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JOY / 2016 / Acrylic / 60 x 36
MAS TER POL
ART BASEL RECAP by F. Lennox Campello, Alysia Klein, and Adris Bertie
I asked Ardis Bartle to pick some of her favorites. Here’s what caught her eyes as she visited several art fairs from the perspective of the experienced collector. She noted to me that the “common themes during Art Miami Week were guns - made of porcelain, made of water hoses and sprayers, made of typewriter parts, etc.” She also added “Words - Words are back. From the show at the Perez Art Museum to various works throughout the art fairs all focusing on words.” (top left) At SCOPE, Mariana Villafañe showing with Pabellon4 from Buenos Aires, Argentina (www. pabellon4.com).Her “Resonance Boxes” were one of the key highlights of this fair. As an artist, she brings memories of her home with a turntable, using it as an
instrument, Villafañe makes a set of circular drawings, largely random, and then elaborates visual constructions in which waves, vibrations, echoes, reverberations predominate in fabulous acrylic boxes (top right) Also at SCOPE is Michael Janis of Habatat Galleries (Royal Oak, MI – www.habatat.com). One of the three co-founders of the Washington Glass School in DC, Janis takes brushes and clay sculpting tools, patiently pushing around the granules on glass panels until he has perfected a pointillist image. Glass is just another substrate to deliver some of the most innovative works at ABMB week. (above left) SCOPE – Andrea Collesano at Re.Riddle
Over a decade ago, the founders and organizers of an European fine arts fair called Art Basel (which takes place in Basel, Switzerland), decided to try an American version of their successful European “art fair” model and started one in the gigantic Miami Beach Convention Center. They called it Art Basel Miami Beach, or ABMB for short. In the years since, that one mega international art fair revolutionized the way that contemporary and secondary fine art is presented and sold
Gallery (a San Francisco pop-up event gallery www.reriddle.com). Marvelous works, so minutely engraved with the skill of a Flemish miniaturist, but are not simple “reproductions”, as in a medieval bestiary.. He gives these animals dignity and beauty with his ink engravings. (above right) ART BASEL – Leonardo Drew at (Pace Prints, New York www.paceprints.com). Leonardo Drew’s prints translated his existing work with accumulations of found objects, his sculptures are instead made of “brand new stuff ” – materials such as wood, rusted iron, cotton, paper, mud – that he intentionally subjects to processes of weathering, burning, oxidization, and decay.
as a commodity. It has spawned multiple satellite art fairs in the Greater Miami area, all taking place at the same time during the first week of December each year. Because there are over a thousand galleries and tens of thousands of artists being presented all over the Miami area, art collectors, artists, celebrities, gallerists, actors, dealers, party animals, politicians, curators, and all the symbiots of the art world head to Miami during that week, and fine art rules the area (closely followed by dozens
(clockwise from top left) PULSE – Chris Dorosz and Keun Young Park (Muriel Guepin, NewYork, http://www.murielguepingallery.com) Chris Dorosz provided a set of four small busts, each an individual sculptural construction using suspended paint strokes. Despite their nod to the canons of portraiture, (one object is the artist himself, yet the remaining three were strangers selected randomly by a third party) each form transcends ‘respective likeness” to reveal the mutability of our mortal selves and physical bodies. Part of a new installation of art at the newly renovated BASS Museum of Art, Mika Rottenberg’s (Argentina). work is bizarre and uncomfortable as she reflects on the absurdities of global capitalism in offerings that reflect shelling for pearls in a factory in China to a flopping ponytail from the wall at the BASS. Her “Ponytail (blond)”, is a fragmented feminine body part on a blank white wall; the ponytail flicks up and down in an almost enticing way. Untitled – Rubell Collection “Stranger in Paradise”–
Allison Zuckerman at Kravitz Wehby Gallery (NY) Allison juxtaposes colorful pop imagery with art historical references, but her approach is more lyrical as her source material ranges from Old Master portraits to emojis. Additionally, she uses fragments from art history (usually male artists). At Art Miami, Yves Marchand & Romain Mefree (Polka Galerie, Paris, www.polkagalerie.com) – They brought their terrific large scale photos of “Ruins of Detroit” series, reflecting on boiler rooms, factories and the Central Station. Also at Art Miami, Cara Barer with Andrea Schwartz Gallery (San Francisco, www.asgallery.com) – Cara Barer presented iconic forms of books which are transformed, reformed, dyed and photographed to become an object of beauty, far from what was originally intended. Her work thus transforms the book to a new level of high art. SCOPE – Tim Tate (Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak, MI – www.habatat.com). Another one of the three co-founders of the Washington Glass
and dozens of private “art parties”). I’ve heard quotes where I have been told that about 20% of all the visual art sold on the planet each year (less auctions I assume) sell in Miami during that first week in December. There is so much art being presented and offered for sale, at so many levels of the economic scales. While most mega collectors, including the Hollywood crowd and the rest of the 1%, all focus on the top two or three fairs in the art fair food chain (ABMB itself being the crown jewel,
School in DC, both Tim Tate and Michael Janis bring the expertise and artistic vision that in the last couple of decades have transformed glass into just another fine art genre and away from the craft world. Tim’s integration of video and antique art frames brings an alluring and engaging piece of art to FORM. Michael Janis takes brushes and clay sculpting tools, patiently pushing around the granules on glass panels until he has perfected a pointillist image. Glass is just another substrate to deliver some of the most innovative works at ABMB week.
followed by Art Miami and its sister fair Context; and the third perhaps switching every year between Pulse, Miami Projects or Untitled), there is art somewhere in Miami for all tastes and budgets. Because of that critical mass, the ABMB Week in Miami has become the big dance of the art world, the art salon of the 21st century and the one place on the planet where art rules as a commodity. And thus for this article, I’ve enlisted two sets of very different eyes and
(top left) Untitled – Yuken Teruya “Notice Forest: Tiffany Bag 2017” with Josee Bienvenu Gallery (New York, http://www.joseebienvenugallery.com). Yuken’s whimsical tree in his shopping bags is back again and it is still amazing, the entire work being cut out of one piece, with the tree reflecting the trees of his native Okinawa.
(bottom left) Loews Miami Beach Hotel Art Collective – Sarah Raskey “Stardust Effect”: With the reopening of the renovated Loews Hotel, Sarah Raskey creates hidden landscapes, like the one behind the registration desk incorporating stones, quartz and gorgeous stones. (right) DESIGN MIAMI – I discovered “New Spring”, a
perspectives to help tell a story about Art Basel Week 2017. First you’ll read Alysia Klein’s take on the tersely-titled art fair known simply as “Fair.” (The period as a full part of the title – it’s not a typo!) This new fair is an all-female art fair focused on “gender inequality” with a show at a fancy Miami shopping mall. Ms. Klein is an artist and writer currently enrolled at Kent State University pursuing a MFA in Painting. She received her BFA in 2D Studio Art with a minor in Art History, graduating summa cum laude, from Eastern Illinois University. My second contributor is Texas-based ubercollector Ardis Bartle, an experienced art fair expert who hasn’t missed a single ABMB week in the last decade, and has one of Texas most eclectic and important private art collections. My idea was to marry the perspective of Klein, the young MFA candidate in her very first ABMB week and Bartle, the experienced collector, into one piece with two very distinct set of eyes and sensibilities. (See Bartle’s take in the gray boxes.) Alysia Klein’s perspective: Fair. took place during Miami’s annual ultra-fair week and was a non-
multisensory installation by COS and Studio Swine at the Temple House in South Beach – a joyful interactive experience with spheres dripped from the limbs of a willowy aluminum tree onto a happy crowd of blackgloved groovers (the gloves allow you to balance a sphere on your hand), who bumped, blew, and burst the bubbles.
commercial alternative to the traditional art market scene one typically expects at venues such as Art Basel, Art Miami and other satellite fairs. Not seeing a price tag on artworks that most consumers cannot afford was a breath of fresh air in today’s over saturated high-priced art market. Even though this was the case when I was analyzing the monetary side of the exhibition I could not help but wonder if Fair. was indeed fair? Was it doing as much as it could to project its conceptual ideologies or did it simply fall short? The statement We Are Here. seemed to be true only for 16 center stage women artists who already carry significant weight within the art world. When first arriving to the space, located within a shopping mall for the elite of Miami, I was greeted by posters from the Guerrilla Girls addressing the upper-class shoppers and art collectors about the disparity of wealth and inequality in American society. There were good intentions but this is one instance where I wonder if “preaching to the choir” may have been more effective than speaking to the holders of the wealth themselves. Just by placing these posters in this setting inadvertently makes them capitalistic instead of non-commercial, which is contradictory to the show’s overall message. When finally arriving at the exhibition area, the first piece is a recreated
(above) SCOPE: Mab Graves at Jonathan Levine Projects – Mab Graves regularly does waifs, but for SCOPE provided and sold out all three miniature oil paintings of woolly mammoths and dinosaurs in the first hour of the opening on Tuesday! (top right) Ardis Bartie at New Spring (see opposite page for more details)
(right) Switching to the brand new fair known as FORM – Adam Grinovich at JewelersWerk (Washington DC, www. jewelerswerk.com) – new innovative jeweler from RISD school. Big design, lots of bling, but not like anything Miami has seen in a while.
participatory artwork Wish Tree Garden by Yoko Ono, obviously one of these most established female artists of the 20th century. The Wish Tree Garden has been shown recently at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and the Guggenheim Bilboa. At this point I am already wondering how fair can this be when the artwork being displayed is already melded within the framework of “blue chip” art? The exhibition catalogue quoted that “The outpouring of positive response from women in the art world— artists, curators, gallerists, and writers—affirms that this work is more necessary than ever.” They must not have polled very many responses because I myself as a woman must disagree to some extent. While, yes, this work is more necessary than ever before, I must criticize the halfhazard stance and poor utilization of space by co-curators Zoe Lukov and Anthony Spinello. Even though this show was non-commercial and not for sale, during the same week Spinello Projects was hosting a cocktail party in partnership with Gucci to promote the artworks Kris Knight, which were for sale. When entering inside the space, you encounter the infamous Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum? piece by the Guerrilla Girls. This poster utilized a space of roughly 40 feet of the entire
exhibition. If the fair truly wanted to be fair, inclusive and address true inequality maybe they would have included a sleuth of women artists in this massive expanse of space versus one poster by a well-known art group, albeit a well-respected one. I can think of a handful of under-represented female activist artists who were not included in this exhibition that could have been included. Perhaps instead of having it be “non-commercial” the show could have sold artworks and given the profits to the causes the Fair. exhibition seems so keen on promoting. I am all for promoting females in an art world that is clearly more geared towards a patriarchal, hetero-normative outlook but also must question if we are using what little power we do have to the best of our abilities. Given the political situations that revolve around getting funded and represented for an exhibition space, I also wonder if the curators were doing the best they could without overstepping their allotted power. If this is the case, the art world is in even more dire situation than most would believe. Holistically, the artwork showcased was thought provoking but at the same time something felt off and not quite as engaging as I had hoped. Maybe things were not as fair as they appeared to be.
STEPHANIE ALBERTSON Pushing the Boundaries of Jewelry
My craft marries ancient metalworking techniques and traditions with a distinctly modern design sensibility. My jewelry is organic and minimal, with a focus on the inherent beauty of my materials – 22K gold and a vibrant palette of natural colored gemstones, diamonds and rare opals. I am always exploring ways of taking my materials out of their traditional context and working them into a contemporary jewelry language, stripping away the overly ornate and embellished in exchange for a clean and timeless aesthetic. My jewelry is entirely made by hand, so even when pieces come in a series, there is a nuanced uniqueness to them. I like to see my process in the final presentation of a piece – the handmade nature of the work, the textures in the metal, and the mix of raw and refined. I often refer to my process as “scratch” jewelry. I alloy my own metals, and work with all natural ingredients. Much like cooking, my approach to metal work is a labor of love and innovation. The challenges posed by the elements make it so that the result might not be exactly what I had planned – but is often a joyous, delicious surprise. My goal is to create luxurious wearable works of art – jewels that are fun to wear, that have a story to tell. Once a piece has left my hands, it will have a life of its own and that is something I think about when I’m making work – where will it end up, what conversations will it spark, where will it travel, who will treasure it. Over the years, I have experimented with mixed metals and alternative, nongemstone natural materials, including exotic woods, bone, concrete and rocks, pushing the boundaries of what is traditionally thought of as fine jewelry. I am committed to sustainability and environmentally clean production methods. All of my gemstones and metals are responsibly sourced.
Find out more at: stephaniealbertson.com @stephaniealbertson
VILONA
JAMES
SCULPTURE
VILONA
JAMES
SCULPTURE
The most important parts of my life have involved my hands. I can look down at my calloused hands and see the effects of my materials, reflecting back to where I started: mining, cutting and faceting precious stones in Brazil. The challenges of mining have given me so much appreciation and understanding for the minerals I work with; it is something I am extremely thankful for. Mining in Brazil led me down a creative path that made me an artist, reflecting on this unique perspective when it comes to knowing where the materials originate. I am constantly working towards increasing my awareness that celebrates the original rawness of a mineral. My goal is to create works of art that gives tribute to these origins. My work constantly inspires me; I realized this method was beneficial for me early on in my career when I first started creating jewelry that allowed people to wear these beautiful gems and minerals. The stones spoke to me in ways that resulted in artistic themed jewelry. I was creating what I call “mini-sculptures� as my mode of relating shapes with the complimentary colors of the actual gemstones. The way opal reflects the light is something I can see within my color choice in my patinas to this day. I truly see myself in my work, and will always aim towards creating reflective work that relates to my artistic journey as an artist. I enjoy seeing my work transition into larger than life works; this is something that I always wanted to manifest. The sculptures I create now are much larger than the pendants and rings I started from, but they have so much parallel in relation to one another. Whether it is the metal or the stone, I am still working with the raw materials I started with.
I love that I get to be innovative with my artwork; everyday being able to create my visions. Making art is a privilege and I am forever grateful for working with my I love that I get to be innovative with my hands. The dialogue between materials is artwork; everyday being able to create encouraging for me; the varying metals in my my visions. Making art is a privilege and I studio offer different opportunities. Learning am forever grateful for working with my about how to use a specific metal for a piece hands. The dialogue between materials is of art has opened my mind to better engage encouraging for me; the varying metals in my it to its fullest potential. studio offer different opportunities. Learning about how to use a specific metal for a piece My goal is to appreciate the metal while of art has opened my mind to better engage working with it to develop my art. I admire it to its fullest potential. and acknowledge the roughness of forging steel, the delicateness of bending it, including My goal is to appreciate the metal while the harshness of the heat it takes to make working with it to develop my art. I admire it all happen. It is a constant push and pull and acknowledge the roughness of forging with the use of metal. What I have learned steel, the delicateness of bending it, including to do with metal in my studio will forever be the harshness of the heat it takes to make involved in my art as I learn more about the it all happen. It is a constant push and pull materials. While creating manmade tension, I with the use of metal. What I have learned am allowing the raw form to act as a catalyst to do with metal in my studio will forever be to create both positive and negative spaces. involved in my art as I learn more about the materials. While creating manmade tension, I am allowing the raw form to act as a catalyst to create both positive and negative spaces. James Vilona is currently represented by these galleries: Dolce James Vilona is currently represented by Denver, CO these galleries: Telluride, CO Dolce Breckenridge Jewelers Denver, CO Breckenridge, CO Telluride, CO Ramey Fine Art Gallery Breckenridge Jewelers Palm Desert, CA Breckenridge, CO Ramey Fine Art Gallery www.jamesvilona.com Palm Desert, CA www.jamesvilona.com
IRELAND TO COPENHAGEN by Mellisa Martinez
I let my intuition create my travel plans. Everytime I step off the airplane and into a new place I can feel an array of potentials unfold in front of me. Every adventure leads to a new discovery. Travel has become a creative outlet and a way to become more connected to the potentials that exist in every moment at home and abroad. When planning this trip, I did not search for popular locations or travels deals. I literally held my hand over the world map and let my intuition drive my attention to the West Coast Atlantic. I felt there was something there I needed to see. After some research, I found that Ireland’s famous Cliffs of Moher were in the area that drew me. A long-time friend, artist and lover of all things metaphysical, Ish, was also feeling drawn to Ireland and jumped at the opportunity to join me. The rest of the trip was built from there. Arrival to Dublin, Ireland This is not a black and white photo. This monochromatic, stormy haze truly represents color of Dublin. Not long after landing I experienced the first synchronicity of the trip. I almost hailed a cab but Ish stopped me. He had been thinking about a cigarette since the layover in Iceland where they actually have a smoking area outside the airport. I took the last puff from his cigarette and then hailed a cab. After a few moments the driver explained that he usually works for the show “Into the Badlands”. I could not believe it! I took it as a sign that our trip was blessed. My business
acquaintance, Orla Brady, is one of the main actors on “Into the Badlands”. The day before the trip she called me personally to give me the rundown on Ireland. She also sent a series of emails with tourist traps to avoid and things to do. I was looking at one of those printed emails when he told us of his connection to the show. I said, “Wow, then you know Orla?” He was shocked that we were both connected to her. We shared a moment of surprise and he was kind enough to offer us a ride the next day. Ireland welcomed us with a cosmic coincidence which felt very inviting and cool. The comfort of the Bed and Breakfast won over our 5pm tickets to the Guinness Factory. After a bit of rest we opted for one of Orla’s recommendations,Toners on Lower Baggot Street. It turned out to be an amazing non-touristy, local pub. My First Pub in Dublin, Ireland Toner’s Pub on Lower Baggot Street in Dublin was like a dream come true. I had an image in my mind of what it would be like having my first Guinness in Ireland and Toners fulfilled this image to the fullest. We met a group of funny and talkative Irish men. They were in a group of 6, mid40’s, celebrating the finalization of one man’s divorce. Nothing can soothe sorrows like Ireland’s favorite beer..Guinness! The people that I met in Ireland were very charming, there is an innocence, kindness and sense of familiarity that made me feel right at home. Before I left Toners I forgot my cell phone was in my pocket and it fell into the toilet. What seemed like a
party foul turned out to be another blessing. I fully disconnected from L.A. and took this as a lesson that I needed to be where I was. Marcel’s in Dublin, Ireland Our favorite meal of the entire trip was from a quaint, comfortable restaurant called Marcel’s Restaurant on Merrion Row Dublin 2. They served a cured citrus salmon over a bed of buttery kale. It was heavenly. Ish is not a fan of fish or greens and he ate every bite of this dish. It is worth going out of your way for. Next we headed to the first gay bar in Dublin the “Panti Bar”. The atmosphere was lively, there was non-stop Lady Gaga, and everyone was dancing. I don’t usually dance but I had to join the fun! We met two guys from Brazil. As luck would have the guy I thought was straight ended up being gay and the one I thought was gay ended up being straight. So Ish and I ended up flirting with the wrong men all night! We still had a blast with and stayed up until 3am at Dicey’s Garden. Galway, Ireland Next stop was Galway, Ireland. Galway was immediately magnetic and charming. We only booked one day in Galway but ended up staying three days. Garvey’s Bar & Hotel was located conveniently around the corner from the bus station and near several great restaurants. We had a corner room on the top the top with a beautiful view of Eyre Square. Garvey’s was incredibly pleasant and the staff was amazing. The man who checked us in
was particularly memorable and even helped us plan the next stop of the trip. Galway, Ireland – Nightlife Galway at night feels open and alive. We walked down William’s Street and ended up at Garavan’s Bar where I tasted my very first real Irish Coffee! I generally do not like whiskey but now I love it enough to have one every night. Real Irish Coffee is not overly sweet or syrupy or topped with whipped cream. The coffee and heavy whipping cream stay separated in the glass and the sugar cuts through the whiskey making the whole thing delicious and warming. I become an instant fan and starting ordering Irish Coffee for the rest of the Ireland trip. West Coast of Ireland – Cliffs of Moher, Dunguaire Castle As I mentioned earlier the reason I choose to go to Ireland was because of being drawn in by the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher possess a strength and power that can only be experienced not described. Once there I knew that the beauty and radiance was the reason my intuition had led me there. Photographs do not do the site justice, not even 1%. While I was there I realized that I had a past life connection to the region and I was there to “remember”. As with all past life memories they are very fragmented. It was not until I returned home from this journey that the pieces seem to fully fit together. When they fit together I cried because i could feel it so deeply.
The Burren After the cliffs we went to The Burren meaning “great rock” in County Clare. The landscape is a bedrock of cracked glacial-era limestone, with cliffs, caves, fossils and rock formations. If any place I stepped foot on in Ireland felt “magical” it was right here! It was like I was transported into the past and connected to the vastness of life. Across from the limestone bedrock you could see the Aran Islands in the distance. Ish is very psychically in-tune and he started having a physical shaking reaction to the intensity of the experience. Then we walked around the Dunguaire Castle, the feeling here was not
quite as strong, but I am definitely proud of this photo. Shore of Galway The next morning we decided to take a walk down to the Galway Marina. It was beautiful. The wind was blowing slightly and the ocean was memorizing. Green moss grew on the rolling rocks and stones near where the swans were swimming. This was one of the highlights of Galway! Cork County, Ireland I woke up the next morning and felt like we had seen all there was to see
in Galway. “Rag Week” which is like Spring Break in the US was about to start so it seemed time to leave this small town. The locals said “Rag Week” has something to do with a charity but warned us of the happening that were about to begin. I have no idea how getting drunk, throwing cans on the street, singing and stumbling around has anything to do with charity, but ok. Goodbye Galway! The man who first welcomed us at the Garvey’s Inn suggested that we head off to Cork. He said, “you seem like alternative type of people, you will love Cork….it’s your people down there”. So we took his advice and I am so glad we did. Hello Cork! Everything the man told us about Cork was right. The trip over to Cork was exceptionally beautiful! We were taken by the vibrant green landscapes, old cobblestone churches, buildings and farm animals. When we reached Cork City itself it felt more English or European in a unique quaint kind of way. I felt more at home than I had in the previous cities. We pulled our bags across the old brick roads to make it up a hill. We quickly realized these streets were severely uphill and got a cab. They told us that Cork is famous the Titanic. I guess Cork was the Titanic’s last stop before it sinking. We made it to the Bed & Breakfast and our view from our hotel room was magnificent. If I were a religious person I would say that God
lives here. Later, we headed out walking down the hill. We needed another Irish Coffee. We stopped at a place called The Shelbourne and they served my favorite Irish Coffee’s on the trip. The town was exquisite. Every single shop was so cute. I was drawn to every location. We also discover the The Raven Bar, on Main Street, which we stopped at twice on this trip. We met a man on the street who was sweet and helpful and showed us where to find late night eats and he played some harmonica for us. It happened to be Valentine’s day when we got to Cork! All my European friends told me I would not notice Valentine’s day in Ireland but they were wrong. I saw this adorable image at Raven Bar and i loved it! Amsterdam, Nederlands After a little over a week of being in Ireland we hopped a plane in Dublin and came to Amsterdam. I had been to Holland before but never made it to Amsterdam so I vowed to myself 7 years ago i would come back. Amsterdam is picture perfect. However, in my view the vibe was a bit chaotic and dark. There was a deep contrast between Amsterdam and Ireland. In Ireland the people are so warm, inviting and kind. In
Amsterdam there is less warmth, yet even the darkness, holds an element of beauty. You know how everyone tells you not to end up in Amsterdam’s Red Light District at night? Unintentionally, this is the first place we ended up. We met a local who warned us of the dangers and offered his protection for the rest of the night. We drank one beer together and tipped our new bodyguard $10 Euros each. He played a good game, what can I say! The name of this location escapes me but it was where we had our first beer in Amsterdam. Ish and I want to drink more tonight but we remember the Airbnb we
are staying in has 3 flights of incredibly steep stairs to go up that you have to practically crawl up. Ish did not like the Red Light District, so after we have a bite to eat we head back to the airbnb. Our visions of partying in Amsterdam ended up turning into wine at home courtesy of the airbnb host! The next morning it’s time to try again! This was my first time staying at a Airbnb and even though we only had a floor to ourselves and had less privacy than a normal hotel I felt this experience was wonderful and i liked the interaction we had with our host. I loved seeing a little slice of his real life here in Amsterdam and it had tons more character than any hotel could have. The next day was amazingly beautiful, like i said every turn we made was picture perfect! Copenhagen, Denmark Off to Copenhagen, Denmark! Our last stop on our adventure. My first impression was that this city is far more friendly than Amsterdam. People seemed to be laughing and having a good time when you looked around on the streets. We checked into Hotel Nora near the city center. They gave
us free beer and water in the mini fridge and handed us a map of the city. Ish sat on his bed and studied the map for 30 minutes figuring out where we should go. Ish finished planning our next step, a trip to The Jazzhouse. We walked for about 30 minutes before we discovered we were headed the wrong way! This picture is priceless, especially knowing the outcome of his intense planning. It turned out to be a great mistake. We found a cool, low-key bar. I ordered a beer while the bartender helped us figure out where we were going. Our hotel turned out to be about 10-15 minutes walking distance from The Jazzhouse. We got a cab and finally made it to the The Jazzhouse. They had a experimental jazz band playing. Ish really liked it. I wasn’t as impressed as he was because I am more interested in traditional jazz. Upstairs they were playing Norwegian Death Metal, still not my favorite, but it was a great experience. We walked down the City Center which was quite beautiful. Little
lights sparkled along the street in no particular pattern. I could not figure out what purpose they served. Later, we saw a tower and were struck by the sound of screaming. Lights in all of the rooms started flashing. To this day it is an unexplained occurrence. I looked it up the tower later and the found it was called “The Round Tower”. Very mysterious and it felt somehow special. We ended up getting dinner at Grillen Norrebro where I had the best burger I have ever had in my life, along with a New York IPA. We ended up having more drinks at the bar next door to our hotel called Kassen. It had a cool almost L.A. vibe. We woke up pretty early to walk around town before we needed to catch our plane back to LA. I teased myself a bit with this short trip to Copenhagen. But I wanted to experience it just long enough to inspire a trip back. I saw half of the main City Center and I now I need to go back and see the other half. The minute I got home I booked my next trip. Iceland, Berlin, Greece and ending in ... guess where? Yes, back to Copenhagen!
Artist Portfolio
DEBE ARLOOK
There’s a miraculousness of flight that seems to belie the confines of nature and a sense of awe in the clouds. When I began photographing airplanes, my studio was directly beneath an LAX landing flight path. Hearing, feeling and seeing it’s imposing presence every three minutes urged me to document them as modern wonders as well as formidable vehicles that plummet to the earth. This photo-based project combines homage to David Hockney’s use of distorted scale and high key colors with in-camera double exposures and post process technique to suggest this dual perception.
Find out more at: debearlookphotography.com / @debearlook
LISA PENZ
Artist Portfolio
Find out more: @lisapenz
TIME IN THE MOMENT
Nelson Giesecke on his latest custom watch
Any watch can tell the time; a truly extraordinary one can capture it. The “Living in the moment” series of custom watches developed and built by Nelson Giesecke, at Object Design Studio in Denver, Colorado, does just that. The idea behind each design is to both embody the customer’s memory of a “perfect day” and remind the wearer to “live in the moment.”
The Moment Each watch in the series is built to express the owner’s personal relation to life. As such, it requires a special connection between the artist and the customer. It demands good communication, patience and vision. In the United States, this type of shared collaborative experience is particularly rare in the field of mechanical watches because most of the custom timepieces that can be ordered are to be found primarily in
Switzerland and a few specialized watchmakers in other parts of Europe. Giesecke’s Object Design Studio in Denver brings the opportunity for a truly personalized design process closer to home for Americans seeking a watch made specifically for them. The first step in the process is for the customer to identify a place or a time they have experienced that was truly inspirational. That memory is the motif used to create a moving landscape inside the watch that changes throughout the day. For example, the first watch in the “live in the moment” series was commissioned to be an autobiographical tribute to life by the sea. The design features a photographic bas-relief in metal of the gulf of Ft. Meyers, Florida. This miniature, sculptural universe with deeply reflective, iridescence colors graphically depicts the concept of time as the changing of the tides, and via an egret flying in and out of the water. Of course,
the fact that timekeeping developed because of navigation on the sea gives an added historical reference.
The Mechanics For this watch, a high end Swiss movement was used as the platform to create moving clouds on the horizon of a seascape. Giesecke commissioned an American watch mechanic, Richard Stoller to create the specialized gears and delicately formed watch hands. This “Life by the Sea” is completely hand forged and engraved in bas relief using ancient metalsmithing techniques, combined with modern tools and technology. Metals used include 18-karat gold, platinum, palladium and “shakudo,” an ancient Japanese alloy. Giesecke employs “Métiers d’Art “techniques to construct these unique detailed miniature universes on the dial. His years of research and practice in metal arts are employed in precision- miniature to achieve these effects. The case is completely hand machined in 18-karat yellow, white and rose gold. The sides of the case are inlayed in platinum and then painstakingly hammered to create a “frosted” effect. A total of four seascapes are referenced on this watch, including the latticework back with an egret flying in and out of the water on the automatic rotor.
The Magic
When it comes to machines and mechanical devices it is easier to describe how they are built or how they function rather than what they actually mean. This is especially true for a hand-built watch created specifically to depict the changing moments of a day. It can be calculated, machined and built but how can it express the day?
That’s the magic of the “live in the moment” series. It combines form and function, minute and memory, and image and imagination, into a watch that both tells the time and captures its passing. Giesecke is a uniquely talented artist, architect, and engineer with the mastery to forge these new mechanical dreams.
NEW FASHION by Shamelesstudios
Shamelesstudios, the brainchild of co-founders, Jannah Brown and Andrea Sanchez, is a multifaceted photography studio based in Denver, Colorado. Shameless collaborates with local businesses and creatives to output the most artistic and cuttingedge content. Offering services in both photography and videography, the diverse company produces everything from boudoir to creative lifestyle content. Shamelesstudios was created with one word in mind, empowerment. Through our creative vision we aim to give everyone we work with a sense of empowerment by creating a positive body image. Through our photography, videography and event services, we use Shameless as an avenue to promote self-love and acceptance. Own it; whatever size, shape, ethnicity, sexuality, etc‌ we want to help you own it. Fiercely and sincerely, Jannah Brown and Andrea Sanchez
WINTER REWIND above: Cream Velvet Bomber Jacket / Madewell right: Winter White Fur Coat / Anthropologie
SPRING STYLE Blush Velvet Skirt / Madewell Blush Fur Heels / Donald Pliner Model: Jannah Brown
MORE SPRING STYLE Model: Andrea Sanchez More looks: @shamelessstudios
Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello – “One of the most interesting people of Washington, DC” – Washington City Paper.
Frida Smoking. Charcoal and Conte with embedded electronics and self contained electronics with appropriated digital images and looped video. 2017, 22x30 inches.
Price and additional images upon request.
Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC, Washington, DC www.alidaanderson.com / info@alidaanderson.com
Fine art should always tell a story.
290 Fillmore Street #3, Denver, CO 80206 www.objectdesignstudio.com 303-377-1701
For the Compass Project, we spent two and half years to create a ring, pendant, and necklace that work together to create a compass, a stargazing chart, and a sundial. These pieces celebrate the twentieth anniversary of a couple who live in the mountains but travel across the ocean in a ship called the Compass Rose. At Object Design Studio, our one-of-a-kind pieces tell stories like this.