biconnected hip barbara

Rest not! Life is sweeping by; go dare before you die. 

 Something mighty and sublime, leave behind to conquer time.  

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Off to Art Palm Beach today at the convention center.  I love seeing what this year's offerings might be, especially from the Soho gallery where I bought the swimming rabbits last year.  They had some weird stuff that I really liked.  As odd as the 7 feet of swimming rabbits are in my living room, after a year NO ONE has commented on them!  Is living room art that unnoticeable?  C'mon folks, there are twenty swimming rabbits in that full wall of water-  you don't notice that?  I pretty much can tell you about other people's art in houses I frequent (even though for the most part I find it 'safe' stuff they picked up to go with the room).  I don't get to see much fabulous art outside of galleries and museums, don't hang with that crowd.  Too bad, but if I did I'd probably have to lie more about what I like to the owners. The open studios I've held sold off quite a few pieces to friends here but I think this market is about saturated so I won't be doing another one any time soon.  Maybe next year?  We'll see how much work I can get done between now and then.

I noticed that I was behind in my continuing art education as I was walking through the Norton with Lisa-  we would see something we recognized- either style or actual artist and throw out what we saw to each other then go close to check. I was wrong more than I thought I would be.  Being away from being a docent has taken it's toll-  I loved doing the research on new artists and then turning around and teaching the other docents about it, and of course leading groups through the museum.  Back then I was comfortable that I could answer questions off the top of my head, now not so much!  I suppose it's like riding a bicycle-  you have to get ON the damn thing in order to get anywhere.  Even if I kick out the kickstand and clamber on...

At the rate I'm going I'm peddling backwards...

So, here I go with my free passes-  I'll write about it tomorrow, seriously doubt I will acquire anything, but after swimming rabbits, it's downhill for subject matter, isn't it? Meanwhile, back at the ranch, today I'm off on origami:

 Interested in the idea of a final image juxtaposed with the process of achieving that final image, artist Marc Fichou experimented with the conceptual process of folding, and unfolding, origami forms.  Drawing attention to the way our mind makes the connection between the two contrasting images, which don’t directly or immediately resemble one another, Fichou creates works that are visually compelling, and intellectually engaging.

 Born to teenage, Mexican-American gang members, artist Gerardo Hacer escaped to fantasy worlds via the art of origami.  Learning to make paper cranes at some point during his stay in a string of foster homes Hacer combined that outlet with an inspiration found in Calder’s Los Angeles sculpture, “The Four Arches.”  Hacer decided to become an artist and even changed his name, “Gomez-Martinez,” to “Hacer,” which means “to make” in Spanish.  Hacer became a sculpture who creates large-scale origami forms, engaging his original love for origami with his desire to create substantial and impressive works of art.

Russian artist Pavel Platonov experimented with origami because of his inclination toward sharp, angular, geometric forms.  Better known as a photographer who works with a unique and surreal type of portraiture, Platonov’s sculptures have a reflective quality to them, allowing a viewer to learn something about himself while observing the work.  Bizarre and often placed in natural settings Platonov’s pieces allow a viewer to encounter and react to discovering something strange and out of place.

No, I didn't buy this at Art Palm Beach in spite of the fine detailing and craftsmanship.  I think it's a nut bowl with a shocked squirrel hoping he can sink his teeth into you if you reach over.  Classy.  Maybe I should get this for my coffee table and see if anybody notices...  Nah, they won't.