Fun Cloaked in Pink! Leyden Rodriguez: An Uneven Floor

Last night I went to the opening of the Locust Project's latest exhibit An Uneven Floor. I know I was suppose to be focused on the uneven shapes and texture of the carpet, but instead I stood joyfully watching the children roll down the bright pink hills of carpet. Hills being a rarity in Miami, it was beautiful to see happy children understanding art by experiencing it, not just observing it.


Leyden Rodriquez-Casanova

Luckily, I got a chance to meet the artist, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova. I was thinking more about the color than the shapes, so I asked him why he chose the color pink. He said pink was autobiographical. He explained that growing up he was surrounded by the color pink, even living in pink houses.

I also met Monica de Miguel, Assistant to the Director of Locust Project. When I asked about repurposing the materials after the exhibit, she said the carpet would be donated to a charity and they would save and reuse the plywood that supports undersurface. Yeah!

The exhibit will be installed until February 20. Conversation with the artist will be February 11 at 6:30 at the Locust Projects. Check it out and let me know your thoughts...

nancymartini.com

The Vogels: Epitome of Self-Truth

Last night I saw Herb & Dorothy, a fascinating documentary film by Megumi Sasaki. It's a love story on many levels. A couple who is devoted to each other and their passion for art. Choosing art from their hearts, brave and focussed, they purchased from artists either unknown or unrecognized for over forty years. To many artists they have become like family because of their understanding of the work and their shared love for new expression. Collecting only from New York, their home town, on meager wages and living in a tiny apartment they were able to create a collection worth millions. Not only did I find this film inspiring, I found the Vogels to be a perfect example of what it means to be completely true to yourself.

See the Vogel Collection at the National Gallery of Art. Oh, by the way... they donated their collection.

nancymartini.com

Yes, its just shoes

I went to MIA last weekend and my favorite exhibit was done by Federico Uribe from Columbia. He uses ordinary objects to create his work. With shoes, rakes, etc. he created an entire forest exhibited at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The exhibit had a lot of bits and pieces (shoe laces that had to be placed one by one) that had to be assemble on site. I would love to find out how long and how many people it took to install.

The message is about about how people try to control nature with a false sense of security, but undeniably we are powerless against mother nature and her destruction.

His process introduces the idea of using materials differently. I love his work; I only wish he used reclaimed materials to further impact his message.

nancymartini.com

Support Environment or Wave it Goodbye

A page from my sketchbook...

The Fat Lady Sang

My ongoing sketchbook... My assigned theme: The End of the World. Check out my other sketches at the arthouse. Please help me come up with more ideas. I have around forty pages to fill by December. Thanks!

The Sketchbook Project

I recently discovered ArtHouse Co-op. It's an online artist group that has ongoing projects. I liked what they are doing and decided to sign-up to do a sketchbook. They collect all the sketchbooks and have a library where you can check them out. I loved their idea and wanted to support them even though I really had no business adding another project to my life. Anyway, I signed-up and received my theme. When I received my theme, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I had this vision of an uplifting fun project, a way to contribute to the community. I came real close to not doing the sketchbook because the theme was so depressing. I waited a few days and when my sketchbook arrived in the mail, I decided to jump in and make the best of it. I am so glad I did. I am having a lot of fun meeting other artists who are doing sketchbooks as well. My assigned theme is: The End of the World. What would you sketch?

Upcycling: The Greener Path

Reduce, reuse and recycle are three words that haunt me everyday. How can I use less? What can I do to reuse what I already have? And, what more can be recycled? Now, the latest environmentally conscious word “upcycle” has proven to be even more of a challenge. It is easy to understand the process of recycling by means of breaking down a material then using that material to make something new. However, the idea of creating a second life for a package or product from its inception is a complex concept that needs more explaining and exploring. More on Brainzooming...