Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine called HOWM, a grab-and-go dining option available 24 hours, and even a communal kitchen.
If you grab a drink at the hotel rooftop, you will be surrounded by lounge seating, fun board games, and a 360-view of the city, including Berlin’s iconic TV Tower. Selina goers can meet up for a “welcome drink,” rooftop yoga classes and meditation sessions. If you are searching for activities on the property, you can choose from workshops, live music, DJ sets, art exhibits, and lectures.
Sprawled along the hotel walls are carefully curated artworks by Berliners and international artists, with installations highlighting mixed media– reclaimed wood, mirrors, and vintage art objects. Using earthy and hip furniture, Selina has an industrial feel that opens your eyes to innovation and connection. Common areas are filled with murals, while in-room art combines classical Berlin prints and artworks. Large-scale artistic works are woven throughout the reception area, rooftop, corridors, and suite rooms.
On a mission to keep digital nomads connected, enabling them to travel and work without borders, Selina has plans to open 10-15 hotels in 2023, catering to millennials and Gen Z travelers.
On April 14-16, Selina Berlin Mitte celebrated its opening with the “Welcome to the Hau(E)” event, a 3-day experience showcasing curated local programming, food pop-ups, wellness activities, live music DJs, and a local artisan market.
Selina Berlin Mitte is the “IT” hotel, where art and music lovers unite into a cultural melting pot. Book a stay and indulge in the avant-garde, art-centric German capital, and all it has to offer. For the Silo, Kat Fleischmann.
For more information or to book a stay at Selina Berlin Mitte, visit www.selina.com.
Julie Loeckx‘s colorful abstract artworks bring joy into any space, representing a kaleidoscopic universe brimming with zest for life and optimism. Using lines as influence, the endless experiment of color forms portraits with penetrating gazes and diverse emotions.
As a landscape architect with a Master’s in urban planning, she redesigned squares, streets and neighborhoods before entering project development. After discovering a box of watercolor paints in the attic, Julie experimented like an alchemist and abandoned her business life for a paintbrush.
Julie creates art with subtle nuances hidden in a poetic landscape, striking artifacts in an eclectic interior, drawing inspiration from colorful patterns on textile or jewelry. She finds external sources of inspiration: shopping windows, fashion, interiors, magazines, yet creates one recognizable signature in her artwork.
She uses painting as an outlet without boundaries and with a broad view of the world and in her paintings of women she channels feminism just in time for International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.
She says, “Every woman is unique and scarred by life, resilient and determined, hesitant and searching, but always counting on a positive outcome. My paintings are sometimes bold and exuberant, or introspective and self-questioning, but always intense and passionate. They are a reflection of the woman behind the artist.”
Growing up as a daughter of two hippies and as a granddaughter of business people, she discovered painting at the age of 42 (mom of 3) and sold 100+ works, had national and international collaborations, including Levi’s Paint, and opened her own gallery in Antwerp in May 2022.
For the last couple of decades the term “Outsider art” has come into popular use as a catch all phrase to describe the work of those who live “outside” society. Prisoners, religious visionaries, the institutionalized, and hermits all fall into this category.
It is quite often grouped together with folk art in that it is also primarily work by an untrained hand, but it differs in that the work is often more wildly imaginative, or “edgy”.
Back in the early 90’s, I was fortunate enough to participate in the second and third Outsider Art Fairs in New York. I was struck and amazed at the high levels of both positive and negative energy generated by the various works from around the world on display there.
Everything from giant nightmare fantasies to what could best be described as visions of heaven fighting it out side by side. It was intense and worthwhile. It was also an interesting lesson in marketing, in that I observed how a handful of powerful art dealers control and establish who is “hot” and how much these works were going to cost.
The newly found amazing collage/paintings of Henry Darger were presented initially at about $4,000 for a small one. The second year the price was $40,000.
The book had come out on the Chicago recluse who spent all his days writing his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story. Beautiful and disturbing.
Betwixt and Between: Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls
[This is a picture of Elsie Paroubek who was murdered at the age of five in 1911 in Chicago. The picture is most likely to have come from the Chicago Daily News. It was one of many newspaper photos of children collected by artist Henry Darger. According to his autobiography, his copy of Miss Paroubek’s photo was in amongst some items that were stolen when his locker at work was broken into, and he was unable to locate the picture in the newspaper archives. The tragic death of Miss Paroubek and the loss of her image inspired him to begin writing his monumental fantasy novel “The Story of the Vivian Girls.” Miss Paroubek was a central character in the novel, under the name Anna Aronburg. Photo is in the public domain. Text excerpt from wikipedia CP]
In Canada, there are just a few documented artists who could be considered “outsiders”. There is Clarence Webster who drew interesting childlike pictures to cheer up the walls of his institutional room.
A very interesting visionary artist was Alma Rumball who lived in a rural Muskoka cabin. Following a vision of Jesus, she became a clairvoyant recluse, at age 50, creating prolific, intricate, coloured pen and ink drawings. She watched, as “The Hand” drew by itself, unfamiliar forms, faces, and characters, separate from her consciousness.
There is a good Vision T.V. documentary on this artist. Another example is Gilbert DesRochers, who after a religious vision moved to his brother’s farm near Perkinsfield, where he lived in a small trailer and attended church regularly, producing many religious based sculptures. He was discovered and documented by artist John Hartman in 1980 and a solo exhibition of his work was held at the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery from November 3, 1991 to March 1, 1992. For the Silo, by Phil Ross.
Featured image- The ascension of Gilbert DesRochers. Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and challenging mental health issues, it’s more important than ever to find ways to bring joy and beauty into our lives. One way to do this is by infusing our living spaces with personality, whether it’s our homes, offices, or our boats. For refined yacht owners, it’s natural to diverge towards things that bring comfort on-board – including art.
Not falling short on sophistication, the real value of art lies in its ability to inspire and uplift us. In practicality, however, when it comes to decorating a yacht, there are a few key concerns to keep in mind.
It’s important to consider the amount of art one wants to display. While it might be tempting to fill every inch of wall space with your favorite pieces, it’s important to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. An overcrowded space can be overwhelming and distract from the overall design. Equally essential, durability is a crucial factor to consider as art on-board will be exposed to elements like water and must withstand rough seas. Fortunately, there are experts in yacht customization that can deliver art in the most practical way.
For yacht owners, the key areas where art can really make a difference are the master bedroom, living area, and bathroom. In the master bedroom, a carefully chosen piece can create a calming and relaxing atmosphere, while in the living area, a bold and eye-catching piece can be the perfect conversation starter. In the bathroom, a fun and whimsical piece can add a touch of lightness.
For those who wish to incorporate contemporary art, The Margulies Warehouse boasts an extensive collection, featuring artists such as Jennifer Steinkamp and Daniela Wicki, who play with the symbiosis of materials and technology. Another great choice for those with eclectic taste and looking for individual pieces is The Gallery by Rudolf Budja, which offers a selective collection of texturized canvases and photography sure to impress any art lover.
Delving into ways to bring art on board, it is captivating to incorporate design elements into the very fabric of the yacht itself, a popular trend in yacht design. For example, Futurestones and KMD are experts in creating stone finishes. They transform spaces and bring a unique energy to the yacht with the use of murals and large-scale artwork as a backdrop for the interior. These details help create a cohesive design aesthetic and add a touch of personality to the vessel.
At the most recent Miami Discovery Boating Show, I observed a surge in stylish watercrafts, ranging from medium-sized yachts to super yachts.
One brand that stood out to me as an excellent example of balance in design elements is Fiart Mare, particularly their 35′ Seawalker and 39′ Seawalker models. These boats offer an exceptional combination of functionality and Italian design, maximizing the available cabin space. Yacht Creators, the exclusive dealer for Fiart Mare, has collaborated with top shipyards worldwide to bring unparalleled interior design to the US market.
In addition to Fiart Mare, Yacht Creators represents other renowned brands such as Prime Yachts, Van Der Valk, Leven Yachts, and Waterdream, all of which are built with exceptional craftsmanship and worth the time for someone who dreams of building and owning something special.
For me, interior design on yachts is “art on art”.
While yacht craftsmanship is a complex process that involves multiple layers of design, art on board can take many forms, from custom-designed furniture and fixtures to entire walls/doors adorned with intricate patterns and designs. These bespoke furnishings can range from tables and chairs to lighting and cabinetry, and serve to enhance the yacht’s individuality and make it truly one-of-a-kind.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to bringing a touch of artistic flair to a vessel and creatively maxing out cabin space. So whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, don’t be afraid to bring a little bit of art on board your life – and your yacht.
For the Silo, Nancy Gonzalez/Private Yacht Finance. Featured image: Fiart Seawalker 35.
Kubrick. Scott. Which one of these directors needs their first name in order to be recognized by most movie watchers? Yeah, thought so. Let’s try this introduction another way: Kubrick. Ridley Scott. Ah that’s better.
Regardless of who is more recognizable, the fact remains that both of these cinema geniuses created masterpieces on celluloid.
Stanley Kubrick’s work dates earlier than Sir Ridley’s films ( 1977’s The Duellists) by almost a quarter century (1953’s Fear And Desire) but this is balanced by the fact that Scott continues to make films. The upcoming Napoleon will be his 18th feature film since 1999- when Kubrick tragically passed away shortly after finishing Eyes Wide Shut.
There are many films to choose from when picking a movie that is Stanley’s masterpiece but Barry Lyndon is receiving a renewed interest from film critics and writers. Shot entirely by natural light and candle light, Barry Lyndon required the assistance of NASA since it required an entirely new kind of camera lens to capture the scenes and oh those scenes!
There is something familiar about them….have I seen them before in a later film from another director perhaps?
1982’s Blade Runner is heralded as the de facto science fiction film due to its own innovations. It offered a serious look at a believable and highly stylistic future and the earliest on screen representation of cyberpunk. The sets, scenes, compositions of shots, costumes and overall atmosphere were unlike anything seen on film before….or were they? Let’s take a look at both Barry Lyndon and Blade Runner side-by-side.
As I continue to compare and unravel more similarities I will update this post but in the meantime if you know of something I have missed please feel welcome to add your thoughts and discoveries in the comments section below. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
Desrocher’s Whitehorse- a very nice folk art piece acquired by the author.
What is folk art? Any precise definition of art is by nature a slippery process and open to question.
“Folk art” is a term applied to diverse objects, like a highly organized Mennonite fracture drawing which expresses a collective, ethically based decorative tradition. Yet it is also applied to the more individualistic outpourings of any untrained painter, sculptor or other art practitioner.
Folk art is usually one step beyond the mundane. Not just a container to bring water to the mouth for survival (cupped hands for example), but instead a cup lovingly fashioned to bring pleasure or attract notice even when it is not being used, such as an intricately carved canoe cup.
On another level we can simply say that folk art is the art of ordinary people. It is sometimes called “primitive art” or “the people’s art” because by definition the artist has not been academically trained.
Folk art is made for one or more of three reasons: to share beliefs and traditions, to make some useful object beautiful, or to express one’s feelings.
Folk art, by definition has been produced and appreciated since cavemen and women started smearing blood and feces on cave walls, but the academic study of folk art is a relatively new thing. An English writer named William John Thomas first coined the phrase “folk lore” in 1848. At the time most anthropologists considered folklore to be worthless peasant creations. They were more interested in studying artifacts such as weapons and tools. It was through popularized folk tales by the likes of the Brothers Grimm that peasant traditions and art forms became interesting to the intellectual class.
I would argue that folk art did not show up on the radar of fine art institutions until around the turn of the century in Paris when Pablo (Picasso) and the boys flipped-out over the African art they saw for the first time, and started producing what today is called modern art. This led to a wider acceptance of all forms of art.
Folk art has become increasingly popular and more frequently studied in Canada, beginning in earnest after Expo ’67 gave us a greater appreciation of who we are as a nation. For the Silo, Phil Ross.
Featured image- Selections from Jim Linderman’s collection of folk art sewer pipe sculptures made by workers from leftover pipe clay. Photo: Oresti Tsonopoulos
JG O’Donoghue imagines a ‘versus’ scenario to demonstrate the struggle of ‘languages at risk’
There is a mass decline in linguistic diversity happening all over the planet and in places geographically far apart and I think that if things don’t change, the loss of language diversity will be immense.
In the book, Irish in the globalcontext, Suzanne Romaine mentions that linguists believe, that 50 to 90 % of the world’s estimated 6,900 languages will simply vanish over next 100 years.
At this moment in time, 85% of the world’s languages have fewer than 100,000 speakers and over half of the world’s remaining languages are spoken by just .2 % of the world’s population. These facts have informed my work and have become the wider subject of my illustrations, specifically the linguistic decline of the Irish language.
In some ways the battle between the Irish and the English languages is one of the defining features in modern Irish culture, but it is Irish which defines this island more, and the Irish language tells the entire history of Ireland in its influences and in its form.
Ruairí Ó hUiginn said in his book The Irish language: you have influences of Latin from the Christianization of Ireland in ecclesiastical words, influences from Viking invasions in words for “seafaring, fishing and trade”, influences from the militaristic Normans [ French CP] in words for “architecture, administration and warfare”, and from English colonialism you get English in every day words.
“To create my intended mood, the english words are given a general typography while the Irish words are given a distinctive script reminiscent of Geoffrey Keating’s book Foras Feasa ar Eirinn”
Each influence shows an aspect of Irish culture. What people forget to realize is that a language is much more than something spoken to express oneself. Ancient peoples created language in an attempt to describe the world around them and the world within them, in other words their worldview.
An example in Irish is- you don’t say ‘I’m angry’, you say ‘tá fearg orm’, which means ‘I have an anger on me’.
Nevertheless, Irish is important internationally too, and Irish is the third oldest written language in Europe, after Latin and Greek, and as a spoken language it may even be older than both.
How should an artist illustrate a language? And more specifically the struggle of one language with another? I choose nature as my metaphor, from the ancient forests of Ireland, mostly gone now, to Islands which stand for thousands of years but are slowly worn away by the tide. The words that make up these landscapes are either ‘for’ or ‘against’.
My illustrations therefore visualize the real life drama of ancient language versus modern language.
I imagine a “versus” scenario. On the “against” side I chose English words plucked from peoples statements in online forums and in letters to newspapers. On the “for” side I chose Irish words, and they were chosen from recent investigations into the creation of the ancient Irish language. Irish words in my illustrations such as “dúchas (heritage), tír (country), litríocht(literature), and stair(history)” reflect the Irish language’s cultural importance, while “Todhchaí(future), féinmhuinín(self-confidence), beatha(life), and anam(soul)” reflect its importance in a metaphysical way to Ireland.
The Irish language forest- An Coill Teanga Gaeilge
The english ‘against’ words can range from the practical benefits of english within subjects such as “tourism, movies, business, and comics,” to words that reflect the interaction of English speakers with Irish. To illustrate the concept, I chose words like “conform, bend, harass, and adapt”.
To create my intended mood, the english words are given a general indistinctive typography reflecting uniform mono-linguilism, while the Irish words are given a distinctive Irish manuscript/Gaelic script reminiscent of Geoffrey Keating’s 17th century book- Foras Feasa ar Éirinn/History of Ireland.
The core message in my illustrations is a positive one, the sun is rising for a new day as the Irish language holds on, like a lot of minority languages. It is diminished but not beyond hope. I believe it can make a comeback, and this is exactly what is happening all over this country today, because of the work of people far more dedicated than myself. I hope my work can help reinforce linguistic diversity as well as all forms of heritage. I have the will to preserve these for future generations, so they too can live in a world full of diversity spending their lives discovering and exploring it in all its beautiful variety.
Let’s go back to 2016 and re-consider how the works highlighted below are more relevant today than ever when asking “What is and isn’t art?”. The recent surge in AI and chatbot produced ‘art’ has created new challenges in recognition, interpretation and validation. Or has it? [J.Barker Content Producer for The Silo] It became immediately apparent that the rephrasing of the question “What is art?” to “What isn’t art?” signaled a dissolution of the boundary separating metaphor from reality.
Since, citizen and artist alike have been plunged headlong into the bacchanals of postmodernity, and the question has been obscured under a heap of incongruous discourse and subtexts.
Eva Davidova multimedia installation view
Two curious and intrepid artists offer their answers to this exhausting and illuminating question in their discussions of unexplored spaces and shifting subtexts.
Painter and multimedia artist Eva Davidova tests the digital waters of virtual reality through immersive, programmatic experiences. Articulating the conviction that emerging technology is obliged to transcend commercial application, Davidova’s phantasmagoric 3D renderings attempt to draw the strings away from the hands of big business. Topics mentioned include the beauty of academic reciprocity, the fiscal realities of living in the metropolis, and the future of collaborative artistic environments.
Julie Mehretu’s Dispersion
Behind the meticulous and sweeping abstract landscapes from the mind of Julie Mehretu are subtle societal and historical cues, which inform and enrich the surface of her paintings. In her ebullient interview, Mehretu speaks of the benefits and restrictions that arise from using architectural semantics to ground explorations of political and social change.
Wrought from countless painterly quotations, the identity of Mehretu’s brushstroke vanishes the moment it falls under interpretation.
The elusive and curious nature of the Ethiopian artist’s aesthetic experiments, coupled with a steady ethical subtext make for an engaging and memorable listen.
Featured image- “A Questionable Tale(#1)” 2022 Marina Zurkow/DALL-E (AI)
Have you ever dreamed of owning a piece of fine art but felt that it was out of reach financially? An art auction may be the answer to your dreams! Art auctions are an excellent way to purchase original artworks without breaking the bank. With the right approach, art auctions can be a great way to build a collection of art and save money.
The benefits of an art auction
For those who are looking to add to their art collection or simply just want to try something new, art auctions can be an excellent way to obtain art. Art auctions offer a unique opportunity to purchase artwork from all over the world at competitive prices. With a broad selection of works to choose from, they provide an exciting and engaging experience.
One of the main advantages of attending an art auction is that buyers have the chance to buy authentic artwork without the risk of buying a counterfeit piece. This can save buyers both money and time since they don’t need to worry about being scammed by an online seller.
Auctions also provide an opportunity for the buyer to get to know the artist and their work, as well as to discuss any questions with auctioneers or knowledgeable collectors.
How to participate in an art auction
Attending an art auction is a great way to find unique and valuable pieces of art. But it can be intimidating if you’ve never attended one before. Here are some tips to help make sure your first experience at an art auction is a successful one. Before you attend the auction, take some time to research the artwork that is being offered. Learn about the artist and the piece you are interested in. Knowing what you are bidding on can help you make informed decisions during the auction.
The difference between an art auction and an online sale
Auctions and online sales both offer a great way for art collectors to purchase artwork, but there are some key differences between the two. An art auction is a live event where bidders compete in a competitive environment to purchase pieces of art. Bidding is fast-paced and participants must be willing to pay the highest price in order to secure the artwork they desire.
Online sales are much different in that they are usually conducted over a longer period of time. Instead of a competitive environment, buyers have the opportunity to browse through the artwork and make their selections at their own pace. This allows buyers to take their time, research the piece, and evaluate whether it’s worth purchasing or not.
Furthermore, buyers may be able to negotiate a lower price as they may not have to compete with other bidders. Another difference between an art auction and an online sale is that auctions are typically reserved for more expensive pieces of art, while online sales tend to feature more affordable artwork. As a result, those who want to purchase high-end artworks may find it more beneficial to attend an art auction than to purchase from an online store.
FINAL ISSUE! The attempted assassination of President Quinn during peace talks with the Red Queen pushes Earth towards a galactic war with an alien enemy. But when the assassin’s identity is revealed as Stormy Daniels, Agent Aela Grant and the crew of the Helix II must choose sides. Will they join Space Force in their hunt for one of their own, or will they become criminals? The first season of Space Force ends in this explosive and game-changing issue!
Polka Spot: The World According to Llama #3
Writer: Michael Frizell
Artist: Yehia Mohran
In this fun, all-ages, action-adventure comedy, Polka Spot, everyone’s favorite drama llama, is on location filming her next movie, “The Princess and the Beast.” What she doesn’t know is that the film’s location is famous for sightings of the Hairy Man, a monster that haunts the woods. Meanwhile, someone plots behind the scenes to steal her necklace and crown! Can Polka Spot and her companion, the plucky cat, Jolene, solve the mystery of the hairy man, prevent the theft, and save the movie?
Black History Leaders: Volume 4: Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston and Lil Nas X
Writers: Darren G. Davis, Michael Frizell, Raphael Moran
Artists: Victor Moura, Kirk Feretzanis, Pablo Martinena
From the hit “Fame” and “Female Force” imprints by TidalWave comics, this volume explores the musicians who have made an indelible mark on our culture, including: LaDonna Adrian Gaines, better known as Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco. Lil Nas X, the multi-award-winning rapper who breaks glass ceilings as a gay man in hip-hop. Whitney Houston, an idol to millions with the voice of an angel whose meteoric career defined a generation, couldn’t keep her demons at bay. Often called the Queen of Christmas and the Songbird Supreme, Mariah Carey’s rise to stardom was not without pitfalls – something she isn’t shy to explore with her five-octave range.
Bold and the Brave #15
Writer: Darren G. Davis
Artist: Breed
There is a new minotaur in town and what are his ties to the villainess Medusa. Will the 10th Muse has to join forces with her in order to save a family that is in chaos. Also the relationship between Emma and Zak heats up. Homage cover by Marvel Comics artist Yonami
Wrath of the Titans: Argos #1
Writer: Chad Jones
Artist: Marcelo Henrique Santana
Perseus is back to face off once again with the titans of myth. Set immediately after the defeat of the mighty Kraken, Perseus plans to rebuild the city of Argos. But his wife-to-be Andromeda is kidnapped by one of Medusa’s gorgon sisters out for her ultimate revenge.
TidalWave Comics Presents Volume 2
Writers: Andrew Shayde, Scott Davis, Adam David Gragg, Chad Rebman
Artists: Carlos Furuzono, Diego Garavano, Addullah, Esdras Cristobel
A new unique team-up ongoing series! The TidalVerse is here! The members of the series, teams up with the TidalWave Universe’s vast array of colorful, costumed adventurers for a series that hearkens back to the Bronze Age of comics when team-ups were something special! This homage series together for the first time features Camelot, Zeus, Orion the Hunter, Venus, Sigma, The Muse, Monsters Among Us and Dorian Gray.
10th Muse: New Beginnings #1
Writer: Darren G Davis and Michael Frizell
Artist: Igor Cicarini
The world met Emma Sonnet, the 10th Muse, 22 years ago when she debuted in the 6th highest-selling comic book of all time. After a personal tragedy, Emma relocates to NYC, hoping for a new start. But Hades, the king of hell, has other plans. TidalWave’s latest ongoing series starts here! Greek mythology has documented the nine Muses, the inspirational daughters of the almighty god Zeus. But history forgot one-the 10th Muse. Emma Sonnet mysteriously disappeared five years ago during a summer trip to Greece celebrating her graduation from law school. Yesterday, she resurfaced just as mysteriously as the newly appointed District Attorney, with a unique take on the law. Battling evil in the courtroom by day, and in the shadows at night, Emma Sonnet is tipping the scales of justice her way, as The 10th Muse.
TidalWave Comics Presents #9: Camelot and Zeus
Writer: Scott Davis
Artist: Abdullah
Resistance! Not all heroes are blessed with understanding or even control of their powers. And not all heroes, given powers to rival the Greek gods, are given Olympus’ blessing. So it’s no wonder that former legal assistant and current hero-in-training Camelot is having a bad day, only it’s about to get worse! His rent is late, the gods are gunning for him, and to top it all off, the nefarious Captain Steel is creating havoc of epic proportions. What’s a hero to do? The Odyssey returns with a story that shows it takes more than a cape and a cool name to be a hero. Guest starring Zeus, God of Thunder.
Where to Find TidalWave Comics
TidalWave Comics’ vast catalog of titles can also be downloaded digitally from Kindle, iTunes, EPIC!, Madefire, Izneo, ComiXology, Global Comics, DriveThru Comics, Google Play, Overdrive, Library Pass, Biblioboard, Nook, Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold.
Nice, France textile artist Stéphanie Lobry frantically fashions her art with an unexpected yet satisfyingly fitting leitmotiv: feminism.
A Teacher when she’s not at the loft, where she created and exhibited her works, Stéphanie Lobry is busy hanging a crochet. Entitled 1.8 cubic meter, “parce c’est la taille qu’il fait”, lies in the piece, in the middle of a crowd of scattered bodies which share this small space with balls of yarn and needles.
If we pay attention to all red wires that surround and hang throughout her living room, we realize that they are, in fact, a gun.
“I wanted to divert the everyday objects. And to do so with needles and wool. No, no to knitting scarves for her daughters in some kind of ‘good housewife’ role, but rather to rediscover the woman inside, and then to discover humans in general.”
Why crochet? Rolled cigarette in mouth, she passes a nonchalant hand into blond spiky hair. She thinks… “This practice is also ancestral, but has potential for feminist messages and aesthetics when it is diverted from its original use and put towards the service of art. I’ve always been very creative and a little hyper active yet the only compliment I could expect from that was to be commended for being a good mother…”. I got fed up.” Reduced once too often to the status of “the good historical female”, Stéphanie Lobry “lost it”and held her first exhibition.
Our compulsive crocheter remembers having hesitated….stalled somewhere between a choice of direction. Between science and art: “When I started my studies in molecular biology, my mother asked me if I was sure didn’t want to make fine art instead.” Would an academic focus on science bind her passions? In her artistic process, she discovered that there was in fact a synthesis manifested through the act of the creation, which after all, begins with the cells inside the brain. Fittingly, her art work began with a small croqueted skull which “immediately went to Gallery’. The creative process then dissected and took over other parts of the body.
An Ariane of modern times
Sweeping my gaze around her workshop, it stops suddenly on the croqueted heart, “it was a participatory project I created shortly after Charlie.” Surely a way to re – unite people, to reconnect, “everyone needed it.” The artist put out a call using social media, letting all participants know that their name would be displayed at the bottom of the finished work. In a few weeks, she received 763 balls of wool, from more than 120 donors, scattered to the four corners of the world, from Paris to Noumea, the Chile, the Belgium and the Greece.
A Runaway success requires a lot of hard work.
It takes almost a month to sort the fabrics and create a ball that weighs more than 40 kg. As for the hook… 45 days are necessary for the realization of a typical piece of finished work: “the ball weighed a ton! I couldn’t do more than five knots without being exhausted.” It is a technique so grueling and time-consuming, but I feel like I’m really at the beginning, I still have a lot to say.” She seems to have found her way alright and is brimming with ideas to express her commitment.
Worried perhaps about her peers who see their emancipation sometimes as endangered, this knitter doesn’t fail to hang onto a hint of conviction to her works. I remember especially this sort of determined representation that she had given at the Théâtre National de Nice, last May, dressed in a full suit. Knitted of course. Delivering metaphors spun into all of her creations. For the Silo, Marine de Rocquigny originally for Art and Factswww.artandfacts.fr
*photos by Florian Lévy
Stéphanie Lobry accroche l’œil au crochet avec son cœur. Ledit, intitulé 1,8 mètre cube, « parce c’est la taille qu’il fait », gît dans la pièce, au milieu d’une foule d’organes éparpillés, partageant ce petit espace avec les pelotes de laine et les aiguilles.
Pourquoi le crochet ? Cigarette roulée au bec, elle passe une main nonchalante dans ses blonds cheveux en bataille. Elle songe… « Cette pratique aussi ancestrale soit-elle, prend des allures féministes quand elle est détournée de son utilisation pour se mettre au service de l’art. » Car c’est bien avec une volonté libératrice et féministe qu’elle s’est lancée il y a maintenant sept ans : « J’ai toujours été très créative et un peu hyper active pourtant le seul compliment que je pouvais espérer c’était d’être une bonne mère de famille… J’en ai eu marre. » Réduite une fois de trop au statut de BMF, Stéphanie Lobry « pète les plombs » et organise une première exposition.
Alors que les curieux s’aventurent dans ses appartements, elle les reçoit en nuisette, repassant chemise après chemise, la main collée à son fer. Et si l’on prête attention à l’ensemble de fils rouges qui l’entourent et parcourent son salon, on s’aperçoit qu’ils forment, en fait, un pistolet. « J’ai voulu détourner les objets du quotidien. » Elle se munie dès lors d’aiguilles et de laines. Non, pas pour tricoter des écharpes à ses filles en bonne femme d’intérieur, mais plutôt pour redécouvrir l’intérieur de la femme, puis de l’humain en général.
Rencontre logique. La crocheteuse compulsive se souvient avoir longtemps hésité entre la science et l’art : « Quand j’ai commencé mes études en biologie moléculaire, ma mère m’a demandé si j’étais sûre de ne pas vouloir plutôt faire les Beaux-Arts. » Alors autant entreprendre une reconversion qui pourrait lier ses passions et ses connaissances. Dans sa démarche artistique, elle revient donc à la genèse de la création, qui commence avec des cellules. Elle commence avec un petit crâne « tout de suite parti en galerie », puis dissèque et reprend toutes les parties du corps. Du neurone au pied. Du sexe aux poumons.
Une Ariane des temps modernes
En balayant du regard son atelier, elle s’arrête sur le cœur, « c’était un projet participatif que j’ai crée peu après Charlie. » Surement une façon de re-fédérer les gens, de renouer les liens, « tout le monde en avait besoin. » L’artiste lance alors un appel sur les réseaux sociaux, tous les participants verront leur nom affiché au bas de l’oeuvre. En quelques semaines, elle reçoit 763 pelotes de laines, provenant de plus de 120 donneurs, dispersés au quatre coins du monde, de Paris à Nouméa, en passant par le Chili, la Belgique ou la Grèce. Succès fulgurant. Travail titanesque en perspective. Il lui faut près d’un mois pour trier les tissus et constituer une pelote de plus de 40 kilos. Quant au crochet… 45 jours nécessaires à la réalisation de l’organe démesuré. « Les aiguilles étaient énormes et la pelote pesait une tonne ! Je ne pouvais pas faire plus de cinq nœuds sans être épuisée.
Une technique épuisante donc et laborieuse que la « quinqua » ne compte pas abandonner de si tôt: « J’ai l’impression que je ne suis vraiment qu’au tout début, j’ai encore beaucoup de choses à dire. » Sorte d’Ariane des temps modernes. Elle semble avoir trouvé sa voie grâce au fil et regorge d’idées pour exprimer son engagement. Inquiète au sujet de ses consœurs qui voient leur émancipation parfois en péril, cette tricoteuse ne manque pas d’accrocher un soupçon de conviction à ses œuvres. On se souvient notamment de cette représentation qu’elle avait donnée au Théâtre National de Nice, en mai dernier, enfermée dans une combinaison intégrale tricotée comme dans sa condition féminine, attendant qu’on tire sur les fils pendants pour la délivrer. Une cause qui lui tient à cœur, une métaphore filée sur l’ensemble de ses créations. Marine de Rocquigny pour Art and Factswww.artandfacts.fr
Why crochet? Rolled cigarette in mouth, she passes a nonchalant hand into blond spiky hair. She thinks… “This practice is also ancestral, but has potential for feminist messages and aesthetics when it is diverted from its original use and put towards the service of art. I’ve always been very creative and a little hyper active yet the only compliment I could expect from that was to be commended for being a good mother…”. I got fed up.” Reduced once too often to the status of “the good historical female”, Stéphanie Lobry “lost it”and held her first exhibition.
