ArtTOUR International - Magazine Dec 2011 by ArtTour International Magazine

“Creating Art to Inspire Lives” www.vividartsnetwork.com

VIVID ARTS NETWORK 601 W 174th St New York, NY 1003 USA 1+(347) 321-8017 Italy 39+(345) 167-7704

“Cornered” Photography by Gary Heller Model: Masae Cathy Satouchi

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December 2011

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL Magazine has launched! An important step in the development of an idea inspired by the desire to promote the arts, and brings to light the talent of the professional and emerging artist looking for the right exposure. We aim to unify the art community into a family where ideas and thoughts are shared and respected. Artists are amazing. Whenever I see an emerging talent Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m moved. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about the way some artists meet their challenges that is worth of admiration, their dedication, their courage, their energy, persistence and above all their focus. It is one great formula for success. We want to let these artists know they have our support and help them by exposing their valuable works to the eyes of international art collectors and buyers and to the eyes of the public and we want to give you our readers the opportunity to enjoy this body of works selected from all over the globe by delivering it to your doors. Our website is full of art breaking news, featured artists, wonderful images of artworks and updates bringing you the latest events from Italy and abroad. There's also good news for all you travelers out there. Our column, Natural Masterpiece, will take you to enjoy Vivid color photographs of world heritage sites and awesome travel destinations worldwide you will enjoy mother natures artful wonders. Subscribers to ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL Magazine have exclusive online access to all of the online editions and special editions. In addition to reading the magazine, Art Tour International Magazine subscribers can also engage with our columnists through our blog. Please let us know if you have ideas, suggestions or criticisms of this magazine. Like everything we do, it is steeped in tradition, but a work in progress. We're very excited about our new launch 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. While we continue to put the final touches to the new site, we'd love to know what you think about it. You can tell us by visiting www.arttourinternational.com Natalia Castaldi Editor in Chief www.arttourinternational.com

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL

DECEMBER 2011

CONTENTS

MASAE SATOUCHI

Behind the scenes

VIVID ARTS NETWORK

Art with a mission

FEATURED ARTISTS

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ANDREY ARANYSHEV

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SUSAN OBERMEYER STRAUSS

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EMANUEL CONTI

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JOHN NIEMAN

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JIM PESCOTT

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IRENE SAGMEISTER

YELLOWSTONE

A natural Masterpiece

GARY HELLER

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MAGGIE MAGEE

Romantic and sensual

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WENDY COHEN

BUYING ART

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RAFFAELA QUAIOTTI

How to choose art for your home

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DECEMBER 2011

CONTENTS Stepping out of the crowd

46 COLOMBIA ES

Promoting the arts

LARRY RICH

The renaissance

THE RIO GALLERIES OF NYC

Committed to helping artists

STEVE JOBS

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Vladimir Tasoff

Organic Surrealism

14 53 GABRIELA GARD GALIANA

LARRY RICH The renaissance

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COLOMBIA ES Promoting the arts

MASAE SATOUCHI Behind the scenes

44 LYDIA PARISH

30 GARY HELLER Romantic and Sensual

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CONTRIBUTORS DETERMINATION 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 Art Tour 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

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IMPOSSIBLE AND THE POSSIBLE

ART DIRECTOR Viviana Puello Director and 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.com Glen Hampson is the Executive Director of NSCI The National Science Communication Institute (nSCI) is a nationwide non-profit dedicated to advancing science by improving science communication. www.nationalscience.org Kathy Austin is a research engine consultant for an online gallery that sell art. Red Bubble provides a range of services that makes it easy to sell your art, photos, designs and illustrations as high-quality framed prints, mounted prints, greeting cards and more. and for more details, visit Red Bubble www.redbubble.com. 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. yadiramarieroman@hotmail.com Cody Lavada is a dedicated writer and performance artist who draws inspiration from the dark side of life. Cody's works frequently deal with selfintrospection, the surreal and the macabre. She lives in upstate New York. taboo.vivant@gmail.com

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ALAN GRIMANDI Graphic Design LYDIA PARISH Social Media Publishing ROSENTHAL & SON LAW FIRM Legal Consultant GRIMARTE GALLERY Photography VIVID ARTS NETWORK Art Direction

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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 rulling 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. Page 10

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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 IT 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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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 byke 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!

EDICOLA DUOMO YOUR INFORMATION STOP AT FERRARA’S HISTORICAL CENTER Edicola Duomo Ferrara, Italy 2011

In front of the Duomo! Established on the late 1800’s the Edicola Duomo is part of Ferrara’s history. Currently own by Eleonora and Sergio Tracchi, the Edicola Duomo is the welcoming place for tourists. Maps, City Guides, Local, National and International Edicola Duomo Ferrara, Italy 1910 Newspapers, History Books, Art andCulture Guides, Exhibition Schedules and much more!

Eleonora Grimandi,and husband Sergio Tracchi own the Edicola Duomo since 2006

Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Edicola-Duomo-di-Tracchi-Sergio email: serz31@gmail.com wwww.arttourinternational.com

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VENEZIA LIVE THE DREAM

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

MASAE SATOUCHI Behind the scenes with Masae Cathy Satouchi Dance of Fire By Ana Caballero

“Being colorful is not a crime, but if it were I would still do it.” - Masae Cathy Satouchi Photography by Gary Heller

Why did you move to New York? “Because I was too colorful to live in Japan. I always want to move to NY since when I was a high- school student. Now, I find my place to be myself ”. Masae Cathy Satouchi got her start in the fashion world thirteen years ago. She built her reputation as an accomplished and talented hairstylist and makeup artist in Kyoto, Japan, winning several major Japanese hair competitions, including the prestigious "All Japan Hair Syling Contest". She has also studied color therapy and is a licenced kimono dresser and instructor. Now, in New York, Masae performs fire, belly dancing, burlesque and modeling with this same passion for creation and signature style. She has performed at theatres, clubs and festivals, as well as appearing in many TV and radio programs, newspapers, and magazines in both the US and Japan. She has also produced and directed five shows which unified diverse styles of art, fashion and wwww.arttourinternational.com

dance through her own unique vision of color and beauty, including the fundraiser for Haiti. She donated to Unicef and doctor without borders. Now, she started her beauty tour " Create a colorful life you love" in SF & NY & JP. “Being yourself is celebrating you, as an individual - learning to express yourself and be happy with who you are" In the seminar, she is introducing "How to achieve your goals and create a colorful life you love.“ http://colorfulartist.com/ As an evolving and dynamic artist, Masae's goal is to bring color and joy to the world. Foundraising for Japan Masae is the NY artistic director of NPO Japan color language colorful color association. Color is the universal language. When the earthquake happen she was visiting her family. At her return to NY, she couldn’t stop crying for 2 weeks. She was in a lot of pain for what was happening and for leaving her family and friends in Japan. In April, she started posting “Today’s Energy Color” on FB and

her website everyday.. Now, she wants to create a healthy world through the language of color! she is sending the positive, colorful vibes and light in your heart. Masae is also participating in "PRAY FOR JAPAN" Special Hair Salon by Professional Stylists of NYC (Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fundraiser) She was the hair stylist and color therapist to support this event. This event has raised a total of $12056 for this year!!!They would like to continue this event as much as they can... The dress. I met this dress at her show window 5 years ago after I moved to NY and was here for 1 month. The store was on Lexington ave 93rd st. It was cross from my old hair salon where I worked. The dress is one of her NY collection. It was sitting by the show window in her store. I saw this dress everyday and I always wanted it, but It was too expensive for me. I couldn’t afford.

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Masae Cathy Satouchi Photography by Gary Heller

I was dreaming to wear this dress for 2 years. When she closed her store, she told me that she knew that how much I love this dress, she would be happy to gave me with special price. but... I never wear this dress for 2 years, I don’t know where to wear.. Finally I decided to hang on my ceiling. It become a fancy chandelier!! Meeting Gary Heller We first met when he photographed me from my performance in Jehan Belly dance theater show. He is always fun to work with, I love his style so much! Such an artistic photographer. He is definitely one of the artist friends that wakes me up my inner child. I’m always looking for some big canvas that I can create. He always listens to me and love my ideas to create, after the first session with him, I felt very comfortable

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and he gave me courage to create more and more. Now he’s like my dad. One time after a big shoot with a fetish model I drank some wine after the shoot. I had a long way home so he asked me "Make sure you use bathroom now before you leave" I thinks this was so funny. I’m your model, not your child... I’m always afraid that people don't understand my English, I’ve done so many things in Japan, I can create anything I want, but speaking English makes me feel like I am a baby again. On a past photo shoot with several artists, I had so many ideas I could’t explain well... I was so stress out of this. Just following direction is pretty boring for me. I realized that I always want to be a director to create everything. Me & Gary’s work, he could bring my image 200% to the world

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

“I think Art is a powerful synergistic tool to inspire positive social change” Viviana Puello

Left: Directive Team of Vivid Arts Network Viviana Puello and her husband Alan Grimandi Below: Award Ceremony at “Here Now”

Vivid Arts Network Art with a mission By Yadira Roman

Armed with a strong team of collaborators, curator Viviana Puello art activist uses her art as a key element of social protest; raising human right awareness around the world with allied organizations to bring the full strength of artistic expression to bear in the human rights field. As director of Vivid Arts Network Puello offers a mission trusting that artists have the power to touch the populace so overpoweringly that positive change can come about as an absolute result. Strongly believing that artists have always been the greatest supporters of human rights because they know so well how imperative it is that every soul be given the right to free expression. Influenced by her upbringing in Cartagena, Colombia , Puello left what she calls “the most beautiful bohemian city, a bohemian town that kisses the Atlantic ocean”

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because of the disappointment in the country’s political situation. Puello is now joining forces with other artist for a cause that sinks into the soul deeper than art. When asked the reason for her inspiration Puello answers: “I think Art is a powerful synergistic tool to inspire positive social change, and it is with this vision of making an impact through art that we are organizing exhibitions where artists are invited to create new representations through their diverse media and in so doing help us feel and understand the essence of the problem of violence, poverty and prostitution; with our attention in helping find a solution to the issue of human trafficking, especially children. It is rewarding to know that through the arts we can bring awareness to the public and help these children be freed from this new form of slavery.”

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

The splendor of this project is that it combines the premier integrity of art with important meaning and storytelling Above: Opening ceremony of “The Time is Now”, Florence, Italy 2011. Preview film in benefit of ECPAT Italia Right: Vivid Arts Network directors Viviana Puello and Alan Grimandi.

Symphony of Colors

“We want to be part of the solution” Continuing Vivid Art’s Network arts patronage, “Sinfonia di Colore” is a ground breaking exhibition that will be presented at the Auditorium Al Duomo in Florence Italy from December 10 through December 18, 2011 This noteworthy exhibition is the broadest and most enterprising survey of its kind, showcasing the imagination, ingenuity, and vision of 18 artists in magnificent images. An innovative contemporary art exhibition that promotes mindfulness and social choices. Enthuse the belief that communities can modify a culture of violence, by empowering women and the respect towards domestic violence as well as prejudice and exploitation and discourse systems of social change. The splendor of this project is that it combines the premier integrity of art with important meaning and storytelling. Deeply devoted, genuine and

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approachable in a way that art exhibits rarely are “Symphony of Colors” wears its powerfully pounding heart on its sleeve. Promoting practice to evolve from creating art, to creating programs which work within the system to create change. As the power, faith, and pride of women is unveiled, abuse can no longer be a painful secret, Vivid Arts Network invites you to give yourself over to a worthy cause. “Ultimately, it is our mission, to portray with our works that which plagues our society. Art has been a great influence throughout history. I believe we can make a difference now and write new history, of those who will not remain silent, but those who speak and give a voice to the ones screaming in silence, trapped in the adversity of sexual exploitation. We want to be part of the solution and we hope to achieve this with our shows.”

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MARIANGELA FONTANA, TV presenter and communicator. Born in 1989 in Romagna with a father passionate about graphic art and theater who would later become the role model to inspire her on her career. After obtaining her diploma at the Lugo di Ravenna high school, Mariangela studied at the Faculty of Communication Sciences in Bologna, obtaining remarkable results immediately. Her television career was born from the causal encounter with VideoMedia productions, which projects her in the world of television conduction since her days as a high school student when she began leading the ZooTV transmission on SKY. After only a a few years Mariangela hone her natural gifts as a television communicator by leading ZooTV excelling in both the conduction and in communication

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with the artists, focus on the transmission format. In the meantime, she continued her studies in Bologna and for a period of time is called to join the company of the Stable Theatre in Lugo for the construction of a major co-production dedicated to the book "Sweeny Todd", in which she would take a small part, undertaken with great professionalism. Her classes at the university, however, act as a door opener for Mariangela to discover the world of communication from a "behind the scenes" perspective, an element that fascinates her even more. He graduated in 2011 with a thesis completely based on social communication management and her first major undertaking: to be president of a nonprofit association for communication, iCom ONP.

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ÂŽ

At your side

responsible communication and ethics artistic development press office international events&marketing media ads

iCom ÂŽ

associazione per la comunicazione integrata

Ferrara (Italy) â&#x20AC;˘ +39.532.470561 www.icom-noprofit.it

GALLERY BOUDEWIJN paintings and sculptures

www.galleryboudewijn.com

The main theme of my work is the universe and the consciousness evolving in it, the loneliness going along with it and the hope that all is seen and guided by a higher consciousness than ours - Ton Boudewijn.

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

YELLOW STONE

PHOTOS OF THE LOWER FALLS The lower falls of Yellowstone is still the largest volume major waterfall in the Rocky Mountains of the United States.

A natural masterpiece By Grimandi

We started our trip into the country side leaving from Las Vegas up north to Montana. We had planned to stop for a day at Yellow Stone national park to enjoy nature and then continue driving to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. The road trip was a lot of fun, the views you see when you live the Silver State of Nevada are quite amazing. Passing through monument valley, only to witness sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet. framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding.

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The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. Miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs, trees and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley, surround the fragile pinnacles of rock. All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience. Keep heading northwest and you will pass Utah, another wonderful place. By then it was dark so we decided to drive as far as possible and try to get to our destination by morning time. We enjoyed the night drive. The mountains narrow roads were dark, and you could hear nature. We pass by what it sounded like a big river,

by the music of the currents we figure it would be a nice scene, so we stop. We open up our flashlights to witness another natural masterpiece. Green river gave us its welcome as we touched its waters and enjoy his symphony. What a feast to your ears. By morning time we arrived to yellow stone, as we enter the park, tOld Faithful Geyser was waiting for us in all his glory, Old Faithful goes from 21 to 20 eruptions a day, they vary in the height of eruptions anywhere from 100 to 180 feet, averaging about 130 or 140 feet. The eruptions usually last between one and a half minutes to five minutes.

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The water during an eruption has been measured at 204 degrees F and the steam at over 350 degrees F. Estimating about 3,700 gallons of water for a short eruption of about one and a half minutes, and 8,400 gallons for one of four and a half minutes. The Geysers in Yellow Stone have a unique color palette. A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapor phase. The ribbons of color that stream from the geysers are formed by a variety of bacteria. The green and orange mats that you see in the pictures live in water of varying temperatures; in essence, the colors serve as temperature indicators. Yellow or pink strands of bacteria sometimes appear in water as hot as 196° F (92° C), just below the boiling point (water boils at 199° wwww.arttourinternational.com

(93° C) at this elevation). Chemical deposits of sulphur, iron oxides, arsenic sulfide, and other substances add vivid colors to the hot springs in some areas of the park. Hardy microscopic plants, like lime-green Cyanidium algae, thrive in these warm acid waters. Orangish cyanobacteria may be found in many runoff streams in some Basins. From a distance these bacteria look like rusty iron-rich mineral deposits. Amazingly, living organisms thrive even in the extreme environments of these acid hot springs! By looking at them I just kept wondering how many brush strokes would I do to paint these colors, in my years as an artist I have enjoyed wonderful works of art, but this time, I was in awe. The well-known geyser activity in Yellowstone National Park provides a variety of colors, steamy

activity and odors. At this geysers, nature’s colors abound as they spew forth their mineral contents. Monet, Renoir, Gaugin, our very own Georgia O’keeve and so many more passed my mind, but no master piece would compare to what my eyes were witnessing. This was it, this is what I intended to see, this is the experience, the feeling and the emotion we were looking for. I looked at my husband’s eye, he looked at me and said, so we skip Mt Rushmore this time right? I bring to you images that speak for themselves, images captured during a three day stay waiting for Geyser’s to erupt, enjoying the wildlife, sunsets and sunrises of one of the most beautiful places my eyes have ever seen in this, our beautiful land, America the beautiful!

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PHOTOS OF MIDWAY GEYSER BASIN Top: Water from the Grand Prismatic Spring flows into Firehole River at sunset, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Left: Excelsior Geyser, a hot spring in the Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Excelsior was named by the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. Photography by GrimArte Gallery © Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

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PHOTOS OF GRAND GEYSER, the tallest of the regularly erupting geysers in the Park. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. The small geyser on the left is Vent Geyser. Grand erupts every 7 to 15 hours.

DOUBLET POOL PHOTO Doublet Pool, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

GARY HELLER

“Cornered” Photography by Gary Heller Model: Masae Cathy Satouchi

Romantic and Sensual Gary Heller’s photograph’s are ultimately focus with beauty, that of the stunningly attractive women who are the subjects of most of his pictures as well as their surroundings. Heller’s one of a kind photographs match his amazingly creative vision. Vibrant colors, dramatic lighting, movement, every detail contributes to the lushness of his photographs. Heller works capture the personality, grace and style that are natural to his models. “I was born in 1964, Columbia, South Carolina but have been raised and living in New York all my life. My mother Eleanor is an artist and as a young child I can remember sitting by her side as she painted her landscapes or seascapes. She would explain to me about light, shadow, composition,etc. I was always fascinated by seeing a blank canvas suddenly transform into something wonderful, it was very magical to me. I would say she sparked the creative fire within. Throughout my years I had played guitar in various club bands, built models and designed and crafted furniture, made many attempts at drawing and painting and finally picked up the camera in 2003. I always felt the need to express myself through visual arts and music. Drawing and painting never seemed to come natural to me and I would be frustrated with the amount of time I put in to achieve what I felt were mediocre results, but when I finally picked up a camera, it felt like a good fit for me.

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011 Photography by Gary Heller Â© Copyright 20011 All Rights Reserved Right: Nina Brewton with the Mosaic Dance Theater Company of New York Below: The Mosaic Dance Theater Company of New York

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“Free Bird” Photography by Gary Heller www.garyhellerphotography.com

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

A variety of subjects Urban landscapes, dance and theater I enjoy photographing many variety of subjects. I enjoy urban landscapes and abandoned buildings, dance and theater, portraiture as well as fetish and alternative fashion/ lifestyle. Some of my recent works have been portraits of various performers and alternative models/ characters including burlesque, fire performers, dominatrix, pinup and fetish models. I prefer to shoot with simple white or dark backgrounds but have recently been experimenting with some location shooting. A fire performer/friend of mine, Masae Satouchi often get together and test shoot various ideas and looks. Masae is a very multi talented individual and we often come up with fun looks and ideas such as the "free bird" image. She is also a make up artist and hair stylist and has been on my styling team in other shoots that i have done lately. Over the years i have exhibited my work in various galleries in New York and have been a

featured artist a couple of times. My work was honored with "Best in Show" at Gallery 364 in Brooklyn. I've been featured in various blogs and online magazines, had works published in magazines and books and have works held in private collections throughout the world. I never quite seem to be happy with where i am in my photography and it feels like I'm on an endless quest to discover my identity or something. I'm never quite happy with being on one particular subject for long, which may or may not be a good thing. I do know that I'm enoying the journey and hope it takes me to a peaceful place. “

“I never quite seem to be happy with where i am in my photography and it feels like I'm on an endless quest to discover my identity or something.” Gary Heller

Portrait of Free Bird Photography by Gary Heller

By Gary Heller

Gary Heller Photography info@garyhellerphotography.com www.garyhellerphotography.com

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

BUYING ART How do you choose art for your home By T.M.

How do you choose art for your home? There are four factors that will affect how you go about choosing art and paintings to decorate your home. They are price, style, your house, and the artist. Some choose art for the beauty of the piece itself, while others look for treasures that will blend in well with their decor. Neither is wrong or right, but it's important to ascertain the kind of art buyer you are before choosing art for your home. First, price. Set a price level for yourself. Some will argue that such stringent values shouldn't be put on art, but reality begs to differ. For less expensive options, try purchasing a print or reproduction, rather than an original or buying pieces from young, new artists. By setting a price limit for yourself before you begin your search, you'll also be able to narrow down where you'll be looking - from highend galleries to print warehouses. Second is style. You don't have to decide right away, but it can often help if you know whether or not you're looking for a traditional landscape or a minimalist abstract. Are you the sort of person that likes realistic portraits, or do you go for big, blotchy expressions of color? Think about your personal preferences and style before you wind up with a sketch of a horse when you really wanted a Pollockesque oil. Style leads to the third factor, your home. For some, how art 'matches' means little, but for others, art is an accent and a part of the home. If your walls are covered in Victorian, floral wallpaper, perhaps that abstract might not look right. There's nothing wrong with purchasing a piece for color or style alone, just make sure that you like it too.

be surprised by how much this simple, yet fundamental background information into the work can influence your decision. Not only will you better understand the art you've chosen for your home, but you'll have a story to tell as well. Above all else, make sure you like it and that you truly enjoy looking at it. Pick pieces that you want to stare at. It may take a lifetime to find them, but it's worth it.

Finally, the artist. Whether you're buying a print reproduction or an original, take some time to read the artist's statement and learn about the piece. You'll

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December 2011

SELLING ART The Art of Selling Art By Kathy Austin

Leo Tolstoy once said " Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression". According to him, every piece of work done by an artist is perceived as a kind of relationship between the artist and the viewer. The viewer understands exactly what the artist is trying to convey through this medium. An artist can convey a myriad of feelings through the colors, lines and symmetry of their work. They can arouse emotions and feelings of a viewer through the medium of art whether it is online or in a real gallery. A work of art can be a photograph, illustration, painting, cartoons, sketches, graphic design or digital art. With the advancement of technology, more and more artists are able to sell art through online art galleries. The reach of these galleries have endless possibilities. Anyone anywhere can buy a work of art and get it delivered at their doorstep. It serves as a platform for like-minded individuals to sell art and earn a steady stream of income in the process. Due to this demand, many online art galleries cater to different audiences. So what is the best way to sell it effectively? Tips on selling art online 1.Keep your online profile updated as this is gives viewers a chance to get to know you better. 2.If the online art gallery has a forum, interact with other artists online to get more exposure. Get noticed. 3.Price your work reasonably.

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4.Use blogs such as www.blogger.com and squidoo.com to promote your profile and write about it. 5.Use social booksmarks like www.digg.com, www.del.icio.us.com to bookmark your site. 6.Use social networks like linkedin.com and ecademy.com with links to your online profile. 7.Submit your blog to blog search engines like blogdigger.com, feedster.com and Technorati.com 8.Research on what are the subjects or topics that sell well in the marketplace 9.Put up only your best work instead of uploading all your work. Quality instead of quantity 10.Talk and write about your art in a way that others understand even if they have no knowledge about art The challenge of selling art online is that you do not see or meet the buyer face to face like in a real art gallery. The creation of "relationship" between the work of art and the potential buyer that Tolstoy talks about is purely based on your online work. Selling and marketing is all about giving. When you give, you receive. Make friends, exchange ideas and love your work. The passion that you have for your work will always show in everything you do. Kathy Austin is a search engine consultant for an online gallery that sell art. Red Bubble provides a range of services that makes it easy to sell your art, photos, designs and illustrations as high-quality framed prints, mounted prints, greeting cards and more. Sign up free and for more details, visit Red Bubble http:// www.redbubble.com.

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

ANDREY ARANYSHEV

His canvases embody the ample diversity, expressivenes s and beauty of images of the surrounding world . .

“Music and Dance” Oil on Canvas

Clear composition “Film projector of old and strange construction Is chewing forever sticked in the start White-Black Adam and Eve As a first frame of all dreams and plots And kids in love are playing coloured scraps of tape” Andrey Aranyshev

Andrey Aranyshev has diverse artistic interests and abilities, working in different genres: landscape, portrait, still-life, narrative picture. The characteristic features of Aranyshev’s works are their clear composition, the fortunate combination of painting and graphic techniques, and optimal use of the colour. The main of the plot always governs formal means. Aranyshev’s works are a complex combination of clear, sharp drawing and the exciting instability of the paint form. His canvases embody the ample diversity, expressiveness and beauty of images of the surrounding world . . . Email. andrej-aranyshev@yandex.ru “Lady in Green” Oil on Canvas

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December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

SUSAN OBERMEYER STRAUSS

“My current work mixes several mediums . . .

Layering and Texture My current work mixes several

mediums; photography, printmaking, painting and collage. I use oil litho inks and oil paint predominately, but in Ghost horse I also used encaustic and resin. Layering and texture are languages I constantly strive to speak, as I enjoy work that leads my eye on a visual voyage. Perhaps the single biggest influence on my perception, my eye came in the 90’s when I moved back to Colorado. My neighbor turned out to be Master Printer Craig O’brian. I became a studio fixture for several years. Craig had a different artist working each couple of days and after a few years the way I saw had permanently been transformed. Craig had worked with

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“Circular Meditation” Mixed Media on Canvas

Rauschenberg and many other “greats” and encouraged me to experiment and to develop my own style. Today I still work with Craig, but also have my own press. Most of my paintings begin with an under-painting usually a solvent transfer on paper, which I then mount onto a board sub-straight. And then the painting begins. I like cultural emersion and exploration. About 15 years ago my work grew into complex travel logs; explorations about tactile and ethereal experience of place. I use the art making process to integrate my experience. My work aims to inspire the human viewer through color, texture and iconic imagery. www.susanobermeyerstrauss.com

“Enlightenment” Mixed Media on Canvas

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

EMANUEL CONTI

“I started painting simply because I loved it, and felt the need to expand my outlet for creativity.”

“Belle Epoque” Oil on Canvas

Color and perspective

“Echidna Vanitas” Oil on Canvas

By Yadira Roman

Emanuele Conti’s is an eminent photorealistic artist from Italy known by his paintings of motorcycles and cars. Conti’s ipermaterico style and multicolored reflections in the paintings are the result of superior skill and years of hard work. He has developed his own unique style, his oil paintings are the actual representation of sport bikes, classic cars, police cruisers and souped-up sports

cars. He captures the sparkling surfaces of his subjects capturing the raw emotion and graceful lines of the motorcyles and cars he paints. His work is shown and collected around the world by enthusiasts alike. Artist Statement “I started painting simply because I loved it, and felt the need to expand my outlet for creativity. My work increasingly grew to be the way I realized my dreams, and expressed myself. Much of my

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personality is set out in oil paint on canvas, there for my audience to experience. When I paint, I express my inner strength, which is something that has a significant impact on my contemporary understanding of the world, as portrayed in my work. I love to see “Harmaghedon” Oil on Canvas someone viewing my paintings become intoxicated by the color and perspective, admiring the totality of the finished result.“ www.emanuelish.com

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

JOHN NIEMAN

“Father & Son” Oil on Canvas by John Nieman

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December 2011

IRENE SAGMEISTER FEATURED ARTIST

Sensitive interpretation

The pieces are characterized by a particularly strong formal expressivity

The journey that led piece of art within the work Irene Sagmeister to her of art. The pictures live. current mode of expression Solid material becomes alive, was a fairly long one. The a dialogue develops with the preferred materials are glass, observer. Irene Sagmeister mirror glass and metal. In draws inspiration from the creative phase the artist everyday life and from her finds herself in presently, her frequent travels, by work is dominated by mirror preference to southern lands. glass elements. The pieces Her work is created in are characterized by a Zurich (Switzerland), particularly strong formal Carinthia (Austria) or in her expressivity. The individual atelier in Piemont (Italy) bits of glass refract light and where she gives shape to her movement, according to the impressions, far from the course taken by the contours. urban hustle and bustle. By “Mona Kiss” Existing forms and elements Mirror inheritance she is endowed of color come into play with extraordinary sensitivity individually, with new effects and creative energy. She emerging. Each tiny arrived at her creative mutation creates its own

production in its contemporary form by way of glass painting and Tiffany. Her creations are at the same time pictures and pieces of sculpture; in their form, unique. Following the initial autodidactic experiments with colored glass, she refined the tools of her craft in various glass art workshops. Skillful craftsmanship, sensitive interpretation and clear forms are the trademarks of her surrealistic compositions that have acquired a language of their own. wwwwsagmeisterart.com

Mona Kiss” Mirror Sculpture

“Mona Black” Mirror Sculpture

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December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

RAFFAELA QUAIOTTI

Among all prizes stands in order of importance, " La Classe più Buona d'Italia", received personally by Pope John Paul II

Stunning Colors She attended the art school in her country of residence and then continued with the Art 1950 in a simple family in Institute. After graduating, she Veneto in the border with continues her own path of study, Lombardy. Even as a child the but in the meantime she is called family follows the aspirations in the wonderful world of teaching beginning her career as of young Raﬀaela a teacher of graphic arts. demonstrating outstanding Among all prizes stands in gifts in the graphic arts and order of importance, " La Classe painting. also difficult to interpret, più Buona d'Italia", received with knowledge and mastery of the personally by Pope John Paul II combination of different shades Colors, colors and more and bases not complementary colors, the art of Raffaela is full of colorimetric also makes her works stunning colors and symbolism unique and almost hypnotic in an placed in contexts also difficult to artistic structure inspired by the interpret, with knowledge and classics of the style, in which mastery of the combination of Raffaela shows maestry and different shades and bases not conscience complementary colorimetric also makes her works unique and Portrait artist and teacher Raﬀaela Quaio+i was born in

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almost hypnotic in an artistic structure inspired by the classics of the style, in which Raffaela shows maestry and conscience. www.vividartsnetwork.com/ Raffaela-Quaiotti.html

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

MAGGIE MAGEE

“Pompeii: A meditation”, Mixed Media on canvas

A journey into an intangiable space “My work is non representational in the traditional sense – no landscapes no figures, no subject nor object. Figurative elements are eliminated to explore and create a painterly space, a contemplative field of being open to perception, awareness and emotion. The paintings, with layer upon layer of paint built up, covered in dust, then scraped and scratched down, illustrate a journey into an intangiable space where inner visions and psychological states are explored. Grappling with the elusive, the lost and the forgotten, each painting creates an emotional

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landscape that is in essence a language beyond words.” Maggie Magee was born in Dublin, Ireland and studied Fine Art at The National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards and grants, including the 2009 President’s Lorenzo Il Magnifico Award for her work at the 2009 Florence Biennale, an Irish Arts Council Award, Illinois Artist Fellowship, The Chicago Artists Association Award, and The Wicklow Arts Council Bursary. Magee is also the recipient of a Grammy and six Emmy nominations for her independent

film and music dvd productions. She has worked commercially with such as Brian Wilson, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Kanye West among many others. She currently lives in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. www.maggiemageeartist.com

“Memoria” Mixed Media on Canvas

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

WENDY COHEN

“Luminous Lights” Mixed Media on Canvas

Her works are a feast for the eyes Influenced by modern masters such as Picasso and Pollock, Wendy Cohen’s dreamscapes of abstraction takes us to an adventurous journey of visual excitement and fantasy. Inspired by her travel and life experience, Cohen experiments with a variety of media and the surface of her canvas. With her colorful palette and expressive style Cohen’s rich textured paintings are infused with a sense of healing, well-being and spiritual energy. Focusing on the human form, influence by African art, her spontaneous work of feerless brushstrokes and invigorating freedom leads us to embrace the

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human experience and its full range of emotions. Wendy says that her inspiration lies in the way she continually challenges herself with stimulating ideas that rise above the predictable and the mundane. Her works are a feast for the “Rising Plateau” Mixed Media on Canvas eyes and as she was born in Cape Town, South Africa, Wendy grew up being influenced by the rich and majestic african culture. She presently lives and works in Sydney, Australia where she has been exhibiting her work since 2004. www.wendycohen.net.au

December 2011

FEATURED ARTIST

JIM PESCOTT

“The only brushstroke in my paintings is a dot” “Red Trunks” Acrylic on Canvas

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

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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. Conctact: www.jimpescott.com “Windows in the trees” Acrylic on Canvas

December 2011

LYDIA PARISH

Stepping out of the crowd Award wining, international contemporary artist Lydia Parish, was born in California, USA in 1984. She studied Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations and Art History at the University of California Los Angeles. Parish has had group exhibitions in the USA, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Germany and Egypt. Her vibrant, colorful abstract works of rich texture- many very large scale canvases, belong in private collections in many countries. and have caused quite a stir among collectors. Parish exhibits both in the US and Internationally, her studio is located in Los Angeles, CA where she lives. www.lydiaparish.com

“My paintings reflect my purpose and responsibility in life which is to stimulate others with beautifully inspired pieces of artwork” Lidia Parish

“My paintings reflect my purpose and responsibility in life which is to stimulate others with beautifully inspired pieces of artwork. My paintings are predominantly vibrant explorations of color. I aim to create paintings that arouse both senses of seeing beauty in everything and truly feeling the joy in life through art. I have become increasingly fascinated with clean versus abstract elements and merging the two styles. For me, art is visual inspiration! Art pushes limits yet is tradition. The art process is instinctive to the human condition, to create, to make sense of our world. For me, I want to constantly be challenged with this theory in my art by color, emphasis and variety. It is a deep honor for me to communicate this way through art.” Lydia Parish “Stepping Out” Oil on Canvas

“Spring Time” Oil on Canvas

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December 2011

COLOMBIA ES Promoting art and cultural exchange By Grimandi

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December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

Helping the immigrant by Cultural Exchange Established in 2005 in Scandicci (FI), Italy, the Association Colombia ES is the joint initiative of a group of Colombian and Italian, with a dual purpose of a humanitarian nature and culture. At the humanitarian level the association aims to be a reference point for all immigrants of Colombian origin in the italian territory who need information, help and support, to welcome them with enthusiasm and dignity, helping them access different services. By promoting and sharing with other public and private initiatives, programs, activities with humanitarian, solidarity and cooperation welcoming those who

have decided to settle down in Italy to live and work. The association aims to promote Colombia's artistic, historical, literary organizing cultural exchange, conventions, conferences, meetings, musical and culinary events. Founded in Scandicci Colombia Es was made a reality with the approval of the City and some locals interested and active in defense of minorities, but in the short space of a few months it became known by local institutions, the City of Florence in the Tuscany Region, with which it collaborates for the realization of events, workshops and advice on immigration.

Top: Filippo Spitale President of the organization during an event in Florence, Italy. Below with team of Collaborators

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December 2011

Creating a Natiional Network “Juntos por los Andes” At the national level, the association has taken part in Juntos por los Andes, a project born in 2007 in Rome by the will of 20 associations founded by Peruvian Andes, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Bolivian residents in the Italian territory. Recently completed, this chapter of experiences has led to the realization of some important goals, including practical help to children of Andean areas. The Association is in contact with other groups and Colombian organizations that exist throughout the Italian territory by creating a national network of collaboration, exchange and sharing of projects, participation in events: it is thanks to the partnerships that the association has the space to expand its scope and involve more people.

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Carnevale Fiorentino nel Mondo 7ed. Promoting Colombian music in the streets of Florence, Italy Photo by Colombia Es

Salone dei 500' in Palazzo Vecchio, Firenze. Orchesta Batuta September 2011

December 2011

Over the past three years COLOMBIA ES began to invest time and resources in international cooperation. They were born as a result many projects still in progress, with NATs for ... Non-profit organization of Treviso, SAL and ASAL associations of Rome, La Spezia VIVA COLOMBIA, Medina, and the University of Florence. Of particular interest is the project "School of dignity and peace," Decentralized Cooperation Project between Italy and Colombia, designed by NATs for ... and carried out by SAL and ASAL, that the association COLOMBIA ES has decided to embrace and actively assist. The project aims to help two foundations that deal with Colombia, both of children and adolescent workers, guaranteeing them a decent life, education and active participation in society.

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COLOMBIA ES In 2009 began collaborating with the University of Florence in the projects aimed to train professionals of entering into school to prevent and resolve any misunderstandings between children from different cultures , UGUADI project, and other real integration of immigrants in Italian business and cultural realities. COLOMBIA ES has so far organized and participated in important events at the regional level, including conspicuous notoriety the "Florentine Carnival in the World" by the character distinctly Multiethnic. COLOMBIA ES - ONLUS Via Roma 166 c/o Circolo Ricreativo Culturale Vingone - Scandicci (FI) Inscritta all'Anagrafe Unica delle ONLUS con n. prot. operazione 5 del 17/01/2006 C.F. 94130510483 colombiaes@colombiaes.org

A girl from the Orquesta Symfonica Infantil, during a visit to Italy in 2009. Photo by Colombia Es

December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

LARRY RICH The renaissance

In the manner of a renaissance person, it's impossible to separate Larry Rich the artist from the musician. The journey began in his childhood copying his favourite cartoon characters as well as writing and illustrating his own books. Learning bass and guitar as a child propelled him through his teen years. After studying Graphic Design at Red River College, he continued exploring art concepts on his own through years of live figure drawing at various art and sketch clubs. These years of "woodshedding" in these basic skills developed his appreciation for the human form and allowed him to hone his craft. His drawing and painting skills became loose and lively as he learned to capture the essence of his subjects. These skills were undeniably influenced and informed by his passionate

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pursuit of music and eastern studies. These things now all inseparable combining to produce the expressive art he enjoys. Slowly evolving through commercial art and graphics, he gradually arrived at something more personal on canvas. Larry has now been making a living as a full time artist for over 20 years producing literally thousands of pieces in prodigious output for a wide client base. His work is prominently displayed across North America in high-end homes to boardrooms. He has gradually built a very personal and unique presence on canvas in local galleries and it has now expanded to a more national presence as galleries across Canada show his work. Locally, his work has been featured in many forms of media from print to television. One recent journalist interviewed him

for a story regarding "making a living as an professional artist". â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tend not to remain too attached to my creations, as I understand their purpose as a "snapshot" of where I am at the moment... And that too will continue to change.â&#x20AC;? Larry Rich Some of the success Larry has enjoyed over the years he has begun to return to the community. Emerging artists fill his teaching workshops he gives around the province. He donates many pieces to worthy fund raising causes such as Canadian Cancer Society and select theatre groups. Musically, Larry continues to play bass in various formats at "boutique" venues around Winnipeg. His approach to music follows the same lines as his art very expressive, creative and personal with an emphasis on space, energy, and vitality. .

December 2011

Larry Rich’s eastern studies have brought him into the study of yoga, which he practices daily for physical and mental well being. www.larryrich.com

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“I tend not to remain too attached to my creations, as I understand their purpose as a "snapshot" of where I am at the moment... And that too will continue to change.” Larry Rich

December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

Art had always been for me a means by which I have been able to explore the mystery that is understanding human existence. Gabriela Gard Galiana

â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do you seeâ&#x20AC;? Oil on Canvas

GABRIELA GARD GALIANA Art had always been for me a means by which I have been able to explore the mystery that is understanding human existence. Born in the heart of Montreal in 1990, I grew up surrounded by a warm, open minded family in the vibrant culture of the Plateau Mont-Royal. However, my comprehension of the complexity of human emotion took concrete form at an early age and this enabled me to understand the true fragility of human nature. Consequently I rapidly acknowledged the nonexistence of an ideal and that no action can be judged for everything in this world is relative. The constant interaction I have had with people throughout my life and my insatiable interest in understanding them has fueled my yearning to comprehend of the nature of being human. It is for this

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reason that I chose not only to pursue my true passion that is the creation of art, but also to undertake studies in the discipline of Psychology to further investigate and gain a fuller understanding of human behavior and development. These studies only enrich the production of my art for they provide me with an endless sea of questions on the changes we all go through and it is these reflections that inspire me to explore the at times weak and powerful dimensions of people through my paintings, drawings and sculptures. Through this piece, I attempt to depict the more feeble, hidden dimensions of emotions through figurative representation. I believe that by consolidating these repressed states of inadequacy, we are forced to confront them, accept them and move past them. Contact: gabrielagard.blogspot.com

December 2011

“In the Shadow” Oil on Canvas

“In Darkness You Can See No Light" Oil on Canvas Available for sale. 1500€

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December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

“My work is about the dream world. I get many ideas from my dreams. I want the viewer to determine his or her own interpretation of my work.” Cheri Mittermaier

“Isabella” Bronze with paint

“The pallet I use in my work has been inspired by my many trips to the Caribbean.” Cheri Mittermaier

Cheri Mittermaier A colorful pallet

My work is about the dream world. I get many ideas from my dreams. I want the viewer to determine his or her own interpretation of my work. We all have our own subconscious thoughts, so everyone views my work in his or her own way. Our subconscious thoughts come together for a brief moment while viewing art. I was born and grew up in the state of Indiana, USA. I graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a concentration in Fine Arts and Humanities. While in Paris and Florence I studied sculpture under Peter Rubino and Martine Vaugel. In a four year period I studied under more than twenty different artists. I have had work shown in the Boca Raton Fine Art Museum two years in a row. A sculpture called "Eve" and a sculpture called "Trophy Wife" were accepted into this juried exhibition.

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The pallet I use in my work has been inspired by my many trips to the Caribbean. I look forward to the future and what it may bring to me and my art. Contact information: www.cherimittermaier.com www.vividartsnetwork.com

December 2011

“A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Graduate of Purdue University, Bachelors degree in Psychology with a concentration in Humanities and Fine Art. I have studied under twenty plus artists in the last five years including: Peter Rubino, Chris Riccardo, Ron Korczynski, Debbie Weinstein and Brian Somerville.” Cheri Mittermaier

Left: “Bossom Bunny” Multicolor Glazes on Terra-Cotta Below: “Unbridled” Bronze with paint

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December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

“Broadway Housing Communities deepens its commitment to artists and its community through new gallery spaces and a museum dedicated to teaching and exhibiting community art. BHC has and will give artists not only a space to showcase their work, but also logistic and moral support to continue working as artists in a professional and dignified way.” Ana Ofelia Rodriguez

The Rio Galleries in New York New York has always been the mecca of artists from all over the world. During the 1970‘s many artists in downtown SOHO called Manhattan their home. Today, the galleries have given way to trendy fashion boutiques and artists have moved from East SOHO, to Nomo, Williamsburg in Brooklyn and now to the Bronx. Housing costs have made living in New York nearly impossible for artists while exhibit venues show only established artists, those have either had a museum show or have a proven sales record. Flash forwarding to 1997, the emerging neighborhood of Washington Heights with its more affordable rentals was attracting artists, in particular, immigrant artists from Latin America, the Caribbean and other nations around the world. In addition, there were a growing number of Hispanic artists, born and raised in the United States that were on the cusp. Like their immigrant counterparts, they too struggled to find venues to display and show there art. By 1997 hundreds of artists living in Hamilton, Sugar Hill, West Harlem and Washington Heights. But their works were neither seen, nor heard by the community or the larger arts diaspora. Organizations like the Bronx Museum of the Arts. El Barrio, Bronx River has attempted to educate the artist and the community to the richness of the cultural heritage nestled among them. Again venues were still scarce and the waiting lists are long. In addition, immigrant artists also struggled with the language barrier that impeded them from seeking out grants, showing portfolios, wwww.arttourinternational.com

joining art competitions, showing at venues and joining art organizations. These are key elements assisting artists to become known. Enter Broadway Housing Communities (BHC) founded in 1983 in an effort to combat poverty and homelessness by promoting hope, stability and dignity through the provision of permanent housing. Broadway Housing was built upon the foundation of affordable housing while integrating high quality cultural & educational programs that would serve the tenancy and the surrounding community. In 1997, the organization opened up its public spaces with the creation of the Rio Penthouse Gallery in Washington Heights to serve emerging artists living in Washington Heights and neighboring communities. Its success at showcasing largely Latin and African American artists led to the opening of a second gallery known as the Rio II Gallery in West Harlem. At the Rio Galleries, Broadway Housing offers a vibrant yearlong program of cultural, civic and educational programs. Monthly opening of exhibits showing the work of emerging and established artists, are highlights of the calendars which include a wide diversity of offering by poets writers, musicians, dancers and photographers. The galleries have now expanded to showcase the work of international artists and curators that hail from Spain’s mainland and the Canary Island, Sicily, Czechoslovakia from all over Latin America as well as North America

December 2011

Rio Galleries are sponsord by the Broadway Housing Community, a New York City non-profit housing developer committed to providing innovative permanent housing for individuals and families in the greatest need. Founded in 1983 and originally known as Committee for the Heights Inwood Homeless, Broadway Housing has a 20-year track record in community housing development and management providing nearly 300 units of supportive housing in the communities of Washington Heights and West Harlem. www.broadwayhousing.org

Recently, in November 2010, artists like Viviana Puello, curated and organized an exhibit in Florence, Italy. It exposed BHC artists to European audiences, a venue that is difficult even for seasoned artists. In future, it is hoped that more of these exhibits will take place. Proceeds from the event will donated to a charity for missing and exploited children in Italy. Ana-Ofelia Rodríguez, a Community Art Advocate that has made the existence of the Rio Galleries possible and her agency, Broadway Housing Communities to opened the doors to artist and gave meaning to the artists and their works. Everyone knew of the very difficult task for artists in poor immigrant communities to find spaces to exhibit their work. When a Broadway Housing decided to create a

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physical space in their work environment for the exhibition and promotion of artistic works, artists took on the responsibility of participating in the future not only of their communities but the very lifeblood of Broadway Housing Communities, in order to preserve their involvement in the arts. With the creation of two exhibition spaces, and now the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling, Broadway Housing Communities deepens its commitment to artists and its community through new gallery spaces and a museum dedicated to teaching and exhibiting community art. BHC has and will give artists not only a space to showcase their work, but also logistic and moral support to continue working as artists in a professional and dignified way.

December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

MUSIC TOUR

Anna-Varney Cantodea By Cody Lavada

With a repertoire of work that spans from 1989 to the present day (and will certainly continue into the future), Anna-Varney Cantodea of the musical project “Sopor Aeternus [“Eternal Sleep” in Latin] and the Ensemble of Shadows” remains one of the most prolific, and under-appreciated, artists of the present day. Since the origins of the dark wave musical project, this unique and wholly original artist has gained notoriety for her stylistic approach to her work. Most of the personal side of Anna-Varney’s life remains cloaked in intrigue, much like her atmospheric music; an exact birth date, family history, and true name remain unknown to her fans, and add an air of mystery to her very existence. What is known about this artist is that she is a non-operative transwoman, and has adopted her creative name from an amalgamation of sources: “Anna” being a common female name, while “Varney” is borrowed from a Victorian penny-dreadful “Varney the Vampire, or, the Feast of Blood,” and “Cantodea” is a Latin term, meaning a female singer. Her music project began in 1989 in Frankfurt, and despite media attention there, much of the rest of the world remains ignorant of this incredible artist’s immense body of emotive work. In interviews, Cantodea has explained that she suffered from severe depression in her past, as well as dealing with fierce beatings by her parents and peers. Numerous illnesses and other dreadful experiences in her past contributed to feelings of immense loneliness and despair, which haunted her for nearly three decades, during which time she became suicidal. This disdain for humanity is apparent in many of her albums, while her tumultuous relationship with her parents, especially her mother, was turned into a brilliantly dark concept album: “Songs from the Inverted Womb.” At the age of six, Cantodea underwent a tonsillectomy, and was the victim of an out-of-body experience. Similar incidents in her life plagued her as the years went on, and an illness in her adulthood, which caused her to nearly go blind, led to her discovery of the “Ensemble of Shadows,” which Cantodea describes as a host of spirits which appear to her in dreams, providing inspiration and

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vision for her creative pursuits. These uncanny spirits helped to decide the name of the musical project. Cantodea remains intensely spiritual, and many of her songs reflect pagan and occult themes. She is particularly interested in the Roman deity Saturn, and in fact combines the Saturn and Jupiter symbols to create “the symbol of Jusa,” an insignia that appears on almost all of her works. Cantodea also seems isolated of her own volition, having stated many times that humans inspire dread, sorrow and disgust in her. She is also a

staunch supporter of such things as LGBT rights, euthanasia, and veganism. Cantodea,” began release earlier this year, with “A Strange Thing to Say” and “Have You Seen This Ghost?” The third and last album of the series, “Children of the Corn,” is set for release this November. The allure of the music of “Sopor Aeternus” lies within its unearthly characteristics; Cantodea combines elements of renaissance and baroque music with goth rock and electronica/techno. Various instruments are combined to create the signature, melancholy sound of “Sopor,” such as woodwinds, pipe organs, bells, and haunting music box melodies that resonate within you, even once the album has ended.

December 2011

Another facet of “Sopor” music that makes it so truly otherworldly are the themes expressed within the songs of Cantodea, which she pens by herself: occultism, sexuality, romance, necrophilia, homoeroticism, death, unrequited love, despair. Perhaps the most recurring theme is that of transsexuality, a controversial subject that Cantodea approaches with her singular, ominous talent; she often sings of selfmutilation, suicide, and self-discovery in a myriad of voices and tones that truly blurs the line between male and female, wrapping you within her enthralling web as she sings in a lamenting, anguished voice, punctuated by growls and wails of grief. Many of her elaborate photo-shoots for the album artwork contain images of Cantodea nude, with her genitalia edited out to resemble a vagina, or a totally asexual erogenous area. Though many can relate to her musical topics,

Cantodea frequently has stated that she does not compose with the fans in mind; she simply creates “… music for dead children, and otherwise wounded souls.” It is the originality and atmosphere behind Cantodea’s work that makes her so incredibly entrancing, both to listen to and observe in her videos. She is a true artist, aware of every aspect of the creative process; she creates her own music, films and edits her own videos, and arranges the exquisitely beautiful art for each album released. In a world of mindless pop and media brain-washing, Anna-Varney Cantodea remains a dark, gleaming gem that reminds us all of the sinister and miserable side of humanity, but conveys it with wit and a visceral beauty that is unmatched by any other modern artist. Cantodea’s most recent work, “A Triptychon of Ghosts: El Sexorcismo de Anna-Varney

MUSIC TOUR Lykke Li By Yadira Roman

The Swedish singer-song writer Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, better known by her stage name Lykke Li gives her audience a refreshing blend of pop, indie, rock and electronic. Wounded Rhymes , her most recently released album gives listeners a taste of bare, witty contrasts; between fantasy and reality, between the dominant and the powerless, between the vulgar and the discrete, between the metrical and the lyrical. Written in Los Angeles her new songs take their acute sense of drama from the American chanson of the 60’s- the shoo-wop harmonies, the echoing drums. Li’s first album was laced with a sense of heartbreak too, but this time around the anguish is deeper and punctuated with anger. Daring anthems push next to heartbreak ballads like “Unrequited Love”, with its simple guitar and shoo-wop backing vocals. She sings on “Get some” a come-on so direct that it’s become the discussion for this album. Flanking along such depressing songs, it becomes a frantic statement, captivatingly intimate in its role-playing insinuations yet also painfully ready to abandon one’s own identity in order to ensure a lover’s devotion. The album is a clash of contradictions Li allows them to flow together showing her audience growth and comfort in her own skin. To write these songs, Li spent long months in New York and Southern California, spending a great deal of time alone in the desert. The result is depressive without being depressing, gloomy without being dreary, as it rejuvenates, purifies, and redirects her eccentricities.

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December 2011

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2011

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

By Glen Hampson

“No figure in modern history made a more profound impact on the role that information technology plays in our lives today than Jobs” Glen Hampson

Science communication isn’t a new field. It just isn’t an established field, yet. Great bits and pieces from a variety of disciplines are needs to create great science communication, and these disciplines don’t always talk to each other, or at least they don’t always agree. Because of this, on complex technical projects it’s rare to find examples of science communication done right. Consider the various bits and pieces. Writers have long understood that at its finest, great writing will make a lasting impact on the world around us. Artists have understood their field and its impact for even longer. Architects believe in the transformative power of great design, and turning points in history are marked by great moments in industrial design—from Guttenberg’s printing presses to Henry Ford’s automobiles. Marketers throughout history have understood that presentation is also key—that packaged and sold correctly, great ideas will affect our understanding, perceptions and expectations—even our history. Scientists and engineers, on the other hand, are necessarily product-focused—often to the extent, though, that they can be tempted to view the marketplace as a meritocracy where the world can and should beat a path to the door of companies who invent a better mousetrap. And business

leaders, with an eye on the bottom line, often discount the need to spend time and money finetuning all the elements of look and function that might be involved because stakeholders demand results, and because making this investment requires a very firm belief in the need and an almost intuitive understanding that all of these elements are critical to great success. Truly effective science communication requires pulling all of this and more under one roof— effective writing, art, design, marketing and more. Done correctly, the power of effective science communication can be transformative. Steve Jobs did it right. No figure in modern history made a more profound impact on the role that information technology plays in our lives today than Jobs—not because he invented the programs that run our lives, but because he profoundly influenced the revolution behind our thinking about how information technology can be an indispensable part of our lives. Desktop publishing, movie editing, music publishing, portable devices, industrial design—-these industries and many more are fundamentally different today than they were even 10 years ago, their trajectory is for continued rapid evolution, and their impact on the world around us continues to grow.

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut, destiny, life, karma,

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December 2011

What Jobs accomplished during his lifetime was science communication at its finest—taking complex and clunky concepts with huge potential to benefit mankind, and then distilling products and services from these concepts that eliminate complexity, invite use and understanding, and clarify benefits. His work was inviting, accessible, and usable, and not only spawned new generations of beneficial products and services but also changed our understanding, perceptions, and expectations.

Here's to the crazy ones Here's to the crazy ones, The misfits. The rebels, The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Apple is still around and will still be working to change the world around us, as are the many companies that Apple inspired and competed against. And many others also led and contributed to the information technology revolution over the years, and they will continue to lead and contribute, and continue to evolve our relationship with and understanding of technology. But Steve Jobs is one of the few who understood the full picture—that done right, turning technical complexity into usable simplicity can create enormous benefits for society.

Steve Jobs contracted with Disney to produce a number of computer-animated feature films that Disney would co-finance and distribute. The first film produced by the partnership, Toy Story with Jobs credited as executive producer, brought fame and critical acclaim to the studio when it was released in 1995. Over the next 15 years, under Pixar's creative chief John Lasseter the company produced box-office hits A bug’s life (1998); Toy Story 2 (1999); Monsters Inc (2001); Finding Nemo (2003); The Incredibles (2004); Cars (2006); Ratatouille (2007); WALL-E(2008); Up (2009); and Toy Story 3 (2010). Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALLE, Up and Toy Story 3 each received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, an award introduced in 2001. Apple Computer Store 767 Fifth Ave.New York, NY 10153

Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. From Apple Computer

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December 2011

VLADIMIR TASOFF

“Creator” Mix media on canvas

Unique brand of Organic Surrealism charged with delicate intimations

Perfect Stranger Mix media on canvas

Wladimir Tasoff's massive oil and mixed media paintings offer a unique brand of organic surrealism charged with delicate intimations, traces and shadows. Overlapping, semi-translucent veils of rich, frosted pastel figuration sketch out the female body in synthesis with the vegetal and geographic features of the mysterious terrain. Adopting the characteristically surrealist trope of masquerade as metaphor, Tasoff ’s dynamic use of hybrid female forms greet the viewer during precious instants of sensual slumber and spiritual discovery. Specific archetypes such as angels,

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“Nefertiti” Mix media on canvas

enchantresses and deities appear to fuse seamlessly into their surroundings. Tropical oases, glacial slopes and dewy meadows emerge amidst illusions to Western and Oriental culture, fashioning mystical landscapes ripe with the beguiling fruit of forms, symbols and signs... Wladimir Tasoff was born in 1970 in Russia. He has exhibited in the galleries as diverse and far apart as Moscow, Dublin,Paris, New York and Quito, Ecuador, where he currently lives and works. Contact:vlta2006@yahoo.com

December 2011

FIRENZE LIVE THE DREAM!

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December 2011

NEW YORK CITY LIVE THE EXCITEMENT

INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 18 ARTISTS 10 COUNTRIES DECEMBER 10TH - 18TH 2011 SATURDAY DECEMBER 10TH 17:30 OPENING RECEPTION ALL WELLCOME AUDITORIUM AL DUOMO Via de' Cerretani, 54/r 50123 Firenze 055 238 1752 - 345-167-7704