<<<Brain Within a Brain Piece
I would be remiss if I breezed by this next exhibit that,
after taking one look, entitled it the
"Two-faced Lighted Ameba,"
Smile! It is actually entitled
"We are all one" and the very nice
gentleman that was on hand took quite a bit of time to explain to me the
process of creating it, the concept, and what I could use it for in my yard. For
example, the lighting can be changed; it's made of fiberglass, and is actually
light weight as opposed to its appearance. He then wanted to know if I was
interested in purchasing one? At this juncture I assumed that he was either the
artist or was on a paid commission basis. Either way I personally had no
interest in making a purchase at that time but was pretty sure someone else would
be interested in his offer especially since he was so accommodating. The
presenter was the
Projects Gallery located
not too far away from
Context Art Miami in the world-famous
Wynwood
Arts District<<<King Kong Piece
The line
"King Kong ain't got nothing on me" uttered by
Oscar-winner Denzel Washington in the movie
Training Day (2002)
came to mind when I first laid eyes on this next installment. Believe it or not
the title is actually
King Kong presented by the
Gallerie Frederic
Got of
Paris and
Montreal Canada. Another thought that came
to mind was the
"original" movie
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
which featured a smaller version of
King Kong (1933) who was captured in
Africa and eventually transferred to
Hollywood,
CA, to be
used in side shows. He eventually breaks free and wreaks havoc on the city
before being re-captured and returned to
Africa. Like most great black
and white classics the movie was remade in color in
1998 but not nearly
as good as the original even with all the blue screen crap to replace real
dialogue. I was getting hungry so I stopped at this next exhibit because I
thought they were selling sashimi. Just kidding! On a serious note the fish
looked so real that I had to ask and was told by the lady staffing this
installment that they were not. Did I believe her; what do you think? The
presenter was the
Nine Gallery of
Gwangiu South Korea.
<<<Luan Gallery
"Bond, James Bond" was all I could think of when I
noticed this next exhibit that featured a very colorful lady dressed in a
yellow skin tight jump suit with matching hair. She was so striking that I
really did not take the time to check out the pieces of art on display. I
wonder if others did the same? I hope not because that would defeat the purpose
of paying all that money to purchase booth space. The presenter was the
Luan
Gallery of
Seoul South Korea. This next installment caught my
attention simply because it featured a piece that resembled me and my heritage.
The brilliantly-colored work is entitled
Afrikans and was presented by
the
GW Gallery of
Sao Paula Brazil. Next, I have always been
fascinated with tools and building and fixing things with them. My grandfather
was a carpenter and I surmise that that is where that passion originated. Hence;
it was the primary reason why this installment known as
"Busy Work Tools"
caught my attention. I was so excited that I wanted to go home and build
something using those tools depicted in the spherical-shaped objects. The
presenter was
Analog Contemporary of
Philadelphia,
PA.
My passion for how things work is what got my attention on
this next exhibit entitled "Camera Worx" presented by the Galerie
Barrou in Paris France. I spent quite a few moments fascinated by
the thought of just how many hours went into the planning and execution of this
work that included all the intricate parts that make up a camera down to the
little springs and washers. I also wondered just how the talented artist was
able to keep them in place while the medium (appeared to be some form of
acrylic) hardened. Enquiring minds want to know. Next up; washing clothes is
one of my least favorite domestic activities of all time along with watching
paint dry. Conversely, I could not help but to wander over and wonder just how
this next piece was functioning seemingly without any force. The attendant was
not well versed in English so we resorted to gesturing back and forth to
no avail so I snapped a pic and recorded a video so perhaps someone reading
this article will be able to explain just how those articles were being
propelled about. The work is entitled "Xtra Rinse Cycle" and the
presenter NB7 of Madrid Spain.
^^^Xtra Rinse Cycle Piece
The next exhibit is my favorite of the entire show simply
because it portrays a truly American art form known as Jazz. I
was immediately blown away by the montage of black and white photos entitled "All
That Jazz" featuring some of the legendary artists that represent
excellence and the reason why that form of improve music is still relevant
today. I personally have a deeper appreciation for all of the artist on display
as a former Jazz trumpeter who knows just how much practice, practice,
practice is required to make it to the top of that musical genre; even if you
are cannot read sheet music like some of them. It was also very entertaining to
see how many of the performers I could name as some photos were snapped when
they were younger than I could remember like John Coltrane (1926-1967), Miles
Davis (1926-1991), and Thelonious Monk (1917-1982). I had no problem
however identifying Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), Ella Fitzgerald
(1917-1996), and Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) to name a few artists born
just after the turn of the 20th Century. The icing on my cake
came when I got a chance to meet and chat with the photographer who actually
snapped these legendary photos of now iconic American artists. His name
is Roberto Polillo of Milano and Rome
Italy who "started making photographs in the [1960's]." It was
indeed a pleasure to meet and greet him and you should take the time to visit
his website to learn more about him and his intriguing works.
Lastly, I was drawn to this exhibit because it portrayed a
piece that featured my favorite mammals --lions. I also like horses but I am
too afraid to pet or ride one. You may rightfully surmise that I feel the same
way about the
King of the Jungle which actually is mostly found in the
plains of
Africa. I learned that tidbit at the
North
Carolina Zoo years ago. My fascination with those powerful beasts
stems from their ability to chase down their pray at break neck speeds all
while looking pretty cool during the process. I also like the fact that they
are not at all selfish with their catch as they will drag them back to camp in
their powerful jaws so that the wifey and children can eat as well. Finally, I
must admit that falling under the zodiac sign of
Leo may have influenced
my decision to select those big cats as my personal favorites. Unfortunately I
did not jot down the name of the work or the artist but I can tell you that the
presenter was
Galeries Bartoux of
New York.
I departed the
Context Art Miami scene at about
4:15
PM after spending two memorable hours of enjoying works from various artists
from many points on the globe. Although they were from different cultures and
backgrounds, they all had one thing very much in common - talent.
