Miami Art Week - A Visual Summary

Miami Art Week Nov 30 - Dec 4, 2016

Nada Art Fair  
at Deauville Beach Resort - "new or underexposed art that is not typical of the 'art establishment.' "

Neon Parc, Melbourne

Independent Curators International (ICI) New York

China Art Objects, Los Angeles

Pulse Miami Beach
at Indian Beach Park - "a diverse site for the discovery of emerging to mid-career artists'."

Entrance to Pulse with "Miami Marble" work by Ann Spalter.

Beers, London

Erica Prince, The Transformational Makeover Salon

Pinta Miami
at Mana Wynwood - "focusing on Latin American art identities and issues."

BARÓ, São Paulo

Marión Gallery, Panama

taeditions.com, online gallery

Art Miami
at Midtown Miami | Wynwood - "modern and contemporary art from more than 125 international art galleries."

Eduardo Secci Contemporary, Florence

Omer Tiroche Gallery, London

Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam

Art Basel Miami Beach
at Miami Beach Convention Center - "the largest art show featuring leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa."

Gio Marconi Gallery, Milan

303 Gallery, New York

With Zanele Muholi wallpaper ed. at Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg. Photo thanks to Matthew Couper.

And of course, there was more... a lot more! Further Miami Art Week info here.

Stone Blind Interactive Installation

Vicky Kapo and I have been friends for decades, but it wasn't until she visited Las Vegas in early May 2016, that we took the opportunity to collaborate on a project. Although Vicky's background is in dance and choreography and mine in photography and collage, we have each incorporated community interaction in previous projects.

We visited a couple of sites in the Las Vegas 18b Arts District, home to the monthly First Friday Arts Festival. A boarded up home covered in graffiti art spoke to us of transience. This once solid site designed for occupation, has become unhinged, adrift from its mooring due to its lack of function. There are also homeless people in this neighborhood whom many choose not to see. In this context, the stones we found at the site, suggested the title for the work: Stone Blind.

Having first 'tied down' the house, we invite First Friday visitors to respond to the question "Where - or what - is home to you?". Some answer in specifics: "New Jersey", "Sin City", "Mexico", "Germany"... and others are descriptive: "Where my found family are", "Wherever love is reciprocated", "The location of my car".

The responses reflect the diverse cultural mix of First Friday visitors - locals, national and international visitors, toddlers in strollers and grandparents with walking sticks. Although the installation itself was transient, the messages live on as a poignant reminder of the importance of a safe, loving home that in reality, not everyone experiences.

Las Vegas 18b Arts District, May 6, 2016. 

Vicky Kapo ties down the house with stones found on the site.

Collaged "Seeing Stones" are interspersed with the stones on site.

First Friday visitors write or draw their interpretation of "home".

A project participant adds his messages of "home" to the temporary installation.

Participants add their messages of "home" to the temporary installation.

Participants' contributions festoon the ties at the conclusion of the project.

Six Artists Las Vegas

In an industrial area of Las Vegas, very close to the original casino hub of downtown Fremont St, is a large warehouse space surrounded by creative studios. Recognizing its potential as an exhibition and event space, in early December 2015 we produced an exhibition of six Las Vegas-based artists.

Matthew Couper (b. 1976, New Zealand) is based in Las Vegas, Nevada after immigrating to the USA in 2010. His practice over the past decade has appropriated aspects of western Art History including Trecento, Quattrocento and the Baroque. His work adapts established narrative traditions of Spanish Colonial retablos and ex–votos to discuss the space between myth, religion and art politics. He recently stated that ‘like any good Johnny Cash, Nick Cave or Pixies song, you’ve got to have sex, death and religion fueling the fire’.
Couper is represented by Room, Brooklyn, NY; Zoya Tommy, Houston, TX; La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, Gimpel+Muller, Paris and PAULNACHE, New Zealand.

Angel Delgado (b. 1965, Havana, Cuba) is a multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Las Vegas, Nevada. Delgado centers his work on the issue of individual liberty, or the lack thereof. This focus is the result of having been sent to prison for six months in the early 1990s, for a scandal due to a public performance that he presented in Havana, Cuba. It was in a Cuban prison that Delgado found his main technical and instrumental resources, developing a kind of artwork closely linked to the living conditions in jail, including soap sculptures and paintings of religious images on fabric. His work consequently is based on the limitations, restrictions, prohibitions, controls and other losses of freedom that are constantly imposed on the human being within society. At the moment his interest is to take personal experiences towards a collective experience, speaking about the imprisoned condition that the collective psyche suffers as it confines the individual.
Delgado’s work has been represented in several gallery and museum exhibitions, including the Queens Museum of Art, Couturier Gallery, the Harwood Museum of Art, the Museum of Latin American Art in LA and most recently at the Venice International Performance Art Week.

Sush Machida Gaikotsu (b. 1973, Maebashi, Japan) is a contemporary Japanese artist. He currently lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. His artwork has been exhibited internationally. Machida received his M.F.A. (2002) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. L.A. Times art critic David Pagel stated, "It’s a rare instance of less-is-more magic, when a strictly limited number of judicious decisions intensifies the effect of the whole. Pop art never looked more scorchingly gorgeous or wickedly Zen."


Originally from New Zealand, JK Russ relocated to Las Vegas in 2010. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Arts from MIT Faculty of Creative Arts where she majored in photography, Russ has maintained an interest in representations of performance. Her recent mixed media and video works feature performance and fashion elements, along with desert creatures and rock formations. VEGAS magazine’s 2015 Art of the City edition featured her work, and UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum is currently showing the 3-person exhibit Kveck, Russ & Stellmon: Break Ups & Tear Downs.
Russ is also known for creating interactive collage projects for the Life is Beautiful festival, the London Biennale Pollination performance event and during her P3Studio artist residency at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, in partnership with New York’s Art Production Fund. Russ is represented by Sin City Gallery in Las Vegas, NV, Zoya Tommy in Houston, TX and PAULNACHE in Gisborne, New Zealand.

David Ryan (b. 1971, Texas) gleans inspiration from the slick colors and lines of cars, electronic gadgets and household appliances to transform mundane, undesirable MDF into luxurious, enticing wall-sculptures. By creating multiple (literal) layers, Ryan explores the way line, shape and shadow interact to produce perceptual conundrums that intrigue his viewer. Thus his conceptually multi-layered pieces speak not only of glossy consumer products but also refer to phenomenology and complex art theories. His work explores the dynamic between craft and production, art and design, man and machine.
Ryan received his BFA from the University of Texas in Austin, TX then his MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (NV) where he studied under Dave Hickey and Libby Lumpkin. His work has been exhibitedat the Laguna Art Museum (CA), Las Vegas Art Museum (NV), Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard (Paris), Seomi & Tuus (Seoul), Davidson Contemporary (NY), and James Kelly Contemporary (NM). 

Sean Slattery earned his BFA from University of North Texas, Denton, TX, and his MFA from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in Texas he was a member of the Good/Bad Art Collective, Assistant Curator at the Arlington Museum of Art, and Assistant Director at Angstrom Gallery, Dallas. He is currently an adjunct professor at UNLV.

An On-Set Visit With Las Vegas Body Painting Artist & Skin Wars Producer Robin Slonina

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The sign on the entrance to Stage 7 at Hollywood’s Sunset Gower Studios reads “Closed Set – No Photography”. Filming of the third season of The Game Show Network’s popular SkinWars body painting contest is underway and the identity and progress of the contestants is a closely guarded secret until the ten episodes are screened. All the contestants are sequestered away during the six-week shoot without access to the potential distractions of cell phones and television until they are either eliminated or master the creative challenges to claim the $100,000 prize money. 

            Robin Slonina, Las Vegas-based artist and owner of Skin City Body Painting, has been a producer and judge for each Skin Wars series. She laughs, “We call it body paint boot camp, but we look after our contestants. They stay together in a house with a pool, barbeque and pool table, and the current group have been entertaining themselves by choreographing and performing song and dance routines.” 

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Taking a break from filming, Slonina and fellow expert body painting judge, New Orleans-based artist Craig Tracy describe what they will be looking for in the winning contestant. “Our three main criteria are creativity, technique and the execution of the challenge, and the artists must be able to work under pressure. It’s anyone’s game right up to the last challenge. A contestant could be winning the whole time, then make one mistake and they’re out”.

              Transformation icon Ru Paul completes the judging trio and X-Men star Rebecca Romijn hosts. Skin Wars season three is scheduled to screen early 2016.

Art Fashion Intercourse at Sydney Contemporary

A large red cloud greets us as we enter the airy atrium of the historic Carriageways building, temporary home to the four-day Sydney Contemporary international art fair. Once used as a maintenance warehouse for rail engines, the large brick structure has been restored to maintain its original character and repurposed as a multi-arts center.

Inside the 87,000 sq ft space more than 90 galleries represent 14 countries. Alongside the gallery booths are 18 large-scale installations curated by Sydney-based The Curators' Department and a moving image program curated by the Australian Center for the Moving Image. The performance art program includes works by 110 percent, Matthew Couper, Rosie Deacon and James Nguyen with curation by Connie Anthes and Emma Price. Also taking place over the course of the fair is a series of artist talks and panel discussions covering a range of topics including appropriation, post-internet art and the relevance of gender.

I'm able to schedule attendance to the Fashion Forum: Contemporary Trends hosted by Vogue Australia. Sophie Tedmanson, Australian Vogue Deputy Editor initiates discussion on the current fusion of art and fashion, in the context of the art-dominated 2014 Spring/Summer collections and the rising practice of fashion houses creating their own art museums.

Designers Luke Sales and Anna Plunket of Australian label Romance is Born describe their philosophy of collaborating with artists for their fabric prints. They list mutual respect as a key ingredient for success, with the artists allowing them free reign in the use of their work. Plunket sees art as creating a fantasy world that transports the viewer and this was the aim of their 'Cooee Couture' show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales where they featured handmade Australiana-themed clothes in a tableau-like performance.

Alison Kubler acknowledges the popularity of fashion-themed exhibitions currently curated in public art institutions, with Alexander McQueen's 'Savage Beauty' show being one of the most highly attended exhibitions at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London with 493,043 people viewing it during its 21-week run.

Melbourne-based artist Rhys Lee shares his perspective on the collaborative process he undertook with designer Lisa Gorman in 2012. He describes his process of providing Gorman with a large pre-existing painting along with commissioned ink patterns on paper which she transferred to computer, then digitally printed images onto fabric and created colorful jumpsuits and other designs. Following that successful project, Lee is now working with Californian surfing brand RVCA on a clothing range and other products to be released in 2016.

Sydney fashion is known for it's monochromatic palette and sculptural silhouettes. However, I note a strong, colorful, graphic trend in the attire of many fairgoers that complements the splashes of dramatic color in booths throughout the fair. There is almost too much art to experience and there are many works I would love to spend more time with. The vitality of the fair is seductive and it's hard to leave at the end of the night. But as I head out into the indigo darkness, I carry the image of the towering red cloud with me. Sydney Contemporary has left an indelible mark.

Talk Contemporary: Vogue Australia Presents the Fashion Forum with Deputy Editor Sophie Tedmanson, Artist Rhys Lee, Romance is Born designers Luke Sales and Anna Plunket and writer/curator Alison Kubler.

Inside Wynn Las Vegas

One of the most visually stunning casinos on the Las Vegas Strip is the 2,716-room Wynn Las Vegas, opened in 2005. The lead designer was Nevada native Roger Thomas and the signature red carpet was designed by French interior decorator Jacques Garcia.

In 2013, Wynn Las Vegas commissioned event designer Preston Bailey to create two major floral installations for the atrium - a hot air balloon and a spinning carousel. The core construction is
fiber-reinforced plastic adorned by more than 110,000 flowers.

Contemporary art from the Wynn Collection can be found throughout the casino including Jeff Koons' mirror-polished stainless steel sculptures "Tulips" and "Popeye".

Large glowing parasols suspended above the hotel lobby

Rotating Carousel floral installation by Preston Bailey

Hot Air Balloon floral sinstallation by Preston Bailey

Floral balls suspended in the atrium

"Tulips" by Jeff Koons

Above the pool area

Topiary gardens leading to pool area

Party in the Afterglow Sets the Stage for 12" of Sin International Juried Art Award

Farasha Desert Siren performs in the Main Space at Party in the Afterglow

  Party in the Afterglow is the kind of event where party-goers often rival the performers with attention-grabbing outfits. Sin City Gallery Director Dr Laura Henkel and Gallery Manager/burlesque performer Lou Lou Roxy worked together to develop this annual celebration of visual and performative works that address love, lust and all the complex variances in-between, and sets the scene for three months of festivities surrounding the 12 Inches of Sin International Juried Art Award.

Two party-goers put on an impromptu performance.

Party in the Afterglow entertainment was continuous throughout the evening in both the Main Space, and the Garden of Eden VIP area where photography was off limits, encouraging impromptu audience participation. Featured performers were Lily Starr, La Rosa Muerta, Morgane Latouche, Nomi Malone, Randilyn, The Raunchy Professor, Madame Estrella, Michelle Jackson, Farasha Desert Siren, Blue Ruin, Ophelia Pearl and her Gimp Jeffery, Lou Lou Roxy, Ambrosia Minge and Suwasit. Dr Sketchy's supplied a model and drawing materials, and DJ Carey C provided the music. Local charity organization Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence benefited from the event.

World Male Pole Dance Champion Suwasit

 

The party also offered a preview of the finalists' works selected for the 12 Inches of Sin Juried Art Award and Le Salon Des Refusés Du Péché.  US artist Raymond Elstad was awarded Best in Show for his black & white digital photographic work Box Grid, and will have a solo show in 2016 at Sin City Gallery.

Also invited to participate in the 12 Inches of Sin Award Show are Gregory Brown (UK), Chris Labine (USA), Steve Bormes (USA), Barbra Loveless (USA), Billy Pacak (USA), Daniel Martinez (Uruguay), Yousif Del Valle (USA), Juan Ramiro Torres (USA), CADOC (Canada), Michelle Delecki (USA) and Héctor Pineda (Mexico). 

The selection committee responsible for narrowing down all the submissions to 12 finalists was comprised of notable international, national and local figures involved in the arts: Aurore Giguet, Program Manager, The Marjorie Barrick Museum, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Brent Mizel, Pinup Pointe Gallery; Christopher John Ball, Co-Founder, The Association of Erotic Artists; Dennis McBride, Curator, Nevada State Museum; Henry Rosenthal, Filmmaker and Musician; Dr. Laura Henkel, Director, Sin City Gallery, and Founder, ArtCulture PR; Lou Lou Roxy, Gallery Manager, Sin City Gallery, and Burlesque Entertainer; Lucio Bubacco, Glass Artisan; Miltancia Erotica, Art Consortium and Richard Schemmerer, PDXart.

Burlesque performer Blue Ruin in the pink

The Best in Show winner was then chosen by a separate committee comprising Allena Gabosch, Producer, The Seattle Erotic Art Festival; Catherine Johnson-Roehr, Curator, The Kinsey Institute; Francois Dubeau, Artist; Hans Van Der Kamp, Founder, The World Museum of Erotic Art; Jerry Vile, Co-founder, The Dirty Show; Julian Murphy, Artist; Marne Lucas, Artist; Dr. Sadie Allison, CEO, Tickle Kitty, Inc; S.R. Sharp, Executive Director, The Tom of Finland Foundation; Sister Loosey Lust Bea Lady, Founder, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Las Vegas Chapter; Steve Diet Goedde, Artist; and Tony Mitchell, Founder, The Fetishistas.

The 12 Inches of Sin IV Award Show opens at Sin City Gallery June 4, following on from last years' 12 Inches Best in Show winner, Bulgaria-based artist JP Rakehorn. Then from July 2nd, Le Salon Des Refusés Du Péché exhibition, curated by Dr Laura Henkel will take place. For those wishing to retain a taste of each of the 12 Inches shows, Sin City Gallery is publishing hard-cover editions featuring all the selected works to date.

An Artist Residency Experience at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

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Completing an artist residency in a large resort on the Las Vegas Strip has definitely been one of the most interesting art experiences to date. The P3Studio residency is a partnership between The Cosmopolitan of LasVegas and Art Production Fund in New York City. The residency program is designed to provide guests with an interactive art experience, so there is always a participatory element to each project and artists change monthly.

When I open the studio doors to visitors for the first time on Wednesday, December 11, I am not sure exactly what to expect. I have produced two previous audience-participation collage projects – the first took place over a few hours at the London Biennale in Nevada satellite project and the second over a few days at the Life is Beautiful Festival. However, the House of Paper Birds project at The Cosmopolitan spans a few weeks, and at the end of the residency period, I estimate that visitors will have completed two collage panels inspired by the fruit of the Joshua Tree and a large reverse-glass window collage where bird-women reign over a desert landscape. I provide a starting point for each of the works, then with a little guidance, the visitors do the rest.

I hope that during the process, visitors will also enjoy the opportunity to browse a range of fashion, lifestyle and art magazines in the adjoining Reading Room. This area is inspired by the MOCA Grand Avenue Reading Room in Los Angeles and is designed for me by Patina Décor. I also envision conversations taking place around the large studio table amongst friends old and new, as visitors source collage material from the stacks of magazines.

As it happens, my hopes for cultural interchange are exceeded. The P3Studio visitors are of all ages and from all over the states, with many from other countries also. Christmas is fun. I Skype with family in New Zealand on our Christmas Eve, and spend Christmas Day in the studio meeting many family groups who are enjoying the bright lights and festive events on the Strip. There are little toddlers who paste paper strips onto the window collage and charm me by blowing me kisses. There are teenagers who talk about their love of art and leave me little drawings. Some people stay for a few minutes, some stay for an hour or more. And at the end of the residency, the collaborative collage works seem to almost vibrate with the convergence of their collective energy.

I am joined in the weekends by invited special guests who bring elements of the House of Paper Birds to life; artist Shelbi Schroeder appears as an aloof black swan watching us watching her, burlesque entertainer Lou Lou Roxy demonstrates the skilled techniques of the fan dance, fashion designer Mina Kahn exemplifies the exotic in her feathered creations on models Kathy C Liu and Tarah Una Robinson, and entertainer/fashionista Devi Amuro stages an intergalactic fashion invasion of the Reading Room with models Starza and Lashonza Ferguson.

In the same way that collage combines disparate elements and creates something fresh, the residency has brought together my favorite aspects of Las Vegas – fashion, flamboyance, performance and the dramatic desert environment – and created a singular experience within the wider cultural experience of The Cosmopolitan itself. In addition to the residency program, The Cosmopolitan curates the public art program Pause, also in partnership with Art Production Fund, where moving image works by artists such as Tracey Emin, TJ Wilcox and Laurie Simmons periodically take over the large-scale LED signs. The Cosmopolitan brings a wealth of contemporary visual art to Las Vegas, while incorporating local artists into the mix and offering visitors the opportunity to participate in building this creative culture. The positive energy I experienced in this process is something that will always stay with me.