Saturday : : An Italian Ramble

Posted on August 16, 2012 by The Pick

by Carol Schultheiss Cavalini

You’re thinking; a walk in the countryside, a picnic with cows in the background. Ha! Not quite. But perhaps your romantic imaginings are not too far off. This is Italy and as Fellini indicated, life can be magical.

The day started with clear plans that quickly disintegrated. A drive east to Soave (same as in the wine) to get tickets for a guitar festival concert Sunday night followed by a hillside hike picking wild asparagus.

We got to Soave early and wandered the town, visiting a park and admiring the architecture and bread guitars decorating shop windows. I had already visited the castle several times so we didn’t do the long hike uphill. While waiting in line we ran into one of my husband’s numerous cousins. It’s easy to run into relatives here. And of course got invited to visit and see his house just outside of town. This involved ambling over, all the while, visiting cute churches and roadside shrines, noting the first leaves on the grape vines and collecting a shirt pocket full of capers that were growing wild on a rock wall.

We rambled some more on winding back country roads. This time we got to the hillside and picked the wild asparagus; fresh produce for a risotto or frittata.  En route we got a phone call telling us about a gallery opening in two hours.

A quick clean up and change and we are on the road again. This time we headed to the older Veronetta area of Verona. A shop specializing in furniture from the 50s/60s/70s, was hosting the work of a half dozen photographers. The subject matter, for all, was China.  White wine aperitivo in hand, I wove in and out of the furniture, chatting with people I knew and studying the photographs.

A Saturday late afternoon ramble about town is a reminder for this American, that the local life taken in small doses can help you appreciate the good things everywhere.

Written by Altpick’s Italy Correspondent and Artist Carol Schultheiss in Cavallini.

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Chris Nixon’s Imagination Migration

Posted on August 13, 2012 by The Pick

Imagination Migration is a mural created by Chris Nixon in Karratha 2011 – this video documents the installation process. Set to a marine theme the work explores the migratory patterns of the Pilbara’s marine life, ignited by a central character Inkan.

Inkan acts as a catalyst for change amplifying the sea creatures characteristics, leading the imagination migration. Commissioned by the Shire of Roebourne in conjunction with The Youth Shed project.  The project took a month to complete with 8 days and nights to paint the finished mural.

The size of the mural is approx 150 square metres spanning 38 metres and reaching 4.5 metres high.  The mural was created using Acrylic and aerosol paint.  The central character inkan has now inspired an interactive app and picture book which are now in development.

To see more of Chris Nixon’s work go to his website and Altpick page.


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Art Fears Business Fears Art

Posted on August 9, 2012 by The Pick

Blog post by Scott Hull

Many times I find it hard to put into words what, exactly, it is I do. One of my favorite thinkers Seth Godin truly understands creativity and business. He recently shared these thoughts on the relationship between the artist and the businessperson. Seth certainly put into words what I could not. THIS  is why I do what I do.

The artist says, “that sounds like business, and I want nothing to do with it. It will corrupt me and make me think small.”

The businessperson says, “art is frightening, unpredictable and won’t pay.”

Because the artist fears business, she hesitates to think as big as she could, to imagine the impact she might be able to make, to envision the leverage that’s available to her.

And because the businessperson fears art, she holds back, looks for a map, follows the existing path and works hard to fit in, never understanding just how vivid her new ideas might be and how powerful her art could make her.

There’s often a route, a way to combine the original, human and connected work you want to do with a market-based solution that will enable it to scale. Once you see it, it’s easier to call your bluff and make what you’re capable of.

What are your thoughts…

Go to Scott Hull, ‘The Visual Ambassador’ to read more interesting insights.

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Kent Miller Explores Through the Lens

Posted on August 7, 2012 by The Pick

After moving to NYC in the latter part of 1989, Kent Miller found the energy of the city more powerful than he could have ever expected.  Kent was in his early 20’s and was doing a little soul-searching as many of us do in our youth. He borrowed a camera and began to preserve his visions on film. “It was a way to remember where I had been and what I had done and seen.”, Kent comments. “Photography changed the way I think, move and act.”

Kent had no idea it would change his life and its direction. “I was never a good student in school and realized that if I wanted to learn something, I needed to do it with my own hands.”  Kent was determined to immerse himself in photography and find out what would really work for him. “I love to experiment, to try new things. Being a gear-head and loving the toys of photography has given me more options for how I make images than I thought possible. As technology grows, there are more and more reasons to love what I do.”

For Kent, using photography to preserve the present is a way to see the future. “It’s about the way an interaction with a subject can take us in directions we could never plan. It’s about being open enough to let things flow and brave enough to follow it. Ultimately, it’s about pushing myself to find that creative spark hiding under the surface.”

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“I think moving to NYC brought me into a world of expression I had never known and I love it more every day. I’m still amazed at my ability and grateful to be a part of it.  The images photographers capture change the world. They open our eyes; they provoke emotions; they inspire movements. I’m in love with this medium.”

Kent Miller is part of the 20th Anniversary Alternative Pick :: Deck Edition. To see more of Kent’s work go to his website and Altpick page.

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Duggal + Cartier + Americana Mall

Posted on August 6, 2012 by The Pick

This month Duggal covered the façade of Cartier’s storefront at the Americana Mall in Manhasset, NY.

The façade was 42 feet wide by 29 feet high and was wrapped with a flex banner, which stretched a solid 76 feet around the right side of the building to the adjacent parking lot.

The large-scale banner announced the Fall 2012 opening of the store itself, successfully creating an atmosphere of anticipation among the local clientele.

 

For more information go to Duggal Visual Solutions’ website.

 

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Tansy Myer :: Girl Power

Posted on August 1, 2012 by The Pick

Born and raised in Venice, California, Tansy Myer came of age among the eclectic artist community of the Venice Boardwalk.  Inspired by the indulgent worlds of music and fashion, she began drawing her girls at a young age as a way to create and control the beauty and perfection that seemed to be the pinnacle of achievement for a girl.

Tansy’s work centers around identity and how women use beauty to define themselves. The themes of adolescence and adulthood, innocence and sexuality are present in both her digital drawings and paintings. The juxtaposition of her slick and pretty digital work, with the raw awkwardness of her “nerd” girls is a perfect example of the battle inside every woman to identify themselves in an appearance-obsessed culture.  Based in Los Angeles, Tansy works as an artist, illustrator and designer, creating digital art as well as painting and drawing strange, pretty, and nerdy girls.

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Tansy Myer is part of the 20th Anniversary Alternative Pick :: Deck Edition.  To see more of her work go to her website and Altpick page.

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Jesse Rieser’s New Series :: The Wallow Fire

Posted on July 27, 2012 by The Pick

Jesse Rieser formally announced his latest series, The Wallow Fire.
Excerpt from Jesse’s blog:

In Eastern Arizona, near the border with New Mexico, is a land of dirt roads stretching out to white-washed horizons. Here, ranches are carved out of the scrub- and pine-dotted landscapes and grazing cattle are the only living things for miles.

The area’s beauty comes from its pervasive remoteness.

But from late May to early June in 2011, the land in and surrounding the Bear Wallow Wilderness Area in the White Mountains was remade with a terrible, devastating kind of beauty. One that turned the landscape lunar and the air yellowed and hazy. A campfire sparked a conflagration that charred 841 miles across Arizona and New Mexico, destroying 72 buildings, 32 of them homes.


Driving west from Santa Fe in late May 2011, I saw the Wallow Fire, as it was named, and I was mesmerized by the towering smoke plumes and expanses of blackened earth. I returned a week later for five days to capture the fire, its effects, and the international community of men and women assembled to fight and eventually extinguish the blaze.

I was drawn by the way the Wallow Fire, reshaped the landscape and the atmosphere, making it a surreal, deadly place where playgrounds stood empty, where tree bark turned to ash scales, where grazing land was charred to cinder, where the air swirled thick with smoke and heat. Forcing everyone to evacuate.


Most of my work deals with subjects close to me, familiar in nature and often very personal. This project was different. Growing up in the Midwest, I had never experienced a forest fire, let alone one as massive and overwhelming as the largest fire in Arizona history. In a sense, I was a tourist, fascinated by everything that unfolded and recording everything I saw. There were no plans, no preconceived notions.

To see more of Jesse Rieser’s work go to his website or Altpick page.

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Behind the Animation Scene with Richard Borge

Posted on July 27, 2012 by The Pick

by Richard Borge

I needed something to push me along to create a quick animation and loopdeloop.org was just the thing. They have a monthly competition that requires only that you make an animation that loops… can be short or long, just so long as the first frame and last frame are the same.  The model of the ROOSTER was made some time ago, and I’ve always wanted to animate it. Here is the result of a mad dash to make their deadline, completing it in just a few days. My trusty intern, Maia Lemonedes was a huge help, and of course a big thanks to Rhys (neighbor’s son) for his acting skills.  This is a rough cut, and I’ll likely be making some changes to it later on. I’d also like to come up with a series of animations for this character.

Video of Richard’s animation process :


To see the final animation video, click here:video

To see more of Richard Borge’s work go to his website and Altpick page.

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Direct, Honest and Real :: Chris Sembrot

Posted on July 26, 2012 by The Pick

Copyright Chris Sembrot

Back in 2008 when Altpick asked photographer Chris Sembrot how he would describe his photography style, Chris said direct, honest and real.  Four years later, his body of work has grown with a deeper, richer emotional side and a bit more finesse.

Copyright Chris Sembrot

Directly out of college, Chris decided that the best way to learn about the business of commercial photography would be to take a shot at working for an ad agency. And for 5 years he did just that – working as the agency producer and art buyer.

Copyright Chris Sembrot

Chris always surrounds himself with professionals that help him produce and deliver on a commercial level. Working as a team and collaborating is what he does best. Not only does Chris love shooting stills, he is also shoots video.  Check out this video of Shepard Fairey.  

On a personal side, he loves to cook and spend as much time as possible with family. He was able to organized and cook for his fiance’s 30th surprise party and 50 guests. It took 6 months to plan and included Chris making everything from homemade pickles to the birthday cake. Each and every item on the menu was made from scratch.

Chris Sembrot is part of the 20th Anniversary Alternative Pick :: Deck Edition.  To see more of Chris’ work go to his website and his Altpick page.

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Bob Packert’s Unexpected Twists

Posted on July 23, 2012 by The Pick

Copyright Bob Packert

Bob Packert’s passion for photography began while achieving a BA in Fine Art and Graphic Design.  As a fashion and lifestyle photographer and director, his creativity takes the concept through to a contemporary style that solidifies any story line.

Copyright Bob Packert

Working from concept through to final imagery, Packert enjoys assembling a creative production team who share the same passion and attention to detail he exhibits.

Packert hold a strong appreciation for graphic and textural art and often features an unexpected twist within his imagery.

To see more of Bob Packert’s work go to his website and Altpick page.

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