Ciao Fabio,

Please introduce yourself and your background.

I am from the southern part of Italy, Catania, Sicily, but I am really a little bit from everywhere. After the mandatory Italian military service, I left for France. I was 18 and that happened in 1996. I lived 3.5 years in France and then I moved to the United States in September 1999. Throughout my three years in France I learned about French techniques and French coiffeur and I started to take academic courses in England. I moved away from Italy because I needed to learn techniques and visions from other countries. In my field the Italians are considered to be super artistic and crafty with their hands “we are artisans”. It makes a huge impact to be able to visualize and finish something in a proper way. The English have much more structure and precision and they use technical abilities. The French are a combination of both (like the Italians and the English). The French also have a middle eastern influence as well. They know how to deal with different types of hair from a technical point of view but they are also artisans.

After these 3.5 years of experiences, I moved to New York and to Los Angeles and I have been here for 22 years and I currently live in New York.

This dream started in my childhood so I have been doing hair since I was 12 years old.

What do you call yourself?

I can be called a “hairstylist” but I am actually an “Artisan-Artist”, with the vision of an artist and with the technique of an artisan. I am also a hair doctor, consultant, a “Hairapist”.

Anybody can be a hairdresser but I am like a hair specialist. There is always someone that can do better. But do you have many people that can do better than you in every single aspect holistically speaking? The answer is no. I challenge everyone. I can specialize in every single area because of my time and my mindset. The way we approach things here is a little bit different than others. We can cover almost everything from the trichology to morphology and we try to see the psychology and the behavior of the customers in front of us as well as their facial features. Then we analyze everything and cover every single base.

When did you open your first salon and how many salons do you have now?

I have two salons. We have about 15 stations. I would have a maximum of 25 stations.

What made you decide to become a hairstylist? What inspires and motivates you? 

Italians by default have big passions: cars, motorcycles, food, and women. My neighbor was a hairdresser and he was always coming home with beautiful women on dates; he had a nice life and a great car. This guy had it all! He was always well dressed. My mom’s best friend was a hairdresser too and she was coming to the house along with other women and this also encouraged me to become a hairdresser as well. I could be around women, make money. I am very ambitious, I don’t do mediocre things. I always do the best and so I liked the whole package. So this is how everything started.

I was a visionary. Italy unfortunately is not very good about dreams and visionaries. Yes it was good to learn the craft and the creativity but not for dreams.

I learned a lot in Italy. I convinced myself to follow my dreams. I went to do an internship after middle school and I did “the gavetta” without being paid. I was doing a lot of side jobs to support myself.

How did covid have an impact on your business and how did you adjust and create a safe environment for your customers?

We are not anti vaccine, not political oriented, we just want what is the best. We had to adapt to the times, I went beyond the guidelines and I did everything and beyond what they were asking. We wanted to make sure that clients had a protocol when they came in. We stayed updated with the guidelines, we measured the temperature, and everyone had to wear a mask, and kept 6 feet distance between the stations. We stopped offering drinks, (we had a full bar, no more coffee as well), so people could learn how to manage the social distance and feel safe and comfortable when inside our salons. We washed our hands and sanitized everything and each station. Each customer stayed at a station and if they moved we sanitized the entire station and re-cleaned everything. We asked people not to stay in the salon if they didn’t have an appointment. We asked people to remove the mask they came in and put on a new mask; that was a little bit hard, but not negotiable. Nothing was negotiable in the guidelines. It was an extra precaution. The goal was to make sure that our staff members and family and customers were all safe.

We tried to cut down the hours or extend them according to the needs to make sure to be safe. We also eliminated magazines.

If people did not want to follow our guidelines, we had to ask them to leave. It only probably happened twice.

Through PPP we were able to keep the business afloat and I kept paying my staff.

We also started to ask our customers how Covid-19 has been impacting their lives and lifestyles, how often do you wash your hair now? How are you doing your hair now? Now they don’t go to the office but maybe they work on Zoom, so there are differences between seeing people in person or on a flat screen. I therefore asked people to bring a screenshot of how they look on Zoom so that we can work on their hair.

We currently maintain these standards and requirements.

What are your dreams and plans for the future?

My dream, my plan for the future is as follows: one part of my dream is to grow the Fabio Scalia brand in the most important cities in the world where we can be and become pioneers and inspiration for young hairdressers who want to pursue this career and make it a treasure. I also want to be able to give a wonderful opportunity to those who for one reason or another perhaps do not believe in themselves or do not believe that they can have a nice and lucrative professional future by doing hair.

Fabio Scalia’s Website

Instagram 

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To see these masterpieces, you can to the MoMA or the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam – or you can see them projected in 90 million pixels across 500,000 cubic feet of a visual experience. Immersive Van Gogh, a digital art exhibition devoted to the Dutch master, is touring around the world with numerous venues in the United States.

Following the sold-out show in Toronto, and record-breaking run in Paris (glimpses of which you can see in Netflix’s show “Emily in Paris”), “Immersive Van Gogh” opened this May at a secret location in Los Angeles.

One of the most important artists in the history of visual arts, Vincent van Gogh developed a remarkable, memorable painterly style, drawing from his long history with mental illness combined with his unique sense of the world around him. His incredible swirls of colors and attention to detail continue to dazzle audiences around the world, now culminating in the “Immersive Van Gogh” experience. The visitors are able to “step inside” Van Gogh’s masterpieces, carefully selected from his 2000+ lifetime catalog of artworks, and accompanied by light, music, movement, and imagination.

Conceived as a one-hour walkthrough exhibition, “Immersive Van Gogh” was designed by Creative Director and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, and Art Directed by Vittorio Guidotti. It contains original, mood-setting score by another Italian, multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, that accompanies the Van Gogh artwork as it comes to life before the visitors’ eyes.

Chances are you’ve probably already seen dozens of images of “Immersive Van Gogh” across your socials. The exhibition provides an environment that flawlessly caters to our obsession with social media and the ever-evolving selfie culture (remember Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room selfies? They were EVERYWHERE). Add to that the ongoing pandemic and our human need to socialize and be part of events, and you got yourself a blockbuster!

The “Immersive Van Gogh” experience has nineteen cities on its North American schedule, with shows already open in Chicago (until November 28, 2021) and San Francisco (until September 6, 2021). The Los Angeles iteration opens on May 27 at a yet undisclosed location “at the heart” of the city. The exhibitions will then open in New York City (June 10), Dallas (June 17), Charlotte, NC (June 18), Las Vegas (July 1), Phoenix, Minneapolis, Houston…

And speaking of the coronavirus, “Immersive Van Gogh” promises a safe space: through timed ticket admission, temperature checks upon arrival, hand sanitizer stations and social distancing markers across the exhibition hall, and of course masks, to be worn at all times.

Tickets for “Immersive Van Gogh” range in prices from $40 for off-peak time slots to $50 for peak ones. You might want to hurry: the first available time slot at the moment is in October!

Immersive Van Gogh LA Website

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You are an artist and you also perform in shows. Which side of the job do you like and enjoy the most?

I like when everything blurs together and it’s a lifestyle versus a job or a show. It is not just painting, not just performing. I like being ongoing. I paint on my face, then I smash the paint into a canvas, then I stack that onto my chest, then I slam it into a wall, while making a song. Then the song inspires me while I’m drawing. I let it all out, non stop. Sleep less/do more. When we dip back into this “human” life of roles and routine we become less in the moment.

You bridged the gap between the Art and Club world in the 90’s; can you tell us more?

I was a naive kid working clubs in ’93 for food money. I drew at all my events, jobs, even when I WAS A D.J. or did the door or ran events. From booking Wutang to Fat Joe, I was still  drawing all the people that came out. I filled sketchbooks and everyone was like YOOOOO! “Why don’t you just show your work?”  and I was like “ whhhhhhat???”

As a kid I had no clue. I grew up struggling and with no art education so the Club world x “my” people put me on, and then I started organizing art shows at the clubs. Once I saw that I could organize I put other people on. I did things every week back then. I was curating in a way, from dance shows, raves, punk, palladium, horrible bars etc but I left all that and moved on into showing and full time artist life around 18, 19 years old.

Your signature line work has made an impact on NYC. Can you tell us some of the details of what that line is and how it impacted NYC?

I don’t think it’s up to the artist to determine if the work impacts anyone. New York City is constantly changing, the lines are fluid and always moving, overlapping, changing, like this crazy place. Everyone has a line of work, I’m just channeling the rhythms  worked on as a kid and what I develop daily now, to hopefully make new language.

The lines developed from growing up here as a coping mechanism, drawing life, faces, places and movement. Everyone’s experience in New York is different. Growing up I was an extreme outsider to art. The line work I developed was without exposure to the art, even though I was born here. This kind of lifestyle is often overlooked in “art” storytelling when we think of NY. I hope we can start to think of other artists from rough areas that made it, but the common story is born into, or came for it???

I was born sick, as a kid I suffered from extreme illnesses and just became known as the kid that stayed inside and drew weird lines. Outsiders come from all over the world to New York to make art. I was an outsider in my own town, I just drew all the time and it took all the other New Yorkers to tell me to look at these drawings, to look at Warhol, that I was an artist and to go see a Chuck Close show. I was a strange street kid- I was always  getting into trouble living by the side of the road. My NYC story is odd, but many can relate; they just don’t all get the chance to speak and I hope that changes in this extreme twisted culture.

How would you define your work, technique, and what your message is behind it?

I work around the clock every day. I’ve always been this way since I was a kid. My focus has been being free, making, making, making- from doing collage, sculptures, drawings, paintings, masks, music, immersing myself. I like to throw paint on my clothes, cakes on my head and do jackass performances. I need to escape the system and all this man made bullshit construct by creating all the time and fully being lost in the moment. I don’t want to conform and be a part of anything.

You say that your paintings are inside paintings, can you explain to us what you mean by that?

I try to create paintings that are not one dimensional. Even if it’s as simple as strange Miss Piggy if you look closer you can see a skull, a flower and an exploding eye, then maybe yourself. I have to compete with life. People are busy. If I’m making work and want people to see, I have to think of my competition, this huge thing called life which has so many pictures.

There are layers into layers, pushed, smushed and splattering all around fields of color that shift, faces inside of worlds and if you move in close you can discover hidden levels. I’m doing my math, drawing from different angles, different foregrounds, and multiple perspectives. It’s not a straightforward story, it’s more like a painted Matthew Silver bit.

What is art for you?

Art to me isn’t described by the word art. It isn’t something in a box, destroyed by intention, it just is. All the rest is just human bullshit, needs and wants. The thing that works is when it transcends into the next dimension.

You opened the Alien X the living installation. What inspired this installation and can you share with us more about it? What is it about?

We just did an installation on our Lower East Side rooftop with the city skyline, and have another one coming up. We recorded the whole thing live and it’s available to watch. www.michaelalanart.com/thelivinginstallation

During our performances we are creating human paintings, that change and melt and transform on our bodies and in space. In short we slap ourselves up with anything you can think of. We create robots, slam materials on our head, scream and transform and meld our skin, wreaking and creating objects, blindfolded and covered in paint. We speak about the human condition and the artist as a clown and the underlying emptiness of capitalism. My 84 year old mother performs! Jadda cat is my partner. I am just a clown.

People think of New York and they think of Graffiti and Hip Hop and an underground performance scene. We are continuing that old school punk ethos. New York has been shut down and there’s not been too much going on and we are trying to contribute to its rebirth. We designed the show to be accessible in the open air or by live feed so that people have a way to experience art safely again. We also at random daily walk around as living art.

Since artists seem to always be creating or thinking of their next creation, please share with us any of your future projects and dreams.

I have so much work around me piled up and in progress, and series upon series and so many various styles that I can barely keep up. I just keep working and I let it guide me to where I’m going. I want to keep finding the new without an agenda.

 My next show is this upcoming Saturday, May 22nd.

www.instagram.com/michaelalanalien

www.instagram.com/thelivinginstallation

www.facebook.com/MichaelAlan1.0

www.michaelalanart.com

https://michaelalanalien.bandcamp.com/album/michael-alan-alien

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With the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually every in-person event on Earth was cancelled, art fairs among them. Directors had to get creative, inspired to find a way to keep art, hope, and inspiration alive by bringing the show to the public somehow.

A little background: Cube Art Fair is actually a Brussels-based enterprise, happening in the Belgian capital every year for four years now. It mainly focuses on American artists through a high standard of curation, presentation, and organization of a major gallery fair. Through Cube Art Fair, European collectors have a unique change to get familiar with the contemporary art scene in the United States, be it emerging or established.

So how does a Brussels fair end up in New York? The reason would be Gregoire Vogelsang, the man behind Cube, who moved to the Big Apple after managing an art gallery in Belgium for two years.

Now onto the NYC event! To visit Cube Art Fair 2021, you better get your legs ready: the artwork can be viewed on over 100 of the city’s many billboards and kiosks, from the heart of Times Square to the Lower East Side, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, the Upper East Side and beyond. The whole of Manhattan is Cube Art Fair’s exhibition space! The billboard initiative seems to be part of Cube’s #staycreative campaign, which had already taken place in Brussels and Miami.

What not to miss? The Cube Art Fair definitely recommends seeing “Soft Stories,” one of the artworks appearing on a 12,000-square-feet billboard in Times Square. Created by Canadian photographer Laura Jane Petelko, the open series takes the symbolic inhabitation of animals as the point of departure and goes on to tackle the topics of intimacy, isolation, our relationship with nature.

On the other hand, the sculptural work of the American artist Sam Tufnell tries to reorient our understanding of beauty. His pieces present in the Cube Art Fair exhibition call out the macabre: there is a sculpture of a skull made of noodle soup, for instance.

Among other participating artists are Denmark’s portrait photographer Kenneth Willardt, the French-Mexican photographer Patricia de Solages, and Belgian wildlife photographer Griet Van Malderen.

Make sure you scan the QR code of each artwork, to find our more about it, or even to purchase it, in physical or NFT format.

Cube Art Fair is on view in New York City through May 9, 2021.

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New York City is a city that breathes art in most of its corners, and it is known as the city that never sleeps and where dreams come true. New York City is where art cannot only be found in its famous museums, but also in its streets. Walking through the city could lead you to multiple and diverse forms of art, from installations, murals, paintings to monuments, you name it and probably you can find it in the well-known and appreciated street art in the mist and heart of the city.

A city that is full of attractions but also it is in itself a massive attraction to many visitors and locals. Walking through New York City has become in many cases a free for all access pass to a giant and singular urban museum of architectural wonders, music and other cultural experiences. New York City is a clean and open canvas for many artists, performers, and creators to display and share their talent with everyone willing to pay attention. Street art is mostly for everyone, and is an accessible way to convey art, to provide an experience to all visitors and viewers, and a spectacular way of doing art.

Banksy is the famous British street artist, known for his mysterious and anonymous identity, and for his popular graffiti paintings around many countries in the world. His urban street art and interventions in the art community have gained him recognition, his style is a signature that he has developed over the years with each of his pieces and displays. Banksy has attracted an interest in his street art and in the meaning of it, making it an experience for his followers, admires and critics. The inclusion of his fans in his way of doing art, and the chase to discover his latest creation or intervention is what has made him a symbol of the rise of street art. The use of cultural, urban and mundane objects and spaces as part his artwork, the graffiti form of painting and the inappropriate feel of it has gained him an audience that appreciates his irreverent style and his mysterious message sometimes implicit and at other times difficult to identify.

The Hammer Boy, located on 79^th Street and Broadway in Manhattan on the wall of the DSW store, is one of many Banksy’s street art pieces left during October 2013, when the artist created a few art pieces around New York City, in over a 31-day period. Some of those pieces were removed, but the Hammer Boy was preserved by the local business, owner of the store, where it was found it. Now covered with Plexiglas to protect the art over time and from other forms of damages, Hammer Boy has become a point of reference for tourist, visitor and Banksy fans.

The simplicity and the use of his surroundings are signs of the artist’s work found in the Hammer Boy. A simple black silhouette of a child holding a hammer painted in a stencil, imitating for many the popular carnival game, where a person uses a hammer to hit a level, the contrast with the brick beige wall and the black color of the silhouette makes it stand up to the viewer. The use of the hydrant, the pipe and the signs on the wall are a demonstration of Banksy’s style of using artless and ordinary objects.

Graffiti and the definition of it as a form of street art, art or  just simple vandalism is a topic of discussion and evaluation, but what is not up for discussion for many is the inspiration and appreciation street art provides to those looking to transform mundane objects, spaces and lives into better and more artistic expressions. Street art challenges the artist and everyone that admires it to see the world with a different and more artistic eye.

New Yorkers are coming out of a difficult quarantine due to a virus that has impacted the city in unimaginable ways but has strengthened its spirit and determination. The love of their city is ingrained in what it represents and provides not only to its local population but to the world. Art is subjective but also is encouraging, inspiring and healing, having these options accessible by a simple walk or a simple train ride, for many is what helps and keeps this city alive. Discovering and re-discovering these little gems throughout the city is a way to get back into a new normal that people are still trying to discern and grapple with. Soon Museums will open again and inside door activities will be available, but for now and for all those who value seeing and finding art in the monotonous and daily life, street art is a way to enjoy art and life in these difficult times.

The Hammer Boy is a simple, very accessible piece of art that is not only a representation of its creator, but also a fit in a city that love, speaks and inhale art. You can find Banksy’s Hammer Boy art piece on 79^th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, on the wall of the DSW store. It is worth a visit.

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Luxury Escapism or “The Oddly Satisfying Spa” is an immersive art technology wellness experience reminiscent of a Spa with elements of theatre & Virtual Reality. Luxury Escapism – a VR Spa has been created by Tyler Pridgen. Initially I went in to do a shoot for their online advertisement campaign last year in December and that itself was a lot of fun. The space was very cool so when Tyler asked me to come on as a member I was intrigued by what that would entail for me as an actor.

What was your role?

My role in Luxury Escapism involved taking on the character of a “Spa Attendant”; working alongside an ensemble of artists to set the stage and keep the front of a Spa. We are given a script that we memorize and deliver for all the different stages like the welcoming of guests into the space, the rules they have to follow, the instructions they should look out for, etc. Doing that was more traditional in the sense of learning lines and delivering them but then the rest of it used improv so we got to play around with a bunch of different techniques.

From an actor point of view, what has been the peculiar aspect of this kind of technology that makes it different from a standard filming project?

In a set up that’s so different from what I’m used to working on, it can sometimes be quite the challenge to not break character. I had never worked on a project like this before and it allowed me to work with a whole new realm of experimental theatricality since it is on us to maintain the believability of the experience and the people coming into the space have no idea about us acting or what they are in for really. The project has been so well received and people genuinely enjoy it because it’s truly one of a kind. I highly recommend everyone to try it!

What is the most important artistic project that you have been a part of?

I think I have been lucky in my journey so far to have worked on a few projects that I consider important to me. One of these was a project I worked on last year that was part of the 48 Hour Film Festival NYC.The film was screened at The Anthology Film Archives, NY.

About your previous works, you took part in a project that was part of the 48 Hour Film Festival NYC.The film was screened at The Anthology Film Archives, NY.  What is the concept of that festival?

The concept of the festival was that we had 48 hours to create a short film after a theme, a prompt and the name of a lead character. “Joan” in our case was the character I played in what had been given to us. The film was action heavy and I hadn’t really worked on many films like before so it was cool to work with a stunt choreographer and being an observer to that process.  It was such a fascinating experience working with a team of people that came together just for this project and had not worked with each other before. Of course we had our set departments like acting, cinematography, producing etc, but it was very collaborative from the script to the directing. I think that’s also the reason that this project was influential because it gave me insight into all the things that go into making a film and I learned a bit about all the aspects. It also peaked my interest into production; I think that may be something I’m keen on going into the future!

Covid-19 and creativity. Has the pandemic changed any of your artistic plans?

I had recently been cast in an off-off broadway satirical comedy show that has actually been a long running show at the Producers Club Theatre, New York. The show called “Sketch of New York” is a hilarious representation of life in NYC. We were due to go on at end of March this year and were mid rehearsals when the lockdown began and we had to postpone the show until further notice, but the directors of the show are still in contact with us. We have had talks about zoom rehearsals to keep us in the rhythm of the show so that once we are in the clear we can pick up where we left off.

With the coronavirus it has been a collective struggle for everyone all around the world and my heart goes out to everyone who has suffered and their families. I wish everyone safety and health. These are strange times that we are living through and with the lockdown the last 2 months have been unusual to say the least.

Were you able to be involved in any artistic project during the pandemic?

I have been trying to use this time to be as creative as possible for when I am not creative that has been detrimental to my well being. I think creative engagement helps so much with keeping positivity alive at a time like this. I actually have been involved in 2-3 remote projects during the quarantine that have kept me busy and it’s been interesting to create with other artists, all of us working on our individual end at home! At the moment, I am working on a music video from home as well so I look forward to seeing how that turns out.

What is your opinion between the filming NY and LA scene? Why have you chosen NY instead of LA?

New York has been my home for the last few years now and I have really liked both living & working here. While I don’t have experience working in LA as yet, it would be a new space for me to break into. I have a familiarity with New York and there is a lot of work that is being done here with films, shows and the theatre but, that being said, I did make the move from India all the way to New York and ultimately if the situation called for me to make the move to LA I would certainly consider it.

I think I would definitely like to work projects there and learn what the “scene” is like there plus I haven’t been to LA yet so that would be a good reason to visit. I am excited to see what opportunities are ahead for me and what else is in store!

Are you a theatre cinema lover, or do you prefer series TV from the couch?

Hmm! That is a hard question to answer (laughs). I love both those things equally I think. I love balance in life, so in general I am person who enjoys both being outside and outdoors but, I also love staying in bed all day or just having a chill day at home. The same can be said about my preference with that because I truly love the experience of going to the cinema – popcorn & soda, but I am also a binge watcher who enjoys her shows.

We are living in an explosion of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the Disney channel. Do you think that the end of Hollywood has already been decided?

I don’t think so, I wouldn’t say we’re at the end for Hollywood, no. It’s true that with Netflix, Amazon and all the other subscription services we have access to, and a platform for films, tv shows, and such which is amazing. But the experience of going to the cinema has its own very significant place so I do think there’s a big place for films in that capacity in our lives still.

Why have you decided to have a career as an actress and singer in the USA rather than India?

The reason that I made my initial move to the USA was to have the best available education in acting, that’s also why I chose New York. There is such a rich history of the arts here so I knew there was a lot for me to gain in my learning. But it was never a decision of choosing one over the other. At the end of the day I just love to act and if I felt that I had more opportunities in India I would go back, but I’ve been lucky enough to have found my footing here for now. I’m happy that work here has kept me busy and I think another added bonus has been that being in New York has given me the exposure of working with so many talented artists from around the world. It truly is a melting pot of culture and the arts in the best way possible.

The post Acting and Covid-19: A Conversation with Swarnima Singh, an Indian Actress in NYC appeared first on Artiholics.

For the ninth edition, Asya Rotella (the daughter of the unforgettable master Mimmo Rotella) has been the chief of the curatorial team, and we must tell, she made a great job!

54 international artists from Canada, the United States, China, Japan, and Europe brightened the second weekend of October.

Asya Rotella chooses among many applications the most representative artworks for this era: versatile, powerful, and eclectic.

Sculptures and paintings, installations, big sized pieces exposed to be the joy of all the art lovers.

Clio Art Fair is known to give to the exhibiting artist lots of services such as free studio visits, which for this edition if we can say, has been a very fortunate choice. Clio Art Fair is also the place where you can meet artists that are showcasing their works for their very first time as the talented Thomas Fazio (painting and sculptures). this edition has seen also the debut in the fine art world of the well-known fashion designer Adrienne Landau, who exhibited her painting for the first time ever.

As old friends of Clio we appreciated again Anne Hefer with two romantic oils, Lauralee Franco with her huge canvases; the exuberant photographer Amanda J Armstrong, and, after a few years, we were glad to meet again Anthea Zito, painter and photographer, just at the entrance.

We would like to highlight also the Greek artist Despina Zografos with her very mystical and elaborated multi-layered paperwork; not to mention the cityscape photographer Annette Schreiber, or the magic gouaches by Hyun Jung Ji or Denise Adler‘s complex paintings empowered by the collage technique; the exquisite bronzes by Emilio Diiorio, and a young – very Basquiat-inspired – Keith Josiah.

Clio Art Fair hosted a couple of thousand visitors from Friday 10th to Sunday 13th, and counting the red dots on the walls we can say that the 25% of the artists sold at least one piece, data that definitely confirm that the human size of the show, and the affordable prices of the artworks (from $300 to $20,000), are a winning formula.

Written by Caterina Chavez

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Photography captures moments in real-time and preserve them through it. A form of art that acts as a window to the past and a way to look back to periods of times and events that created history. A photograph allows the viewer to travel to that specific moment and experience what the photographer tried to capture and convey. It could be a simple memory, a statement, a communication or just a way to tell a story and bring to life a vision of that time.

A photograph is highly influence by the person behind the lens, how the photographer sees the moment, the composition and mostly what is trying to show through the selection of locations, subjects, colors, and methods. For most artists the intention is to produce a photograph that will deliver their intent or will allow the viewer to create their own experience and conclusions.

In Garry Winogrand’s Color exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum, viewers and visitors will find a different side of the artist photography, the less known side, his color photographs. Winogrand was a celebrated photographer. Known for his black and white images, Winogrand was a pioneer of the of “snapshot aesthetics” trend in contemporary art, a trend form around the 1960s in fine art photography consisting on presenting what the photographer saw, casual looks and ordinary living. Winogrand was a figure of his time and a pivotal artist of his generation. According to the press release of Garry Winogrand: Color exhibition, Winogrand used to carry two cameras one with black-and-white film and another with Kodachrome color film, despite not having the resources to produce his color images he still shot them, leaving an unknown and undeveloped work, that now is the center of this exhibition.

As the first exhibition dedicated to Winogrand’s color photography, it presents more than 450 never seen or rarely seen color photographs through seventeen projections in vertical and horizontal points. “Presented in eight thematic sections that highlights Winogrand’s diverse subjects and approaches to color photography” as it was described in the press release. The contrast between the colorful and constant changing slides and the darkness of the gallery room makes it a unique experience to the visitor, a sense of intimacy that allows the viewers to travel through the snaps, the colors and the compositions, to look back to that specific time to recognize and remember their own experiences or to discover a new one. Stories and history not as familiar as the present-day but can still carry an experience, a comparison and distinction to it.

Scenes that seem as everyday life, simple subjects, elements and people who represent that moment in time, leaving a visually compelling experience to the guest making the exhibition a special immersion into Winogrand’s work. The constant changing and movement of the slides give the display a rhythm, engaging the guest and the art in an ingenuous way. Accompanied by a small selection of the artist popular black-and-white photographs the exhibit creates a generous window into the artist photography.

Garry Winogrand (1928-1984) was a renown photographer that defined a generation with his work, creativity, methods and style, originally from a working-class family from the Bronx, New York City, he traveled through New York and the United States capturing with his lens the lives and places of normal America and moments that are now part of his legacy to the world. Winogrand was committed to his unique selection of subjects, large crowds and chaotic places that created a contrast with calmer and less packed scenery, an aesthetic that made him a representation and now a reference in the world of photography.

“Continuing the Museum’s commitment to canon-expanding exhibitions, Garry Winogrand: Color is an exciting opportunity to rethink not only the work of an influential artist but also the history of color photography and its modes of presentation before the 1970” expressed curator Drew Sawyer in the Brooklyn Museum press release.  Garry Winogrand: Color is on view through December 8, 2019, at The Brooklyn Museum.

Written by Monica Herrera

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Unique, classy, extravagant, extra ordinary, unnatural and outrageous are some of the terms that define the Met Gala; an annual fundraising gala meant to benefit the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. The exhibition takes place annually every first Monday in May and brings together names and recognizable faces from the world of fashion, film, art and music. Being one of the biggest fashion events in the calendar, the Met Gala calls on guests to follow a certain dress code which matches the theme of that particular exhibition.

Fashion designers and the celebrities they dress compete to outdo each other with outrageous and stunning designs depending on the theme of the year.

The 2018 Met Gala theme was Heavenly Bodies; Fashion and Catholic imagination and this year’s Met gala theme was “Camp: Notes on fashion” an exhibit that was inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay that defines Camp as “love for the unnatural, exaggeration and extra ordinary.”  It was hosted by Lady Gaga, Serena Williams and Harry Styles.

High-end designers and celebrities teamed up to follow the theme and ensure the end product was a win. Every photographer wanted to get a shot of the each of the celebrities from every possible angle; Met happens once an year so why not give it your best

American rapper and song writer Cardi B was one of the attendees of Met Gala 2019; the party never really starts until she walks in commanding attention from everyone. The courageous rapper was dripping all sorts of exaggeration and classy on the red carpet in her first ever appearance on the Met Gala. She wore a huge quilted and feathered gown with Ruby Nipples that literally needed an entourage of about ten people to guide her steps. But that’s basically who Cardi is and she had to follow the theme and own it regardless. There are no second thoughts with this rapper; you either go hard or go home!  Cardi B’s outfit was designed by Thom Browne.

Lupita Nyong’o award winning actress does not disappoint or shy away when it comes to making a statement on the red carpet. She flaunts her body and curves and takes pride in her skin color. She was among the guests that truly struck out and went as per the theme of the 2019 Met Gala. The Oscar Award Winner combined a star-pattern pink dress with rainbow colored wing-like shoulders designed by Versace and a matching purse. Her hair also took the center stage; it was a towering afro with five golden picks positioned throughout it.

Ezra Miller, an actor and singer clearly got the theme right. His arrival at the gala literally shocked everyone and had all eyes on him. His look was outrageous, a little bit of scary too and obviously exaggerated and all these are factors that the theme required of the guests.  His eye make-up was on another level; it was done by a Vancouver based artist Mimi Choi who created multiple set of eyes creating a dizzy illusion. To the already outrageous look, Ezra added a touch of red lip color that announced the fierceness in him.

When the theme of the 2019 Gala was announced, it was obvious that things were going to be outrageous and weird too. Jared did his homework really well and brought his own “head” to the gala making an unusual fashion statement. He wore a long-sleeved red gown encrusted with jewels from Gucci and emphasized the look by bringing a way too-lifelike model of his own head to the event and posed with confidence on the red carpet. Two heads are really better than one and this just might be one of those cases.

Lady Gaga, who was also one of the hosts of the event arrived unapologetically; she literally overdid herself. She had four live outfit changes that were basically a reminder that she is still boss and queen too. Lady Gaga wore Brandon Maxwell gowns with her first look being a massive hot pink gown with a cascading train and gigantic bow on her head. In her second look, she wore an all-black gown complete with a matching umbrella. A hot pink straight gown complete with a giant black cell phone bag by Judith Leiber was her third look and just when we thought she was done, Lady Gaga  decided to strip down to her bra, fishnets and underwear; clearly Lady Gaga will always be Lady Gaga with zero apologies.

The Met Gala just couldn’t be as per the norm without a little bit of queerness and Michael Urie was present for that. He went for a gender bending ensemble and pulled both a masculine and feminine look. His pinstripe suit was designed by Christian Siriano; it was chopped in half with a beautiful pink strapless and tulle skirt situation on the other half. His outfit was the craziest but it’s good to be crazy while on the Met right?

Chandeliers can also be human and the “firework” singer Katy Perry arrived as the human chandelier. She wore a full-on chandelier costume with candlesticks around her head and waist. Under the creative director Jeremy Scott, Moschino teamed up with Katy and left the internet ablaze.

If you are attend the Met Gala, it is your responsibility to do your best to deliver! Almost all guests followed the theme and Ciara was in that list. The famous and bold singer well known for her awesome dance moves rocked an emerald green gown embellished with tons of shimmery details, thigh-high slit and geometric cutouts on the torso. She added matching choker and fingerless gloves. The whole look was added a little sauce by her sky-high afro hair that attracted all cameras.

Serena Williams is a champion on the tennis court, but hey! Have you met her on the red carpet yet? She brings out the very best in all her outfits; how she pulls out all sorts of beautiful on the carpet then plays so hard on the tennis court is an art very few have mastered.

Serena, who was also one of the hosts, took to the carpet a bright yellow floral embellished Versace gown and a pair of matching Nike sneakers. Yes! Gowns and sneakers is actually possible, ask Serena!

21-year old Kylie Cosmetics Founder Kylie Jenner was also present in the Gala and we all know Kylie is about beauty specifically make-up; it has to be nicely done from the eyebrows to the foundation and the lip color; there is room for improvement if it means looking spectacular.

Kylie is always expected to nail it in the fashion department and she exceeded expectations with her 2019 Gala look. She wore a custom-made lavender and tangerine feathered Versace gown. Her body tight gown featured small purple sequins arranged in tiny interlocking loops to resemble mesh wire against a nude bodysuit.

Met Gala 2019 marked the 71^st anniversary. It continues to be the the pinnacle of the showbiz calendar and most stylish fashion event uniting some of the world’s biggest names.

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“I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am black and proud, I am not the candidate of women’s movement of this country although am a woman and equally proud of that. I am the candidate of the people and my presence before you symbolizes a new era in American political history.” These were the words of Shirley Chisholm after she announced her interest in the presidential seat of the United States of America in 1972.

Shirley was an American politician, educator and author. She was the first black woman to run for Presidency and the first to be elected to the US congress in 1968. In 2015, Shirley was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Campaigning for the Presidential seat and the Congress was not a bed of roses for Shirley, perhaps because gender had something to do with it. She actually said, “When I ran for Congress, when I ran for President, I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black.” She expressed her frustration about “black matriarch thing” saying, “Men think I am trying to take power from them.” In her opinion, the black man must step forward but that does not mean that the black woman must step back.

Shirley’s love for leadership and development run in her blood, she dared to be herself, she dared to lead in an era where women and people of her skin color could not be perceived as leaders. she was one of America’s greatest dreamers; she wanted to take the citizens of America to greater heights and she indeed left an unforgettable mark. She passed on in 2005 and will forever be remembered especially for her contribution to the politics of the United States of America. The world of art is also playing part in celebrating this legend and soon there will be a monument in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park to honor Shirley Chisholm.

The New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs revealed five preliminary proposals for a new monument to honor Shirley Chisholm. The designs were conceived by the artists Firelei Baez, La Vaughn Belle, Tanda Francis, Mickalene Thomas and Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous.

The winning proposal will be selected through the city’s Percent for Art program in early April and will be commissioned as part of the She Built NYC initiative. Up to $1 million in funds will be available for the chosen project which will be presented to local community boards and submitted to the Public Design Commission later this year.

Firelei Baez proposed a sculpture of Chisholm; the sculpture is made of hand-painted metal columns. Depending on the view, the people would see one of three portraits, each reflecting different aspects of Chisholm’s career. The piece would stand between 10and 15 feet tall, and each image would include allusions to Afro-diasporic narratives.

La Vaughn Belle takes a famous quote by Chisholm as a point of departure: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Belle proposed a sculpture of Chisholm holding a chair and stepping into a reinterpreted presidential seal on the ground.

Tanda Francis envisions a trail lined with quotes of Chisholm beginning at the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park. The path would lead to a large-scale bronze rendering of Chisholm’s face, surrounded by jets of water and light. Tanda described the ideas as “a colossal dedication which the people of New York City and the world will seek out and know of our commitment to honoring the women who helped build New York.”

Mickalene Thomas on the other hand imagines a human-scale sculpture of Chisholm seated at the top of a car. Benches surrounding the monument encourage engagement and interaction from visitors, and the nearby planters would contain plants that refer to the politician’s Caribbean heritage. In her proposal Thomas wrote, ‘Rather than portraying Shirley standing at a podium and speaking down to her audience, this model will instead show her rooted in the people’s space and speaking to their truths.” She added, “This is ultimately about the visibility of everyone in the community.”

Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous would entwine Chisholm’s silhouette with the outline of the dome of the U.S Capitol Building. Nodding to the layout of Congressional seating, an amphitheater-like shape would wrap around the monument.

Cultural affairs Commissioner Tom FinkePearl said in a statement, “We were thrilled to announce Shirley Chisholm as the first person honored and we’re excited to get a first look at what these artists are envisioning for this lasting testament to Chisholm’s achievements. We invite all New Yorkers to let us know what they think and help shape this landmark contribution to NYC’s public space.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, “Shirley Chisholm, a true daughter of Brooklyn, born of West Indian immigrants who settled in Bedford-Stuyvesant, was one of this nation’s greatest dreamers. A monument of this magnitude, dedicated to the first person in 192 years to embody the triple threat of being black, a woman and a representative of Congress, is most deserving of this lasting recognition. It is long overdue.”

The public can comment on the proposals at women.nyc through March 31.

Which proposal will get to take the center stage in NYC? Well, they all are deserving because at the end of the day they aim at celebrating Shirley for being a woman of great historic importance.

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The Jewelry Maison Cartier has for many years been a significant part of New York City. It was founded in 1847 and is one of the world’s most esteemed houses of luxury, creating exclusive collections of high and fine jewelry, timepieces and prestigious accessories. Cartier was born from the idea of Cartier brothers, Louis Pierre and Jacques, more than 170 years ago who began traveling the world, placing curiosity and creativity at the heart of the maison and since then they have never stopped.

The Hudson Yards is the new location of Cartier and is now part of the beautiful and historical journey of marking a new milestone of the prestigious boutique. The new space for Cartier which is located at the Shops & Restaurant was designed by Parisian architect Bruno Moinard to showcase the innovative spirit of Cartier through its modern design, expansive floor plan and beautiful interior architecture.

Mercedes Abramo, the president and Chief Executive of Cartier North America says that, “ Moinard expertly balances Cartier’s heritage and modernity through a combination of luxurious details and exquisite materials, creating a subtle, elegant yet warm and welcoming experience. The boutique reflects his sophisticated vision with unique features incorporated to celebrate the innovative spirit of neighborhood.”

It is the first store in North America to showcase the new limited-edition collection, Les Galaxies de Cartier, inspired by the beauty and mystery of the universe.

It is comprised of rings, earrings, bracelets, a necklace, evening bag and a clock and is also the first Cartier boutique on the west side of Manhattan. The new collection at the Hudson Yards signals Cartier’s unwavering endeavor to blaze new trails from earthbound real estate to out of this world craftsmanship. It was designed to embody “the curiosity and imagination of the Maison.”

Cartier resonates with the universe across four stellar themes: “the Earth’s Lights,” a ring, bracelet and necklace trio that evokes a golden earth with yellow and blue sapphires, diamonds and fire opals; “Trembling Stars,” which showcases diamonds that visibly waver in their “trembling” settings, “The Alignment of the planets,” a homage to the planets’ divine choreography in a Tahitian pearl bracelet and cuff and “Fractal Meteor,” a sculptural collision of pink gold, diamonds, moonstones and milky quartz across an ensemble of accessories suited to the dreamy trope that we all come from stardust.

The most unique features of the new space are modernist Mydriaz chandeliers made by a Parisian fabrication company and are complemented by a glass façade, rich textures and some natural light.

Cartier’s new location will provide a balance between what Abramo calls the “full, traditional experience of Cartier’s Fifth Avenue mansion” and remote online shopping and it is intended to reach the next generation of West Side Clientele.

Cartier has always been driven by boldness and just like the city it is located in, it continues to be timeless yet modern. The extraordinary new boutique exemplifies the bold artistic spirit of New York’s newest neighborhood, Manhattan.

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Whitney Biennale is an event for anyone interested in finding out what is happening in the art world today.  This year’s 79^th biennale edition will be curated by Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley and will feature 75 artists half of whom are women. It is an exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932 and the first biennale was held in 1973.

Previous editions of the Whitney Biennale have been on the spotlight as far as art exhibitions are concerned. Criticism and controversy have been the order of most of them and people have had different opinions and reactions towards them. The exhibitions have been everything but “Calm” and “Pleasant,” rather they have carried on outrage and upset in its historical baggage. They have been seen to address issues like poverty, racism, homophobia and class lines and this seemed perhaps  too much to take in.

Controversy and criticism for the Whitney Biennale dates way back; In 1944, when it was criticized for having too much “fantasy art,” and in 1946 it was said to be “overwhelmingly modernist” for including too much abstraction. In 1987, protests erupted after female artists accounted for only 24% of the program and in 1993, the Biennale was accused of being “too political.”

Despite America’s political upheaval and looming elections in 2020 and not forgetting the growing protest over a Whitney Trustee, this year’s biennale seems to be taking things a little slow and playing safe and calm In this year’s edition, resistance art is so little represented compared to the previous editions . The 79^th edition is actually more of a “safe and beat around the kind of edition.

The protest over Whitney trustee, Warren Kanders, CEO of Safariland which sells teargas, batons and grenade even resulted to one artist Michael Rakowitz declining to show at this year’s Biennale.

The co-curators of this year’s biennale are presenting works of notable minds among them: Nicole Eisenman, a two-time Whitney Biennale artist, who presents an epic sculpture called “Procession”, a parade of migratory humanoids caught in the journey of possibly transporting a series of modernist-looking metal sculptures on plinths.

Kenyan-born artist Wangechi Mutu, who shows a series of sculptures of the female form made from tree bark and clay which according to her is a though on “nature and our place in it.” Josh Kline, on the other hand shows LED-lit framed images of political locations and social media logos like the senate and twitter filling up with water among many other artists.

The collective side of the exhibition is headlined by the Forensic Architecture, a group that made Triple Chaser, a video tracing the impact of Safariland’s grenades and teargas. In a film narrated by David Byrne, the artists have created an online monitoring system where computers can tarck teargas canisters in online photos.

Nearly 75% of the participants of this year’s exhibition are young people yet to reach 40 years; the youngest artist Brooklynite Ilana celebrates her 28^th birthday this year and Diane Simpson 84 years old and Barbara Hammer who is 80 years old are among the seniors. Five of the artists have already shown their works in previous biennales.

Whitney Biennale 2019 is also characterized by geographical heritage with artists working across North America and the rest of the world including Rico, Mexico, Puerto, Thailand and Sweden. The Whitney show is generally regarded as one of the leading shows in the art world, often setting or leading trends in contemporary art. It has helped bring many artists to prominence.

When asked about their vision, the curators look to the past to understand the present. Hockley said “We hope and believe the show is topical and feels of its time. People will recognize what the artists are interested in but see their approach through a different lens, a sideways approach, an inversion away from the accepted way of seeing things. Art is different from journalism.” Panetta added, “It feels representative of the complexity of this moment.”

The 79^th edition was nothing like what it has been in the past shows, given the political tensions that have been felt throughout the nation over the past two years. It might have been expected that the show would have been heated with political outrages but it isn’t. Politics are present but with few notable exceptions. The exhibition however  continues to showcase the developments made in American Art.

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We go to restaurants to dine, wine and of course get to catch up with our family and friends. We go there with the hope of enjoying a delicious meal and leave with a smile on our faces and a lot of contentment too!

Restaurants differ in size, location and interior design but there is nothing really extra-ordinary in most of them because the point is to offer the best services to clients. However, the M Wells Dinette, is an extra-ordinary eatery joint in New York. It is located inside the MoMA PS1 museum, one of the largest art institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. Yes, a restaurant inside a museum.

Its space is unique because it is designed to look like a classroom with desk-like tables and complete chalkboards. The acclaimed restaurant serves you both food and lots of artworks and it is home to the a steakhouse offering friendly, delicious and exciting dining options. It was opened by Hugue Dufour and Serah Obraitis, serving dishes like seared frog legs and carbonara sandwich which featured spaghetti on a bun.

After opening the dinette, the two proprietors also opened a more upscale meaty restaurant called M Wells Steakhouse in 2013.

Sadly, the M Wells Dinette, is closing its doors at the end of this month after serving its residents for more than six years. It will close down on the same day that marks the end of the exhibition that is currently being held in it, the Bruce Nauman retrospective. Bruce is one of the most experimental and influential American artist of his generation with more than sixty works including walk-in-environments, video installations, neons, sculptural objects and sound pieces.

The dinette opened in 2012 after the original M Wells closed down operations in an old diner in Queens. It has been a must-visit place for the visitors of the MoMA museum. The restaurant through an email expressed its sentiments saying, ‘‘Mike Kelley, Maria Lassnig, Cao Fei, Wael Shawkey and Mark Leckey are artists we especially adored, and of course Bruce Nauman, our current master of MoMA PS1, for whom it has been a complete pleasure hosting and feeding.’’

The M Wells Dinette lives to be one of the most unique restaurants in New York City, serving both food and art.

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What genre of music do you love listening to? Music might not be your preference, maybe you would rather watch a movie or swim or read a book. Well, we all have different preferences and personally music is a favorite, I listen to almost all genres so long as I get to love it, from Rhythm and Blues to rock music to Hip-hop name them. Music helps relax my mind, brings out my deepest feelings and sometimes it boosts my morale when I’m doing things that I don’t really enjoy doing like folding laundry or doing the dishes. While in traffic music is also such a good company; with my earphones on, my playlist ready and the artists doing what they do best I will almost forget that I’m stuck in traffic.

Rock is one of the most unique and popular genres of music. It originated as “rock & roll” in the United states in the early 1950s and developed into a range of different styles. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s, a style which drew heavily on the genres such as rhythm and blues, electric blues, folk and country music.

Typical instruments used to create rock music are electric guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and the vocals. Rock music is basically all about feeling and moving to it. Elvis Presley a rock musician once said, “Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it. That’s what happens to me. I can’t help it.”As much as the vocals are important in this particular genre of music, I tend to believe that instruments are everything in rock music; the guitars and the keyboard are the “heart” of this music.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be hosting an exhibit called “Play it loud: Instruments of rock and roll. This will be the first major exhibition dedicated to rock music instruments. The exhibit is set to feature 130 different musical instruments used by some of the “big names” in the rock music industry from Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling stone among others.

The instruments were gathered from 70 private and public collections in the United States and in The United Kingdom. The exhibit will span from 1939 to 2017, featuring Hendrix’s “Flying V” guitar, Eric Clapton’s “Blackie,” Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf,” Chuck Berry’s main guitar from 1957 to 1963, St. Vincent’s 2015 electric guitars, Keith Moon’s “Pictures of Lily” drumset and Keith Emerson’s Moog synthesizer and Hammond Organ.

The rock instruments exhibition will start on April 1^st 2019 up until October 1^st 2019. It will later make the permanent move to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This is going to be a totally different kind of exhibition aside from the normal exhibition of paintings, sculptors, drawings and photography among others, this time round the MET museum is bringing to you the “tools of rock music.” You will get to see the instruments that are responsible for your moves.

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New York City has numerous painters and Taura Auerbach is one of them. She is a visual artist working across many disciplines including painting, sculptures, weaving and publishing. Taura is well known for her exemplary painting skills. Some of her notable works include the Fold Paintings that even included in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, the weave paintings that are composed of woven canvas strips among many others. Taura has shown her works in solo exhibitions and group exhibitions as well.

Painting has been there for a very long time now as it existed even during World War I which started in 1918. Apart from rifles, machine guns, gas, aircraft and many others, boats were also used in the war. British painter, Norman Wilkinson invented New York’s historic boat the “John J Harvey” a vessel that launched in 193os and served the New York Harbor up till 1994.The boat was later decommissioned to extinguish fires and help save victims after 9/11.  Norman claimed that he painted the boat with dazzle patterns specifically meant to distort their forms and confuse the enemy during war. Thousands of water vessel assumed that pattern during those days with the main aim being to make it difficult for the enemy to target them.

In order to commemorate the boat’s history, Taura together with the Public Fund Art a non-profit organization that raises awareness about historic vessels gave a new look to John J Harvey: the treasure of New York City, their once weapon of war. Taura turned it into a 3D painting which she called “Flow Separation.” Flow separation is the turbulence that can happen in the wake of an object moving through a fluid. Taura was inspired by fluid dynamics and decorative arts. She stripped off the exterior surface of the boat its decades-worth paint and rust and recoated it with fresh red and white paint.

The boat was docked from  July 1st to August 12th at Pier 6 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. From August 13th to September 23^rd, it was located at Pier 25 near Hudson River Park. The boat is currently located at North Pier 66a until 12^th May 2019. Visitors can board the boat for free with occasional 60 minutes trips around New York harbor.

John J Harvey is transformed with a fresh new look, a look that Taura is certain will endure for decades to come. Taura hopes that the new look of the boat will help more people familiarize themselves with the historic vessel.

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New Yorkers have different and beautiful parks but there is High Line Park that stands out. The High line is an elevated linear park. It is the only park in New York City with a dedicated multimedia contemporary art program offered to audiences all year long for free! The park represents works done by national and international artists at varying stages of their careers ranging from those that are just emerging to those that are long established. The works represented in it are available for public viewing any time of the year.

The High Line Park is about to go even higher, giving the public and art lovers in general even more reason to visit it because of the upcoming section, the High Line Plinth, that is set to open in 2019. The Plinth is the newest section of the High Line making it the new “must-see” destination in the park for public art. It is going to be the first section that is solely dedicated to showing art. The most interesting part about this particular  section is the kind of art that will be used to inaugurate it; art that will shut down the world in a major way, art that is the definition of a big deal, art that will leave you speechless: a 16 foot-tall bronze bust of a black woman. The piece titled “Brick House” was created by artist Simone Leigh. Simone’s work was chosen to be the inaugural high plinth commission and will be up for viewing from April 2019 through to September 2020.

This particular section is indeed a must go-to destination because of the different artworks that will be shown but most importantly, because of the femininity of the piece that will be inaugurating it. “The woman” will go up in style, depicted in a bronze sculpture, her beauty and strength will be seen by the entire world.

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The lives of refugees and migrants can be termed as a “nightmare” since they go through things that are unimaginable as they move from their homes to most of the times unknown destinations. Physical, sexual and psychological abuse is among the different kinds of torture that they go through. In some cases, loss of lives becomes the end result.

More than 34,000 refugees and migrants, most of them coming from Africa, have lost their lives while trying to reach Europe since 1993. In 2006, a Turkish artist Banu Cennetoglu started an ongoing work cataloging the names of those refugees. The list of the refugees which has been shown in different cities around the world has been frequently vandalized, recently, the same happened at the Liverpool Biennial where the 920foot piece was partially torn. Despite all that damage, Banu declined to replace that particular piece explaining that preserving it in its ripped state would serve as a reminder of the systematic violence against people. Sad, right? Violence is taking place even on a “list of people” whom we owe so much respect.

New Yorkers will have the same list of the fallen heroes with them. The list is soon coming to New York as part of the third edition of the Forward Union Fair from September 29^th-30^th which connects the art world with social justice organizations. Art communicates and in this particular situation, it is going to remind us of the courageous heroes who lost their lives while trying to get to Europe to escape violence and poverty and have a new beginning but that was a journey that took a different turn all together.

This year’s edition of the Forward Union Fair at Red Bull Arts New York includes 25 participants and focuses on the themes of immigration, gun control and health care with the sole aim of provoking civic engagement through art, installations and programming. The list will be installed indoors under the safeguard of Red Bull Arts New York.

The Co-Founder of Forward Union Jennie Lamensdorf says that their intention is to support artists whose work focuses on complex subjects among them Jesue Benavente and Kameelah Janan Rasheed.

Sadako Ogata once said “I wish to call on you to join hands in the building of a world where less people will be forced to flee and in which refugees are protected until they can safely return home one day.” The list will somehow bring us one step closer into realizing the words of Sadako that the least we can always do is protect the refugees. Refugees are not illegal, no human life is.

The list will be a form of art celebrating lost lives. Yes, art goes that deep!!

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Have you ever been on a journey to a far away destination with your loved ones and you want that particular journey to make one of the most defining moments in your life but the potholes on the roads just won’t let you? You hope to have a good and smooth ride all along and spend lesser time to get to your destination but it ends up being the opposite because of the potholes. Potholes are with no doubt super annoying; they make the journey tiresome and slower than it should be to the point that the driver and passengers don’t get to enjoy their ride; if anything all they want to do is just get to their destination. Citizens end up pointing fingers on the leadership and the transportation departments for failing to notice such annoying factors on the roads.

Everybody hates potholes but Jim Bachor, a Chicago based artist in the United States decided to provide a “solution” to the potholes by filling them with mosaics of rats, cockroaches and pigeons. Jim has made the potholes a work of art. He filled five city potholes with a series he called “Vermin of New York” which includes a dead cockroach on Bleecker Street, a dead pigeon on Pacific Street and a cheeky portrait of President Trump’s face in East Village . It seems quite weird and portrays a whole new creativity level but Jim did it anyway because that is what being an artist means; doing the odd, thinking deeply and creatively and getting away from “the norm.” Yes!!Welcome to NYC where art on the roads has taken over.

Was Jim allowed to do so? Were there any cops or city officers who probably supervised the whole process of installing the artworks? Jim didn’t get any permission from city officials for his art, he and his team wore neon vests as they cemented in the glass and marble works he had made from his Wind City studio. Actually they never saw any cops the whole time they were working like city workers.

The City Real Department of Transportation says it isn’t a fan of Bachor’s work and it will pave over them when it finds them. The department actually looks at the art in a very unique way because it says the artwork can pose safety hazards should drivers become distracted by the art. Are you a driver? Is it possible to get distracted by the art? Do you think it should not be allowed?

New Yorkers on the other hand who appreciate art are okay with Jim’s work and they hope that the Department of Transportation will come to appreciate it too. Jim  feels that it is no crime to do what he did; he has filled potholes back in Chicago in 2013 and never got any complains, as a matter of fact, the patch-ups have become celebrated local icons.

Despite the reactions of the transport department, we cannot deny the fact that art has so much power, and Jim used that power to fill up potholes in the roads. New Yorkers can now “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate their journey” just like one Barbara Hoffman said.

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Our eyes never mind to have a glance at a beautiful artwork but for those who are not artists, do you ever wonder how long it takes to create different pieces, be it a painting, sculpture, drawing pottery among many others? Some artworks take more than a day, a week and in some cases an year to create. For instance the “Mona Lisa” Portrait by Leonardo Da Vinci took him roughly 14 to 15 years to have it finished. It took quite long to create a portrait but it ended up being the greatest portrait ever.  This means that time is of essence if you want to create a magnificent piece. Artists sacrifice most of their time especially if they want the piece ready as soon as possible. To then think that you can lose your artwork after putting in so much effort and time is an unimaginable thought.

Robert Motherwell, an American artist of the 20^th century had to deal with the pain of losing his work.  Robert (who passed on in 1991) was a painter, printmaker and also an editor. He lost some of his work in 1978 while he was switching storage companies and employed Santini moving company to transport his paintings; somewhere along the way, dozens of his work went missing. Efforts to locate his work were in vain since he died without being able to find them.

40 years down the line, if Robert was alive, he would have all the reasons in this world to smile: one of the pieces that went missing was found. Manhattan District Attorney hosted a ceremony in New York to announce the recovery of an untitled abstract painting that was among those that were stolen. The red and black abstract painting that was recovered had been created by Robert in 1967. It was recovered after a son of an employee of the moving company took it to the Dedalus Foundation hoping to have it authenticated to ascertain that it is indeed the piece that was lost. Jack Ham, President and CEO of the foundation matched the work with images and other records documenting the stolen work and ascertained that it is the one.

The piece will be stored in the headquarters of the Dedalus Foundation which was established in 1991 to promote his artwork and legacy.It is likely to be worth millions given recent sales of comparable works by Motherwell. To date more than 30 works by Robert have sold for more than $1 million at auction. Hopefully, the missing pieces will be found in good condition and his legacy will be enjoyed by his fans and upcoming artists as well.

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Hunt for Inspiration – a recent solo gallery show featuring artwork by Jamie Martinez at the Galerie Protege in Chelsea was incredibly well received in its opening reception.  The basement level gallery was buzzing with excited viewers of all kinds.  A mixed lot of artists, enthusiasts, collectors, photographers and more talked with excitement while taking iPhone photos of the work – reveling in the unique qualities of the geometric images that emblazon Martinez’s canvases.

The show contains a collection of artwork demonstrating the progression in the artist’s concepts of geometry and abstraction as it develops over time.  Early versions of Martinez’s work are actually “abstract fabric artwork” as he describes them, using “abstract digital images that examine the beginning process of my work,” explains Martinez.  These early artworks are composed of overlapping triangular pieces of brightly colored fabric that are sewn together on top of a canvas, creating a collage-like conglomeration of textures and shapes, somewhat reminiscent of a quilt, which perhaps alludes to more simplistic and early forms of artwork.

Intermingled amongst some of the earlier fabric pieces are second stage artworks or pieces that are the next phase of evolution in the progression of Martinez’s concept.  These second level artworks vary as some are composed of vast fields of tiny triangles creating seas of color and texture, while others are highly complex, featuring a more three dimensional element, as they are larger images composed of hundreds of small painted wooden squares, or tiles, which are affixed together to create a mosaic style, singular large image.  From a distance, these vast collections of squares, which are further divided into tiny triangles, begin to come together to illustrate an extremely distorted face.

Next to these paintings are small signs that read, “Use your camera to see the image”.  The signs imply that once you photograph the image (or even just use your cameras view finder to look at the work) it is somehow again changed in form.  This is a recurring theme in Martinez’s work, and as demonstrated in Hunt for Inspiration, when viewed through a camera, the paintings do indeed look different, and almost become more clear and vivid in digital form.

“The birth of my paintings start with an idea for a series; then I go on the internet and find images that appeal to me and express what I want to communicate in my painting.  Once I have the images that are provocative… I focus on how to deconstruct the images using triangles and paint the image so it can only be appreciated when seen through technology.”  – Jamie Martinez

This aspect of Martinez’s work creates an intriguing commentary, as it requires the viewer to use a digital interface to experience physical artwork in its most vivid form.

The final phase of artworks in Martinez’ concept depicts further evolved and elaborate images which are again broken down into distorted geometric patterns.  These third level paintings are painted directly onto canvas, but in this version the images use a wide variety in scale of triangles, creating tiny clusters of shapes which illustrate a smoother transition in shading and texture.  These images portray distorted faces of various animals in both regal and aggressive poses.

“My new paintings deal with the validation of images, our obsession with our smartphones and the relationship between art and technology. When you look at my paintings in person, you don’t see the clear image. Technology validates the images and only through it can you clearly see the details of my work. Then after it’s posted online–it takes a life of its own.” – Jamie Martinez

Hunt for Inspiration provides a provocative look at both the evolution of Jamie Martinez’s work as an artist as well as a highly intriguing commentary on society’s reliance on technology to interface with reality.  The images in the show range from simplistic geometry to highly evolved and elaborate compositions which require technology in order to gain a full experience of their contents.  The viewer is left with much to contemplate after seeing this show, including the question of which is the real artwork; is it the digital image or the physical painting, and how will this affect the future of art creation and appreciation?  Many of these questions are left unanswered, although it is clear that neither the digital image nor the physical painting are complete without the other.

Hunt For Inspiration is currently on display at Galerie Protege, 197 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, and closes April 23, 2015.

Writing by Lia Simone
Photos by Cojo

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