THE LOS ANGELES ART SHOW AS SEEN BY THE ART CHRONICLE

The LA Art Show was much expected by Artists and Collectors and Art lovers just the same. It was here and it is gone now. I was able to attend for a brief Saturday afternoon – and it was packed! I thought I was in some kind of futuristic Art version of Neiman Marcus … Not that Neiman was ever that packed with visitors. That was the curious part – apparently, the organizers did a wonderful job promoting it.

Most impressive part was the variety of Art and the presence of Chinese Artists and Galleries. Among the American Galleries, who are always present at every show like ABBY TAYLOR GALLERY (Boston) and LUREI GALLERY (Los Angeles) just to name a couple – the presence of Chinese art galleries was strong both as number of galleries and quality of Art. The Chinese traditional mastery was possibly the most impressive – A wonderdful large-scale portrait of an elderly lady stayed with me long after I left the show. Impeccable brushstroke - and emotion for detail. For the short time I was able to view the show  - one other thing made an impression on me – very little sculpture. Almost nonexistent. Could it be that this means a Sculpture Art Show is in the making for 2014?  Hmmm – Maybe next ART SHOW  will have a special section exclusively for sculpture – Contemporary and Traditional Figurative…. In any case – LURIE GALLERY had two California Artists, both dramatically different in their sculpture technique – Jon Krawzhyk - contemporary abstract medium, usually  large scale and Daniele Matalon - traditional figurative third to half-life size bronzes. Daniele Matalon’s ”Petra” is exquisite, sensual in a contained kind of way, and masterful in its execution. Daniele Matalon is a Sculptor, who started her career in early 2000. ’Petra’ reminds me of a sculptural version of an Var5gas and Olivia’s glamourous pin-ups. To view the show , for you is a brief video on the Art Chronicle YOUTUBE  channel ( click on the red text to activate the link).  See you soon!

 Yours Truly,

Tsvetana Yvanova,

for The Art Chronicle

By Tsvetana Yvanova

The story behind this work is long. It started in the spring of 2010.

I was asked often – Why did you sculpt the President?
The main inspiration behind the President’s sculpture portrait are Mr. Obama’s character, individuality and intelligence.
As an Artist – for portraiture, I am attracted to subjects, who posses a unique blend of character features, which are seemingly unrelated, but in reality are deeply interconnected. Mr.Obama’s features are of such nature. His contained radiance, his charisma stems from his deep belief and his deep caring for all Americans, regardless of age, financial status and color. This universal quality comes from the depth of his desire to awake the passion of millions and sparkle a call to action to make a difference –this is what made him inspirational.

When a person with such global vision ignites an idea, which comes from this love and compassion for all people – people follow. He managed to begin restoring the world’s respect and admiration for America – so tarnished during the previous presidency.
The historical fact that Barack Obama is the first black President is indisputable. This fact has a significance within our country and outside its borders. With in the US – it gave hope to all who have given it up – outside the US – his election proved to the world that America has changed and all the
shadows of the dark past were just that – shadows.

On a personal level – I have discovered subtlety in Mr. Obama’s character qualities, which make him more powerful. His kindness, his calm and collected demeanor blends with the resilience and enhances remarkable strength that he possesses. Artistically, I am only interested in the character of a subject, so I can give the sculpture a personal presence . In the case of Mr. Obama – this was not an easy task, since I have never met him in person. When I finished it in clay, one viewer made a remark , I will never forget “ Oh my God – he is ready to talk?”. This gave me the assurance that maybe I have accomplished my goal

That evening it was also the first time anyone would view the President’s Portrait in bronze. For all who viewed it that night, I hope I have created and image of a remarkable man, whose personal presence inspires and at the same time makes us ask ourselves questions. One question comes to mind: How far are we willing to go to make the United States of America the greatest country in the world once again? Are we ready ? Can we do it? We all know the answer.

Yours Truly,

Tsvetana

For The ArChronicle

Filed under: American President, Art Auctions, Art Auctions Online, Arts Council England, Contemporary Sculpture, Fine Art Publishers, Gallery Opening, Gallery Representation, National Portrait Gallery, President Barack Obama Sculpture, Presidential Portraits, Sculpture Portaiture, Smithsonian Institute Tagged: Art Collector, Barack Obama, Contemporary Art, FADA - LA ARt Show, Tsvetana Yvanova Fine Art, William Turner Gallery ]]> http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/why-i-sculpted-the-president/feed/ 0 The Art Chronicle OBAMAcards TEXT OBAMA sept 026 http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/allure-of-abstraction/ http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/allure-of-abstraction/#comments Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:57:31 +0000 The Art Chronicle http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/?p=1373 ]]> WHAT ‘S IN AN ABSTRACT?

A few months ago I came across a handwritten note by a very good artist, in his eighties – who just happens to like  classical representational art. He not only did not like abstract painting – he disliked it. OK – many people do not like abstractions – but they have the wisdom to say -’ I don’t understand it’. What is the Artist trying to say?  That is a valid point. You must understand something before you appreciate it or pass an opinion. I personally struggled for a long time because I did not understand Christo. However –  after a few  videos, his  biographical book, and a few other books on his art – I came upon the ‘aha’ moment. I got it! And ever since  that moment a few years back –  I am trying to the best of my abilities to explain  his art to others – to the best of my understanding.  Back to  the old school Artist, who dislikes Abstract art.  So much so, that he had the audacity to cut out an Article form a newspaper, about a celebrated abstract artist Helen Frankenthaler, with a note  addressed to his fellow-artist buddy:  ’ Hi  John! Here is another example of hoe talentless fraud is accepted as art  and equally kook-y critics!’”. I just happen to know ‘John’,  who knows I love abstract art and just lets me have the  cut outs… The point here is – it is so easy to  dismiss something one does not understand. And  for some – belittling and degrading something they simply cannot   grasp – comes even easier.

But WHY?

Why dismiss something that clearly has values to many – aesthetic value, poetic value,  even monetary value ….. That brings me to  enclosing some reprints from a a well known publication about my favorite  abstract artist – Gerhard Richter – named lately ” The Top Selling Living artist“:  by Wall Street Journal in an  article by Kelly Crow.

About Gerhard Richter’s unrivalled success Mr. Crow adds: “The artist’s ascent is being driven by market demands as much as curatorial merit: Auction houses and museums, eager for new masters to canonize, are showcasing Mr. Richter’s works around the world at an ever-increasing clip. An influx of international collectors and dealers are also seizing the moment to buy or sell his pieces at a profit—including art-world tastemakers such as Russian industrialist Roman Abramovich, French luxury-goods executive Bernard Arnault, dealer Larry Gagosian, Taiwanese ele
ctronics mogul Pierre Chen and New York hedge-fund manager Steven Cohen

Mr. Richter’s work is uniquely suited to the tastes of the current art market. Like Picasso, he paints in a number of different styles—from rainbow-hued abstracts to poignant family portraits—giving collectors plenty of choice. Like Warhol, he is prolific, which ensures a steady volume of his works in the marketplace—yet enough of his works are in museum collections that he has avoided a glut. And ever since the deaths last year of painters Cy Twombly and Lucian Freud, collectors searching for another senior statesman have started giving his work a closer look.

Collectors are paying a particular premium for Mr. Richter’s larger abstracts from the
late 1980s, which have all the visual impact of a work by Francis Bacon or Mr. Rothko, artists whose prices spiked before the recession. These abstracts are also immediately identifiable as being Mr. Richter’s creations, making them easy status symbols. San Francisco dealer Anthony Meier says, “Collectors want an iconic work in a format that everyone recognizes. Monkey see, monkey do”

As Terry Teachout points out in his article “ The Seductive Allure of Abst

raction” :

“Part of what makes this series so fascinating is that Mr. Diebenkorn, who died in 1993, waged a lifelong “battle” with abstraction. He started out as a gifted Abstract Expressionist painter. In 1955 he suddenly embraced representation, turning out dozens of figurative paintings that translate the language of Matisse into a wholly personal, semiabstract style. Then, in the Ocean Park series, he made a decisive return to total abstraction, in the process creating the most original works of his career.

“To chart Mr. Diebenkorn’s stylistic development is to be reminded of the near-overwhelming power of the idea of abstraction in the 20th century. It was even felt by artists who, like Pierre Bonnard and Fairfield Porter, never produced an abstract painting in their lives, but were nonetheless influenced by the way in which practitioners of abstraction created what Mr. Diebenkorn called “invented landscapes,” nonobjective images that evoked the world of tangible reality while steering clear of literal representation.”

“Just as Kandinsky turned his back on figuration, so did the atonal composers of the early 20th century, led by Arnold Schoenberg, abandon tonal harmony, the fundamental ordering principle on which all Western classical music had previously been based. In a tonal composition, harmonic movement is the “plot” that propels the listener through time. Schoenberg, by contrast, sought to express his inmost feelings in a raw, unmediated way instead of using large-scale tonal architecture to shape them into conventionally coherent structures. “One must express oneself!“ he told Kandinsky in 1911. “Express oneself directly! Not one’s taste, or one’s upbringing, or one’s intelligence, knowledge or skill. Not all these acquired characteristics, but that which is inborn, instinctive.”

Whatever causes the Abstract Art to  be in the center of such controversies as despised by some and revered by others  – is certainly not going away. Abstract Art  is here to stay. For those of us – who love Abstract Art – and even paint abstract – this is the good news. For the ones, who have not grown to at least like it – I would say – “Get over it!  Spend more time trying to understand it and less time complaining and maybe you will figure out why abstract art is so timeless…’ For now, my Abstract lovers – let us enjoy Richter’s unlimited imagination, while he keeps being amazed at his  own success….

Yours truly,

 Tsvetana Yvanova

 for The Art Chronicle

The story of this portrait is probably most unusual and has more depth  for  me than anyone else.  Our story started officially on June 3d. But it began a year before that. I have no intention of boring you with details of how I met Nick – but the truth is  it was   an accidental unexpected stroke of  simple destiny.  The suddenness, the beauty and the poetry of it -   will stay with me forever.  Instant bond.  He had this inexplicable capacity to bring the best in people.  Our connection ignited into a wonderful exchange of moments where we would literally finish each other’s thoughts.

On our first trip on Roamer III – he  invited me for lunch. Lunch was an hour away by water  from Marina Del Rey to Redondo Beach.  In  a warm California day in June, there is no better place to be than on water off the coast. The ocean  at this time of the year  is dark blue with playful ripples  as far as the eyes can see.  The coolness of the water, maintaining the steady 64 degrees Farenheit  offsets the summer heat. This extravagant gesture was meant to impress me – and that it did ! Magnificent ocean  views aside – on a purely intellectual level, I  always had a fascination of Motor Yachts  as well – their compact design, the aerodynamic grace, with which they are seeming gliding  on the surface, while reaching depths to preserve balance. The  inherent wisdom of their utility, where nothing must be in excess, except quality – the fine balance between necessities and  luxuries. The lack of space was complimented by high quality of craftsmanship and ingenuous design. Like a giant jewelry box  - everything in Roamer  III was well maintained, despite the fact that she was ready to be retired.

I was very new at Yachting – and fascinated immensely – being at awe of the ocean to begin with.  Roamer III was a lady. What a brave adventurer she was – a wanderer.  She could be tosses left and right – but always maintained balance.  (I believe it has a lot to do with technology on board.)  Roamer and I were quickly became best friends.  I loved the way the engine hummed away  – while gliding    through the surface of the water making its way towards the breakers.  I had to learn the terminology – ‘top deck’  ‘starboard’ and ‘port’  – and  at some point I even graduated to navigating it for an hour   in open ocean and was able to dock Roamer back into her slot, without wrecking it !

That particular day – it was a beautiful day in  June  9th  in early 2000  -  on top deck , on our way to Redondo Beach  - I observed him very carefully . It was sheer joy to see Nick navigate or dock his 75 foot ‘Princess’,  with focused and precise movements, that came  so naturally to him.  His profile was so distinctively British and hansome with the unruly long hair and bronzed skin. There was a remarkable unity between the color of his Celtic blue eyes and the color of the Pacific ocean at that moment. I    marveled the moment   -  while he watched me  be enthralled with the school of dolphins, that were  racing  the yacht.  I  wanted to remember this moment forever.  He  looked incredibly content in his reserved quiet kind of  way – given away only by the glimmer in his blue eyes!  I took some photos. This moment – the ocean, with all its blue power ,  the joy  of dancing dolphins,  Nick with  his boundless passion for yachting and me – all in one place  - will stay with me until my last day .

In the summer of 2005, I was getting ready for an art  show and I wanted to make a sculpture portrait of  Nick  as a surprise. The thought stayed with me for a long time. It always takes me a while before I make a decision to sculpt or paint someone close. In spring 2005 I finally started. I decided to  use water based clay, because it allowed me to work faster and achieve a more spontaneous effects.  His long unruly hair was a challenge – but it worked out well. Nick was   a  passionate Contemporary Art Collector with rather avant-guarde  taste and the portrait needed to reflect his persona and his visionary temperament.  There was something inspirational about him, that does not lend itself  to defining in words. I finished the piece on time and was able to cast it on time for the show.  As the show approached – I was  hoping Nick will come. He was out of town – in Cleveland, where he maintained a permanent residence – a place he loved very, very  much and where he spent a great deal of time.

The Art reception and opening were on July 9, 2005.  Attendance was fantastic –  Tony Michaels  piano virtuoso and Carol Chaikin  on trumpet  -  filled the air with  exquisite jazz improvisations;  everyone had a wonderful time. The next two days brought great  sales too.  Reception was at the Balboa Bay Club,  in Newport Beach. Nick did not come. He could not make it -  he sent someone else  instead  as an act of grace. He always used to do this. His impeccable  blue blood manners were his signature. After the show we talked  a  lot. A couple of weeks after the show we were planing to have dinner as soon as he returns from his short trip to London and Bordeaux, France. That was the last time we spoke.

He never  went to France.   Nor  to London that month. He never  even saw his portrait . Things developed with lightning speed. On August 19 – I received a call. Nick had undergone a six hour emergency operation, from which he did not wake up. It had happened the day before.

But the portrait,  remained  as a pure embodiment of that beautiful June afternoon, when  the stars  were aligned and the world was happy – Nick was happy – and I was extatic. He literally changed my perception of life. He brought out the best in me. That moment – I try to capture  in his subtle smile. His  head is tilted, looking down at the rotor handling  with absolute  precision  the  docking of  Roamer III.  We were on our way to Redondo Beach.  It was the most beautiful summer of my life.

____________________________________________________

The portrait of Nick  was executed to reflect his refined and yet very adventurous nature and boundless  generosity of his spirit. I used  the photos for reference – but mostly by memory. His image even then has an immense impact on me. I remember every single feature  to the greatest detail. I hope, everyone who loved him is able to see him as he was. If this portrait brings memories – then my mission is completed. Nick brought  so much joy in so many people’s lives – I would like to think this portrait would do the same.  See Video of Nick’s  bronze sculpture.

Yours truly,

Tsvetana

for Art Chronicle

That January morning,  the 12th,  I accidentally caught on a TV clip about a prisoner, who  started painting in prison. San Clemente – if I am not mistaken. This man, of Mexican descent,  incarcerated for something he did in, was in  great pain and deep  remorse of his actions.  Pouring out his pain     -  and  his disappointment  from his own mistakes by drawing on the prison wall. In these brief few minutes, the presenter let him speak. He said, that when he draws and paints – he is at peace.e has time to think and look deeper in his soul. He kept drawing on the walls, with (permission of the guards) without  having any formal training. His enthusiasm was so contagious, that the other prisoners started supplying him with  whatever they can, so he can continue his work. Pencils, crayons.
It was admirable! Watching this human being, who fell  prey to circumstances and his  to  own temper perhaps, and entrapped himself – to elevate himself and rise from the ashes of self-destruction. He found a way to awaken a   talent , he did not know he had  – and found a noble  way to bypass anger and  channel  it into  a whole new level  of thinking.

Talk about the transformational quality   of Art!
It made me think  about imprisonment  of the spirit. Imprisonment of the spirit, that has nothing to do  with walls  – everything to do  with the limitations in our minds. Do we imprison our spirit when  we  surround ourselves with people, whose superficiality is  numbing ? Do we imprison our spirit when we distract ourselves with things that have no relevance to the world around us or within us? Do we imprison our minds when we squander valuable time and devote time to  exploring limiting belief systems, that impose on us ready-made values, impose on us how to think, how to react -to the point that we become a mere reflection , not a source?
Angel – the  imprisoned person with a   free spirit – made me think.
The power  of this unusual  uplifting of a human being still stays with me. The paintings were a pure expression of his pain. The mural was executed in mixed medium  – crayons, pencils and acrylics – whatever he finds.  (I presume there are no art shops in prison…. ). Not only does he lack the conventional environment of being an artist – not only is he lacking in mental stimulus of his environment  by virtue of a formal art education!  Yet the little glimmer of opportunity, time and space became his main motivator. After all – he does have the encouragement of the other prisoners and even of the prison guards, who gave him a permission to draw and paint. He needed permission to draw!!!!!

Think about it!
The sheer focus and determination he had! Many of us would try to achieve and sometimes it simply does not work. Could it be that the more freedom and  time we have – the less our desire to value it?

Could it be that the very presence of obstacles generates light and power beyond one’s expectations not only to overcome but  to excel?

Is it any wonder that some of the greatest creations of art have been created under impossible circumstances. Maybe the obstacles are simply  a spark plug that gets the desire to create in a  mode, that  overrides the trivial,  the unimportant and  the minutia?
Some of us create, because they love art and have spent time to develop their  skills and talents and want to share with the world. We simply breathe and live Art. Others create – because they have an obligation for a project or  a commission  or a gallery. Lucky ones! And then there are  many levels of creativity  between the highly skilled professional and the dilletante. But to create in the face of insurmountable obstacles  – is probably the highest form of Art.  What he lacks in  training – complements in inner desire to express  and  reflect the life-changing experience  his life.

Angel – the prisoner – artist , whose spirit  is anything but imprisoned. I was hoping I could find some  photograph of his work – but none was accessible. What I saw – was a complex composition, a large mural, depicting the events of his life, that lead him to this corner. So, I have no pictures  of Angel nor of his murals.  Just a deep impression from an accidental TV show about a prison and an incredible human being. And a deep admiration of the human spirit  and the  transformational power  of Art.

Stay inspired, my friends! Stay inspired, despite all odds! Stay inspired – no matter what!

Yours truly,

Tsvetana for TheArtChronicle

PS.The photo inset above is by Gerhard Richter.

And the Signature Image below is a Painting by this Author..

Tony Cragg was born in Liverpool, England in 1949. Internationally recognized as one of the leading abstract sculptors of his generation, Cragg has produced a highly influential body of work centered on the manipulation of shapes and surfaces as they relate to the human environment. Using such diverse materials as bronze, glass, and found objects, Cragg has created enigmatic works that meld bio-morphic shapes with otherworldly textures. In 1988, Tony Cragg was awarded the Turner Prize from the Tate Gallery, London, England. Tony Cragg has exhibited in museums throughout the world including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; The Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas; the Tate Gallery, London, England; Musee National d’Art Moderne – Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France; Wiener Secession, Vienna, Austria; and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain.

London Art Award nomination Tony Cragg: ‘I’m not a religious person—I’m an absolute materialist—and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I’m involved in making sculpture, I’m looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want that material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow.’

The Telegraph: “His move away from assemblage towards a material freighted with art-historical baggage could well have made Cragg look antediluvian. But as a show at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art reveals, over the last 20 years Cragg not only faced the challenge but revelled in it, making bronzes that weigh many tons, and yet look as though they’d been freed from the laws of gravity and inertia, zigzagging giddily upwards, as vertiginous in their verticality as Brancusi’s Endless Column. In these amazing sculptures Cragg appears at times to be engaging in a private conversation with the great masters of early 20th-century sculpture.”

Cragg: “There is this idea that sculpture is static, or maybe even dead, but I feel absolutely contrary to that. I’m not a religious person—I’m an absolute materialist—and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I’m involved in making sculpture, I’m looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want that material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow.

“I also want that to happen over the course of making things, so that as soon as one generation of sculptures has gone up, another generation is coming on and things are growing up around me. That’s how it seems to work for me.”

The Liverpool-born visual artist is currently the director of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, and has lived in Germany since 1977. He won the Turner prize in 1988, and for his services to art received a CBE in 2002. He also opened a sculpture park in Wuppertal, Germany. All his sculptures are handmade, and he is well-known for scorn of factory-made art; likening non-handmade works to relatives that one has never met.

 View Tiny Craggs work in a Waldfrieden Sculpture Partk in Germany

Tsvetana,

for the ArtChronicle

Wow ! What a title! How did it come to coin this name, someone asked me once…

Here is how this name came to be one of my most cherished paintings….CHAOS & TRUTH. It started one  summer in early 2000. Summers in Southern California can be scorching – especially  for some of us, born in moderate  European continental climate  across the ocean. The trees in my luscious mini forest -  seem to take it better than the patio, which is turning into an oven for many hours   a day.

I had just begun to experiment with large scale abstract painting, as a diversion from the endless and tedious hours of sculpting. In large scale paintings – every layer consumes   a great deal of paint and needs to dry completely before the next layer be applied. So – the more I experimented – the more  time it needed to dry. The temperature is never the same – so all I could control in the process was the time, not the exposure. Eventually, the frames that I especially create for each piece, stays for great periods of time- waiting its turn  to be completed.

In reality – these new large scale  abstract pieces are as much of a creation of the Sun as they were by me. Really! The temperature makes its own changes on that particular layer – sometimes they are spectacular in its effect! Other time – not so much. In these cases – you have to start over form that point on. This is the spontaneous part I like. Constant discovery!

One time – I had imagined a very large, sprawling canvas, that is very gentle at the sale time…I wanted to make a piece that is very large, horizontal, that has this strong, but calming presence. I make my own frames – it is an involved physical, a little tough – but while I am laying out the wood and the fabric – it gives me time to  put even more thought in  the end result. So I built the frame  36″ by 120″ and let is wait. I used a very fine , but strong blend of linen and silk.  I believe in integrity – when you create something – make sure it is genuine to its  core – including the materials. The purity of material is important to me, whether it is sculpture or a painting.

One summer passed – the large frame stayed untouched. The next summer  I did one layer.  Another summer passed. Then – 3 years later – I put it outside, where I usually work under the blue sky – and  I let my imagination free.
Then one afternoon – in 2009 I had this moment of  discovery and innovation. I was ready to do something entirely different from the ZEN SWIRLS I first did   in 2000. And right there , on the  ground – next to the blossoming orange trees -  I started  layering  the spontaneity of many  years of suppressed intentions to complete for this piece.

The more my determination grew – the softer I wanted it to look! Somehow it always takes more effort to make something  that looks effortless…
Like the ancient  hieroglyphs – which express and entire event – not just a single thing! It is almost impossible to register the thoughts that were occupying my mind at that time. At this moment, you may say – this is my own private performance. It is full of emotions, joy, wonder,  discovery, impatience, – it runs the gamut of  human expression. Then you wait a few hours, because the heavy layers need to settle and be protected from everything – from falling orange blossoms petals –to the tiny cute faced lizard, who live under a near  by  decorative rock  to a wanderer squirrel or a cat, who see this is just a part of the yard , only wet and slippery …
If one had a glimpse of the scene, while I was doing this painting    – it would have been quite baffling to the unknowing eye – the scene would have been closer to a dance, than to painting, simply because of scale. And that is maybe the reason why  each of these large scale paintings have so much meaning for me.

In a few hot summer days in 2010 I managed to complete  CHAOS & TRUTH. There was this gentle lace-like effect, when you look from a distance; when you come close to explore in depth  – it transforms itself into an organic  universe with unexpected spatial depth, impossible to describe.  In the end – this canvas is as appealing vertical as it is horizontal.

The truth is – this piece is very dear to  me. It took years to complete. And I fulfilled my goal – to have a complex large scale painting, that changes with the distance it was viewed. And the chaos, that preceded its completion was simply a precursor for a truth, that emerged in the end.

Isn’t that always the case  – Truth always emerged from Chaos.
Chaos always  preceded the Truth.And that is my very own story behind this piece! Hope you enjoy  it!

Yours truly, Tsvetana for TheArtcChronicle

PS. The CHAOS & TRUTH is featured in a DVD, which showcases in  videoart  the paintings of  Tsvetana Yvanova. The idea is to find a brand new way to experience the viewing of art  – a very artistic way of viewing . This DVD selection is available for the first time on Amazon.com.

A few weeks ago a good friend sent me a cut our from an article in a Northern California newspaper. The cutout was missing the subtitles in the corner … However – reading this short and yet powerful article – I decided as soon as I can – I will post it on this blog, since it is so relevant! In our daily lives as Artists and designers – recognition sometimes never comes soon enough . There are moments when you just wish you were someone else – not constantly working,  struggling – and when it comes to promoting your art- you take a back seat. No reason. Maybe you thin your art will speak for itself.  Or maybe it is too close to your heart  – or  you still think it needs to be perfected  … whatever the reason, you let it sit  in your studio. And time passes . The truth is – once you have created it – you have an obligation to share it! Forget the sales – forget the fact that very few can afford to purchase art. A sale may come or not – but if your art is worth it – it will leave a mark in someone’s life.  A memory – will awaken hope or  a dream or a sense of  belonging . Whatever the case may be – your art mean something to someone  – and you must show it for that t reason only.

Have we become do corrupted that we cannot say the word Art without infusing the word Money in it?  VALUE does not always have to do with money. The intrinsic value of your art is the one you must show the world.

What is intrinsic value?:” The intrinsic value of something is said to be the value that that thing has “in itself,” or “for its own sake,” or “as such,” or “in its own right.” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

If you put your heart in your Art – it will have value; intrinsic value to someone. And that is worth a lot more than any extrinsic value, expressed in modern currency. And that is worth a lot more than any extrinsic value, expressed in modern currency.  In the grand scheme of things – this form of value is of less importance, isn’t it?

What have you done for your art lately? Who did you show it to?

Here is Patrick Lydon’s Article:

ARTISTS MUST SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORK

by Patrick Lydon

Recently a fellow San Jose Art Commissioner was speaking to a former firefighter. She mentioned her position on the commission, to which the man replied: “ Art? What is Art? I see them installing sculptures in front of the fire stations, but what does it do for us?”

The former firefighter essentially saw public art as a poor use of money that could be diverted to other utilitarian services. The commissioner dutifully retorted by explaining her point of view on how public art inspires us, educates us, makes us think, laugh, smile, fosters a sense of Community and generally makes our neighborhoods better places to live.
But Art is far more than this community and generally makes our neighborhoods better places to live. But Art is far more than this.
If you are an Artist, you might not notice the ubiquity of the firefighter’s sentiment, especially when you are around friends and family who support you. However, an overwhelming majority of people today for one reason or another do not understand how and why art and creativity are important.
And it is not their fault!
As artists we can’t so easily blame art literacy on those who don’t understand it, on school boards who cut it from the curriculum or on government for not supporting it financially. It is difficult to admit, but we first need to blame ourselves.
Those of us who understand the importance of art and the creative spirit are largely failing at making it a part of others lives – failing at teaching the importance of our craft, failing at reminding others every chance we get how important the arts have been to us, failing at showing how art and creativity can and should be an important part of everyone’s life.
Although art often competes poorly in people’s minds when put alongside science, math or even shopping, the use of art as an integral part of life actually predates the oldest of these activities by some 30,000 years. (See Chauvet in France, the topic of Werner Herzog’s new film “Cave Forgotten”) Art has long been one of the basic components of a balanced life.
Throughout history, the most successful developed societies have valued artists highly, not only for what they produce directly but also for the positive tangenial effect that their uninhibited creativity has on society as a whole. This mysterious gift of creativity that Artists wield has had a large part in shaping our world into what it is today. As difficult an idea as it may seem, without creativity and the arts, you and I could quite easily still be living in caves – and caves without drawings on the walls at that.
The definition of art is often confined to painting, sculpture and perhaps performing arts, but the art is far more broad than these disciplines. Whether we recognize it or not, art surrounds us. From the music on our iPod to the design of the chair we sit in, the effect of art enters our lives hundreds of times dally. Art is not relevant to us unless we are educated as to what it is and why it is not only important but necessary.
In order for that relevancy to be understood and maintained, the stories of art and creativity must be told again and again, and in as many times ways as possible for as many different types of people as possible.

So – for those of you who know the value of arts and creativity: WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE ART STORY? AND WHOM HAVE YOU TOLD LATELY?

A few words about Patrick Lydon:

WHO IS PATRICK LYDON?

http://www.SocieCity.com

Editor-in-Chief
San Jose State University
About

A student of art, music, technology, and of the world around him, Patrick Lydon gained aesthetic and communicative training and interactions while earning his B.A. at San Jose State University. Following his studies, Lydon spent seven months traveling throughout East Asia and Europe, studying the energy and interactions between people, art, nature, and the urban space. From those experiences, his social/urban/nature research venture SocieCitywas formed, with content from a varied cast of authors, researchers, and artists, produced for consumption by the majority.

___________________________________________________

Perhaps Mr. Lydon does not realize it – but  his point of view has inspired  many.  This is my way of saying ‘Thank you!’

Yours truly,

Tsvetana Yvanova

for Art Chronicle

Focusing on museum quality exhibitions and secondary market art sales, William Turner Gallery has upheld a reputation for representing some of the most exciting contemporary artist’s in LosAngeles. The gallery’s knowledgeable staff works hand in hand with clients, contemporary interior designers, and architects to match investment quality artwork with the most refined living and corporate spaces.

The Gallery is  located at  2525 Michigan Avenue,Santa Monica, CA (310) 453-7535.

The reception is at 6 pm .  Hope to see you there, Art Enthusiast!!!!

Yours Truly,

The ArtChronicle

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE 2012 OPENING NIGHT PREMIERE PARTY An installation by performance artist Mark Mothersbaugh, who will debut a much anticipated artwork combining sculpture and music in an interactive experience.A special re-creation of The Myths of Rape, originally performed in 1977 by Leslie Labowitz-Starus as part of Three Weeks in May. This unique event is part of Three Weeks in January, a new work by Suzanne Lacy presented by LACE as part of Pacific Standard Time.                                CHINA PAVILION: Classic Buddhist Paintings: A Retrospective of Xia Jingshan. This unprecedented exhibit in the US will feature a retrospective of important works by this renowned Chinese master brush painter and will introduce the work of Xia Jingshan’s preeminent student Tong Hongsheng, bringing the voice of the next generation of the master’s Beijing-based school, Xia Xue, to light. The exhibition will also showcase the re-creation of an elaborate reading room of an antique Qing Dynasty wooden home from Southern China.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Yours Truly,

Tsvetana Yvanova,

For TheArtChronicle

is presenting Kristan Marvel in  CONTEMPORARY BRONZE  show.

THE ART OF KRISTAN MARVELL

Kristan Marvel’ s sculptures derive from a technique, which he developed and has worked with over the last twenty years, that he calls spontaneous carving. His  bronze sculptures begin as monolithic chunks of Styrofoam. As a stone carver has marble, Marvell has Styrofoam. The sculptures evolve as Marvell pulls and  manipulates large hot wires through massive blocks of Styrofoam. This process   allows for the improvisational removal of material and produces a unique visual    vocabulary. Also, Styrofoam, a material devoid of sensuality, an industrial    emblem, is in a sense corrected and made sensual as it progresses towards its  transformation into bronze.
Through this visual vocabulary Marvell explores the confrontation between the  natural, the organic, and man’s manipulation and reconstruction of the world.
On the most obvious level, the natural landscape is used as a point of inspiration, a visual ode to the raw power of its geological beauty. The work acknowledges and utilizes nature’s ability to elicit emotional transcendence. However, the sculptures are not replicas of natural formations. As a sculptor, Marvell, is interested in thematic or formalist concepts such as the relationship between mass and density, or volume and spatial balance. He likes the enigma of creating sculptures where mass is levitated in unusual ways, where unwary fragility is able to bear great weight. By way of modernist formal concerns the work references the concept of man’s transformation of nature through the intellectual event of manipulation.
As the eye wanders the sculptural planes, there is a sparseness, a focused control of surface and texture, in which the hand of the artist is evident. In that organization of space, a thoughtful and heart felt integrity emerges, imbuing the sculptures with emotion and grace, reaffirming the power of the object.

by Nicholette Kominos

For  The Art Chronicle

The scheme to take over the pedestrianised thoroughfare is led by the Cass Sculpture Foundation, a charitable trust that commissions and sells monumental work on display at its 26-acre estate at Goodwood, near Brighton.
“As a partner of the Cultural Olympiad, we have been working on the Exhibition Road project for the past two years with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea,” says entrepreneur and philanthropist Wilfred Cass, who established the foundation in 1992. ( Right, Photo of Tony Cragg, Sculptor-www.tony-cragg.com. View a video of on Cragg’s work, click here.)

In another significant move, culture minister Ed Vaizey has expressed interest in the unique funding model of the foundation. Ahead of the 20 October comprehensive spending review, the politician was no doubt keen to discover how the organisation has survived without receiving any funding from state-backed bodies such as Arts Council England.
“The charity’s simple business model effectively means that no outside funding is necessary,” says Cass. “The overheads of the foundation are paid for in full by admission charges and events.” Ed Wilde, technical director at the foundation, says: “When a piece by a particular artist is sold, we will commission another work from them using the foundation’s half of the proceeds. This effectively means that the artists will benefit from 100% of the net profit of a sale, even though the contractual fee is 50/50.”

The sculpture park attracts about 18,000 visitors a year, who pay £10 each to enter. Major sales recently have been to foreign collectors such as Portuguese billionaire José Berardo.

“People find it difficult to understand that a charity can also be commercial but isn’t this the kind of scheme favoured by the current government? With institutions such as the arts council and museums throughout the country facing major cuts, we see our role as working more closely with these bodies,” adds Cass.

VITAL FACTS ABOUT THE CASS SCULPTURE FOUNDATION

The Cass Sculpture Foundation has won a broad international reputation by carefully honing its expertise in the commissioning and sale of large-scale sculpture from the finest British artists.

Profits from all sales are split equally between the artist and the foundation to date we have displayed over 440 new sculptures and have provided an internationally renowned platform for a significant number of British sculptors.
We are now extending our visibility and international profile by planning a major series of events outside of Goodwood.

Tsvetana Yvanova

Editor,The Art Chronicle

By Georgina Adam, Charlotte Burns and Melanie Gerlis

LONDON. Dealers were delighted to see hedge-fund honcho Steven Cohen, one of the world’s biggest art buyers, at the preview of Frieze yesterday morning. “It’s my first visit to the fair,” Cohen said as he viewed the work accompanied by his adviser, Sandy Heller.

But Cohen wasn’t the first in. At the front of the line were Dallas collectors Christen and Derek Wilson. “This is my favourite fair,” said Christen, a member of Tate’s North American acquisitions committee. British collectors Frank and Cheryl Cohen sauntered past Tate supremo Sir Nicholas Serota, who was deep in conversation with über-collector Charles Saatchi outside Sadie Coles HQ (C15). Adding serious glamour, Russian collector Dasha Zhukova swished towards Marian Goodman (F16), while supermodel Claudia Schiffer eyed up Thanksgiving 1985 (Table) by hot US artist Roe Ethridge at Andrew Kreps (A7).

Fellow stars included rock’n’roller Keith Richards, photographer David Bailey and an assortment of artists: Ai Weiwei, a wheelchair-bound Tracey Emin, Gavin Turk and Mike Nelson. Early-bird collectors also included Chicago’s Stefan Edlis with Gail Leeson, Hong Kong’s Richard Chang and Brazil’s Ricard Akagawa.

Greeting them were dealers on stands that boasted bigger and bolder displays than in the last two downturn years. Not to be outdone by the usual powerhouses of Gagosian (D8), White Cube (F15), Hauser & Wirth (C12) et al, most galleries this year are ratcheting up their ambitions with larger pieces.
So why is big back? Dealers claim they aren’t driving the trend: “It’s not my ego,” said New York gallerist Friedrich Petzel (D3). “Artists are producing bigger works.” His sales included a large-scale John Stezaker—Untitled (Veil Tiger), 1982—for around £50,000 to a European buyer.

“There are a lot of ambitious collectors still out there,” says James Lindon, visiting the fair from New York’s Pace. He added: “Dealers might be slimming down in terms of production, but that doesn’t impact scale.” In line with today’s more sober mood, many of the materials used are humble: cardboard, paper, flags or found objects.

READ ON …….

Tsvetana Yvanova,The Art Chronicle

.

RECEPTION:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 3:00 – 6:00 PM

OCTOBER 23 – DECEMBER 4,

2010 WILLIAM TURNER GALLERY

2525 Michigan Avenue E-1

Santa Monica, CA 90404 PH: 310.453.0909

www.williamturnergallery.com

Some brief facts about Andy Moses:

Biography

1962 Born in Los Angeles, CA

1979 – 1982 California institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA

Exhibitions

2006 Gallery C, Hermosa Beach, CA

2006 George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2006 McClain Gallery, Houston, TX (solo)

2006 Patricia Faure Gallery, Los Angeles, CA(solo)

2005 Patricia Faure Gallery, Los Angeles, CA(solo)

2005 McClain Gallery, Houston, TX(solo)

2005 Berman Turner GalleryLos Angeles, CA

2004 Patricia Faure Gallery, Los Angeles, CA(solo)

2003 Off Main Gallery, Los Angeles, CA(solo)

2003 Gallery C, Hermosa Beach, CA

2003 Double Vision, Los Angeles, CA

2002 Anita Shapolsky Gallery, New York, NY

2002 Arts Manhattan, Manhattan Beach, CA

1998 Lenora Vega Gallery, New York, NY(solo)

1997 Nabi Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY

Below is their promo for the show.

Frank Pictures Gallery is delighted to present, Killing With Love. Billy Zane’s first show of paintings with an opening reception for the artist. Zane, best known for his achievements as an actor in over 80 films, most memorably as Caledon Hockley in the 1997 film Titanic, began painting during his seven months of filming the blockbuster with James Cameron. It didn’t take long for his interest in painting become more than a pastime, it became a consuming passion, often interrupted by his on set responsibilities. Since then he has set

up makeshift art studios on almost every location he is filming in, the cultural influences and limitation to local materials influencing his spontaneous abstract offerings. ‘I love the mystery. The joy of making do with what you have to work with. The Hardware store is my art store and most countries, cities and villages have one in some form or another. If I can’t find canvas, I find old signage, shelf liner, or shipping crates. If I can’t find enough paint I use soil, clay, wine, spit, anything that adheres.”

He has been further influenced in his art by his practice of the Japanese sword fighting martial art Kendo. “In Kendo, or Specifically the Samurai ethic and art of swordsmanship, before it was diluted into a sport after WW2, one should not insult their opponent with a mincing, poorly executed cut It should be decisive, effective, a clean kill, informed with respect for ones adversary and ones own skill. In painting, it’s this commitment to task that interests me most, the cut, the stroke. The act supersedes the message. Logic and meaning, if any, emerges after the fact, but is also inherent, like the sculpture in the stone, and only evident when I have been guided by an almost brash confidence. Painting for me, is more physical than psychological or even emotional. Although, I derive great joy from the act and serve an almost insatiable desire to sling paint.”

That maybe so – but many have had the desire to ‘sling’  paint, few have done it well. And Billy Zane does it very well. The FRANKS PICTURES GALLERY is located on the address below:

Bergamot Station Gallery A-5, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica California 90404, Tel. 310-828-0211, Fax. 310-828-0221

Moblie. 323-839-6166 .They  are open Tuesday – Saturday from

11:30 am – 6:30 pm or by appointment. Laurie@FrankPicturesGallery.com

They have a New York affiliate gallery – Johnny Wong.
Johnny@FrankPicturesGallery.com

Yours truly, Tsvetana Yvanova

Filed under: American Modernist, Art Consultants, California Art, Contemporary Art Forum, Gallery Opening Tagged: Billy Zane, Expressionism, Franks Pictures Gallery, Laurie Frank Gallery, Pos Art, Rauschenberg ]]> http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/billy-zane-the-surprise-of-bergamont-station/feed/ 0 The Art Chronicle BILLY Zanebookcoverss frances-fisher-e1277932742331 Suddenly-e1277933320834 telemundo-noborder BIG SMILE http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/for-fine-art-publishers-and-galleries/ http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/for-fine-art-publishers-and-galleries/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:44:09 +0000 The Art Chronicle http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/?p=901 ]]> Attention: FINE ART PUBLISHERS and GALLERIES

FINE ART PUBLISHERS, who wish to  inquire about reproduction rights of Tsvetana Yvanova’s art – sculptures, digital lithographs, paper prints, giclees, please fill in the contact form online or simply call between 9 am  and 5 pm weekdays to discuss all available options.Specify your field of interest.

FINE ART GALLERIES, who wish to  inquire about representing Tsvetana Yvanova in their  gallery – figurative  sculpture editions, original paintings, limited edition  lithographs, please fill in the contact form online or call between 9 am  and 5 pm weekdays to discuss all available options. Specify your field of interest.

When requesting a  catalog, for the purposes of reproduction – specify  the focus of your interest – Sculpture,  Portraiture, Figurative; Contemporary Paintings, Large Scale Digital Lithographs ( Giclees) or Museum quality Paper Prints.

ARTBUSINESS.COM’s site principal, Alan Bamberger, is an art consultant, advisor, author, and independent appraiser specializing in research, appraisal, and all business and market aspects of original works of art, artist manuscript materials, art-related documents, and art reference books. He has been selling art since 1979 and rare and scholarly art reference books since 1982, and has been consulting and appraising for artists, galleries, businesses, organizations and collectors since 1985.

Bamberger has appeared live on CNN’s Daywatch, KTLA’s Making It (Los Angeles), and KRON-TV in San Francisco, and answered art business questions on New York City Cable TV’s Project Art Show. He’s been quoted in numerous media including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, Great Britain’s Guardian Unlimited, the Toronto Star, Marketplace (National Public Radio), the Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, the San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, ESPN Magazine, Real Simple, ARTnews, The Arizona Republic and Wired and has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Examiner, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Your Money, and other publications.

Bamberger has written about the art business since 1983. His syndicated column, “Art Talk,” debuted in 1985 and appeared in antique and collectibles newspapers and magazines nationwide including Antique Week, Mid-Atlantic Antiques Magazine, Yesteryear, Antique and Collectables, The Collector, Antiques and Auction News, Antique Gazette,Old Stuff, and Collectors Journal. Bamberger currently writes the “Turning Pro” column for Coagula Art Journal, has been a columnist for Art Calendar Magazine, and has written numerous articles about the art business for publications like American Artist, Antiques and Fine Art, Antiques West, Antique Trader, San Francisco Review of Books, and Art of California. He has also written three books, Buy Art Smart and Art For All, published by Wallace-Homestead in 1990 and 1994 respectively, and The Art of Buying Art, published by Gordon’s Art Reference in 2002, and then revised and enlarged in 2007.

He consults on legal matters involving art, has given expert testimony in court, done numerous radio interviews, spoken with Spencer Michaels of The News Hour With Jim Lehrer regarding a PBS news story about eBay, consulted with financial columnist Andrew Leckey for annual predictions on what’s hot in the art market, been interviewed by Random House editors for the art section of their book The Practical Guide to Practically Everything, and is a listed expert in Tony Hyman’s Trash or Treasure. He also speaks to museum and collector groups across the country and was the original moderator of the “Topics in Art” forum on the Antique Week website.

Bamberger is a member of the Association of Online Appraisers (of which he has served on the Ethics Committee), the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. He has served on the board of directors of Creativity Explored, an organization dedicated to encouraging artistic expression in the developmentally challenged, on the exhibition committee of Visual Aid, a service organization serving artists with life threatening illnesses, and worked with ArtSpan which produces San Francisco Open Studios

I have found Mr. Bamberger’s website to be of incredible value to Independent Artists. His Articles offer a wealth of knowledge and experience.

He may be contacted through his website as well as email: alanb@artbusiness.com

Yours kindly,

Tsvetana

The Art Chronicle Principle

The Barack Obama Portrait is completed – and the few minutes of videotaping are showing the  final touches – they are  interesting to watch as well. It was quite challenging and exciting experience  to constantly  study the features of a historical figure such as Barack Obama – regardless of one’s belief system  – one thing is certain – Mr. Obama is a historical milestone in the American history, that marks  a change in the way America  thinks and the way the world perceives America. A Visionary.

By clicking on the highlighted link, you may view the YouTube Obama Art Video or  click here for  Tsvetana Yvanova’s YouTube channel.

Hope you enjoy the video! Tell us what you think of the  image?

I can tell you this – in real viewing – people’s behaviour becomes a bit more  respectful, as if the President himself is there and not a sculpture of him . . . . Subtle, but eloquent! That is a real  seal of approval for me.

Your truly,

Tsvetana

I am always deeply impressed by Artists, who cross boundaries – or erase the them. An Artist, who  is capable of organizing an installation with a message of this caliber – deserves special attention. I myself love with trees. Period. I have no explanation. Just love trees, their grandeur, their  ability to be complete habitats for thousands of  flora and fauna and last but not least – their genetic design to last for over a  milleneum and sustain our very own life on Earth. I can go on and on .  We owe the existence of any civilization on earth to the existence of trees. Few things create more indignation in me that cutting down rainforrest species, under the pretext ( and ignorance ) that they will grow again . . .I also happen to be a deep believer , that with common efforts we can preserve  our environment  healthy  and even  reverse the damage done to the environment up to this point. This is why I was taken by the efforts of an Artist Angela Palmer to create this installation showing  the stumps of Rainforrest species – after they have been cut down due to the  greed, ignorance and plain  miopia of the effect of such cutting.  I do not use the word  ‘harvested’, ( harvesting would mean that it was planted by the  party, who has cut it) – even harvesting trees is equally damaging.  Not to say that ‘harvesting’ trees is justifiable  in any way ,  shape of form. Below follows  is a part of Angela Palmer’s  statement for this installation  in her own words -http://www.angelaspalmer.com .

‘The connection between deforestation and climate change, and the challenge to express that visually, is the basis for my most ambitious and logistically challenging work yet. The concept is to present a series of rainforest tree stumps as a ‘ghost forest’ – using the negative space created by the missing trunks as a metaphor for climate change, the absence representing the removal of the world’s ‘lungs’ through continued deforestation.’

‘Over the past few months I’ve made several field trips to a commercially logged primary rainforest in Ghana where we sourced a group of 10 tree stumps. The Ghost Forest was exhibited in Trafalgar Square in London November 16-22, courtesy of the GLA. It then moved to Copenhagen from December 7-16 to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference, and was situated in Thorvaldsens Plads, a magnificent city centre square next to Parliament Square and the National Museum. More than 12,000 delegates from 193 nations attended the Conference where the future of rainforests was a key component of the agenda.’

‘Both locations provide a powerful stage: Trafalgar Square is one of the world’s most visited tourist sites and the epicentre of Western industrialisation over the past 200 years. Nelson’s Column stands over 50 metres (169 feet) tall, the approximate height many of these trees would have stood. In Copenhagen, Ghost Forest stands as a symbol of threatened rainforest trees throughout the world. Seven indigenous species are represented – Denya, Dahuma, Danta, Hyedua, Mahogany,Wawa and three varieties of Celtis – all with a rich and varied ecology and all with equally diverse uses by man.’

‘It is important to explain the source of these particular trees, Ghana. The tropical rainforests of the Congo Basin are the closest to Europe, just 3,000 miles due south from Trafalgar Square along the Greenwich Meridian. Having lost 90% of its primary rainforest over the past 50 years, Ghana now exercises strict regulations in sustainable and responsible forestry. Last year it became the first country in Africa to enter the VPA (Voluntary Partnership Agreement) with the European Union in an effort to outlaw illegal logging. Its remaining concessions are all selectively logged, which means the retention, crucially, of the forest canopy; the natural regeneration of the forest; and a viable and sustainable timber industry for the local workforce: the installation therefore carries a message of hope and optimism.’

‘The project has the support of Deutsche Bank, the main sponsor; Arts Council England; the Global Canopy Programme; Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and the Oxford Centre for Tropical Forests; and several other charities and companies. In addition many passionate individuals have given very generously, both financially and with their time. We are still raising funds to complete the Ghost Forest Art Project. I’d be incredibly grateful for any contribution, however small. You may make a donation, and if you wish, leave a message on the Ghost Forest Donation Tree, which is here.

‘My interest in Climate Change began two years ago when I had a dream that I went to the most polluted place in the world wearing a floating white outfit. I then went to the cleanest place on earth wearing an identical white outfit, and exhibited both in a stark white gallery. When I woke I resolved to do just that. I spent a week in the most polluted place on earth, Linfen in Shanxi province in China, a city in the heart of China’s coal mining region, which according to official surveys has the world’s most polluted air and water. I then visited the cleanest – Cape Grim in the North West tip of Tasmania, which benefits from the cleansing blast of the winds of the Roaring Forties. In both places I wore an identical white outfit, and brought back film, photographs, water and air samples, all of which I juxtaposed for my final show at the Royal College of Art in London. The work will be exhibited next month at the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road in London. Entitled ‘Breathing In’, the show opens on October 20.’

‘Many people have commented that at the core of my work is a desire to ‘map’; the work is almost always accompanied with a narrative, often the result of months of research involving many specialists. In a way it is old fashioned story-telling, perhaps largely informed by my background in journalism. A common theme running through all my projects is the collision between art and science, and almost without exception the work is the result of collaborations with scientists in every conceivable discipline, from engineers specialising in bio-fluidics, to dust-mite and spider experts, radiologists, veterinary scientists, paediatric dentists and specialists in ancient Egyptian dyes.’

To view the entire text and Angela Palmer’s website -just click on the link.

SOME FACTS YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW:

1.One of the tallest rainforrest species is  Brazil Nut Tree ( Bertoletia Excelsa) is one of tghe largest species in the Amazon  Rainforrests, reaches 100 – 150 feet and may live 500 up to 1000 years. It reproduces with difficulty – its reproduction depends on a certain type of orchid. Withg a straight stem, 3 -6.5  feet in diameter, and a crown that towers over all other canopies of  surrounding tees.

2. Other common  species – in California - Platan (Platanus Occidentalis)  very  tall as well – up to 130 feet, can live up to 2300 years if left alone.

Sincerely,

Tsvetana Yvanova, ASLA,

Artist, Designer & Tree Lover

Filed under: African Rainforrest Trees, Conceptual Art, Contemporary Art Forum, ENVIRONMENTAL ART, Visual Arts Tagged: Angela Palmer, Arts Council England, Brazil Nut Tree, Deutsche Bank, Ghost Forrest, Global Canopy Programme, London, Oxford University’s Environmental, Platanus Occidentatlis, Rainforrest Trees ]]> http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/a-ghost-forrest-in-the-heart-of-london/feed/ 0 The Art Chronicle ghostforesttrafalgar1 angelapalmer ghostforesttrafalgar2 as4_angelaonstump BIG SMILE http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/meet-jeremy-lipking-a-true-california-talent/ http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/meet-jeremy-lipking-a-true-california-talent/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:57:03 +0000 The Art Chronicle http://tyvanova.wordpress.com/?p=652 ]]> A Note From Jeremy

Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying your winter (or summer for my southern hemisphere friends), I know I am. Here in southern California the Winters and Spring are my favorite times to paint outdoors, the hills are green, the streams are full and the temperatures can be in the 70′s and 80′s. I’ve been trying get out there when I can to take advantage of the great conditions. I’ve also been lucky this Winter to have had a chance to paint with some great visiting artists like Christopher Pugliese and Rose Frantzen who currently has an exhibition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Here are some upcoming events I’d like you to know about.

California Workshops May and June In each of these workshops we’ll be painting the figure in the studio and outdoors. Click on the links to register and pay. May Workshop: May 14th, 15th & 16th 2010 June Workshop: June 25th, 26th & 27th 2010 Location: Agoura Hills CA Cost: $495. For people in Southern California I also offer a weekly painting class in my studio on Tuesday nights 7-10pm. The cost for 8-weeks is $480. To register or for more info on this or the 3-day workshops contact Danielle or call 818-451-7675 You may also pay online for the weekly class here. Realist Revolution: Panel Discussion Contemporary Art: REALIST REVOLUTION and CRITICAL RELEVANCE, Is Main Stream Media Missing an Important Cultural Trend? Date: 4:00PM Friday April 23rd 2010 Location: Hyatt Regency Reston, VA (Washington D.C area) Cost: Free (you must reserve tickets though) I am really excited to announce this panel discussion I’ll be moderating at the 2010 Art of the Portrait Conference in the Washington D.C area next month. We have a top notch panel that will be discussing the current movement in representational art and its place in the contemporary art world. Panel members are: Jacob Collins, artist & founder of Grand Central Academy Alexey Steele, artist and recipient of 2009 Gusi Peace Prize James Panero, writer and managing editor of The New Criterion Dr. Vern Swanson, author and expert on Academic and Realist art & Director of the Springville Museum. This is an important discussion for any artist or collector. Although it is part of the Art of the Portrait Conference agenda, this one event will be open to anyone at no cost but you must reserve tickets by emailing Christine Egnoski at info@portraitsociety.org or call 877-772-4321 Solo Exhibition NY And Last but not least my Solo Exhibition I have been working on for two years night is opening Thursday night June 10th. 2010 at Arcadia Gallery, 51 Greene Street New York, NY 10013 212-965-1387 I hope to see you there. Sincerely, Jeremy Lipking http://www.lipking.com