Venezuelan Artists

In this post I will be showcasing 3 well known and 2 not so well known Venezuelan artists. They have all developed successful careers in painting and sculpture as well as pioneered new genres that involved less conventional art-making methods and materials.

JESUS SOTO

Cercle bleu dans le carré 2000 63 x 62 x 17 cm (photo Béatrice Hatala)

 

Jesús Rafael Soto was born on June 5, 1923 in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, an old colonial town on the edge of the virgin forest on the banks of the Orinoco.

"Until I arrived in Europe my work was above all investigative: finding new possibilities, getting to grips with what modern painting was about at the time to see if I could add anything to it." He was the eldest son of Emma Soto and Luis García Parra, a violin player, who were to have four other children. While working to make a contribution to the family's upkeep, he went to primary school and, when he was about twelve, began to learn the guitar. It was also at this time that he began to copy reproductions of paintings he found in magazines, books and almanacs. At the age of sixteen he became a poster painter for the movie theaters in Ciudad Bolívar. El tambor (The Drum)", 1963 -

http://www.jr-soto.com/fset_menuprincipal_uk.html

Make sure to visit the 3D Gallery.

Blue Penetrable

CARLOS CRUZ DIEZ:

Carlos Cruz-Diez's crosswalks in Art Basel Miami Beach

Carlos Cruz-Diez redesigned painted crosswalks, transforming the social experience of passersby. By playing with visual rhythms and using the characteristic line 'structures', this work changes and evolves according to the path of light and to the spectatorʼs angle of view and distance."

 December 02 - December 05, 2010
Art Basel Miami Beach – Art Public
Convention Center Drive and 17th Street
Miami Beach, Florida

42-Couleur-Additive-1959-1998

I had a chance to see some his work at the Hirshhorn Gallery in DC this spring.. A whole room installation: this is the pic from my visit:

At the Hirshhorn. Photography by Elena De La Ville

GEGO:

Gego

 ‘Gertrude Goldschmidt (1 August 1912–17 September 1994) also known as Gego, was a modern Venezuelan artist and sculptor. Gego's most popular works were produced in the 1960s and 1970s, during the height of popularity of Geometric abstract art and Kinetic Art. Although these genres influenced her somewhat, Gego tried to develop her own style and break from the popular art of Venezuela.’   Wikipedia

Reticularia

Her series of Reticuláreas is undoubtly her most popular and most talked about group of artworks. Her first series was created in 1969. Pieces of aluminum and steel were joined together to create an interweaving of nets and webs that fills the entire room when exhibited. Her use of repetition and layering in the massive structure causes the piece to seem endless. Indeed, Gego's attention to line and space creates a beautiful artwork for the viewer. Since her death, the permanent collection of Reticuláreas is in the Galeria de Arte Nacional in Caracas, Venezuela.^[

Reticularia

http://www.fundaciongego.com/index02.html

ANNABELL VILLET

Show Invitation

I just ran into the work of this artist last week and have been trying to find out more. Her installation is now showing in Caracas and has certainly piqued my interest.
She is currently showing at Centro de Arte Los Galpones, Caracas

La Ventana: Lo que no pesa

Detail, Lo que no pesa

Some of herwork in Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.500183266659188.120590.141562942521224&type=3

Another link to her work:

http://rondavisual.blogspot.com/2012/08/annabell-villet-la-ventana-artkao-los.html

Hope to find out more about her, will let you know.

VIOLETTE BULE

Topless Matisse protest

Early one recent morning more than a dozen women wearing nothing but red genie pants gathered at the doors of the institution from where Henri Matisse's Odalisque in Red Trousers went missing, to ask for the prompt return of the painting they were emulating.

The women were photographed by the Venezuelan artist Violette Bule in poses reminiscent of the 1925 post-impressionist work that was replaced with a fake over a decade ago.

"My main goal is to have the original returned but I also want to call attention to the irony behind the way the art market works," said Bule

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/17/lost-matisse-topless-protest-caracas

More to come.

 

 

Found Images

In my recent travels I was without a painting studio, but took my camera(s) everywhere I went.

I will be posting some of those images here.

Red and Green, 2012
All Rights reserved, 2012

 

 

Salem, Ma and the witches’ story

Salem witch trials

Taken from Wikipedia:

“The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott, the daughter of Jonathan Walcott and a key accuser in the Salem Witch Trials.

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people (mostly women)  accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693.”

Most of these were women that did not conform to the puritanical beliefs of the time; and were blamed for causing medical and psychological bewitchment.

The cause of the symptoms of those who claimed affliction continues to be a subject of interest. Various medical and psychological explanations for the observed symptoms have been explored by researchers, including psychological hysteria in response to Indian attacks, convulsive ergotism caused by eating rye bread made from grain infected by the fungus Claviceps purpurea (a natural substance from which LSD is derived)

This is a trippy town, what can I say??

 and, of course, they all need a way to get around:

Encaustic Conference

P-Town Harbor at dawn

Off to an incredible start, the 6th International Encaustic Conference is now officially under way. Have been seeing old friends, meeting new ones and enjoying the view.

Many openings will be happening all around town, got to take a peek at some of them yesterday; I have work at the Kobalt Gallery, opening on Fri eve.

Today, I am very exited to  be teaching an all day workshop at Castle Hill. It is a full class and materials are ready to go.

And was just informed that I have been selected to be part of:

The Future of the Past: Encaustic Art in the 21^st Century

The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts

October 5- December 2, 2012

Opening Reception, 6 – 8 pm, October 5, 2012

I am one of 31 artists selected for this important show in Boston in the fall.

All in all, a very good week!

Web Site problems

I have lost access to my records at my web site... I am trying to resolve this as soon as possible... Please refer back to my blog for any news until it is resolved.

Thank you, Elena

Almost Time!

Alligator Alley
7" x 7"

The Sixth International Conference will be held in Provincetown, Massachusetts this year.

I am so thrilled to be part of this..

Check the wonderful roster put together by Joanne Mattera and Cherie Mittenthal:
http://encausticconference.blogspot.com/

There will be 14 art openings that Friday in P-Town.!!!! Count them: 14… I am honored to be included in the CONFLUENCE show at Kobalt gallery. Opening Friday, June 1^st. and in The Schoolhouse Gallery on 494 Commercial Street, opening July 5^th.

I will also be presenting at the 6th International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, MA in June on Saturday, June 2, 2012, my demo, titled Photography and Encaustic is scheduled for 2 pm.

Also teaching pre conference workshop on Thursday, May 31st and post conference on Wed, June 6^th, at Castle Hill Center for the Arts (LINK)  Both workshops are full but you can sign up for weeklong Photo Encaustic class at Castle Hill from July 9^th to the 13^th

Call the center directly to sign up.. 508 349 7511

I have something special planned for the Hotel Fair on Sunday: without full disclosure I will say that:

An Old Florida Installation in a Waterview room # ???

just a peek ;) (Box # 2)

Also: Handmade recycled rubber bags and  small encaustics

will be available.
(See Alligator Alley, above)

Will be blogging as much as I can...

New web page

Finally... Updated my we page..working on it for weeks.... yikes!!!

Take a look:

http://www.edelaville.com/

New Work

Spring Time in Florida

Me and my New Totems

So exited to present my new body of work: Totems # 5, 6 and 7…

Encaustic on board, cloth, rust, paper and wax. Aprox: 6.5 ' x 7"

I have been working on these for the past month and a half and feel a deep rooted connection with them. Me and my Totems, My totems and I, these have become Protectors of Space in one sense, in which my history and desires have been projected onto them. It all started 2 months ago when I visited a collector and saw one of my first Totems I had created. 

 

Totems and moi

Detail

It seems incredible that the 6th International EncausticConference is coming up in a couple of months…

This year has gone by in a big creative blur and I have attained most of my goals that I had set for myself. It has been a good year, so I am ready to go back!

Oh, yes,,, Springtime in Florida!!! The weather has been spectacular and have had wonderful, meaningful visits from sisters... so here is some of the fun things we did:

At Spanish Point Marina

Sashimi Tuna with Wasabi.... YUM!

Tapas at Happy Hour at Darwin's on 4th.

Art news

TORSO/LEAF

Allergy season is here in Fl... Hopefully it will rain tomorrow and I can go out and play some. I have been in confinement with windows closed and air on.... true: getting things done..

I am getting ready for a one of my busiest weeks of the year:

Teaching a 3 day encaustic workshop at Ringling College of Art + Design, set up on Monday, teach Tues, Wed and Thursday..

FACE/MAP

Meanwhile, I am one of the artists in the Creators and collectors tour which opens on Thursday evening and runs Friday and Saturday all day… whew!!!!

IT IS GOING TO BE A CRAZY WEEK!!!!!!!!

The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota (FASS) is a nonprofit organization whose objectives are:

• To promote and stimulate the appreciation of the Arts in Sarasota County: Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Theater, Music, Dance and Architecture.
• To establish a permanent collection of qualified works by locally and nationally recognized artists of Florida, which will be placed on public exhibition for the enjoyment of Sarasota residents and visitors.
• To provide grants, awards, scholarships, and prizes for talented and qualified organizations and students.

Beginning of a fresh, new year!

Sunset through my window on the last day of 2011

It is the first day of the year, so happy that 2011 is gone,
needless to say last year was not my favorite ;>)

Window at the C"a de Zan, at thr Ringling Museum

So looking ahead:
I will be part of the Creators and Collector tour in early March… This is put together by the Fine Art Society of Sarasota and is always a treat, and is quite an honor as I get to catch up with many of my local collectors and meet new ones.
So, in the spirit of ‘planning’ I need to spend a good portion of my time in the studio.
I am now working on a series of ‘Totems’ that are 6 feet high.
Here is a link to last years show;

http://www.fineartssarasota.com/

Railing at the C'a de Zan

I will be teaching Digital Photography 1 and 2 @ Ringling College of Art and a 1-week encaustic workshop scheduled for in March. This workshop is already full.

I have also scheduled a beginning Encaustic workshop in Jan and an advanced one in Feb. in my studio. Email me to get particulars.

Looking ot on the bay from  the C'a de Zan

I hope that 2012 brings you happiness and progress in your goals.

My best to all!