5 Art Basel Interviews

1.  Dr. Matthew McLendon
2.  Ariana Franco
3. Walther Matthews
4.  Elena De La Ville
5. Mindy Solomon

Read PART ONE: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (1/5)
Read PART TWO: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (2/5)
Read PART THREE: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (3/5)
Read PART FOUR: Interviews from Art Basel Miami Beach (4/5)
Read Part Five: Mindy Solomon
http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/12/interviews-from-art-basel-miami-beach-by-pamela-beck-55/


Please read my other blog:

http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/ 

Herald Tribune Interview, Style Magazine Oct 2012

 STYLE 

NEW IN TOWN 

Writer:

Pamela Beck 

What inspired you to move to Sarasota? 

I had a dream that my very-much-alive parents living in Sarasota had died. When I woke up, I realized that I wanted to develop a real friendship with them now that we’re all old enough to have one. I bought a house in Sarasota within weeks of the dream. 

You write about art. What’s your background in this area? 

I grew up in a home filled to the brim with art and antiques. My mother is an artist, so talking about art and culture was a constant. Instead of team sports and Girl Scouts, my free time was spent at museums. It wasn’t surprising that I wound up working at Sotheby’s in the Impressionist painting department and as a gallery owner and private art dealer.

Who inspires you in the local contemporary art scene? 

I love what Steven High, Dwight Currie and Matthew McLendon are doing at the Ringling Museum. They’re bringing contemporary exhibitions, innovative programs and new ideas to the forefront in Sarasota. They make every attempt to involve our whole community while strengthening the museum’s reputation abroad. They’re not afraid to take risks. 

One of your blogs is written in the voice of your poodles. What’s up with that? 

Dash is a jock and wants to be respected for his athletic skills. Dash regards his brother, Domino, an introspective elitist with narcissistic tendencies, with great disdain. The feeling is mutual. We play at Urfur Family Park and Sarasota Bayfront Park, which makes Dash happy. However, Domino prefers to be held during these times, and reassured that he is my favorite of the two. They write about these kinds of things on the blog. 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? 

Anything with my beau, Brad. I also love being with family and friends, viewing art, hanging at Selby Gardens and listening to live music. I’m an advisory board member of the Sarasota-Manatee Dance Alliance and on the curatorial and acquisitions committee of The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota. 

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/11/childhood-dreams-by-pamela-beck/

Please view my other blog:
http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

"The Warren J. and Margot Coville Photography Collecction at the John and Mable Ringling Museum"

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/11/the-warren-j-and-margot-coville-photography-collection-at-the-john-and-mable-ringling-museum-by-pamela-beck/

Please read my other blog: http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/ 

"Ordinary Things" Postal Art

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/11/ordinary-things-by-pamela-beck/

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/http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

Sarasota Chalk Festival

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/11/sarasota-chalk-festival-by-pamela-beck/

Please read my other blog: http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/ 

Provenance,Power & the Art of Self Invention

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/10/provenance-power-and-the-art-of-self-invention-by-pamela-beck/

Please read my other blog:  http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/ 

James Turrell's "Joseph's Coat"

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/10/james-turrells-skyspace-josephs-coat-expect-the-unexpected-by-pamela-beck/

Please read my other blog:

http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

Norman Rockwell Causes An Identity Crisis

beck/http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/10/norman-rockwell-causes-an-identity-crisis-by-pamela-beck/

Please read my other blog:

http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

What People Are Really Doing When They Say That They're Working

I have a very clean house here in Sarasota. There's not a drop of coffee left on the counter where I spilled it this morning. And though I have two dogs, you'd never know it by the sparkling look of things. People might say I'm house-proud but in reality, I just don’t want to get back to work.

To this end, I’ve learned who the sexiest celebrities of 2012 are according to Fandango. I’ve also been able to identify all bird life within a hundred foot radius of my house from the bird book I found under my sofa while Swiffing this morning. And if my Facebook search is accurate, my college boyfriend, who used to have frizzy hair down to his waist many years ago, has now gone completely bald.

Apropos of nothing, if you want to make how'd-she-do-it crepes, the TV talk show I watched while cleaning said all you need is hours of practice; sage advice I plan to comply with later on today.

Do I have any coffee left?  Crepes go well with coffee. Where would I be without my Keurig coffee maker? But there must be a cheaper place to buy those individual pods.  Usually I drink hazelnut but I didn't realize there were flavors like Donut House and Toffee Vanilla as Google revealed. How could these artificial ingredients possibly be good for you? Note to self: scour internet to check safety of coffee ingredients before coffee break this afternoon.

So how much time have I killed with all this already? Just terrible. I must clear my brain and get back to work. Yoga is supposed to help concentration and focus at these moments. Where’d I leave my mat?  Forget it.  I don’t feel like moving anymore.

Maybe I should try to put myself in a meditative state from which I’ll awaken refreshed and ready to go. Having never meditated, I wouldn't know.  But this is what people who do meditate hang over nonmeditators’ heads, like we’re all slackers in the feel-good department.

I’ll get back to work in a minute, but first, the effects of meditation really must be thoroughly examined. For all I know, it could be an elaborate hoax. Maybe it’s made up by people like me who just need a good excuse for napping on company time. 

People always talk about how helpful it is to meditate.  They point to reduced stress and increased clarity.  But for me, there would be another benefit.  I figure that if I could learn how to be "in the moment" any more than I already am, maybe I'd get so sick of myself I'd be dying to get back to work.

Please read my other blog: http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

The Wilds of My Sarasota Backyard

I felt a burning sensation around my ankles when I stood in the grass with my dogs recently.  Just like film used to develop right before our eyes, bright red circles slowly erupted on my feet and it felt like I had stepped into a bed of ashes. Fire ants.

It’s not that insect adventures don’t happen up north in Ct., from where I’ve moved (although they never did to me).  And it’s not like people from down here didn’t warn me about this. (I thought they were being babies.)  It’s just that at times like this an ex northerner can feel woefully unprepared for the wilds of Sarasota County.

I never had anti-itch spray at the ready in Connecticut or topical balms of any sort. When we walked our dogs up there, we didn’t expect the finale to include flinging ourselves into the pool to save our burning body parts.  No, we thought we’d just take a short stroll and then come back inside after the dogs were done.  

How simple it all seems now.

There's another hidden danger in my backyard. Here's the Sarasota survival tip I’ve learned to avoid that one: don’t remove those dying palm fronds from your trees without gloves.  I assume that most of you reading this already know the reason why this would be foolish.  But I didn’t.  And now I do. Why?  Because when I did this without gloves and was skewered by one of those pointy barbs on the stem, the result was that my index and third fingers, (which soon resembled sausages), wouldn’t move without searing pain for three days.

Apparently, those barbs release some secret serum that enters your system only to inflict misery and swelling.  What?  From a palm tree?   These sorts of unnatural surprises are exactly why I don’t watch horror movies.

There’s none of that in Connecticut.  How dangerous is an apple tree?  A weeping beech?  If we got a scrape, we put on a Band-Aid.  Poison Ivy?  If you haven’t figured out how to spot it by the time you’re ten, you’ve got bigger problems than itchy skin.

But those fire ants were near a potted plant a few steps away from my bourgeois lanai!  It’s not like I was trekking through Myakka Park looking for trouble-  I was just out with the dogs and my morning coffee (before I was wearing it).   And that nasty palm tree is right near the potted plant, looking all “margaritas anyone?” I might add. Duplicitous.

I love living here and have now learned to avoid certain dangers that just come with the territory.  After all, it’s a veritable paradise out there in my Sarasota backyard, when it’s not a battlefield.

Please read my other blog:  http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

"Art Appreciation Without Meltdowns or Money" for Sarasota Visual Art

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/09/art-appreciation-without-meltdowns-or-money-by-pamela-beck/

"Not a Good Enough Painter? Or is She?" for Sarasota Visual Art

http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/09/not-a-good-enough-painter-or-is-she-by-pamela-beck/http://sarasotavisualart.com/2012/09/not-a-good-enough-painter-or-is-she-by-pamela-beck/

"A Ringling Museum Docent's Story: When a Tour is More than a Tour" for Sarasota Visual Art More than a Tour for Sarasota Visual Art

“A Ringling Museum Docent’s Story: When a Tour is More than a Tour” by Pamela Beck

ARTdart: There are as many ways to think about art as there are to create it. Join Pamela Beck in her column, ARTdart, as she explores and considers the different perspectives that define the art world.  Written For Sarasota Visual Art

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by Pamela Beck

To a young and sensitive child, artistically inclined, a trip to the dramatically beautiful John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the stuff of dreams. Recently a docent who works there shared with me an unusual experience she had while giving a tour. She had taken her group, which included a thirteen year old boy visiting the museum with his parents for the first time, through the elegant unfolding of exquisite and ornate rooms that comprise the Renaissance, Old Master, Baroque and Modern painting galleries.

“This young boy caught my attention right away,” the docent told me. “His eyes sparkled with intelligence and his excitement was contagious. I usually pose questions to the group as we walk through the galleries, as a way to explore the collection further. That boy, Michael, was always the first to answer them. “

Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472-1553). Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg as St. Jerome in his Study, 1526. Mixed media on wood. 114.9 x 78.9 cm (45 1/4 x 31 1/16 in.). © John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota

Michael liked Lucas Cranach the Elder’s “Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg as Saint Jerome.” When the docent asked the group to find the decorative element that appeared in both this painting and the gallery, Michael quickly pointed to the mermaid chandelier with the antlers overhead.

When the docent asked the group which painting best embodies the Renaissance ideals of harmony, symmetry and perspective, as shown through architecture? Michael gestured animatedly towards Piero di Cosimo’s “The Building of a Palace,” where the two wings of the building are identical.

Cosimo, Piero di (1462-1521), “The Building of a Palace”, Renaissance, (Early Italian, “Quattrocento”), Oil on wood, © John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota

When the docent explained the concept of “vanitas” (painted images symbolizing the transience of life, pleasure and inevitability of death) and asked which elements symbolize a transition from one state to another in “Still life with Parrots” by Jan Davidsz de Heem? Michael immediately pointed to the falling lemon peel and upended platter of food spilling to the floor.

The museum’s elegant loggia similarly inspired Michael, who noticed and wondered why the antique columns lining the garden courtyard were of different sizes. “The Ringlings shipped them back from Italy to be incorporated into the museum in some to-be-determined manner,” the docent explained. Michael was fascinated by how this was eventually done: designing bases of different heights and connecting them by arches on top, both of which allowed the columns to balance out their discrepancies and look the same at first glance.

It wasn’t just the docent who was surprised and impressed by the enthusiasm and intelligence of such a young boy. As the tour continued, the docent noticed that the group began to wait and see what Michael would say and where he would point, as if their own appreciation was amplified by witnessing Michael’s curiosity and genuine interest. In this way, the group not only had the pleasure of viewing the art collection, but was also reminded of why people visit museums in the first place: to feel the excitement, pleasure and sense of discovery that Michael did while looking at art and learning about it.

After the tour came to an end, Michael approached the docent by himself. “Thank you so much for such an interesting tour. I’ll never forget it.”

“Thank you for being such an important part of it,” the docent replied, moved by both Michael’s manners and earnest comments. “Have a good life, Michael; I’m sure you will,” the docent added, looking into the clear eyes of someone who was well on his way.

Please read by other blog:http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

For Sarasota Visual Art, visit http://sarasotavisualart.com/

At a Lecture Listening to an Idiot (I think)

This man at the podium is an idiot. Don't tell me I’m the only one who's thinking this. We're sitting here in a lecture hall listening to him, this self-proclaimed expert we all came to see.  We're being good, waiting for him to say something so smart that we'll understand why we paid to come hear him in the first place. 

Looking around the room, I don't see anybody else annoyed by him. Really?  Am I the only one? But it's so clear he's a fraud; can't you see?  He's a showman, nothing more.  No real substance to the man, puffery.  Come on, let's get out of here and grab some lunch.

But it's too conspicuous to leave so I stay. And then I begin to wonder: Maybe I’m the idiot?  Nobody else appears to be struggling with his presentation. I nervously look around the room for a disgusted face, a nod of agreement in my bewildered direction, a fed up seat shifter- but nada.

Are they just being polite? Do they really take this guy seriously? Or are they just faking interest much like people do when sitting next to a "talker" on a plane?

There must be another eye roller in this crowd somewhere. This man at the podium is an idiot.  I think.

Please read by other blog:http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

"Conversations with Clothesline Principals" for Sarasota Visual Art

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by Pamela Beck

People have a lot of questions about the newly expanded Clothesline Gallery and Boutique in Sarasota since it reopened six months ago. Is it more of a gallery or boutique? (Both, plus); Is it run by twenty-somethings? (Yes, and well.); Do you have to be a Ringling College student to show there? (Not at all); What are they actually trying to do there that’s different from regular galleries and stores? (Think collaborative, community and evolving.)

I spoke to Clothesline Owner/Creative Director, Austin Kowal; Manager, Van Jazmin and Gallery Director, Michael Bailey, to learn more about each of them, their vision for Clothesline and how they have merged their talents as artists/ entrepreneurs to bring fresh ideas to the Sarasota community.

Austin Kowal portrait by Scott Braun

Austin Kowal

1. What is your position at Clothesline and what do you do?

AK: I am the owner/creative director of Clothesline. My focus with the business is screen printing, which branches off into two areas. One is commercial screen printing for businesses, schools, charities and many other organizations. The other side of screen printing for me, is highly creative- producing art on t-shirts for the store, making screen printed posters and collaborating with local artists.

2. Please explain what Clothesline offers.

AK: Our flagship store is located in the Historic Burns Square District of Sarasota, FL. We feature local art for monthly exhibits, carry hand-selected brands in the boutique, and produce limited edition apparel with local artists for our Clothesline brand.

3. You work with a few colleagues. What individual traits do you bring to Clothesline?

AK: I come from a family of art/antiques and an artistic lifestyle has always been encouraged. With my background I have a keen eye for balance, design, and quality work in general which helps guide me in my role as creative director.

4. You’re an artist and entrepreneur- how do you balance or fuse the two?

AK: I never thought I would be as happy as I am working for a living! With Clothesline it started out as a purely artistic fun project, and then over the years became more and more professional and refined through experience. One of the most gratifying parts of the business for me is designing a new tee, printing it, and bringing it to the store to display/sell.

5. How would you describe the art that you do?

AK: I would describe my work as very abstract in nature. I use lots of geometric shapes and forms to create a feeling of movement and high energy.

Austin Kowal, Orbital Explosion, 2011

6. What is your fantasy show?

AK: A fantasy show for me would be hosting an installation show for OS Gemeos. I want to try to appeal to more installation artists, and out of the box thinkers.

7. You are 26 years old. How does your age affect this job?

AK: I like to think that age doesn’t affect the job.

8. What are you trying to do with Clothesline?

AK: I am trying to build an intriguing platform to expose raw and upcoming talent, as well as larger, well established artists. From our gallery/boutique base, we have become a vital tool for local creatives to express themselves, collaborate with other artists and meet interesting people. We work with tons of local artists to create limited edition/exclusive t-shirts. We have our Fall apparel line dropping the beginning of September!

Van Jazmin

Van Jazmin portrait by John Revisky

1.What is your position at Clothesline and what do you do?

VJ: I play the classic manager: setting up schedules, delegating, and breaking down projects into bite-sized pieces. I also make sure our people have the right training and their ideas are represented in the organization.

2.What in your background, both educational and personal, prepared you for your current role at Clothesline?

VJ: Being a full-time student at Ringling College helped me learn to juggle projects. Then I was fortunate enough to work under Christine Lange, who schooled me in PR while I was employed in the Office of the President at Ringling College. All the other team skills and event planning knowhow was learned from starting Zigzag Magazine. Ultimately, my interest in supporting a fellow entrepreneur lead me to Clothesline.

3.What are the individual traits you bring to Clothesline?

VJ: I’ve introduced mostly formalities – contracts, matrixes, and mandatory record keeping. I am also very people focused, so I naturally created a foundation for the company’s Human Resources. My approach to HR is not to be a policy-pushing machine, but moreso an agent of change. In one year, Clothesline has grown from a solo act to a team-based culture, and I want to help us continue to evolve.

4. What have you changed since last year for this year?

VJ: We’ve begun to figure out how to coalesce our many different aspects. The gallery, boutique, and screen printing business are overlapping in more places now. Recently, we’ve also been learning how to build our audience and appeal to a wider range of people.

5. You’re both an artist and an entrepreneur. Please describe your art and explain how you’ve combined art and business.

VJ: Essentially my art is anything I produce with my own ideas – whether it’s illustrations, photographs, posters, videos, infographics, stories, presentations, or proposals – it’s my intellectual property. All these creations should reflect my brand. And my brand is a self-portrait in a sense – the work is assertive, expressive, and tells meandering stories.

Van Jazmin, Mangaka, 2012

That said, business is art and art is business. Serious business. Creative firms are the leaders of industry now, and that’s proof that we are already moving out of the Information Age and into the Conceptual Age. A creative company’s most valuable asset is not their I.T. but their I.P.

6. You’re 21. How has this affected how you’re treated?

VJ: It goes both ways: being young gives me some leeway and forgiveness when making mistakes – it’s expected. On the flip side, it can hurt me in business situations. The fact that I am a student seems to make people assume that I deserve less pay and that it’s acceptable to talk down to me even when I am in charge. Fortunately, this is not a problem at Clothesline.

7. What is your fantasy show?

VJ: An exhibition that integrates live art and multimedia. My dream is coming true right now. John Lichtenstein and I are planning for a retrospective of all the live art and video that has come out of two years of The End of the Dial Tone Radical Experimental Band Band.

8.What do you want Clothesline to be known as? What are you trying to do?

VJ: I want Clothesline to be the place where someone can walk in with a vision and in a matter of days, see their idea become tangible. We have creative thinkers on our team that can come up with retail solutions, and the designer community should take advantage of this. We have an event space that is open to other groups, by the way. We are not just building a brand – we are building community.

Michael Bailey

Michael Bailey portrait by Van Jazmin

1. Please explain what Clothesline offers and how it’s different than other stores/galleries.

MB: Although established since 2008 as a boutique, Clothesline now concentrates on offering opportunities to contribute to an art-conscious community of Sarasota. As a small and growing business, we are able to provide a diversity of services (artist talks, gallery shows, quality products, community-based collaborations)- flexibility that differs us from other institutions. We are not a store or gallery- our mission is to contribute to Sarasota, as opposed to profits first, clients second and community third: this is the distinction between Clothesline and other stores/galleries.

2. What is your position at Clothesline and what do you do?

MB: As Gallery Director, I address the concerns of artists and clients pertaining to exhibitions and make sure that their respective needs are met. I also oversee records concerning works represented in shows past, present and future ensuring a consistent brand image regarding media (internet, newspaper, magazine) and Clothesline.

3. You work with 2 colleagues. What individual traits do you bring to Clothesline?

MB: Both colleagues bring the best to Clothesline and as such, with any business, there are times when the environment is tense. Traits I bring to Clothesline are ones of humor, comedic relief and a drive for success through organized discipline. The results are an opportunity to bring laughter, relief and remind us that we’re human while binding us to our core values and principles.

4. You’re an artist and entrepreneur- how do you balance or fuse the two?

MB: Being an artist and entrepreneur is a natural fusion and are never seen as separate entities. Both require decisions made in the studio and at work to be efficient, detail oriented, being conscious of the larger implications of being involved in art and business while demanding a workhorse ethic. These duel roles inform me of how I can live more purposefully through decisions that not only effect my life, but those around me.

5. How would you describe the art that you do/make?

MB: The work generated analyzes how business, economics and contemporary art congeal in U.S. culture through vehicles of fashion, pop culture, advertisements and consumerist objects in everyday life. This is reflected through representations of signs- logos, brands, corporate identities, slogans, catch phrases- all common. My art shows an understanding of the indispensable relationship of art and economics made sensitive by external variables.

Michael Bailey, Arch Angel, 2012

6. What is your fantasy show for Clothesline?

MB: My fantasy show would be to collaborate simultaneous openings with other galleries that support young and emerging artists. A tour would begin early afternoon with viewers traveling from gallery to gallery, viewing works and meeting the artists. Viewers would see and understand the respective community the artist resides in and how art has impacted the public directly.

7. How old are you? How does your age affect this job?

MB: Being 21 years of age brings a substantial learning curve to the position of gallery director, and there are others certainly qualified for the position. My age means that I bring a continual freshness to the job. I am able to experiment with and discover methods effective for both business growth and an artist’s experience, while adapting and meeting the needs of a changing environment.

8. What are you trying to do with Clothesline?

MB: At Clothesline, we are creating a company that is founded upon and functions through core values that carry weight in both short and long term decisions- beyond profits. We want to leave people with an experience- whatever it may be- that they can be confident knowing it is contributing in a positive way to their lives and community, as much as it is to each of us at Clothesline.

Please read by other blog:http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/

For Sarasota Visual Art, visit http://sarasotavisualart.com/