Uniekest Magazien Feb 2012

LOS ANGELES - SAN DIEGO - SAN YSIDRO - TIJUANA - ROSARITO - ENSENADA - MEXICALI

FEBRUARY 2013 | WWW.UNIEKEST.COM | US $3.95

Featuring Site-Specific Dance to Carlsbad Historic Site Local Choreographers to be Featured

San Diego Dance Theater Brings

The Hacienda Project Magee Park

258 Beech Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Saturday, March 16 FREE Performances open to the public: 10 am, 11 am, and 12 noon.

nota del editor

from the editor

LISTO PARA DISFRUTAR LOS CARNAVALES?

Febrero mes de carnaval! Los mas famosos carnavales son el Río de Janeiro y en Nueva Orleans donde las fiestas duran una semana o mas. Pero no necesitas ir tan lejos para celebrar Mardi Gras o Martes de Carnaval, en el centro de San Diego se realiza una celebración considerada la mas grande de la costa oeste. Este año celebra su 19o aniversario el 12 de Febrero de 5:00pm a 11:00pm en el conocido Gaslamp District del centro de San Diego. Pero no te puedes ir a celebrar sin antes Explorar la historia de Mardi Gras o Martes de Carnaval entre las paginas de la revista Uniekest.

Después de tantas celebraciones y complacencias, todos necesitamos mejorar nuestros hábitos alimenticios. Expertos nutriólogos nos traen consejos de cómo pequeños cambios alimenticios pueden ayudarnos a bajar de peso y no necesariamente dejando de comer.

Además, para esta edición de febrero contactamos y entrevistamos a Stefan Falke, fotógrafo Alemán, residente de la ciudad de Nueva York que se encuentra en alguna de las ciudades de la frontera fotografiando artistas de todo tipo. Stefan Falke, continua su proyecto “LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border” y quisimos traer a ustedes todos los detalles de como su proyecto se a desarrollado y que ciudades a visitado.

No podían faltar nuestro artistas del mes Chas Schroeder de Los Angeles y Valerie Hebert de San Diego, CA. Recuerda tus trabajos también pueden estar aquí, contáctanos para mas información.

Y por ultimo pero no menos importante, los consejos de la experta Sylvia White, asesora de artistas en todos los asuntos relacionados con negocios, el marketing, y las exposiciones desde 1979.

Este mes nos cultiva con su articulo “are you addicted? no creo que se refiere al tipo de adicciones que estas pensando.

No dejes de mandarnos tus comentarios y opiniones. Feliz Día de San Valentín, que tengas un mes lleno de amor y alegría.

Disfrútala!

editor in chief

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“Our mission is to provide the best dental service at a the fraction of the cost in USA”

Uniekest Magazine issue no.

06

Editorial Co-Publisher / Editor-In-Chief | Co-Creadora / Jefe De Redacción Paulina Martinez Co-Publisher / Co-Creador Walid Salahelddin Regional Assistant | Asistente Regional Liliana Lopez Advertising Sales | Asesores Publicitarios Elba R Valenzuela Quintanilla • Valquin53@hotmail.com Contributors | Contribuidores Stefan Falke Sylvia White Chas Schroeder Valerie Hebert William Lopez Paul Sierra Publisher | Editor Unlikely Encounters LLC

DR. MARCO A. CASCO Edificio Centro Medico Elite Avenida Abelardo L. Rodriguez #10 Suite - 104 Zona Rio, Tijuana BC. 22320 CONTACT: drmarcocasco@gmail.com USA 619 779 6718 Tijuana, BC. MEXICO 01152 664 231 3035

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UNIEKEST Magazine is a monthly magazine available free of charge.

All rights reserved © 2012.

La revista UNIEKEST es mensual distribuida gratuitamente.

Todos los derechos reservados © 2012.

The Publisher would like to thank everyone who has furnished information and materials for this issue. Unless otherwise noted, artists featured in UNIEKEST Magazine retain copyright to their work. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, UNIEKEST cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

UNIEKEST welcomes editorial submissions; however, return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts, art drawings, and photographic materials. All letters will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to UNIEKEST’s right to edit and comment editorially.

El editor desea agradecer a todos los que han proporcionado información y los materiales para esta edición de UNIEKEST. A menos que se indique lo contrario, los artistas que aparecen en la revista UNIEKEST retienen los derechos de autor de sus obras. El contenido de los articulos y anuncios publicitarios de esta revista, son responsabilidad de los autores. UNIEKEST no podrá aceptar alegaciones legales por errores u omisiones. UNIEKEST invita a presentar trabajos de redacción, dibujos de arte y materiales fotográficos. Todas las entradas serán consideradas para publicación incondicionalmente y están sujetas al derecho de UNIEKEST para editar y comentar editorialmente.

Contenido binary pintail by chas schroeder

On the Cover | En la Portada "Fake Break" by Chas Schroeder.

needle felted matryoshka sailor dolls by valerie hebert

artists mark clark by stefan falke

mardi gras by paul sierra

editor's note | nota del editor tradition | tradicion Explora la historia de Mardi Gras health | salud How to get going with Grazing culture | cultura Interview with Stefan Falke calendar | calendario profiles | perfiles Chas Schoroeder / Artist Valerie Hebert / Artist art | arte Are you addicted?

03 06 08 10 16 18 20 22

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tradition

MARDI GRA Explora la historia de / Explore the history of

M

ARDI GRAS is best known as a raucous event that takes place in New Orleans, LA and other areas around the world in January and February. Fat Tuesday, the final day of Mardi Gras, can occur in March depending on the calendar year and how it corresponds to the Christian liturgical calendar. While Mardi Gras may be legendary for scantily clad costumes, delicious food, overflowing spirits, and many acts of debauchery, many people — particularly non-Christians — may not know what the celebration is truly all about.

Roots of this holiday actually lie in the Christian calendar. Mardi Gras is supposed to serve as the last day in a period of merrymaking that historically takes place during the Carnival season. For many Christians, that Carnival period starts with the Epiphany, or when it was revealed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, which occurs a few days after Christmas. The tradition of the King’s Cake, or a cake baked with a coin, bead or plastic baby doll inside, that is common during Mardi Gras, has its origins in Epiphany celebrations.

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The “King’ symbolizes the Christ child. Fun and good cheer continue during the next month, and the merrymaking eventually reaches its pinnacle on Mardi Gras. The actual name “Fat Tuesday” comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon a fattened calf on the last day of Carnival. To the very religious, Mardi Gras is also called “Shrove Tuesday,” from “to shrive” or hear religious confessions before Lent.

Many may wonder why good times must end on Mardi Gras and not continue thereafter. That’s because Christian Mardi Gras is the final day before Lent begins.

Lent is a period of 40 weekdays that, in the Christian Church, is devoted to fasting, abstinence and penitence.

The traditional purpose of Lent is to prepare believers for the annual commemoration of how Jesus gave up his life for his followers, and the miracle that was His Resurrection, and his eventual ascension into heaven. Participating in the Lenten season is a practice that is common to the many sects of Christianity, including Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists.

It has also slowly gained favor with other denominations that have historically not participated in Lent. top: a mardi gras parade float in new orleans, la. right: parade spectators asking for beads to be trhown their way.

L

AS

images and text by william lopez

A FIESTA DEL MARDI GRAS se asocia a un acontecimiento ruidoso que se lleva a cabo en Nueva Orleans, Luisiana, y otras zonas del mundo en Enero y Febrero. El “Martes Gordo”, puede situarse en marzo, dependiendo del calendario y de cómo corresponda con el calendario Litúrgico Cristiano. Aunque Mardi Gras puede ser legendario por sus disfraces, sus comidas deliciosas, su alegría rebosante y muchos actos de desenfreno, es probable que muchas personas desconozcan el verdadero sentido de la celebración.

Los orígenes de esta festividad se remontan al calendario cristiano. Se supone que el Mardi Gras sea el último día de un período de festejos que se lleva a cabo en la temporada de carnavales. Para muchos cristianos, dicho período comienza con la Epifanía, la cual se lleva a cabo pocos días después de Navidad. La tradición de la Rosca de Reyes, tiene sus orígenes en la celebración de la Epifanía. La di-

versión y la alegría sana prosiguen durante el mes próximo, y llega a su momento cumbre en Mardi Gras.

El nombre real del “Martes Gordo” procede de la tradición de sacrificar y comer un ternero el último día de carnaval. Las personas muy religiosas también conocen el Mardi Gras como “Martes de Confesión” porque se confiesan antes de la Cuaresma.

Muchas personas podrían preguntarse por qué la alegría debe terminar en Mardi Gras. Esto se debe a que el Mardi Gras cristiano es el día final antes del inicio de la Cuaresma, un período de cuarenta días que, en la Iglesia Cristiana, se dedica al ayuno, la abstinencia y la penitencia. La finalidad tradicional de la Cuaresma es preparar a los creyentes para la conmemoración anual del sacrificio de Jesús por sus discípulos, y el milagro de su resurrección, así como de su ascensión al cielo. La participación en la temporada cuaresmal es una práctica común en muchos cristianos como los católicos, presbiterianos, anglicanos, luteranos y metodistas.

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health

grazing how to get going with

Comer sano es una meta para muchas personas. Para algunos, la alteración de lo que comen es todo lo que se necesita para deshacerse de esos kilos de más y mejorar su salud en general, mientras que otros aunque cambien su dieta no logran alcanzar sus metas.

Una de las opciones que apoyan los nutriologos es el comer cinco o seis porciones pequeñas durante. Aquellos que defienden este metodo aseguran que comer cinco veces al dia mantiene el metabolismo de la persona acelerado durante todo el dia, lo que ayuda a quemar más calorías mientras que permite a los hombres y las mujeres a comer porciones más pequeñas.

Para que esta forma de alimentacion de resultados debes considerar lo siguiente: Deberas comer cosas saludables, No saltarse el desayuno, Mantener un horario y reconocer que los resultados no son inmediatos.

e

ATING HEALTHY is a goal for many people. For

some, altering what they eat is all it takes to shed those extra pounds and improve their overall health, while others find changing what they eat isn't helping them reach their goals.

One option that has its share of supporters and detractors is grazing, which involves eating five or six smaller portions throughout the day instead of the more widely accepted diet of eating three square meals per day. Those who stand by grazing claim it keeps a person's metabolism going all day, helping to burn more calories while encouraging men and women to eat smaller portions. Those who question grazing point to studies questioning its efficacy, namely that it does not have the calorie-burning effects its supporters suggest. In fact, researchers in the United Kingdom have said eating throughout the day (a standard grazing diet has men and women eating five to six meals per day, with three to four hour intervals between meals) undermines the body's ability to burn fat.

The debate over grazing does not figure to go away anytime soon, as many people have found it a successful way to lose weight and get healthier while a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and fresh fruit is a good breakfast for men and women adopting grazing as their approach to diet.

many others have found it ineffective. For those who want to give it a shot, consider the following advice.

* Choose healthy foods. Grazing can only be effective if you choose healthy foods. Snacking on foods like chocolate or potato chips every three to four hours is a recipe for disaster regardless of portion size. When grazing, choose foods that are low in fat and high in nutrients. Avoid sugary foods as well as those that are high in sodium. Foods that are strong sources of protein and complex carbohydrates, including chicken breasts, fish, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, will help you feel full and keep you feeling that way until the next time to eat rolls around.

* Don't skip breakfast. A healthy breakfast is an essential element of successful grazing. If you skip breakfast, you're more likely to overeat, which could establish a domino effect of poor eating as the day goes on. A simple breakfast, such as a bowl of cereal with fatfree or low-fat milk or some oatmeal with berries mixed in, is all it takes to start the day off on the right foot.

* Stick to a schedule. When grazing, meals should be eaten every three to four hours. If you stray from that schedule, you could wind up eating larger portions or more meals than you should be consuming. Stick to your schedule and remember the portions are supposed to be smaller, so you should not feel skittish about pulling a snack out at a meeting in the office or if you have

company over at your house.

* Prepare meals in advance. A problem many people encounter when they first begin to graze is the lack of availability of smaller-portioned meals and snacks. Large portions and snacks with no nutritional value are the norm, so finding smaller meals and healthy snacks when you're away from home will be difficult.

The best way to counter that problem is to prepare meals in advance and take them with you. Cook enough food for the week over the weekend and store it in easily transportable containers. In addition, bring snacks with you to the office so you aren't forced to eat unhealthy fare between meals.

* Recognize results aren't immediate. No effective weight loss plan produces results overnight, and grazing is no exception. You will not drop 10 pounds in the first week, but you might notice heightened energy levels throughout the day shortly after you begin to graze, especially if you choose the right foods. Give grazing enough time to get going before judging if it's the right approach for you.

The topic of grazing is one that continues to inspire debate, but men and women who want to lose weight and keep the weight off should consider grazing as a healthy and potentially effective option.

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culture

Ste S

TEFAN FALKE, German Photographer, living in New York, continues developing his project “LA FRONTERA: Artist Along The U.S. Mexican Border”, Uniekest Magazine interviewed Stefan Falke to gain an insight of where his project has taken him and how it has evolve.

Uniekest Magazine: Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Stefan Falke: I shoot stories and portraits for magazines and get hired by film studios to photograph stills and posters for their movies. I really like working in both fields. Whenever I have the time I shoot for myself, sometimes very large projects; for the last one, “MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad”, I photographed over the course of 7 years and it resulted in a

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beautiful coffee table book. This time I am working on “LA FRONTERA: Artist Along The U.S. Mexican Border” because I felt the need to come up with a positive cultural story about the border region. There is a vacuum. All the news from the border are very selective and negative. My believe was that there must be more to it and I proved myself right; besides all the very serious problems most border cities there are a lot of great people living their lives and artists producing their art. I want to focus on them.

What is something that is important to you that seems unimportant to other people?

Humanity.

What is the best part of being a photographer?

Getting to meet all the interesting

people whom I would otherwise not meet.

Your current project “LA FRONTERA: Artist along the US Mexican Border” When and how was the idea of your current project born?

I think it was born as soon as the ‘wall’ in Germany came down and the one here came up. I grew up with a brutal border inside my own country (Germany). It was my interest in the physical border (the fence, or wall) between the US and Mexico that started all this. I wanted to see it and at the same time photograph people who live with it. But I was never interested in the problems, more in the solutions.

Artists tend to live more in the solution than creating problems.

We understand the second part of your project started in the North East side of the Mexican border, In above: artists alonso delgadillo

"LA FRONTERA: ARTIST ALONG THE US MEXICAN BORDER" Fotógrafo Alemán, residente de la

ciudad de Nueva York Stefan Falke, continua su recorrido por las diferentes ciudades de la frontera capturando hermosas fotografías de artistas, su lugar de trabajo, su arte o la ciudad donde viven.

tefan Falke this second part, which cities you visited and for how long?

That is true, I had visited Tijuana 4 or 5 times (where my project began and developed) and I am fascinated by it and its art scene. There is so much work to do for me! So I always got stuck there. I managed to travel to Tecate and Mexicali from there and I met with many artists. But I realized that I had to start at the other side (in Matamoros) if I ever wanted to travel along the entire border. Since November 2012 I have been to Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Piedras Negras (briefly), and Ciudad Juarez, and soon Nogales. I also photographed some great artists in Brownsville, McAllen and El Paso, Texas.

Where are you now and where are you heading?

Now, I am in El Paso, on my way to Ciudad Juarez. I want to travel to Nogales from here, but Juarez is the biggest city on the border and there are a lot of great artists here. I am giving a lecture about my project at the Rubin Center in El Paso February 5th, so I am not sure yet about my whereabouts until then.

Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you find the artists images from "La Frontera: Artists along the us Mexican Border" by Stefan Falke.

you photograph?

I do some research online before I arrive in a city or town and I contact a few artists or the local art museum or art institution before I get there. It is very important to have some contacts right away otherwise I am loosing too much time connecting. This project costs a lot of money, and (unfortunately) I cannot afford to be in a place for as long as I wished to be. So I am usually well connected from the beginning and know a few artists whom I want to photograph. Then I ask them about THEIR favorite local artists and I am moving on from there. That proved to be an excellent way to work because I often meet artists who are not known or ‘flying under the radar’ of the big art institutions.

I want both in my project, the known and the unknown. And the young ones are often not easy to find because they mostly don’t have a reputation yet. It is very exciting to find and meet them.

also depends on the art, weather it is movable. It might be a musician with whom I can travel all over the city. I ask for their favorite places.

Sometimes I photograph the artist without art. In any case I like to show where we are, give the viewer a sense of the location or city. Often I want the border fence to be part of the photograph. The best-case scenario is when I can show the artist, his/her art, and the city we are in. The challenge is not to repeat myself in any way. Luckily I am always getting an idea as soon as I meet the artist. The human connection is important.

How long is each session?

I try to visit no more than 2 artists a day in order to have enough time to get to know them and work on a good photograph together. Sometimes it's much less than half a day, sometimes more. My rule of thumb: I am not leaving before I get a good image of the artist...

Do you look for a specific setting when taking your photographs?

How many artists have you photographed so far?

Not often, really. Usually I visit the artist and develop an idea right there, often with the artist. The studio might look good. The area where the studio is might work. It

About 130 at the time of writing.

When I was looking through your new set of photographs, I was thinking about how it’s taboo to talk

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about mortality and the Human Condition, people think it’s weird if you bring it up over coffee. But artists talk about it through their work, and the trick is to do it without being a downer.

“I simple want to show that there is a vibrant cultural life along the border that is mostly overlooked by the international media” Do you think you have accomplish that in your photographs?

That is a good point. They keep their heads up while painting the worst scenarios. And the artists are often the only ones touching issues that the news media outlets don’t touch anymore because they fear for their lives. I heard many people on the border say that as long as it is ‘art’ it does not bother anybody. But practicing journalism about certain issues is dangerous. Many journalists have lost their lives in recent years in Mexico.

I sure hope so. It also depends on the viewer. I can only do my part.

The viewer decides if he/she is interested in this or not. I can tell that the support I am getting in the border cities and from the artists themselves is enormous. Artists often approach me before I even get to a city. Much to the thanks of Facebook, where I am actively reporting on my work, and the project’s facebook page just had its 1.000st fan. The web site I created for the project (borderartists.com) is growing and growing. Again, there seems to be a big vacuum. Especially on the Eastern Part of the border, nobody goes to Matamoros, Reynosa or Nuevo Laredo to report on the local art scene. Most people in the US have never heard of those cities.

Definitely no international media

In your previous interview you said;

top left: Artist Israel Ireta. top right: Artist Anylu Hinojosa-Peña de Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. bottom left: Theater Director Cesarivan Gautanos de Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. bottom right: Artist Manuel Rivas Rosales de Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. images from project "La Frontera: Artists along the us Mexican Border" by Stefan Falke.

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goes there if not for a crime story.

Juarez seems to get more attention, but only across the border, in El Paso. There are great cross border artist groups like ‘Puro Borde’, and a cross border art magazine (like your own for California) called Ave Magazine. It is somewhat different in the West, in Tijuana, where things seem to get much better in recent years and the food and art scene is getting some attention in the international press. I know that my project has created interest in TJ’s art scene in San Diego. So yes, in my opinion it is working.

Which city or artist has had the biggest impact on you and your travels along the Mexican Border? Why? There are some very courageous women working in cities along the Eastern part of the border. Photographers, painters, performance artists, actors. They often speak out

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on issues that heir male counterparts rarely dare to do. They really impressed me most. Tijuana also had a huge impact on me because that is where it all started. The support there was unbelievable. La Casa Del Tunel Art center hosted an exhibition with photos of my project in March 2012 and it really took of from there. I am very grateful to so many people in TJ. Can you mention one of the differences you find between the East and the West side of the border?

The Art the Artists produce. The art in the Eastern part of the border seems to reflect more the circumstances of daily life than the art in the Western part, which is more playful. Life seems to be more problematic in the East than in the West at this point, and the art is reflecting this.

top left: artist aron venegas from el paso, tx above: artist pablo llana

While planning this project, you knew you will learned about the culture of the border cities and the Mexican people but Have you learned something you weren’t expecting?

Especially in the Eastern part I learned about the reality that many people along the border still live under circumstances that I totally underestimated. There is a blanket of fear over some cities that one can’t see or smell, but sense. I have not been in personal danger thanks also to the care of many artists who guarded and guided me. But it is impossible to deny from my experience that the situation in some places is still very difficult. Which makes the work on my project the more important, because there are so many great people and artists deserving to be acknowledged. I also learned about the reality of living with a huge and senseless wall of steel put up by your neighbor. And an army of border patrol agents and cars behind it. I never knew the scale of the US border patrol system. Its massive, to say the least.

What is your favorite Mexican food?

Fish tacos in Tijuana !!

Do you like tequila? (laughs) I prefer Agua Fresca, better to keep the focus.

For more information about Stefan Falke, visit StefanFalke.com

images from "La Frontera: Artists along the us Mexican BOrder" by Stefan Falke.

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events

CROSS -BORDER HAPPENINGS

February 2013

Los Eventos Mas I mpor ta ntes de la R eg ion

CARNAVAL 2013 / ENSENADA

Feb 07- Feb 12 - Plaza Cívica de la Patria

One of the city’s largest and most popular events, Mardi Gras attracts a multitude of national and international visitors. Enjoy regional foods and libations, games and rides, live entertainment, music and dancing in this year’s festival zone located at Blvd. Costero (Lázaro Cárdenas). Traditional festivities include the Quema de Mal Humor on Thursday and the Baile del Marido Oprimido (Oppressed Spouse Dance) on Monday. For more information visit www.carnavalensenada.com

CHINESE NEW YEAR: THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE/ LOS ANGELES Feb 09 - Feb 17- Chinatown’s Central Plaza.

paolo camera

The Year of the Snake is a significant year in Asian tradition: it marks change, filled with contemplation, preparation and much reflection. The oldest and one of the most recognized New Years celebrations in America is LA Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Festival, drawing more than 125,000 visitors. The Year of the Snake celebration starts at Thien Hau Temple where attendees can experience traditional incense burning, offerings to deities, watch traditional lion dancers, and witness 500,000 firecrackers in action along with Buddhist and Taoist monks and families of all generations. For more information visit www.chinatownla.com

MEXICAN ART: IMAGES OF PROTEST FROM THE REVOLUTION & BEYOND THE REVOLUTION / LOS ANGELES View pictures and films from the Mexican Revolution and the artwork that followed. Join the curator for a gallery talk. Enter a Diego Rivera mural on an interactive website. Visit Frida Kahlo's blue house via the Internet. Play a game of Loteria based on photographs from the Central Library exhibit curated by the Getty Research Institute: A Nation Emerges: The Mexican Revolution Revealed. Where: LA Public Library - Cetral 630 W. 5th St. Los Angeles, CA 90071

2013 MexiCali Biennial

INSIDER GALLERY

C a n n i ba l i s m i n t he Ne w Wor ld MARDI GRAS IN THE GASLAMP / SAN DIEGO

michael romaine

The 19th Annual Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp will feature an electrifying talent lineup ranging from Z-Trip, Ozomatli, Little Hurricane, Gaslamp Killer, Mikey Beats, Theo and the Zydeco Patrol, Sue Palmer's New Orleans Review and more on four captivating stages. - performing from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, as well as dancers and street performers. Many of the bars and restaurants will feature their own live entertainment as well.

BOB MARLEY DAY: REGGAE FESTIVAL / SAN DIEGO TIJUANA, ROSARITO & ENSENADA also celebrate Bob

Marley's Day. Southern California’s premier reggae festival features the biggest and brightest stars from Jamaica, Europe, and Africa including Mykal Rose, Cocoa Tea, Israel Vibration, Queen Ifrika, Triston Palma, Alika and more at the Broadway Pier, Port Pavilion, in San Diego. For more information visit www. purplepass.com/legends2013

the mexicali biennial is a dynamic platform for creating new channels of communication between artists and audiences in the US and Mexico. VPAM is proud to host the third MexiCali Biennial from January 19 to April 13, 2013, and this project will include the work of 26 artists and collectives working in a variety of media, from sculpture and performance to video and painting.

The first MexiCali Biennial took place in 2006 at La Casa de Tia Tina in Mexicali, Mexico and Chavez Studios in East Los Angeles. The second MexiCali Biennial took place three years after the first, and was held in four different locations spanning two years and two countries, and the third Biennial is scheduled for early 2013 and will engage with the subject of cannibalism.

The cannibal is a creature that threatens the collapse of identity and ethics, and instills anarchy in the social order.

Cannibalism in the New World was one of the central rationales for colonialism, but MexiCali also proposes it as a path forward towards a new model for avant garde practice. Cannibalism can open up radical new spaces in art for bodies and their environmental interactions, and push against the oppressive pressure of hegemonic Western cultural systems. These transformative possibilities can change our relationship with art, and perhaps the world itself. participating artists: Fred Alvarado, Natalia Anciso, Marycarmen Arroyo Macias, Ana Baranda, Juan Bastardo, Sergio Bromberg, Helen Cahng, Matthew Carter, Carolyn Castaño, Enrique Castrejon, Tony de los Reyes, Map Conception: Deborah Diehl & Arzu Arda Kosar, Dino Dinco and Rafa when: Jan 19 - Apr 13, 2013 Esparza, Veronica Duarte, Roni Feldman, Kio Griffith where:Vincent Price Art Museum & Carmina Escobar, Zoè East Los Angeles College 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez Gruni, HELL- (0) featuring: Monterey Park, CA 91754 Michael Dee, Martin Durazo vincentpriceartmuseum.org and Ichiro Irie, Daniel Lara, Candice Lin, Juan LunaCurated by Ed Gomez, Luis G. Avin, Matt MacFarland, Hernandez and Amy Pederson Dominic Paul Miller, Flavia Monteiro, Nancy Popp, Peter Bo Rappmund, Christopher Reynolds, Cindy Santos Bravo, and Fidelius X.

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uniekest magazine feb 2013

Artist

Chas Schroeder left: "RAM" 24" x 39.25" mixed media on wood panel, left bottom: "ANTELOPE" 28" x 22" mixed media on canvas, below: "PRONGHORN LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE SPRAWL" 24" x 39.75" mixed media on wood panel, right: " THE START OF SOMETHING NEW" 24" x 30" mixed media on canvas.

Chas Schroeder lives and works in Los Angeles California, for more about his work visit www. chasschroeder.com

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uniekest magazine feb 2013

profiles

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HAS SCHROEDER’S body of work explores the intersection of pastoral, urban, and ultimately diaristic sentiments. Employing mixed media and text to reveal the aesthetic possibility inherent in subjects ranging from game animals to misogyny to advertising to colonialism to love, no subject is out of the range of his sincere and deeply curious toying. His signature style is marked by the purposeful use of acrylics, wood, found objects, vibrant spray, stencil work, collage, street techniques and perversely rendered figures (both animal and human) in a fashion that seems to address the anxieties and wonders of modern American life in it’s most

exuberant forms.

His influences/ interests include but are not limited to Martin Kippenberger, Ed Ruscha, Elliott Smith, Jenny Holzer, Kurt Cobain, Jean Michel Basquiat, Brett Easton Ellis, street art, rock music, textiles, numbers, drug cultures, high fashion, game hunting, abstraction, text, world politics, pornography, displacement, vaginas, architecture, gender bending, transgressive literature, indigenous peoples, graphic design- it is this ability to merge typically unrelated subjects seamlessly that causes Schroeder’s portrayals to serve as viable and current narratives. His art is an intuitive art invested in creator/ viewer pleasure, with an unapologetic dismissal of the canon.

He cuts the bullshit and engages the viewer on a sensory level, thus encouraging a non-threatening discourse.

When queried on his influences, motivations and methods he is straightforward in his response- music, feelings and physical movement. Devoid of irony, his art seems a playful breed of Early-Third-MillenniumRomanticism- invested in landscapes, the inner self and the frenzied activity of confessing things for all to see.

Artist

Valerie Hebert

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AL'S ART STUDIO: HeARTfelt goods made of reclaimed textiles, embellished with needlefelted love, one handmade piece at a time. She creates heARTfelt mixed media fiber art from upcycled wool and natural textiles, which she felt, cut, fold, sew + stitch up. Then, she needles felt into it, which means she uses barbed needles to dry felt wool fiber into the creation. She stabs, poke, meshes, + transforms her sewn creations into something completely unique and artistic, and often very whimsical. She often finishes with embroidered words or accents. “I love what I do, I have an excuse to collect all kinds of fabrics, bits of this + that, plus I'm allowed to sketch out my ideas to my heart's content.” says Valerie. Her work is constantly evolving and She is always excited about the next project, which usually discovers during a bit of daydreaming. She loves the eclectic and unusual, and tries to pull a bit of that into everything she makes.

And that makes her feel like she is accomplishing something special and fun. “Oh yes, it fuels my creative mess in a very big way!”

Most pieces are one of a kind, or something she creates in a very small series. She aims to instill heaps of charm into each piece created, a handmade keepsake for future generations. Made with so much care and love... from Valerie 20 Hebert to you. uniekest magazine feb 2013

profiles

For more information about Valerie Hebert visit www.valsartstudio.com

top left: "ROBOT PLUSH", this friendly robot has a working zipper mouth which when open, screams "Whirrrl" at you! He is made from upcycled wool and linen scraps foraged from the scrap bin, and adorned with findings from the button stash, bead inventory, and sewing drawer. machine and hand sewn, he is one-of-a-kind irresistible. bottom left: "HOOP ART WITH NEEDLE FELTING AND EMBROIDERY" this page, above: "NEEDLE FELTED BUDGIE PILLOW", top right: "CHILDREN'S SWEATERS" created from discarded wool, which i felt and cut apart, and resew, turning it into a brand new sweater. Hand stitching defines and enhances the design., right: "GEISHA AND BUNNY" These needle felted sculptures are made of solid wool, and measure 4.5" tall and 3" tall respectively. They were created using one barbed needle, which meshes and binds the wool together. Creating one sculpture can easily take 4-6 hours or longer. The general shape is defined out of wool, then colored wool is added to the surface to give the shape it's distinctive characteristics. Each piece is one of a kind.

art

are you addicted? ” A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.” Abraham Maslow

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IVING WITH AN ARTIST isn’t easy, particularly if you are the significant other. So, after living with and working with artists for over 20 years I’ve put together a few suggestions for you to share with your partners. One of the first things most non-artists have a hard time understanding is the concept of addiction and how it is related to art making. Most artists I know go through classic symptoms of withdrawal when deprived of their work environment for too long. They get grouchy, irritable, may suffer from physical complaints such as headaches, body aches and often times find themselves depressed for no reason. These symptoms miraculously disappear when they are given the opportunity to work again. The primary reason for this is artists are wired differently than the rest of us. While most of us can get by with the basic elements of Maslow’s theory, food, shelter, etc…artists need to be able to create as much as they need food or oxygen. It is so much a part of who they are, that to deprive them of it would be like asking you or I not to talk, not to eat, not to breathe. They have been given this gift in the same way we were given blue eyes or brown. Making art is not an option for them, it is a necessity.

Occasionally, I will get an artist who asks me to tell them my opinion of their work. It is a question I try to discourage. Unless you are asking an art critic or an art historian, most people are not qualified to comment of the aesthetic value of the work. Galleries may be able to comment on the marketability of the work, collectors may be able to say if they like it. But, mature artists shouldn’t pursue seeking an opinion of their work. Your work is your work, period. Someone will either like it or they won’t. Nothing you say or do can change that. Now, you may be able to convince someone to buy it, but, in regards to liking it, it is a primal reflex based on the accu-

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uniekest magazine feb 2013

mulated history of that person’s visual information and experience. So what does it really mean when someone doesn’t like your work. It means one person doesn’t like your work. That’s all it means. It doesn’t mean you are a bad artist or a bad person or should stop making art (as if that was really an option). In almost all cases, when an artist asks what you think of their work, they are asking to connect with that person by sharing an intimate part of themselves. Realize that when an artist asks what you think of their work, they hear the answer as it relates to them, personally. It is a vulnerability that mature artists struggle hard to overcome.

The concept of “working” was a hard one for me to understand. Often times I’d go into my husband’s studio and see him sitting on the couch with the television on or listening to the radio…staring at his paintings.

I’d been at my office all day, talking on the phone or busy with clients. This was not my idea of “work.” It wasn’t until I really understood the process of making a painting that I realized how much of the work is in just looking…thinking…imagining what it would be like to do this or that. Mental activity that to the lay person looks like relaxation. I could accept the fact that slathering paint around was work…but, sitting and staring, that was hard for me. What I came to learn was that the “looking,” is the hardest part. It was kind of like hearing about the way Mozart wrote music. He wouldn’t write anything down until he could hear it all in his head first, then he would write it out perfectly in a matter of minutes.

Contrary to the common stereotype of artists as slackers, artists are incredibly industrious and hard working. In most cases, regardless of what they do for a living, they are working on their obsession 24/7. Acknowledging this, can help tremendously in understanding an important aspect of an artists’ character…and saving a relationship. contribution by sylvia white visit her at www.artadvice.com

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