Friday, December 26, 2014

Mural by Paola Villasenor at SDAI and Art Fair Miami






I had a chance to view the mural by Paola Villaseñor Panca at San Diego Art Institute gala fundraiser and found myself very, very attracted to it. I was not put off by the subject matter, but instead attracted to the wonderful colors and the excellent composition. So I had to ask myself why I was not more put off by the view of naked women eating a fallen companion. This really intrigued me. Why did I like this so much?

I started to analyze what I was seeing and realized that the almost cartoon nature of the drawing eliminated the serious nature of the content. We all see cartoons like Superman and Spiderman where blood is graphically depicted and looses some of the realistic nature that would make it scary.

The subject of women with blood is one which women deal with from puberty and the site of blood and the female is a very natural one, Women bled almost all of their lives. I think that is another reason I could accept this subject matter with all women in the image. The absence of men seems significant.

I had a bit more trouble wondering about the eating aspect, and I know that could be a challenge to many. But art should challenge us. I am an optimist and I choose to see the subject in a positive way. I saw women surviving by devouring the wisdom of the group.  I heard others say it was a metaphor for the blood of Christ but I am not Christian so this did not resonate with me. Someone else thought it was reflective of the recent be-heading in the middle-east. And I think many others have made other suggestions.  These ideas including my own are more reflective of the viewer than the artist perhaps, but once a work it made and put on view, then it is in the domain of the viewer.

My suggestion is to go and see the image yourself. SDAI has arranged a wonderful changing light that make the work glow with energy. The work is up for only a few months and then I understand there are plans for a whole series of artist to create murals in this fabulous space. SDAI is the premier display site for living artists in Balboa Park.


We would’ve gotten you a Warhol but your grades weren’t good enough. Lisa Levy's "Thoughts in my Head # 50 (Warhol)" 2014 at Schroeder Romero


December in Miami is art fair month and I had a blast looking at the images from the different fairs. I had no idea there were so many as you have about 10 just in Miami Beach including the grand daddy Art Basel Miami Beach plus Aqua, Scope, Select Untitled etc. and then all the mainland fairs as well  I have decided to post a selection of some of my favorite works and there is a complete list of fair with links and some more slide shows at the end of this blog. 

From Art Basel:

Alison Knowles Four Shours, 2011

Broadway 1602

Franklin Parrasch Gallery.

Galerie Rodolphe Janssen

Hirschl & Adler Modern.

Hrair Sarkissian Homesick, 2014

MOT International

Nathalie Djurberg Bonute with Purple Glaze 2013

 Plaster raindrops by Urs Fischer give Sadie Coles's

Take Ninagawa

 Two Palms

Will Cotton Elle with Cupcakes, 2014

From Spectrum

Sarah Steiber with Sergott Contemporary Art

From Red Dot

Sergott Contemporary Art





From Design Miami
Carolline Van Hoeck

Gallery Antonella Villanova

Magen H Gallery.j


From Miami Projects
Kasher Potamkin Gallery Maurizo Galante, porcelain, hand embroidered cockator parrot freathers of organza with glass meads.jpg

ProjectsMargaret Bowland at Driscoll Babcok Galleries
From Pulse

Beers Contemporary.jpg

Poulsen, Jean  Pierre Roy Macraherence

Bransten Gallery Munlz, album Booting


 From Scope
 Inner State Gallery

Primo Marella Gallery

Rush Arts Gallery
From Untitled
plaster-on-books sculpture by Jonathan Callan at Josée Bienvenu

Marco Maggi's Putin's Pencils at the Josée Bienvenu Gallery

Marlborough Chelsea tony Mateilli, Arrangement 3, 2014

Threewalls





Miami Beach Art Fairs Enjoy this video of 60 views in 60 seconds at Art Basel Miami Beach   |   Aqua Art Miami   |    Design Miami   |   Ink Miami   |  Enjoy this video of 60 views in 60 seconds of NADA Art Fair PULSE Miami   |   SELECT   |   Scope Miami   |   Untitled. Art Fair Miami Beach
Miami Art Fairs Art Miami   |   ArtSpot   |   Concept-Fair   |   CONTEXT   |   Fridge Art Fair   |   Miami Photo Salon   |   Miami Project   |   Miami River Art Fair  |  Pinta  |  PRIZM  |  Red Dot Miami  |  Sculpt Miami  |  Spectrum

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