Category: Miami Art Week 2017

John Grande, Beyond Pop Art, Beyond Photorealism, At Scope Miami Beach 2017 Via Licht Feld (Basel)

12/4/2017

by Patrick Ogle

John Grande is a New York City-based painter being show at this year's Scope Miami Beach by noted Swiss Gallery/art, Licht Feld. Grand is a painter whose background informs his work in a way that is fairly unique. His one-time day job making C-prints influenced and influences his work in interesting ways. Many painters who discuss influence from photos are talking about mimicking reality or distorting it. Grande's view is broader.

"I started working at Beth Schiffer's Fine Art Printing Lab right after I graduated from School Of Visual Arts in Manhattan. My experience working as a high end C printer was like going back to school again. When I say 'influenced me' I am talking about knowledge in the art of creating a successful image," he says. "From Color theory to Composition--being able to work side by side with these highly successful photographers I was taking it all in and applying this knowledge to my work and adding it to my foundation of painting."

See Mapanare.us first interview with Fredy Hadorn of Licht Feld HERE.

Grande is creating paintings that are not quite photo realistic but if is aim was that they be that? They assuredly would be.The complex images he creates might be labelled "pop art" by some but that would be lazy. These complex images are more than mischievous morphing of popular culture. There is a subtly different artistic dialog here.

"This would be my dialogue of how I see and interpret the world around me. I see my self as a sort of visual journalist. A filter," says Grande. "Instead of words I use the the picture to create the story/idea i want to tell in each different body of work."

And the way Grande chooses to bring pop culture into his work is unique and intwined with how he visually builds and structures his paintings.

"Once again adding to the vocabulary of art. How do i take this thing "POP ART" and make it mine in a market that has become saturated with 'POP.' I hope that at the end of the day i am successful." he says.

On the Licht Feld website Grande's biography discuses the different ways he solves his conceptual problems. You see similar discussion from other artists. But each artist's contextual problems certainly vary.

"When I talk about the "contextual problems” I am referring to an idea and, how do I bringing the idea to conception with in the my photo representational style. Some one once told me 'Just because you can paint don’t paint for pomp and circumstance. Always find a way to add to the vocabulary of art'," he says. "This made me stop and really think about what I was painting and why. Every time I am starting a new This is what i mean by contextual problem. How do my ideas add to the vocabulary of art?"

Grande says the process in creating work is similar through his efforts, differing only in the deployment of that process.

"I always find that there is something that i have done in previous work that i adopt and add it to my technique. My work has an even flow meaning that I through my process I discover new ways to create," says Grande. "I don’t believe in the Lightening bolt idea. I believe it is all about creating work."

The artists work hs been exhibited around the world. Exhibitions include shows in: The USA (New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington DC), Korea, Italy, India
and Canada). See his work during Miami Art Week 2017 at Scope Miami Beach.

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Southern Guild (Cape Town & Johannesburg) Showing Work Focused On Africa's Unique Voice At Design Miami 2017

12/2/2017

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Toco Toucan by Porky Hefer

by Patrick Ogle

Trevyn and Julian McGowan founded Southern Guild in 2008 in South Africa. Their focus then, and now, has been on locally produced, limited-edition pieces from artist/designers from South Africa. They choose artists based on a simple but not always common premise.

"Mostly that they can’t not make what they’re making – they’re called to it and are passionate about the work they do. Authenticity and heart plus talent and of course, superb production value and distinct voice." says Trevyn McGowan.

This year McGowan says there is an even more of a focus on an African aesthetic.

"This year’s collection has a clarity of focus that establishes Africa's unique voice, viewpoint and narrative. Collectible design is a comparatively new category in Africa, which means our designers are emotionally driven and more visceral than cerebral. What we see and enjoy every year at Miami is how the works elicit such an emotional response from the audience." says McGowan.

Southern Guild participates in numerous design and art fairs around the world but Miami is a unique opportunity for the group.

"Location, connection and inspiration. Miami attracts 33 of the leading design galleries in the world so it’s a fantastic space to learn in and to reestablish our confidence as our sales are always great. We also get to see our colleagues and

friends in the industry and to plan the coming year with our partner galleries," says McGowan. "The fantastic events surrounding the fair throughout the city provide enormous inspiration. Miami is incredibly fun and has such a fantastic vibe – the parties and that perfect sea work magic on all of us."

Design Miami occurs yearly in Miami Beach and Basel and features established and new designers/artists. They represent the cutting edge in design every year. The fair is truly where design meets fine art and no exhibitor demonstrates this more eloquently than Southern Guild.

Spitfire by Adam Birch & Tropism by Charles Haupt (photos by Ben Orkin)

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Pinta Miami Platforms Section Highlights The Art Of Three South American Countries (Peru, Argentina & Brazil) In Kabinet-Style Exhibitions December 6 To 10, 2017

11/28/2017

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by Patrick Ogle

Pinta Miami Art Fair began in New York in 2006. The Miami version logically followed in 2014. Where better to showcase Latin American art than in Miami? All versions of the fair are a clarion call for recognition of art from all of Latin America. This call, and the prominent display of art by numerous contemporary and historical figures in Latin American art, has increased the visibility of the art as a whole. It has, and continues to, give deserved recognition to a legion of artists.

A new section at the fair is Pinta Platforms. This is a section of the fair dedicated to giving visibility to modern and contemporary art from Latin America. Galleries can show their artists Kabinet-style (in themed or otherwise related sections). Within Pinta Platforms there will also be Pinta Country Sections.

Pinta Platforms is curated by Roc Laseca.

“Pinta Platforms count on special benefits for Spanish and Latin American artists to present their work in the frame of the fair. International galleries, specifically those from Latin America, the US, and Europe, are encouraged to apply and submit up to three proposals that were reviewed by the curatorial committee,” says Laseca. “Those galleries participating at the fair's main section, were welcome to apply as well to Pinta Platforms and submit a proposal for a solo-show cabinet. Galleries were welcome to apply for any artistic proposal that might consider remarkable, yet the curatorial committee gave preference to installation projects and to those art contributions that do not have...public visibility.”

This, as noted, is the first time Pinta Platforms has been part of the fair and there has been a bit of reorganization to go along with this new feature.

“We have reoriented the curatorial sections to spread our artistic proposals beyond regular media, which was the usual format of previous editions. We are very humbled with the resulting selected artist and looking forward to initiate our feedback with visitors, collectors, curators and colleagues that will stop by the fair,” says Laseca.

Pinta will be open from 12 pm to 8pm from December 6 - 10 at Mana Wynwood (2217 NW 5th Ave., Miami). For more info head to www.pintamiami.com.

Gastón Herrera via Gabelich Contemporaneo (Argentina)

The Pinta Country Sections was created with the intention of being a stage for works that are representative of specific countries. This year those countries are Argentina, Brazil and Peru. Each section has their own theme. The curators of the Argentinian and Peruvian sections were available to discuss their sections.

Florencia Battiti, of the Argentine section, aims to highlight the influence of the market in artistic production and how it does not necessarily prevent production of powerful and conceptual works--and may even inspire such art.

“The art market in Argentina has been getting stronger and more dynamic in recent years, but in my opinion, this does not play a significant role in contemporary art production. Contemporary artists in Argentina do not produce ‘for’ the market, as much as the market is, of course, an unavoidable presence not only in the art world, but the world at large,: says Battiti “In my selection of Argentinian art for PINTA Miami, I picked artists whose works imbue established symbolic value and market value. For example, the case of Roman Vitalli or works that could potentially gain value in both ambits, symbolic and market, like in the case of the young artist, Sol Pochat.”

Federico-Lanzi via Maria Casado Home Gallery (Argentina)

But what is the place of the market? Where is it a benefit and where is it a detriment, in general, and in the context of art in Argentina?

"If an artist, through the gallery that represents her, succeeds in getting her work into the market and if doing so allows her to completely immerse herself into the art, then her creativity will likely benefit because all her efforts will be geared to producing a work of art,” says Battiti. “However, under no circumstances should the market become the “interlocutor” of the artist. ... the decisions that artists make at the time of creating their own artistic poetry do not obey the market’s dictates. Of course, there are artists who will do exactly that, or who will at some point in their careers, but this type of practice falls under his own weight. An interesting case is Milo Locket whose artwork is popular and sells very well in the market, but whose symbolic value is practically nonexistent. The interrelation between the symbolic value of a work of art and its value in the market is very delicate and their variables affect them both.”

There are instances when “the market” can become an obstacle to creativity--in much the same way it can become an obstacle to progress in any economic endeavor.

“The market can become an obstacle to creativity when its power is too great and the artist does not succeed in handling its siren call, but under context like in the case of the Argentinian, where the market does not have the greatest power, the obstacle is sometimes the ability to sustain sales,” says Battiti. “When an artist becomes a millionaire like the collectors who buy his works, we can think about Damien Hirst, this can become an obstacle to his creativity. However, we cannot deny that there are also artists who have an excellent market insertion and whose works also enjoy a high symbolic value--like the case of Anish Kapoor.”

Cecilia Paredes via Denise Dourojeanni (Peru)

Max Hernández Calvo will be in charge of the Peru section which gathers the work of six galleries to show the diversity and liveliness of Peru’s scene. The section features young, up and coming artist and established artists--both working in the context of “recodifying local references.”

“Peru’s art scene has undergone a period of significant growth since mid 2000s. We have to keep in mind that during the 80s and 90s Peru was pretty much isolated not just from the global scene but also the regional one, due political instability (we had a dictatorship from 1992-2000), terrorism (1980-2000) and the economic crisis, which was absolutely critical during the 80s.,” says Calvo.

As the country recuperated--in terms of both democracy and economic stability--new artistic institutions arose and relations with the international art world improved.

“This scenario saw the emergence of a number of local artists of tremendous talent who managed to gain international reputations, something that shed light on our artistic scene, while a new generation of artists with great ambition and drive are reshaping our local art world, which is becoming more and more international--something reflected in the fact that from the six galleries selected, two are international, with operations in Lima. In that regard, our greatest strength lays without a doubt on our artists.” says Calvo.

The Peru section captures the strengths and diverse range of artists using artists from different generations and backgrounds. These range from Andrea Ferrero, born in 1991, to a well-established and reputed artist like Gam Klutier, born in 1946.

“I believe the works themselves will give a clear sense of our vibrant art scene and the different paths being explored at this very moment.” says Calvo.

Andrea Ferrero and Jesús Pedraglio Via Ginsberg Galleria (Peru)

Calvo says the very concept of the Countries Project section invited reflection; what should a Peruvian section even look like? This section shares a heritage--or more accurately many heritages in a composite project of a better future for all Peruvian artists. Calvo noting that “better” will mean different things to different people.

“Some of the projects engage with this heritage, which can be that of pre-Columbian cultures, like Eduardo Llanos and Jesús Pedraglio, or of the colonial era, like Andrea Ferrero, others with our geography and our resources, like Claudia Coca and Diego Lama, also our native rituals and their current iterations, as in the works of Katherinne Fiedler and, from a regional perspective, Adriana Ciudad,” says Calvo. “Still others deal with global issues read from our vantage point--Miguel Aguirre—or address aesthetic and affective issues in personal terms, like Gam Klutier. In brief, the dialectic of looking back and looking forward is already contained in many of the projects to be seen in the Peruvian section at the art fair.”

Adriana Ciudad via Y Gallery (Peru)

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Pansy Ass Ceramics Bringing Sculpture And Ceramics To Superfine! Miami Art Fair 2017 (December 6 To 10)

11/10/2017

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by Patrick Ogle

Superfine! Miami art fair is in its third year at Miami’s Art Week. They are on the small side of the fairs during the week and they aim to show art regular people can actually afford. They also eschew the “big white wall” method of displaying, opting instead for a more organic type of exhibition. There was something almost homey about last year’s Miami edition.

This year one of the exhibitors riffs on pieces from the home. Kris Aaron and Andy Walker of Pansy Ass Ceramics are bringing sculpture and ceramic pieces from their studio in Toronto to Superfine! Miami. They find inspiration in pieces your grandma may well have had in her china cabinet--sort of.

“We are a couple and we share a love of vintage china and housewares. We've always been struck by the beauty and queerness of vintage china and how ironic it is that these pieces were often used and displayed in the traditional family home,” says Aaron, “We started collecting and initially began painting gay images and words on vintage pieces. We decided we needed a name and it only seemed fitting that it was unapologetically gay one!”

There were a couple other reasons for the name.

“We also wanted to use "Pansy" in the name because it is a derogatory term that we have always really liked. Its this beautiful, delicate, but really common flower that seems to grow in everyone's garden.” says Walker.

They didn’t, initially, intend dual meaning. There weren’t out to turn granny’s tea pot into a penis sculpture but they did want to inject a bit of the queer into their art.

“We enjoy that people can proudly display pieces that say something about themselves in their homes. We specialize in sculptural work but we also create more affordable utilitarian pieces for those who don't have the ability to collect our bigger more intricate work.” says Aaron.

The fact that everyone can, and does, use ceramics everyday was also appealing.

“One of the great things about working with ceramics is that it has this history of being functional. We aside from our sculptural more decorative exhibition work we also have been working on some functional things like mug and creamers et cetera that, like Kris mentioned, bring an overt sexuality into the everyday.” says Walker.

They produce everything themselves at their Toronto studio. Everything is handmade and slip-cast. Slip casting is a process that uses a liquid clay body and plaster moulds.

“We model objects and then cast them in plaster and are able to make multiples from these moulds. This is the process used for most industrial pottery. So we work with elements of this, but we generally deconstruct the objects that we work with and combine them with others to create our vision.” says Walker. “So it usually goes concept, then we break it down into elements that can work with. We also do hand building, sculpting and coiling to create the forms , just a few different techniques for working with clay.”

Pansy Ass’ sculptural pieces are produced in closed, number series. Other pieces, such as planters and mugs, their more utilitarian pieces, are open productions that they make to order. They both design and create the pieces. Sometimes the two come up with the concept together and other times one of them has a solo inspiration.

“Thankfully our creative thoughts are in-tune and we share the same aesthetic taste.” says Aaron.

Pansy Ass Ceramics are bringing a variety of pieces to Superfine! Miami.

“We've created some naughty vases that I think people are really going to enjoy. We've also got some wall-mounted flamingos and banana pieces that will brighten up any room. And there will always be a few dicks on display. “ says Aaron.

Their work isn’t really grandma's china transmogrified of course. There are just some elements from that world. There are other influences as well.

"The vases that we are bringing to Superfine! are sort of our interpretation of classical Greek pots. in the ancient world sexuality was a part of the everyday life, and was well represented in domestic decoration,” says Walker. “This was something that was erased in the 19th century and made taboo for modern western society. In our work in general we try to reverse this shame associated with sexuality and desire, by bringing it back to a prominent feature of the home.”

The pieces blend the imagery and aesthetics of modern ceramics with those of ancient Greece. The forms are similar, the style is similar but there is an obvious modernity to the vases.

Aaron and Walker’s work, beyond the embrace of sexuality, also brings us back into times in our own lives. What brought them to create these pieces, and their love of the vintage, pieces has its roots in their, and our, past.

“I think our draw to vintage housewares comes from our childhoods. I think many of us have the shared experience of growing up in houses, or had grandparents, with shelves full of tchotchkes and bric-a-brac. Ceramics have this great ability to be collectable and are used in homes to create environments that reflect people’s identities, quirks and interests,” says Walker. “All art really does this, but ceramics traditionally were more accessible and made at industrial scales. We are totally obsessed with 50's and 60s Japanese ceramics. there are thousands of really colorful, stylized and campy animals that were coming out of Japan at this time. We both individually had a collection of these and when we met and saw each other's collections we new we had found something special.”

Head to Superfine! Miami (56 N.E. 29th Street, Miami) to find something special from Pansy Ass Ceramics for yourself.

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John Grande, Beyond Pop Art, Beyond Photorealism, At Scope Miami Beach 2017 Via Licht Feld (Basel)

See Mapanare.us first interview with Fredy Hadorn of Licht Feld HERE.

Southern Guild (Cape Town & Johannesburg) Showing Work Focused On Africa's Unique Voice At Design Miami 2017

Spitfire by Adam Birch & Tropism by Charles Haupt (photos by Ben Orkin)

Pinta Miami Platforms Section Highlights The Art Of Three South American Countries (Peru, Argentina & Brazil) In Kabinet-Style Exhibitions December 6 To 10, 2017

Pinta will be open from 12 pm to 8pm from December 6 - 10 at Mana Wynwood (2217 NW 5th Ave., Miami). For more info head to www.pintamiami.com.

Gastón Herrera via Gabelich Contemporaneo (Argentina)

Andrea Ferrero and Jesús Pedraglio Via Ginsberg Galleria (Peru)

Pansy Ass Ceramics Bringing Sculpture And Ceramics To Superfine! Miami Art Fair 2017 (December 6 To 10)

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