I decided to walk from Williamsburg to the city to knock out a photo gig with no intention of seeing art in galleries on this day but I found myself doing so anyway. I needed to. All aspects of art I engage in, whether it be making it, viewing it or giving a workshop are essentially fuel for me. Simple conversation around art is more often than not a catalyst for a shift in vibration for C. 

I entered Shrine on Broadway where the show Summer’s Edge by Michelle Paterok is currently on view and headed to the rear of the gallery to a set of stairs leading to GAA. I love that these two entities share a building. Walking down and turning a corner for a uniquely different art experience below the street is exciting. Out of the corner of my eye, the view of a painted bee reminded me I’d seen this artist’s work before. Just around a year previous I was introduced to Andrej Dúbravský for the first time. (I also met a wonderful furry friend upstairs at Shrine.) 

His work is distinctive. Still new to it and unaware of his full catalog I’ve much more to see and to learn about him. I can honestly say part of my fascination with what I’ve witnessed thus far in his work is a clear interest in living and moving things like animals, plants and humans (as written in the show summary. Sometimes descriptor blurbs aren’t just art jargon word vomit.) 

Articulation of one’s thoughts, opinions and experiences through visuals with various mediums will always be interesting to me. 

Matisse’s Dance paintings come to mind, not in a way of comparison but specifically in the movement only this dance remains on the horizontal plane. There’s physical play of futbol imbued with playfulness. Dancing nude, carefree sans worry of judgement. Dancing together without concern. To say in the most cliche way, dancing like no one’s watching. A joyful impishness is present as if they're daring you to watch them play. We’re not embarrassed to be in the moment and neither should you by us being so. 

"I needed the balls to do it, to challenge myself as a painter... There are the actual football balls, and also 'balls' as in the scrotum... And flesh, like human flesh in movemnet, but also the paint itself is like flesh for me... A flesh of thick paint." - Andrej Dúbravský

Go see this show in person if possible. Enjoy the colors, motion and strokes. Andrej Dúbravský is an incredible teller of tales without attempting to be.

So, how do you feel about the images of Andrej Dúbravský's I've shared in this blog? What comes to mind as you view and examine them?

Before the Covid-19 global human experience I was working on building my patron base in person. In 2018 I’d decided to transition into being a full time painter. Working like a madman and building an interesting body of work, the thing I enjoyed most outside of actually painting, were the conversations I’d have with people invited to studio.

I know that art can be a portal to healing. I also know that if you introduce art to people in a specific way, you may very well give an individual access to perspective they’d not arrive to in a lifetime. Once a person unlocks certain mechanisms within in them, breakthroughs are possible.

I was thinking about using art to equip people with tools that could be used in everyday life. One the of the things that needs to change in order for people to have a grander experience when it comes to taking in art are the questions asked.

As an abstractionist I enjoy challenging a viewer. When dealing in recognizable forms, it’s easy for someone to point out, that’s a bicycle. Or look at that those people and that farms house. When no apparent forms are present now you have to maybe use your imagination. You may have to just sit and feel the colors or the motion in an image. Tired of the typical “how does this make you feel?” question. Or “what does this mean?” I started asking, “How do you see yourself in this image?”

Upon being asked such a question most must pause because they’ve never been asked that. I’m an artist interested in conversations because I’m curious and I want to learn. I also appreciate the value in welcome challenges given to a viewer that lead to great discussions and oftentimes a bit of introspection down the line for an individual art lover. Also if a person is not ‘into’ art so much, adjusting the way you introduce work and giving them space to receive the work in the least oppressive fashion often leads to a new lover of art.

So. How do you see yourself in this image?

It’s fine if you don’t have answer.

C.

Connecting people within the arts who’d likely never meet across a vast landscape.

The gallery experience does not have to be soulless.

Remember no matter what you feel about some art environments a human fabricated the work. Whether it’s derivative or superficial or you just think it’s ugly; a human being made it. Not a machine. Not AI. A person.

Connecting people to view, express, network, teach, heal and more is possible and happening each day some place on this planet.

How are you participating in these types of exchanges?

I’m glad to introduce two people who inspire me within art here in our city. These relationships are priceless. I’d rather them over being a Sunday morning quarterback criticizing every iota of the ‘Art’ world.

This part of the work C. does outside of painting in the studio or outside when the weather permits.

I love talking to people. I did radio for 10 years so it allowed for this to happen on a regular basis. I also love interviewing people; but live and in person. Sending anyone a list of questions to answer even if they're good ones sucks. I've been testing ways to create more awareness for  creative beings I encounter online. One way is to ask a singular question in a DM, screenshot it and share it. This is also an effort to show artists how simple it is to connect and 'support' other artists.

So I slid into Amber Asakura's (a mosaic and micromosaic artist from Denver) DM who had just recently followed me to ask how she found me. 

Clearly one definite connection point was the skull above. Always Skulls is the official mantra. Amber found me through my Art Card Dispatch feature. (Shout out Lindsay!) 

C. How'd you come to the wonderful world of Mosaic creation?

Amber: I’ve always had a weird fascination with old dishes. I owned a coffee shop in Denver a long time ago and had collected a bunch of vintage plates to serve pastries on. I hung onto them for years after I sold the coffee shop even though most of them got chipped. Then I had this GORGEOUS antique jadeite mixing bowl I would eat huge salads out of. One day my now ex-husband was washing dishes and dropped it. I saved the broken pieces for like 5 years but didn’t have a plan for them. Finally in 2021 I saw a woman in Denver sharing her mosaic work and advertising a class, so I signed up. I loved the idea of taking things that would otherwise be discarded and making something new out of them. She turned out to be hella arrogant but I learned a lot and seemed to be a natural at it. I was deciding to be done with my accounting career after almost 20 years and I needed a new creative outlet to challenge me and I could finally do something with all the old plates I had been hauling around!

Then I discovered MICRO mosaics and that shit BLEW MY MIND. No one really teaches it in the states so I watched the few videos I could find and mostly figured it out on my own. I started sharing the pendants I was making and people seemed to like them. I got invited to put some pieces in a gallery show and most of them sold! That was super encouraging so I’ve kept it up. This shit has been WILD!

Now I just make whatever weird shit my creepy little heart desires and let the people who will love it find me. Right now I have a painting of my tits and a mosaic that says FUCK YEAH hanging in the lobby of the building my studio is in. I never would have imagined this shit a year ago. Soooooo much fucking gratitude!

https://thecrookedcat.com/

But why skulls? Well, for a number of reasons. One, I like them. We all have one. To some skulls in certain settings communicate death and or mortality. I am a fan of exploring death. It is inevitable as far as our physical incarnation goes but as for a general metaphor on different levels we die multiple times in one lifetime. With color my skulls are more playful than scary. They came from a simple doodle on paper. Iterating is my thing. 

Something I've always shared with people, 'namely artists' is that your past work possibly is speaking to your present and future selves. At least that's been the case for me. I am reminded of this today as I revisit material going back as far as two decades or more. Introspection whilst looking back reveals much. Sometimes it's answers to questions you just can't seem presently to find answers to until you realize an answer has been living in a past work of yours. When they say you're already equipped with all you need, this is a prime example of the sentiment. Some of our creations reflect life patterns. They can be iterations of your entire life's play. Time is not linear and the inner you is aware. What you channel subconsciously will never be the same as what you consciously articulate. 

The image included with this post was a bio written many years ago. It's a mere snapshot of the massive being that is C. It reminds me of not only what I've done but what I am to do and how expansive I can be. It affirms my past, present and future self. It's fuel. 

Today, I encourage you to take time and look at your work from the past, your journals, notes and anything you've kept but have not revisited in a long while and sit with it. See what comes up for you. Do this sans judgement. Appreciate your history, whether favorable or not. You may find some keys to doors your present self can't seem to unlock.

P.S. It's New Music Tuesday, there will be a second post later.