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Her vibrant and multi-dimensional work ranges from sculpture to animation, which she uses to craft her own ‘surreal, myth-like alternative habitats’ which both celebrate and transcend language.

You root your work in language and translation. Can you tell us a little bit about your background, and how this theme came to influence your art?

I grew up in a rather conservative middle-class family in Bavaria, Germany, in a house full of 19th-century art. My own desire to study art, however, was not an acceptable career choice so I ended up studying English and French. As a result, I had a colorful working life; I did some translation work, worked in administration and taught German and French to children who weren’t too keen.  Though language has always fascinated me, etymology, semantics, social and geographical contexts of words and phrases, the desire to create art was always inside me. When I finally made the leap it seemed to be logical to examine and to look at language in a visual way as well.

Can you describe your work for us?

With the realm of language being so multifaceted and inspiration coming from many different angles, it is difficult to describe my work in a short paragraph. I draw a lot on day to day conversations, literal translations, (anti) feminist language and I like to poke fun at political rhetoric and propaganda. I see language as multi-dimensional, therefore a lot of my work is sculptural and multi-disciplinary. Still, I don’t like to be restricted in my practice or pigeonholed in any way, and although language and translation are probably the main strands in my practice I like to stray occasionally to wherever inspiration lies…

How did the pandemic influence your art?

Working from my garden studio and studying remotely for a Master’s degree, the pandemic initially had little impact on me, despite having had several exhibitions cancelled at the last minute. As weeks turned to months, the pandemic started to hit me more emotionally as my isolation was suddenly no longer self-imposed, but something forced onto me.

With this sense of losing control, I began to work on a new body of work ‘I’m still alive’ (which then transmuted into ‘Albeit Hanging by a Thread’), in which I explored these sudden, unfamiliar emotions that resulted in such very conflicting sentiments of despair, hope, endurance and optimism in collages that became more and more surreal. There were days when I thought I was developing bi-polar tendencies; my mood was up and down like a yoyo. ‘Through the Pink Gate to Far Horizons’ is one of these works. Dreaming of a brighter future, it also incorporates some of my photography (the pink gate), symbolizing positive expectations.

Several lockdowns also resulted in new creative ways of looking for and finding materials. I began to work more with recycled materials, particularly packaging paper and items found around the house and on my dog walks.

What materials do you enjoy working with the most?

I used to call myself a painter and started my career with watercolors but my focus shifted a lot during my studies and I began to incorporate multiple disciplines and materials. A favorite material is newspaper but paper packaging, random objects, children toys, clay and paint, all have their uses. It’s very much determined by what I’m working on, the concept dictates its own materials.

I collect a lot of old magazines for the collages for example, that have become an art material in their own right. Cuttings from magazines, once taken out of context, develop an agency that in return affects the other images in quite a powerful way. It is quite fascinating watching the narrative develop, which often takes weeks; and although I tend to start with a rough idea or concept it frequently takes a different path, as the images take control and turn me into a mere facilitator!

What are you working on now?

At the moment I am focusing on my upcoming solo exhibition ‘Nomansland’ in Chester [UK] in September, which is based on a feminist language inspired utopia. Parallel to this, I’m currently working with hybrid photography, as a way of incorporating more photography in my work that seems to be gaining a lot of significance for me as I’m wrestling with some recent personal trauma.

Visit Brigitte’s website.

And if you’re wondering why ‘Make Slugs Beautiful’ – this refers to the litter of slugs on Brigitte’s countryside running route, and the nagging thought that if they were beautiful like sea slugs, they wouldn’t be so bad.

The post In the Studio with Artist Brigitte Watkinson from Make Slugs Beautiful appeared first on Artiholics.

My mother, Joycelyn Erho Calande, was an artist so art has always been part of my life. Going to museums, galleries and art shows was nothing foreign to me. I have always enjoyed “creating” so by the time high school was wrapping up it was pretty clear to me I wanted to pursue art professionally in some capacity. I ended up attending the oldest art school in the U.S., The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. At the time, at age 17 and fresh out of high school,  I was the youngest to ever be admitted. It was an intense 4 year art program focusing on drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. By the time I was finishing college, I was doing commission work, showing in some Philadelphia area galleries and entering shows. 

 

 

I’ve never been big on having my art “say something”, that’s what books are for. That’s not to say there’s never a hidden (or not so hidden) message in some works. But mostly I feel as artists we are creating something unique, a different way to see and express something visually, we are sharing pieces of ourselves. Sometimes a pretty picture is just a pretty picture. And I think that’s where artists excel. We make the world a more beautiful and more interesting place. At least most of the time. 

What is your experience with the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity?

I’ve been a longtime collector of animation art. Specifically the original production art used to create the original Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodie cartoons. I’ve always loved the art form. Many of those animators were also fine artists themselves. I was lucky enough to meet Chuck Jones (and the Jones family) on many occasions as well as some of the other animation artists like Maurice Noble, Pete Alvarado, Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle and others. What I loved about meeting Chuck Jones is that he always made sure you left with more knowledge than which you came. After visiting Chuck’s gallery many times over many years, I began to participate in their annual Red Dot Art Auction. Artists from all over the world donate 12 x 12 inch works of art for a silent fund raising auction. The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity uses the money to offer art and creativity programs to people of all ages, but especially to the young and old. I believe September of 2021 will be the 11th Red Dot Auction and I’ve participated in almost every one, missing only a year or two. This year I’ll be donating 2 works of art….or maybe 3, we’ll see. But the auction brings two of my loves together, Looney Tunes and art. It makes me happy that my work not only raises money for a good cause but it’s nice to know the auction winners are living with my artwork, giving it a home, and enjoying it. Hopefully for some, those little 12 x 12 works will become treasured family heirlooms and bring decades of joy. At the very least my little paintings will hopefully bring some color and life to yet another bare and sterile wall in this world. 

 

 

How is the Covid-19 influencing your Art? How did you use the quarantine time?

The post Meet the Artist Eric Calande appeared first on Artiholics.

Please introduce yourself and your artistic background.

My name is Scott Abrams. I don’t really have an artistic background.

What kind of art do you create?

I make art with oil paint, words, and other items that I glue onto canvas. The previous year, I used stencils to make a lot of work with animals in dialogue, mostly humorous. I also made a few minimalist pieces, with words on their own, and a large amount of work with items glued onto canvas.

What is the message behind your art?

Message would be too strong a word for anything that I do. My hope is to illuminate conflict in a way that can be a little bit funny and a little bit strange. 

How do you combine the language, the humor, and art?

Combining language, humor and art, that’s the magic. Where exactly one finds the kernel of an idea that eventually gets translated onto the canvas—it’s a mystery to me. I usually get ideas at night and in the early morning and put them onto Post-it notes, though lately my practice has drifted more towards drawing. In this aspect, I’ve been teaching my hand to follow my head. That’s probably where the humor comes from. 

What inspires you and your creations?

What inspires me? I try to create work that I find funny and that I love deeply, or once did.

You are also a writer and in college you studied literature and philosophy. Please tell us more about your literature background and how being a writer has impacted and is impacting your works.

Philosophy helps me get to the root of a problem. Literature helps me understand that the root is probably conflict. I love literature for its wild use of imagination, and it helps me understand things that I can’t see or experience personally. 

Being a writer was the starting point for me as an artist. Much of my early work was just writing in black marker. I did study literature in college and continued to read a lot after that. It gave me templates for what an artist is or can be as well as the framework of finding humor in conflict.
Not only are you an artist and a writer, but also a businessman. You established several companies in real estate and healthcare. Can you tell us more about that?

Business is challenging, but refreshing, too. I originally got a law degree, but I wasn’t cut out for it, so I fell into business because I had to make a living. I actually like the contrast between business and art. Some days you prefer thinking about money, some days about art. It’s like having antennas in many different worlds.

Are you currently working on a specific piece of art?

I am not working on any specific piece of art at the moment. I do work almost every day for about 4 to 6 hours. Mostly, I am trying to improve my ability to make images.

https://www.scott-abrams.com/

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Where are you from? Please introduce yourself.

My name is Margaret Zox Brown. I was born and bred in Manhattan and have lived here for basically my entire life.

When did you start painting? What kind of art do you paint?

I started painting in my late 20s. It felt like an exciting leap for me since I had been drawing for my whole life. Painting was a new and challenging medium, and I was introduced to color. I immediately was taken with color and it became (and still is) a focus within my art. I would say that my art is Representational Expressionism.

What medium do you use for your paintings?

Almost all of my paintings are oil on canvas. I have also added oil paint to Conté drawings on paper, creating mixed media pieces. Oil paint and oil painting mediums are what I love most.

How did the lockdown impact your creation and what did it mean for you going forward?

Before Covid, I was heavily immersed in painting a series of New York Characters. Because I could no longer find my subjects nor go to my Garment District studio to paint, I had to rethink everything. After doing a few colored pencil drawings and watercolors at the dining room table, I knew I just had to find a way to paint in oil again to express all that I was feeling during this unique time. I made a temporary, makeshift studio out of the studio apartment above where I live. Eventually that apartment will be joined with our living space but during the lockdown it would be sitting empty. So I made it into my studio. I started painting oil paintings that reflected, once again, my world and the emotions I felt around what I chose to highlight with my art. I also changed from titling each piece to now during this Lockdown series, dating the paintings in order to chronicle how I was feeling throughout this time. I have learned a lot about myself and my intention with my art through this Lockdown series. I realize that I have always been painting the magnificence of the quotidian and connecting with the world by sharing it. And while my world is of course smaller, it is actually so much larger because we all are going through the same thing and we all are experiencing a world of life at home. I am so happy finding beauty within the moment. I have no idea where I will be emotionally in the future, but for now, even as the world starts to open up, I can see continuing to paint what I have been painting.

Most artists’ work has a purpose or a message. What is the message of your art? What emotions and feelings do you want to convey visually in each painting?

My intention with my art is to find the true beauty in the quotidian and to share that with the world. Life most definitely has ups and downs, but I prefer to express the beauty, both aesthetically and emotionally, that I see and I know we all can share.

Tell us about the favorite work of art you created and why it is.

I have many favorite pieces because I have been painting for a very long time and have gone through many different series. Also, I always love where I am in the present the most. So to answer your question, for now I would say my favorite painting is, “April 28th – May 17th, 2020.” This is a painting that is part of my Lockdown series. It is a painting of my husband and dog, snuggling together on the couch. I feel that this painting encompasses so much emotionally and uses so many artistic elements to achieve this that it is pleasing on so many levels. It reveals a sense of love and comfort and life and warmth. All these wonderful feelings of home are brought about through: subject, perspective, color, line and form, light, paint application, layout and design.

Do you have any future projects that you would like to share with us?

I am continuing with this series and continually receiving press about it.

Whose art work do you admire? Whose artwork has impacted you? What direction do you see for the world of art?

I admire many artists for varying reasons: Gauguin for his color, Matisse for his flat picture plane, Alice Neel for her figures, Morandi for his capturing of a moment of pause, and many contemporary artists whose work and careers I follow and applaud. I see the art world definitely continuing to thrive. Everyone needs art more than ever now. It is not only a documentation of the times we are living in but it also provides culture and optimism and a sense of community. And I believe that even if viewing or experiencing art might not be in the way we all have known, the internet is the perfect place to share and discover and enjoy art.

Margaret Zox Brown’s Website

The post New York City Artist Margaret Zox Brown Creates Lockdown Paintings appeared first on Artiholics.

Kai, how did you become an artist and when? Are you from a family of artists?

I’m not sure if I ever planned to become an artist. My dad is an artist and my mom is a photographer, but I think it kind of just happened. Growing up, my family moved a lot. Things weren’t always easy. We didn’t have a TV. We lived a simple lifestyle. One constant was my dad’s art books. Whenever we moved, he brought them along. So, if I wasn’t playing sports or drawing, I had my nose buried in those books. My first official piece was Morons. I created the piece to encourage my father to quit smoking. At the time, I had a real fear that this bad habit would cut his life short. The artwork resonated with him. He quit smoking and gave me a few hundred dollars for the painting. He asked me to use the money to help others the way I helped him. I did what I had learned from the books, printing posters by hand and placing them up on random walls. And, that’s how I became a street artist.

What brought the “Beaux-Art de Paris” experience? What were the best and worst moments?

My decision to attend l’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts was driven, in part, by ego. I was at the dinner table with my family and we were discussing art. My father and I were arguing about which artist had a larger impact on the history of art as a whole. At some point, I said, “I think I know a little better than you, Papa. I’m currently at Cal-Arts.” He laughed and responded, “You’re in an art school in America. If you really want to study art, go to Paris, the art epicenter of the world.”  So, my father and I placed a little wager whether I would be able to get into Les Beaux-art de Paris. I applied and was selected as one of three American admits. I was also the only American to study there for the full year.  I loved studying in Paris. It was the hardest, but most beneficial, year of my life. I had no money. I lived in a tiny “maids-room” with no heater and not much to eat. But I’ve never learned so much. I spent all day in class and night in the classrooms, not only to learn but because the school had central heating.  I learned all the fundamentals needed to make art with my hands. It was the exact opposite and an incredible complement to what I had learned at Cal-Arts because all the theories and philosophies of art were lived and experienced as a practice.

Can you highlight five key moments in your career?

Several years ago, I traveled the world on less than $8,000 USD, creating street art just for the love of art.  Meeting Bernard Markowicz and putting together my first solo show at his gallery, Markowicz Fine Art, in Miami.  Having Le Touquet honor me and my art in their Artist Hall of Fame. Creating my Imaginary Friend (or, IF as its better known), which is the centerpiece of my current work. The final moment is not really limited to one occasion, but really, anytime I’m able to inspire or elevate someone through my art. It’s my favorite thing about being an artist.

We noticed the city of Le Touquet in France honored you in its Hall of Fame. Can you tell us how that happened and what it meant to you being so young and being recognized as a “famous” artist? As a Los Angeles artist, what was your connection with Le Touquet and its museum?

Le Touquet invited me to put street art up in their city and inducted me into their Artist Hall of Fame. I was actually able to add my handprints to their growing ring of honor. 

Why is the concrete medium so important to you? Do you see a link between your art and the ART BRUT movement?

I love working with cement. There’s something magical about taking dust, adding water, and being able to create something permanent. I’m a street artist at heart. But, the context and medium of my work is very important to me. The use of cement keeps me grounded. It’s a red thread from my early efforts to my recent works.

How did Covid-19 affect you and your art?

Covid-19 forced me to take some time for myself. It was my first substantial timeout in five years. It gave me the time to reflect and study what is happening in the art world. It gave me the opportunity to think about where I would like to go next.

What are your next steps and projects?

That’s the question, isn’t it? What’s next? I’m excited to share something new and different soon. I have several projects planned. But, inspiration strikes all the time.

So, keep your eyes and heart open!

The post From Street Art to Contemporary Art, an Unusual Path in the Market appeared first on Artiholics.

Monday, January 5, 2015 – San Francisco, CA

At the end of October, Artiholics surveyed the captivating energy of the Noonan Building, an artist community on the verge of major community developments. Located in Pier 70 on the eastern waterfront in San Francisco, this historic neighborhood of 28 acres once harbored heavy industrial manufacturers like steel, power, shipbuilding (including WWI and WWII vessels) iron, and large steel tubes for the Bay Area Rapid Transit System. Those industries dominated Pier 70 and the surrounding communities from the 1800’s through the mid-fifties, and have since then fallen into decline. Today, Pier 70 resembles a ghost town. The historic buildings stand vacant amongst barbed wire fences, rust, and decay. The only “tenants” of the pier are artists who have turned one building known as the Noonan Building into a community of artist studios. During the November elections, residents of the surrounding community almost unanimously voted to renovate Pier 70 and turn it into an artist-loving, livable, and visitor-attracting neighborhood. In coming years, we expect to see new park space, retail shops, eateries, art studios, and more housing for a city desperately in need of more  housing options.

Below are images gathered from the painters, sculptors, and photographers working in the Noonan Building:

 Phillip Hua’s Studio

Paintings in the Studio of Connie Harris 

Harris in her studio.

The sculptures in the above photo come from Connie Harris’ studio.

Open Studios in San Francisco could not happen without the help of Art Span, a giant network of information on Contemporary artists in the Bay Area.

Daniel Phill in front of paintings in his studio.

More photos of Phill’s work follow in the photo gallery at the end of the post.

 Paintings by the artist, PABS.  The imagery comes from watching civilians in Asia.

Photographs in the studio of Rico Schwartzberg

Studio of Alice Raymond

Detail from a painting by Alice Raymond.

A drawing by Robert Minervini.

More images from Robert Minervini’s studio follow in the photo gallery below.

Drawings and sculptural works in the studio of Pamela Axelson.

Additional photos of Axelson’s studio follow in the photo gallery inserted at the end of this post.

Encaustic paintings by Adele Louise Shaw.

More photos of Shaw’s studio follow in the photo gallery.

The Above Image is from the studio of Preethi Kumaresan.

The Above Prints are from the Studio of Xavier Viramontes.

The above works were made by Marti Mckee.

The post Open Studios at the Noonan Building appeared first on Artiholics.

Meryl Meisler is a Brooklyn based photographer who captured a very tumultuous, dangerous, and simultaneously glamorous era in NYC history – the 1970s and 80s. During that time, Manhattan was erupting with surreal characters and scenesters, gallivanting in iconic night clubs, while across the bridge in Bushwick, Brooklyn, there was destruction, arson, looting, the crack epidemic, and tensions between the disenfranchised communities that resided there. She taught in a Bushwick public school and with camera at the ready she bore firsthand witness to the opposing worlds, which existed just few subway stops apart.

Meryl carried a medium format camera nearly everywhere she went, and caught a glimpse into two very different social environments. One of those settings was the disco-era music and dance scene. She snapped photos of William Shatner, Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, and frequented  Studio 54. She went to places like the Paradise Garage, one of the most powerful House music venues of all time.

Meryl Meisler referred to the initial lines of A Tale of Two Cities when describing the then NYC dichotomy between extravagant Manhattan nightlife and the struggling nightmare of Bushwick, Brooklyn.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” – Charles Dickens

I went on a walk with Meryl, and then she took me out to lunch. Her eyes glowed with compassion and warmth. She currently lives in Chelsea, and she supervises/teaches future art teachers at NYU. Her new exhibition highlights photos published in her new book by Bizarre Publishing, called A Tale of Two Cities & her work is displayed in Bushwick’s Black Box Gallery (12 Jefferson Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206). She sent me photos, some of which have never been released. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did:

The original Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, and later to become the Priceline spokesperson, William Shatner is seen above. Meryl didn’t seek these people out, they just showed up in her life without her going out of the way. They seemed to be bizarre characters that had found their place in the media.

I love this one, it’s almost as if there was a crossover with disco night life into the grime and neglect of Bushwick.  My guess is that this depicts the relics of the night a woman got drunk, and experienced that shaky, exciting time. The shoes are evidence of god-only-knows what kind of misfortune and tales of love and loss that accompanied this shoe’s original owner.

 Meryl described Grace Jones (follow the link to view Jones’ YouTube video, ‘Cannibal Corpse’) as a diva, and when she walked in, she looked fabulous and divine.

This photograph cracks me up, the overt abundance of pubic hair, and the benevolent yet devious grin of the man contorting his body. Not to mention the guy with the flamboyant hat, in a mesmerized daze.

I said, “why not ask her for a photo of herself?” This photograph exemplifies the sexy and exuberant energy that I witnessed Meisler to possess ( she is standing to the left).

Meryl talked about where these three amigos wound up – one in jail, one died, and one still lives in Brooklyn. This photo was the first one that caught my attention due to the presence of innocence that had the immanency of destruction and pain.

To see more of Meisler’s photos, check out the show in Bushwick.

Meryl Meisler’s
A TALE OF TWO CITIES:
DISCO ERA BUSHWICK
exhibition and book launch
Exhibit open through September 10, 2014
Gallery Hours: Daily, 11am – 4am
BIZARRE PUBLISHING
8.5 x 11 inches
180 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9910141-1-8
$40.00 USA/CAN

Written by Andrew Kaminski

The post Is This Bushwick’s First Hipster? Meryl Meisler Photographed The Neighborhood Before It Was Cool appeared first on Artiholics.

Vancouver, Canada – Monday, June 9, 2014

For most artists, the studio is our haven – an inner sanctum of creativity where we can escape the world outside and get down to the much more serious business of making art. But how have artists kitted out their creative cribs in years gone by and how has this helped inspire them? Let’s take a look at 5 of the strangest artists’ studios ever.

Francis Bacon’s studio at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin. Pic courtesy of Patrick van IJzendoorn

1. Francis Bacon: Chaos And Creativity

When she climbed the steep stairs up to painter Francis Bacon’s tiny studio at 7, Reece Mews, South Kensington, London in 1997, Hugh Lane Gallery director Barbara Dawson had no idea what to expect.

What she found was a chaotic assemblage including slashed canvases, paint-splattered walls, countless handwritten notes, an article on singer George Michael (!) and 1,500 photographs. And a unique insight into the mind of this Irish-born British figurative painter, famous for his raw imagery and compelling depiction of the human condition.

Francis Bacon’s studio (an exact recreation of which can be seen at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin), is in stark contrast to the huge, open-plan spaces you might usually associate with artists’ studios.

Indeed, the artist tried working elsewhere, such as larger premises in London and a stint in South Africa, but it was always the cramped, unkempt maelstrom of inspiration in Reece Mews that he came back to.

2) Maison Marie Henry: Gaugin’s House Party in France

The rocky, uncompromising and often windswept landscape of Le Pouldu, Brittany, may seem in stark contrast to the sunny coves and palm trees of Tahiti where Paul Gaugin ended up. But it’s here that he and his fellow artist buddies, Paul Sérusier, Meijer De Haan and Charles Filiger, chose to hang out, drink cider and paint just about any available space in the house they could find.

One of Gaugin’s paintings found at Maison Marie Henry. Pic courtesy of Le.Mat
Marie, a young seamstress, lived alone at the house before making friends with the artists in the summer of 1889. Having struck up a particularly close relationship with De Haan (she gave birth to their daughter, Ida, in 1891), Marie opened her doors to these wild creative types, who returned her generosity by leaving a creative legacy that survives to this day.

The Maison Marie Henry was restored to its former glory in 2013 and now serves as a fascinating insight into the lifestyles and work of these famous French artists.

3) Calling The Shots: Firearms, Sculpture and Music With Pedro Reyes

Over in Mexico city, sculptor and musician Pedro Reyes has an unusual taste in collectibles for his studio. Guns. Lots of them. Almost 7,000 in fact. However, rather than use them to practice his aim, Pedro has turned these former weapons of destruction into instruments of joy.

His studio is like an arsenal of some of the most unusual sculptures and musical instruments you’ll ever see or play. After a Mexican government offered him the de-commissioned guns – confiscated from trigger-happy criminal types – Pedro set to work armed with buzz-saws and welding torches.

The results? A bass guitar made from the chargers of an AK-47, a harmonica made from the muzzle of a gun (where you hold the revolver to your face to play it!) and an entire drum kit fashioned from firearms.

As well as being pretty awesome, Pedro’s work also raises important issues about gun laws. His instruments have been featured in shows across the world, including The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh and the Lisson Gallery in London.

Artist Kirsty Lorenz at work in her railway station studio in Fife, Scotland.

4) Full Steam Ahead For Scottish Artist Kirsty Lorenz

Finding a suitable studio to work in can be tricky for any artist, but a disused railway station isn’t usually one of the first places you’d look. Not so for artist, Kirsty Lorenz, who jumped at the chance when she heard about disused rooms at the railway station in the village of Ladybank, Fife, Scotland.

Producing a large bunch of old keys, station master Marjorie Ward showed Kirsty round dark and dirty old rooms that hadn’t been used for 20 years. However, rather than being put off, Kirsty was hooked. Thanks to Scotrail’s ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme (where local communities are encouraged to use disused railway buildings), she was able to set the wheels in motion for her dream workspace.

In 2009, after a long year of renovation, fundraising and hard work, Kirsty’s studio opened to the public. Those dank, uninviting, unloved rooms have now been transformed into three bright, airy spaces where Kirsty has her studio and holds regular workshops.

The staircase of one of the buildings in Hackesche Höfe. Pic by Chris Davies.

5) Awesome Alleyways: Street Art, Berlin Style

It’s amazing what you come across when taking a stroll through any one of Berlin’s fabulously bohemian streets. One such place is Hackesche Höfe – a restored courtyard and heritage site in the city’s Mitte district. As with so many nooks and crannies in this creative city, almost every available piece of space has been covered with graffiti.

Walking up the steps of one of the eight buildings in this complex, it’s amazing to see how each step and ever the handrails have been used for artistic purposes.

On each floor, you’re greeted by a new haven of creativity. There are art studios, unique fashion outlets and comic book stores to explore. It’s no wonder so my creative types view Berlin as one of their favorite cities in the world. Walking round its historic streets, it’s easy to get a sense of what must have inspired David Bowie and Lou Reed so much.

And, when you’ve finished checking out all the amazing street art, you can go and enjoy an arthouse film in the nearby Hackesche Höfe Kino – built shortly after the wall came down in 1996.

What’s your own art studio like? Is it full of things to inspire you or do you need to work a little on your environment? Perhaps you also have an unusual space to work in? Let us know – we’d love to hear about it!

The post Quirkily Creative: 5 Of The Strangest Artists’ Studios Ever appeared first on Artiholics.

A friend and I had planned to fly from LAX to Miami for Art Basel 2012.  The tickets were bought, and the plans were in place.  Last minute my friend had to cancel due to work in New York he couldn’t get out of.

So I changed my ticket to NY and decided to join him in the Big Apple for the Christmas Holidays.  After I rescheduled my flight, my friend’s NY trip got cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy clean up.  Since I wasn’t going to Miami and had the tickets I was now determined to go to NY.

I called Jef (whom I had met and photographed previously in LA) and told him about my situation and he insisted without hesitation I stay at his place for the two weeks,  since he was going to Miami in a few days for Basel himself. 

I arrived at JFK… from the airport I went directly to his place around midnight.  That is where the journey of these photographs begin.

I arrived at the studio late at night.  It was only a few days before his drive to Miami and he was hustling hard and was beyond exhausted.

He was still preparing pieces, stopping only to get me settled in, until he finally knocked out for the night.

He was up early at 6am doing errands and didn’t come back till early afternoon. We then took off to get a rental van while he showed me the fire station, and introduced me to his local friends at the coffee shop. He then took me to his other space on the ground floor and that’s when I started shooting.

He was on it! Making his art so freely without thinking too hard… it was like it just flowed right out perfectly. Carrying on a conversation, laughing, talking about art and texting all at the same time.

You could tell he took a lot of pride in his message.. and was anxious to give it away and spread his words

For the next  three days and nights I watched him as he was creating, getting on the computer to post pictures to his FB, instagram, sending emails, etc.

The photos in the dark setting were from inside his loft – tons of stuff!  There were lots of last minute things he wanted to take.

When he would finally allow himself a few hours of sleep, I could hear him cough at night, and in the mornings…he explained it was from the aftermath of 9/11.

On the afternoon of the third day we packed up the van we had rented, making sure to leave space for someone else’s work he was going to pick up, and room for two other guys that were going to be traveling along.

At 10pm he hit the road for the long trip to Miami.  I stayed in his loft alone for the remainder of the two weeks.  We texted while he was on the road and while he was in Florida. He extended his stay, and I unfortunately had to go back to LA.  We missed each other by two days.

Jef was a great man with strong influence, extremely kind, motivational, inspirational, and full of humanity. I surely will miss his perseverance to keep your mind focused and believe anything can be done.  – Jennifer

(NYC Photos were taken 11-28-12 to 11-30-12 and are previously unpublished  Written 1-19-14 for Artiholics)

Photojeninc Jennifer Jaimes is a Hollywood based photographer and documentarian of street art and street art culture.  Her current ongoing project www.unstoppableart.com is a portrait project which captures street artists with their work.  The portrait she took of Jef at the top of this article was taken in LA at her studio – He was her first subject.  You can view her work or contact her through her website at www.photojeninc.com

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New York, NY – Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Late last year Street Artist Essam was arrested for a highly charged NYPD drone fake ad campaign he hung around the city.  In mid-March I went to a fundraising art event at Mother hosted by Animal NY to help pay his attorney and court fees.

The list of artists that donated work to the silent auction included Clay Patrick McBride, Dan Witz, Peter Max, Tanyth Berkeley, GILF, Mr. EWOKONE, Patrick Waldo, Jaron Berman, QRST,Stash, SERVO, Army of One, Adam Dare, and many more.  There were also musical performances by Ben Morgan, Danny Musengo​, California Kings​, Motherwell Johnson​, and Ludlow Thieves.

I caught up with Essam a few months later to see what had resulted from the auction, and how the case was going after all the dust had settled.

Artiholics: “First off, can you give me a little run down of what exactly happened for any of my readers who might be living outside of NYC who might not have caught the story?”

ESSAM: “On November 28th the NYPD intelligence/counter terrorism unit came knocking on my door and arrested me for allegedly placing mock NYPD public service announcements all over Manhattan.  The ad’s said things like ‘Always Watching,’ with Bloomberg’s face, cameras and drones ominously watching overhead, and “NYPD Drones, protection when you least expect it,” with a drone firing a hellfire at a fleeing family. Needless to say the NYPD was none to pleased.”

Artiholics: “What charges did they slap you with?”

ESSAM: “I’m being charged with Grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, 56 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a firearm for my great grand fathers antique revolver.”

Artiholics: “Who proposed the Free Essam silent auction?”

ESSAM: “The silent auction and concert were actually first proposed by my close friend Danny Musengo, the lead singer of Ludlow Thieves who headlined the performance that evening. I spent a week thinking, ‘I either let this ruin my life, or I try to use the momentum in the press to make something of this’. In hind sight it seems like a no brainer.”

Essam (Left) with Clay Patrick McBride.

Artiholics: “How did you get such an eclectic mix of artists to donate work?”

ESSAM: “Well, I received a formal arts education at SVA, and having been older than most other students due to my previous military service, I formed some very lasting relationships with the faculty, a few of which were instrumental in making the benefit happen. Mainly Clay Patrick McBride who was the MC for the evening, is a very well known and respected photographer in the music and sports industries and really went to bat for me. Through him I was able to meet many of the artists who donated, including one of the performers.”

Artiholics: “Anyone show up at the party you didn’t expect to?”

ESSAM: “I met a lot of people that I was honored to have in attendance to include one of the heads of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, the wall street journal, a representative from Adam Harvey’s studio, but I was most surprised to see photographer Kareem Black, who’s presence usually signifies ‘this’ is the cool thing to be doing, and collector W. H. Hunt who is one of the bigger collectors and curators of photography in New York. There was also an Assistant District Attorney in attendance which made me a little nervous.”

Artiholics: “Did the party raise a lot of funds?  Anyone offer up a get out of jail free card?”

ESSAM: “I managed to raise about $13,000 front the event itself and another $10,000 through the sale of work online with 1xRun, which in total nearly covered the cost of my attorney, so i’m happy, though a get out of jail free card would have been nice. I did make a piece for Libertarian Billionaire Peter Thiel and sent it along with a letter to his place of business in San Francisco in hopes of at least having an ally in the fight but I never received a response.”

Artiholics: “Have you had to return to court since the party?”

ESSAM: “I have, I went back on May 1st, the case was adjured until August 5th.  To date there has been no progress in the case, My attorney is in communication with the district attorney to negotiate a plea bargain. The only real progress is soon I may finally be receiving my computers and hard drives that were taken in the raid.”

Artiholics: “What’s next on the horizon for you artistically?  And where can we keep tabs on your openings and events?”

ESSAM: “Right now I’m working with 1xRun on another edition of screen prints and I’m putting together work for a couple shows. No dates are set but you can keep updated with both my photography and my street art at www.eadamattia.com and www.freeessam.com, Free_ESSAM is on all social media as well.”

To support the FREE ESSAM campaign, you can buy a poster, the first two posters have sold out.  The third edition of posters are now available to purchase on 1xrun.com  (here)

You can also sign the petition to drop the charges against Essam, on ForceChange.com

Interview and Photos by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”
(header image by The Daily News)

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During the Bushwick Open Studios I opened a door and found myself in a poem come to life.  Experimental performance group 3i performed an original piece titled “Story of Am” and will be performing it again today and tomorrow on Governors Island as part of FIGMENT NYC.  Figment NYC is free, and all weekend long at Governors Island.

Left to right: Yo-e Ryou, Chase Chualong, Harry Spencer (white shirt), Zoe Rappaport, Rebeca Huntt, Libby Mislan.  On the floor: Yurie Collins & Jen Chantrtanapichate.

They will be there from 10am to 6pm and will be performing it three times a day (both Saturday June 8 & Sunday June 9). The majority of the time when they aren’t performing, visitors will have the opportunity to engage in healing arts practices, individually and in community.

During the open studio they allowed me to do a photoshoot of them after the performance.  It was really hot in there, and climbing the ladder to a higher and hotter elevation just made it more interesting.

I had performer (and graphic designer) Yo-e Ryou climb a second ladder to add some cool foreground to the shot which worked out really well. After the shoot Chase Chualong offered me some dandelion tea which was delicious.

Jen Chantrtanapichate offered some aroma therapy.  This involved sliding a crystal over the flower I felt most connected with.  I chose the white one that was wilting.  This corresponded with a scent she dabbed on my wrists. Being that I have yet to evolve beyond bar soap, deodorant, and AXE body spray this was interesting to me.

I felt a little like Odysseus in the land of the Lotus eaters and had a hard time pulling myself away from this studio, but there was much more to see.

Five minutes later I was in another room a few doors over listening to poetry.  Nothing is commonplace during Bushwick Open Studios if you are open to anything.  I did find myself sniffing my wrists every so often throughout the rest of the day.  It was hot as hell out, so it was either that or smell my own sweat, and with that being the other option, the flower scent was a welcome relief.

Written by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

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One of the amazing things about the Bushwick Open Studios is that you never know what is behind the next unlocked door.  I wandered down a hallway after having just photographed the 3i group of performing artists, only to open a door into a giant packed loft in the middle of a poetry reading.

The Song Cave poet Alan Felsenthal was reading poems from Alfred Starr Hamilton’s book A Dark Dreambox of Another Kind , which he prefaced by mentioning that poet was a recluse who lived in Montclair, NJ his entire life.  I was born in Montclair, so naturally I was intrigued.

He read a few of the poems and then a few of his own. 

Behind him was a large-scale architectural drawings of a worm’s eye  view of a  building’s fire escape by artist Helen Dennis.

Poets house fellow Elsbeth Pancrazi read a few of her works.

Jack Kerouac fellowship award winner Monica Wendel read some of her works.

Normally, in the heat of an art crawl I will not take the time to plop down to listen to a poetry reading, but I could use an excuse to get off my feet for a bit, and even though the place was pretty hot, it was better than some rooms that had no ventilation whatsoever, and it was inspiring to let the theater of the mind take over.

Written and photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

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Big brother is watching you, in the mirror.  Just a day before these pictures were taken I was writing about how the future tech is going to be a lot more clear, and now here I am, at 566 Johnson Ave., in Bushwick, Brooklyn during the Bushwick Open Studios trying on a pair of Google Glass myself, and taking the technology for a test drive.

The first thing people say is “they look like shit!” I agree, they do, but this is the short sighted view of them.  The stylish designer sunglasses you currently wear, picture them as Google glasses, now you get the idea.  This is a scary near-future we are about to be embracing friends.  A future where the time is in the upper right corner of your screen VISION at all times.  Where the things you are seeing can be recorded on command, and tweeted to the web on command.

When I first tried them on and they took a minute to get used to.

Like firing a gun I felt compelled to close one eye to focus on what I was seeing in the other, obviously a Google Glass n00b..  A tiny translucent screen hovers above and to the right of your right eye.  You can swipe down on the plastic on the side of your face to scroll through the images (like swiping your finger on an iPhone screen) to see what pictures you have taken thus far.  It was displaying 4 images at a time stacked in two rows of two.

Artist Ashley Zelenski (One of only about 500 of these prototypes) takes these pictures of me with my camera as I command the glasses to take a picture of her.

It’s as simple as saying “OK Glass, take a picture.”

Here is the first picture I have ever shot by voice command and without holding a camera.  A little blurry I know, I had no idea what I was doing.  Here’s how it LOOKS ON TWITTER.

My camera back in my own hand, of course Ashley wears it better, I took pictures of her while she took pictures of me with the glasses.  Very surreal, and scary.

As you can see in this close-up there is no actual glass to the Google Glass, except for the rectangular chunk that obscures most of your right eye.  The rest of it is just frame, camera, and computer.  In this shot you can see that she has taken a picture and it’s holding still framed in the screen until she tweets it or scrolls out.

This is the standby screen.  If you think girls are distracted when they are talking to you now, imagine when they have the internet buzzing in front of their eye at all times.  Good luck with that.

Ashley Zelenski is an amazing 3D sculptor who is one of the pioneers of 3D sculptural printing.

Here is some of her work on display in her open studio.

She’s also the gallery/ studio director of Active Space. You can follow Ashley on Twitter to see all the photos she uploads from her Google Glass each day  They will most definitely not be all blurry like my shitty attempt.

Photos of Cojo by Ashley Zelinskie
Written by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

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Over the weekend Bushwick, Brooklyn and it’s sister art community Ridgewood, Queens; artist studios, art galleries, and art collectives opened their spaces up to the public.  There were over 600 venues to visit, and being that I only was going to be spending one day crawling around Brooklyn in the baking summer heat, I tried to take in as many of those 600 as possible before melting into a stinky sweat stain.

One amazing place you wouldn’t know is there unless you stumbled upon it is the Secret Project Robot Institute For The Living Arts.  A not for profit art collective which used to be based in Williamsburg and has recently taken refuge at Melrose St. and Knickerbocker Ave. in Bushwick.

When you enter the building you walk directly into a gallery, with a stage.  The ceilings are massive so they are able to hold massive paintings.

These giant works belong to artist and musician David Shull.

I walked through the gallery to the bar in the back, which had a pinball table, a comic book collection, and a ceiling and walls covered in stuffed animals.

I introduced myself to Rachel Nelson, the co-founder and director of the place.  She was so sweet, and insisted on giving me the grand tour.

The building, aside from having an amazing gallery and bar, also housed multiple artist studios and an office.  Each studio looks out to the side yard and has great natural light.

This is the work of artist Raul De Nieves.

Here is a piece by Rachel herself.  The dayglow colored sandwich.

The side yard reminded me of Pee Wee’s Playhouse.

Giant bag of money, a metal hut, tables, chairs, sculptures, a little modern building, a bandshell, a tiki bar.

She took me over to these three giant metal storage freighter shipping containers.  She opened one up to show me.  They have each been converted into…

Soundproof practice rooms for bands.

Everyone was in the middle of setting up, as they were having a music act that night, and a bbq.

I met artist Dean Cercone unfurling a giant mural he had painted and rolled up.

He was getting ready to mount it to the cynder block wall behind him.  I climbed up onto a stack of planed wood to get these shots.

Dean in front of his pieces.

   Erik Zajaceskowski is a multimedia artists who creates the video art which plays on multiple screens around the space.

The outdoor tiki bar.

I ended up hanging out there for about 20 minutes, one of the longest stops I made on my day of art crawling.  Cool people, great vibes, and an awesome venue.  I will be back.  Be sure to like them on Facebook to see when they have upcoming shows and openings.

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

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Tonight I’m heading down. . . to Chinatown, for “I Walk The Line.” Painter Mark DeMaio‘s 20-Piece solo show, (his first ever done principally in Black & White) opens at Sacred Gallery tonight (Thursday April 4, 2013 from 8pm to 11pm – facebook event page) and runs until April 30th.

Mark DeMaio, at his studio.

I first met Mark in 2011 when his last big controversial line art solo show “Pop Goes The Bible” had recently opened.  I had been out of town for the actual opening, and I will be sure not to make that mistake again, as his openings are over-the-top.

When he called me in early March, he asked me to swing by his studio to check out his new work.  As my focus has always been line art.  I managed to squeeze a trip over the the West Village at the end of one of the Armory week nights.  After having been on my feet all day for 5 days in a row, it was nice to kick back, drink some wine, and eat some pasta on the couch while Mark pulled out and displayed piece after piece for me.

The lighting was dim, and I don’t want to “give away” the entire show before it is unveiled tonight, so I will just show a few pieces.Large faces and silhouettes composed of tons of little faces, iconography, scenes, clowns, and ink drips.  These are all oil on canvas with some mixed media thrown in on a few of the pieces.

Playing a lot into what I had seen over Armory week where the big image is made up of lots of little images, although, in this case the little images are not uniform, not collage, not multiples.  They are a giant smorgasbord of drawings all on on canvas balancing on one another, mushing together,and piling up to make a larger image.

There are a few drawings mixed in with the paintings, this is a very detailed ink drawing of an ice cream cone.

They do have a little bit of an Underground comics vibe to them.  Like some R.Crumb Zap Comix from the late 60s where all the artists were dropping acid and drawing crazy shit.

These are just the tip of the ice berg.  I hope to see you all tonight at the opening!

Mark DeMaio: I Walk The Line
April 4-April 30, 2013
Opening Reception: April 4, 2013 8PM-11PM

Sacred Gallery
424 Broadway 2nd Floor Rear (Between Canal and Howard)
New York, NY 10013
https://www.sacredgallerynyc.com/

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