ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012 ISSUE by ArtTour International Magazine

PEACE

CONTENTS 13 18 22 27 30 32 40 56 57 60 67 73

JULY 2012

YADDO An Enduring Masterpiece YOKO ONO Inspiring Hope One Wish At A Time “EARTH VORTICES” The Enchanted World of Art FERRARA A Cultural Masterpiece A TRIP TO A WOUNDED EMILIA FABIAN PEREZ Master Painter JIM PESCOTT Pointilism Master HENRY GORECKI : Symphony Number Three HOW COPENHAGEN BECAME HAVANA THE DUBLIN BIENNIAL 2012 WRITER’S CORNER “The Fountainhead Gallery” PAM 2012 What Happens When Summer Crips In

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FEATURED ARTISTS 38 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 64 68 70

ERIC R.DOOLIN ADKA CÉCILE GUICHETEAU HOLLY SUZANNE JEAN LAMING JEANNIE CHOE KISHORE M. SALI RAFAEL COSTA STEFFIE WALLACE LIDA VAN BERS MARIA KARZI RENÉE BREIG ERIN ZERBE DAVID ORR CARLOS J.TIRADO YEPES

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A RT TOUR I NTERNATIONAL V IDEO C HANNEL The Arttour International Video Channel is an innovative concept in visual arts aiming to broadcast via web channels and orbital satellites above the territories of Europe and America targeting a large audience.

STAY TUNED FOR “Limitless Expressions” Toronto, Canada July 19th 2912

“PAM-2012 FESTIVAL” NYC July 25th 2012

Tune in to our channel and watch the events at the Dublin Biennial Pop Up Exhibition 2012

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Offering a global platform for artists, galleries, film makers and creative individuals to expose their work on our virtual gallery, and promote their events in a global artistic scene. Tune in to our channel and watch the most recent events of the international art world!

www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE FOR INFORMATION ON EVENT COVERAGE OR VIDEO INTERVIEWS PLEASE CONTACT NATALIA CASTALDI AT ads@arttourinternational.com

To contacrt our video production department email Production@arttourinternational.com

July 2012

P R E S E N T I N G

P O I N T I L I S M

J I M

M A S T E R

P E S C O T T

"Nothing on this earth is solitary everything is connected. Pointillism allows me this exploration”

“Forest Canopy - Summer” Acrylic on Canvas “Spirit II” Acrylic on Canvas

“Forest Canopy - Springr” Acrylic on Canvas

“Forest Canopy - Winter” Acrylic on Canvas

“Forest Canopy - Autumn” Acrylic on Canvas

“The only brushstroke in my paintings is a dot: some have referred to this as a contemporary pointillist style. As the artist, I simply allow the dots to be what they are for what they need to do without regard for definitions. The motivation in my paintings is to express how much it matters for all things to be in harmony. Nothing on this earth is solitary, everything in connected: the mingling layers of dots share this meditation. The subject matter is landscape: rural and urban, as this is what we all experience in our daily lives: a common experience for everyone but not so much to capture what is seen as more to foster meditations on the unknowns in what we see.” Jim Pescott brings soothing visual meditations to the canvas. His unique pointillist journeys explore what is so often available to everyone but seldom visited in our daily frantic lifestyles. Dots fill Jim’s paintings with light, energy and love to bring the viewer precious opportunities to dwell peacefully within the image and allow calm to fill their spirit.”

Jim is available for interviews and media contact, and consultations. www.jimpescott.com Calgary, Alberta, Canada Phone: 403-870-0591 Email: info@jimpescott.com www.arttourinternational.com July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

A letter from the editor We at ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL Magazine want to thank all our readers for their support. We have lots of great news and articles and we invite you to join us each time while we take you on a voyage through the wonderful world of art. On this issue we have two wonderful news, the launch of our Online Broadcasting Channel and our new Blog!! On our Online Broadcasting Channel we have a great selection of video interviews for you to watch. We brought our cameras to Dublin, Ireland for the Dublin Biennial Pop Up Exhibition and now you can watch all details of the event. In July we will be in Toronto, Canada to broadcast the opening reception of “Limitless Expressions” International Exhibition and New York for the broadcast of the PAM 2012 Festival. Log on to our online channel now and watch interviews, artworks, artists and much more. www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE On our Blog you can share stories with us and get to know more our editors and writers, make sure to visit us at www.arttourinternational.com/apps/blog While in Dublin we had the opportunity to see Yoko Ono who participated at the Dublin Biennial, on page we present to you her interactive artwork “Wish Tree”, learn more about Yoko’s project to promote world peace and how this art activist is inspiring hope one wish at a time. This month’s cover story Fabian Perez, Master Painter will present to you the magnificent works of this young master of the figurative art. Another great article that will capture your attention is “Yaddo” A Cultural Masterpiece. We take you for a tour to this enchanting place at the heart of Upstate New York in the Saratoga Springs region. Enjoy the great images of this unique gardens. At our “Writer’s Corner” we continue supporting young stars of the literature and we are proud to bring to you “The Fountainhead Gallery” a fiction based on the story of an artist who finds herself immerse in a world of dreams, written by Yadi Roman, Writer & Film Maker from New York. Our magazine is full of art news, featured artists, wonderful images of artworks and updates bringing you the latest events. Subscribers to ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL Magazine have exclusive online access to all of the online editions and special editions. In addition to reading the magazine, ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL Magazine subscribers can also engage with our columnists through our blog. We're very excited to share this issue with you and think you will enjoy both our print and our online magazine. We're working hard to bring you a site you will love and look forward to your feedback.

Natalia Castaldi

Editor in Chief

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July 2012

LET EVERYONE KNOW YOUR BUSINESS! INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: ARTTOUR International Magazine covers Europe and the Americas and is dedicated to getting contemporary art in front of a buying audience. STATE OF THE ART DESIGN: It is full color and available through galleries, high-end retail outlets, health clubs, estate agents and five star hotels. COMPETITIVE ADVERTISING RATES: ARTTOUR International Magazine offers competitive rates for artists, galleries and those in the creative industries and can offer special packages for multiple pages across one or more issues. Each display page is dedicated to an individual artist, showcasing one piece of work for biggest impact, with contact details and information on where the work can be seen and bought. Arts-led editorial will include interviews, articles, features on collecting and private collectors, etc. ONLINE GALLERY: ARTTOUR International Magazine provides an online gallery featuring all artists for the issue month which can link to other websites and include more detailed information.

WWW.ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL.COM Blog: www.arttourinternational.com/apps/blog Online Broadcasting Channel www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE

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ATTENTION ARTISTS GET THE RIGHT EXPOSURE! BECOME ONE OF OUR FEATURED ARTISTS!!! Arttour International Magazine A Quarterly Publication. Dedicated to exposing contemporary art by bringing it to the eyes of collectors, art buyers and dealers, art critics, gallerists and art lovers. Offering an international platform for professional and emerging artists looking for the right exposure!

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Opportunities Premium placement Full page and multi-page spreads Half page, horizontal Quarter page To place your ad contact ads@arttourinternational.com

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Next Issue: Oct 2012 Ad close: 9/12/2012 Materials deadline: 9/10/2011 On sale: 9/27/2012 Opportunities Premium placement Full page and multi-page spreads Half page, horizontal Quarter page To place your ad contact ads@arttourinternational.com July 2012

CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Natalia Castaldi Internationally recognized art critic and writer based in Hartford Connecticut. As editor-in-chief, she has overseen the design of the magazine and is planning on the launching of Arttour International annual conferences. She’s also, a reporter for Advertising Age-Creativity, and a freelance writer covering art, design and consumer culture. info@arttourinternational.com ART DIRECTOR: Viviana Puello Founder of Vivid Arts Network, Artist, Writer and Art Activist. Vivid Arts Network is an art organization that reunites artists from around the world to help create an awareness and conversation on the issues that surround important social topics focusing on the healing of human traffic victims. www.vividartsnetwork.net email:vp@arttourinternational.com MANAGING EDITOR Cody LaVada - New York Cody is a performance artist, writer & designer who lives in Upstate New York. Inspired by the dark side of life, Cody’s unique creations are often a macabre amalgam of fashion, passion & theatricality, interwoven with intensely-personal experiences, such as body modification & mental illness. Cody is thrilled to be working with ArtTour International & spreading awareness of both the ingenious artistry & the social conflicts that the company fights to erase. Cody@arttourinternational.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Haydn Diaz - New York Haydn Díaz received his B.A in English Literature and Minor in Theatre from the Honors College at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. He is currety based out of New York city where he works as a playwright, director, poet, writer, theater artists and dilettante musician. His works have been presented in regional and national festivals ands well as Miami and New York City theaters. He is currently Literary Associate at IATI Theater and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. HaydnDiaz@arttourinternational.com

Our Cover: “Dancer in Red” by Fabian Perez www.fabianperez.com ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS INC.

Distribution & Marketing GRIMARTE GALLERY

Graphic Design & Photography ALAN GRIMANDI

Video Production & Direction VIVID ARTS NETWORK

Art Direction GNESH EDITORS

Translations & Editing Humberto J. Orozco Ariza Information Technology

Deen Albertini - Toronto I am a writer and a poet. I am also an art collector and enthusiast. Art is a window to the soul, and it is the only thing that captures my imagination. Civilizations come and go, but great art is forever. DeenAlbertini@arttourinternational.com Yadi Roman - Albany Film maker and writer of highly personal films. While many of her works reflect on her experiences with psychological disorders, her current research interests include theory of reincarnation, of spiritual journey and issues related to time and space in cinema. Yadi@arttourinternatiional.com Special thanks to La Nuova Ferrara Newspaper for their contribution to this issue and to the city of Ferrara, Italy for their hospitality. Special thanks to the city of Dublin, Ireland for their hospitality to our production crew during the Dbulin Biennial Pop Exhibition.

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Published by Arttour International Publications Inc. 601 W. 174th Street S 4C New York, NY 10033

© Copyright 2012 Arttour International Magazine. © All copyrights are reserved by the authors. The copyrights of all published artwork are retained by the artists. Reproduction of any published material is prohibited without the written permission of the magazine's publisher.

July 2012

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May 2012

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P R E S E N T I N G

R A H S H I A L I N E N D O L L S A W Y E R

“Ego/Subconscious 001” Photography

“I create surreal, fantastical worlds to lure the viewer in, until they become lost."

-Rahshia Linendoll-Sawyer

Rahshia Linendoll-Sawyer takes photographs that examine, through constructed images, our relationship with control. A loss of control is something we avoid, and work tirelessly to maintain. But what if we let ourselves get lost? Linendoll-Sawyer’s work has won several awards, and is exhibited widely throughout the U.S. and internationally. She is a graduate lecturer at George Mason University, and lives and works in Washington D.C.

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July 2012

Linendoll-Sawyer creates environments with the pretense of control. The resulting visual imagery ultimately reveals the futility in believing one can control anything. The control she retains over these manufactured landscapes results in an image where the viewer can experience "losing control." Her work examines the loss of control, and the continual struggle to regain it.

“Multiverse 002” Photography

“Multiverse 006” Photography

“Entropy 006” Photography

“Ego/Subconscious 003” Photography

Rahshia is available for interviews, media contact, commissions and purchasing of her works at: www.rahshia.com Washington, D.C. Phone: 202.725.5922 email: photo@rahshia.com www.arttourinternational.com

July 2012

Titti Hammarling www.tittihammarling.com

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Line is drawnâ&#x20AC;? Oil on Canvas 65x65 cm

Original Artwors by

July 2012

ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN 1881 BY THE PROMINENT FINANCIER SPENCER TRASK (FAMOUS FOR BEING A BACKER OF THOMAS EDISON) AND HIS WIFE KATRINA, A POET, YADDO IS A 440 ACRE ESTATE THAT SERVES AS AN ARTISTS’ COMMUNITY LOCATED IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK. THE MISSION OF THE PROPERTY, AS DESCRIBED BY THE ESTATE’S WEBSITE, IS “TO NURTURE THE CREATIVE PROCESS BY PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS TO WORK WITHOUT INTERRUPTION IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT.” CONT NEXT PAGE www.arttourinternational.com

July 2012

PHOTO OF THE GARDEN’S ENTRY GATES. The entrance to the rose gardens. The gate is made of glazed terracotta Ionic columns and entablature and a marble sill. Spencer Trask and Katrina Trask's initials are molded in the entablature. An iron grill gate completes the entrance.

The ground itself is said to exude a mystical, creative feel, as it once was the property on which a tavern owned by Jacobus Barhyte existed. Many well-known writers and poets of the postRevolutionary War era spent their days in this pub, among them being Edgar Allan Poe, who allegedly worked on his masterpiece “The Raven” while on a visit there. While the estate is seen as a place of inspiration and beauty today, it had a tumultuous and, at times, even tragic rise to such wellrenowned status. www.arttourinternational.com

The Trask family had one mansion erected on the estate, which burnt down in 1893. The current house was then erected, and stands to this day – a gorgeous palatial manor that blends Medieval, Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. It was constructed by William Halsey Wood, an architect from New Jersey who designed the house based upon the specifications of the Trasks and their Italian influence. The house covers 45,000 square feet and contains three floors, along with a basement and writing studio in a tower room, which Katrina herself

used. There are also several secret passages throughout the mansion which were used by servants and maintenance men. The manor also boasts a dozen fireplaces, several tremendous works of art, beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows, and antique furnishings carved with images of angels and cherubim. There is an inscription in the pane of one window which, when translated from its Latin text, reads: “The flame unconquered by fire, Yaddo rises up again in peace” – a testament to the enduring strength of the property and those who go to it for inspiration. July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

RIGHT: PHOTO OF THE ROCK GARDEN - ROCK FOUNTAIN The rock fountain is located in the upper pool of the Rock Garden at Yaddo Gardens. The Rock Garden, which is west of the pergola, was created a few years after the Rose Garden and makes use of interestingly shaped dolomite rocks which were selected by Spencer Trask from his own quarry. It is part of a two-level garden whose upper and lower pools have a spillway of rippling water between them. It features many perennial plantings alongside the two-levels. The Rock Garden uses its natural dolomite rocks and water features to create an informal interpretation of a classical garden. Photo Courtesy of the Yaddo Gardens Association

The Trasks had four children during their lifetime: Alanson, Christina, Spencer Junior and Katrina. It was Christina that came up with the name of the estate, saying that is rhymed with “shadow,” which her father found endearing enough to implement. The Trask children all died between 1880 and 1889. Leaving the grieving Trasks with no heir to the estate, the idea of it being used as an artist residence was contrived by Katrina, who envisioned the estate as a sanctuary for those who longed to create, without any disturbances from the outside world. She imagined it as “a www.arttourinternational.com

perpetual series of house parties” and in 1899, the first step toward molding Yaddo into an artists’ paradise was made. The estate serves as a residence for artists and caters to the needs of many fields. While admittance was once strictly limited to writers, poets, painters, composers and sculptors, it is now open to choreographers, performance artists, photographers and film makers. Around a quarter of those who apply to Yaddo are admitted annually, and there are usually 12-15 residents from October to May, and over thirty between May and August. Applicants are asked

to send their materials online, and all applications are reviewed by committees that specialize in a variety of artistic disciplines. Once applicants are selected, their stays range anywhere from two weeks to two months at Yaddo, and a fee of $20 a day is suggested, in return for a bedroom, all meals, a studio, maid service, and access to the various facilities of the estate, such as a swimming pool, massive garden and pergola – however, the fee is always waived for those who ask. Cont. Next page

July 2012

PHOTO OF THE PERGOLA. This rose-covered terracotta columned pergola overlooks the rose garden. Beyond the pergola is the rock garden. Photo Courtesy of the Yaddo Gardens Association

While the atmosphere at Yaddo is peaceful and promotes an air of inspiration and creativity, there are rules for those staying at the mansion: there are designated “quiet hours” which are supposed to be solely dedicated to honing your particular craft, though artists oftentimes will entertain their time enjoying the many facilities or exploring the surrounding attractions in Saratoga. Guests are only allowed to visit residents between 4 and 10pm, and are never permitted to stay the night, nor are pets allowed to the residents who are staying. And yet, residencies at the estate are nowhere near tense or uptight; in fact, it is the mission of those in www.arttourinternational.com

charge of the property, after the Trasks’ own wishes, to promote a laid-back and beautiful milieu in which imagination can thrive. In that vein, life at Yaddo is bustling and full of inspiration for the eager artist: there are frequently moments such as cocktail parties and the like for artists to socialize and be influenced by those around them. To date, Yaddo has hosted nearly 6,000 artists, prominent names among the roster being Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, Milton Avery, Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote and Lowell Liebermann. One must wonder if the Trasks ever conceived the vast amount of interest and traffic that their brainchild would one day

produce, and how much acclaim it would amass over time. After losing an eye in a traffic accident in 1909, Spencer Trask then died in a train accident on New Year’s Eve of that same year. In a bizarre twist of fate, he was the only passenger riding the train that died from the impact. Katrina continued making their joint dream a reality, and she married George Foster Peabody, a banker and philanthropist who assisted her with Yaddo’s management, in 1921. She died less than a year later – but not before her dreams had blossomed, though the Yaddo she knew in 1922 was nowhere near as prestigious and well-known as the Yaddo of today. July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

PHOTO OF THE SUNDIAL The metal dial face is supported by a marble slab resting on two carved standards of classic design representing conventionalized lions, these being copies of those two splendid standards unearthed at Pompeii. These sun-dial standards at Yaddo were made by the permission and under the supervision of the Italian government. The engraved metal dial face bears two verses--the gift of one poet to another--of Dr. Henry Van Dyke to the garden's mistress, Katrina Trask. "Hours fly, Flowers die, New Days, New Ways, Pass by; Love stays." At the base of the gnomon is the second motto:-Time is Too Slow for those who Wait, Too Swift for those who Fear, Too Long for those who Grieve, Too Short for those who Rejoice; But for those who Love, Time is Eternity.

While recent years have seen some trouble for Yaddo – such as the damage of two of the Four Seasons statues, several benches, a fountain and pathways in the garden caused by vandals with paintball guns, which cost an estimated $1,400 – the support of artists and artistic sponsors has helped to ensure vitality and growth in the estate. As it enters its second century, Yaddo has faced some financial difficulty; the endowments created by the Trasks no longer cover the contemporary requirements of Yaddo and, in consequence, many expenses are covered by sponsorships and contributions to ensure that the estate will remain a safe haven for individuals who wish to create in a place of comfort and www.arttourinternational.com

inspiration. More than a third of its financial support comes from artists who were once guests at Yaddo themselves, such as Patricia Highsmith, who bequeathed her entire estate (valued at around $3 million) to the community. Yaddo remains a burgeoning mecca of artistic innovation that draws in vast numbers of tourists each year who long to walk through the beautiful Italianate gardens, explore the surrounding woods or soak up the creative atmosphere of the estate. While admittance to the mansion is strictly limited to resident artists, tourists may travel the grounds and take guided tours so that they may learn more about the enchanting estate and its history.

Over a century after its completion, the estate and house remain a glorious tribute to the power of art and to the wondrous things that it can accomplish. A sundial in the garden bears the inscription: “Hours fly, flowers die, new days, new ways pass by, love stays,” which demonstrates the indelible majesty created by the Trasks which endures to this day and beyond, offering asylum to bohemians like themselves who wish to escape from the cruel reality of the everyday world. Applications for residency at Yaddo, along with information about the estate and how to support it can be found at the official website www.yaddo.org. July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

IMAGINE PEACE

YOKO ONO INSPIRING HOPE ONE WISH AT A TIME By Viviana Puello - Dublin

. . . “We were seeing the power of people of the World, all wishing to bring World Peace, strongly focussing their thoughts that night to IMAGINE PEACE TOWER. We were shown that when World Peace comes, we will all be young, shining and feeling good – like the people of a very special village called the Planet Earth.” . . . “I think we, Earthlings are lucky people. We have the power to change the world.” “I love you!” Yoko Yoko Ono Lennon _Reykjavík, Iceland_10th October 2011 Photography Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved www.arttourinternational.com www.arttourinternational.com

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

"Imagine Peace" Love, Yoko 2012_ These words gave the warm welcome to Gallery One of the Dubin Biennial Pop Up 2012. The city of James Joyce was filled with joy with the presence of Yoko as the peace activist brought her philanthropic contribution to the arts inspiring all with her message of peace. The "Wish Tree" is an interactive artwork that takes part in mamy of Yoko Ono’s exhibitions around the world Visitors are invited to write a wish for peace and tie it to one of the tree branches. The collected wishes sum up to more than a million at present time and are to be transferred to the Imagine www.arttourinternational.com

Peace Tower in Iceland as part of her 1,000,000 wishes project. An idea conceived more than 40 years ago and come to a manifested reality in memory of John Lennon, the Imagine Peace Tower is an outdoor work of art situated on Viðey Island in Reykjavík, Iceland. Dedicated to John by Yoko at its unveiling on October 9th 2007, John Lennon’s 67th birthday and to celebrate the birthday of their son Sean, who was born on the same day as his dad.. A symbol of their campaign for world peace. The Imagine Peace Tower’s installation was a collaboration between Yoko Ono, the City of Reykjavik, the Reykjavik Art

Museum and Reykjavik Energy. The electricity for the light is generated naturally, powered by hot natural spring water: geothermal energy., the main reason why the artwork was situated in Iceland. The Imagine Peace Tower is composed of a tall shimmering tower of light that appears every year and is visible from October 9th (John’s birthday) until December 8th (the anniversary of his death). In addition, the Tower will illuminate from Winter Solstice (December 21st – 28th), The words IMAGINE PEACE are inscribed on the Well in 24 different languages. Cont. Next Page

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

On June 20th 2012, Yoko Ono was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Dublin Biennial Exhibition to recognize her accomplishments in the worlds of art, music and as a peace activist. After being presented with the award, a traditional Irish bogwood sculpture by Kieran Higgins, she said "I am very honored to return to Dublin to be part of the first ever Dublin Biennial and to receive this lifetime achievement award," "John, who sometimes considered himself 100% Irish, would have loved to see me honored in this way by the city he loved."

“Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Just start thinking peace, and the message will spread quicker than you think.” Yoko Ono As a tribute to Yoko, the City of Reykjavik lights the tower on her birthday February 18th from 7pm until 9am the following day.The weather and atmospheric conditions which are very unique to Iceland allow a beautiful ongoing variation of the intensity and brilliance of the light. Yoko Ono’s work spans from music, writing, film, performance, to painting, and installation. Ono's work reveals a spiritual and experimental approoach, constantly reaching out for some deeper meaning or enlightenment, drawn on Zen philosophy- Art as an experience, an interaction between the artist and the audience, a relationship between the subject and the object, between the self and the other www.arttourinternational.com

searching for wholeness or unity. Yoko Ono’s work is an unlimited source of inspiration, it’s about looking, thinking, meditating and doing., and it relates to questions of life and philosophy. of profound global change. Yoko’s “Wish Tree” artwork not only is a masterpiece of the mind but it is also a masterpiece of the heart, there are wishes being written by many around the globe, making its way to a new reality. For more information on Yoko Ono and her “Wish Tree” or the “Imagine Tower” artwork go to: www.imaginepeacetower.com

“I hope the Imagine Peace Tower will give light to the strong wishes of World Peace from all corners of the planet and give encouragement, inspiration and a sense of solidarity in a world now filled with fear and confusion. Let us come together to realize a peaceful world.Love is our energy. Wisdom is our power. It’s time to shed light to all corners of the world. Enjoy the trip we make together.” Yoko Ono Lennon

July 2012

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July 2012

“EARTH VORTICES” THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF ART

July 2012

At the

Sale dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Imbarcadero of the Estense Castle in Ferrara, Italy an exhibition showcasing diverse styles, expressions and techniques: a unique and unforgettable gallery ... By Margherita Goberti - Ferrara La Nuova Ferrara www.lanuovaferrara.gelocal.it

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“EARTH VORTICES” VIVID ARTS NETWORK PREMIER EVENT IN FERRARA FERRARA. It took place in the halls of Imbarcadero at the Estense Castle, the success of the international art exhibition "EarthVortices" which opened on Saturday May 10th after a very acclaimed performance of musicians in the courtyard of the castle that captured and drew the attention of a large public partly composed by the same artists who exhibited their works. Music and art have therefore characterized the event which was attended by twenty artists from the 42 exhibitors from 24 countries worldwide. To welcome the guests and visitors was the director Viviana Puello, who thanked all the contributors who have brought the organization of the event in Ferrara for the second time, then wanting to fix the important moment with a snapshot that for each star participating represents the testimony and memory of an important participation. "This event - said the Puello in English and Italian - was designed with the aim to promote intercultural dialogue between the various expressions of

contemporary art, the location that homes the exhibit is very prestigious, as well as the city that we are happy to come back and see again". The exhibition was very interesting and attractive, as it highlighted an extraordinary world and diversity of experiences, styles and techniques; paintings, sculptures, installations, art photography, video and virtual art and even the creation, under the eyes of visitors, of a living painting by a body painting artist with great interpretive skills. This was a great opportunity and a chance to see up close an anthology of works that make up a unique and unusual gallery. Part of the proceeds will go to ECPAT Italia, an organization that helps children and women victims of trafficking in human beings. Margherita Goberti La Nuova Ferrara Translated by Yadi Roman for Arttour International Magazine All rights reserved. Photography: Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved

From left to right: Artist Raul Cantu, artist Laura Leone and her model with a representation of The broken column (selfportrait) by Frida Khalo, Vivid Arts Network Director Viviana Puello and Vivid Arts Network Executive Director Alan Grimandi

Art in all its expressions, an exhibition to remember. Opposite page: 1- Canadian Artist Jim Pescott, Vivid Arts Network Director Viviana Puello and American artist John Nieman enjoying a moment of fun. 2- Canadian Artist Larry Rich shraring some of his music 3- Turkish Artist Aysel Gözübüyük being interviewed by Viviana Puello for Artttour International Magazine. 4- Public enjoying the 3D images by Mexican artist Raul Cantu 5-Artist Kristina Sretkova sharing thoughts about her painting “Iluminating Light” 5- Kristina Sretkova, Transnational artist and her painting “Illuminating Light” 6- Artist Armando Cabba from Canada. 7-Italian artist Laura Leone painting “The persistence of memory” by Salvador Dali during a body painting demostration. 8-Artist Alex Slingenberg from the Netherlands being interviewed by Viviana Puello for Artttour International Magazine. 9- Canadian artist Jim Pescott during a moment of creation.

Left: Artists group picture from left to right: Suna Sonmezalp, Aysel Gözübüyük, Jhon Nieman, Carlo Gatti, Armando Cabba, Gabriela Gard Galiana, Viviana Puello, Giulia Spagnesi, SanSan, Jim Pescott, Kristina Sretkova, Raul Cantu, Flora, Nikolina Šimunović, Sirkka Laakkonen

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An earthquake hits Italy On May 20th 2012 at 4:04 AM a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the Emilia Romagna , Ferrara region in Italy affecting its heritage sites. The earthquake that stroke Ferrara was one of the worst quakes to hit northeast Italy in hundreds of years. The magnitude-6.0 temblor struck with its epicenter about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 5 kilometers (3.2 miles). With more aftershocks shaking the country, buildings continue to fall, bell towers are cracking, and chunks of church facades have fallen down. According to local officials, the earthquake has left thousands homeless and historical buildings in ruins while others seriously damaged. and a death toll of more than 25 people. Prayers and solace go out to the people affected by the eartquake. Arttour International Magazine was in the area of Ferrara for the cover of the “Earth Vortices” exhibition by Vivid Arts Network. On May 20th, closing date of the exhibition the earthquake took place. We found the people in Ferrara to be very gentle and kind, who welcome their visitors with hospitality. Our deepest desire for healing and recovery for the whole region.We want to dedicate the next pages of our magazine to the people affected by this earthquake. Pages 27 to 29 are the re-print of our article “Ferrara, A historical masterpiece” published on the December 2011 issue of Arttour International Magazine. Page 30 It’s an incredible narrative by Director of La Nuova Ferrara, Mr. Paolo Boldrini, during a trip to the region. “A trip to a wounded Emilia”

Natalia Castaldi Editor in Chief

The Emilia-Romagna has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at all those - both private and public institutions –who want to make a contribution towards the costs of the earthquake that struck the provinces of Modena, Ferrara and Bologna. You may send your donations to: Bank transfer to: Unicredit Banca SpA Independence Agency Bologna – Bologna, Emilia-Romagna IBAN 42 - I - 02008 - 02450-000003010203 BIC / SWIFT UNCRITB1NU2 Memo: Contribution to the 2012 earthquake in Emilia-Romagna. For info: http://www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/aiuti-terremoto

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July 2012

“Ferrara, A historical masterpiece! By Grimandi

Ferrara is a beautiful and important city located in the Po Valley, and nickname “The city of bicycles”. Yes, even the legendary two-wheel constitute the history of Ferrara, its historical walls , and the works of art of a period that has made Italy great in the world, the Renaissance. Ferrara has about 135 000 inhabitants and is the capital of the province. It stretches the plain of the Po on the right, structurally composed of a medieval core. The great Estense Castle dominates the heart of the city, belonging to the Estense Court, one of the most magnificent courts of the Italian Renaissance. Started in 1385 and designed as a fort, was completed in 500. In 774 Ferrara passed into the hands of the Church and in 1100 became a free city, under the protection of the Lombard League (1167). Ferrara became the object

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of contention between the noble families of the area, the Estense on one side and the other Salinguerra. With the Estense family ruling from 1264 until 1598, Ferrara enjoyed a period of splendor becoming one of the greatest cultural centers of Europe. During the fifteenth and sixteenth century, the city hosted the greatest personalities of the Italian Renaissance: Piero della Francesca, Pisanello, Mantegna, Jacopo and Giovanni Bellini, Petrarca, Guarino of Verona, Ludovico Ariosto, Torquato Tasso, all the court d'Este. In 1597, with Alfonso II, grandson of Lucretia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este, the period ends and the city's majestic sovereignty returns, with the revival of the "Donation of Constantine", under the power of the Papal States. Cont. Next Page

July 2012

CASTELLO ESTENSE PHOTOS Ferrara, Italy The great Estense Castle dominates the heart of the city, belonging to the Estense Court, one of the most magnificent courts of the Italian Renaissance. Started in 1385 and designed as a fort, was completed in 500

FOR ITS BEAUTY AND CULTURAL IMPORTANCE FERRARA HAS BEEN QUALIFIED BY UNESCO AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE. THIS HAS MADE FERRARA MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE EYES OF THE TRAVELERS. A MIXTURE OF URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE, FERRARA MAINTAINS ITS HISTORIC CENTER INTACT WHILE SHOWING STANDARDS OF URBAN PLANNING THAT HAVE HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

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July 2012

During this period, Ferrara, acquires considerable importance the University of Ferrara, born under the Estenseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in 1391. The ancient walls, surround the old town for about 9 km with a bike pass that circles the city, the major point of connection is the tourist center of the Republic Square and from there you can visit the Estense Castle on one side and the Cathedral of Ferrara, on the other. A three minute walk from the castle you get to the Cathedral of San Giorgio di Ferrara, built in the twelfth century. It is worth visiting

for the architectural and art grandeur of artists such as Jacopo della Quercia and Biagio Rossetti. shops and markets. You can find it at the left of the cathedral, still on the square. Among the narrow cobbled streets and small alleys covered with vaults, are the very elegant and almost hidden palaces. Casa Romei, Palazzo Costabili, Schifanoia Palace, Palazzo dei Diamanti. Ferrara is a beautiful destination and a cultural masterpiece!

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

The parish church has been demolished: the front and a wall crumbled, the area cordoned off. A priest and a few faithful roam around disconsolate. "The bell has held up," but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a great consolation. We are in the midst of the valleys: the country side where the land where watermelons, melons and milk are produced and transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano.â&#x20AC;? Leo Praesen

A trip to a wounded Emilia When the earthquake strikes a world cultural heritage A touching testimony from the eyes of a witness By Paolo Boldrini - Director - La Nuova Ferrara Newspaper The earthquake has changed the colors of the country side in Emilia Romagna: From Carpi to Ferrara, 80 miles of plains, dominated the green grass and corn, the yellow of the wheat when it was ripening, the red bricks of the houses and the gray concrete of factories. Now the landscape has changed: from a bridge you can see many colored dots on the horizon, especially blue and purple, green and orange. They look like kites resting on the grass after a flight aborted due to lack of wind. But as you get closer you find that they are the camps of victims of the earthquake with their tents that pop up in every park, in parking lots and even past the graveyard. www.arttourinternational.com

Carpi-Ferrara before 20 May was a trip in Emilia industrious and wealthy, today is a slalom between rubble and despair. In the city of knitwear, in its heyday, every day a business was opened. Before the crisis, there was also a record of Ferraris in the evening roaming around around Piazza Martiri. Today is sad as the whole of Lower Modenese, with the cathedral and the Palazzo dei Pio looses its parts. Later the situation worsens, from Cavendish, a ghost town, destroyed. The bulk of the population moved to the indoor stadium with their cars, campers and tents. The center is the red zone. At some point you turn up the sound of a crane. It's huge. July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012 The traffic officials, behind the red and white cord stop the traffic with a warning: "They're tearing down a house that is collapsing, you can not pass even on foot. It's risky. It is only 9 and this is starting to not be a good day. The miles that separate Cavezzo from Mirandola are paved with stones falling on the asphalt, roof tiles that has fallen down from the roofs, debris thrown away by the fury of the earth. Very often you proceed driving one way, alternating, slowly. All around the collapsed barns and fields you can see the colorful tents for survivors. This is the land of the Lambrusco and biomedical industries, although the present time seems out of place. Next stop Mirandola, a spooky town. Camping sites everywhere, ghosts in tracksuits who wander aimlessly in and out of the tents. The main square is blocked. The Cathedral, The Castle of Pico and the city bear the marks of a war, as well as the industrial zone : It is shocking to see the hovels destroyed along with others that remain intact. Scenes that require reflection on the safety of buildings. Questions that come up frequently these days, among the colleagues of the workers who died under the rubble of buildings. Unanswered for now. Even the small villages have their crosses, in every sense. Tramuschio, divided in half with the municipality of San Giovanni del Dosso, has lost their church that collapsed. The street is deserted. The journey to Ferrara continues, next stop Quarantoli. The parish church has been demolished: the front and a wall crumbled, the area cordoned off. A priest and a few faithful roam around disconsolate. "The bell has held up," but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a great consolation. We are in the midst of the valleys: the country side where the land where watermelons,

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melons and milk are produced and transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano. At Modena Gaven the same scenes: the church apart, fenced cemetery, people exhausted. A desperation that seems to never end. In San Martino Spino you feel like you want to run away and never stop. From a tent comes out Mr. William Ballerini: "For eight years I have been a priest, I was born here. My church is now on the lawn. The other, the stone is standing but inside is shabby. With another shock it will collapse". Speaking of churches, at Gaven Ferrara the iron cross has fallen from the facade and is now bent, beside the door. It 's an ongoing survey of the priest and technicians. Only at Scortichino the church is intact, but the town was not spared: there's tents of civil protection around the sports field and factories folded in two, to remind us that the earthquake does not do discounts. A few miles more and the road sign announces the arrival in Bondeno: Army men hung from a chimney that will be blown up today. The center is armored. Parks have turned into campsites. The final destination is near. Carpi-Ferrara is a journey into the heart of a wounded Emilia. Paolo Boldrini - La Nuova Ferrara www.lanuovaferrara.gelocal.it Translated by Viviana Puello for Arttour International Magazine All rights reserved.

July 2012

Detail of “Dancer in Red” Acrylic on Canvas

FABIÁN PÉREZ By Cody LaVada - New York

RECOGNIZED AROUND THE WORLD FOR HIS UNIQUE STYLE OF PORTRAITURE AND THE INNOVATIVE WAY THAT HE CAPTURES THE HUMAN FORM, FABIÁN PÉREZ IS AN INTRIGUING ARTIST AND AUTHOR WHO DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HIS LIFE AND THE BEAUTY AROUND HIM TO CREATE GORGEOUS WORKS OF ART THAT TRANSCEND CLASSIFICATION AND TRULY TOUCH THE HEART.

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July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012 “Man Lighting a cigarette II” Acrylic on Canvas

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 2nd, 1967, Pérez has always had an interest in the arts. He worked with watercolors and tempera at the age of eight, and began to create portraits of friends, family members and celebrities which he kept in an album. Working at the encouragement of his mother, Edua Herreria, who he lists as a major inspiration in his life throughout the creative process, he delved into the world of art at a young age, fully dedicated to his endeavors. Another inspiration to him was his father, Antonio Pérez, and the life that he lived. The youngest of the four Pérez children, Fabián Pérez frequently spent time with his father and witnessed his difficult and oftentimes unconventional lifestyle.

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Antonio Pérez was the owner of several nightclubs and bordellos in the area, which were frequently closed down by the police. Fabian says that his paintings often include likenesses of his father, depicted as “the cool guy” outside the clubs. As a child, Fabian was motivated by these locations and the “ladies of the night” that existed within their ethereal realms – the beautiful women who could seduce a man by “simply lighting a cigarette.” As a result of this fascination with the women he observed and the demimonde in which they dwelt, Pérez often includes such characters in his paintings, paying tribute to his childhood and the splendor that he experienced in those years. Cont. Next Page.

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DESPITE HIS FAME AND RECOGNITION AS BOTH A FINE ARTIST AND AN AUTHOR, PEREZ REMAINS GROUNDED, LEVEL-HEADED AND HUMBLE, CITING HIS FANS AND THOSE WHO PURCHASE HIS ARTWORKS AS INSPIRATIONS AND MOTIVATORS BEHIND HIS CONTINUING ARTISTIC JOURNEY.

While Pérez admits that figures have always been his biggest challenge in painting, he also says that they are his favorite to render for that very reason: the challenge of creating and perfecting the human form. Being inspired by Picasso for what Pérez calls his “versatility,” he is also inspired by beauty in the everyday world: both the literal beauty of a human, and the staggering beauty of metaphor, such as manners, spirituality, principles and nature. Most of his paintings include the nightlife that he was so fond of as a young artist, depicting ravishing geishas shrouded in shadow, sultry courtesans applying cosmetics or passionate dancers elegantly backlit by a stage in some dim cabaret. He has stated www.arttourinternational.com

that the most important part of portraiture to him is the capture of the essence of the subject itself: each nuance and iota, everything you see and cannot see. His medium overtime has evolved from watercolors and tempera to acrylics, which he enjoys using because of how quickly they dry, which he uses to his own advantage since he is, by his own admission, an impulsive and unpredictable artist when the fever to create has possessed him. While there has been some discrepancy about what style he predominantly creates in (some call is surrealism, others abstract, and still others refer to it as experiments in symbolism), Pérez says that he always returns to the figurative style of what he calls

neo-emotionalism. He chooses to not classify his works as expressionism or impressionism, saying that such classifications greatly limit the scope of one’s artistic license, as well as subsequent audiences’ interpretations of his creations. Despite his mother’s insistence, Pérez received no official artistic training at an academy or university; most, if not all of the talent that is evident within his dazzling works of art shines through as a result of his own ingenuity and the influences of the many people, places and events that he has experienced over time – the joys, as well as the heartaches. When he was sixteen years old, his mother died - followed by his father three years later. Grieving and deeply depressed at the passing of two major supports and inspirations in his life, Pérez found solace in one of the greatest motivators of his life: Sensei Oscar Higa, whom he met in 1984. With this paternal figure, Pérez learned martial arts, which he had always had an interest in, and managed to channel his despair and emptiness into yet another creative outlet, using the discipline of karate to fill his time. With the sensei, Pérez found a friend, teacher and July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL MAY 2012 “Coquette” Acrylic on Canvas by Rafael Espitia

“Waiting for the Romance to come back II” Acrylic on Canvas

incredible influence; he also found strength and inner peace with himself, and eventually left Argentina to embark on a journey of global proportions which lasts to this day; he moved to Italy at the age of 22, where he resided for seven years. He filled his time by collecting various forms of artistic encouragement and studying with Oscar Higa. Having always loved traveling and the new muses that it revealed to him, Pérez welcomed this new chapter of his life. While in Italy, Perez picked up several new artistic techniques and also gathered the inspirations for a book: “Reflections of a Dream”. He has since written two others: “Waiting for the Romance to Come Back” and “All the Romance We Leave Behind”.

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Perez then lived in Japan for a year, during which time his paintings amassed some critical acclaim; both his painting of the Japanese flag and a painting of a meditating man were purchased and hang in the home of a Japanese government official to this day. From Japan, Perez decided to explore the United States, and he took up life in Los Angeles, where he worked several jobs – among them a busboy, a model and as a vampire character in Holloween at Universal Studios. With such busy days, Perez had only the nights with which to hone his craft and he calls these nights spent painting in LA his most creative period thus far in his career. In 2001, the beginnings of Perez’s worldwide fame were cemented when two art critics

saw an exhibition of his paintings in LA and fell in love with them. They met with Perez a few days later and quickly formed a partnership to help market, promote and sell his works. The collaborative efforts were an immediate success, and almost at once, Fabián Pérez’s artwork was selling like wildfire as a rapid demand for original pieces of his skyrocketed. Despite his fame and recognition as both a fine artist and an author, Perez remains grounded, level-headed and humble, citing his fans and those who purchase his artwork as inspirations and motivators behind his continuing artistic journey. Even in interviews, his intelligence and candor shines through:. Cont. Next Page

July 2012

“Balcony at Buenos Aires” Acrylic on Canvas

Q: Do you remember your first interaction with art? When did you decide you wanted to become an artist? A: I have always liked to paint, but never thought that an artist could be successful before one dies. But, when I sold my first painting, I changed my mind. Q: Your paintings have a very strong composition: they all seemed to be narrating a story. What exactly are we looking at? Can you explain your creative process for us? A: The compositions in my paintings are purely my subject matter: the people with little references to the place, temperature, etc. – always suggestive and mysterious. I get my ideas at night and I sketch them. The next day I go to the studio and paint them. Q: What's a typical day in your studio like?

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A: My studio is located in the back of my house, separate from it. I go back and forth to the house all day. On my breaks, I like to be with my family, and then I will go back to the studio. Q: Can you describe your studio for us? A: My studio is located next to the house - just walk across the yard, and you're in the workplace. All that I need to be able to work it is quiet and calm. Q: You live in Los Angeles. Tell us about your house. A: I live in a Spanish house, built in 1928. Of course, I like it, and I am proud of my personal bar. I have a nice collection of whiskeys. I am a lover of big parties. We love to walk from dusk until dawn. Q: You have moved a lot throughout your life; what have you taken with you from each country and what memories do you have left?

A: The most important thing I learned while living in different countries is that there is no paradise. As soon as you leave the parental home, you are bound to seek its place in this world. You belong to the places where you live; they give you a lot emotionally. If every day is no longer special, it is time to go somewhere else. Every move is an exciting and interesting experience. Q: What do you hope the viewer will take away from your paintings? A: Those things from the past that help with the evolution of the future. Q: What are you currently working on? What upcoming projects, shows etc. do you have developing? A: I just finished a tour of 16 exhibitions in the UK, and I am preparing a Mediterranean tour in July, among others exhibitions in the future – hopefully one in Russia.

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

“THE COMPOSITIONS IN MY PAINTINGS ARE PURELY MY SUBJECT MATTER: THE PEOPLE WITH LITTLE REFERENCES TO THE PLACE, TEMPERATURE, ETC. – ALWAYS SUGGESTIVE AND MYSTERIOUS. I GET MY IDEAS AT NIGHT AND I SKETCH THEM. THE NEXT DAY I GO TO THE STUDIO AND PAINT THEM..

RIGHT: “SUMMER RAIN” ACRYLIC ON CANVAS RIGHT BELOW: “EL PASEO” ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

Since his explosion as a global phenomenon over a decade ago, Fabián Pérez has continued his artistic endeavors, trailblazing a stunning legacy and body of work that is unmatched by most modern artists. He has had the distinctions of being the official artist of the 2009 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, as well as painting for the 2010 Winter Olympics. His name and exceptional style of such evocative beauty remain a marvel in the art world. Today, Perez lives in Beverly Hills, where he enjoys playing soccer, teaching martial arts, and allowing his artistic innovations to blossom as he churns out new creations to add to his repertoire. To learn more about Fabián Pérez, his artwork, exhibitions and up-coming projects, you may visit his website www.fabianperez.com. You may also contact his representative, Robert Bane arthurbane@mac.com

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July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

Orchid V, Oil on Canvas

ERIC R.DOOLIN The work is predominantly an evolution in oil painting. Painting took root, for me, as a way of manipulating perspectives on reality. A strong Eastern influence is present in the early work, particularly Hindu. The relativity of reality and the illusion of the physical world seem to go hand in hand with the content behind Hindu iconography, and they do. The problem is that in painting these symbols, the end result becomes a literal one. The painted images fall into the same trap as the icons do of spiritual materialism.

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July 2012

We know from quantum mechanics that the physical world is, indeed, an illusion, and that nothing is real until it is observed. What does quantum painting look like? How does an artist operate metaphysically? How can subject and technique come together to create imagery that both signifies and functions as the infinite and unreal? The work now looks to the fractal for answers. What does it look like to showcase the omnipresent sprouting of fractal mathematics in every part of nature from tree bifurcation and river patterns to the branching out of our own circulatory and nervous systems? Faced with this painting dilemma, the work shifted to a reliance on organic forms to provide inner and outer structure, seeing through the object to its essence. The work is about the nature of nature, exploring the inherent infinity behind organic forms. Evolution provides an endless unfolding of repeating structures, patterns, and colors which lend themselves comfortably to painting. The paint is thinned down to a flat translucent veil allowing the brightness of the canvas to shine through, creating something out of nothing, getting the most out of the materials, and following the principle that less is more. A compulsion to dive ever deeper into the patterns found in the natural world has shaped the practice. The work is engaged with the colorful and geometric tapestries which drape themselves over the universe; their complexity masks the simple rhythm which lies underneath and it is this unified rhythm the work seeks to achieve. Cacti, succulents, and seashells are motifs of microcosms, and serve only as a starting point in extracting the essence of nature's architectural and visual tendency toward repetition. The observed species, they are not the subject; infinity is the subject. The work composes these forms to suggest that they extend beyond the boundaries of the canvas, focusing only on pattern and not monolithic object. Each work is a singular study, finding the multiple within. To Watch our “Art 2 Heart” interview to Eric Doolin long on to Arttour International Online Channel www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE

“Orchid IV” Oil on Canvas

“Cross-polination I” Oil on Canvas 3rd Place, Florence Bienniali 2011

For more information on Doolin’s artwork plrease visit

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July 2012

JIM PESCOTT Pointilism Master By Grimandi

“AUTUMN STARTED IN EARNEST TODAY WHERE I LIVE. LEAVES CHANGING INTO NEW COLOURS AS WINDS BLUSTER THEM INTO THE AIR. THIS CANVAS WAS IMPATIENT WITH ME AS I PAINTED. “HURRY, HURRY”, IT WAS SAYING. AND I KNEW THIS WAS BECAUSE THE SUN WAS NOW MELTING EVERYTHING AWAY.” JIM PESCOTT

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“Art is about a Journey with my soul. A Journey through many life times, all sharing on the canvas as I paint” Jim Pescott “I’m often asked how I started painting with dots. Basically the dots just found me. It really isn’t more complicated than this. When I paint my approach is to listen to what the canvas wants. So, when I started painting the canvas wanted dots. It has been dots ever since.” Jim Pescott”

Fascinated with color and light, connected with nature, rural and urban landscapes and daily life experiences. Jim Pescott’s compositions are breath taking pointilist masterpieces. Jim Pescott’s layering dots resonate with color bringing into each canvas the diversity and beauty of the natural landscape. We share with you now an exclusive heartfelt interview, Jim speaks of his life, his work, his art and inspiration. Q.Could you share how your career began as a pointillist painter? And more specifically, how did your technique evolved into pointillism? A. First, you asked me to share how my career as a pointillist painter began. There is a story here that goes back a long, long way. I have a scar on my face. It is on the left above my lip. This scar reminds me of the day before I knew I wanted to be www.arttourinternational.com

an artist. A dog bit me that day. I was three years old. The next day there were stitches: I was sad and unhappy. When Ruth, a friend of my mother, visited for coffee that morning she immediately saw my repaired face and sensed how I was feeling. To bring me cheer, Ruth drew a wonderful cowboy on my chalkboard: Ruth was an artist. I clearly remember watching the image happen as the chalk moved around. The experience with Ruth was a life defining moment as I immediately began trying to do what Ruth had done. Happiness was having a piece of paper for drawing. Ruth gave me a small metal box set of paints and I began using this as well. So from age three to about age twelve I was always involved in creating images. Then life got in the way: school and then a business career overtook my artistic focus. By the time I was forty-five I was a very stressed and unhappy person. In this I was beginning a journey that would take me back to the bliss of creating

images. At the time I didn't know it was images I craved: apart from using a camera, I'd not done anything creatively for over 30 years. I was in a bookstore one afternoon in 1996. The store also sold a limited selection of art supplies. On a whim, maybe intuition, I purchase some items. Within the next week I was painting and exploring. Within three weeks I was painting with dots: it simply happened that way. It was 1996. Know in this I'm very self-taught: not been to even a workshop. The rest, as they say, is history. Q.Tell Us About Your Technique, What Is Pointillism? A. My Technique: I paint with dots. There is no other brush stroke for my paintings ever. I start with a dot and end with a dot. The dots are layered: there can be fifteen or more layers. The first layer is thin wet dots on gessoed canvas and the consistency of the dots Cont. Next Page

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evolve with the layers. No dot is sacred in the process: it can be covered with another dot and that dot by another dot, etc. I mix colours from the primary red, yellow and blue so my palette is pretty basic. I'm very comfortable with colour graduation as I mix and paint (I've attached a jpeg image of palatte I used last week). Pointillism: Historically, pointillism began with Paris artist, George Pierre Seurat in the 1880's. He placed tiny specks of primary colour side-by-side with the expectation the viewer would visually see a new colour: for example, a yellow speck beside a blue speck to optically mix green. Personally Speaking: When I started painting with dots I was uninformed about Seurat and pointillism. I really have no art education other than what I've learned to do through efforts in my studio so I'm not connected to the art world theoretically. At the time dots just seemed a comfortable way to paint and I've explored this for the last sixteen years. When I finally heard about Seurat a couple years later I was interested but saw that his theory and motivations were not mine. Also my specks were actually dots and I mixed colours on my palette not optically on the canvas. I very early felt the dots allowed me to explore how everything on the earth is connected and nothing is solitary. It seemed I was painting with atoms that mingled as the layers evolved. I'm comfortable with "contemporary pointillism" as a description of what I do as there is an obvious similarity. Seurat painted so long ago: what I do is perhaps an evolution of the technique. Art instructors and artists in my community have had no input to how I do what I do. Q.How does the technique affect your relationship with a piece, its process? A.Over the years I've come to understand painting with dots to be a www.arttourinternational.com

very meditative experience. The rhythmic application of dots to the canvas seems the catalyst in this. So as I paint there is a meditation in play even though I'm very much alert, eyes wide open, connected to other things, etc. In this meditation the canvas shares with me and I respond. It is very much an experience of going with the flow. If I'm experiencing a moment of turmoil with a piece it is simply because I'm not listening. Personally, it seems over recent times I've quietly incorporated this "meditation" into life generally: listening, going with the flow and supporting things that reveal and transpire. There really seems a similarity at times between what happens in life and what happens through the canvas. In turn this gets back to how things evolve on the canvases over time. I love the process through which I paint. It is deeply grounding for me. Q. What are some of your influences? A. In art I'm not able to say directly that a specific artist has influenced me and you can see it in this canvas or that canvas. Perhaps viewers see things. Certainly, Canadian artist, Emily Carr, interests me for the evolution and boldness in her images, Lawren Harris, a member of the Canadian Group of Seven: the light in his work is everything.. Another Canadian artist is David Milne, a landscape artist who stepped away from tradition with his images. I sense in sharing these about artists that I'm influenced by boldness, light and courage in varying degrees. Beauty currently means more to me than expressions of harm, hurt and violence. I'm more aligned with the stories of intimate landscape experiences than a broad panorama. Trees are significant elements and share so much.

I'm considered a landscape painter: for me this includes cityscapes. Other things I much include are people and animals: I enjoy painting them when there's an opportunity . Q. How do conceptualize your images? Do you draw on memories , or from photographs of events, individuals and locations? A. At one time I worked almost exclusively from photographs. The natural progression of this was to then work on location. Photographs and locations still happen as sources in my work but more and more I there are images "from my thoughts": an image from a source unknown to me. The interesting thing now is when I paint from a "real" source the interpretation is much more amplified through my thoughts during the process. When I say "a source unknown to me" my perspective is that somewhere in the past I've seen this place so in this way I'm remembering it but I have no recollection of where and when. I believe the image is a gift from long ago. And yes, "long ago" in my terms of reference may include what some refer to as past lives. Not sure how else to say this. I think this may be why trees are so significant to me and why they appear in so many images. July 2012

Left: “In a yellow wood series” Step in? Sure. Of course. No, not into the studio. This is an invitation to step into the painting. That’s right, to explore from the inside as in a dream whilst colours flow and the image evolves. Then walk away when the painting is done. This is my experience everyday. The painting now waits for someone else to step in. Someone who stops, looks, feels compelled to explore, and they step i n s i d e . E x p l o r a t i o n becomes captivating.

So today, I'm very much able to paint a representative image as much as I'm able to express images in a spontaneous process. And yes, at times the two experiences meet and mix. In my studio, at the moment, there are six canvas with representative images and eight canvas derived from my thoughts. For the Vivid Arts Network "Symphony of Colors", "Retrospective" and "Earth Vortices" exhibitions: four of the canvases are sourced from real locations and eight are from my thoughts. Q. How would you define the relationship between your art and nature? What elements of the world around inspire you and your work the most? A.Nature is always a part of my art. Nature always unfolds into the my images. Guess this means I'm organic. Trees are almost always in my paintings: this didn't happen when I painted images from Antarctica (see jpeg of me with "Antarctica Shoreline" at the Salon 2011 for the Societe Nationale des Beaux-art at he Carrousel du Louvre in Paris). I paint this way, I think, because natural landscapes are with us everywhere and there is so much to notice in this. When I was quite young www.arttourinternational.com

I was able to spend much time in the temperate rainforest environments of British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. I grew up exploring damp overgrown evergreen forests and splashing through streams destined for the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately I gained insight an ability to how nature is and how things fit together: not technically or scientifically, just from a simple observational perspective relative to a sense of balance. This is why everything on the earth, from my perspective, is connected and that noting exists in a solitary way. My paintings relate this: dots from one shape spread out into other places just as dots from other places touch the shape. In the same way, the surface of our skin isn't really a surface: it seems more that the atoms compacted. And ultimately individual atoms leave this to mingle just as the dots in my paintings mingle. So in mingling we each dance: we dance together and don't know it. We are together. One with everything. Q.You live in Canada and do quite a bit of traveling. What is it about a specific landscape or scenery that inspires you? Do you feel as if the locations change your artistic direction and/or vision?

A. In thinking about this, there really is no single thing about a landscape that seems compelling. The inspiration feels as varied as the source of landscapes. There is a "wow" factor in this. Something about a scene the touches me. It may be how light moves through space, it may be how trees relate spatially to other trees, it may be reflections on water, anything really the takes my notice. I seem conditioned to things like this and feel an urge to paint. I relate to landscapes this way: especially when landscapes share an intimacy. Not sure how else to describe how I know. "Intimacy" in a landscape relates to space. I'm drawn to what I see up close rather than a grand panorama. So a group of trees seems filled with more energy than when I look at a mountain on the horizon. It is interesting that I use the word "energy". I think energy is a big part of what happens for me with landscapes. I get an energy reading if this makes sense. Travel is a dynamic in this as I seek intimacy when I travel: walking and touching the earth. I very much want to feel connections in local places. So I'm happy to be in one place for a few days as I seek this out. Cont. Next Page

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After being away I'm always surprised by my fresh eyes when I arrive home. My direction as an artist is touched in someway by this. Subtle over time: not direct. It seems to relate to the spirit in things. I should mention something about people in landscapes: including cityscapes. People have a place in all of this: for me these are dot people. There are people depicted with fewer dots than other people. Not people in all paintings but certainly in some. People bring a distinct energy to some landscape images. Q. What do you hope the viewer will take away from your paintings? A.Not sure I have this as a goal. Each painting is an experience: it is this way for paintings by every artist. My expectation is the viewer of my work will have experienced something and what this is I leave to the viewer. While I have thoughts on how I paint and why I paint there is no intended message in my work beyond what I've chosen to paint. There are meditations as I paint just as the viewer has meditations. What the viewer takes away is a consequence of their meditation. As I paint, any thoughts I have are not intended to be thoughts for the viewer to accept. My expectation is the viewer will have thoughts of their own: I'm very pleased if I have fostered this in any way through the painting. www.arttourinternational.com

Thinking about this I realize I'm very humble about the paintings. They've been created. They just are. When viewers notice them they connect based on their own internal perspectives. Q. What is your family background? Were there any artists or creative types in the family A. We were a farm family: a home life focused on projects and chores. My father talked about art one-in-a-while. My mother appreciates art but is not overtly creative. Neither of my sisters is an artist. I didn't realize my father (see jpeg) was an artist until he retired. It was then he began doing art. Prior to this he always spoke about photographs: he enjoyed black and white images especially. Basically, my father's story goes something like this. When I was young I remember him telling me that if someone can draw rocks then they can draw anything. So when he retired he began to draw rocks and things evolved from there. When looking at photographs with my father, he told me about natural light as well as how perspective happened. And somehow, as young as I was, I understood all this and retained the information such that I use it daily in my studio. Family surroundings when I was young did not include original art. And, as much as my father enjoyed black and white photography, he took no photographs during those years. We appreciated images in books and magazines. My father's taste was for representative images: his own art reflects this. Q. What upcoming series, projects, shows etc do you have coming up? A. This is unorganized to think about as paintings happen all the time seemingly without a plan. Projects become paintings and paintings become projects.

There are group exhibitions in Dallas, Texas and in Brussels, Belgium in October 2012. In December 2012 at the salon 2011 held by the Society National de Beaux-Arts in the Carousel du Louvre.. Of course the Vivid Arts Network events in Ferrara this May and Toronto this July. In a few days I will have paintings at the Toronto Art Expo. Earlier this year I had paintings at the "Broken Boundaries" exhibition in New York City and at "Retrospective" in Florence. I'm painting as much as possible between these events and I will be painting in Ferrara in May which is a big excitement for me. I'm also painting in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a number of days in May. From time to time I do paint with a theme in mind. This happens in response to feelings toward a specific canvas in a group of miscellaneous images. I paint what feels right at the time so my studio will have an assortment of things. Every once in awhile a canvas wants to be explored further and this will be when a theme or series happens. "In A Yellow Wood" generated this. The "Spirit" series would be the same. There's a recent "Moonlight" group. These can be anywhere from three to seven or eight canvases. For the Vivid Arts Network "Earth Vortices" event in Ferrara I painted trees, in a vortex image, themed in four seasons which in itself seems a vortex. Life, for me, is about painting. So all of this is about life. Jim Pescott lives and creates in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is an international contemporary artist: recently Jim’s work exhibited in the Salon 2011 held by the Societe Nationale des Beauxart, in France, at the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris. For further information: paintwithdots@shaw.ca

July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

ADK A

“Cumil's Dream” Acrylics & Ink 24x36

“I enjoy creating vibrant and playful surrealistic images,” says Adka ("Andrea Jones"), whose engaging paintings certainly live up to that description. Inspired by the colorful folk art of her native Slovakia, the artist paints her whimsical depictions of birds, faces and cityscapes in a rainbow of bright, saturated shades. She uses ink and acrylics to make these images, giving them a high degree of definition and clarity. Eyes may shine with a glass-like gleam or patterns have a kaleidoscopic quality. But the acrylics are also used to create softly modulated backgrounds. Adka’s subjects often look as if they are floating on those backgrounds, lending her work a

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surprising sense of threedimensional space. The works communicate a strong sense of movement — a group of buildings will seem to be in motion just as much as a flying bird. Music is also an influence on the artist, and instruments and notes move among the other subjects she depicts. Adka makes these many elements work comfortably with each other, creating a happy, harmonic universe.

http://adka.com/

July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

CÉCILE GUICHETEAU

"The fox and the Crow" Oil and collage on rusty steel 50cmX100cm

Born in 1974, I majored in Exhibitions: Literature and Philosophy in High - November 2010 "Art School. After studying Language en Capitale" Grand Palais and International Trade for three Paris years in college, I was admitted to - November 2011 "On the Pivault School of Applied Arts The Edge Exhibiton" and obtained my diploma in 1998. Bologna, Italy I then began my career as an -Since April 2011 artist painting sets for theater and Agora Gallery New York television. In 2004, I quit television - From 6th july until and devoted myself to my paintings, 31th July 2012 The French which I have exhibited since 2000 in Perspective, Contemporary parisian art galleries. Art from France In 2006, the poems of Charles - November 2012 Baudelaire inspired her to create Grand Palais images for ten of his poems in Les - 2013 Centre Fleurs du Mal. This allowed me to Pompidou Paris publish a book of interviews with www.vividartsnetwork.net Michel Archimbaud (Editor and Author of The Last Talks with Francis Bacon).

"Un mardi pas comme les autres" Oil on Rusty steel, 50cmX100cm

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July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

HOLLY SUZANNE

“Blue Sway” Ink, Acrylic and Tempera on Paper

Holly Suzanne is a multi-media artist engaged in a daily artistic practice that takes her to many shores of awareness and beauty. Her work is a dialogue between content, mediums, and methodology. The resulting conversation of her artistic work is the play of imagination and suggestion. It is a highly intuitive balance that relies on a convergence of synergy and attunement. Playing with the space that lies between figuration and abstraction her work dangles in the tenuous, ambiguous, and unclear, and eventually finds a form to contain the chaos. This form is the resting place of her work. Her energetic style and use of color as stimulative processes explores possibilities while grounding the viewer in subtle contexts that invite and encourage further personal reflection.

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Holly Suzanne's desire in art making is to both express the inexpressible and to promote within the viewer a connection within themselves and others. “Just as a pebble tossed in a pond sends ripples that touch even distant shores, my work is a way of exploring connectivity with the world and all of it's inhabitants”. Holly Suzanne is originally from the Pacific Northwest, but currently resides in Wichita, Kansas. She has been showing her work in both group and solo shows across the US since spring of 2011 and has received several awards and recognition for her abstract expressionist work. Holly Suzanne and her husband share a studio in the upper level of their home and work in the spirit of ekphrasis, where one's art inspire's the other.

“Fire Dance” Ink, Acrylic, and Tempera on Paper

www.ekphrastixarts.com July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

JEAN LA MING

Main Trunk Line. Thermal Region.( Near Taumaranui. North Island ) NZ. Acrylic on canvas. 762 x1016

Jean Laming has painted all her life and has travelled extensively. She recently moved to a small town in New Zealand which is called Kaikoura (Translated it means Crayfish food.) It is a beautiful place and she has been motivated to paint some of the landscape. The landscape is so spectacular with its snow capped mountains reaching into the sea.. She was still at school when a painting of hers was chosen for a UNESCO World exhibition. Since then she has won many awards and has participated in many solo and group shows. She lived in Spain for many years and was commissioned to paint murals in Switzerland, UK, USA. and Australia.

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Kaikoura Rocks. South Island NZ (View from the Pier Hotel in Kaikoura.) Acrylic on canvas.762x1016

She recently completed a series of paintings called 'Totems' about Child Abuse and these were purchased as a group by a benefactor of an organization called 'Child

Matters' in New Zealand. It is wonderful that all fifteen paintings are now on permament display.

www.jeanlaming.co.nz

July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

JEANNIE CHOE

"Mustard Color" Acrylic on Canvas

Jeannie Choe is a KoreanAmerican painter. Her portfolio is diverse in style and incorporates abstraction in oil painting, acrylic, and water color. She studied art at the prestigious program of Ehwa University in Korea. She further studied at Parsons in New York, and Kobe Fashion Institute in Japan. Her international accomplishments are numerous and she continues her work in the United States. She is a passionate, talented artist, but most important a loving mother of two sons. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day I am overwhelmed by the feeling of reverence from the natural

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beauty of our world. Every color is unique and has a purpose. Every movement is dynamic and never the same. My inspiration comes from this vastly complex and colorful world God made us. My artwork is a way to decode this complexity into a visual form and for me to share my view on life with others.â&#x20AC;?

www.choeart.com

"Wine and Grey" Acrylic on Canvas

July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

KISHORE M SALI

“May the force be with you” Oil on Canvas

Kishore M Sali’s overtures towards Art have their roots in his childhood. Artistic attributes came naturally as his father was also an Artist, an owner of an Advertising agency besides many more ventures. His home was in close vicinity of the world-renowned painters like N. S. Bendre & P. A. Dhond. It was an added opportunity to watch and study their works & gain a few words of guidance. Later on after completing 3 years Diploma in Printing Tech. he took formal training in Arts and thus graduated as Bachelor of Fine Arts. These five years of formal training honed his knowledge of conceptualization, colors, tones, light & compositions. Laurels & accolades in the academic training were followed with a well-established name as one of the top advertising photographers of India. His photography got published in Singapore, Middle East and New Zealand besides India. Success in Advertising industry fueled his urge for the quest of new creative horizons. Love for camera never seized his romance with brush & canvas. Exposure to international art trends through his visits to Canadian & German Art Galleries exerted him more and more towards experimenting with Contemporary Arts. His art here is an effort to give a direction to the viewers to achieve their goals in life without surrendering to outside disturbance or deviation.

“Euphoria” Oil on Canvas

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July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

RAFAE L COSTA

Untitled_ Photography_ 71.25X100cm

by Simonetta Persichetti Like a poet, Rafael Costa has built his images with meter and rhythm; he takes us to a dream world and invites us to unveil and discover what his eye has turned into poetry. He knows very well what he wants. His photography is precise, thought out, resolved. It is not an image created amidst an enchanting landscape as a mere record, nor does it allow itself to be disturbed by the gaze of the person being photographed. Rafael Costa becomes the accomplice of places and people. He seems to walk without being seen, but he manages to capture details that would slip by even the most attentive observer. His years in advertising taught him the mastery of light and perfect construction, but his repertoire covers many references â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from painting which fascinates him so, to the symbols interpreted by psychologist Carl. G. Jung and the writings of painter Vassily Kandinsky. Rafael Costa spent twenty tears piecing together his story and weaving his visual and poetic imagery.

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Rafael has constructed much more than paintings and even more than photographs and images. He parades an imagerial anthology before us. Different ways of seeing: an eye that questions each scene it observes. An eye that is not passive, one that is in complete control. Time passes and is perceived in the photographs, presumptuous gestures that remain in his photographs, but at the same time are fluid. His images are not tiring; they are like a notebook, generously offering themselves at each moment for a new way of seeing, a new decodification. Each time we observe them we discover new details, new movements, new ways of telling the same story. Perhaps this is the source of the enchantment that these images provoke in us. While linked to contemporary concerns, they take us back to the most ancient tales. The mastery of someone who chose photography as his means of expression and now presents us with an essay that is powerful, delicate, modern and ancestral. An immersion in a dream world.

www.rafaelcosta.com.br

July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

STEFFIE WALLACE

“Dusk, Forrest Caves, Phillip Island” Acrylic on linen 76x102cm

I was born in Australia 1946 and have been painting and exhibiting for over 25 years. My art education began with life drawing classes when I was 16 and included studying Fine Art at university in the 1970s. I have also worked as an art reviewer and managed an art gallery in the 1980s. I have exhibited in Melbourne, Sydney and overseas, and feel fortunate to live in a country which offers such wonderful visual inspiration. Additionally, I derive spiritual motivation from the Australian indigenous culture with its age-old perception of this ancient land, and climate change is a thematic concern. As a landscape painter of the contrasting vistas of sea and desert, I paint in acrylic on panel and linen, and employ a limited colour palette to achieve my atmospheric artistic effects. I choose to portray the landscape in transitory weather situations dominated by dramatic skies, with contrasting light providing the main focus.

www.steffiewallacevisualart.com “Late Afternoon, West MacDonnell Ranges” Acrylic on linen 76x51cm

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July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

LIDA VAN BERS

“Relexions #3” Acylic on Canvas 30”x24”

Lida has lived in Ontario since coming to Canada. In the late 50th.,She moved throughout Ontario many times. Where ever she had a chance, she followed her love for art. During her move to Vancouver Island 18 years ago she had the time to follow her dream. Painting became her focal point and has never stopped since. She returned to Ontario 2years ago and has been very busy again. “After nearly 20 years of painting, my work has evolved in” less is more.” Texture is very important to me and I use different materials. My work has transformed to a more spiritual reflection of myself and the Influences I receive from the outside. We all need happiness and I try to use Color in my message of hope.”

www.lidavanbersart.com “Reflexions #2” Acrylic on Canvas 30”x24”

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July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

MA RIA K ARZI

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the daylightâ&#x20AC;? Acrylic and collage on canvas 40x40cm

Human nature is my insight. The instinctive interest for human being within the universe, is a research that feeds my inspiration. The need to release my emotions through painting, means to me, depicting feelings and dreams. Being a human signifies to have feelings, dreams and hope, and that is what i want to give through my art.

www.karzimaria.com

Tranquil night_Acrylic on canvas_40x40cm

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July 2012

FEATURED ARTIST

R ENÉ E BREIG

“Heaven Beyond” Oil on Canvas

In hushed, ethereal hues and rich earth tones, Renee Breig’s abstract compositions sustain an ecstatic, continuously emerging dialogue with the viewer. Blithe, luminous washes of color nebulously cohabit with rich, deep, primary pigments, evoking a vertiginous aura of light and space. Through an unfettered and buoyant sense of composition and an extravagant use of color and shape, Breig fosters a blissfully liberated relationship with her work. Originally a floral designer in Sweden, she began painting through the principles of Vedic Art, which has its roots in Indian culture and traditions. Breig describes Vedic Art less as a set of rigid principles leading toward a prescribed technique, and more as a ”way to remember how to paint.” Through her audacious painting style, she strives to reach beyond the human instincts of hesitance and fear to describe a personal vision of elation. Born in 1968, Breig has shown her art in Sweden, Italy, China, Germany, Denmark and in the United States. She lives and works in Ljusdal, Sweden with her husband, Kristofer and her son, Simon.

art.reneebreig.com

“Eye of the universe” Oil on Canvas

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July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

HENRY GORECKI : “ SYMPHONY

NUMBER THREE”

By Deen Albertini - Toronto

Henry Gorecki’s Symphony Number Three is one of the most powerful symphonies of all time. This symphony touches the deeper regions of the soul in ways that can only be described as divine. The symphony speaks to the heart about what it means to be human: it shows us our weakness, our strength, and our perseverance. Never has there been such a symphony that captures what it means to be alive and what it means to be vulnerable. There is something unique about Symphony Number Three that no written texts can fully describe. The way it presents such themes such as life, death, and the awakening of the soul is touching. It is a symphony for everyone who has ever wanted to be in touch with something greater than themselves: to something beautiful, to something magical, and to something impermanent. Polish composer Henery Gorecki was an extraordinary composer, because he was someone who was always willing to push the boundaries. He made sure that every aspect of his symphony is done with precision and elegance. Every symphony that he has ever composed has turned into a masterpiece.

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He was a genus like no other because here was a man who turned his dark inner pain into works of divinity. He died in 2010, but he will always be remembered as one of the most alluring and captivating composers of the 20th and 21st century. There will never be a composer quite like this remarkable man. Dawn Upshaw’s voice in Symphony Number Three is simply divine because not only is her voice beautiful but she carries it with such strength and grace that one cannot listen to her and not be moved. Her voice carries strength and is extremely riveting that to listen to such beauty would make even the strongest person show vulnerability. Dawns vocal range in symphony number three is spellbinding ; she hits high notes in ways that are truly unfathomable. There is a type of magic that happens when she sings ; it’s a type of magic that releases all

emotions from the heart and shows humanity what it genuinely means to be human. Her vocal range on the track, ” Tranquillissimo’’ alone is touching enough to buy the whole album. On, ’’ Tranquillissimo’’ she pushes her vocal limits to heights that are incomparable to any song from any major artist. There is nobody that can be held in the same class as Dawn Upshaw; she is in a class of her own. Henry Gorecki’s Symphony Number Three will always be one of the most breathtaking symphonies of all time. Symphony Number Three should be on anyone’s list as a symphony to hear before they die. This symphony is something that cannot and should not be looked over. Symphony Number Three is one of the greatest symphonies of all times, because of its tone and rich composition.

July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012 ABOVE: FRANKIE J. ALVAREZ AS HAMLET AND GISELA CHIPE AS OPHELIA. Photography: Scott Braun. © Copyright All Rights Reserved - Courtesy of the John & Mable Ringling Museum

HOW COPENHAGEN BECAME HAVANA By Haydn Díaz - New York William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been chiseled in the world’s literary consciousness for generations. The quintessential struggle that the prince of Denmark faces as he delves into the darkest corners of human psyche has fascinated audiences at unnumbered adaptations. But nowhere does the Scandinavian prince seem more at odds with his troubled soliloquies than under www.arttourinternational.com

the Caribbean sun and surrounded by the tropical waters of Cuba—yet, that is exactly where theater artist, Michael Donald Edwards, places his Hamlet. Where Miami straddles with The Keys, in an isolated neighborhood now stands a glittering assortment of windows and a alluring epitome of modern architecture: the South Miami-Dade Cont. Next Page

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

Cultural Arts Center, where the following was recently heard: “Ser o no ser, esa es la cuestión….” Or as the bard wrote originally, “To be or not to be, that is the question….” But From May 11 to May 13, there was no question that Hamlet was a prince, but this time, Cuban. The newly constructed and recently inaugurated South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center in Miami, Florida hosted a weekend run of Asolo Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of the legendary five-Act play, titled “Hamlet, Prince of Cuba.” It ran for four performances, two in English and two in Spanish. The significance of this theatrical event is vast in different levels, for diverse reasons and with singular consequences. Thanks to the efforts by the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, Southern Miami, an area previously bereft of performing arts, is now witness to a great number of quality works. The collaboration with Asolo Repertoty Theater and Nilo Cruz—the most celebrated contemporary Hispanic playwright and translator of the text into Spanish—is living proof of the markedly stirring theater that Miami can produce and yet does not constantly so. This piece of theatrical gold is rare anywhere, but in Miami it comes as rain in the most scorched of desserts. The different components of this impressive production must be noted, for as with any triumphant theater piece, it is the harmonious unison of many parts that render a timeless staging. Michael Donald Edwards’ adaptation was intricate, appropriate and soundly balanced. The heart and soul of the play Shakespeare wrote are as clear as ever but this time they exist in turn-of-the century Cuba—and this, thanks to Edwards direction, is not a stretch but a rather amazingly fitting setting. The intricacies and subtleties with which Edwards treated the subject matter shine through clearly. Working around the original text, he managed to infuse the whole story with Cuban culture while powerfully exploiting the human dilemma that drives Hamlet from the moment he is visited by his father to the instant he takes that last breath after his fight with Laertes. Edwards direction displayed a masterful balance between the main action of the play—Hamlet’s revenge—and small details that fit squarely with the 19th century Caribbean world that make the adaptation so fruitful and unique. By taking great artistic decisions, and therefore risks, Edwards created www.arttourinternational.com

a legible world in which Hamlet existed, not in an Island in the North Pacific but a smaller one in the Caribbean. Directorial strokes in which the world is thoroughly conveyed are instances in which the adaptation shows focus and deep research. For example, Hamlet is not visited by his father’s Ghost, he is possessed by him in macabre ritual of Santeria; Ophelia sings her mad songs with somber Latin rhythms; Laertes dramatic fault is traced through the fallacy of Hispanic chauvinism; Gertrude’s incest was tainted with hues of horror under a much more Roman Catholic scrutiny, and perhaps the funniest most genius nuance of the adaptation: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s circumstantial, and at times pathetic presence in the play, is justified by making them American friends whom Hamlet cannot help but distrust. Working with a fully bilingual cast meant that Edwards worked with different accents, and his directorial mastery is evident again when he takes advantage of the strong American accent the actors July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

portraying the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern duo have. What Edwards does, is create humorous situations in which the two characters struggle not only with the world they have been forced to be a part of, but with the very language they must speak as well. The subtle, yet clear, criticism on America’s imperialist practices—which had become more evident as the 19th century raged on—is another coating of brilliance that Edward adds to his layered cake. So it is that in Edward’s adaptation, Fortinbras is not a Norwegian conqueror but an American general. Making sense of Shakespeare’s original dramatic arch as well as the new world the play inhabited, demonstrated years of developmental research, one with an extraordinarily pleasing result. Admittedly, the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center main-stage lacks the warmth that is perhaps only acquired after decades of filling the theater with countless productions that endow a space with its spirit. While one sat to wait for the performance to begin, the space felt so pristine that it was unsettling. Therefore, it takes a few scenes until one is immersed completely into the play. Hamlet, Prince of Cuba’s scenery and wardrobe was however exquisitely conceived and while it conveys the tropicality of the Caribbean, it does not take the lazy and formulistic approach of bright colors and feverish tones. Instead, it conveys a much darker perception of the Caribbean. While the ominous heat and humidity is at all times present, a stark contrast between white and black creates a bleak Cuban panorama in which Hamlet’s doom is as eminent as ever. The mise-enscène was alluring and a most precise accompaniment to Edwards direction and the cast’s performances. With this impeccable staging, the production was a visceral experience, a view into a world far away so close whose images have faded but whose emotions are as vibrant as our very own. The ethnically diverse cast was led by Miami native and Florida State University and Julliard graduate, Frankie J. Alvarez, who played the role of Hamlet. His handsome and slender demeanor created a perfect, at times fragile, at times threatening protagonist. Alvarez, an actor known for his electrifying portrayals was evidently chosen by Edwards for his dynamic and vigorous energy. The multi-national cast was well balanced and showed mastery of Shakespeare’s text and Nilo Cruz’s translation. They were also a perfect symbol of what Edward wanted to convey with this production, which was—as stated in the program notes—to showcase the sections and customs of Latin American culture that are highly educated and intensively learned. www.arttourinternational.com

Working around the accents inherit in such a diverse line-up of actors, Edwards created a Cuban society that had clearly sprung from the colonial years of the Spanish empire and that now began to shift hues due to the influence American imperialism was beginning to exert. Despite the liberties that were taken with the world in which Hamlet, Prince of Denmark takes place, the raw humanity that Shakespeare penned was intact and is only magnified by the masterful strokes with which Copenhagen became Havana in Hamlet, Prince of Cuba. This production, however, wouldn’t be nearly as notable, and would certainly not be in any way timeless, if it weren’t for the dexterous, impeccable and elegantly beautiful verse translation to Spanish by Nilo Cruz. Nilo Cruz, the first Hispanic playwright to earn the Pulitzer Prize, proved with his virtuous translation of William Shakespeare’s text why he is considered among the best dramatists of contemporary American theater. Avid aficionados of Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter will find a more than proper Spanish translation in Nilo’s rendering. Like the overall production, the Spanish text finds a balance in which Shakespeare’s dramatic argument shines purely while placing the ageless story on the coasts of the Cuban capital. Nilo Cruz’s translation evokes the dexterity and eloquence of Shakespeare while infusing it with the passionate accents, sounds and nuances only found in a Romance language like Spanish. Nilo Cruz’s talent is not only evident in the theatrical texts he translates and creates, but also in the humility with which he carries himself. I was extremely fortunate to meet him at the Friday, May 11 premier performance of his Hamlet, Prince of Cuba. After thanking him for the inestimable good he has done for all Hispanic playwrights, I proceeded to congratulate him on the incredible work presented that night. He meekly looked at me and answered: “yes, they have done a fantastic job.” I laughed and replied, “you guys have all done a fantastic job. Tonight, not only is Hamlet Cuban, Shakespeare is too.” One can only hope that another theatrical gem finds its way to the Miamian stages soon, perhaps then, Samuel Beckett will be Colombian.

July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

IRELAND'S INAUGURAL DUBLIN BIENNIAL POP-UP EXHIBITION OF INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART By Cody LaVada - New York The inaugural Dublin Biennial launched last week, displaying a POP-UP exhibition that showcased over 120 brilliant visual works by 55 artists from over 20 countries. It was a free, artist-led, independently-funded project designed to show both national and international contemporary art. Held within a 10,000 square foot space and cohosted by the Sol Art Gallery in Point Village, Dublin, the exhibit is the brainchild of the wonderful Dublin-native artist, Maggie Magee, who says she began the project as a way to spread awareness and appreciation of art on a global scale. The exhibition ran from June 15th to 24th, and had an incredible turn-out, which ArtTour International had the privilege to witness firsthand. Viviana Puello, Art Director of ArtTour, along with a video crew were present during the full first week of the installation, working alongside the artists and basking in the creative atmosphere in which they conducted their “Art 2 Heart” video discussions with the ingenious minds behind the POP-UP exhibit and the work products within. The crew was in Dublin from the 14th to the 18th, during which time they attended the artists’ ceremony party and gala opening reception. The crew was lucky enough to gain inside information www.arttourinternational.com

on the talented minds of the artists, interviewing them throughout the week to learn more about their intense creative processes and what inspires them to produce such dazzling works of art. Live coverage of the Biennial and the discussions is available on the ArtTour YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/ ArtTourIntMAGAZINE, which can be viewed to either relive the influential experience or watch it for the first time for those who could not attend. The exhibition had its gala opening on the 16th of June, widely celebrated as “Bloomsday” in honor of Dublin-born author, James Joyce’s beloved novel Ulysses. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, was in attendance at the opening, and was one of many visitors to be delighted by the beauty and vast assemblage of talent in one exhibit. He said that Dublin always has been an area that fosters creativity, and has an impressive list of talent, both established and emerging into the public eye. Such artists as George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Belinda McKeon, U2, and Sinead O’Connor are but a few of the staggering geniuses that Dublin has produced. The POP-UP exhibit showcased many intense examples of Irish talent as well, such as Eileen McDonagh, Fergal McCarthy, and Rod Coyne. Franz July 2012

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Rittmannsberger had sculptures in the exhibit, two of which were entitled “Green Celtic Figure” and “Green Irish Landscape,” while Eric Doolin’s vast paintings included a touch of literary reference to Bloomsday, emblazoned with James Joyce quotes beneath the works of art – both artists paying homage to the lush verdure of Ireland and what the city means to them. Blaithin Quinn’s immense paper sculptures formed serpentine figures and wound their way around the exhibit, showing that art can be created from the simplest of objects, while Michelle Brown’s surreal sculpture of a treehouse seemed to hover eerily in the air, with only a ladder to mount it to the floor. And yet, the exhibit was not dominated only by native artists. No, the vast cultural exchange that used art as a medium to convey its message was astounding. The roster of names was an eclectic one, indeed, reaching around the globe and back again. Artists from Australia, Armenia, Brazil, Croatia, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Holland, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Korea, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the USA joined the Irish artists to promote a celebratory atmosphere of the power of art. Rachel Gillespie’s black and white photographs of various ballerinas were haunting, while Xinxin Zhi’s ceramic sculpture set entitled “Love Letters” was a bittersweet portrayal of ambiguous affection; what appeared to be crumpled notes to one’s beloved, with only small bits of the Chinese text visible through the folds and tears, were actually delicately-sculpted pieces – chilling, personal testaments of emotion by the artist. American artist Anne Wilson had a large installation within the exhibition, as well – two videos that detailed her work in Houston and Chicago, which consisted of elaborately transforming everyday materials (linens, human hair, yarn, thread, wire, etc.) into intricate sculptures through the process of knitting, crocheting, weaving and stitching. The videos chronicled her creative process as she turned commonplace goods into colorful works of art in a process that involved just as much performance as meticulous craftsmanship. One artist that was truly outstanding, who captivated you with her shocking work, was Erin Zerbe, whose focus in her art is the landscape of the human body – more specifically, her body and the stigma of body image in America. Her striking photographs show her torso strapped tightly into a girdle, showing off her curves in the chiaroscuro. www.arttourinternational.com

Other photos show the effects of the corset, revealing screaming red marks where the boning pressed against her flesh and left deep bruises – an ironic testament to the statement “pain for beauty” and visceral commentary on the lengths people will go to achieve conventional beauty standards. Zerbe explains that her work is used to promote positive body images in people, regardless of gender, race, size or appearance; she fervently attacks the media’s bombardment of “fatshaming,” revealing through her touching work that everybody has their own beauty – they need only claim it. Brazilian artist, Christina Oiticica, the wife of author Paolo Coehlo, installed a piece entitled “Heart of the Earth” at the exhibit. Her technique, best classified as “land-eco, nonconcretist” combines art with the earth and the elements, entwining the two so that they are indistinguishable from each other, bonded together so that one cannot differentiate between the Cont. Next Page

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deliberate creations of the artist from the ravages of Mother Nature. Oiticica kept up with her usual artistic process of burying her painted canvases in the ground for up to a year, to display the effects of nature on art – the indelible marks of the earth on man-made creations. Oiticica has interred canvases everywhere from the heart of the Amazon rain forest to the sacred valley of Ganespurs in India. Her unique style shone through yet again at the Biennial, as she created a sitespecific piece for the exhibit. Polish artist Jacek Tylicki created a piece entitled “Give If You Can – Take If You Have To,” to display the giving and taking of money and its effects on the earth and those who inhabit it. This piece truly embodied the spirit of the POP-UP exhibit: charity and the beneficent impact of art on humanity. One artist who truly represented this theme through and through was the incredible Yoko Ono, whose talents seem to know no boundaries. Ranging from performance art to film, to music and writing, Yoko Ono continues to astound audiences with her dazzling artistry, charity work and activism for world peace. At the Biennial, Yoko Ono presented her “Wish Tree for Ireland,” part of her international “Wish Tree” project which encourages interaction between the viewers and the exhibit, urging them to write a heart-felt wish on a slip of paper and tie it to a bough of a living tree. Her project goal is to collect 1,000,000 wishes worldwide. Once the trees at various exhibits around the globe are filled with wishes, they are then transferred to the www.arttourinternational.com

Imagine Peace Tower on Vioey Island in Iceland. This goal has already been reached, with the current number of wishes rising over a million! Ono says she was inspired to create the Wish Tree due to a memory from her childhood; she used to visit a temple in Japan and write down wishes, hopes – dreams and aspirations – and tie them to the branches of trees. “Trees in temple courtyards were always filled with peoples’ wish-knots,” says Ono, “which all looked like white flowers blossoming from afar.” Among her numerous accomplishments, accolades and successes, Ono received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Biennial for her contributions to the worlds of music, art and social activism over the past five decades, showing that her influence on generations of artists and her donations to various forms of media and artistic expression will not go unacknowledged. Ono was also presented with a statue sculpted from bogwood by Kieran Higgins at Dublin’s Mansion House. Perhaps the most touching presentation to Ono was a peace lily, given to her by five year old Ashlee Byrne, a courageous leukemia survivor, on behalf of the Make A Wish Foundation – a charity organization which the Biennial supports. Since entry to the POP-UP exhibition was free and funded by the volunteering artists involved, money was raised to aid the charity by way of a silent auction, which sold pieces of art to the bidders. The inaugural Dublin Biennial was a great success, managing to influence and inspire the scores of people who walked

through the POP-UP exhibition, and introduce them to new and fascinating pieces of art by tremendous artists from around the world. Using art as a medium to express themselves, the artists also triumphed by bringing communities together on a global scale, allowing viewers to learn vast amounts about numerous cultures by merely walking through the exhibit. It is suiting that the installation was held in Dublin, with its rich artistic past, and it is a certainty that future exhibitions will retain the same beauty and artistry of this year’s incredible display. To watch the online broadcast with all the details on the exhibition and live interviews with the artists visit our online channel: www.youtube.com/user/ ArtTourIntMAGAZINE www.arttourinternational.com Opposite page: 1- Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague & Director/Curator of the Dublin Biennial Maggie Magee during the inaugural ceremony. 2- Artists Anushka and Marielle Plaisir. 3- Artists Janna Phillips and Susan Obermeyer Strauss. 4-Artist Erin Zerbe 5- Sculptor Franz Rittmannsberger. 6- Installation by artist Ellen Rothenberg. 7-Artist Eric Doolin during his interview for Arttour International online channel with Arrtour International Magazine Art Director Viviana Puello. Photography: Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserve

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7 July 2012

ERIN ZERBE â&#x20AC;&#x153;CONTROLâ&#x20AC;? Erin Zerbe was born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. She earned her BFA in Communication Arts and Design with an emphasis in Kinetic Imaging from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA. During her time here, she was an exemplary student and community member, and received such honors as The Kinetic Imaging Department Award of Excellence, as well as being selected the Student Ambassador for the Arts at the Tasmeem Design Conference in Doha, Qatar, 2006. After graduating, she stayed on to teach adjunct as well as work as a news editor for Channel 12 News, Richmond, VA. After earning her BFA, Erin worked as a freelance multimedia artist, doing extensive work for such clients as The Chrysler Museum of Art. After working with The Chrysler Museum of Art, Erin applied her knowledge and skills with web media to the competitive business of Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. Using her design skills, Erin worked to help clients develop strongly designed websites that rank well within the highly competitive search results of Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Taking this knowledge even further, Erin www.arttourinternational.com

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helped to develop instructional blogs and workshops focusing on Social Media Marketing, SEO, and WEb 2.0 techniques for businesses and individuals alike. In 2009, Erin began pursuing her MFA in Photographic and Electronic Media from Maryland Institute, College of Art. Here, she spent much of her time in the studio and in the classroom, teaching courses such as Animation, Video, and Electronic Media. Her work as a time based artist focuses on human interactions and social relationships with sexuality, the body, and technology. She tackles issues of body image, size acceptance, and food abuse. Erin received her MFA from MICA in May, of 2011. After spending a year at Virginia Commonwealth University working as a visiting artist and adjunct professor, Erin is currently gearing up for her new position as Assistant Professor of Digital Art at Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI In her free time, Erin works as a professional plus size model, and make up artist. She enjoys the opportunity to promote size acceptance through fashion, photography, and art. When she’s not making new work, Erin loves watching Nicolas Cage movies, reading comic books, and playing video games. She currently resides in Richmond VA with her husband Steven, and their cat, Koiya “Through photography, video, and performance art, my work explores the body and its relationship to fatness, sexuality, and body policing. Calling into question what is abject about fatness, I put the grotesque on display in a way that makes mention of the unrealistic standards set forth by hegemonic society, and how being fat can be a rejection of this pressure to conform. Fleshy, headless bodies push against the confines of the photo and video frame, zoomed in for a detailed look at these bodies is fetishized chunks in order to define the role of the fat body in today’s society: this body is often desexualized, stripped of individual identity, and put on display for public consumption. By challenging and

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“In my work I seek to use my body as a canvas to explore notions of personal identity pleasure and beauty” Erin Zerbe

Above: A clip from the video performance “Control” Exhibited at the Dublin Biennial Pop Up Exhibition 2012

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mocking the ideals placed upon the fat body in contemporary society, this work becomes a symbol of whimsy and resistance. It celebrates aspects of the fat body, emphasizes sexuality, and produces a visual language that borders on fetish. While my work may not use consistent materials, the methodology and subject matter are the same. I allow the meaning of the work to inform the media I will work in, be it photography, video, animation, installation, or performance. Most of my work consists of multiple small pieces meant to come together under one larger project. This again plays into the deeper reoccurring theme of size and scale as it relates to fatness and its role in culture, which most consistently informs my work and sensibilities. I hope to continue to create work that engages viewers in a variety of ways, both in personal space and via virtual space. I strive to evoke a response, whether it is laughter, sadness, discomfort, or anger. These gut reactions speak to what we see in each other, and what we see in ourselves. This continues to inspire my work as an artist, an activist, and a fat woman in a thin centric society.” “In my work, I seek to use my body as a canvas to explore notions of personal identity, pleasure and beauty, while also confronting cultural constriction and pressures to conform. In my video performance CONTROL, I wanted to examine this notion of societal pressures about the body and fatness in a raw, and pithy way. For this piece, I go through the process of wearing layer after layer of oppressive control garments, each with increasing strain and discomfort. There is a brutality to the layering, each garment squeezing my body tighter than the one before. I continue this process until I can no longer breathe, reminding the viewer of how many women subject themselves to this kind of "self" induced oppression on a daily basis. I frantically remove each garment, my body and flesh spilling out until I'm left standing naked, gasping for breath. The soundtrack for this work is only the struggled gasps for air, and small whines in pain. I wanted to bring a very personal and private moment into the spotlight, while also calling attention to the ritualistic nature of how we are taught to think about our bodies and cultural "attractiveness"..

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“I'm a multimedia artist working in video, photography, performance, and new media. My work specializes in human interactions and relationships with the body, tackling issues of body image and cultural perceptions of fatness. Currently I teach at Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI. Artist. Professor. Troublemaker. I wear my titles with pride.” Erin Zerbe

For more information: zerbetron@gmail.com

www.zerbetron.com To Watch our “Art 2 Heart” interview to Erin long on to Arttour International Online Channel www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

W R I T E R ’ S

C O R N E R

“The Fountainhead Gallery” Part II

A Fiction by Yadira Roman

part very deep in herself light up the closer it got. “Beep! Beep! Beep!” Amalina blinked her eyes once more and let out a grunt as she stared at her ceiling. She stretched her arm out to the right side of her bed and slammed her alarm on the ground. Glancing across her room she forces a smile at her lifeless floral calendar. “Why is it Monday? Somebody shoot me” she mumbles as she attempts to get herself out of bed. Amalina

Amalina blinked twice to assure herself that what she was now seeing was not an illusion added to the madness in The Fountainhead gallery. Five feet ahead of her stood something or someone she did not recognize from the gallery or even this world. It was lithely built and very thin. This being seemed to be so spiritually evolved that it did not require a physical body. It’s as if this creature was almost a being of light energy. Illuminated in light; It was tall and stood eight to ten feet in height. In mythology, it would have been referred to as a Winged God. The chaos considered chants coming from all the paintings within the gallery grew as this being made it’s way towards Amalina. “ Run you fool! That thing ain’t from around here!” Yelled the marble sculpture of her dead grandfather. Amalina did not run, what she felt was not fear; to say it was love would be a colossal understatement. Spiritually, she felt as if she had a more profound connection with this creature, past a physical state. For reasons that she did not understand Amalina felt capable of knowing what this being was thinking or feeling at this present state of time. A part of her simply felt a

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had not returned to the gallery since Friday she had no desire nor reason to. Her last visit there ended with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a four a.m. call to her therapist Dr. Malikai who recommended she keep her distance from the gallery for a while. Her depression was causing Amalina to see things; according to him. She couldn’t help wonder if it wasn’t an illusion, feeling’s couldn’t be imagined. Amalina couldn’t recall feeling so alive, during that time her conception of time and space was altogether different. For hours she was in a completely other world. She felt as if her heart grew larger than the universe itself. Growing tired of looking at a ceiling that lacked all the wonders of the gallery Amalina jumped right out of her once comforting bed and snatched her Buick’s keys off the wooden counter to the left of it. Illusion or not Amalina was going back to this new world within the one she had abandoned; it was time to get to the bottom of all this confusion after all her mother did always say “Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish.” …. To be continued on the next issue of Arttour International Magazine

Yadira Roman is a film maker and writer of highly personal films. While many of her works reflect on her experiences with psychological disorders, her current research interests include theory of reincarnation, of spiritual journey and issues related to time and space in cinema. Inspired by her mother ‘s artistic career, the film student sprung into the world of the arts and writes for the freedom of voice and thought. Contact: yadiramarieroman@hotmail.com

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DAVID ORR “ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS INTO AIR”

www.david-orr.com

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July 2012

David Orr is a visual artist based in California..His work has been shown in Communications Arts, Graphics, Print, The Art Director’s Club, The Society of Publication Designers, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. As well as being added to several private collections, his work was recently selected to be included in the Capital Group Collection, which includes works by Ansel Adams, John Baldessari, Jim Dine, David Hockney, and Edward Weston. Orr is interested in the dichotomies inherent in his work; the ephemeral and the timeless; the specific and the universal; the material and the spiritual. “What I’ve photographed is not the same sky as when the death occurred (much like a section of river where someone has drowned), but that is an essential point of the series; something happened, but nature, indifferent to our predicaments, moves on” To Watch our “Art 2 Heart” interview to David Orr long on to Arttour International Online Channel www.youtube.com/user/ArtTourIntMAGAZINE

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012

CARLOS TIRADO YEPES Pop Art with a Twist

Sculptor and painter, Carlos Tirado Yepes has exhibited extensively in solo shows in New York, Florida and Spain. He explores pop culture in his recent work, using famous icons for high visual power. He looks to retrieve images from the 50's and 60's including Marilyn Monroe, Wonder Woman and Superman. His rigorous work proposes the review of these pop culture icons encompassing the globalized culture of the XXI century. Using household paint samples from a renowned factory in the U.S. he positions the samples over a canvas and creates an image much like a collage, resulting in a very personal technique that produces a manual "pixel" effect. Tirado Yepes agrees that he feels an attraction towards Pop Art. One of his major impulses has been to humanize those mass reaching characters like comic characters, with common problems as any human living in an everyday environment. Nevertheless, his major contribution has been his personal language representing these themes, which indeed resembles Pop Art, but has a twist that Tirado Yepes has achieved after years of investigation and research. In searching for his own expression, he decided to recycle an already existing manmade material, changing its original purpose. He opts to use an approximate 600-pantone-color chart from exterior paints at home improvement stores. The strategic combination of these samples based on the principles of collage: cutting and pasting produce a

ABOVE: Portrait of Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Price in Literature 2010. . Mix Media

WWW.CARLOSJTIRADO.COM

To Watch our â&#x20AC;&#x153;Art 2 Heartâ&#x20AC;? interview to Carlos long on to Arttour International Online Channel www.youtube.com/user/ ArtTourIntMAGAZINE

Right: Portraits of US President Barak Obama and former US President Bill Clinton. Mix Media on Canvas

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July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2012 marvelous pixel-like image of outstanding beauty and allure. In the digital realm, a pixel is the smallest chromatic unit of an image. In Tirado Yepes artistic expression this concept is inverted creating an interesting game as a result of his investigation. He manually cuts one-color pieces, positions and pastes them over the canvas, looking to create a desired image. In some instances he applies small touches of color over the canvases. This technique, also known as “anti-pixel” by some art critique, simulates the pixelated look of an overzoomed digital picture;however, when viewed in detail, is clear that the process as very different in Tirado Yepes work, as he begins breaking the digital logic: instead of taking the image to its minimum chromatic expression, he builds off that www.arttourinternational.com

minimum expression. In fact, they are not realistically minimal since the materials (paint samples) used by the artist measure approximately 10 x 10 cms. Using this technique, Tirado Yepes has created portraits of internationally recognized characters (presidents, renowned politicians, and artists) and pop culture icons (Marilyn Monroe, Monalisa, and cartoon characters, among others). With plenty of personal art exhibitions, Tirado Yepes has participated in numerous collective exhibitions, receiving different awards like III Premio de Escultura del Certamen Aires de Córdoba in 2004 and other recognitions, among them, in the Venezuelan Embassy in DC (2005), and the X Latin Art Festival of Atlanta (2005). July 2012

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July 2012

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL MAY 2012

PAM 2012: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SUMMER CREEPS IN.... By Haydn Díaz- New York

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July 2012

PAM 2012: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SUMMER CREEPS IN.... By Haydn Díaz- New York The vigor of its skyline shimmers with greater certainty; the trees—steeped amidst the endless concrete jungle—extend their defiant green ever wider: summer has once more crept into New York City. Whether the old cliché about New York being the theater capital of the world stands true or not, there is no denying the sheer massiveness of theatrical expression and, therefore, competition that is www.arttourinternational.com

evidenced in the theater districts that sprawl through the five boroughs. Summer has become a challenging season for theater administrators in Gotham City. While this time of the year is witness to an immense influx of tourists, it is also the time of the year where serious theatergoers leave town or opt for activities away from the countless stages around the city, taking advantage

of the numbered days of sunshine. Theater festivals have therefore become the main output for new theatrical presentations during the hottest months. Consequently, it is paramount that any theater company who ventures into the fierce competition that these festivals generate have an excitingly distinguished programming—a clear artistic angle. IATI Theater’s Performing Arts Marathon 2012, or PAM 2012, is an ideal exemplar of the artistic and organizational prowess required to pull off a summer festival in the Mecca of theater. Now in its fifth year, PAM has provided a stage to over 1,000 artists and hosted more than 50,000 audience members —composed of New Yorkers and tourists alike. IATI Theater’s PAM was first envisioned to provide performing artists an annual home where their craft could be honed, exploited and showcased. As all things at IATI Theater, during it’s five years, PAM 2012 has made a commitment to the artists they present and displayed a relentless dedication to cuttingedge artistic expression in theater, dance, music and multidisciplinary performances. In the spirit of the company’s motto “Todo Vanguardia (All Avant-Garde),” the artist is the central focus and the unyielding effort to present a unique and refined kind of theatrical work is the main objective. Over the years, the festival has garnered a reputation as a place where quality is fused with pioneering performances. This year’s line-up displays the intense eclecticism and the elevated

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standard of artistic expertise that PAM has naturally become a home to. Shows from all around the United States as well as international shows have been incorporated in the past, but in its 2012 installation, when Italian theater company J33tre presents their life-size puppetry performance, Nella Foresta (In the Forest), PAM will display the most exciting collaboration that the festival has experienced as of yet—a transatlantic coproduction of collaborating artists from 2 different continents and over 5 different countries. As Executive Director Vivian Deangelo puts it, “we couldn’t be prouder or more thrilled with this year’s PAM. The fifth year of the festival is truly a culmination of what we have been building up to since 2008 when we first premiered. The sheer artistic quality of every piece and the international participation are proof of the magnitude and quality we bring to New York this year. It really feels like PAM has come to its own in 2012. We are no longer a mediator for artists, we are a platform of artistic expression and people know that. I realized that PAM was greater than the sum of all its parts when the selections panel had to sort through tens of applications that came from all over Latin America, North America, Europe and the Middle East. Artists have seen or have been told what we have done in the past and they want to be a part of it. We are now more than a festival, we are a symbol of new theater, new dance, new music— new artistic expression.” When asked to describe the festival in one word, Mrs. Deangelo www.arttourinternational.com

thought for a while as she hazily looked up. Clapping her hands together she said at last, in her deep Uruguayan accent: “multidisciplinary!” And indeed, PAM 2012 is an unfiltered exhibition of multidisciplinary performing arts. Not because its 11 shows are composed of theater, dance and music pieces but because the 11 pieces are all redefining the boundaries of the disciplines they incorporate and so intertwine several performing art forms in a single piece—some of them pushing the envelope of

technicality as well by incorporating multimedia presentations. With its intense attention to detail, PAM 2012’s publically released creative productivity began with the delicate visual designs of Evan Moore, whose aesthetically conscious marketing is spearheaded by the idea of a card game that asks you to “take your pick!” The pick must be drawn from shows that range from a mortician’s story placed in central Europe and told through physical theater with live and newly composed music, Cont. Next Page

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to aerial, contortionist dancing told through the Mayan idea of death and reincarnation. The competency of this festival lies in the concept behind the shows whose creators are devoted performing artists and whose origins—and trainings—paint a colorful and electrifying canvas. Each show is therefore best described by asking the question, “What happens when…?” What happens when Uruguayan/Israeli singer/ composer Sabrina Lastman picks up the collected songs of Federico Garcia Lorca? What happens is: An Encounter with “El Duende,” a performance that mixes movement, music, visuals and text to bring to life the darkest corners of Lorca’s imagination. Pick # 4. What happens when Indian choreographer Janaki Patrik fuses Indian Kathak dancing with the glitz of Bollywood conventions? What happens is: “Taal Se Taal (Match Your Rhythm to Mine),” an Indian dance performance that utilizes English text to tell an exotic story of romance, humor and irresistible entanglements. Pick # 11. What happens when Colombian dancer/theater artist Loren Escandon collaborates with Madrid-based choreographer/theater artist Marizol Rozo? What happens is: Montera, a peculiar form of physical theater that examines the oldest profession in human history; a peculiar view through the quotidian lens of a prostitute that reveals the extraordinary nature of our primeval perceptions of sex. Pick # 7. What happens when Columbia University MFA graduate, Jon Froehlich, www.arttourinternational.com

conceives a piece with the assistance of fellow theater madmen? What happens is: The Whistling Mortician, the story of an 1870’s Prussian laborer who whistles the wrong anthem at the wrong place, setting off a set of events that ultimately lands him in his life’s profession —all through extreme physical theater and an original score. Pick # 3. What happens when German educated and trained dancer, Darion Smith, composes a choreography that has as its setting the gritty subways of New York City? What happens is: Heart on a Dirty Platform, a dance, music and video performance that tells a young woman’s journey through love’s seductive power in the trains beneath the big apple. Pick # 2. What happens when Argentinean director Gerardo Gudino picks up a script that tells the story of how Heavy Metal music was transformed into a weapon of fire against psychoanalysis? What happens is: Decime Que Escuchás (Face The Music), a comedy of madmanners that casts a Puerto Rican duo to tell the heartbreaking, albeit hilarious, story of two women’s descend into insanity. Pick # 10. What happens when British born, Italian-based theater artist, Giles Smith, is inspired to create and direct a piece of the power in fairy tales with the aesthetics of live-sized puppets? What happens is: Nella Foresta (In the Forest), a puppetry theater performance in which a man finds the answers to life’s most complicated questions. Pick # 9. What happens when 7 multinational theater artists come together to create a

multidisciplinary piece inspired by the fear of the unknown? What happens is: El Correo de La Noche (Night Delivery), a theatrical piece based around audience participation that explores the aspect of our fantasies and experiences that we never venture into—until now. Pick # 6. What happens when South American trio, Void Theater Company, explore the woes that surround a couple’s bed? What happens is: La Luz de Mañana en un Traje Marron (Dawn in a Brown Suite), a psychological voyage through physical theater that takes us beneath the sheets of a couple’s bed and unravels the vile tragedy of their relationship. Pick # 1. What happens when the power of the moon inspires flamenco performer Sol Koeraus and guitarist/composer Cristian Puig to create a new performance piece? What happens is: La Quinta Luna (The Fifth Moon), a live flamenco extravaganza that through an Andalusian flare demonstrates the greatest light in the darkness, the emotional strength only the moon can evoke. With an audience as diverse as the productions themselves, beginning July 27 and ending August 12, PAM 2012 outdoes itself for the fifth year. If one desires to take in a dazzling cocktail of artistic expression and incalculable culture, one needs only head over to PAM 2012. What will happen then? You’ll take in that fabled elixir of life that many say is brewed only in the caput mundi, the Mecca of Meccas, the world’s crossroads—New York City.

July 2012

P R E S E N T I N G

O R I G I N A L

C O N T E M P O R A R Y

V I G G O

A B S T R A C T

A R T

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C A R L S E N

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July 2012

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PERFORMING ARTS MARATHON 2012

photography: Anjali Bhargava creative: WowMom Studio

11 cutting edge performances. Take your pick.

www.eldiariony.com

Tragedy is a rosary of small woes that unravel on the sheets of a couple’s bed.

MONTERA “I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural and integral things that money can buy.” —Tom Clancy

Void Theater Company by Daniel Veronese / directed by Leni Mendez performed by Patricia Becker & Pablo Pereyra

written and performed by Loren Escandon directed by Marisol Rozo Spanish with English supertitles

LUZ DE MANANA EN UN TRAJE MARRÓN

Leni Mendes

(DAWN IN A BROWN SUIT)

Friday August 10, 10pm Saturday August 11, 10pm

Saturday July 28, 7pm Sunday August 5, 7pm

HEART ON A DIRTY PLATFORM A painted picture of the metropolitan subways as a young woman experiences the throes of a relationship.

REINCARNATIONS Reincarnations portrays pre-Hispanic mythology alongside Mexican cultural icons and traditions to explore ideas of destiny and life after death..

Janusphere Dance Company Choreographed by Darion Smith Music by Jonathan Melville Pratt

aerial dance performance Dzul Dance / choreographed by Javier Dzul composed by Sergio Reyes

Thursday August 2, 7pm Friday August 3, 10pm Saturday August 4, 3pm

Friday August 3, 7pm Saturday August 4, 10pm

Rachel Neville

Rojelio Rodriguez

THE WHISTLING MORTICIAN When the powers of death crop up at every turn, what else can one do…but whistle?

NELLA FORESTA (IN THE FOREST) Through theater and puppetry, a man finds answers to life’s questions through a fairytale forest in his mind.

Cloud of Fools Theater Company / directed by Jon Froehlich / written and choreographed by Froehlich and ensemble

j33tre / written and directed by Giles Smith Italian with English supertitles

Saturday July 28, 10 pm Sunday August 5, 3pm Thursday August 9, 7pm

Friday August 10, 7pm Sunday August 12, 3pm

AN ENCOUNTER WITH EL DUENDE Federico García Lorca’s eerie, passionate and extraordinary world comes to life through poems, writings, and collected songs.

DECIME QUE ESCUCHAS (FACE THE MUSIC) A contemporary play about how Heavy Metal was transformed into a weapon of fire for psychoanalysis.

composed and performed by Sabrina Lastman

by Sol Pereyra / directed by Gerardo Gudino

Friday July 27, 7pm Wednesday August 1, 7pm

Friday July 27, 10pm Sunday July 29, 7pm

LA QUINTA LUNA (FIFTH MOON) An emotional journey though the art form of Flamenco and the power of the moon, the light in the darkness.

Michael Palma

by Flamenco y Sol / directed & choreographed by Sol Koeraus “La Argentinita” composed by Cristian Puig Saturday August 11, 7pm Sunday August 12, 7pm

TAAL SE TAAL (MATCH YOUR RHYTHM TO MINE) Through Indian film songs, Kathak dance and English dialogue, stories of exotic romance, humorous liaisons and irresistible entanglements unfold. The Kathak Ensemble & Friends choreographed by Janaki Patrik & dancers Saturday July 28, 3pm Sunday July 29, 3pm

EL CORREO DE LA NOCHE (NIGHT DELIVERY) Visiting and revisiting our fear of the unknown, we build this multidisciplinary performance on our experiences and fantasies of foreign cities at night. Caborca Theatre by Javierantonio Gonzalez & Eloisa Jaramillo created by the company of actors Thursday August 2—Sunday August 5, 7pm IRT Theater 154 Christopher Street

PERFORMING ARTS MARATHON 2012

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IATITHEATER.ORG

A festival of local and international performances that break the boundaries of dance, music, and theater July 26—August 12, 2012 NYC Tickets on sale now Ovation Tix: 866-811-4111 and iatitheater.org

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Venezuelan Artist Carlos Tirado Yepes enjoys good reading at the Dublin Biennial Si Señor!

Between shoots, Arttour International Magazine Video Producer Alan Grimandi keeps a copy near by :)

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July 2012

F Marierench Ar an A lle Plaisitist rttou r r Hu is giving g!

t Susan American Artis s poses with it! aus Obermeyer Str

Italian Artist Paolo Matina keeps a copy to read later! at the Dublin Biennial-Pop Up 2012

Ame her interican Artist Er in r www.yo view for our o Zerbe gets a nline copy u t u be.com/ WWW.ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL.COM user/A channel. Watc after rtTourI h Blog: www.arttourinternational.com/apps/blog ntMAGA now: ZINE Online Broadcast Channel

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“Conscious Creation” Vivid Arts Network in collaboration with Arttour International Magazine Art Division announces the annual International Fine Art Competition “Conscious Creation”, an art contest that is juried by prominent curators and art experts. An amazing opportunity for the winning artists to gain exposure by exhibiting their work at the prominent Auditorium al Duomo in Florence, Italy and enjoy all the online promotion and media attention. “Conscious Creation” is open to visual artists from all countries in the world, emerging and professional artists of all stages in their career and for all media, including painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, mixed media and print.

AWARD$$$ The awards that will be distributed to the winning artists include participation in a group exhibition at the prominent Auditorium al Duomo, in Florence, Italy. Art review by an Italian art critic, cash prizes and exclusive social media promotion. Vivid Arts Network is dedicated to exposing contemporary art by offering an international platform for professional and emerging artists looking for the right exposure. For more information and details on this competition visit:

www.vividartsnetwork.net/#!art-contest! or email: artcontest@vividartsnetwork.com

Imagen: “Nace un Sol” Digital Image by Raul Cantu