estoy aqui.: Swoon

Showing posts with label Swoon. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

eat, sleep, paint

I'm happy to say that the reason I haven't posted anything in a few days is because I've been doing pretty much nothing other than hitting the studio. Hittin' it hard. And actually feeling like it's all coming together and going somewhere. Also, Steve (aka best tour guide ever) has been helping me find the perfect public wall to install my piece by introducing me to all the right people who all have ideas and actually seem interested in what I'm doing. I think that one of my biggest unexpressed fears of coming to Mexico with the intentions of doing a public piece was, well, just that- doing a public piece in a foreign environment where I am the outsider, no one knows my work... and I'm a gringa. I am quickly learning that this fear is really silly and naîve. The people love their art here, and the more the better. Anyhow, it's been a magical experience being exposed to all these different people in the community and realizing just how much art and how many artists exist here. It really is a magical place.

Here are some brief and ambiguous photos of what I have been working on- I'm afraid I can't reveal too much yet ;)
Click to enlarge weon.

Add caption

looks like a mess but will soon be assembled

He hangs out... and I cut myself with and xacto blade twice...

Some explorative treasures:

The view from Ruby's house.

Swoon a Mercado central

Swoon a mercado Central

and AMAZING bar- El Olivo

El Olivo

And PS, Mexico's Independence day was this last Sunday, September 15th. So naturally, we attended the event at teh Zocolo. VIVA MEXICO:

The Governor's mansion (I believe) where he did the "Grito"

Monday, September 9, 2013

MACO (NOT moco) and beyond...

Just got back from the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca where a street art exhibition has gone up including artists: How & Nosm, Swoon, Saner, RETNA, and Lapiztola. It was an amazing exhibition, but what I found to be the best aspect was that once you leave the museum and meander around the abounding streets, you run into numerous other works by these artists in their raw, natural environment. My favorite aspect about street artists is their versatility in that their work can have a place in the gallery, but also, more importantly, their work exists in the streets, for the public. Click to enlarge... And do enlarge.

Swoon. MACO

Swoon, MACO

Saner, MACO

How & Nosm, MACO

RETNA, MACO

RETNA, in the streets

Saner, In the streets

Swoon, In the streets.

Oaxaca, estoy aquî

Well, I've been here less than 24 hours and... I really like it.. a lot. There has been an inkling inside of me drawing me to Oaxaca and now I can see why. I'm unsure why I haven't done more research on this place and have been focusing so much on other places in Mexico. Oaxaca is beautiful, and definitely a change of pace from Puebla. Although Puebla definitely has it's character that I thoroughly enjoyed, I'm feeling a bit more cozy here in Oaxaca. I think the climate has a bit to do with my comfort in that it's warmer than Puebla, a little bit more like my home in Reno, NV. Oaxaca is also very "hip." I've seen a lot of gringos walking around, and there are galleries EVERYWHERE. I'm excited to find this kind of artistic oasis in such an unexpected pocket of Mexico.

Not to mention, I'm literally blown away by the beauty of the residency location itself:

Today I set off to explore with help and direction from the Oaxaca site director- Steve. I did a massive lap around the inner part of the city and found it to be very... nice. It definitely has a different feel from Puebla, most of it being a bit better kept. Where I found textures and diversity of form in Puebla, here in Oaxaca things to be a bit more unified. Well, to some degree. But I've only seen so much so far... Fotos de Hoy. Click to enlarge!