In 1984 ArtCenter South Florida opened its doors. Since then dozens of artists, untold visitors and students have passed through, seeing art and artists they, most likely, never would have been exposed to.  Art Center is more than a stop for meandering tourists and locals strolling Lincoln Road. It is important for art in South Florida. In the mid-80s Miami Beach was not an art Mecca. It was still kind of, for lack of a better word, sort of “seedy.” There were lots of retirees. There were bars; there were few businesses and very little visible “art.”

ArtCenter helped change that, although the folks there are loath to take credit for being at the forefront.

“We have become an institution. People look forward to and look at art here. When they think of contemporary art and South Beach they think of us,” says Jacquenette Arnette, Director of Exhibitions for ArtCenter.  “We introduced the idea of residency programs to people who might not have known about residency.”

The Residencies are an aspect of ArtCenter that set it apart from other, similar, arts organizations.

Applications for residencies, artists are “juried in” to these residencies, happen twice a year. Artists are accepted for a three year period. They can remain for two additional three year residencies; in these cases they have to be invited back are senior artists. Some residencies are completely funded.  There are also 3-6 month residencies.

“The main thing we try to get are artists who may not necessarily be commercial but are contemporary, pushing boundaries, working for themselves for awhile, out of school for awhile—not that you have to go to school” says Arnette.

But isn’t just about the art

“They have to have some sort of community involvement, people will be walking through.” she says

You really don’t want a Diego Rivera sort of guy waving a pistol at tourists or prospective buyers. This isn’t just about the artists, it is about giving people access to art and, even more important, some insight into the creative process. The artists are working on their art right there for the public to see.

Artists come from all over the world for residencies at ArtCenter, and these artists broaden the type of work, the aesthetic of the art community.

“We have quite a few from South America, all over the USA, Europe.” says Arnette. “William Cordova has said that coming here and dedicating himself led to the next steps to where he needed to go.”

Other recent  artists include: Justine Smith, Peter Hammer, Vicente Casan (Swiss ,getting masters at FIU).

There are benefits beyond just having a space to work for artists as well.

“The benefit, first, is the high visibility area. If there is an opportunity to sell work it happens here,” says Arnette. “Most residency programs are not so open, and this gets rid of any gallery or commission.”

ArtCenter also have an infrastructure to support the artists with public relations, to bring artists together with critics, help them get picked for shows and, these days perhaps most important, help them interact with Art Basel. The last Art Basel in 2009 was the largest art show, anywhere, ever.  It is one of the most important art shows in the world and it all happens in the vicinity of ArtCenter. And the atmosphere on Miami Beach changes during Art Basel time.

 “It’s geared up; there is energy around that time. It makes quality important,” says Arnette. “People are coming here to look at art. To be in the center of it is fortunate.”

One of the artists in residence at ArtCenter South Florida now is Venessa Monokian.

“Coming to the ArtCenter my work was primarily photography. I have maintained this craft but defiantly add several skills to my artistic arsenal,” says Monokian. “The ArtCenter has allowed me to become more daring with my work and branch into animation, sculpture and lately electronics. I find that with the support of the other artist and the staff I have not only artistically grown but personally blossomed as well.”

Monokian says that since she is making her work for the public having their input as she develops new work is helpful.

“It’s also not a bad thing to have a prime location during all the winter events that go on during the Basel season. I don't sell so much work that it pays my rent most of the months but that is not the real reason I came to the ArtCenter,” she says. “It has helped with my exposure and gained me opportunities to speak and share my work such as the recent interview on WLRN that won a Telly Award.”

Damian Sarno, also in residence, likewise appreciates contact with the public.

“I can say that the art center affected my work and my relation to the viewer. You are able to have constant feedback, at times a little too much,” says Sarno. “As a community of artists it has brought good friends within my field, painting could be a lonely job. It has also introduced my work to many galleries and private collections.”

Luisa Mesa, just beginning her second three year term, has similar thoughts on how ArtCenter has helped and moved her work forward. She also believes it has helped her commercially.

“Especially during the winter months Art Center receives a steady stream of visitors from all over the world, some of them art collectors. My work is in corporate collections such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Oasis of the Seas, as well as private collections in Israel, Switzerland, St. Louis, Missouri, to name a few,”  says Mesa. “Not everyone is a buyer but almost everyone has something to say about the work and this is nourishing most of the time.  Regarding our open-door policy and availability to the public, in the beginning of my residency it was a bit difficult to get used to.  At this time, it does not make me feel uncomfortable. I just keep working and most people respect that.  If they have a question they ask and if not, they politely walk in, look at the work and walk out.”

There are two ArtCenter locations on Lincoln road, at 810 and 924 Lincoln. The latter is where classes are held and is, regrettably, less noticeable.  There is no drop off in the quality of the artists and it shouldn’t be missed.

Bringing art out into the public, essentially, is a large part of what ArtCenter is. Artists do want to sell art. Interaction is great but an artist is like a shoemaker or a dentist in that art is what they do for a living. So for any gallery or residency to be of the utmost value they have to sell some of their pieces.  This is where the passerby really comes into the equation. As someone rambling by ArtCenter; when should you buy a piece of? 

“The most intrinsic value of art is your understanding of it and if that artist speaks to you it is worth the money to you.”  says Arnette. “When you see a piece of work that you think is amazing and you say ‘I can afford that.’ It is worth it.”

Sometimes a single piece of art seems expensive. But you are not just paying for that painting, that canvas, that sculpture or photograph.

“There is a lot of money that goes into becoming an artist: school, supplies…no one pays you back for that. It’s not like Athena coming out of Zeus’ skull. The painting isn’t the first thing they (the artist) did,” says Arnette. “You are paying for all the cumulative experience that leads up to the piece you are purchasing. People think of creating as a single thing but it takes a long, long time.”

One trap artists and galleries fall into is becoming focused on a small group of people and organizations.

“Art dealers and sometimes artists say; ‘We have collectors. These are the people we want to talk to.’ We forget about communicating with the rest of society and that is what art is, communication,” says Arnette. “It is about more than selling to an elite core. It is about connecting with regular people and interacting with them.”

 That is the reason for places like the ArtCenter, to foster such communication. Part of the give and take is in the feedback the artists get but it is also in the opportunity for the general public to own art that moves them.

In the month or so it took to get this article posted Jacquenette Arnette left her position at ArtCenter.

I also spoke to, or was supposed to speak to, a number of other artists currently at ArtCenter. I regret I did not get the chance but you should look at these artists work right now: Jaime Gil, Anthony Ardavin, Hugo Moro, Susan Feliciano, Tony Chimento, Lissette Schaeffler, Kathy Kissik and Julie Lusson.

Alekxey Sabido not only responded for this article and spoke of how ArtCenter has been important to him. He send an image of a recent painting inspired by 200 years of Mexican Independence and 100 years of the Mexican Revolution. It is, as he noted, very different from his other work.

Back in the late 1980s Drum & Bass was born. Unfortunately it was sort of stillborn in the USA but that didn’t stop DB from trying.

DB might be the most important DJ/producer out there when it comes to the introduction of Drum & Bass to the United States. If you saw the film, Kids, you saw his Breakbeat club, NASA. Likewise if you were an aficionado of Sm:)e Communications you will remember DJ Dara, signed by DB. The two then opened Breakbeat Science, a label and store that was all about Drum & Bass.

And while this article isn’t about music REALLY, DB is still doing music. His recently released material under the moniker Ror-Shak (with partner Stakka) is witness to this. He has also been active in releasing mix CDs; one per year for the past 13 years.

But this isn’t all DB has been up to. He has been reinventing himself as artists do. And anyway, you cannot DJ forever (well, you CAN but it gets sad sometime around your 60th birthday). 

“I am getting pretty old, pretty long in tooth to be out til 5 a.m!” he says. “And kids don’t want to see some old guy spinning.”

He still retains his love of Drum & Bass but accepts that it never hit it big in the USA.

“I fell in love with drum and bass and pushed it but it is the least popular of the dance cultures. I got into it before it was popular and rode its peak into the mid and late 90s,” says DB.  “It is STILL in decline in America. It is a tiny, tiny genre. The fans who love it are hardcore, dedicated kids.”

Don’t take from this that DB is bitter. He says all this with no rancor and in good humor (would that all musicians were so ready to move on and create new things)

These days DB is working on an art project of a rather extensive scope- a book and touring art show of collected “sticker art.” It is basically a personal history of a sticker collection. 

“The genesis was when I decided to gather all the stickers I had collected into two or three scrapbooks. I started for personal reasons.” he says.

A friend of his wife’s is a literary agent and thought it was a good idea. He did research and found there were no similar books. The book, Stickers From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art, begins chronologically with Andy Warhol’s banana from VU.

“I thought that was a great kick off point” he says.

Even if you have a good idea for a book you have to find a way to get it published. After a few false starts he decided to try to sell the idea on his own. He wrote up a brief description and looked at his book collection to find publishers he liked.  Four of the five he picked said yes to the idea. He went with Rizzoli.

“It goes to show that if you’ve got a good idea you don’t necessarily need agents and managers.” says DB.

He did expand the concept beyond just his own scrapbooked collection as well. The original collection includes mostly early stickers not connected to skate fashion. Later he added to the collection with more skate fashion-type stickers from companies such as Fresh Jive, Fcuked, Stussy and others.

The book goes beyond stickers collected by DB. He also has contributions from artists such as Banksy (there are numerous stickers from Banksy in the book) and a multitude of musicians.

“I reached out to the White Stripes, Radiohead and everyone said ‘sure’ when asked to help.” says DB. “There have been very few who have said ‘no’ or not been helpful.”

Hip Hop designer and pioneer Brent Rollins also contributed to the book.

“Brent Rollins has, without a doubt, the biggest collector of hip hop stickers I have ever seen.” says DB.

Another key contributor was Radiohead’s designer Stanley Donwood; He wrote text and gave permission to use his designs for Radiohead. For those now aware of Donwood’s work he did all the album and poster art for the band.

KAWS, an artist who, in the early 90s went into bus stop stands, takes out ads, paints them again and puts the new work up in the same place also contributed as the book expanded beyond just stickers and into contemporary street art.

“The majority of the book is contemporary street type art. That is what the publishers know is hot,” says DB. “We are trying to get funding to take it around the world, do it big. It is a collection of 5,000 stickers but not JUST stickers but other media as well.”

The book is tentatively slated for release September 14 and a tour of between a dozen and two dozen cities is planned, world-wide, following the release.  The collection will be on the road for between two and five years.

They are doing this up right. No slapdashedness here. The reason for the tentativeness of the release date relates to quality. The first samples of stickers to be included in the book were not up to snuff quality-wise. So, back to the proverbial drawing board.

DB is also a partner in the recording/multi-media label, Deaf Dumb & Blind Recordings. When he has a second to breathe he spends time with his wife and two young kids. He says he tries to sleep but no one with two small children really gets to sleep. If all this were not enough he does a radio show.

–mar-,  Marcela Aguero,  has been an artist for twenty years. Previously,  she talked about recent projects she has worked on since moving to Miami Beach but some of her most interesting art came before the days of Photoshop and digital photography. But there is more to it than just changing technology.

“I think when I was younger, in my teens and early twenties...I had a lot of energy! I was more experimental and enthusiastic. Some pieces were successful, but that work was not as evolved as now. But also, that was in an age when society was not so visual as now there wasn't a computer in every household, no one I knew even had an email address, and Photoshop didn't exist.” she says.

Aguero’s work had a style that worked with overlapped negatives, darkroom experimentation and the use of missed media to create textures within the photographs.

“ I had a very contrasty style of lighting- I blew out skin tones, diffused them and always shot things from unusual angles. I also hand painted prints, etc. My work overall, had more of an impact in the nineties than it does now,” she says.“ It led to publications and some nice gigs as a photographer. My involvement in that history is what gives my work today , as an artist, a little bit of special appeal.”

One of the photos that has become an icon and been imitated (whether consciously or not who knows) is Caution, pictured above and below.

“Specifically, I'm inclined to address the pieces which have stood through time, and taken on life forms of their own. (even, if they were not, in my opinion, my best works) It now almost 21 years since I created Lacrima and Caution, and I still see them around!” says Aguero. “Both of these images are effective because of their simplicity. Lacrima has nothing in its background to distract the viewer from the subject ,which is high in contrast and in my opinion, blatant in its story. The running drop from a highly made- up (makeup /glamour) eye is open to many interpretations and easy to relate to.”

She says Caution is also right to the point—but totally misunderstood piece. Aguero says it is libido that seems to have led to such misunderstanding.

“Its contrast is enhanced by the yellow airbrush paint which I used to color only the tape. That reminds me, if Marshall oils did exist then, they were difficult to obtain...and even so, the yellow was never nearly as saturated as the result from experimenting with the airbrush paint,” she says. “ I've always interpreted ideas and emotions in my work. That is my forte. (heck ,even the art institute had to invent a category for me to major in and they called it "editorial illustration" . But, back to the point...) Lacrima was not anything specific. I came up with it because I thought it looked interesting  and it ‘spoke’ to me each time I washed off my makeup. The models name, btw, is Julian. It's not me.”

The meaning of Lacrima is the contrast of glamour and sadness—at least to Aguero herself. She is more than willing to let the viewer decide for themselves.

The idea that Caution, especially, was seen as “sexy” irritates Aguero.  She meant it as a self portrait of her feelings, it was a warning sign, a caution to the viewer.

“ Even today, I can only think to that--‘ew.’" she says. “It is not sexy, but a portrait of bare vulnerability. The ‘caution’ on the body represented fragility and the "do not enter" was intentionally placed on my head to represent my then, confused adolescent mind and thoughts!”

That is the way with any art; how it is intended often takes a back seat to how something is popularly perceived. Aguero is not sure about if this is correct or not.

“I can't say, but it certainly shows me how society as a whole, perceives and thinks. I had a real issue with this in my youth. I was truly innocent then.” says Aguero.

After seeing her works and hearing her ideas for works it is difficult to understand why Aguero is not wildly successful as an artist. Why is that?

“If I knew , I would alter it, and become widely successful !” she says. “I could start speaking like a new aged hippie and tell you it's because I'm not in tune with my intuition enough to know when to act upon opportunities and when not to. Or that my sense of manifestation is off balanced by the inability to focus. Is that what you mean? My endeavors have often been unfortunate after starting with great potential, even in my own eyes. The answer is, I dunno. I see my life as a process and success is subjective.”

Talent isn’t always about “making it”, whether IT is money or acclaim. An artist can be successful in their work and not convert that into money or fame or recognition. It is one of the truly sad parts of any sort of art. Aguero has a theory.

"Successful people (I'm talking rich or famous) are usually people who have LESS thoughts running through their heads, so they are able to focus and stick with a goal. Ever notice that? And I am not ragging on them, good for them,"  says Aguero. “It teaches us, that goals can be reached if we stick to them with patience. My idea of success in life would be to have complete balance of everything I am. Money would probably be a side effect of that, because I'd be more effective at what I do and how it is valued to others.”

She doesn’t  want fame in any case. In fact, Aguero seems uncomfortable with attention. She is a tad paranoid about electronic exhibition of her work. She has been focusing on commercial photography until recently and  has just turned back to working on more artistic endeavors. Doing commercial photographs has implications in her art.

"When I am in the commercial state of mind, I cannot create art. But you need creativity to create commercial art. So the habit forms of molding and watering- down raw, creative thoughts. And after a period it becomes hard to let loose again and to be truly artistic.” says Aguero.

Next up is an online print shop and completion of her series, more than a thousand words.

 

I met Menton Matthews about 15 years ago early in his musical endeavors. At the time I had no idea he was an artist and it was not until fairly recently that I saw any of his work. I wanted to talk to him about non-technical stuff here so I do not get into the “hows” or the medium he uses most. Much of his work is dedicated to graphic novels. His first graphic novel, Ars Memoria: The Art of Memory Book One, is the tale of a man’s search for his lost twin—snatched away at night. Or is it? You are going to have to read it to find out.
 
Matthews also contributed to the IDW book Zombies Versus Robots Aventure. Anything with zombies has to be good. I chatted with Matthews about his art in general and about his plans.

Tell me about how you started painting and how this moved into the realm of graphic novels?

Well, I really started painting when I was a kid, I am not sure of the age, something around ten or eleven. I had been drawing long before that, as my dream when I was growing up was to make comic books. Growing up in Mississippi they were my world.

Somewhere along the way, in a story better left untold, I got pulled over into trying to make music. Music was and still is always an uphill battle for me, I was never very good at it, and I think I was more or less trying to be "cool." You know, stand on a stage and have everyone love you; one might feel really accepted then. It wasn't until I released music under the name Saltillo the album Ganglion that I achieved any kind of real success with my own music. For that album I really dug deep into "me" and tried for the first time to make something that just I wanted to hear, and I did not care what others thought of it.

But I think you’re more asking about how I got into painting this time around, and there are two major stories that lead up to it, I will share one.

It was Christmas the year I released the Saltillo album. Now I have always kept sketch books and journals and my wife had seen some birds. I drew and really liked them, in fact she talked about them a great deal, so I thought I would try and paint her a canvas of them for one of her Christmas gifts. It was an amazing experience for me, the smell of the paint brought back so many memories of my childhood and getting something out like that I had not done in a very long time. At that point I was hooked, I really could think of nothing else. Over the next few years I painted as much as I could and I took a few years just to think about the question; did I want to make comic books or not? Finally resulting in me making my own self published book , Ars Memoria. Which, up to this date, was the hardest and most rewarding thing I have done artistically.

What other work have you done?

I had a pin up in Proof #25 ( image comics ), and Zombies vs Robots Aventure (IDW publishing) a four issue mini series of which I have the first nine to eight pages of, plus a great deal of independent covers and pin ups.

What is upcoming--near and FAR?  What are your future plans for your art?

God, I wish I could tell you the things I am working on right now, I am extremely excited about them , they are truly like dreams come true, but I have signed confidentiality agreements that will not allow me to talk about them at all. All I can say is I am working on two new projects with IDW Publishing.

(We will keep our eyes and ears open for news on this!-ed)

Talk to me about your art as ART, separate from the graphic novel aspect?

If you thought my answer to your first questions was long , I could make this one a book. So I will try and sum it up a bit.  

I heard a writer once say, that he did not really write things, and much as he just wrote it down. Painting for me is a great deal like that, if I could articulate it with words I would not have to paint it.  It is the need to manifest the internality of my own psyche. To place in the external world my own personal internal architecture, iconography, tropes and loci, connecting them together and seeing them in ways that my psyche does not naturally do outside of dreams, to the point that resolution was a forgone conclusion.

Yes I am quite insane.

What are you trying to get at with your painting?

Me.

Matthews lives and paints in Chicago. You can buy his works at finer comics shops or online at the Menton 3 website.

For more on IDW Publishing and ZVR Aventure go to the IDW website.