BFA Exhibition: Caged Affection

If you are in the bay area and want to support your local students/artists please come by to San Jose State University's Art Building. In Gallery 8, third floor, you'll find my BFA Exhibition titled Caged Affection. It encompasses the idea of society's projections of what an ideal or bad mother is inspired by Harry Harlow's Rhesus monkey experiments that studied love and the need for contact. Using appropriated projected images I project society's ideals onto mother molds I've created representing both the positive and negative aspects. Please come see the show, read my artist statement and write your own thoughts about "mother" on the open mold.

Barbie...A boy's toy.

Danny Sanchez is a Bay Area based photographer who uses objects, toys, and Barbie dolls to capture the playful side of still life. He questions the reality of the their lives, and in turn our lives. His recent images stem from a passion for Polaroid and the nostalgic time of youth in the era of instant film. He uses polaroids to capture Barbie and get an answer for the question What is behind that plastic smile? He uses multiple exposures to create the bubble behind Barbie's thoughts and shows us exactly what it is she ponders. A personal favorite from the Vinyl Day Dreams series is "cougar barbie" entitled A Hunger that Never Ceases which features an older yet still sexy Barbie dreamingly undressing a younger male that caught her fancy. Sanchez is only too happy to freely share his Polaroid processes trials and errors on his Flickr Site.

This Vinyl Day Dreams series has been accepted into the Altered Barbie show in San Francisco, CA; their opening reception will be held at Shotwell 50 Art Space on September 16, 2010 from 8-10pm. Please visit his other notable playful works at Danny Sanchez Photography.

Cabrillo Art Lectures

Times are still hard, and while I may not be able to afford fun workshops like those at the Cabrillo College, I can still take advantage of their free art lectures held during the week.
On Wednesday July 21, 2010 they had a few of the workshop instructors give lectures on their work. I was having a bit of an issue motivation or self discipline which ever you like to call it and hearing this artists talk about their work was inspiring and got the creative juices flowing again.

Donovan Widmer is an intriguingly smart conceptual artist who uses metalworking and mixed medias to create his unique pieces. He is drawn to the idea of security and fear and implied ideals that are embedded in society. Marriage/engagement was a prevelent theme as well as the use of the condom as a symbol for security or protection. His concepts are simple yet deep and his craftsmanship very detailed. Widmer's humor is refreshing his chain mail condom was hilariously captivating. He is definitely a skilled artists and it was great to hear him speak about his concepts and see the skilled crafted results to his thought process.

Being a BFA photography student (soon to be graduate in December) I very much enjoyed the witty summary of married art couple Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner, who use the pinhole camera and other archaetic methods to create their work. They are involved with Pinhole Resource , an organization dedicated to the use of pinhole cameras. I enjoyed Renner's sense of humor in his individual work. Camera possibilities were endless in his mind. He fondly commented how he is known as "the pepper guy"; the man who in fact did use a red bell pepper as a pine hole camera. His concepts are simple but smart. Such as using a plaster mold of his head and using a pinhole camera of the mold to recapture how he sees the world. His approach to understanding the world was seeing it through this tiny hole in any object that doesn't lie. It captures what it sees.
The reason Spencer created her work was, in her own words, " to add feeling", that a boring photo didn't do the subject justice. She created these beautifully haunting images, such as a nude porcelain angelically posed woman on a cross, and while the first image was complete and aesthetically pleasing she pushed it. Constantly manipulating the image through a variety of processes. She let the image live its own course. Their bodies of work whether personal pinhole or assemblages, mainly focuses on archetypes, stereotypes, racism, as well as studies of self and relationships (including their own). While workshops may be a bit expensive and while you may be too far to make the trek to hear another lecture from them they do have a book you can purchase (or maybe check out at your local library) and as one of my favorite alternative processes artist Brian Taylor says "you too can do this".

Tumblr: J. Marie Valdivia

As if I wasn't already a part of the whole mass communications I decided to make a tumblr account for all my personally (but not website) worthy projects... enjoy!

Brian Taylor @ Gallery 291 San Francisco

Well, not much more can be said about Brian Taylor that his work cannot explain itself. Alternative process and photography are his tools of trade and he has mastered his skills. His current show at Gallery 291 in San Francisco shows the years of training and mastering his craft. The two pieces above "Sonora Desert Diptych" and "Fallen Trees Santa Cruz Mountains" were two of my favorite.

Gum bichromate four color processed images printed on water color paper is such a labor intensive process that only a true master can flawlessly accomplish. The "Sonora Desert Diptych" emulates Brian Taylor's love of the desert. Beautiful shades of brown glowing the desert golds. The calm serene of the natural state with gorgeous texture of the water colored paper printed on."Fallen Trees Santa Cruz Mountains", is so impressive because like most of his compositions it is so perfectly simplistic. It has a haunting peaceful emotive quality about this singular tree surrounded by a circle of thin branches, like a naked soul. Every last detail from the handmade books to the wood burned picture frames is paid attention to in the most meticulous manner. It would be a misfortune to miss this talented artist who transcend the lines of photography.

First Book Creation : Nocturnal Serenity

Nocturnal Serenity by Photography by J. Marie Valdivia | Make Your Own Book

My first book creation is completed! On October 20, 2009 I had my first solo gallery show at San Jose State University Gallery 5 entitled "Nocturnal Serenity". The book showcases the images used in the exhibit as well as some new editions.

Lectures with Preston Metcalf of the Triton Museum

"Art is what you take with you when you leave the gallery" ~ Picasso

Today was another inspiring day in the scholastic art world. I was fortunate enough to have a guest lecturer in my BFA seminar course. Preston Metcalf is the curator of art at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA. He gave us his insight and advice for where artists should interact with gallery administration and how to survive upon graduation. Preston is a very animated curator passionate and realistic about the art world through his extensive experience. He made it very clear to know the difference between a commercial gallery and a fine art gallery. Commercial galleries are all about aesthetics. Whatever looks good to buy and place in your living room, aka something that pleases the masses. Fine art galleries, however, our into the IDEA.Museums are interested in entirely Ideas. Great art always has a great Idea, it may not be aesthetically pleasing but the Idea burns into your soul. The Idea should be overwhelming.

Other helpful tips he added were to always add the personal touch. MAke sure to be involved in the art community. Send emails, introduce yourself at gallery receptions, attend portfolio reviews, converse with artists, submit your work, get your art work out into any venue; basically don't be passive. If you want to be successful you can, but a real artist is always creating regardless of how financially successful they are.Preston informed us of ways to support yourself as an artist. You always have the time to make art. THe moment you say "I'm too busy I haven't had time to make art.",, than you are no longer an artist. An artist is always creating, there is a sense of self disciple, the need to create. Don't let money, a job, a relationship, or time stand in your way.

Remember: Aesthetics are least important; IDEA is the most important.

"Popular art is a celebration of the image, GREAT art is a celebration of the IDEA"

Rayko 3rd Annual: Plastic Camera Show

Friday February 27th, 2010 was the opening reception for RayKo Photo's 3rd Annual International Juried "Plastic Camera Show"and it was surprisingly my first visit to Rayko. A sad fact after I attended I was blown away not only at the participants who submitted work but at the presentation and curatorial efforts to create a forum for works created using one of my favorite tools. The Diana, Brownie, Holga and other plastic camera of the like were the tools used to create these intoxicating works of art of varying subject matter & content breaking the rules and definitions of fine art medium format or view cameras associated with Ansel Adams quality. It's not the tool that defines these photographers. This "toy" camera frees the artists to create what they feel is art to them without the stigma or pressure of the Idea of "fine art". Of course there were those cliched images which didn't breathe life or meaning for me as the viewer... but I was truly amazed at the beauty of such a simple country house, or the detail in a portrait of a grandfather, or the clarity in thought of the digital manipulations. These artist pushed their concepts and came up with a amazingly diverse and interesting show. Congratulations to Ann Jastrab, gallery director of RayKo Photo for keeping Holga and the like in business and showcasing these artists who never forgot the beauty of a true point and shoot.

Exhibit @ ICA : By a thread:

Friday February 5th was a day of art for the bay area, thanks to "First Friday's" where Downtown San Jose opens their door for free artist receptions of their new exhibits. San Jose's Institute of Contemporary Art's anticipated new exhibit titled "By a thread" featured contemporary artists who used unconventional materials usually defined for art labeled as crafts; sewing materials, pipe cleaners, and the obvious ... thread.

In the beginning I had no expectations of what was going to be shown. As I arrived I was blown away from all the beauty that exuded from what was displayed. All the artists were brilliant in their concepts and methods creating new work unlike that I've seen. Artists that stood out to me were Diem Chao, Beili Lu, and Allison Watkins.

Diem Chao is a beautifully talented Vietnamese artist that created porcelain cups with a silk overlay which she threaded with black and red thread to symbolize connections. a silhouetted hand threaded over a cup is connected by a thin red strand of thread that is sewn into two figures on another cup.

Beili Lu's "Bound #1" was one of the most talked about and praised pieces in the show. The piece was based on the Chinese philosophy of the "red thread of destiny". There was pins tacked into the wall into the form of a silhouette of a human figure. In a corner there was a human figure on the opposing wall, connecting the figures were single pieces of red thread strung from one pin from one silhouette to another pin on the other figure. The figures were strong in form and yet were "connected" by by such fragile threads of destiny.

Allison Watkins made one of the most enchanting pieces. It was a mesmerizing simplistic yet intricately woven piece of work. The piece was based off the histories of old linens from her grandmother. It looks as though she captured a fading memory from her closet. The most inspiring part of her work for me was that this most recent graduate had taught herself to do this at grad school.

It is a great exhibit for all artists of any media. The exhibit runs through May 15th, 2010.

Exhibit: Conceptual Landscapes: recent work by Castillo and Mariana Garibay

Macla: Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, is a wonderful contemporary museum that focuses on artists in the Chicano/ Latino movement. There current exhibit is called Conceptual Landscapes: recent work by Castillo and Mariana Garibay. Castillo's piece was an installation of sugar bags with her image printed on them. There was no artist statement provided, so one had to ascertain the meaning. The had her own image printed on these brown burlap sugar sacks, then hung them from the ceiling in huge circular columns. She also had large 11x14 photographs with repeated images of herself wearing the the sacks as a dress. I had wondered is she was supposed to represented the sugar cane fields that perhaps her people had worked on?

The more moving piece to me was the beautiful landscapes of Mariana. She brightly painted on the walls, and had paper images that resembles map like stokes upon them. She used mixed media of papers paints and other materials to create abstract images of the idea of a landscape. As a viewer each wall evoked a sense of a place. A red hued palette gave an air of love hate and fire, while the green hued wall had an almost floral vegetative alluring essence. They were all naturally beautiful to look at and gave a great sense of environment.


The exhibit runs through March 13th, 2010.

Lecture w/ Karen Sinsheimer Curator of Photographs @ Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Today I was fortunate to hear Karen Sinsheimer, Curator of Photographs at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art giving a talk at Stanford University. This was Karen's second talk to photography alums of the Continuing Studies Program at Stanford and her general topic this year was the trends in photography—for collectors and museums—the issues in terms of budgets and new processes and technologies.

It was a really informative lecture. She opened with a presentation on the SBMA's upcoming show "Chaotic Harmony" which will be opening summer 2010. It will feature photographers from Korea covering globalization, identity: cultural & personal, and anxiety of the current state of the country and its citizens. Some of the emerging and existing photographers I am looking forward to seeing are Sanggil Kim who photographed groups of young generation Koreans who have grown with technology. As well as Yeondoo Jung who photographs people in their realities (such as working at an ice cream parlor) and then photographs them in their dream scenario reflective of their realistic pose like being an ice warrior, the concept is simple but moving, everyone has a dream or an alternate version of their reality.

As much as I enjoyed her sideshow of the upcoming exhibit I was more captivated by her talk on the art market and art trends. The market has changed from gather all emerging art to focusing on the greats and antiques. She discussed how even the established such as Cindy Sherman or Loretta Lux can either evolve into something that is not representative of their usual work, or get pigeonholed into creating redundant work. She talked candidly about the importance of having a a reason for your work. Don't create with the idea of "I want to be in a gallery". Have a purpose, a reason, motivation; a why. IT is so important to be a proactive creative artist. Use all the tools of photography and any media to help you get your reason across. Humorously she referred to the "fuzzy photographers" who bow to the holgas thinking every image is a brilliant piece of work because it "is vignetted and has cool light leaks, and you never know what you're going to get". Point is there is no point to it or any other art unless you have a common concept, its just a pretty picture. Not that there's anything wrong with that but it doesn't make it fine art. But the idea of fine art, although there are some rules, needs to be defined by you. How you experience art and how you process it into your work. Regardless of the media you can use all the tools allotted digital, film, paint, mixed media & alternative process are just a few of the supplies offered.

After her lecture I was inspired I wanted to take my holga... yes I still love ALL my holga... and get out there and start creating my art. Artists, dealers, and the rest of the audience was just as eager. So get out there and make some art.. for yourself.. for the world... something you are proud of. Because everyone will always have their own interpretation of your work positive and negative, you have no control over the perception. All you can control is your process.