ISSUE 38 ISSN 2164-7771 WWW.FOKUS.ORG/INSIGHT
Atiba T. Edwards
Founder & Chief Curator
Atiba is an engineer focused on making and connecting creative people, nodes, networks and moments.
Allison Maritza Lasky Curator
Allison believes that children are the best artists—they are individual universes of infinite creativity.
JoLillian "Jozi" Zwerdling Curator
Jozi finds inspiration in those who understand timelessness and travel in alternate dimensions.
Contributors
Peter Ciccariello / Jackie Estes / Atiba T. Edwards / Allison Maritza Lasky / Peter Legaloe / Hanna Satterlee / Larry Spencer / Keisha Williams INSIGHT Magazine showcases and archives emerging contemporary artists from all art disciplines. FOKUS produces this magazine to provide insight into people who are creating art, traditional and non-traditional, in their own way.
Questions, comments and submission inquiries can be sent to insightsubmit@gmail.com INSIGHT magazine is published by FOKUS, Inc. To view back issues, visit www.fokus.org/insight All rights reserved on entire contents. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily shared by the INSIGHT staff or FOKUS, Inc.
INSIGHT magazine: EVOLUTION Table of Contents
2 Allison Maritza Lasky City Limits 4 Allison Maritza Lasky Together 5 Allison Maritza Lasky Forever 6 Atiba T. Edwards This Little Light Of Ours 10 Hanna Satterlee Animal 14 Atiba T. Edwards Back To The Roots 17 Keisha Williams Growth 18 Jackie Estes Ducks! 19 Peter Ciccariello Moneyman 22 Larry Spencer Mousepainting 23 Reggie Legaloe AfricanStarSA
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City Limits
by Allison Lasky
In our city that never sleeps, the noise as of late has been that of new condos erupting out of the ground at every vacant corner and lot throughout the 5 boroughs. More babies, more pets, more storefronts have caused more need; and needing more means having less space. The one place that still exists, untouched, are city parks. Framed by the evolution of city building, parks offer a shared refuge of green openness that can't otherwise be found. While beauty lives in every crack of concrete beneath us, we can't forget that no matter how much change we go through as individuals or a city community, the most beautiful space is the one that never changes at all. 2 | INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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Forever
by Allison Lasky
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Together
by Allison Lasky
Working with and for the geriatric and palliative populations has only amplified my passion for aging persons. For those who know me best, I can often be found waiting for individuals using a walker to safely cross the street, holding train or elevator doors so wheelchair bound folks have as much time as they need, or, staring vigilantly/adoringly at older people who might not be steady on their feet, alone or hand in hand. If it were up to me, I'd turn into Glinda the Good Witch and place these (and other) persons in hot pink bubbles, ensuring their protection no matter where they go. I took this particular photo as I was leaving the hospital where I work, thinking about the serious meeting I had just exited - where discussions about health care proxies and life saving measures for patients who were not lucid enough to make decisions for their own care left me emotional thinking about my own family members. As I walked off the elevator and headed towards the main entrance, I looked up at just the right moment to notice an older couple taking their time together. I immediately whipped out my cellphone to snap a quick photo. Initially, the snapshot was really just for me, in that moment for a laundry list of reasons. It wasn't until I showed the photo to a physician-colleague that I noticed the reflection of the couple on the floor in the halo-like glow from the chandelier. It dawned on me that while this couple might not be in this place forever, this image of an eternal love between two people, framed by light and stone, gave me the feeling that the look of love how we spend lifetimes with family members and loved ones, has only expanded outward as we have evolved through time as a human race. This is for love. Together. Forever. INSIGHT MAGAZINE | 5
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This Little Light of Ours
by Atiba T. Edwards. Images courtesy of MPOWERD
I remember meeting up with Jacques-Philippe Piverger almost two years ago and hearing him talk about a little light that he envisioned would evolve the world. Fast forward to this year and LUCI has taken off across the globe. Over email, I connect with the MPOWERD, the company behind LUCI to get more insight into their solar light. One of their mottos is that "we are committed to doing well by doing good." We founded MPOWERD because of a shared vision that companies could and should make a bigger impact in the world by being disruptively innovative - creating products and solutions focused on need rather than greed - and by measuring business success in terms of both financial profitability and impact (utility, environmental and social). ~ MPOWERD AE: What are Luci's origins and how did the design come about? MPOWERD: Our first micro solar product, the inflatable Luci solar lantern, was inspired by a trip to Haiti following the devastating earthquake, where we learned first-hand the extreme challenges associated with not having access to reliable, sustainable light. Luci is designed to use the power of the sun to provide free light to all and eliminates the need for using dirty, dangerous kerosene lanterns or lights powered by traditional disposable batteries. Jason Snyder, one of MPOWERD's original Co-founders, was the primary inventor, and we continue to evolve her design and develop new micro solar products to meet market needs,� says CEO and Co-founder Jacques-Philippe Piverger.
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AE: What role does light play in the evolution of humans? Of a society? MPOWERD: We think UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon outlines this most effectively and succinctly (please also see details below re: Luci’s impact): “Achieving sustainable energy for all is not only possible, but necessary. It is the golden thread that connects development, social inclusion and environmental protections.” Accessibility to clean, reliable sources of light plays a critical role in achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals by having a positive and measurable impact on poverty and hunger, gender equality, education, child mortality, disease prevention, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. “By selling significant quantities of Luci lights through our mass merchant partners in the developed world, MPOWERD is better positioned to get our micro solar solutions into the hands of those who need them the most in the developing world,” adds Salzinger. Estimated Impact Per One Luci • 5 human lives illuminated • 3 school-age children empowered to learn • $100 saved on energy-related expenses annually • 1,095 more productive hours gained per year (3 hrs x 365 days) • 320 kg CO2 diverted from atmosphere per year • 108 non-renewable kerosene eliminated per year
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AE: What challenges have you encountered? Do you foresee? MPOWERD: “Our biggest challenge has been meeting the incredible demand for our products worldwide,” says COO Scott Kling. “Our micro solar products are in demand both in the developed world and the developing world. People living and playing off the grid -- whether by choice (think camping and boating) or by circumstance (think the 3 billion people worldwide who lack access to reliable grid electricity) -- all need and want highly functional, clean energy lighting solutions .” AE: What opportunities are out there for LUCI? MPOWERD: “There are endless opportunities for Luci to make a positive impact on people’s lives,” says John Salzinger, Executive Vice President and Co-founder. “Luci is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, for emergency preparedness (electricity is usually one of the first essential services to stop working during an earth quake, hurricane or flood) and also for basic home lighting for the billions who currently rely on toxic kerosene lighting to work by, learn by and live by, and for the millions worldwide who choose to live off the electrical grid.” AE: Will Luci have any siblings? MPOWERD: Yes. Luci has a family of products both literally and figuratively. They include: the color changing Luci Aura and the sophisticated Luci Lux with warm white LED lights and soft matte finish (both due to launch this summer) and Luci EMRG which was designed to meet the specific needs of those living in Energy Poverty in the developing world and also for use by people everywhere who want to be prepared for when the lights go out (due to launch in Q4, 2014).
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Animal
by Hanna Satterlee
ANIMAL is an athletically-inclined dance based work that examines the animal-self in all of us by remembering our evolution from once being non-verbal creatures. The work explores both the physical journey of the human spine's evolutionary past, as well as the physical sensations of communicating viscerally: moving from an instinctual personality and body, and honing in on our own energetic intuition and unique skill. With various abstract compositions that use both improvisation as well as set choreography, the group has recently been experimenting with changing the locations and conditions of rehearsing the work, to develop new visceral memories to bring back to the studio or theater setting. By including sensory-stimulating non-dance effects (smell, light, temperature, sound), the performance goal is to heighten the visceral experience for the audience, and encourage each member to sink into their own physical animal being. We are looking at evolution from many angles- the scientific past for a clear physical reference, the sensorial present for an experience that denies the rigor and rush of today's "evolved" culture, and change as its own character in the piece, that can influence expectation, memory, feeling and story. Director: Hanna Satterlee Dancers Marly Spieser-Schneider, Avi Waring and Maura Gahan. All photos by Joseph Shelley.
Hanna Satterlee is a Vermont-based choreographer, performer, director and teacher who enjoys performing and creating physically challenging dance, designing elements of conceptual imagery within her work, and participating in mixedmedia collaboration. hannasatt.wordpress.com 10 | INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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Back to the Roots
by Atiba T. Edwards. Images courtesy of Up Mountain Switchel
Faced with a saturated market for drinks, the folks at Up Mountain Switchel are out to take it back to the roots. I spoke with co-founder, Ely Key, to learn more about the history of Switchel and the plans to use it as a platform beyond just beverages.
AE: Why did you and Garrett decide to bring Switchel back into the popular stream? Ely Key: Most importantly, it is a very good drink. It's basic and real and has a lot of utility in the consumer's every day life. I like good things. The history behind it though, is what really interested me. The conversation and culture now budding because of it- that and switchel's positive impact on quality of life is why it is relevant today whether it is mainstream or not. Up Mountain Switchel's roots go back further than its time of shine in the Caribbean. Cider vinegar (same thing as apple cider vinegar) was used by all ancient civilizations. Babylonians and Zionists alike are said to have used it as a condiment. The samurai soldiers apparently used it for strength and power. When it was first fused with ginger and a sweetener in some way, I surely don't know, but it was likely in South Asia where ginger is native. Or it could have been later when ginger spread to West Africa or on into Northern South America in, say, modern day Peru or Brazil. The Pacific islands and the Caribbeans though, in my opinion, had the best ginger and they sweetened it with cane sugar or even rum as potable water wasn't readily available. When ground ginger made its way to North America via the spice trade people farming in the Southern and Midwestern parts of the continent were making the drink with molasses (South) and honey (Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West) and calling it "Haymaker's Punch" (South) and "Ginger Water" (Mid-West). There's accounts from farmers, slaves, families and fieldworkers. 14 | INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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Meanwhile, in Vermont it was mostly farmers- and even more so their wives making it. The local sweetener to Vermont is Maple syrup and these guys were mixing it with that and calling is Switchel. They drank it while they were working to clear their throats of hay and wild flower debris and to rehydrate and keep them going. They mixed it with booze too when the sun went down and they drank from mason jars because it makes sense. You can close it so nothing gets in it and even keep it cold by pinning it against a rock in river. So we took the best of everything. The name and culture from Vermont, we use fresh ginger like the islanders rather than ground ginger, and we brew it in our own way which is our touch, and sweeten it with the best tasting and best for your sweetner: maple syrup.
AE: Explain the origin and meaning of the logo you use on your bottles. EK: I sat down with a pencil and paper and that's what came out! It is more of a flag or badge to me than a logo. My grandfather always had a hay sickle around. To me it represents outdoors, working the land, hardwork, using my hands and body to provide. Add hay to put this in the context of food, the universal important creative fun passionate piece in culture and life, and surround that by mountains which offer adventure and challenge. That's what we, Up Mountain Switchel, are all about. That's our flag and I'm proud to fly it! Plus its iconic resemblance to the socialist flag adds some contrast to the "American" heritage beverage, which unfortunately in business can too often be linked with overzealous and greedy capitalism. People also forget that Americans refers to all the Americas. Canada, Mexico, to the Southern most tip of Argentina. But we rep Up Mountain Switchel. We rep Vermont and we rep NYC and we rep ourselves and those that feel our flow and we are Americans. INSIGHT MAGAZINE | 15
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AE: What has been the evolution of Up Moutain Switchel? EK: The evolution and future of Switchel as a drink and culture is the evolution of ourselves and the people that choose to build with us, drink switchel, and spread the word about what's happening. We do everything in house, like we do with the product, and are starting to build with people through our social media (@DrinkSwitchel FB: Switchel LLC) and videos we produce and direct on our website www. drinkswitchel.com. We are also breathing life into the original Dialogue? Projects movement using Up Mountain Switchel as the new platform. We have begun writing "text messages" in our home and brewery windows with black paper cut out letters against a white plywood or sturdy paper background. We encourage people to do the same. This way Up Mountain Switchel heads can build directly with their immediate community and the larger platform. Hopefully we'll see some people dialogue?ing through their windows and humor. Business-wise we want to bring the price down as we grow and without compromising the quality of the drink as that wouldn't be true to us. If we wanted to be like other companies and grow really fast we would water Switchel down and put it in little plastic bottles and sell it for half the price. But we have been hustling mad hard for two years just to make this shit genuine and get it on the shelves. Now we have designed and fabricated an 80 gallon custom Up Mountain Switchel kettle and have production down pat. Consumers can mix and cut Switchel themselves, and use it how they want with less waste and a re-usable jar. I think you are going to see more engagement, more conversation and culture from us. And hopefully more sports and partying. We've been dying to get out of the brewery for a little bit and get a chance to get back to playing ball, traveling, self-education, surfing, snowboarding and the other things that make us who we are. We gotta fly that flag out there and see wassup.
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Growth
by Keisha Williams
Growth, 2010. Gouache, 24 x30 in.
My paintings are near and dear to my heart because they are my personal story. I'm having a conversation through my paintbrush. My paintings reflect my struggles, happy times, or just how I see the world around me. This is my inspiration. Keisha Williams is a single mother of three beautiful children and a self taught abstract painter from Brooklyn, New York. She started painting in 2010 as a hobby but now it's a real big part of her life. "Painting is my passion and I see a bright future." INSIGHT MAGAZINE | 17
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Ducks!
by Jackie Estes
I just thought it was funny that no one was swimming except for the ducks. It was like they thought we built the pool just for them! Talk about which came first! Jackie Estes is currently a medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College. 'I'm an ice cream aficionado and student from Texas trying to survive in the Big Apple. 18 | INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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Moneyman
by Peter Ciccariello
Moneyman III, 2013. 16 x 20 in.
Moneyman is an ongoing series of fragmented human forms textured with a montage of paper money. This entity represents the out-of-control evolution of the everyman in Consumerist society. Peter Ciccariello lives and creates on the edge of a forest in Northeastern Connecticut. His work has been exhibited and published both nationally and internationally. His highly generative art focuses on hybrid assemblages of real and simulated objects. He experiments with an array of 3D programs, combining and manipulating found and appropriated 3D models. http://invisiblenotes.blogspot.com INSIGHT MAGAZINE | 19
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Moneyman I, 2013. 16 x 20 in.
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Moneyman II, 2013. 16 x 20 in.
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Going Way Out!
by Larry D. Spencer
Now with over five thousand creations of paintings and portraits, Larry Spencer's Mousepaintings are drawn using only the mouse as his paintbrush. Sometimes his visions may be regarded as unrealistic and bizarre, but that’s normal for an artist. Larry’s combination of great imagination and faultless organization makes his art inspirational. His art has been inflicted by skepticism, but he always find humor as a valuable release from pressure, and enjoys the simple life. Heart-felt emotion is felt though his artistry.
Using any size canvas and almost any material, Larry fears mediocrity and has a caustic wit that he flings with bold abandonment. Larry's art is unmistakable. With beautiful and bold colors he shows tremendous pride in his work. Larry’s work is detailed, consistent, spontaneous and impulsive which pushes him to the next experience. http://www.mousepaintings.8m.com 22 | INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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AfricanStarSA
by Reggie Legoale
Reggie Legoale embodies the Restoration and Preservation of our African Culture & Heritage by bridging the divide through Art & Design. He is a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Activist whose work primarily focuses on designing for good. INSIGHT MAGAZINE | 23
INSIGHT magazine's next theme is:
"NEON" We are looking for your artwork! send it to: insightsubmit@gmail.com
INSIGHT Themes for 2014 Gratitude (March) Evolution (June) Neon (September) Futurism (December)
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