It is quite a big month of exhibitions for some of TWFineArt's artists, with Max Greis, Emily Silver and Margarita Dittborn Valle all having exhibitions opening this month. To learn more about these exhibitions follow the links below and visit their page at TWFINEART.COM to see the artists work in limited edition print! MAX GREIS - The Garage Door Video Series at BRIC Contemporary Art.

"The Garage Door Video Series, Between Now and Then, is a look at landscapes in the process of change. Whether material or ethereal, these videos explore cycles of decay and rebirth. Artists in this series locate changes within broad thematic spectrums that range from the natural environment to human history. While some address visions of progress, others comment on acts of deliberate destruction. Most of the videos apply a specific technique of cut-out collage animation, which super-imposes moving images upon two-dimensional planes. This technique helps achieve unexpected optical delights, which, at times resemble moving paintings. Through the visual juxtaposition of stillness and movement, the marks of transformation over time become apparent." Exhibition curated by: Shireen Abrishamian and Banyi Huang

 

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EMILY SILVER - Savage Mentality at Cerritos College Art Gallery.

"Savage Sentimentality presents a group show of artists of unique backgrounds and interests connected by a tenuous relationship to sentiment. The artists included allude to and/or embrace sentiment while simultaneously ravaging it, either with a brutish material response or vice versa - a subject matter that contradicts the sensitivity of material handling." Guest curated by Steven Hampton.

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MARGARITA DITTBORN VALLE - Retrospective at Parque Arauco 

"Like the artists of yesteryear, Margarita Dittborn Valle's (Born: 1981 ) pure ambition is to create a sublime visual experience.... We love the subtle nostalgic and fanciful themes ever-present in the work of this photographer and winner of a transcendent self-taught artist in the national and international space."

[caption id="attachment_8959" align="alignleft" width="700"] Santa Lucía, 2006. Print by Margarita Dittborn Valle[/caption]

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We have been included in Brisbane's equivalent of NYC's Gallery Guide, an up to date calendar and resource for what's going on in the art world in Brisbane. Great times ahead for the flourishing Queensland art scene with initiatives like this taking the reigns and establishing a cultural scene in this great city. Keep up to date with art in Brisbane by subscribing to their website BNE ART!

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TW: We’ve known each other for some time now, but it has been a while since I saw your work in person. There seems to have been a gradual departure away from the type of work you were making when we lived in New York. I once got a verbal scolding when I said to Mike Goldberg that the paintings he made on the Italian Coast during the summer had a different quality about them to the work he made in New York City - I still believe it to be true despite what he said ;-).  I’m therefore hesitant to ask, but how much has the environment in Israel influenced the evolution of your work? KP: I believe that the geographical and political environment we live and work in has a great influential force on the work, as well as the personal and psychological dispositions of the artist. By geographical I mean both natural and architectural scenery as well as a specific quality of light. if you look at the classical northern European paintings you find a unique  quality of light you won't find elsewhere, and the reason to that is the natural light that these great painters knew. Mike Goldberg was part of the New York school of abstract expressionists, who were very much influenced by the writings of Clement Greenberg. One of these painters' endeavors was to create an arena of painting that is exclusive, in which subject matter can only be painting itself, with regard to its history alone. Personally I think that painting cannot release itself from pre knowledge of vision. however, that ideology may explain the verbal scolding coming from Mike... TW: Absolutely, Mike was a purist in that sense but I totally agree with you. The environment around is inescapable, how could it not influence both his perception and use of space and color. I think in retrospect he might look down and agree. Was that a clap of thunder? KP: A few months after I moved back to Tel Aviv, I felt I had to find new approaches to my work, to come up with a different technique than the one I was developing in NY. I decided to put paint aside for a while and was only drawing for a few months, until I felt that one of the drawings needed a space [see painting below]. That space was very much derived by the seascape seen from my studio window, and the beginning of a long painting period which led to the work you are about to show in your gallery. TW: Your earlier paintings were quite process based, with a lot of spontaneous gestural drawing and layering, where you would scrape away the paint with a large pallet knife or squeegee to build the surface. The resulting abstractions had visual references to the photograph or negative. It looks as through the paint brush has returned in your more recent works. Would you say that the content, or subject matter of your later work has driven the type of materials and tools that you use? That being said, has the content of the work become more interesting to you than the process? KP: It is true that the process or the technique was much more evident and extroverted in the older work, and that the decisions that were made while working were more spontaneous because of the rapid nature of the work. However, the full content always reveals itself through the work, and I never know where the work on a painting would lead me to. It is always the process that really creates the work for me, not so much an idea or prevision, even though every painting begins with one. I think that along my evolution as a painter what mainly changed is the temper or tempo. I would say that the Temper of the older work had more to do with hysteria and hunger whereas now it is stiller. Also, the older work was more physical and it's substance more evident, almost like sculpture, the new work is lighter in substance and tends to the gaze more than to the body. TW: I know your art vocabulary is very extensive. Who have you been looking at recently? Who have you found interesting and/or inspirational? KP: Last June I took part in a project by Gilad Ratman that represented Israel at the Venice Biennale and thus was able to look at the fabulous work of a Belgium painter named Thierry de Cordier  that was shown there. His dark seascapes stayed with me ever since. also, a few years back i saw Peter Doig at the British Museum, which i found very interesting and I believe had touched my work. [caption id="attachment_10455" align="aligncenter" width="577"] Seascape - Thierry de Cordier[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10454" align="aligncenter" width="587"] The Milky Way - Peter Doig[/caption] TW: The horizon has always been a part of your work in some form or another, plastically and or conceptually. I remember a beautiful piece that you did a long time ago (during the more process driven period) where the canvas was seamed together to create an horizon. The horizon has become much more a part of these later paintings. What is it about the horizon that interests you? KP: Wow i really can't believe you remember that, it's fantastic! You are right, the horizon carries a great metaphorical meaning for me thanks to its liminal quality. To me It represents the meeting place and conciliation of endless dichotomies such as mind and matter, knowledge and faith, catastrophe and salvation, etc etc. I think that the clash of such dichotomies lies at the root of our being and is a source of great wonder as well as deep agony and frustration. TW: Your newer paintings have a darker, more brooding color pallet in contrast to the lighter, quite joyous paintings from Series 1. Has this been conscious and where do you feel the work is heading? KP: True, the work has lately become less joyous and more dramatic. The conscious decision, which of course is only part of the full picture, was to examine the roll of color in my work. I wanted to see to what extent the work relied on color, and if I only painted monochromes, when or if  the use of color became a necessity. Also, to me there is something very strong about the vast white fields. They carry the quality of a silent and ambiguous desire craved to be fulfilled, and this is also a good metaphor to end with regarding where the work is heading; It is an ambiguity that I desire to reveal. [caption id="attachment_10476" align="aligncenter" width="708"] Untitled 2014 - Keren Paz[/caption] We are thrilled to be exhibiting Keren's work. For a great art experience, be sure to visit the TWFineArt Gallery in September and see it in person!

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We sat down with Chilean artist Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli this week and asked her a few questions about her work and practice.

TWFA: Veronica - thanks for sitting down with us! I’m curious as to how and where you photographed the series Animitas and what your thoughts are about the project?

VI: The series Animitas, started as part of a project that photographed Chile along the main highway from the very top north city Arica, to the very south Puerto Williams, in Patagonia. The idea was to portray what you can see from the car while you drive, things that usually gets lost in the blurriness of the speed.

The Animitas are part of our culture, they are meant to remember the people that pass away on the highway, they are built by their family or friends; then they become a place to stop, pray, ask for favors or protection for drivers.

I decided to photograph them as they are  very particular and interesting in shape and decoration, but also they draw my attention as I wonder the story behind those “little empty houses”, who the person was, how did they die, who built their “animita” etc.

As I photograph them along the country, I realized something that I didn’t expect, that being how their construction changes depending on where they where geographically speaking. Chile, it’s about  4000 km long, which creates a very different climate and geography. Because of that, our northern area is dry and mostly desert, and the southern part of the country is very humid, cold and rainy….Well, I realised that up north, animates many times had a tree on the side, and that meant that each person  that stooped by, pours some water to this tree to make it survive, most of the animates there had big crosses to be visible from far and the shape was very varied. On the other hand, down south most of them are a little house, well constructed and very structured, to protect the “interior” from the rain and bad weather I guess. And on the central area, the majority are made with concrete or tiles, I guess they are stronger and more resistant to adversity as they are in the most populated part of the country.

So in the end, this project is a portraiture project, through the animates, the personality and costumes of people are somehow revealed. I feel that I can see and understand many things from the people that live there by looking and analyzing the animates that they build. I’m convinced that part of ourselves is shown and transmitted in our constructions and objects, and animates are part of that.

TWFA: Your series Observing the Time [on view at the gallery] makes me think about the dynamic nature of the universe, or rather the concepts it contains; space, light, matter, mass, time and how we perceive those elements through the filter of vision. Is that something you were thinking about while making the work?

VI: Yes, absolutely. This series of work, or more so, the investigation that I have been doing since 2009 about the light, comes from my own curiosity and experience about the relationship between light and space. I have realized that light is a key factor in our perception of spaces, if we feel  welcomed or rejected in a certain place, it probably has more to do with how is lit than the actual architecture or design of it. The color, intensity and shape of the light influences the perception of our surroundings much more than its actual shape. On the other hand, at some point I got really attracted about the fact that light and shadows are constantly moving remanding us about the way the Universe works and how nature is present in our everyday light…If we think about it, it is clear and logic, but I feel that it is easily forgotten due our hectic life full of devices and machines which rule our day.

Some how this work is an attempt to capture the subtleties of this permanent movement by focusing in something that we experience everyday but usually unattended. The fleeting quality of the light makes it so appealing to me, it is a constant evidence on how unique is every moment.

TWFA: There seems to be a real human or autobiographical element to your work even though it is not portraiture. Can you perhaps give us an insight into your concepts and why you feel it’s important to remove the figure from your photographs? 

VI: Well, my work has both human and autobiographical elements, and that comes from the fact that I’m  focusing on our relationship with spaces and constructions and how we interact with them. On the other hand, I’m dealing with objects and constructions that belong to people, that show their culture, personality or lifestyle. These subjects are also related with my personal experience.

Removing the figure is an act to avoid falling in the anecdote. I want the observer to be able to connect with the image and remember some personal experience or situation. My idea is to show things that are particular but at the same time unique, where people can feel somehow related to. If I put a human figure, the viewer will start automatically trying to guess or understand the story of that character instead of digging in its own experience to connect it with what is on the image.

I truly believe that we are present in our belongings, meaning that we show big part of our personality, what we are and how we relate with everything around us is somehow shown trough the objects we posses, our clothes, spaces, decorations etc. I find pretty attractive the idea to guess about someone’s life or personality, just by looking at their things and not their face. I feel is more honest, because all our decisions on what we have are based on needs and interests, and those are things we can control…You can’t control the shape of your face, or the color of your eyes…But you can control, what shoes you wear, or what color are the walls of your house, the style of car, the decorations on your house and so on.

TWFA: You are a keen mountaineer, do you find that your passion for the outdoors somehow affects your art, be it process or subject? 

VI: Being exposed to nature in such extreme environments gives you the chance to see very unique scenes, conditions of light and colors, and that definitely relates to my work, even if nature is just one of my subjects, it gives me a different vision than the one in the urban landscape.

TWFA: Your subject matter tends to move from highly personal spaces or dwellings to vast landscapes. Would you say that you find interest in extremes?

VI: Subconsciously I assume, as I have never realized that factor. But yes, now that you point it out, I’m interested in contrast and therefore extremes. My process of work, many times implies collecting various images that are put aside to point out the difference between them and how they inform to each other, which in the end shows extremes.

TWFA: I get a sense of nostalgia when I see your work, the barren or discarded landscapes and Animitas, the intensely personal spaces, the passing of time, the moment, the past. As the viewer I realize that I project onto the work, but I’m curious whether that is a part of your subject? 

VI: Absolutely!  My goal is to make the viewer connect somehow with what I show and bring back personal experiences or memories to re visit them trough what they are seeing.

TWFA: What are you working on at the moment and what direction do you feel your work is taking?

VI: I’m working on few different projects right now, one is about the shoes of people, another is about old objects, another about drawings! And at the same time I keep going with my work about the light and shadows but bringing it to a level in which the box is participating more as an object and not only as a container.

[caption id="attachment_10200" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Animata's # 33, 2009. Photo Print by Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli[/caption]

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Together with this months feature exhibition [The Animitas by Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli] we are releasing a new series of photography by the artist in limited edition print. [caption id="attachment_10132" align="alignleft" width="290"] Animata's # 27, 2009. Photo Print by Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli[/caption] These gorgeous photographs remind us of the enormity of the landscape and our place within it. Focusing on the Animita, Ibanez captures the resting places of the dead. Not dissimilar to the sarcophagi of the Egyptians, the Animitas are homes for the souls of the departed. The Animitas are constructed from basic materials and are often adorned with offerings like flowers and gifts for the spirit. Each dwelling is prepared and maintained by the family and friends of the deceased. Set against the remarkable backdrop of the Chilean landscape, they are aesthetic marvels that defy scale. The humble, miniature dwellings are scattered throughout the landscape, sometimes in the most unusual places - as if all alone in the world. Visit Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli's page in our SHOP to view her complete print portfolio. [caption id="attachment_10138" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Animata's # 30, 2009. Photo Print by Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10126" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Animata's # 26, 2009. Photo Print by Veronica Ibanez Romagnoli[/caption]

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