Filmed over nearly three years, ‘Waste Land’ follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores” – or self-designated pickers of recyclable materials.
Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both dignity and despair as the catadores begin to re-imagine their lives. Walker (‘DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND’, ‘BLINDSIGHT’) has great access to the entire process and, in the end, offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.
Directed by: Lucy Walker
NR, 98 Minutes, In English and Portuguese with English subtitles
UK/Brazil, 2010
Official Website: www.wastelandmovie.com
Dates: June 25 – 29, 2010 Location: La Rural, Azul and Verde Pabillions Av. Sarmiento 2704, Buenos Aires
All eyes were on South America a few weeks ago, not only for their five teams in the World Cup but for their largest art exhibit, arteBA celebrating Latin American art. In addition, Argentina celebrated it’s bicentennial of its first national government together with Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela.
Becoming a prominent voice in the representation of Latin American art which makes up a huge part of culture in South America, it was great to see tons of galleries of contemporary art from artist such as Vermelho, Oscar Cruz and Maria Baró (Brazil); Nueveochenta and Casas Riegner (Colombia); Galería EDS, Arroniz and Garash (México); Faría Fábregas, Oficina #1 and Periférico Caracas (Venezuela); Animal (Chile); Nogueras Blanchard, Fernando Pradilla and La Fresh Gallery (Spain), among many others.
Some of arteBA highlights were the two-story Converse sneaker tower and Appetite’s raunchy and provocative gallery which drew one of the largest crowds. Walking around you could hear and watch passionate artists talk about the meaning and process behind their creations and how much each piece means to their soul.
Appearance is an important part of what makes food so appetizing, especially their bright vivid colors. Photographer and food stylist Linda Lundgren organized her food by color to create a series of photos that showcase some of the most common food hues. The series covers yellow, red, blue, purple and green displayed against a black backdrop. The photos not only contain foods that are a specific color but also food packaging. While we typically see foods organized by type or taste, seeing them in groups of colors gives a completely different perspective.
A. Sauvage founder Adrien Sauvage’s journey in the field of portraiture begins with the This Is Not A Suit Series. The concept follows a simple logic within a strong framework. To explore the word suit and what it suggests. In each case, The artist invites subjects to wear garments from his collection and encourages them to express who they are whilst wearing a suit with no directorial interference. Having established the loose parameters of the experience, it is left up to each subject to decide what to wear, diverse as they are, from collection 000-1 to 000-11. This Is Not A Suit is a case study of the artist’s ongoing fascination with the internal and external influences that enable individualism. Adrien has now set up a temporary portrait studio in Berlin. The first body of work is entitled NATIVES, LA, shot in Venice Beach, California. (more…)
Opening Reception May 22, 2010, 7-10 p.m.
On view May 22 Through June 12, 2010
If cooking is an art form, then food is the most common medium of artistic expression in the world. Opening May 22, Scion’s Installation L.A. Gallery presents “Palate,” a group exhibition of internationally lauded artists in which food takes its rightful place inside the gallery. Curated by Zio Fulcher, “Palate” features new works and installations by Clare Crespo, Jeph Gurecka, Scott Hove, Tamara Kostianovsky, Alan Macdonald, James Reynolds, Martha Rich and Jeff Vespa at Scion’s 4,500-square foot Installation Space in Culver City.
“Palate,” which means the sense of taste, but also references an artist’s palette, will showcase a wide array of food-related art from Martha Rich’s feminine, cake-laden illustrations to Alan Macdonald’s classically rendered paintings of pilgrims that feature the unlikely additions of grocery bags, baked beans and chips. “Palate” will also include James Reynolds’ series of photographs documenting Death Row inmates’ last meal requests, as well as Jeff Vespa’s giant Polaroids of fast food burgers. (more…)
Louis Vuitton wanted to bring a new look to its famed journey campaigns that feature celebrity idols who reveal their favorite parts of the world. Vuitton collaborated with The Selby, the photographer who has made his name by photographing the houses and workplaces of creative types. The Selby’s first collaboration submerges us in the world of Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection. A world map is the central theme of this interesting campaign, which takes us everywhere from Paris to New York. Along the way, we meet interesting characters like André Balazs, Ruben Toledo and Michael Lin, who reveal their homes, their work areas and their reinterpretations of the fall winter line.
Haiti. The name alone conjures heartbreaking images of death and despair, love and loss, struggle and survival. And the response, the outpouring of aid from all corners of the globe, shows humanity at its finest. No matter what your race or religion, beliefs or background, politics or passions, we are all one blood.
For many, the stories are overwhelming, leaving us unable to respond. What is appropriate in the face of such devastation, and how can we-as New Yorkers, as people from all walks of life-unite and give in some meaningful way to those who have lost so much?
Husband and wife team Sacha Jenkins and Raquel Cepeda have organized an exhibition and silent auction to celebrate the art and artistry of the Haiti by giving of world in which we live. On Sunday, March 7, 2010, Anonymous Gallery @ Collective Hardware, SCOPE Art Show, {He}Art For Haiti and Colab Projects join forces to present N’AP BOULE: A BENEFIT FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI as part of The Armory Show weekend. All proceeds will go to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).
Artist in Attendance: Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, Crash, Lee Quinones, Dondi White, Tauba Auerbach, Swoon, Futura, Jose Parla, Todd James, Eric Haze, David Ellis, Doze Green, Faile, Bast, Greg Lamarche, Kostas Seremetis, Rostarr, Chris Mendoza, Yuri Shimojo, Kenji Hirata, Cope2, Indie 184, Erik Foss, Henry Chalfant, Dan Witz, Ricky Powell, Shelter Serra, Eric White, Jamel Shabazz, Michael Holman, Eve Sussman, Joseph Ari Aloi, Kenzo Minami, Daze, Aaron Sharp Goodstone, Taylor McKimens, and more!
Over the last few days I’ve been on the search for new creative inspiration for several new projects in the works, and David Gensler of the KDU shared this video and it had me complete awe and took me to a place of tranquility that I haven’t been in a long time. Alex Roman, as you pay attention to the credits is a man of many talents; put together this beautiful clip “tries to illustrate architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects are already-built spaces. Sometimes in an abstract way. Sometimes surreal.” In my opinion, I’ve think he’s done a excellent job in his execution.
To support the work of schools in Haiti through Artists for Peace & Justice, Shepard Fairey will be selling a signed limited edition print he has developed with Cleon Peterson and Casey Ryder. Sales start February 6th at obeygiant.com.To support the work of schools in Haiti Shepard Fairey will be selling a signed limited edition print he has developed.
Gering & Lopez Gallery welcome the works of Todd James aka REAS as it opens its doors to the first exhibition of the new year. Titled “Make My Burden Lighter”, the show highlights new works from James, with an opening taking place on January 15th (6-8pm), running through February 20th, 2009. Further information regarding the exhibition can be found below.
“In Make My Burden Lighter, James depicts the sinful truths of American life with winsome cartoonish charm. Anthropomorphized weapons cajole in blood baths with pink-skinned blonde bombshells. Sprawling battle scenes extend ad infinitum across multiple sheets of paper. Complex, all-consuming compositions have an overwhelming sense of momentum, as if they were inevitable and unstoppable. These celebratory scenes of massive global chaos are sharply ironic yet playfully whimsical, obscuring our collective moral sense of the sanctity of life and death while pushing the boundaries of the viewer’s ability to judge what is desirable or taboo.
These seemingly innocent stream-of-consciousness doodles may appear as overtly political protest pieces upon closer examination. However, James does not seek to be didactic with his work. He is more interested in visually exploring the rhetorical techniques utilized by the American government and media in their attempts at desensitizing the populace’s perception of current affairs. The American tradition of packaging, commodifying, and manipulating information is at play in these works. They thus deeply connect with the current state of our shared reality, critiquing how we as spectators are led to understand it.”
