Lisa Jaeggi
I go by Meredith K Ultra or Ink and Daggers. That's Ink and Daggers, not Ink and Free Cinnamon Rolls. I think of my art as high tech digital finger painting collage cartoons. My work relies heavily on reference material and are drawn on my iPad (mostly in the Procreate app) with my finger. I stopped using a stylus because my toddler liked to chew on them, and I prefer having to rely on as little equipment as possible to make my art.
Read MoreSometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, afraid that I am dying all over again. When a white truck drives by, I collapse within myself, afraid to move. I am 3 years old and I am in Mexico. There's images of doctors and a table. Everything is slightly tinted green. Other times, I'm in the recovery room. I'm trying to scream, but nothing comes out. That's when I remember that my mouth is sealed shut. My mother comes to me, and she drips water from a cotton ball onto my cracked lips. How did she know that's what I wanted?
Read MoreBY TABITHA SHIFLETT
If you’re a woman, then you’ve probably experienced the whole You Should Smile More charade. We’ve heard it all before – those gross, sexist comments ranging from, “Life isn’t that bad, honey!” to the plea, “Smile!
Usually, a man, grinning ear-to-ear like a Cheshire cat, is behind this annoying string of cliché phrases just waiting for us to have an epiphany – thanks to his underhanded compliment – and smile like we’re told.
Fed up and completely unamused with what society has dubbed as “resting bitch face,” Parsons photography students Sam Lichtenstein and Jess Williams took matters into their own hands.
The cheeky photo collaboration, “SAD GURLZ,” is a collation of portraits of bold, badass women redefining what it means to have a poker face – or just a face that walks down the street, minding its own business. Radiating rebellion, the images project power and major self-respect.
Both Lichtenstein and Williams spoke with an air of certainty and seriousness.
“We tell our models to look as bored, unamused, and annoyed as possible,” says Lichtenstein. “Which is contrary to how women are normally portrayed in photos....Women are always being told to smile, whether it’s in a photo or when they are just walking down the street, so we want to push that idea aside.”
To become a SG, models must apply via an online form with a theme and color backdrop in mind. Each model is accompanied by a short narrative further explaining the meaning of their photo.
Model Ana, who posed with a handful of Wendy’s French fries, writes "I'm a SAD GURL because eating healthy is the new black. Personally, I'd pick chicken nuggets over an apple any day.”
The photoshoot is a two-step process – once the accepted candidates are photographed against the background of their choice, a compilation of items that correlate with the theme are also shot. The two photos are then displayed side-by-side on the SG website, Instagram account, and Facebook page.
“It’s hard being a woman and even more so for those in the LGBT community,” says Williams. “We want SAD GURLZ to be an outlet for all women to speak out without actually having to say anything.”
The project began in February as an online photo album. But once word got out, the dynamic duo found their inbox overflowing with inquiries. They participated in Parsons' PHOTOFEAST, a bi-annual pin-up exhibit open to New York photography students. That was in April.
“We’re in contact with an all-female gallery in Tempe, Arizona and there’s talk of doing a collaboration and having our very first SG gallery show,” says Williams. “There’s also a magazine based in Spain and Belgium that plans on featuring us and our work.”
And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, the two say they’re in the process of publishing a 75-page book that features the models they’ve photographed thus far.
“It feels so good to have our work recognized by the people around us,” says Williams. “But, it’s exhilarating to find that our work is being acknowledged by others across the country and the world.”
Fans can currently pre-order the book on the SG website.
Tabitha Shiflett is a graduate of the Dub (The University of North Carolina Wilmington, UNCW). She's written for Her Campus, Seahawk Chic, CBSLocal and Elite Daily. She is currently enrolled in the Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism MA program at The New School in New York City.
Art is so subjective and I really want to provide a platform that offers a diverse look at different mediums and formats of expression, with a focus on traditionally oppressed or under recognized groups.
Read MorePhotographs courtesy of Meryl Meisler and Steven Kasher Gallery
Meisler photographed people because she loved them, and because she loved taking pictures. By sticking to what was close and honest to her, teaching, family and nightlight, she created a well-rounded view of life in the 70’s that has now become iconic. The realness of the work is what helped it prevail.
Read MoreValentin Flauraud
I ask the theatre to do what any art form might--to engage my mind or my heart in a fearless and powerful way. And, because theatre as a medium hinges on immediate contributions by fellow humans, because the energy shared between those onstage and off is unique to each performance, when I go to the theatre I am hopeful that what I see will touch both heart and mind; that it will not just pull me out of my own experience but enrich it, challenge it, grant it new, glimmering, or unexpected dimension.
Read MoreStephani Scutari
Artist and comedian Lisa Levy threw off her robe and sat naked on the porcelain throne placed in the center of Christopher Stout Gallery. You heard that right. In her performance art piece The Artist is Humbly Present, Levy mocked the art world, pretension, and herself. During the performance, viewers were invited to sit opposite Levy on a facing toilet and interact with her in any way, other than touching her. If you’re familiar with Marina Ambramovic’s performance at MoMA, The Artist is Present, where viewers were invited to sit and face the artist in a chair, you’ll immediately understand the blatant reference.
Read MoreHodaya Louis is a professional artist, fashion illustrator and designer. In 2010 she was officially recognized as a “Distinguished Artist of Israel.” She's been featured by Valentino, Glamour, Rachel Zoe, Vogue, Roberto Cavalli and plenty of others. Currently, she's working on a "collection of large-scale mixed-media paintings embracing the different faces of women around the world." You can (and should!) support that project here. Her Kickstarter is finalized in 13 days, at which time she will commence work on the sort of project that Hodaya has always been so good at: creating inspired artwork that manages to illuminate the beauty and diversity of women.
Hodays's artwork was also featured on Bravo’s Real Housewives Of Orange County, she is the winner of Next Generation Design Award from the Luxottica group, and she was a guest judge and speaker at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she also studied. She developed her art skills with her father, David Louis, the fine artist Leonid Blaklav, as well as fashion illustration with Steven Stipelman. She went on to intern at Marc Jacobs, then was hired as a shoe designer for Payless, collaborating with designers such as Isabel Toledo, Christian Siriano and Lela Rose. From 2010 to 2013, as the head designer of an international manufacturing company, her illustrated designs and artworks were presented to the Metropolitan Museum of art, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Nine West, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Dillards, and OPI, among others. Her work blends art, fashion and beauty seamlessly.
I wanted Hodaya to tell her own story, and so here it is.
BY HODAYA LOUIS
It is Monday morning, I am sitting at my art studio, surrounded by paint tubes, sticks of pastels, buckets of brushes and oil paints. Some artworks are still drying on the floor, next to rolls of canvas and paper. It’s a mess, but I’m comfortable here, at my little island of art. It is a great morning, because last night I already found what I’m going to paint. Each artwork I paint is born through inspiration found after hours-long browsing of photographs.
Today, my inspiration is a photograph of actress Taraji P. Henson. The photo captures my attention immediately; black and white, close-up on her face, eyes closed, dramatic lighting. And now I’m sitting in front of a blank large paper. and I take a deep breath. It is an exciting moment, that second before I touch the paper with my brush.
It is terrifying too. I know that with years of art lessons and practice I’ve developed the skills required to paint what I envision, but I don’t know if others will like, understand or connect to that vision. I know that in the next few hours of painting session my energy will be intense, my concentration and senses at their pick, my phone off, I will be standing up over the developing piece with tension in my muscles, working with controlled hand movements. And I love it, that exhilarating sense of something being born, of colors and strokes and lights and shadows, and with that excitement I will feel how dark clouds of doubt are forming in my mind (will they like it? will they get it? am I a good artist? will someone buy it? can I make a living as an artist?) and I keep painting and painting fighting those clouds, my brain buzzing with non-stop alarms (is this purple deep enough, should I have started with the background, what color should go next, is there harmony, oil pastel or acrylic, is the composition good, is are the proportions correct, is the yellow too red, should I add a hint of blue to cool it a bit) If I use a wet medium that requires waiting time to dry, like watercolor, I walk back and forth like in a sort of cage, counting the seconds, or impatiently grabbing a blow-drier to speed up the process, because I cannot wait any longer, I need to continue because I’m afraid that I will lose that momentum, that the vision will disappear from my brain and I will not be able to make sense of all those smudges. And when it’s done, and the piece is completed and my mind and heart stop racing, and I say loudly – done! I sit down in a slump, exhausted, smiling, in love with the world.
Being an artist, in my mind, means to create, to leave a part of you in this world. That part needs to be correct, to be a true reflection of you, otherwise it should not exist. When you do such personal act, it feels like allowing someone to sit next to you in a private theater and seeing the exclusive movie made for you only. Whatever comes out is somehow very personal, a piece of me that I share with others.
However, I if something happens during that process, a moment of distraction, a shift of mood, a second of blockage in the course of those hours of intense energy pouring out on the paper, and the artwork is not precise, it is not part of me, it failed. I might not be able to recognize the problem, to identify what makes me flinch, but something will be off and I will maybe try to redeem it but it is lost, gone. And all that amazing energy I have pumping in my veins will disappear in an almost physical pain, and like a deflated balloon I will go to my bedroom, get under the blanket, and close my eyes. That taste of failure is as strong as as a bad memory that keeps coming back, something that I am learning to accept as inevitable part of creation, like painful PMS.
I push myself to be resilient, get out of that bed of self-pity quickly. I became a full time artist two years ago, and I learned that being an artist means that every day I do not attempt to draw or paint is a wasted day. Still, picking up a pencil requires a lot of energy, positive energy. I cannot paint angry or sad. For me, a complete piece, either pretty or dark, means I produced, created, in a good state of mind, and it’s a great sense of accomplishment.
There is a harmony and balance in the face of a woman that fascinates me. Sometimes after drawing a face, I can’t bring myself to go on with hair or body because I feel that the piece is completed. As I constantly look for faces to draw, I am intrigued by studying different racial bone structures and skin tones. I love doing portraits and capturing some of the essence of my subjects.
At a show I had this summer a woman came and looked at my sketch of a woman’s head, with emphasis on the bone structure. she inspected it for a while, and then asked me if it’s a portrait of an actual person, which it was not. “So what is the purpose of this?” she asked. I realized at that moment how personal my art is. It is even act of selfishness – I like this vision, I will put it on paper. Others might not get it or not appreciate it, but it does not matter to me.
Artists that create controversial art are the same way – when an artist has a vision she/he must create it as it is, whether the viewers like it or not. Just like most artists, having my work featured publicly makes me proud. Hearing compliments and comments is amazing and gives me great sense of accomplishment. I especially love when someone finds one of my pieces “moving,” even if a stranger says that I just feel like we are connected on a personal level.
My technical skills did not come easily; I studied all forms of art for 15 years, with the Russian artist Leonid Balaklav and with the legendary fashion Illustrator Steven Stipelman among many other great teachers, and I practice almost every day. So to me, a finished piece of art is rewarding as money earned after hard work, and being able to show and share it is priceless.
BY MACEY LAVOIE
Viviane Hebel’s story (and her inspiration) began six years ago when she picked up City of Bones, the first book In Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles series. She fell in love with the world and the rune designs. Since then she has added countless book-inspired pieces to her website, each one as magical and inspiring as the last.
I was first introduced to her work when I was hunting on the Internet for the perfect Jade pendent. I wanted one that was similar to the one described in my favorite book. Hebel Design appeared and was filled with jewelry from some of my favorite books. If you’re looking for a little piece of literary magic, this is the place for you.
What got you started in the art of jewelry making? And what inspired you to make book-related jewelry?
Jewelry began as a challenge about 13 years ago, when a friend liked a very pricey necklace she saw at a trendy store window. I said: "I can make that for you,” and so it began. Of course that was only assembling ready-made components. Soon I had the need to make my own pieces and so I got into metal-smithing and then I got hitched for life. About six years ago, I read Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones and I fell in love with the world and the Runes, I had to make them and luckily she let me bring them to life!
How long have you been making jewelry?
For over 12 years now.
How do you find so many unique materials and metals for your pieces?
I have several suppliers for all my jewelry-making needs and then it’s a lot of research online and the streets to find the right piece! I can say that I have bought materials from every continent. The Internet is a magical place.
Do you have a particular favorite among the book series you draw inspiration from? A favorite piece?
They are all kind of my children so it’s hard, but I always tend to like the pieces that were more challenging to develop. The Morozova Collar, The Clockwork Angel, The Nephilim Wing (Jace’s Wings). Also, the bigger the world, the bigger the possibilities!
Are you working on any new pieces? Are you adding to the list of book series you work with?
Yes and yes, I am always on the works! Everything is to be revealed soon.
Have you ever gotten feedback from authors about the pieces you create?
Always, I never list anything without author consent. The collaboration has to be close to stay true to the stories.
I noticed you support the organization We Need Diverse Books. What got you involved?
Because we are all different and we all like to read stories that touch us in a way. For that, we need diversity!
Anything else you think we should know?
I love my job! And I it makes my day that I can make other people happy with my work. I really love to hear the feedback I get and how my jewelry turns into little amulets of some sort. Lucky charms or cherished heirlooms someday. The little treasures that give meaning to life.
You can visit Viviane's website here.
BY DALLAS ATHENT
The walls of Christopher Stout Gallery, New York are lined with expertly painted images drawn from porn by artist Linda Griggs. Faces with mouths agape moan in ecstasy. Next to these images are stories of people losing their virginity. One memory recalls “It really hurt. Tears were sliding down the side of my face. He didn’t notice. Then outside the window a bottle rocket went off and we laughed.”
What these stories do is show the reality of what “the first time” is often like, divorcing the over-saturated, hollywood version that porn teaches us is real from our psyche. Griggs’ adaptation of the images through the work of her own hand, restores them to an organic order on the page. As Griggs herself said, pornography creates unreasonable expectations. “Young women need to see this so they know it’s okay to be awkward.”
The collection is powerful and honest. Griggs has possibly made one of the most complete bodies of work to enhance feminist ideas in 2015 with this show.
Christopher Stout Gallery, New York is located on 299 Meserole Street. “The First Time Is Not Like Porn” is on view through the end of the month.
Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday, Noon-6:00pm and also by private appointment.
E-mail: c.stout.gallery.ny@gmail.com
Photos by Dallas Athent
Wednesday, November 4th, The Hollows art space had the opening for its latest show curated by Piril Gündüz and Baptiste Semal. Here are 15 reasons this show ruled and the artists that made it happen. The show is on until December 20th, at The Hollows art space on 780 Bushwick Avenue.
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