Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of the Artsies around the world! I’m taking a break from the blog today to enjoy the holiday with Mr. Forager. With so much tragedy going on in our world, the greatest thing we can all wish for this day is peace on earth. May it be so and may it begin with me. Wishing you a most wonderful, peace-filled holiday!
Artwork by this month’s Featured Artist, Marsha Glaziere. See more of Marsha’s work on her website and on the Artsy Forager Facebook page!
Lusciously layered, elegantly styled, richly colored photographs resembling classical floral still lifes? Yes, please! Have a peek at the sensual work of Dutch artist Margriet Smulders, featured today in my Artist Watch on Escape Into Life. Escape the rush of this Christmas Eve by gazing at these lovelies found here!
For eons it seems that with a certain level of success in the art world, comes a level of celebrity most artists will never know. Especially today, artists are selling themselves as a brand almost as much as they are selling their work. Australian artist Emma Gale turns the tables to feature celebrated artists as the subjects of her work.
The artist takes these immediately recognizable artists and reinvents them in her own style, yet each one retains the essence of the personality we’ve come to associate with them and their celebrity.
Yet, we’re left to wonder.. how much of our perception of the celebrated among us is based on spin and branding? If we were to meet the famous in person, would they be just as we imagine them or would we be surprised to find how different they are from their image?
To see more of Emma Gale’s work, please visit her website.
All images are via the artist’s representing gallery, Anthea Polson Art.
Now for an Artsy Holiday gift guide that will probably apply to many of you– gifts for the ultimate Artsy! The UA loves everything art-related, but they don’t take themselves or their artsy stuff too seriously. Just a few things I’ve found that any UA would love!
Seriously, is that not the coolest beach towel you’ve ever seen?! There is also a John Baldessari one that is pretty awesome. Would make me want to hit the sand just to show off my artsy accoutrement! Want to see more For the Ultimate Artsy? Check out my Pinterest board chock full of artsy goodies!
All image sources are linked above.
Do you ever wonder what it might be like to be the subject of a painting? Would you be content to let the artist interpret you as you are or would you try to clothe yourself in your own chosen persona? The subjects in the paintings of UK artist Mary Jane Ansell seem to be playing dress-up, yet we are left to wonder, is this who they are or who they wish to be?
In these quiet paintings, we are offered a glimpse into a moment, a fleeting feeling, a pause in the life of the subject, the life of the artist and one of our own.
They are quiet, contemplative portrayals, yet within each is a sense of anticipation. The stillness and peace that comes just before we discover something amazing. Perhaps it might be within ourselves that we find the revelation.
To see more of Mary Jane Ansell’s work, please visit her website.
All images are via the artist’s representing gallery, Fairfax Contemporary.
While Mr. Forager and I had originally made plans to trek to Big Bear over the weekend, a thick blanket of snow and us sans the CA law required snow chains, along with a sick-with-a-cold Mr. Forager led to a change in plans. So following our Saturday ritual of breakfast in Joshua Tree ( at Crossroads Cafe— their “piggy pancakes” are my favorite indulgent breakfast ) and stocking up on victuals at the little JT Farmers’ Market, we drove through the wind farms to Palm Springs.
We wandered around the shops and a few galleries in downtown PS ( note: Stark + Kent Gallery— best contemporary selection in PS, including a few artists featured here on Artsy Forager! ). After doing the requisite touristy photo-op under Anish Kapoor’s Marilyn statue, currently installed in downtown Palm Springs, we decided to make our way over to the Palm Springs Art Museum. Now I normally have pretty low expectations for small town art museums, knowing they don’t usually have the financial support of big city institutions, so we were pleasantly surprised by what we found there.
Palm Springs being a hot bed of modern architecture and design, it was no surprise that one of the current special exhibitions featured the design-art hybrid work of Fernando and Humberto Campana in the exhibition, Antibodies. Their functional yet incredibly artistic designs take inspired living to an entirely different level.
But it was the museum’s contemporary collection that delighted us most. As we walked up the stairs past the giant yellow Isermann installation ( see above pic ), so the magic began. Marina Abramovic’s The Kitchen V, Carrying the Milk, held us spellbound, as we watched the artist as she stood, she the very subject of the Vermeer-esque vignette, holding a bowl of milk, at times struggling to hold her pose.
Moving away from the Abramovic video installation, our eyes were caught by what from a side angle looked to be an interesting light sculpture installation, but then I stood in front of it and that’s when something bewitching and delightful happened.. see the video!
Here are a few more of our favorite highlights from the contemporary collection–
Corona 2003 by Anish Kapoor ( above ) with its beautifully disorienting reflective surface and its acoustic properties ( when standing in front of it, as Mr. F is above, someone a few yards behind can hear what is being said into it ), we found it much more interesting than his giant Marilyn Monroe sculpture getting so much attention outside. I’m glad we took the time to escape the masses huddled around her upended skirt to experience something much more satisfying.
Unless otherwise identified, all images are by Artsy Forager. Other image sources are linked above.
Perhaps it is my current state of semi-homelessness and this somewhat vagabond life we’ve chosen. Or perhaps it’s the feeling of taking home with me wherever I go. Whatever the cause, I was immediately enchanted by French photographer Laurent Chehere’s Flying Houses series.
To each house, there is a connection, whether one that seems to be an intact tether or strings that have been broken, there is a sense of both freedom and apprehension.
A life of freedom is a gift, yet it comes with a price. Sometimes costly to our psyche, an untethered life can also lead to joyous discoveries and adventures no mortgage could replace.
To see more from this series and of Laurent Chehere’s work, please visit his website. If you happen to be lucky enough to be in Paris this month, you can see his work at Galerie Paris-Beijing in the Flying Houses show up until December 22nd!
Images via the website of the artist’s representing Paris gallery, Galerie Paris-Beijing. Artist found via Free People.
You know how sometimes you aren’t immediately blown away by an artist’s work, but then you sit and look at it for a while and realize it’s freakin’ amazing? Yeah, that’s what happened to me with the artist I’m featuring in my Artist Watch on Escape Into Life today, Amanda Stone Talley. Consider my mind completely blown away. See more of Amanda’s work here and decide for yourself!
Through my travels with Mr. Forager, I’m always struck by the many similarities there are to be found in such vastly different landscapes. And how, the elements of each interact with one another in a very specific way. The Chroma series of Ohio artist John Sabraw, a passionate environmentalist, are inspired by the micro and macro worlds we find ourselves in and our connection to every one of them.
These unique works are created by layering paints of varying viscosities, allowing them to intermingle and naturally evolve in response to the environment of his studio.
In each we see what could be the tide pools of Yellowstone or blood cells within our own bodies. They could be images made by satellites or microscopes. Whatever it is that we see, is a part of our world, whether it be nearby or far, far away.
To see more of John Sabraw’s work, please visit his website. You can read more about his Chroma series, including information on the artist’s sustainability practices here.
All images are via the artist’s website.
Mr. Forager has just completed a course on Women’s Studies, in preparation to pursue a Master’s Degree, so we’ve had some interesting discussions around the dinner table of late. There’s been talk of women’s rights, gender equality, etc. It seems as women, we still struggle against the fairy tales we grow up with versus the reality of living as a contemporary female. In her New Realm series, Louisiana artist Amy Guidry weaves a new kind of story, as surreal as any myth yet grounded in modern strength.
The heroine of Guidry’s tale embraces her situation. Instead of being helpless and afraid, she is empowered to embrace the opportunity for transformation. Knit throughout the series are symbols of growth and change, such as the butterfly and snail, as well as signs of freedom such as a bird in flight.
This heroine is not wallowing in her plight or withering away in a cage. She is in control of her own story, her own destiny.
To see more of Amy Guidry’s work, please visit her website. Be sure to check out the video for the New Realm series here!
All images are via the artist’s website.