A. I. Limes

The Swiftest Thing We Know

2010-12-09T23:59:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow - Friday, December 10th-Katie, Jess and I will be having a showing of work we've created during our internship at the Women's Studio. Katie and I have got one more week in this idyllic setting, and the nostalgia for the past six months is already settling in. It's been so amazing here.

Hope you can make it out to the Women's Studio!

Be Well!

(photos of work and the opening to come)
-And above image was screenprint and letterpress printed in an edition of fifty - I love the Chandler & Price.

Save the WSW Art Farm

2010-12-02T12:28:00.002-05:00

WSW is in need of your votes.

WHAT YOU'RE VOTING FOR

WSW's Art Farm project was developed to grow and harvest experimental and traditional fibers for hand papermaking. Fibers at WSW find their way into sculptural projects, handmade paper is used in artists books and prints, and our paper-making vats are always full during our Summer Arts Institute and Art-in-Education programs.

In 2009 WSW began work clearing land, in 2010 AmeriCorps volunteers, in partnership with SCA, assisted Art Farm with over 30 volunteers to fence in the new site and make it safer for educational use.

Pepsi Challenge Grant Money will allow us to:

* Build an access road to the new plot
* Haul in topsoil, manure, and other soil improvements
* Hire an Americorps Volunteer to plant a crop for 2011
* Build an education pavilion that will act as a dedicated space for kids classes in the summer, and for drying and processing the plant material.

HOW TO VOTE

1. Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/wswartfarm

2. Create an account and sign in using your email and password.
(PS: We can tell you firsthand, Pepsi won't send you spam!)

3. Starting December 1st, in the upper right corner of the website, in the spot with the magnifying glass, type "WSW" or "ArtFarm" to search for us, or go straight to the page:
www.refresheverything.com/wswartfarm

4. VOTE DAILY UNTIL DECEMBER 31st

5. Tell all of your friends to vote, too!

6. Want to vote on the go? Vote from your mobile phone!
Text* 104626 to Pepsi (73774) * Standard text messaging rates apply)

Sustain the Art Farm. Sustain WSW. Please Vote.

Second State Press: Grand Opening Dec. 18th!

2010-11-22T17:33:00.004-05:00

Philadelphia’s new non-profit communal printmaking workshop.

Located in the Crane Arts Building, Second State Press is Philadelphia’s new non-profit communal printmaking workshop whose mission is to foster the development of ideas and innovation in printmaking by providing artists with a professional, affordable, and supportive workspace. SSP will advance the growth of a sustainable printmaking community by offering professional facilities through membership, affordable communal workspace for emerging and mid-career artists, educational print programming and professional development opportunities. Second State Press aims to be an anchor in the Philadelphia arts community.

Second State Press will provide artists with a professional studio with presses, basic tools and inks, workspace for designing and executing prints, and flat files to store work and materials. By providing artists with the appropriate space and facilities, we are encouraging printmakers to explore & cultivate new work and engage in artistic dialogue with fellow peers in the Philadelphia arts community.

Facilities will support the following printmaking mediums:

* Intaglio
* Relief
* Screenprinting
* Lithograhpy
* Letterpress

Currently, Second State Press is in the process of obtaining its 501(c)3 non-profit status and designing the space to fit the needs of the printmaking community. The Opening event is scheduled for Saturday, December 18th 2010.

____________________________________
Second State Press
1400 N. American Street
Basement Level
Philadelphia, PA 19122
info@secondstatepress.org

NYC Art Book Fair Extravaganza!!!

2010-11-05T01:19:00.004-04:00

The Women's Studio Workshop along with over two hundred other publishers, and organizations will be gathering at PS1 this weekend to celebrate art and the book !

There will be lectures, performances, ZINE TRADING!, book signings, and project rooms - read up on the specifics at the NY Art Book Fair site.

MoMA PS1
22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101

Thursday, November 4, 2010, PREVIEW, 6pm - 9pm
Friday/Saturday, November 5-6, 2010, 11am - 7pm
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 11am - 5pmFriday - Sunday.

I'll be there along with other WSW interns, Jess and Katie so stop by and give us a visit! (2nd Floor, Section "O," Table 4)

Second State Press

2010-10-23T00:15:00.007-04:00

Second State Press or SSP is a new non-profit print shop located in the basement of Philadelphia's beautiful Crane Arts Building on 1400 N. American St.. Finally a place to print, and a new outlet for engaging in the Philadelphia print community.

The print shop boasts silkscreen, lithography, relief and intaglio equipment, as well as flat file and screen storage that can be rented monthly.

For $40, the annual membership benefits include:

-Opportunity to rent studio time by an hourly block or by month
-Option to rent storage and flat file space
-Discount on classes
-Invitations to special events, artist talks, demonstrations and exhibitions
-Monthly newsletter featuring member updates (current exhibitions, new editions) & other professional development opportunities in the Philadelphia region
-Member websites or blogs linked to Second State Press’s website

To learn more about membership click here.

SSP also offers a unique and competitive FOB Holder program.

If chosen, Fob Holders have unlimited access to the workspace in exchange for working 12 hours a week for SSP. Each of the FOB Holders will be given unlimited access to the facilities, storage for their materials, and exposure to other artists at varying stages in their careers. FOB holders will play a key role in the day-to-day function of SSP by assisting other members, making sure that the shop runs smoothly, and manage the monitor schedule. They will be ambassadors to the shop and will need to be knowledgeable in various printmaking processes.

If you are interested in becoming a FOB Holder, please email info@secondstatepress.org with your resume, artist statement, 10 images (or a link to your website or blog) and answer the following questions:

1. Why would you like to participate in the FOB Holder Program?

2. How will this opportunity affect your career goals and future plans?

3. What do you propose to do while you are at Second State Press?

To learn more about Second State Press visit on the second Thursday of every month from 6-9 p.m. You can also become a member for a special introductory discounted rate.

Support your local printmakers!

WSW's having a WAYZGOOSE!!

2010-10-14T17:10:00.005-04:00

So, what does that mean?

"Wayzgoose is a traditional printer’s holiday, marking the end of the summer season when they could work by natural light alone. In the old days, printers would cook a stubble goose, tap a keg and feed their workers and friends. It was a day of celebration before the long winter ahead."

Celebrate Printmaking, celebrate the change of season, celebrate the Women's Studio Workshop!

WSW’s first-ever Wayzgoose party will be held:

Sunday October 17
Doors open at 5 PM.
The Stockade Tavern
313 Fair St. Kingston, NY
The party includes live printing demos, and music from three amazing bands: Dill Dotson & the Chupacabra Kings, The Spring Standards, and Lucius.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Call: 845-658-9133 for pre-sale tickets and information

TEDxPhilly APPLY!

2010-10-13T20:03:00.005-04:00

TEDxPhilly has been officially scheduled for:

Thursday, November 18, 2010
Perelman Theater,The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
260 South Broad Street
(Avenue of the Arts)
Philadelphia, PA

The event features the following speakers:

Jay Coen Gilbert - Co-founder of B Lab
Nic Esposito - Sustainable Urban Activist
Billie Faircloth - Research Director, KieranTimberlake
Tanya Hamilton - Writer/Director, Night Catches Us
Simon Hauger - West Philly Hybrid X Team
Chris Lehmann - Founding Principal, Science Leadership Academy
Evan Malone - Founder, NextFab Studio
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz - Author & Poet
Iyad Obeid - Director of the Neural Instrumentation Laboratory at Temple University
Stephen Powers - A Love Letter for You
Ursula Rucker - Poet & Performance Artist
Michael Solomonov - Chef & Co-owner, Zahav
Zoe Strauss - Executive Director, Philadelphia Public Art Project
Stanford Thompson - Director, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's Tune Up Philly
....and more to come!

Tickets are $75, and for those of us who aren't able to cover the cost, there is an opportunity for scholarships and discounted rates.

Become an active and more informed member of your community Philadelphians!! Here's your chance!

Apply HERE!

Printeresting + AS220

2010-10-03T21:48:00.004-04:00

Printeresting and AS220 of Providence, RI are joining forces in order to publish an edition of prints -possibly YOUR prints if your project is accepted! The edition will be produced by Printeresting and printed at AS220. The edition has been limited to the mode of screen printing - and the idea should cater to that.

Learn more HERE! The deadline for submissions is October 20, 2010

Recent Drawings

2010-08-23T19:26:00.009-04:00

Drawing upon a shift in ideas, i have been developing images which use elements in landscape - geological formations, and water- and domestic tools -rope, and barriers- to create narratives. These abstracted scenes make statements that parallel my impressions of human nature and nature itself; specifically, our need to control, and our need for support.

Something to look forward to: TedxPhilly

2010-08-15T11:07:00.004-04:00

Ted - the non-profit organization that has acted as an indispensable resource by hosting conferences that focus on a plethora of subject matter (featuring intellectuals like, Joshua Prince Ramus, Isabel Allende, just to name a few favorites), and provides recordings of them FREE via their website www.ted.com - is coming to Philadelphia!

or more specifically, Tedx is coming to Philadelphia.

"TEDx is a new program that enables local communities such as schools, businesses, libraries, neighborhoods or just groups of friends to organize, design and host their own independent, TED-like events."

The Tedx Philly event is tentatively set for November 18, 2010 - details have yet to be shared, but you can follow and get involved by joining their google group via their website.

Learn more about the Tedx application process and guidelines.

Idealist

2010-08-15T10:27:00.004-04:00

www.Idealist.org - A resource for job, volunteer, and internship listings at non-profit arts organizations worldwide.

Here's what they are all about:

"Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives."

They have listings in the arts, education, environmental rights, human rights, agriculture, academia, and so much more.

Signing up is free and you can opt for a mailing that sifts through all the information and caters to your specifications. It's also an outlet for your organization to post listings and events.

Onward!

Order it to obey you...

2010-08-09T18:30:00.009-04:00

Feeling the need for inspiration, and the equal need to connect with loved ones - I came across a poem by Pablo Neruda in his Anthology of Odes, which demanded that we take hold of the present...

And so, I created cards which could be mailed away and reach friends and family better than my thoughts ever could.

The 4x4 cards incorporate screen print and letterpress text printed on the Vandercook, and offers an english and spanish translation of the poem.

__________

Este presente [momento]…
…Cogelo,
que no resbale,
que no se pierda en suenos
ni palabras
agarralo,
sujetalo,
y ordendalo
hasta que te obedezca…

Extraido de Oda al Presente, Pablo Neruda.

+++++

This present moment…
…Grab it.
Don’t let it slip away
Don’t lose it in dreams
Or words
Clutch it.
Tie it,
And order it
To obey you…

Excerpt from Ode to the Present, Pablo Neruda.

___________

I hope the card can act as a catalyst to dormant ideas awaiting realization.

Dia: Beacon

2010-07-18T08:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, Katie Ford and I took a trip up to Beacon, NY -where she will be installing a work on Main Street available for viewing in August- and for some inspiration at the Dia Art Foundation.

Dia holds an amazing collection of works from artists of the 60's and 70's: Martin, Beuys, Judd, Smithson, Heizer, Bourgeois, Serra and rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists. It was the first museum where I didn't leave exhausted, or feel congested and frazzled due to a tight layout. Apparently, each room was designed specifically for the pieces therein, (or vice versa) and so you'll find plenty of breathing room to enjoy and study each work.

The museum, originally a printing factory for Nabisco boxes, is located against the banks of the Hudson river and is surrounded by expanses of natural greenery. The interior light pours in through hundreds of skylights, making everyone and everything glow beautifully.

I can't shake the feeling I got from Judd's "Untitled" series of wooden boxes, or how it felt to walk inside and around Serra's sculpture.

Searching for a pattern in literature and life.

2010-04-26T15:44:00.010-04:00

At the risk of falling deeper into my cerebral world, I have decided to read all of Murakami's novels and short stories, or at least everything that has been translated into English. I will also be rotating one art history/theory text with every Murakami book in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of this "art" world I'm entering into.

After reading three of Murakami's novels - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, and Norwegian Wood - I figured why stop there?
It is as if I can travel to the places in his stories, and from one novel to the next I even notice familiarities. Like becoming comfortable with a new surrounding. There are even commonalities in the characters, as if he is searching for the same thing, via different bodies and personalities.

It may sound mundane, to find a similarity from one book to the next, but really it just proves to me that, among cohesion - there is something to search for. What that is, I'm still trying to articulate.

It leads me to recall a lecture Paul and I attended by the architect and Principal of Morphosis - Thom Mayne. While he discussed his work and theory (or more accurately lack thereof)I was struck most by his mention of the "disruptive pattern." To elaborate, a disruptive pattern is similar to when you have ideas -many of them - and there is no one appropriate, neatly chronological slot to execute them in. Instead ideas realize themselves amongst disruptions, when the opportunity presents itself.

A reflection of that pattern may be what I am searching for in the lives of Murakami's characters - or really maybe I'm most interested in the fact that his stories can spark this sort of intrigue in me.

Either way this is all ambiguous but I'll be posting feedback on the books I've read- Murakami and art related.

Myungwon Kim

2010-04-26T15:00:00.012-04:00

Myungwon Kim, an extremely talented and sweet Graduate student of Temple University's Tyler School of Art is having her M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition.

As a printmaker, Kim takes the medium of Lithography to great heights, and great scale. Using her hair and body to create her marks she brings a freshness and power to her gestures. As Benjamin Genocchio of the N.Y. Times said of her work, " she seems to be developing a starkly original voice in Lithography, an age-old technique that is all but moribund. She makes simple yet beautiful abstract prints that can look like...the meandering movement of oil mixed with water..."

Opening Reception:
Friday, April 30, 2010/6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Tyler School of Art Temple Gallery
12th and Norris Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19122

So come out, enjoy her work, and celebrate!

Read the full New York Times review .

(photo courtesy of Myungwon's blog)

Women's Studio Workshop

2010-04-26T12:45:00.007-04:00

In the town of Rosendale, NY - nested amongst the Shawangunk Mountains , with views of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River Valley, the Women's Studio Workshop (WSW) has dedicated itself to enriching the lives of artists and the community. The non-profit organization does this through an array of classes and workshops focusing on ceramics, printmaking and paper-making; and offers internship and artist residency opportunities.

I am fortunate enough to have been awarded a six month Studio Internship Residency at the WSW that began in June, with an opportunity to stay on for a year. Here, I will assist in the daily needs of the studios, aid in workshops and classes, and help in production of our Artist's projects - all while having access to studios to create a new body of work!

I'll keep you updated!

-

Yann Martel @ the Free Library

2010-04-10T09:32:00.005-04:00

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 4:00PM
Free Library, 1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Bank of America Main Stage: Auditorium
Yann Martel discusses his new book Beatrice & Virgil.

Martel is the author of The Life of Pi. Like many, I am a big fan of this book and his use of animals in his novels.

Why does he use animals you ask?

"...because they help me tell my tale. People are cynical about people, but less so about wild animals. A rhinoceros dentist elicits less skepticism, in some ways, than a German dentist. I also use animals in my fiction because people rarely see animals as they truly are, biologically. Rather, they tend to project human traits onto them, seeing nobility in one species, cowardice in another, and so on. This is biological nonsense, of course; every species is and behaves as it needs to in order to survive. But this animal-as-canvas quality is useful for a storyteller. It means that an animal that people feel kindly towards becomes a character that readers feel kindly towards..."
- Yann Martel

Come see what he has to say about his new novel!

Martel's talk is only one part in a lecture series compiled for the Free Library Festival. For more information on lectures and festival events visit The Free Library Website.

"No (hu)man is an island." - John Donne

2010-04-09T13:19:00.004-04:00

No man is an island

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

-John Donne

I have been writing a statement meant to encompass my work, and I thought this poem expressed the main idea of my concepts perfectly. We are humankind, connected even through our independence.

Kate McDowell

2010-04-07T19:23:00.005-04:00

Some of the most beautiful work I've laid eyes upon.

Check out more of McDowell's work here.

Museum of Modern Art Adds @ Symbol to Design Collection

2010-03-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

Museum of Modern Art Adds @ Symbol to Design Collection

A Guide to Philadelphia Thrift Stores

2010-03-25T16:39:00.004-04:00

Wanting to expand beyond the thrift shops of South Street, I embarked on a search for Philadelphia's finest. Luckily, I didn't have to look far because CULTUREMOB already made a list!! And so here is the link, enjoy those vintage finds. Listed below are a selection of some that stood out:

SUGARCUBE
124 North 3rd Street
Old City Philadelphia, PA 19106

Topstitch
54 n. 3rd st
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Clothing Swap!

2010-03-25T14:07:00.007-04:00

Hawthorne Yoga studio located at 1241 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, 19147, is hosting its Quarterly Clothing Swap. Clean out your closet and enjoy the prospect of not only minimalizing clutter, but of gaining some awesome second hand clothing. If any items from your batch remains, they will be donated to Circle Thrift, 1125 S. Broad Street.

Join in on:

April 11
July 11
Oct 10

2:00 – 4:00pm and it's free! :)

Robert Rivers

2010-03-24T21:41:00.006-04:00

I had the honor of being taught by Robert Rivers at the University of Central Florida. He coached me on the marvel of pedimente, the figure, line, and space. He's certainly an impressive man, with an equally impressive body of work. Please visit his new website: www.robertrivers.com

Women in Pop Art at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia

2010-01-22T08:13:00.007-05:00

U. Arts' Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery is holding an exhibition of female artists - such as Marisol Escobar, Rosalyn Drexler, and Chryssa, whose importance have been overlooked to big Pop names like Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Oldenburg. Sid Sachs, the director of the gallery acquired the pieces for the show over a period of six years.

An article describing the exhibition can be found here, and information regarding gallery hours and directions, as well as information about a two day symposium focusing on the discussion of Women in Pop Art can be found on U'Art's site.

Philagrafika 2010: All Hail the Print!

2010-01-20T08:23:00.005-05:00

"Philadelphia's international festival dedicated to celebrating the print in contemporary art" and possibly one of the first of this scale to do so!

The celebration lives on January 29 through April. Events will take place at various galleries, academic institutions,and public spaces in Philadelphia- they will be in the form of exhibitions, lectures, workshops, conferences, print swaps!, and book bombings! To find a a detailed calendar visit Philagrafika.

One of my favorite, and one of the more historical sites participating will be the Print Center, the first gallery in the U.S. dedicated to the art of the print. Working in conjunction with Philagrafika - they will be offering Print Swaps with Printeresting, Print Origami workshop with Space 1026, Books coming to life through performance, and for one day they will be closing off the 1600 block of Latimer St. for a site specific art installation- and giving everyone the opportunity to design their own t-shirts!!

Join the Celebration!

Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki

2010-01-19T18:58:00.004-05:00

I was recently clued in by a friend about Hawthorne, it is a pay what you can yoga studio, that asks that you pay $5- $15 a session, or $50- $100 a month, depending on your financial situation. Their belief is that everyone should be able to participate, regardless of the size of their paycheck, a big relief from the pricey yoga studios of center city.

The studio is located at 1241 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, 19147 - more info can be found on their website.

I hope to become a regular of this place - and to see you there!

Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success | Video on TED.com

2010-01-10T00:27:00.001-05:00

I'm currently reading de Botton's Architecture of Happiness - and Paul turned me on to his ted talk- he makes some great points about the concept of success, and how we should aim to reevaluate it.
Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success | Video on TED.com

Photos from the Opening!

2010-01-09T18:49:00.008-05:00

Opening Reception of Collections was a success, great turnout and a good time had by all. Here are some photos of our set-up. If you missed the opening feel free to come in during our open hours, January 8-22nd, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 12:00- 5:00 p.m. (1027 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19123).

"Held", Ashley Ivonne Limes

Jenna Eagan

"The Winged Collection," Christina Smith

"With You in Mind," Sarah Kodish-Eskind

Collections Press Release- If you missed the opening stop by during our open hours!

2010-01-09T18:37:00.002-05:00

We Welcome You to a Collection...

Opening Reception:
January 8, 2010
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
1027 Ridge Ave, Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA, 19123

Gallery Hours: January 8-22nd
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday

... of Collections created by recent Tyler School of Art graduates, Jenna Eagan, Sarah Kodish-Eskind, Ashley Ivonne Limes, and Christina Smith. Sharing common ground as Printmakers, each artist gives variation to the method.

Jenna Eagan, Disposable

Eagan's textiles and wearable forms explore issues of warfare, and suggest the importance of adornment in war, and its use to intimidate and manipulate. Simultaneously, she hints at how we as civilians use clothing in a similar fashion. Her subjects include soldiers and warriors from varying war eras, such as Native Americans and colonial generals. Her etchings and screen prints on leather, and hand dyed natural fabrics make the materials she prints on just as important as the imagery used. She believes the organic nature of the materials to be an important part of the ephemeral nature of our "domestic armor". Her collection focuses on a series of vests, banners, and large scale prints on paper.

Sarah Kodish-Eskind, With You In Mind

With You In Mind is a series of documentary photographs. They show custom-designed temporary tattoos applied to the bodies of individuals who participated in a conversation process. The conversations explored people's personal symbols and ideas, their free associations. Sarah Kodish-Eskind designed and applied the drawings that represent these moments of conversation, the symbols we attach to our lives. They mimic the boldness of a real tattoo, but are really just a momentary reveal. There is an innate curiosity beneath this work: How do people describe the universal concepts of temporality and permanence in their lives? Conversation is temporary - how do you make it a little more permanent?

Ashley Ivonne Limes, Held

Limes' series of large scale silk screens and gouache painted banners focus on her longing to communicate a connection between herself and her environment. Influenced by the multi perspectival landscapes of traditional Japanese scrolls, the artist invents her own organizational systems of color and form to express her version of the world around her. Within this alternate perspective we encounter scenes and arrangements that the artist has imagined. Through these scenes and scapes, Limes seeks to remind us of what holds us together. She does this by focusing on three principle themes - the rock, the stick, and the rope - whose symbolic value evolve throughout the development of the series.

Christina Smith, The Winged Rabbit

Smith's series explores the relation of femininity and fertility in religious imagery and comments on the redundant nature of certain styles, such as the dramatic arabesque and romantically themed designs used during the Rococo era. She accomplished this through the primary method of silkscreening on fabric, adding subtle accents with needle and thread. The prints are then transformed into three dimensional trompe l'oeil structures, such as her canopy piece where one can lay on a floor of handmade and printed pillows to gaze up at playful winged creatures. The show focuses on a collection of various prints featuring winged rabbits and rabbit eared cherubs, as well as a small collection of assembled sculptures.

For questions or comments please contact us at question.collecting@gmail.com .

"Held"

2009-12-26T23:56:00.009-05:00

On January 8, 2010 Sarah Kodish-Eskind, Jenna Eagan, Christina Smith and I will be participating in a collective show. Along with the bodies of work of the above mentioned artists I will be displaying a series of work titled "Held," on display at the Second Floor, 1027 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121.

Please join us at the Opening Reception January 8 from 5 - 9 p.m. there will be tea, wine, beer and light fare.

Sarah Kodish-Eskind

Christina Smith

Jenna Eagan

I am close to Close.

2009-12-04T10:59:00.005-05:00

I am happy to say that after 4.5 years of undergraduate study, I feel good, prepared, and ready for something more.

I don't think I could have said that a semester ago. But something shifted, that feeling possibly helped on by the wonderful people I have become closer to, and my own recognition of my progress and abilities (and my lack therein).

While I know success, (although my definition of it is still developing) will not come instantaneously I look forward to the march. May we all continue moving forward, and may we also leave room for changing direction.

Space 1026: Black Sunday Flea Market

2009-11-25T11:51:00.005-05:00

Flea Market time!

For those of you out there who aren't bound to school work, please attend! One of a kind Holiday gifts, and treats for yourself too.

Cai Guo-Qiang at the PMA

2009-11-25T11:44:00.005-05:00

Cai Guo-Qiang will be performing his gun powder drawings at the PMA Dec 11th. The PMA, in conjunction with the Fabric Workshop Museum, will be exhibiting his work, Fallen Blossoms and Time Scroll. Come on out!

Pepon Osorio: Educational Forum

2009-11-17T14:46:00.003-05:00

“My principal commitment as an artist is to return art to the community." - Pepon Osorio

Fleisher Gallery, Philadelphia is hosting a forum with artist Pepon Osorio this Friday, from 5:30-7:30. Read on for more information on Fleisher's Website

Watch his ART:21 interview here.

Soothing to my anxious soul

2009-11-16T12:58:00.003-05:00

J. (Josh) Tillman, a master of sweet sadness, and member of Fleet Foxes is performing at the First Unitarian Church tomorrow evening- and while I can't go, I will try my best to be equally satisfied listening to him at home. :)

let your soul be soothed here.

New Directions

2009-11-14T22:00:00.008-05:00

I have been working with some new forms- translating my ideas on land into sculptural drawings and prints. Here is a small preview. I plan on continuing with this exploration, and if I get the six month Women's Studio Workshop Studio Internship I applied for, I will be able to dedicate half a year to more visual research.

cross your fingers.

"Shelter" Screenprint on Canvas, twine, and stone, 7' x 9', November 2009.

"Space and Shelter," layered mylar, gouache, pins, structured paper, 30" x 40", November, 2009.

I have also updated my website, check it out here.

Nancy Spero

2009-10-20T21:51:00.003-04:00

"I am interested in messages ,and if people want to take something from them I am thrilled of course."- Spero, Protest: Art:21.

Spero passed away on Sunday, October 18-

Throughout her oeuvre she focused on issues of feminism, and the "insanity of war." Her small scale prints, drawings, and collages acted as a retort to hierarchy and the grandiose, proving that she could provide power and equality on a "microscopic" scale. Among being an important figure in the human rights and feminist movement, she also helped set a new standard for women artists in a male-dominated field.

One only hopes that her influence will never be stifled.

Keep the message alive by learning more about Nancy and her work on ART:21 and read her obituary here.

PRINTERESTING!

2009-10-04T14:29:00.003-04:00

While looking for some inspiration on the web, I came across PRINTERESTING a blog devoted to posting about contemporary printmaking. It's a great way to learn about how flexible the medium is, and how others interpret it.

Makes me excited to be graduating soon! Independent projects!

Check it out!

Low-Tech and Calder's Circus

2009-09-22T13:17:00.004-04:00

In the hierarchy of technology - low-tech at times receives little respect. Shiny, geometric, and seamless are preferred.

However, there is a sort of charm in the disregard to ninety degree angles, to the touch of a hand, and mechanics made by simple means...

I have recently worked on a diorama based on a family member's rooms, made solely of paper. While my piece was reviewed, Calder's Circus was referenced.

enjoy- (and images of the diorama and other new work will be posted on my website by the end of this month).

Criterion Dungeon

2009-08-18T18:56:00.004-04:00

So i have a netflix account and I spend countless hours trying to figure out what to watch next. I just came across a great website the Criterion Dungeon- which gives links to movie lists with descriptions that were hand chosen by critics and movie distributors like the Criterion Collection, and many unheard of names like Dokument.

Check it out, narrow down your search, or something more likely- complicate it.

500 Words

2009-08-18T11:24:00.004-04:00

I am a big fan of ArtForum and I have to say that I enjoy their website more than their magazine because I get to bypass the complex maze of advertisements and get straight to their articles.

500 Words is a section where a current topic is discussed within five hundred words. So when you're not in the mood to spend your morning delving into one topic, you can read about several and decide what you want to research further.

A favorite of mine from their recent articles is on Vincent Fecteau, a Sculptor who helped curate a show of older- and rarely seen works from the depths of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's storage facility. The underlying theme of the show focused on the pieces themselves and how they interacted with one another- as well as how the works chosen reflected the ideals of the Artist who chose them.

Read on here.

Discovery

2009-08-09T13:20:00.001-04:00

So Insane

NYFA Seminar hosted by Vox Populi Philadelphia FULL- Tuesday seminar scheduled at Fleisher Memorial

2009-08-05T17:39:00.003-04:00

The Seminar filled up quickly at Vox Populi- here's the link to sign up for the NYFA seminar hosted by Fleisher Memorial Tuesday, August 11th, 6-8 p.m.

Don't miss out!

NYFA Seminar hosted by Vox Populi Philadelphia

2009-08-05T17:17:00.003-04:00

Come out to this free seminar Monday, August 10th. The New York Foundation for the Arts will be discussing artist opportunities and career technicalities- as well as reviewing grant writing, among other things. Not only would this be a great place to network, but it'd really lend a hand to those of us who are a bit lost outside of the realm of school.

Come out to Vox Populi Gallery
319 North 11th Street
3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA19107

You can RSVP for the seminar here.

Hope to see you there :).

What to read next?

2009-07-20T20:26:00.003-04:00

Just to add a bit of direction to the sometimes endless act of searching through the stacks...

Bookforum.com - an offshoot from the creators of Artforum, offers a wide range of reviews and lists of new and old books. One of my favorite sections is "syllabi" - in which scholars compose a list of text that pertain to a certain subject like "doubt" or " being an artist."

ch-ch-check it out!

Paper Constructions

2009-07-15T21:35:00.003-04:00

Creating a three-dimensional space by using a two-dimensional plane, has become a recent interest of mine. Here's an artist who creates her own ephemeral landscapes with paper that were based off of ink drawings.

Mia Pearlman

Black Lines

2009-06-14T19:54:00.004-04:00

The instance that inspired Nabokov's literary masterpiece Lolita was this:

"A newspaper story about an ape in the Jardin les Plantes, who, after months of coaxing by a scientist, produced the first drawing ever charcoaled by an animal:this sketch showed the bars of the poor creature's cage." - Nabokov,Lolita: Afterword, 1940

Pay attention, and allow yourself to be overcome by even the smallest things- they could be the catalyst you need to affect others, to affect yourself.

Anna Schuleit

2009-06-13T22:29:00.004-04:00

" What I would secretly like to become is a scryer. Well-- I think artists explore, advocates protest,and eulogists heal. I'm interested in all of that."
- Schuleit, MacDowell Colony, 2006.

A woman who references the past to heal those in the present- she takes her art into many forms, from installations of a sea of flowers, to beautiful abstract figural studies. Take a look at her work here.

Charlie Rose

2009-06-13T21:52:00.002-04:00

Paul turned me on to the streaming videos of Charlie Rose's interviews, which I've found to be a fantastic resource to learn more about contemporary figures; and more related to my field, Artists.

Visit the site, learn about the world, and how people aim to change, and help it. And then go do something yourself!

A short summation on the relevance of art in society.

2009-05-26T22:42:00.005-04:00

Art emphasizes the "importance of the visual medium as a site for the grounding of a given culture's truths." -Charles Barber, "The Truth in Painting: Iconoclasm and Identity in Early-Medieval Art."

Although the above quotation was used in reference to Medieval aniconic and iconic religious works, it can be applied universally across each spectrum of art.

Whether the truth of a culture be that of a compositional discovery like perspective, an emphasis on the veracity of emotion, or of religion; Art acts as a basis to communicate those truths.

Just one of the many things Art is capable of.

Updated Website!

2009-05-22T23:06:00.002-04:00

I've added more images to my site. Take a look, enjoy and all feedback is appreciated, especially criticism- it's the only way for me to grow!

www.ailimes.com

"Protect Me From What I Want."- Jenny Holzer

2009-05-01T22:02:00.001-04:00

Text - where less is ALWAYS more.

Jenny Holzer is certainly a woman who has become a master of this.

I respect those who can hit so many chords with a minimal amount of diction. (see my point- i'm wordy) She is never concise, but with less-gives the impression of doing so. She evokes- which at least in this case- is more valuable.

Jill Bolte Taylor

2009-04-30T00:28:00.000-04:00

you may ask yourself- how did i get here?

2009-04-28T22:35:00.001-04:00

Can't get this song out of my head

2009-04-28T08:19:00.001-04:00

So I thought I might try to get it into yours.

Artista Gabriel Orozco on beauty

2009-04-23T10:50:00.003-04:00

"Beauty?? I don't use the word anymore. Never. It's not that the thing itself is beautiful. It's the relationship that you establish that makes something beautiful. And so the word 'beautiful' is not an absolute. It's a moment, I would say. It's more like a moment in which you look at something and you feel alive, you feel that you are enjoying something. And that is a moment of poetry, pleasure, revelation, thinking. It's that situation that is beautiful...and to find beauty you need to open up and you need to activate the world."

Green Porno

2009-04-22T19:36:00.002-04:00

A professor of mine turned me on to this. It's a Sundance film series that explores the mating rituals of animals. It's informative, imaginative and funny :) I really love it.

My favorites would have to be the snail, bee, spider, and whale. But really they're all fantastic.

enjoy here.

Upcoming Shows of Interest

2009-04-22T15:58:00.003-04:00

I'd really like to go to these but have no one to go with!

If you're interested let's buy some tickets soon. They're inexpensive, especially if bought in advance :)

Bats For Lashes
Friday May 1st 8:30pm
At The First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $12 adv - $14 dos / Tickets On Sale At R5Productions.com & AKA Music (2nd And Market)
Opener:
LEWIS & CLARKE (featuring members of man man)

Bonnie Prince Billy
Fri May 22nd - Bonnie Prince Billy (Will Oldham) / Ned Oldhman @ The Trocadero

Del the Funky Homosapien
Sunday May 3rd 7:30pm
At The First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $14 / Tickets On Sale At R5Productions.com & AKA Music (2nd And Market)

with
MIKE RELM (turntablist and performer from san fran)
BUKUE ONE

Grizzly Bear
Tue June 2nd - The Trocadero

Junior Boys
Wednesday May 6th 8:30pm
At The First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $12 Adv - $14 Dos / Tickets On Sale At R5Productions.com & AKA Music (2nd And Market)
(opener)MAX TUNDRA

and this seems pretty interesting:

Thursday June 11th - Apostle Of Hustle (members of Broken Social Scene) @ Kungfu Necktie _ anything by Broken Social Scene seems like it's guaranteed to be awesome.

"People, selling People, to People."

2009-04-20T20:06:00.004-04:00

My partner Kerryn and I are working on a political dance that explores the issue of human trafficking for our final.

I made this image on photoshop as a sort of souvenir for the audience to take with them.

Now let's see how our performance goes :)

The Will to Live, not just be alive.

2009-04-19T17:04:00.004-04:00

So lately,

I've been pursuing something intangible in books, music, and what i create . Maybe a sort of comfort for myself.

I thought back to when I was a child. How I could just spend the week to myself drawing aliens, designing fashion, making bird houses (that were never used hehe), playing in the yard, making grave sites for dead bugs. haha. Trying to memorize Shel Silverstein poems, and write my own. Watch Matilda, over and over and over- and then try to see if I could make things move with my mind too.

(I still think If I had a power- it would be to control things with my mind.)

I'd resurface for a moment, interact with my family and friends and then just get zapped back into my world again.

That magnetic quality I believe is starting to come back (at least stronger than it has). When I complete projects,I start to feel like a kid again. Just a really stressed out kid. hah.

That parallel gives me some comfort.

Ah yes,

and a song that should become the anthem for all women, my (sort of) fight song:

Super Sexy Woman, by Sufjan Stevens. (and of course I found this superbly tacky and bad video to share it with- you can listen to it with your eyes closed?)

Direction!

2009-04-17T22:17:00.002-04:00

The Collaborative project (at least concept) is finally taking on the quality of a definable form. We all are committed to creating a drawing on 18 x 24 paper of our paths every day ( "Paths", either meaning physical paths in space, emotional, imagined etc.)

Those drawings will then be transferred onto transparent surfaces, paths of intersection, and of visual interest, etc, will be emphasized and interpreted into a three-dimensional form ( more specifically a form that will roughly end up being three feet in circumference all the way around (think of a sphere).

The transfered drawings will be layered and put onto different planes, that intersect, and float above and below one another.

anyway, that's the direction we have now- the medium will certainly be mixed- but will all be painted/drawn/melted etc onto a transparent substrate ( frosted mylar, acetate, plastic packaging, plexi glass, etc.

The end result will be organized and controlled to the groups speculations.

placement: will be suspended from the beams of the Little Berlin Gallery, so that every facet of the object can be utilized. Hopefully as a bonus, lighting will be controlled to create some interesting projections onto the gallery walls, floor and audience.

I'll keep you posted there is actual physical form to report about

word of the day

2009-04-16T20:36:00.004-04:00

sobriquet:\SOH-brih-kay\

a descriptive name or epithet : nickname

Ex: Baseball players have long been known by colorful sobriquets such as "The Georgia Peach" (Ty Cobb) and "The Splendid Splinter" (Ted Williams).

This made me think of team T-shirts with your name or nickname on the back. I never had one of those. Which was pretty lame. So now I'm thinking I have to come up with a reason to make one. Maybe screen print some for the Prints For Peace collective or the Gigantic Collaboration? or potential future Wing Nights!!!!!

Anyway, back to work. I think my brain just needed a break from Grant Proposals and Transitional plans for my Art Career Workshop course.

Ah yes, and I finally decided on a business card- very simple, colorful, and honestly (i gave myself a deadline and forced myself to go with whatever I had at the end of my time limit). hehe.

I has a hot dog.

2009-04-14T07:53:00.002-04:00

If your day could be better- and you need a laugh or two... check out

ihasahotdog.com

It could cure you.

Random things of the past and today.

2009-04-13T20:45:00.003-04:00

So I've never really shown these to anyone.

They are pictures of when I helped an acquaintance out for her BFA show. She's a Fashion Designer from MCAD. Her clothes are actually really wonderful If you look further into her portfolio you'll notice the geometric themed pieces that I really love.

ah yes and I've been thinking...

I strongly believe that every single person should take at least one dance class in their life. AT LEAST. It is one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself- to move in ways you never move on a daily basis and to get in touch with the body that you will have for the rest of your life.

I think it's important to know what you physically can and can not do- and the only way to do that is to try everything. Are you flexible- can you get to be flexible? Where is your center of balance? Test yourself. I think my favorite thing about dance, is moving in unison with another person without any pre-planned choreography.

During today's dance lesson we tested levels of trust and balance- This was done in partners- by physically placing all of our weight onto each other- so that we could lean off of our center of balance and move without falling. ( sort of like creating a perfectly balanced see-saw but with people.) We did simple actions like sitting and standing- which became movements that were totally dependent on two bodies instead of one.

I'm sure i'm not explaining it as clearly as I could- It's best to experience it.

and as a random fact of the day: A man's center of balance is in his chest. A woman's center of balance is in her pelvis and hip area.

Recipe for waking up well on a Sunday morning...

2009-04-12T09:50:00.005-04:00

Stretch - a whole lot.
Listen to Kimya Dawson- maybe just the whole Juno Soundtrack.
Hot shower.
Drink some tea (hot chocolate or coffee (if you're an addict))-ponder about the world outside while hanging out with your cat. (oh and eat toast with orange marmalade and butter).

--- and get to workkk!

Recipe changes every morning- and is open to new additions.

Simian Mobile Disco

2009-04-11T08:42:00.002-04:00

is coming to Philadelphia! and just in time for finals.

find out more details here.

at least

2009-04-11T08:20:00.004-04:00

I have Kai to wake up to in the morning.

Who else has the satisfaction of finding a dense mass of warm fur next to their head every morning? :) Oh and sandpaper kisses.

The pleasure of exhaustion.

2009-04-09T23:44:00.003-04:00

New blisters forming on my palms, wood chips still hanging on to my clothing. Swollen feet, and aching knees. Not having to worry about anything but the knot in my wood, and the time of an exposure.

Coming home, riding up that incline- tired. Getting up to the door, climbing up the stairs and stumbling into bed.

pleasure.

n.p. rap.

2009-04-07T22:14:00.000-04:00

natalie portman rapping always makes my day.

Test yourself.

2009-04-04T12:56:00.003-04:00

Jennie, Linden and I stayed up late one night this week and took this personality test.

I was categorized as a Counselor, INFJ (introverted, intuitive, feeling ,and judging)- and apparently there are less than 1% of this type in the population. haha.

It was fun to take the test, and actually a bit creepy when the descriptions were all too familiar.

What are you?

Le Loup

2009-04-04T11:31:00.002-04:00

Introducing the D.C. based group Le Loup - french for "the wolf."

I couldn't find a you tube of it but one of my favorite songs by them would have to be "fear not."

Website in the works

2009-04-02T18:29:00.003-04:00

critique the website- give me feedback!- what's working what isn't?

www.ailimes.com

images aren't all there - statements need to be put in as well as c.v. etc.

Mark Mothersbaugh

2009-04-01T21:31:00.004-04:00

So,

One of the best stations to work to is Mark Mothersbaugh (you may know him as the Composer for most of the Wes Anderson films as well as Amelie etc.) on www.pandora.com

I really want to make a playlist of all my bookmarked songs- I think it would possibly be the best playlist of all time.

so sign up! and listen- sometimes lyrics are overrated, instrumental is the way to go.

achieving zen.

2009-03-31T21:56:00.003-04:00

So i've been thinking about meditation in Buddhism- and how doing so clears your mind to the extent where you truly think of nothing- not even thinking of, 'thinking of nothing.'

At times I try to do this myself, not so much because I am trying to reach a higher spiritual place within the universe, but to attain a better understanding of myself and the people around me. I feel as though reaching that state of blankness for even a moment could put everything into perspective, and also help me to accept it.

But I think at times, and I'm sure this happens for many of us, while i'm working at things I put my heart into, or when i'm with the person i love, I receive that clarity even if its for milliseconds. Which must answer why i'm so addicted to creating and to spending time with those i love.

anyway, just another rant of mine.

as for more current events:

The Collaborative meeting was promising, I really look forward to working with the group, I've got a lot of work ahead of me too. hah.

almost there

2009-03-31T16:56:00.002-04:00

So my work is being photographed as I type this, and I finally set up an account with www.otherpeoplespixels.com

Which I highly recommend to all artists who want and need more exposure and don't know html code.

It's a site specifically formed to help out artists who aren't very website savvy. It makes everything easy, and nothing looks prefabricated- The site can be customized in every way- and you can also set up a paypal account to sell your work directly from the site. The standard plan was inexpensive at $16/mnth - There are also accommodation's for video and sound artists.

I chose to create my domain name separately at www.godaddy.com

I gave myself a deadline to complete the bulk of the set up by Friday- I'll be sure to make a post when it's up and running.

Cafe Tacuba y Jarabe de Palo

2009-03-28T13:12:00.002-04:00

They used to be my favorite...

and still a favorite.

Jarabe de Palo- Bonito.

Bat for Lashes - What's a girl to do?

2009-03-28T12:34:00.001-04:00

she's performing in Philly on May 1st... yes, please?

Lessons Learned

2009-03-26T20:20:00.005-04:00

Lea Sorrentino, a friend who also happens to be my boss hehe, will be showing her work at the Mew Gallery which can be found at 906 Christian St., Philadelphia, PA 19147

March 28-May 7, 2009

The Opening Reception will be held Saturfay April 4, from 5-9 p.m.

Come and show your support!!! :)

twenty-five things about me.

2009-03-23T21:10:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine sent this my way-

1. I compile endless amounts of lists in different books, agendas, post-its.

2. A feeling of satisfaction is evoked every time I cross something off of those lists--- all 100 of them.

3. I dance a lot alone, and actually have choreographed some pieces-- but i don't think i'd ever show them to anyone.

4. Sometimes I dance with my cat. HAH. oh and people too...:)

5. I think I am too sensitive.

6. In a perfect world where I'd have time at my disposal- I'd make everything.

7. I used to think that my dog Trixy understood everything I said, and at times I thought I understood her too.

8. I don't know which i'd like better, city life or living in a quiet place far away, surrounded by trees and a shoreline. I wish both at the same time was possible.

9. I wish I was more athletic- and I plan on doing so once my schedule opens up.

10. I'd be so satisfied if I could be some sort of fitness instructor while creating, exhibiting, and selling my art.

11. I have always respected those who are good with their hands- it's what I strive to be.

12. I love chocolate quite a lot and I actually- at least lately- have been hiding them from myself, so that I can surprise myself with a treat later. hah.

13. I have reservations about showing my work- but I'm trying to work through that.

14. I think it's really important to hold doors, smile, and greet strangers as well as loved ones. It feels good to receive a nicety like that- especially when its unexpected. And really women should hold doors for men too- let's not neglect the opposite sex.

15. A personal goal of mine is to carry on my flexibility into old age. I plan on doing splits when i'm 80.

16. I take hair conditioning seriously. If there is none available I'd rather wait to take a shower- or have to go out and buy a bottle.

17. I put a lot on my plate, and I almost always finish it- that goes for food and personal goals.

18. If I can touch at least one person with my artwork I feel so complete.

19. I am very close to my brother and mother. It's strange how connected we three are.

20. I am an idealist and a very big romantic. But I'd also like to think i'm rational- maybe that's asking too much of myself...

21. when I create artwork- especially when I print, I pretend like it's a dance or like I am a machine- performing.

22. I always feel compelled to tell people how I feel about things and them, but stop myself most of the time, for fear that it wouldn't sound genuine. Less is more.

23. I really enjoy a good hug.

24. In the ocean, on the grass, or lying on the sand is where I usually would rather be.

25. I am constantly amazed by the people in my life, and feel so fortunate that we can all share our time together.

Kittens Inspired by Kittens

2009-03-19T11:45:00.002-04:00

Lately I've been watching this when I get stressed.

Lion Love

2009-03-19T11:38:00.002-04:00

Watch this.

Incredible.

i've been thinking...

2009-03-18T19:58:00.000-04:00

a lot.

so instead of that, i'm going to go do something now.

The Gigantic Collaboration

2009-03-17T08:18:00.002-04:00

Philadelphia artists are coming together to combine their artistic visions in a giant collaboration.

The list of artists is still growing, so if you're interested please contact Martha Savery at berlin.little@gmail.com

Here are the details... (the specifics like meeting times, etc. will be sent via email after you touch base with Ms. Savery).

"The exhibition is a collaborative group project featuring 80 Philadelphia artists. These 80 artists are then divided into twenty groups of four. Each group will present an original work in our gallery in June 2009. The groups are comprised of artists who either do not know or have no working experience with each other.

The intent of the show is to further connect the people living and working within the artistic community in Philadelphia, and open new possibilities for them in their process.

The twenty groups are then given two months to come together and find a common interest or direction within their art making process to create a collaborative piece. The groups are entirely self-directed in this process. How they approach making a piece for the show, organize their time, execute the project, and what the piece will actually be is entirely up to the group to decide upon. There is no outside curatorial influence. The artists are only asked to spend no more than fifty dollars as a group on their pieces. The idea is that the artists use and integrate the resources they have available to them within the city to create a work. Whether it be a personal skill, a material, a location, or other people, through this process of working the group members are introduced to new places and people in the city that become options for them in the future.

There is no fee to participate in this show, only a willingness to step outside your boundaries and explore
new artistic possibilities. We will hold our first meeting with all participants on Tuesday, March 31 at the University of the Arts.

Please respond by March 27 if you are interested and I will put your name on the final list. Feel free to forward this to people who may also be interested.

Thanks!

Martha Savery

little berlin
an undefined exhibition space

119 West Montgomery
Philadelphia PA, 19122

free and open to the public
Saturdays 12-5pm
or by appointment
(610) 308 0579"

I think it would be a great experience :)

Ilkka Halso

2009-03-15T20:31:00.002-04:00

i can't believe i'm posting another entry today- but I found this and thought it worthy of being #3.

Ilkka Hasso

One of my new favorite contemporary artists. This is what he says about his work: "Since last ten years I have been working with subjects concerning science illustration and methods of Natural history research. I have had a attitude of a gaious scientist, without obligation of truth or results. My works have been investigation of visual world of science."

He reconstructs nature, simplifying- or rather, complicating it to his liking.

please take a look. get inspired. think. create.

RJD2, Kubrick, and my work.

2009-03-09T10:54:00.000-04:00

RJD2 beats that keep me running.

photos of work will be taken today, and I will begin posting them by the end of this week. Does anyone know any good FREE website formats that don't necessarily involve me learning the foreign language of HTML ? I think I want to get away from blogger for this one.

finally!

also

2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick - Visually amazing. I've never been a fan of science fiction but each second in the two and a half hour film captures you. Apparently the movie was based off of Arthur C. Clarke's The Sentinel, my next read.

Oh yes,

and if you are available check out the Juried Show at the Tyler Gallery- There are a couple of pieces of mine showing and some exceptional work by my fellow printmakers to see. Show your support! and yes they are for sale :)

I'm trying to get into a show at UPenn for next month, wish me luck. :)

2009-03-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

keep your head up.

keep it up high.

wind chimes

2009-03-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

it's comforting to get lost in someone else's thoughts with a song.

you can turn it off or turn it up whenever you want- become more deeply involved with a slow tempo or fleeting with something staccato.

I had been avoiding listening to music for a small amount of time- life is so enjoyable with it though - i don't think i'll let that happen again.

wind chimes. I need wind chimes.

My mother and I used to have so many in our first home together. They were one of my favorite things about getting up in the morning.

Trenton Doyle Hancock and BALLET

2009-02-17T20:17:00.000-05:00

okay this is so ridiculous and appealing to me

Hancock, a great painter and printmaker- collaborated with the Austin Ballet to create a performance about his mound creatures here is a link to the site.

I really wonder how they translated his paintings into a piece- and what sort of music they would choose. How I wish I could be in Texas to see this...

here's a sample of his work:

and apparently Hancock created the set designs and helped out with the costumes... a contemporary Chagall.

purpose.

2009-02-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

it's a funny thing.

Anything really, can give you purpose.

Art and Purpose. I'm not sure which direction to head in. I really do get inspired by just about everything. I guess I'm easily impressed. haha.

Lately I've been thinking about landscape, how people effect it- and -if landscape were to have a supernatural sort of free will- would it fight back and form up against its abusers?

or anthropomorphizing landscape? not necessarily giving everything a set of eyes, and ears. but maybe something like creating the contours of an army on a hillside-

either way I plan on creating some prints to explore the concept. see where it takes me.

a moment of vulnerability

2009-01-27T20:20:00.001-05:00

I was assigned to write a poem to dance to. Now I haven't written a poem in quite some time, and it's corny i know- but for whatever reason i still have this strange urge to post it.

Unsettled sediment
shimmers in the rough sea
blurrying the distance

miniscule speckles tumble down

grounded

clarity
a moment of peace

focus

but again

a rumbling

definition turns hazy
and I long for transparency

espacio

2008-12-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

so space and spaces have been on my mind.

recently, i've been using it as a component. not just to relay the contrast between big and small- or near and far. but narratively.

how much do we need? how can we use it to make a statement?

SPACE

compared to

S_______________P____________A__C_________________________________________E.

distant, near, outside, inside.

and also- how do the things we put in space change it? activate it. and how can one use that to their advantage?

it's something I'm better off working out visually than verbally.

and on a different, yet similar note...

I can't wait until Paul and I finish our exams -- adventures await!!

Happy Birthday Baby!!! :) 22. It's going to be "maravilloso."

How to give someone an INCREDIBLE! back massage

2008-11-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

learn with Wiki-How.

i thought this was funny AND useful.

enjoy :)

School of Seven Bells

2008-11-20T21:47:00.001-05:00

Paul and I recently went to a couple of shows where we got to experience the new sounds of School of Seven Bells who opened for the french band M83. They are a triumvirate from Brooklyn, consisting of two twin (latina!) sisters (vocals and keyboard) and the guitarist from the Secret Machines.

I can't remember having been so moved since I last saw Radiohead. I wish the set was longer...

Here's a link to their myspace, (i should really learn how to post music lol)

enjoy!

Am.

2008-11-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

To remind myself i compare myself. Can I? Am I?

I usually can.

I am.

Am I?

Can I?

Yes.

he war

2008-11-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

more like a she war.

I can't believe I almost forgot Marquez.

2008-10-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

"With an inked brush [Jose Arcadio Buendia] marked everything with its name: table, chair, clock, door, wall, bed, pan...Little by little, studying the infinite possibilities of a loss of memory, he realized that the day might come when things would be recognized by their inscriptions but that no one would remember their use...thus they went on living in a reality that was slipping away, momentarily captured by words, but which would escape irremediably when they forgot the values of the written letters. At the beginning of the road into the swamp they put up a sign that said MACONDO and another larger one on the main street that said GOD EXISTS."

-One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

the latter has nothing to do with the following- i just thought it was a beautiful excerpt.

---------------------------

When learning about Byzantine art, the subject of power objects (that were meant to heal for instance, or invoke great success) was brought up- as if they were such archaic things.

I feel like i try to surround myself with these objects, and people- ultimately to become one myself. Who wouldn't benefit from attracting and exuding positive energy?

I should definitely be more positive though if I want to get anywhere close to that.

anywho, there's this artist coming to lecture at school- his name is Daniel Heyman

he works with torn people, and documents their stories. Many of the pieces were humbling, and made me emotional even...

here are some pieces he based off of those he met in Istanbul

enjoy.

September

2008-09-26T09:24:00.001-04:00

When trying to look back at this month, i stop and remind myself that it isn't quite over yet.

What a roller coaster it's been.

and i think the world has been feeling similar effects: politically,economically, environmentally.

I'm nervous about this upcoming election, and about how little I really know about each of the candidates. I know who I am voting for, from the small amount of research I have done, and I hope that the faith that we put into him, and this next presidential candidacy pulls through. I hope though, that people will have some faith in themselves and will do what they can to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. One person can only do so much, but several working together have endless possibilities.

And about the crash on wall street, I only wish the resourcefulness that went into solving it would go into resolving so many other issues in our community. Like homelessness, education, poverty, the environment etc.

I can already envision world governments scrambling to gather all their money, the most intelligent experts, for answers on how to save the earth they occupy, because it is crumbling beneath them- when it's too late. I hope the world's sense of immediacy heightens sooner than later- we all need to do something, and we all need to do it now.

Best of luck to us all

a peck on the lips.

2008-08-31T18:25:00.000-04:00

so I am finally moved in, and somewhat acclimated to this new house.

There are a lot of lady bugs around, which makes me feel very fortunate--- I don't know why but they've always been a symbol of good luck for me.

Since I've moved up North I've realized that really, at least for the most part- i haven't missed air conditioning- the only exception being those scorching days mid-summer, and those sticky breeze-less nights.

Philadelphia is growing on me.

The semester begins on Tuesday, which is pretty exciting- although I'm a bit apprehensive about it all beginning so quickly. I've been working a whole lot, and even got a promotion- although it isn't as grand as the word implies- i've become supervisor of the Tyler Art store on main campus. So I earn a bit more and carry some more responsibility. It's a small step up but it's pleasing to see some sort of result come from my efforts.

My internship at the Print Center has ended, and I will admit that I will miss listening to Dolly Parton, Rita's Water Ice runs, and eating Grill Master with Eli on our solitary Saturdays. The Print Center is a great place, and I hope to become involved with the gallery in the near future- that is , IF Eli likes my work. :)

As for getting out, I've been doing a bit more of it. I'm lucky enough to have great roommates that have shown me around the city via bicycle and have introduced me to their homies.

Moving to the city has brought nothing but positive results.

As for the summer,

I worked a lot, went to school and Paul and I traveled up to Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It was so sad that we had to leave. MIT's campus is beautiful and I fell in love with the Boston/Cambridge area. Paul and I got to see Whitney and Alan and most importantly we were able to soak in the sun at the BEACH and be LAZY!- and we both sported glorious bronze tans that have faded by now.

Paul and I celebrated our one year anniversary. He is "maravilloso" and I love him more than words can describe. His family is fantastic and well, he makes me smile.

this summer was fantastic, and i'm sad to see it go - but i'm also looking forward to this next year - because I know, as impossible as it may seem- it will be better than the last.

last night in the temporary.

2008-08-01T23:10:00.000-04:00

my last night living alone.

I look forward to leaving and settling in for a year or two. I'm sure good things are ahead.

I get by with A LOT of help from my friends.

2008-07-28T22:40:00.000-04:00

tough times. tight situations. I'm so fortunate to have loved ones that will be there for me. Thank you.