Where has the time gone? 2016 is off to a great start. I'll soon be heading to the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas (KBIS) to immerse myself in everything new the industry has to offer. Today I'll finish up my pondering of events during Art Week in Miami by segueing back into the kitchen realm.If you read my previous post you know that last month we experienced THE major annual South Florida art happening, known as Miami Art & Design Week. Art Basel Miami is the main event but it's actually much more than that. It's fairs, performances and gallery openings all over Miami. I promised to share with you my finds from Context and Art Basel Miami Beach but today I thought I'd make a pit stop in the kitchen because, after all, that's what I do! It's not surprising that elements of the kitchen can inspired artistic expression.
Cooking implements, cabinetry etc. are symbolic representations of our past, childhood memories, emotional connections and especially the heritage of women. The above sculptural installation by Spanish artist Asier Mendizabal features a beautiful Zenish looking pattern, on closer inspection it is a garden variety laminate top with the surface stripped off in spots to create this effect. I bet you never thought of doing this to an old counter top, but how beautiful! Mendizabal is noted for his use of a wide variety of materials from fabric to wood to metal and, yes, laminate.
I immediately recognized this work by Korean artist Do Ho Suh to be cabinet pulls! I, of course, am loving the repetition and the lovely color palette but what's it all about? Contemporary art publication Daily Serving explains the Rubbing/Loving series perfectly, "the work records the artist’s former New York apartment through a series of painstakingly executed rubbings. By covering every surface of his apartment with sheets of tracing paper and rubbing it with blue colored pencil, Suh and his team meticulously documented the various textures and patterns of the floors, walls, and built-in appliances. The entire process is chronicled in a short film on the series, also on display in the gallery." In this case he used pastels instead of colored pencil.
Janine Antoni's sculpture, to quench, come under the category of feminist art in my opinion. A graceful breast over seeing the kitchen and also a lovely balance of rectangular form and soft curves. Doesn't it also make you wonder what is in the cabinet?Ok so this is straight up conceptual art but art that you love can be a big element of the artful kitchen. I would like to invite you to add that artistic element to your own kitchen. What better place than the heart of the home to locate something you love to gaze upon! Are you game?
If so I'd love to help you, kitchens and art are my passions. Whether it's the ideal spot for a beloved painting or a sculpture gracing a perfectly placed opening we can do it and we can make it totally you. Take a peek at my "Kitchen Art" Pinterest board for some creative inspiration. Whether you already have the artwork or are looking for the perfect piece it would be my pleasure to work with you. Let's connect and create! Email me at ArtfulKitchensbyGlo@gmail.com
Art Basel Miami 2015: Part I -Art Miami
It's hard to believe another edition of Art Basel Miami Beach is in the books. This year I dove in with both feet knowing that really seeing all of Art Basel is the proverbial "unicorn project". My best advice is GO! See what happens. You'll see what you're meant to see. Today I don my "art critic hat" to share my experience with you.
This year's event began for me with Art & Design Uncorked hosted by the Mistresses of Media known as Modenus. It was a reunion of design peeps from their blog tour events but all art and interior design pros were welcome too. It would be hard to top the venue which was no less than The Ritz Carlton, Coconut Grove. Nice! Cocktail party, new friends, reconnections, a full day of useful and relevant talks topped off with a dinner cruise on Biscayne Bays (I thought to myself, what wait, isn't this were Dexter dumped the bodies!?!?). Anyway Miami is my hometown and it was nice to be back and see it from this perspective.
The hubs entered the picture on Wednesday evening, traveling down to meet up so we could hit the ground running on Thursday morning. First stop, Art Miami. Art Basel is held not only in the Miami Beach Convention Center but also at satellite venues around the city. Collectively these fairs are known as Art Week Miami. In addition to art, Design Miami is held right along side of Art Basel. Like I said, you can't see everything and, alas I missed this part, but it's on my list for next time.
One big fair is located in the arts district known as Wynnwood. Art Miami and sister fair Context can be found there, just look for the big white tents! The work included a wide variety of painting, sculpture and some kinetic pieces as well. All contemporary, conceptual, a feast for the eyes and definitely food for thought. Here are some of my favorites.
Mayme Kratz embeds natural elements into translucent resin yielding a smooth surface with lots of visual depth. I am drawn to and intrigued by repetition-so I love it!
Look, repetition again! Some of my images may surprise you if you think all or most contemporary art is abstract. There was a lot of figurative art, even photo realism in the mix. Mary A. Waters is an Irish artist who is in love with the paintings by the masters. This is her interpretation of Bia de Médici by renaissance painter Agnolo Bronzino. His oil painting was created in 1542. I have always loved the original. Bia is a renaissance version of my daughter at that age.
Chotvichai's work is very striking and deals with issues of gender and identity. Perhaps the topic is not so original but her methods are. Interestingly, her works are typically self portraits, like the one above. She's very fascinating to read about and you can find more here.
Susan Grossman's drawing is highly detailed yet, in a way, unspecific, leaving it to the viewer to fill in the blanks.
So this Lego sculpture wins in my book for whimsy and humor. If you look really closely and open the little door there is a little man sitting on his little "throne". I wonder how many times his privacy was violated during the show!
I'm so sorry I can't tell you who the mastermind is behind this, possibly A Wei Wei? He has been working with Legos of late but that's just a guess. If you know please give it up!
Definitely one of the best in show for me was this sculpture by English artist Jose Martin. I love the delicious texture and super saturated Alizarin Violet color, not to mention the awesome name, an all around winner!!
I've been dying to incorporate stitchery into my art and Russian artist Tanya Akhmetgalieva does just that. She also works in many other diverse media including video.
This great example of Abstract Expressionism is by an artist from the Phillipines. Alfonso Ossorio also happened to be one of the pioneers of assemblage (sort of a 3D collage) in the early 60s. I love the vibrant colors in this painting. They draw me in and beckon me to learn more about this interesting artist which you can do here.
You know I love me my mermaids and just look at the exquisite writhing repetition! Wow.
Originally from Germany, Hans Hofmann is another Abstract Expressionist who ended up in New York. As you can see, he was a master of color. Hofmann made his living for much of his life, teaching art and running his own schools.
This French photographer crafts his images using thousands of high resolution close ups to create large compositions. You could get lost in this piece! The detail is incredible with an interesting combination of crisp focus and hazy swirly movement.
Lo and behold another art history classic, none other than the sweet work of Marc Chagall, nothing fancy, just simple and immensely appealing. Chagall was born in Russia, died in France at the age of 97 and experienced everything in between. There's no mistaking his style. Interestingly, in the 1950s, Picasso was quoted as saying, "when Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what color really is."
Sibylle Peretti frequently uses images of children in her work to represent vulnerability, innocence and an unadulterated vision of the world. What I find intriguing in this piece is the materials she used, the cracks and sparkles, as well as the beautiful shading and composition.
Marc Sijan is what's known as a "hyper-realist sculptor". I would say so! Most of his subjects are not as attractive as this one. They are like "real" peeps. Rumor has it (not really it's on his website) he lives a secluded life in the woods of Wisconsin and no one really knows too much about him personally. I do know that he is considered the best at what he does.
Chirico was an Italian artist mostly known for his Surrealist paintings. He did very few sculptures of which this is one. I love the symmetry of it and it makes me think of the complex history of culture and humanity.
Jannick Deslauriers attempts to capture and fix organic matter which is inevitably subject to decay. I just think it's beautiful, and sometimes that is enough.Looking at A LOT of art involves A LOT of walking and, for me, is a mental workout of sorts. That said, with half the day gone, we were ready to finish the day by visiting Context, right next door to Art Miami.I'm going to call part one done. I'd love to hear your thoughts, impressions or questions. Art lives by inspiring connections, encouraging dialogue and perhaps making you think in a way you never did before. Talk to me!! Next up, Part II, We head next door to Context
The Many Facets of Custom Cupboards
Who says the art of printing is dead? You may be devouring novels on your Kindle but printing is very much alive at Custom Cupboards. Their Facets program allows you to bring a new level of personalization to your kitchen, bath or anywhere you have cabinets through digital printing. 
With Facets you can have a truly artful kitchen enhanced with your own original artwork or photography. If you can dream it they can do it. Just remember you can't reproduce work that is copyrighted. That is a no no, but you knew that, yes?
Mael Hernandez, President of this Wichita Kansas based company, was quoted in the Wichita Business Journal as saying,“It’s all about the trend in personalization. We think this is going to change the cabinet industry. It’s very exciting for us.”
Custom Cupboards uses patent pending digital printing technology to stylize cabinet fronts with textures, patterns, art, photography and even typography.
What do you think? Remember it's just an accent, doesn't have to be on every cabinet. In fact, less is definitely more in this case. You're creating a focal point which gets diluted when over done. In case you're wondering, Facets would add about 15% to the cost of an average 13 cabinet, L-shaped kitchen if you did it on say three doors. If you'd like to explore adding a new "facet" to your kitchen, I'd love to help you do it!
Bowled Over by Bolon
When did I visit Milan again? Oh yeah, April 2014. Time flies. You see the thing is, when you go to these sensory overloading mind boggling trade shows you bring it all home with you in the form of dvds, thumb drives, brochures, samples etc.
The problem is when you get home it’s so busy all these bits end up sitting in a "some day" drawer. Well guess what? Today’s the day.
Back to Milan. I was there as a member of the Blanco Design Council (a fact that I am most proud of and grateful for) to attend the Salone di Mobile, the premiere European interior design and furniture trade show. Fast forward to today when I decided to fire up a thumb drive called Bolon. Let me tell you about it.
Bolon is a Swedish flooring manufacturer but there is so much more to it! The concept of fashion has a way of elevating even the most mundane of objects. That’s what’s so intriguing about Bolon, started in Stockholm in 1949 by Nils-Erik Eklund. He became a pioneer of the “green” movement when he decided he would make woven rag rug flooring from the waste product of other flooring manufacturers. The business succeeded, was passed on and has been run by his granddaughters Annica and Marie Eklund since 2003. That’s when fashion entered the picture. The term “floored by fashion” was coined and fashion icon Giorgio Armani decided he loved the product enough to use it in his shops, his home and on his yacht. Savvy marketing by this latest generation of Eklands seals the deal. You must admit this video, introducing their Silence line, is intriguing enough to make you want to know what this product is all about!It’s an original type of flooring that I would describe as woven vinyl with a backing. It can look natural or not, doesn’t seem particularly comfy on the bare foot but does appear to be bullet-proof, a definite plus for commercial spaces which is the main application.Today the focus is on global expansion and achieving a totally green product. Bolon’s list of clients includes not only Armani but also Google, Mercedes, Adidas, Reebok and Sheraton as well as leading architects and designers. All design and production happens in Ulricehamn, Sweden. 
Today the focus is on global expansion and achieving a totally green product. Bolon’s list of clients includes not only Armani but also Google, Mercedes, Adidas, Reebok and Sheraton as well as leading architects and designers. All design and production happens in Ulricehamn, Sweden.
Bolon is available in rolls or tiles. You can vacuum it or for deep cleaning it can be scrubbed with a brush and an all purpose cleaner (there are machines that can do this too). Lastly vacuum again with a wet vac. If you want to delve into the specifics you can do that here. Interesting diversion, yes? Who knows what I'll unearth next! Stay tuned...
Artful Kitchen Composition Inspired by Jane Freilicher
"To strain after innovation, to worry about being 'on the cutting edge' – a phrase I hate – reflects concern for a place in history or for one's career rather than for the authenticity of one's own painting."- Jane Freilicher
One of the reasons I became a designer is because I just have to do something that involves creativity. Art is a huge part of what I think about and what inspires me. If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed the “Super Cool Peeps” board on my personal Pinterest. It’s packed with images of my favorite artists or otherwise creative muses. I thought it would be an interesting change of pace to highlight one every now and then.
Jane Freilicher who passed away on December 9, 2014 at the age of 90, was sometimes referred to as “the poet’s painter”. I love the quote above and I think it's true of design as well as art. Nothing is truly 100% original. The point is to personalize what you produce in just the right way for your clients. Jane was a lifelong resident of the "Big Apple" who created her own landscapes with still life. To me they seem like a moment of tranquility layered over the vibrancy of New York City. She did also spend time on Long Island, in the Hamptons, which is another aspect of her work.
In the 1950’s Freilicher kept company with not only the leading abstract expressionists, but also many poets of the time such as Frank O’hara and John Ashbery. She was part of an informal circle of writers and artists called the New York School. Interestingly, O’Hara was the first person to purchase one of her paintings!
Freilicher could be called the quintessential Bohemian. She dropped out of school at 17 to marry a jazz musician. Jazz, poetry and art were all an integral part of who she was. She was also a rebel, choosing to paint portraits and still life at a time when Abstract Expressionism was all the rage.
Still life is not normally a big draw for me but the way in which Freilicher placed hers is intriguing. It’s the clean purity of a flower contrasting with the grimy, gritty but also living cityscapes. This is all portrayed with a sense of quiet solitude, a rising above.
You can include a bit of Jane's vision in your own artful kitchen. A lovely floral arrangement placed strategically by a window works perfectly! You can do it where ever you are and it becomes your very own creativity touchstone.
As with all artists, Jane lives on in her work which can be seen in many museums and galleries including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum.
Street Art=Urban Edge for Your Kitchen
According to our friends at Wikipedia, "Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. The term gained popularity during the graffiti art boom of the early 1980s." I have always been intrigued by the visual language of Basquiat and the mystery of Banksy.
Taking it to the street and making public art has a wild appeal and now you can have a little taste of that in your home. Wouldn't it be fun? Check out this brand new product with info hot off the press release!
"Troy Lighting is proud to introduce a new statement collection perfect for a cool loft environment, "Street Art" is a new series incorporating vibrant colors, artistic creations and unusual materials. Suspended from aircraft cable, the round, galvanized and corrugated pendant in hand-worked wrought iron features faded out sign references on its fence-like exterior. Inside, you can find colorful graffiti-inspired spray paint designs – applied by hand – and light bulbs protected by vintage wire guards.
Street Art is offered in various pendant sizes, a semi-flush mount and a curved, rectangular wall sconce, which beautifully lights up the artwork. Hip and edgy, Street Art is a fun statement piece." How could you add a touch of "street art" to your kitchen? Let's continue the conversation on FaceBook or email me at ArtfulKitchensbyGlo@gmail.com