Jewelry That Speaks

I began working when I was about 15 years old. Working before I absolutely had to was beneficial to me. I got to try different things that sounded fun and didn't have the same kind of pressure one gets when they have a mortgage or kids to feed. It was a time of experimentation. I worked at a florist, a clothing store, a euro-style cafe, and one of my personal favorites, a jewelry store. I tried on jewels all day. I got to talk about diamonds and watches all day. It was like playing dress up with things I can't afford and taking home a paycheck afterwards. I really learned a lot and had so much fun. I used to pick the jeweler's brain about how he got into the business and found that it's one of those things that, most of the time, is passed down the generations. Oh, my father's father was a jeweler and his father's father and so on and so forth. I wish it had been in my family, too. Oh, the thrill of creating a piece that one can put on and completely change the look of their outfit. The feel of themselves, even. I love these pieces. Enjoy!


(Avidy jewelry is handmade by a mother/daughter power duo. Love all their pieces!)


(Avindy)


(Badgley Mischka...say no more.)


(Badgley, again...gasp.)

(Chanel flower earring. So feminine. So lovely.)


(Various rings for Fall 2010.)

(Nicole Miller. I want all her necklaces.)

(Nicole Miller. The metallic is doing it for me.)


(This one is a mixture of excitement and danger. Thanks to Rebekah Frank for making something that is wearable, but, probably more interesting to look at rather than to touch.)

The Style of Cinema

You are sitting in the dark staring blankly onto the screen before you. You’re not sure when it happened, but, there it is. Pupils widen. Your heart starts to pound. Blood pressure slightly rises. You can feel yourself holding your breath. Remind yourself to breath. The vision fed to you overwhelms with its beauty along with the score. It’s almost too much. You don’t know how they did it, but, you know you love that feeling. Something moved you. That’s art. Now, thank the cinematographer. How was it for you?

I know that when I was very young I would love to watch the award ceremonies with my family. Mostly I loved to watch the celebrities. I wanted to see the actors and the directors. I didn’t really know what a cinematographer or director of photography was. I didn’t know how crucial these people are for a film. But, after all, it is film (think a beautiful photograph) that we’re talking about. I like to think of it as many beautifully done photographs put into motion. Simple, yet, it gets my point across. These cinematographers are the people who create your bond with the film. The reason you were completely enveloped in Na'vi culture during Avatar. The reason your mouth dropped open while watching the slow motion dream scenes during Inception. I could keep going on and on…

I know what other movie buffs are thinking. What about the director? It was the director’s vision in the first place! Come on! Give credit where it’s due. I know, people. I am fully aware of the importance of the King of the show. But, it’s important to give homage to cinematographers because, quite frankly, these freakishly creative masterminds don’t get enough play. It’s not even fair. And I’m the kind of person who enjoys giving credit where it’s due. Let’s say the director comes to the cinematographer and gives him the whole idea and vision of the scene. Then, the cinematographer’s job is to zero in on what the scene is going to do for the audience artistically. In order to achieve a specific emotion by the audience there needs to be many elements used. Lighting and camera movement or placement is one major way a cinematographer can get you into the movie. So, not only do these people have to think like a mechanic or a technician (constantly figuring out how to make the director’s vision come to fruition using science) …they also have to have the creativity of an artist.

So next time you are thinking about how fabulous a movie is, remember the person that earned some recognition along with the obvious. Try re-watching your favorite film and identify the subtle artistry that leads you to emote. Take it all in and enjoy.

Performance Art in All Its Glory

So, I have to tell you all something about myself. I get fixated on artists. Right now there are two women artists that are always in the back of my mind. I’m going to tell you why the first one is Marina Abramović. But before I expose her power over my emotions I have to say this…I am angered that someone didn’t tell me this woman existed sooner. There’s only one of her and there will never be another one like her. She’s so utterly unique that every single time I read an article describing her work I literally start crying. Now, I haven’t ever had that kind of reaction to an artist before. Well, ok I do get weepy over art but never as much as when I read about HER art. So, needless to say it’s kind of a big deal. She’s the rock star of all performance artists. And when I say performance art I’m not talking about rehearsals and theater. When I say performance art I’m talking way more intense than that. Let me introduce her to those of you that have never heard of her before. Do you remember that Sex and the City episode where Carrie, The Russian, and Charlotte all go to the performance art exhibit where the woman starves herself for all of New York to see? She’s on this platform above her audience and there is only one way for her to get down. A ladder made up of knives pointing blade up. Very dramatic, yet not rehearsed. Marina did that in real life. She starved herself for 12 days and survived only on water. She stayed in the exhibit that was open to the public for 24 hours a day and literally lived her art.
Marina uses her body as her medium of self expression. In her piece called Rhythm 0 she allowed her public audience the freedom to use different objects on her as they pleased for six hours straight. What kind of objects? She chose 72 specific objects which could inflict either pleasure or pain. Being completely at the mercy of her crowd, she described the experience as being terrifying. Yes, it all started out as a fun experiment. The audience was playing around with her inventive idea. Tee, hee! I’m going to tickle you with this feather! Then it turned into, I’m going to cut your hair and make you bleed with this scalpel. I’m going to expose you naked to the audience while I do it. I’m going to take this bullet, put it in this gun you’ve laid out on the table, and then hold it up to your neck! Eventually she was naked and crying, but she didn’t stop her performance. She is an artist for God’s sake! What do you think she was going to do? Compromise her vision just because someone decided to hold a loaded gun to her neck or cut off her hair and clothes?
Now, that’s performance art, kiddo’s. And don’t you forget it. I’d say that it’s going too far if I believed in censorship, but I don’t. So, God bless that kind of dedication.
Her most recent exhibit featured in MoMA was called “The Artist is Present”. Marina sat in a chair and allowed one audience member at a time to sit directly across from her and stare into her eyes. Meditation. People came in huge flocks. People waited in line for days to sit there. And they were allowed to sit for as little or as much time as they pleased. God, I would have lost it and cried like a baby…much like these people. I’m telling you this woman has a powerful effect on the masses.

See below for photos of her influence on people:
http://marinaabramovicmademecry.tumblr.com/

Link to MoMA's website (Museum of Modern Art, NYC):
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/


~Marina Abramović. Portrait with Flowers. 2009. Black-and-white gelatin silver print; photo: Marco Anelli. © 2010 Marina Abramović. Courtesy the artist and Sean Kelly Gallery/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The kind of performance art I am used to requires much more rehearsing. Lights, couture, instruments, sets, microphones. Which leads me into my second female artist. Drum roll please...Lady Gaga. Don't let me lose you if you're not a fan. I'm not asking you to love her music. I'm simply asking you to appreciate her as the entertainer and visionary that she truly is. Aside from her human rights activism, her obvious musical talent, and her almost instantaneous fame, she has quite an effect on the crowd. I saw her Monster Ball Tour this month and I think there were more people dressed up in Gaga style than in their own clothing. After seeing her perform on TV many times, I knew that she wouldn’t disappoint. But, let me tell you something, seeing her perform on TV pales in comparison to watching her live. It was a sober acid trip. Try not to overdose on her if you ever see her up close and personal. There is something to say about the fashion alone. Come on we’ve all seen her latex dresses, wigs, and extreme stiletto’s , but, this week my blog isn’t about fashion it’s about performance so I’ll attempt to focus. I became a little monster. My friends are probably sick of me Gaga’ing all over their faces. But, it’s my blog so I’m going to keep Gaga’ing and you’re going to like it. She actually sang the entire 2 hour show and rocked it out on the piano (she was classically trained). Also, she learned how to play this wacky new instrument that was created just for her (she calls it “Emma”, see photo below).
But, the thing that you all may not know about her is she is constantly giving her fans a pep talk. I’ve really never seen a more adoring celebrity. She may as well have just started chanting for her fans to love themselves during her show. She said it a lot. Accept yourself. Love yourself. It’s ok to be different. The real freaks are outside these doors. You were born this way!! I mean, the woman got her point across several times. I think that’s my favorite thing about her. She truly wants her adoring public to love themselves more than they love her. Simple. So, she can sing and play instruments (which is, after all, her job). She can wear fashion forward gear no one else dares to wear. And she uses her platform to assist in the equality and fair treatment of GLTB’s everywhere. She does all of the above PLUS gives the best damn performance I’ve ever seen in my life! I just adore the woman! Ode to Mother Monster. Here are some photos from our show.

~Dressed as an Angel.


~Set and costume changes for almost every song.


~Borrowed photo from http://ladygagaspam.tumblr.com/post/395509533/her-name-is-emma-the-instrument

Loving the Art Around You

A sunrise on the coast before anyone else is awake to see it. A foreign film with beautiful actors and mesmerizing accents. Listening to your favorite musician lose themselves in their craft on stage for thousands of fans. Looking into your child's eyes right before she falls asleep. I'm talking about inspiration. It starts as a nudge. Then a push. It's a full blown urge to create by that time. What do you do with those inspirations? Do you let them pass you by or do you take them and create something before that small inspiration is lost forever? I encourage you to write something. Paint something. Film something. Photograph something. Do anything. Just do not under any circumstance let your tiny inspiration float away.

I love to create. I don't always love my finished product, but, the feeling of release that it gives me is worth it. I certainly do not allow just anyone to read my poems or to see my sloppy artwork. I feel it's giving away too much. But, the same thing that keeps me from letting the world see what I create is the same thing that makes me appreciate those who actually do share their work with the world. It's liberating to watch and fulfilling for me to witness. I find myself searching for more. More art to see. What else can I do? Where else can I go? It's almost become a drug. When I'm not thinking about my next indie film I am looking online for an exhibit. And before I'm done with an exhibit I'm already thinking about traveling outside the country to permeate myself in another's culture. Just give me more!

I've decided this blog will be most adored by fellow art enthusiasts. For those who love to create or simply be around those who create. For people who wish they could be as talented as their favorite director. For people who wish they had the talent to play their instrument like their most beloved pop icon. For artists who may not even know they are artists, yet, but you will. I hope you are inspired by these things that have inspired me. Now breathe...and create.