#american traditional artists near me

[theladyofshalott1989]

On Representation (in Fandom Spaces)

I finished reading an incredible novel last week (Wellness by Nathan Hill) and there's a passage fairly early on that hit me hard. So much so that it made me cry. At the time, I didn't quite understand why it affected me so much, but it finally dawned on me this morning. My analysis will be after the cut. Here's the passage (from pages 208-209): "It's a lecture Jack gives to his Intro to Art class, during the chapter on American landscapes, how painters educated in the European tradition saw the endless tallgrass prairie of the Midwest and literally did not know what to do with it. They had no training that might have prepared them to depict something so monolithic. They were accustomed to scenes with easy scope and dimension: trees in the middle distance for perspective, rivers and valleys that made for convenient vanishing points, mountains on the horizon as an anchoring weight, all of it evocatively defined in light and shadow. But what do you do with a tallgrass prairie, where the middle distance and the far distance and the near distance are all flat and featureless and identical? What these artists did, mostly, was ignore it. They kept traveling west until they reached the Rockies and were rewarded with landscapes that matched their schooling, which is why, in the canon of American landscape art, the prairie is so underrepresented. It's not because the prairie wasn't beautiful—most of the painters acknowledged, in letters and diaries, that it was very pretty indeed—but rather that the prairie did not accord with the traditional standards of what was specifically beautiful in landscape art. These painters came looking for the things they knew how to depict—forests and mountains and beaches—and when they found none of these, they declared the landscape 'empty.' They did not see what was there. Instead, they saw what wasn't.

Jack means it to be a lesson on the difference between reality and the representation of reality. Beauty, he tells his students, is a constructed, not intrinsic, condition. The things we think are beautiful are only the things that have been depicted beautifully. And if it's not depicted, it's not seen. It never enters the imagination. It becomes a nothing.

Which is why the west got Yellowstone, and the prairie got destroyed."

I like to remain a positive space in this fandom for everyone, but I am human and I have my down days. Today is one of those days, so I thought I would (respectfully) wax on about this passage in the context of LGBTQIA+ representation in fandom spaces like Hogwarts: Legacy.

Despite a growing number of creators depicting diverse, queer narratives, there is often a noticeable lack of engagement with these works on platforms like AO3. I sometimes come across comments from users—which I don't think are made with ill intent—about only reading works by popular creators. While I understand this to some extent, as both a writer and a dedicated reader in this fandom, when I come across this sentiment in the wild, it's like a punch to the gut. I know and support many beautiful works that, if you were to sort by hits, kudos, or bookmarks, wouldn’t be considered “popular,” but are spectacularly written with wonderfully fleshed-out characters, and these stories deserve just as much recognition.

Suffice it to say, these stories—more often than not—do not center on heterosexual relationships or cisgender perspectives.

When queer stories are not engaged with, they risk being rendered "invisible" in fandom culture. This doesn’t mean they lack value or beauty, but simply that they fall outside the established norms, just as the prairie did in the eyes of the artists in the shared passage. This lack of visibility isn’t due to an absence of effort or talent but reflects a broader issue where what is unfamiliar or different struggles to be recognized and celebrated.

In this context, it's disheartening to see the potential for LGBTQIA+ stories to expand the landscape of fandom, only for them to often be overlooked. We deserve to see a fandom where all perspectives—like all landscapes—are equally appreciated and supported.

To those of you who do write LGBTQIA+ stories, you are seen and appreciated. Please do not stop writing. I know it can be very difficult to seemingly write into the void. Don't give up. You are doing the world a service. To those of you who are willing to expand your worldview, go out there and read outside of your comfort zone. You may find a new appreciation for an underrated pairing or genre.

Ultimately, I know this uncomfy feeling of mine will pass. It always does. But if you made it all the way to the end of this, thank you, and perhaps do me a favor. Think of a pairing (or even a story that doesn't have a pairing!) that you haven't explored yet in this fandom. Don't sort by hits, kudos, or bookmarks, as it's likely there aren't many stories yet to shuffle through. Browse the summaries. Does one stand out to you? Give it a try! If you enjoy it, give that author a kudo, maybe even a comment. You'll make their month, I guarantee it.

I suppose that's all besides I love y'all. Yes, all of y'all. <3

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Honoré Sharrer, Workers and Paintings, 1943. Oil on board. Click/tap to enlarge.

Sharrer worked downtown, near Manhattan’s Union Square, but shared with her Harlem peers a desire to celebrate “ordinary people.” “It is these distinguished-undistinguished players,” she said, “that moved and interested me.” Sharrer depicts American families presenting and reacting to well-known paintings, including Grant Wood’s iconic American Gothic (1930) and Pablo Picasso’s Girl before a Mirror (1932). In different ways, most of the artists she chose to represent here—including the French realist Jean-François Millet and the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera—were known for their sympathetic portrayals of working people. … Many decades later, the poet John Ashbery praised her paintings, describing their meticulous style as "a collaboration between Norman Rockwell and the brothers van Eyck." (MoMA)

The insight and modernity of “Workers and Paintings”—not to mention the meta nature—are startling. Throughout Western history, visual art has often been the domain of the educated or moneyed elite. Even when artists like Gustave Courbet broke new ground by depicting working-class people, the art itself still wasn’t meant for them. With her imagination and a careful brush, Ms. Sharrer casts aside thousands of years of tradition and poses a question: what if great art were more accessible to ordinary people? What if we could not only look at it in passing, but spend time or even live with it? With the painting hanging at MoMA, the challenge expands: what if museums weren’t intimidating and costly but more welcoming and inclusive? (Jillian Steinhauer in the NY Times)

Photo: NY Times

[kathanglangit]

The Fourth Blade: Panabas - "For Chopping"

Four days to the launch of the white-hot lightning that is the Gubat Banwa Kickstarter! Gubat Banwa is a TTRPG supported by the twin pillars of tactical martial arts and contemplative war drama. Meditate upon love and violence as warriors of a burning world. Will you stem the tide of blades? Or is it rising by your will?

I'll be posting the weapons I've drawn for the game as a countdown until the launch on October 10. This was supposed to be a Swordtember series, but we needed a little more time to gain momentum. 4/7 blades, past the halfway point, let us proceed with the PANABAS

Towering amongst what blade collectors categorize as "Moro weaponry", the panabas is quite possibly the largest blade I've ever drawn. Like- I'm not lying, I drew all the blades in this series to scale relative to each other, and the panabas has by and large been the one determining how big my canvas needs to be. The edge is on the longer curve, the spine of the blade is thicker near the handle, and the handle is about as long as the blade (if not longer).

(Photo from Kristian Josef Acedo)

The form belies the function; it isn't difficult to guess how this blade is used just by looking at it. The name- if I'm not mistaken- is an even bigger giveaway. Panabas supposedly comes from "pang-tabas" which literally means "for chopping". It also goes by the name of nawi.

(Photos from Raymundo Lucero) As large as its reputation might be, the choppers aren't always massive. Their utility ranges from agricultural to combative to ceremonial, and the size and shape usually matched the nature of the work.

(Tools from Datu Paglas, Maguindanao)

(Photo from Dondon Dimpas)

(Exhibit at Museum of the Filipino People- biggest one) The panabas is most often attributed to the peoples of Maguindanao, though the range of its use and the variants of its make span across large portions of the Mindanao area.

(Antiques from the collection of Richard Hudson, size comparison with a kalis) A popular tale (especially amongst Filipino Martial Artists) states that the US Marines wore leather collars to protect their necks during the American Occupation in Mindanao, due to blades like these that gave the troops pause, and feel that the extra protection was necessary. Supposedly, this is where the term "leatherneck" came from. Although the veracity of this latter claim is a bit on par with the claim that the Colt .45 was invented specifically to stop the same Moro warriors, the story has already stuck.

(Antique from Lake Lanao)

(Photo from The Metropolitan Museum of Art) We touched upon "Traditional" blades last time, referring to blades made by the same people to whose cultures those blades belong. This time we look at the other side of the coin. "Modern" is the term collectors here often use to refer to reinterpretations, usually by modern smiths who are separate from where a blade traditionally belongs. The point of reference I used for "Traditional" blades before is a katana forged by a traditional Japanese swordsmith. If- instead- a white blacksmith in America were to forge a katana using their own smithing methods, that would be considered as a "Modern" blade under this categorization. I'll leave it to you to spot the differences in these next few photos:

Traditional panabas with a rattan ferrule (Photo from Lorenz Lasco)

Modern blades by Jun Deuna (Espanola) and RE Pandayan (Quezon) (Photo from Dennis Andrew Golez)

Traditional blades (Marawi and Maguindanao) (Photo from Dennis Andrew Golez)

Modern full-tang build by Traditional Filipino Weapons (I know who forged this but I won't doxx their location) (Photo from the TFW website)

Modern full-tang build by Batangas Armory (Batangas) (Photo from Job Abat)

Pair of panabas and a binuaya (leftmost) by Traditional Moro Blade, Maguindanaon (Maguindanao)

Say it with me this time! Blade culture is alive and still developing. Mindanao was never conquered by Spain- the fierce resistance of the Moros made sure of that- and again it shows in the blade cultures. Though the panabas is now popular enough to have modern reinterpretations made by smiths across the Philippines, the traditional panabas and the people who make them are still around.

(Photo from Iniingatang Talim at Kaluban, taken by Ramon H. Bathan)

One of the Five Major Mahamandalas of Gubat Banwa pays homage to and gleans inspiration from living cultures like those I mentioned here. Yes- I repeated the text from the previous installment, because it's equally true, here. Additionally, the panabas shows up as the iconic weapon of the Martyr- one of the 25 Disciplines (read: "character classes") whose moon-bright martial techniques you could pick up in-game. Anyway, go check out the Kickstarter!

The Gubat Banwa Kickstarter launches in 4 days! Check it out here:

Not long now- this is a very small team of creators from the global south knocking on your doors asking for help to get the word out. I truly cannot understate how small this team is, and how amazing it is that they've come this far- we just need a little bit of a boost! With your help, this grand ambition can be realized. We would greatly appreciate any help rendered towards getting more eyes on this game!

[max1461]

The whole idea of academia is that money is spent, often by the state, to support the creation and passing-on of knowledge. This is a very good thing for society as a whole, I think most here will agree. Unfortunately, it is restricted largely to specific kinds of knowledge, namely (as the saying goes) "book learning". There should exist a comparable system of social support for other kinds of knowledge, for trades and crafts and so on. The motivating example for this post is traditional crafts that are in danger of dying out—we are rich enough as a society to preserve these things, and their artistic and humanistic value is certainly no less than that of English literature or philosophy or any other humanities field that we are already widely funding as part of academia. But there's no reason the system need be limited to traditional crafts. Why not modern trades, like being an electrician or a car mechanic? Obviously trade schools exist, but the general backgrounding of skilled trades in American society is much remarked upon. Why not other things, like... martial arts? Cooking? Again, culinary schools exist, but they aren't run in the interest of the public good the way academia is, at least in theory, supposed to be—I've suggested before that perhaps we should employ chefs like professors, to experiment with new cooking techniques and make recipes with them in university test kitchens for peer review. Why can I not go to a "food conference" and taste the new foods being devised?

Obviously society has only so many resources to spend on this kind of thing, and we can't simply pour resources into every knowledge-creation or knowledge-preservation endeavor imaginable. But the selection which we fund at present seems biased to exclude a huge swath of the human condition and that disappoints me. And I admit, much of this is motivated by the fact that I think the spreading of knowledge—that is, the creation of new knowledge and the passing on of existing knowledge—is something worth doing almost in and of itself. Knowledge is an end worth perusing near-inherently. But I think even people who are not so on board with knowledge-for-knowledge-sake could perhaps get behind parts of this.

One way or another, something to think about!

[filipeanut]

Admission to many museums in the UK are free, so once and a while we drop in to get to see local art. Here are some photos of art with themes of colonization, injustice, and issues of our time at Tate Liverpool.

This photo is of a Palestinian woman in what’s left of her home during the Sabra Camp massacre in 1982. It is by Don McCullin, a British photographer who covered the Lebanese Civil War during his visits in 1976 and 1982. Palestinian refugees fled to Lebanon after the establishment of Israel in 1948 in what was once a part of Palestine. The war in Lebanon led to massacres of Muslim neighborhoods including Palestinians in the Sabra refugee camp.

The late Zarina Hashmi was an Indian-American artist born in India, whose family was displaced by the 1947 partition of India after British colonial rule. While her sister Rani moved to Pakistan, Zarina eventually traveled the world, staying in touch with her sister everywhere she went. “Letters from Home” use these letters from Rani as a basis for the art, as they are written in Urdu and printed along with depictions of blue prints and maps of the places Zarina had lived through the years.

Kader Attia was born in France to Algerian parents, and later grew up in Algeria. Believe it or not, this artwork is made out of food. Specifically, couscous, a staple in Algeria as well as the rest of North Africa. Near the exhibit is a photo of Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, who applied modernist architecture during the French colonial period in Algeria near the mid 1900s. In this artwork Attia seems to shape buildings in the modernist style, depicting the ancient hilltop city of Ghardaia in Algeria. The buildings are molded in couscous, and cracks and crumbling areas in the buildings could be seen as weathering from both the city’s old age and French colonization.

Torkwase Dyson handcrafted these huge, black structures and placed them in a large dark space on the first floor of Tate Liverpool. Dyson’s abstract works “grapple with the ways in which space is perceived, imagined and negotiated particularly by black and brown bodies.” This installation, “Liquid a Place,” definitely displays this, with these huge statues of what seam like heavy slabs of the darkest marble. They definitely convey the weight of colonization for me, and the artist description of them echoing “the curve of a ship’s hull” got me the most. Tate Liverpool sits in what was once one of Europe’s busiest ports serving the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Lubaina Himid was one of the pioneers of the UK’s Black Art movement in the 1980s. “Carrot Piece” shows a white figure hovering a carrot over a Black woman carrying her own plentiful batch of food and items. The white figure is on a unicycle and wears light make up, conveying ridiculousness or crude entertainment, as if a clown. These are cut-out wooden paintings that are life-sized and was made for, as Himid wrote in her description, “…the moment when you slowly realise that you have learned something quite useful about yourself which proves to be a whole lot better than anything ever offered to you for free.”

Kerry James Marshall is known for his colorful paintings depicting Black people in dark shades. He counters “Western pictorial tradition” and brings forward Black figures in it. This work shows a Black figure wearing a British royal guard uniform, holding a sandwich board advertising a fish and chips restaurant named after a freedman, prominent writer, and British slavery abolitionist Olaudah Equiano. The irony of this art, is that it does not show a place in England. It is a scene in Arizona, where a “London Bridge” was made to attract American tourism.

[decepti-thots]

knowing almost nothing abt the comics industry I've no idea how likely this actually is, but; is it possible Hasbro hasn't granted the the license to do tf comics to anyone else bc they're setting up their own in house comics company (Hasbro having their own in house animation studio sets just enough precedent for this thought to refuse to stop haunting me)

Possible? In the literal sense, sure; Hasbro are a multibillion dollar entertainment behemouth, and there would be nothing stopping them from doing so.

Realistically? No chance, IMO.

American comic markets of the sort Transformers naturally occupy given the assumed demographics at play- the ~22 page monthly release that comic shops have a near-monopoly on- are infamously a money pit that is dying by slow agonizing degrees, and even if you are the most successful non-big two publisher (so not Marvel or DC) out there, all that means is that you aren't actively going broke. (Hey, did we all see the news about IDW, by the way?) The average "successful" monthly release American comic sells jack shit compared to other industries, tbh. Marvel, in the 80s and early 90s, could leverage an issue of X-Men into sales of literally millions with the right PR boost*. Now, in a post-superhero movie world where superheroes are the default mode of pop culture, they're lucky to hit 100,000. Very lucky. You're more often seeing even some of the biggest names getting 50k or less shifted a month. For a non-big two company, you're looking at under 30k for your biggest hit a lot of the time. The exceptions are notable largely for being exceptions. (Skybound, I'll note, has had a couple: Invincible is the most notable.)

(*well, OK, the 90s also had the speculator boom which eventually caused many issues later on, which accounts for part of this. but big name comics were still selling much better before that becomes a factor, and it does not account for all of it.)

To make breaking into an industry in these dire straits worth it, you have to be sure you can compete with the biggest (non big-two) players, because anything less is a huge amount of time and effort and coordination for scant profits at best and losses at worst. (Comics are a pain in the ass to produce, at least comics of that sort; any given issue will have at least a writer, an artist, a colourist and a letterer. Many will also have some or all of the following: an interiors artist doing just pencils, an inker, a dedicated colour flatter, a layout designer, backup artists and writers...) And. Well. Why would you? That's a bad deal! Plus, Hasbro would have to pump out quite a few series to make it worth it, and while they do theoretically have the IP to do so, they've never focused that much on comics and would be starting from the ground up for most of those franchises in an industry where again, "success" does not look like a lot of money. (And they haven't even pulled all their licenses from IDW; many of their IPs still sit happily with other publishers with no sign of that changing.)

The flipside to this is the place where American comics are doing much better; publishing graphic novels in bookstores, not monthly releases in comic book stores. But if you have a big, recognizable IP, the thing is, now suddenly the traditional publishing industry handles that. Sure, there are dedicated comics publishers in that sphere, but if you have a guaranteed winner of a pop culture franchise, HarperCollins and the like are interested. And there is no reason not to go with one of the big five conventional book publishers then, because they have SO much infrastructure in place that it would take you years to even begin to catch up... and you won't anyway, because that infrastructure exists because they publish so many books a year that they can sustain massive publishing empires that make publishing those graphic novels comparatively trivial, which no specialist publishing outfit can hope to reach at a smaller scale.

What it boils down to is: getting into the comics industry when you don't have to is a bad idea and everyone knows it. Outsourcing to the people already established is overwhelmingly the better option. If you're doing monthlies, anything else has a 99% chance of failing, and even if you manage it, you now have a ton of work and minimal profits. (Marvel doesn't make money on comics. It makes money on Literally Everything Else. Its IP makes money, it's just that Marvel's IP is historically generated through comics.) And if you wanna do graphic novels and you have recognisability already, book publishers are the obvious way to go.

Nah. They'll charge a publisher money for the license and then, if it goes tits up, all they've lost is the hypothetical profit that success would have given them, and at least they can still pocket their fee. Film and animation are different because they can bring in big money on a scale comics can't match.

As always, I recommend the Twine essay "The Problem With Comics" for a deep dive into the historical issues that caused this situation in the American comics industry.

[frawgs]

Hey ms raven can I ask what style ur tattoo artist specializes in??? I love your tattoos and want to find a similar artist near me

Also here’s bones 🦴🩻💀

american traditional beloved !!!!!

[knifesxedge]

7 and 8 (have tattoos?, want tattoos?)

7: have any tattoos?

yes, i have eight :] script on both shins directly under the kneecaps (“black swan” curving around one and “i’m dying not to hurt you” under the other), my right outer calf (bluestar from warriors, with art by @meroaw), my inner forearm on both sides (my dog pretzel in b/g realism near my elbow and a cartoony clown bat on my wrist on my left arm, “i got a hollowpoint smile” in my best friend cass’s handwriting with a simple hollowpoint bullet on my right) and my outer forearm on both sides also (american traditional curved dagger on my left arm, neotraditional portrait of the angel of the waters/the RETURN angel from the drop curtain at the 2019 reunion concert with “HEAVEN HELP US” curving around her near my wrist)!

8: want any tattoos?

yes, but i’m assuming you’d like specifics, so let me lay out i few i have planned for the future:

the biggest future tattoo i have planned is my backpiece — a black swan pulling a red ribbon off of its neck, wings spread so that they go across my shoulderblades and onto the backs of my arms. i DO already have an artist in mind but this is a far-future kind of tatt just based on the size/subsequent cost and the fact that the artist is one i’d have to travel to see

i definitely want star wars/trek tattoos; i have a deposit and design on file with a studio in savannah for a star wars tattoo but again that’s one that i’d have to travel for so that will have to wait until the next time i’m in sav. i have a vague idea in mind for a trek tattoo but that’s a small sort of thing that i might ask for for a christmas or birthday gift…and i know i want a grogu+mando tattoo somewhere but that’s even vaguer.

my friend @andpierres has a design on hold for me as well that i’m SO excited about but that’s one that will also have to wait for an overlap between “nico is licensed to tattoo on other people” and “pi can afford travel expenses to cali and to pay for the session and tip” situation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

and finally @/anothersuperstition has everybody hates the eagles flash designs that i’m planning to purchase tattoo tickets for but again, even once i’ve gotten the rights to get the two designs i have my eye on tattooed i don’t know when i’ll be in the market to actually get ink done unfortunately 😭 i’m in an interesting financial situation rn as i’m still looking for permanent employment and even once i’ve found a job tattoo money will be prioritized under saving for emergency expenses and for eventually moving out on my own.

ty sm for the ask!!!

send me asks from HERE!

[rainydawgradioblog]

Randall Goosby Plays Mozart and Answers My Burning Questions

28-year-old violin virtuoso Randall Goosby had his debut performance at the Seattle Symphony performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 on February 8-1, and I had the pleasure of catching this performance and getting in touch with him for an interview. I’ll save the interview for last, as for now, I hope you’ll indulge me as I share my thoughts on the concert. 

Despite my show name having “Mozart” in the title (how could I pass up on the alliteration and name recognition for a quippy title?), I have never been particularly fond of Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an incredibly prolific composer, and despite only living to the age of 35, he was able to churn out over 600 works, many of which were full-length multi-movement works. He was also a composer that largely operated within the confines of his time period, so I have often felt that his music falls victim to the formulaism common to the classical era (roughly 1750-1820). Bearing in mind his huge body of work and 18th century musical proclivities, I’ve accepted Mozart as a musical genius whose works seldom strike a chord with my personal tastes. This acceptance, of course, arrives with the occasional exception, for how could you not enjoy at least several out of a body of 600. 

I felt that Mozartean disclaimer necessary because I rarely feel Mozart’s music delivering any emotional revelations, but somehow, Randall Goosby was able to do just that. Goosby’s sincere love for the score radiated off of him as soon as he appeared onstage. As he swayed with the music, we were offered a glimpse into a veritable dialogue between soloist and orchestra. The first movement was rather light and dancelike, but I was particularly struck by the movement’s cadenza. I felt finally enlightened to what Goosby refers to as Mozart’s “endless expressive possibilities,” as the solo had moments of incredible emotional weight and a harmonic structure that seemed, to me at least, before its time. The following two movements were both flawlessly delivered in their own right. Though Mozart violin concerti have never been particular favorites of mine, I found the entire performance to be quite enjoyable. 

Having now witnessed Goosby’s radiating talent firsthand, I was in raptures to hear his encore. He played Louisiana Blues Strut (A Cakewalk) by African American composer Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (not to be confused with Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, for whom he was named). Goosby’s performance of this piece was stunning, to say the least. Topping off my enjoyment was that, as it turns out, Goosby and I are both from Memphis, TN. At once I was flooded with joy at hearing the Southern and Black folk traditions that I had the opportunity of being surrounded by growing up, but don’t encounter often here in Seattle. 

I’m attempting to wrap it up here so this blawg post doesn’t drag on forever with the inclusion of an interview. However, I haven’t even touched upon the second half of the concert, which was a Shostakovich symphony that I enjoyed so fervently that I had a smile plastered on my face for most of it. So I will attempt to be brief, which, as you might have gathered, is not my strong suit. 

Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony, in my opinion, is the the height of musical sarcasm. As I’ve gathered from the conductor Christian Reif’s description and my own knowledge of the life and times of Dmitri Shostakovich, our Shosty was engaged in a near constant battle between his own artistic desires and that of Stalinist Russia. At the time of the composition of his ninth symphony in 1945, Shostakovich had previously announced that his upcoming symphony was to be a large-scale work imbued with the heroic triumph of a Soviet victory over the Nazis. The resulting symphony was anything but, as Reif stated, Shostakovich had written first movmenets longer than this entire symphony, and the mood of triumph was nowhere to be found. Instead, there were moments of sprightly whimsy, sardonic dissonance, and carnivalesque satire. I just threw a lot of adjectives at you, dear blawg reader, but such is the nature of describing such a complex work with so many moods compacted into 27 minutes of music. I’ll end this all too short description with my general impression: I loved every moment of it. 

At long last we’ve arrived at the interview, which you can read below. 

You were quite young for your debut performance, has it been a lifelong goal to be a professional musician, or did you ever consider any other paths?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a basketball or football player like everyone else. In the beginning, violin was simply something I found really fun and just loved to do. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I decided I wanted to make a career out of it.

Was there anything that attracted you to the violin in particular?

I have no memory of why I wanted to start violin. All I know is that my mom basically said to me and my siblings (I’m paraphrasing here), “I’m gonna make you play an instrument, but you can choose what I make you play!”

Who is your favorite composer, and why?

Mozart has been my favorite composer since I was a kid. There’s a simplicity to his music, in the sense that anyone who listens to it can understand, in their own way, what it’s about or what he was expressing. But, the more you listen and study his music, you start to understand what a complex personality he was — one minute the music makes you want to dance, and before you know it, you could have tears in your eyes. Just endless expressive possibilities in the subtlety and nuance of his writing. Truly magical stuff, and to me it never gets old.

The answer to these questions may be one and the same, but what is your favorite piece to listen to, and what is your favorite piece to play?

Do you often listen to classical music, or do you diverge to other genres for your personal listening habits?

I really don’t think I can choose one favorite piece to play or listen to! At least as far as classical music goes, it changes from day to day or week to week. Today, it’s Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3! Outside of classical music, I’ve always gravitated towards soul/R&B, mostly the oldies my parents always listened to when I was growing up — Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Earth Wind & Fire, Whitney Houston, the list goes on and on.

Where was your favorite place you have performed?

Favorite place I’ve played is a tough one. If we’re talking about concert halls, probably Wigmore Hall, Carnegie, or the Concertgebouw. If we’re talking more generally, I’d say Korea or Japan — such an excitement and appreciation for classical music there, they had me feeling like a rock star! Also Japanese and Korean foods are my top 2 favorite in the world!

As a recording artist for Decca Classics, is there any recording that you are most proud of? 

I’ve only put out 2 records with Decca, but I’m very proud of both of them! I’m grateful for the opportunity to record and share the stories of great composers with people all over the world!

Are there any upcoming events or performances that you are particularly excited about? 

Really excited to take Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 on tour in Europe with Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Rotterdam Philharmonic this Spring!

Special thanks to Randall Goosby, whose new single is above, Alison Ward & the SSO’s PR team for their continued support & connecting me with Goosby’s team, and Brandon Patoc for the photo. 

Thanks for heeding my classically inclined ramblings, until next time,

Addie

[glausers-scapegoat]

Hello, welcome to the SCAPEGOAT page!

My name is T.W. Glauser, I’m a traditional American artist, and an amateur graphic novelist. SCAPEGOAT is my current big project, and while it is nowhere near being published, I would love it if y’all would join me in my journey of writing, developing, and illustrating this story! Here is a brief synopsis of the story this far:

After the U.S. government fails to prevent the spread of a terminal disease, the existence of which began from a government experiment, the country descends into chaos as American society falls into shambles. SCAPEGOAT follows the lives of rural citizens on the Colorado Plateau, 20 years after the dissolution of the United States as an entity, navigating a tense state of nature. Dwindling resources and an ever increasing population of people driven to communities causes tensions to rise. Desperation leads Cassidy Noir and Pierre Holladay to expand their scavenging turf to feed their hometown of Grayson, and what they discover, once a sister small town, now an apparent utopia, might just be their ticket to ride. But all is not as it seems in this Refuge. Siblings Cloy Durango and Diesel Jones face the concerning reality of a moral shift on the inside. Joesoef Harvey might just be at the helm.

It’s the tragedy of the commons. You can either fight, or you can die.

On this page, I will be posting primarily art and responses to questions, and keeping y’all updated on the developments of the project overall. Keep in mind, this is a project that has and will continue to take me months and years of work. My art and comic-making is a hobby entirely, I’m not in school nor the workforce for illustration, meaning my consistency might not be top notch, but I’ll do my best!

Feel free to ask as many questions as you’d like about anything, I appreciate you checking out this page!

[sonderrow]

A journal entry. 06/??

I would have done everything for her. Even if the whole world would fight against her, even if she wanted the whole world destroyed, I would have done it. Or at least, I would have died trying, give it my best shot.

Love isn’t something you can imagine, it is not something you can make up or picture if you’ve never experienced it. Men and women from all around try to express it, communicate it, even animals. It is too intricate, too unique, and too destructive to be given a form, or else it would decimate everything. Or so I believe. I cannot talk for everyone, even if I would like to to give my feelings more power. But I loved her. I truly did. And I think I always will.

I was always destined to be married. It was decided even before I was born, and just like everything I didn’t mind. Every practical and even impractical advantages were lined up for us to meet. Unlike what fiction gives, arranged marriage are not as bad as one might think. I learned quickly from my parents how versatile humans are, even in matters as pure as love. That you could learn to love someone, and they could love you back. Respect and communication were key, and so with those tools in mind since I was only a boy was I on the lookout for a partner. Thankfully, I still had a last say. I knew myself, or, at the time, I thought I knew. I had every bits of my routine down to a peg, and I needed someone who could match my own pace, and give me my own space. I met a lot of suitors, yet none of them gave me the spark I needed, the tiny fickle of infatuation which would lead me in only a matter of a few weeks to become engaged. If I took too much time, I resolved myself to pick the one who fitted the profile I needed most.

I met Oriana in a wide Chinese garden, I don’t even remember if it was in a hotel or at her own place. I don’t especially like the place, as much as my roots come from my mother. Too much ego, not enough pure air. I was born in America, and will remain an American to heart. Still, my rougher ways didn’t seem to bother her. She was both so polite, but what I liked most about her was her honesty. Not a brutal, impolite one, but I could tell how genuine her character was. A hard worker, although she was so human. The garden was the most cliche place to be, the traditional building had room for our parents to discuss arrangement, and a place for us to walk around. I held her umbrella so her skin wouldn’t be hurt by the sunlight while she was feeding the fishes in a pond. We soon realized near half of them were dead, but we didn’t bother.

I didn’t want to kick around the bush and opened up to her, see if like so many sensitive noble ladies she would back away from someone people liked to picture as cruel, when really I just disliked numerous matters. She told me I was refreshing, like some, but also replied to me. Shared her own thoughts, which were so ambiguous, both in a bit of a naive hint, but spoken like an intellectual. One who happened to become one through nurturing their intellect, and not by a sense of vanity. To this day I never spoke so openly to someone again, and I don’t think I ever will.

She was an artist. Though I enjoyed the modern art, its brutality and impracticality, she was a romantic, finding her passion in neoclassicism and impressionism. She didn’t discriminate, and loved every bit of those even painted by the most misogynist of man. Her family was so traditionalist, they always looked ashamed whenever she would speak of Caucasian artists instead of her local ones, even if her own half of the family was English, but she didn’t bother. It was the first time I thanked my mother to be of the East, if not I would have probably never met Oriana. It just made me fall more in love with her. Less than a year of engagement later, we were married.

I made love to her for the first time at the end of our marriage and not the wedding. We both didn’t like it. The wedding, I mean. The grandiose ceremony. It was not of our taste, yet mandatory, like a business event, that is how we decided to digest it. However, we both shared the thought that, if this was a matter so personal as a life partner, we didn’t want it to be mixed with whatever professionalism brought. For one month, we were actually married without anyone knowing, as we exchanged rings and signed the papers at the city hall.

She made me regret I threw away my first time, I didn’t even know real shame until now. It was so simple, laying down in a hotel room we shared afterwards, called it our real honeymoon. She laid down on her back and I took her hands, intertwined her fingers with mine as I undressed before I helped her out of her long skirt and blouse. I took her in my arms and pressed my forehead against her as I traced her pale skin with my fingertips, whispering softly, asking her how it felt here, stopping whenever I felt she was becoming a bit tense.

At some point I thought she was too stressed and pulled the blanket above us, and I embraced her. Skin to skin, each centimetre of our body against another, and I didn’t mind if it would have stopped at that, but Oriana, she wanted to keep going. She rarely ever touched herself, not like I minded so much. It took at least a good hour, given how inexperienced she was and a few cramps of the wrist, but I wanted her to reach her limit before I did. With only my touch. So she would both get to know herself and me before becoming one. She held onto me so tightly when we did, I think I melted. It was the only time we slept together, I don’t think we needed more than that.

A few months later, we found out she was pregnant. We didn’t even have to talk about it and we secretly went to an abortion clinic the same day.

She understood my love for the little things, which were to me everything that mattered. We never made anything grandiose, but sometimes I would notice how she liked to change the flowers in our house depending of her mood. As neutral as the place we lived in was, it was those flowers which made home feel new every once in a while. I’d feel like I was in Europe one day and in Australia the next one. She knew I liked lotus flowers, and so she’d put fresh ones at the middle of the dinner table.

I don’t think anyone can say they have ever lived real love if they didn’t share the same home and amazement for one person for time and time again.

I found out she was sort of a show off. We didn’t mind if we were accosted by someone during public events, we trusted one another, but I saw the spark in her eyes when she would play along with a man, and then hop back at my side, wrapping her arms and going to her tiptoes as she held me by the neck. I always smiled from the inside. So much. Not because I was boasting about my wife, but because of how this cocky side of her, I was the only one who knew it.

I don’t remember how much time we spent like this, I didn’t count it, I couldn’t, or I didn’t want to. I don’t want to remember.

Oriana was always an odd one, behind her smiles and her kindness. Her own cynicism, but also her innocence. It was something I appreciated, but not more than that. It made her unique, who she was… only it became worst with time. The flowers would be kept unkept, or she would change them too often, not even wait for them to be a bit wilted. She would get lost when coming home from the grocery store, accidentally and constantly forget how to dress herself properly, when she normally was almost impeccable. Little things which didn’t matter, like me asking for one of those small details, as her being the one adding milk to my coffee, would cause her to tremble and, subsequently, hours later, cry when she would randomly remember it. I would find her by the window, staring not even outside but at the wall, looking grim in the morning. I would come back home and find her in the same state. Bruises and scratches started to appear on her body, even on weekends we didn’t leave the house. She stopped reading novels too. When I asked her why, she told me she couldn’t read anymore. I took it as her losing interest in them.

Whenever she was in bad shape, I put my forehead against hers and held her chest against mine. I liked to put my face towards her collarbone, the depth of the embrace she said reminded her of a warmth long lost. I knew her family. I knew how they were and I… never wanted her to come back to that.

One day, she asked me if I could meet her on a bridge, the green metal one made for pedestrians, just above the lake. I was in the middle of work, but as she sounded like it was urgent, I cancelled my schedule and met her right away. Then I watched in horror as she looked at me, smiled and then jumped above the fence to the waters below.

Dementia is an illness that mostly develops as someone ages. However, in rare cases, it happens before. It comes with a variety of symptoms, ones I just do not prefer to think about, including depression. It didn’t matter the hormones, or whatever the doctor said, what mattered is that my wife was unwell. Doctors said it was a miracle she survived, and I held her hand the whole way through her recovery. I fed her even when she didn’t want to eat, held her when she was about to fall while relearning how to walk.

I don’t remember how much time we spent like this, I didn’t count it, I couldn’t, or I didn’t want to. I don’t want to remember.

She didn’t talk to me about it. There was only something between us, not exactly a wall. But the connection between us which I felt made me keep going, even as she kept silent. Then the official story started, after her recovery when I found her with another woman in our hotel room. I thought it would do her good to go on this business trip with me, like a bit of a vacation. See the Mediterranean coast, where Renoir spent his last years. I packed her medication and checked to have a doctor readily available if needed.

She broke down after this, fell to the ground in this room which felt smaller and smaller the second we were left alone. Tears fell down her cheeks and her round face contorted in sorrows and anguish. She screamed and held onto me so tightly, like she was falling. She told me how much she wanted to die, how much she hated this, everything. From her face to her feet, to how she breathed and whoever else. I could feel her nails digging in my back, like when I held her so intimately, only with more blood going down my skin. It was like she wanted to rip the flesh off my skeleton.

She told me how she never loved me. How she dreaded being forced into a life not chosen by her and how she couldn’t keep up with this act anymore. I knew. I knew. How it was possible that she may have not felt the same way I felt about her. She told me how horrible I was, with a clarity in her eyes I never saw before, one full of truth, and not just the demons in her head talking, I didn’t question a word she said. She was too smart, and I couldn’t start to even think about what she knew about me I never told her about. She told me how disgusting I was, how my willingness to give on everything and not twitch a bit, how I processed it, how inhuman this could be. And yet she cried so much. Because she was crying for the both of us.

She muttered how much she hated her life, over and over again before she buried her face on my chest, her nails still clawing at the meat of my corpse. I held her as tightly as I could.

I don’t remember how much time we spent like this, I didn’t count it, I couldn’t, or I didn’t want to. I don’t want to remember.

The official story is that I was too much of a neglectful husband, that I didn’t take care of a devoted wife who needed love, and that she was still the best of party when she would remarry, that a dozen times should my honour be tainted before hers, and that I would not known to be such an unsuitable candidate for espousal. The story I tell some is that I caught my wife cheating on me, because of my own neglect. The real story is that we were just meant to be a tragedy.

Mr. Kessler

I would like to thank you personally for the generous donation you gave to our institution. As always, we pride ourselves in giving our people a safe environment when they can flourish. We will make sure to use the funds wisely.

It is with pleasure that I tell you that your friend, Ms. Liu, has been improving greatly in our facility as her condition has been stabilizing over the past few weeks. Just like you asked, she was given the right the use safe gardening tools to tend to the courtyard and she has been lovely to both our stuff and pairs.

I am, however, sorry to tell you that Ms. Liu still doesn’t allow any visitor or gifts and it is important for us to respect our patients’ wishes. However, if the situation were to change, we would contact you as soon as possible.

Although, I do not only write for you as a formality. I wanted to inquire you about Ms. Liu’s situation. We recently had visitors from the Liu family, which is asking to take Ms. Liu into their custody. She is, of course, a legal adult and has to make the decision. We have greatly advised Ms. Liu to remain with us as I do believe she needs constant medical attention. However, this will be the last of message I can send you as the papers of your divorce will be completed as of next week, making you not related to Ms. Liu  and unable to access the rights to be informed of her condition since Ms. Liu asked expressly for her information to not be shared and our institution only disclaims those to legal family.

With gratitude and sincere thanks, I wish you good luck,

Dr. Auguste Lupien, of the Vance Mental Institute

Less than a month after I heard she had moved back in China with her family. And I never saw her again.

I don’t remember how much time we spent like this, I didn’t count it, I couldn’t, or I didn’t want to. I don’t want to remember.

[jchristineleach]

As of late I've been thinking about the future of art, and my future in art.

And I'm looking at digital software companies not being consistent and AI generated images and words. In short, I'm looking at unsustainability and insecurity not in the very near future, but right this moment.

And I'm looking at me, what I want to do, what I want to grow into, and what will be feasible in this world.

My solution, after much soul searching, is twofold:

Make digital comics. Quick to make (if you design it that way) and digest, real perceivable heart and connection with other people is still possible here, and that cannot be easily exploited and replicated.

Make more traditional artwork. This is still within the human realm and cannot be so easily denied. Even if the image is stolen and propagated though the web the object in reality remains.

What I want, ultimately, is to make connections with other real people. I've always wanted to understand people, and be perceived through the lenses of my work.

As of next year I will be ready to leave my hobby behind and transform it into a larger part of my identity. I feel as though I now have the necessary tools and time to accomplish this. I'm ready to go to the next level. I just need there to be a platform to climb up onto.

In March I will be starting a black and white digital comic, in the old American newspaper style, that will update as I am able to get them made with a small buffer. I may make a schedule eventually, once I understand my own limits. I expect this to be my online life's work, (though I hope it gets to see print someday).

And in between the production of those comics I will make traditional ink drawings, with a focus on shapes in the natural world. This will help me stretch my artistic skills further than the simpler comic and allow me to sell originals and prints if there is ever a demand for them.

So this is my plan to become the artist I want to be and stay useful enough to allow for an artistic existence. I hope you all find something here within you too. Connection between people is all we will have to hold onto as this world tries to sweep us away for a more exploitable landscape.

[jamesvince9898]

Discover Bold Self-Expression at GreyWash Ink Tattoo – Your Premier Tattoo Shop in Phoenix

Introduction Tattooing is more than just an art form; it’s a way to tell your story, showcase your individuality, and wear your personality with pride. At GreyWash Ink Tattoo, we provide exceptional tattoo and piercing services in a welcoming, professional environment. Whether you’re looking for a “tattoo shop near me” or the “best tattoo shop in Phoenix,” our skilled artists are ready to bring your vision to life. From walk-in appointments to intricate custom designs, GreyWash Ink Tattoo is dedicated to making your body art experience unforgettable.

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Phoenix is a hub for vibrant culture, and GreyWash Ink Tattoo contributes to this dynamic energy with innovative artistry and precise craftsmanship. Our team of experienced tattoo artists brings a blend of creativity and expertise, catering to diverse styles, including black-and-grey realism, geometric patterns, traditional American tattoos, and more.

When searching for a “tattoo shop in Phoenix,” you want a space that prioritizes professionalism, hygiene, and artistic excellence. At GreyWash Ink Tattoo, we not only meet but exceed those expectations. Every piece we create is a collaboration between the client and the artist, ensuring that your tattoo tells your unique story.

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Life doesn’t always follow a strict schedule, and neither should your creative impulses. For those seeking a “walk-in tattoo shop near me,” GreyWash Ink Tattoo offers the flexibility to get inked without the need for a long wait. Our walk-in services are perfect for spontaneous designs or first-time tattoo enthusiasts looking for a welcoming introduction to body art.

We understand the importance of making each client feel comfortable and confident. Our team takes the time to discuss your ideas, guide you through the process, and ensure you’re thrilled with the final result.

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GreyWash Ink Tattoo is more than just a tattoo shop; we’re a comprehensive body art studio. If you’re searching for “tattoo and piercing near me,” look no further. Our piercing specialists are trained to provide precise and safe services for all types of piercings, from ear lobes to more intricate placements.

Our piercing process uses high-quality, hypoallergenic materials to minimize discomfort and promote faster healing. Whether you’re adding a simple stud or exploring bold, creative piercings, GreyWash Ink Tattoo ensures every detail is perfect.

Why Choose GreyWash Ink Tattoo?

1. Skilled Artists

Our artists are not only talented but also deeply passionate about their craft. Each member of our team has years of experience and an impressive portfolio showcasing their versatility and expertise.

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At GreyWash Ink Tattoo, we adhere to the highest standards of cleanliness and safety. Our equipment is sterilized for every client, ensuring a safe and stress-free experience.

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Your tattoo is a deeply personal choice. That’s why we work closely with each client to ensure the design matches their vision perfectly. Whether it’s a small, meaningful symbol or a large, detailed piece, we approach every project with dedication.

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We pride ourselves on maintaining a welcoming space where creativity and comfort coexist. Whether you’re an experienced tattoo enthusiast or a first-timer, you’ll feel right at home in our studio.

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For those who appreciate intricate shading and lifelike details, our black-and-grey realism tattoos are a popular choice. These designs create depth and dimension, transforming skin into a canvas for stunning, photo-realistic art.

2. Traditional Tattoos

Bold lines, bright colors, and timeless designs define traditional tattoos. From classic nautical imagery to vibrant roses, our artists excel in this iconic style.

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Geometric tattoos offer a unique blend of symmetry and creativity. Our artists specialize in crafting detailed, personalized designs that reflect balance and individuality.

4. Minimalist Tattoos

For clients seeking subtle and elegant body art, minimalist tattoos are an excellent option. These designs use clean lines and simple shapes to convey deep meaning with understated beauty.

The Process: From Concept to Masterpiece

When you step into GreyWash Ink Tattoo, we guide you through every step of the tattooing process.

Consultation: Share your ideas, inspirations, and preferences with our artists.

Design: We create a custom design tailored to your vision.

Preparation: The area is sanitized, and the stencil is applied with precision.

Tattooing: Using sterile equipment and expert techniques, we bring your design to life.

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Searching for a “tattoo shop near me” that combines convenience with quality? GreyWash Ink Tattoo is easily accessible for residents and visitors in Phoenix. Whether you’re in the heart of the city or exploring nearby neighborhoods, our studio is a destination for exceptional body art.

Celebrating Individuality Through Body Art

At GreyWash Ink Tattoo, we believe every tattoo and piercing is a celebration of individuality. We are honored to play a role in helping our clients express themselves in meaningful and creative ways.

[antiqueestatebuyers]

Where Can I Find the Most Respected Asian Antique Dealers and Appraisers Near Me?

About

Asian antiques offer a captivating glimpse into the rich histories and artistic traditions of Asia. From Chinese porcelain and Japanese pottery to Indian sculptures and Southeast Asian textiles, these antiques are prized for their craftsmanship, cultural value, and unique beauty. If you’re searching for “Asian antiques near me” or looking for experienced “Asian antique dealers near me” and “Asian antique appraisers near me,” this guide will help you discover how to navigate the world of Asian antiques, choose the right dealers, and find knowledgeable appraisers to evaluate your treasures.

Why Choose Asian Antiques?

Asian antiques are highly valued for their historical and aesthetic significance. These pieces can date back centuries, often carrying symbolic meanings and reflecting the unique traditions, religions, and lifestyles of their regions. Each piece, whether a hand-painted Chinese vase, a delicate Japanese tea set, or a beautifully carved Korean chest, represents a piece of history. Collectors prize Asian antiques for their beauty and as a way to preserve cultural heritage and celebrate Asia’s artistic legacy.

Benefits of Visiting Local Asian Antique Dealers

Expert Knowledge: Local Asian antique dealers often specialize in specific regions or types of antiques, providing in-depth knowledge about each piece's origins, historical significance, and craftsmanship. They can guide you through the background and cultural value of each antique, ensuring you find the right piece for your collection.

Quality and Authenticity: Reputable Asian antique dealers are skilled in sourcing authentic pieces, so you can rest assured that your purchase is genuine. They may even have direct relationships with sources across Asia, ensuring that each item is carefully vetted for quality.

Personalized Service: Local dealers are committed to understanding your preferences, offering guidance on how to care for and display your antiques, as well as providing information about the history and origin of each item.

Curated Collections: Visiting an Asian antique dealer near you allows you to browse a thoughtfully curated selection, from furniture and artwork to pottery and textiles. Many dealers specialize in rare and unusual items that you may not find online or at larger antique fairs.

Locating Asian Antique Appraisers Near Me

Finding a professional appraiser can be essential if you own Asian antiques and want an accurate valuation, whether for insurance purposes, sale, or personal knowledge. Here’s what to look for when searching for “Asian antique appraisers near me”:

Certified Expertise: Reputable appraisers have certifications from recognized organizations like the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) or International Society of Appraisers (ISA), which ensures they have undergone rigorous training in the field.

Specialization in Asian Antiques: Look for appraisers specializing in Asian art and antiques, as they will have the expertise to accurately evaluate items from various regions. They understand the subtleties and specific market trends for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian artifacts.

Transparent Valuation Process: Choose appraisers who provide transparent and well-documented valuation reports. They should be able to explain how they determine the value based on factors like age, rarity, condition, and provenance of the antique.

Recommendations and Reviews: Check online reviews or ask for recommendations from local antique dealers or collectors. Positive feedback from previous clients is often a good indicator of reliability and expertise.

Conclusion

If you’re drawn to the beauty and history of Asian antiques, connecting with trusted dealers and appraisers near you can enrich your collecting experience. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just beginning, reputable “Asian antique dealers near me” and skilled “Asian antique appraisers near me” will provide the expertise you need to select and value these unique items. Start exploring local antique shops, and you might discover a hidden gem that connects you to the fascinating past of Asia.

[longlistshort]

Canton Museum of Art’s Spring/Summer Exhibitions include three artists who have created engaging new worlds for visitors to explore.

Ginny Ruffner’s sculptures hide colorful surprises in her exhibition Reforestation of the Imagination. Working with animator and media artist Grant Kirkpatrick, they have created digitally animated fictional plants that burst from the certain sections of the works when using their app on your phone (the museum will also loan you a tablet if you need one). Ruffner has also provided delightful descriptions for these creations as well as her drawings.

From the museum-

Imagine an apocalyptic landscape. It appears barren, devastated, and hopeless. It is not.

In this traveling exhibition from the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, internationally renowned artist Ginny Ruffner creates a seemingly bleak environment that suddenly evolves into a thriving floral oasis by combining traditional sculpture with augmented reality (AR) technology. In collaboration with animator and media artist Grant Kirkpatrick, Ruffner brings to life a colorful world where glass stumps suddenly sprout mythical flora that have adapted to their surrounding conditions in unexpected, beautiful and optimistic ways. By transforming the CMA lower galleries into a multidimensional experience, Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination calls into question the very notions of reality and fantasy, of concrete and abstract, and of desolation and hope.

Ginny Ruffner is among a vibrant group of artists bringing AR to museum installations. By using this technology as another art media, she transforms visitor experiences. The installation consists of landmasses featuring intricate handblown glass sculptures of tree stumps, with painted tree rings that function as discrete QR codes. These islands surround a landmass that supports a large fiberglass stump sprouting beautifully grotesque bronze and glass appendages. Other than the central stump and the painted shelf mushrooms and tree rings on the surrounding stumps, the scene appears colorless and desolate; however, when viewed through AR’s technological lens an alternate landscape is revealed.

Visitors can download the free app “Reforestation” on their phones or use the iPads in the gallery to bring this second reality to life. When the tree rings of a stump are viewed through the device’s camera lens, a hologram of a fictional plant appears to sprout from the sculpture. These imagined fruits and flowers have evolved from existing flora, developing dramatic appendages and skills necessary to flourish in this radically different environment. In this reality, tulips develop stem flexibility, pears contain windows to the outside world and flowers take on the form of birds. The installation includes Ruffner’s tongue-in-cheek descriptions of her fanciful flora and their remarkable, sometimes humorous adaptations, as well as 19 original drawings by the artist that were the inspiration for the AR images.

“This is nature reimagining itself,” said Ruffner. “The imagination cannot be exterminated. It just re-creates itself. To me, ‘Reforestation’ is about hope.”

The intricate porcelain works Janice Jakielski created for her exhibition Impossible Objects are reminiscent of papercut art. Through her unique ceramic process (detailed in the Ceramics Monthly article linked below) the delicate work takes traditional objects and presents them in new and intriguing ways.

From the museum-

Janice Jakielski is a Massachusetts (soon to be Colorado) based sculptor. By inventing new ways of casting and manipulating ultra-thin porcelain sheets she can create impossible objects of curiosity, beautiful objects to provide focus, retreat and pause in an overwhelming world.  Using meticulous detail, familiar forms and uncertain function she coaxes her audience to draw near, closing the physical gap between viewer and object.  In this way the details of workmanship and the excessive fragility of the porcelain act as a whisper, flirtatiously demanding investigation. Her impossible objects were also featured in the January 2021 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

For Laine Bachman’s paintings for Beyond Worlds, she has creaed detailed environments filled with creatures and color.

From the museum and the artist-

“Suspended in the ether of some surreal galaxy, the worlds I create give a glimpse into flora and fauna that exist in a hidden interplanetary realm.  Each is a themed bouquet where I explore and study different species that exist in our own world.  I relish the details of their structures and include many forms of life I find fascinating. I approach each piece as a puzzle with parts that can coexist, painting a picture of a precious ecosystem that becomes more complex as the work evolves.  One may find a frog nestled below a fern or a mole napping under a toadstool. There are many creatures and plants we recognize from the past and some that have yet to be discovered. Creating these planets has been a journey to capture the beauty of nature and elevate small moments that may otherwise go unseen. Though they reside in the mire of a newly formed galaxy, they are truly a celebration of our world and the life that exists within it.”- Laine Bachman

As a young child growing up in a once flourishing town in the Rust Belt of Ohio, Laine Bachman always had an affinity towards drawing and painting. Her parents encouraged her creativity from the beginning which led to her attending art school in nearby Columbus, receiving a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design in painting in 1997.

Often inspired by myths and folklore, Bachman infuses the worlds she creates with archetypal imagery, underlying themes, decorative motifs, and meticulous details. Working in watercolor and acrylics, her paintings are full of creatures and landscapes, real or imagined, that are all part of the larger story behind her work. Bachman’s work, recognized as Magical Realism, is greatly influenced by Henri Rosseau and his flat, lush, and detailed landscapes and also by surrealist Frida Kahlo.

Representations of life, death, beauty, innocence, and evil are depicted in Bachman’s work.  Whether it’s animals, insects, birds or favored objects, they become symbols of different expressions.  As owls are a symbol for wisdom or butterflies can represent a transformation, it’s this kind of idea behind the creatures that helps them tell a part of the whole story.

The works expose unique environments in which to explore and pay homage to the various forms of life that Bachman finds fascinating and mysterious in nature. Vast landscapes are used to showcase these life forms, showing the spaces between and the surfaces above and below. The worlds she creates are hidden and untouched by man, and give the viewer a glimpse into the secret lives of their peculiar inhabitants.

These exhibitions close 7/28/24. The museum is free all day on Thursdays and tonight, 7/25, is the last of their Virtual Reality Nights. From 4-8pm you can “create your own reality with VR headsets, guided by a CMA educator”.

These exhibitions close 7/28/24.

The museum is free all day on Thursdays and tonight, 7/25, is the last of their Virtual Reality Nights. From 4-8pm you can create your own reality with VR headsets, guided by a CMA educator.

[joriekerottier]

AIR Slipvillan –Feeling Fibers

During May 2024, I worked as artist in residence at Slipvillan. Slipvillan is an AIR, exhibition venue and studio building run by artists Laetita Deschamps, Rikard Fåhraeus,Ina Rödén and a bunch of members. I am the third artist from ruimteCAESUUR(NL) to engage in an artistic exchange with Slipvillan: Giel Louws and Hans Overvliet preceded me.

Walking on Långholmen, a green island in the heart of Stockholm (SE), I connected with the place. A place to spend free time, to retreat, I thought. I feel watched through the windows of the apartment buildings across the street, by the people gathering on the little beach in the spring sun. This being-watched relates to the island in several ways: from the airing place in the former prison to the open-air theater, which has a similar floorplan. Both have a central spot, albeit with an opposite purpose: one to guard prisoners, one to be seen by the public. Time passes and the structures last.

The island is connected to the next island by two small bridges. Then there is Sweden's largest steel bridge, the Västerbron (western bridge), which seems to ignore Långholmen. From that bridge, you have great views of the city. Under that bridge, a trail of dust and rock breaks through the exuberant green of Långholmen. The green a gift of seeds that fell into the water from trading ships, germinating from the muck with which prisoners had to cover the island. Next to the bridge, a paper plane folded in stainless steel recalls the crash that took place there during an air show.

In my project proposal, I wrote that I wanted to explore the island by foot and work with the materials that wash up on Långholmen. I live and work along the Westerschelde, which leaves all kinds of partly untraceable material on the coast of Walcheren (NL). Working with washed-upmaterial is a given in my artistic process. During walks along the shoreline, I collect impressions and materials. My kids (baby and toddler) remind me of the importance of walking on a daily basis. They teach me to walk even slower and show that by using all senses, we experience ourselves as part of the environment. Already during the second walk on Långholmen it turned out that, there is no real question of ‘washing ashore’ here: the chestnuts I found, blackened by the brackish water, had fallen from a tree 30 meters away. The ropes I eventually used to create an outdoor sculpture most likely came from the shipyard near the find spot.

As Kierkegaard wrote somewhere: 'never lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself to well-being [...] I walk myself into my best thoughts.' Aquote I found in the book ‘The Songlines,’ by Bruce Chatwin about how among nomadic peoples and specifically among Australian Aboriginal people, their lives coincide with the landscape.

At one of Stockholm's many artist-run initiatives, Tegen2, I meet Anthony Frank Grahamsdaughter. As curator, she curated the current exhibit, which highlights hate crimes against Sami and other minority groups. She shares stories of her Native American family. They suffer from Western colonialism and racism until this day. She shows me work by Lena Stenberg, who wrote a book about the disruption of Sami life. When Nordic countries and Russia closed their borders to Sami in 1800and 1900, it was no longer possible to follow the reindeer throughout Lapland. This started a struggle for the right to live according to their traditions.

Before leaving for Sweden, I read "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin WallKimmerer. In it, she demonstrates and inspires through her embodiment of scientific, personal and native wisdom the importance of the relationship between man and land. There is much more to say about this but during the residency all of the above came together for me as one big question on the urgency of my relationship with my home-environment – and the role of the artistic process in this. This relationship, which I experienced as self-evident, is now confirmed as well as deepened and questioned. Something to continue to work on slowly and attentively.

During the Open Studio, I shared some of these experiences. Fellow artists Masoud Shashavari and Jannike Brantås started a wonderful conversation around artistic processes and the way a change of environment affects them. At some point Jannike asked ‘what rituals do you need in order to get to work?’ a question that still lingers.

To get an impression of the Stockholm archipelago, we took a 2.5-hour boat trip to the island of Grinda, in the heart of the archipelago. Every moment I expected to discover an "empty" horizon consisting of sky and water: every moment there was another island there. Mosses, one of the first life forms to take hold on bare rock (and be eaten by reindeer), eventually formed the work "horizon for anarchipelago (2024)" in Slipvillans’ studio. Grasses grow from the moss, their roots searching for a foothold among the rocks, just as the trees here do at large. Unlike at home, where sand and clay of the dikes desperately need tree roots and dune grasses to keep them in place – and our feet dry.

I try to capture these experiences in a map of Långholmen, linking various places on the island with my artistic attitude such as "collecting,""being alone," and "working with what is" from my work process. The map so gives an alternative impression of the island. It will be available at Slipvillan throughout 2024.

AIR Slipvillan served as a contrast experience for me with the "semi-islandlife" on Walcheren, where I live and work. It uncovered givens and made me embrace the unknown, taking in the environment and further releasing the pressure to make work. With a rock as support, it showed me that islands do not stand by themselves.