Eres tu un "consumidor" de arte?

Sabes dónde en PR está este lugar?-  Do you know what part of PR is this?

Hace unos años me dí a la tarea de "retratar" paisajes de nuestra isla.   Hace tiempo que los pintores costumbristas se limitaban mayormente a versiones de  "una casita, una lomita y un flamboyán"  y los pintores contemporáneos ni se molestan con el tema (están ocupados en pintar sentimientos...).  Yo me convencí de que debía haber un mercado para el paisaje real, actual y que conocemos porque es nuestra realidad cotidiana.   Quién no ha recorrido el expresso # 52...San Juan a Ponce?    Este es el sitio donde por un instante vemos el mar y luego, al bajar la cuesta, se desaparece hasta que llegamos al sur...  Es un monte que cortaron para hacer la carretera y que ahora enmarca una vista espectacular. (Yo nunca he visto una pintura de este lugar.)

Para que los artistas puedan producir, tiene que haber un público consumidor que quiera comprar.   En "otros tiempos"  había mecenas, personajes con poder y dinero,  que respaldaban a los artistas de su preferencia comprando su obra y pagando sus gastos...
Hoy en día necesitamos individuos que, con sus compras, nos ayuden a  "ganarnos la vida".  Eres tú de los que apoyan a los artistas de esta manera?  Qué clase de arte compras para tí?


A few years back I decided to paint  "portraits" of different localities in PR.  For some time, what predominated in landscapes were different versions of  "a little house, a hill, a flamboyan".  Contemporary artists didn't even bother with the genre (being busy portraying their feelings...).  I am convinced that people are still interested in real landscapes, that are part of our daily environment.  Who hasn't been down this road, the #52 expressway from San Juan to Ponce?  There is just an instant to see the sea, because the road then goes down and you won't see it again until you reach it.  They cut into this mountain to make the road, giving us a window to a magnificent view.   ( I have never seen a painting of this spot.) 

For artists to be able to work, there must be a buyer for his pieces.  In "olden times"  there were powerful, wealthy  patrons who backed artists by buying their works and paying their living expenses....  Now a days we need to find consumers that will purchase our works, enabling us to "make a living".  Are you one of those consumers?   What type of art do you live with?

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On July 24 Hiram wrote:

Imagination has to be part of every human endeavor.  It is the most important element in artistic creativity.  The internal motivation that comes forth in the act of creation outweighs the final result, the art piece... That's what I feel...

La ilusión

Es la realidad más importante que la ilusión?... Hiram Rosado

La ilusión,  btiene que ser parte de todo proyecto humano. Es la ilusion el elemento mas importante de la creación artistica. El estímulo interno que se exterioriza en la ejecución artística sobrepasa en gran medida el resultado final ,la Obra ... Asi me siento.

Hiram Rosado

Comment on gallerys and artists

                                                 Acrylic painting by Gloria Bosa Osorio

Today it is more important than ever that a gallery work together with its members without losing its vision of quality, creativity and integrity. Artists who show in a gallery need to take a role in helping the gallery. It is not enough today to simply deliver your work and walk away, leaving the gallery to do everything for you. It is equally not enough to simply paint a pretty picture or sculpt what you consider to be a masterpiece. There are many masterpieces in the world.

Much depends on where the art is shown, how the art is promoted and the artists themselves. In addition, artists should assist the gallery selling their work by providing tools for the gallery to work with such as biographies and additional images of other works. Help can also be given by promotion through their own websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts.. Efficiently doing business today takes a “team” effort and should include the whole team.

Consider the postage stamp...

El Conguero-mosaico-  de Diana Valiente

...it achieves success by sticking to something, until it gets there!

When we explored different ways of starting an artist's group that would be helpful to all, we thought the "worker owned corporation" was perfect for us.  Everybody had voice, vote and responsibilities.  This corporations are started without an investor.  Everybody participates with an equal share, and work is divided equally.  Well, that is never so...  The Board of Directors also had the load of doing the administration, while sharing in the day to day operations of the gallery.  

Nine years latter we are still here, and our gallery has been able to do quite a few very nice things:  We give young artists their first shows, we sell "objects d'art"   that are not received in other galleries, and we make our space available to groups like the East End Art Guild.   And there is also our annual drawing contest, which keeps getting better every year. 

Everything we sell is made in Puerto Rico, and we remind our customers that our culture is not just the traditions, but also the creativity of its living artists. 

So, do you see why we are "sticking to it"?    Visitors and customers are delighted with our offering, but we need that admiration to become tangible.  Would you become a "friend of FI"?

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Considera los sellos de correo...ellos tienen éxito aferrandose a algo hasta que llega a su destino!

Cuando exploramos formas de asociación para establecer nuestra institución, nos pareció que las "Corporaciones Propiedad de trabajadores" eran la forma ideal.  Todos los miembros tienen voz, voto y responsabilidades.  Estas corporaciones no tienen un inversionista que aporte el capital.  Todos aportan a partes iguales y el trabajo se divide entre todos...bueno, según sus capacidades.  A la Junta de Directores le corresponde el trabajo adicional de administrar.

Nueve años más tarde todavía estamos aquí, y la galería ha podido lograqr muchas cosas:  Le damos a artistas jóvenes su primera exhibición, vendemos öbjetos de arte"que no serían recibidos en las galerías tradicionales, y le facilitamos espacio a grupos como el Gremio de Artistas del Este.  Y nuestro concurso anual de dibujo es cada vez mejor.  

Todo lo que vendemos es hecho en PR y le recordamos a nuestros clientes que la cultura no son sólo las cosas tradicionales sino tambien la creatividad actual.

Comprendes porque siguimos aquí "aferrados"?.  Nuestros visitantes y clientes creen que nuestra oferta es estupenda, pero necesitamos que su admiración se haga tangible.  Considerarías hacerte "amigo" de FI?

Marimer Cebollero

Artista- artesano ó artesano-artista?

Glass beads, paper and wire, over glass piece

Como guía voluntaria del MAPR, he tenido que explicar muchas veces el preceso de creación.  El artista parte de una idea, de algo que quiere comunicar.  Para esto utiliza un medio plástico, ya sea uno que conoce bien o uno que decide explorar.  Así surgen técnicas nuevas, se crean piezas sin antecedentes, es la auténtica expresión personal y, como tal, la obra es buena.  

El artesano es aquél que amando un medio, se entrena en él, se especializa y, en el caso de los artesanos certificados por el ICP, se dedica a preservar estilos y temas "tradicionales" de nuestra cultura.  

Para mí esta distinción es muy importante.  Yo comencé de niña, y me hice capaz de trabajar muchas técnicas y muchos medios.  Me gustaba la madera, la cerámica, los textiles, la pintura, la caligrafía, los mosaicos, y quería probar a hacer todo lo que veía.  Con el tiempo empecé a combinar técnicas y de ahí empezaron a surgir mis piezas más originales.  

Aquí en Fusión Isleña tenemos consagrados artistas, gente con educación y experiencia en sus disciplinas personales, que de momento se aparecen con piezas que son, como dijo un coleccionista muy conocido, que es cliente nuestro, "el punto medio entre el arte y la artesanía". Son estas piezas únicas las que hacen que sea tan interesante nuestra oferta.  Las galerías tradicionales no suelen tener cabida para este tipo de creatividad. 

La situación económica actual ha hecho que algunos artistas busquen en la artesanía un medio de sobrevivir... 
Qué podemos hacer al respecto?  Hablemos de eso... 

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As volunteer docent at the MAPR, I have had to explain, many times, the creative process.  Artists start with an idea, something they want to communicate.  For that they use some plastic medium, either one they usually work in or one they would like to explore.  That's the way they come up with new techniques, creating pieces that are exclusive, original and authentic to their own personas, and that is good.  

Artisans, on the other hand, choose a medium they would like to work in, learn how to use it and, in the case of those seeking certification from the ICP, strive to preserve the old ways and motifs.

For me that distinction is very important.  I started from childhood, learning as much as I could, and liking any medium:  wood, textiles, ceramics, mosaics, painting, calligraphy...I wanted to try everything.   Then I began to mix techniques and materials, and that is where original pieces started to appear, and those are my best works.

Here in Fusión Isleña we have expert artists, excellent in their chosen mediums, who show up with  very original pieces that are, as a well know collector,who is a client here, called it: "midpoint between art and craft".  It is these pieces that make us a unique  contemporary gallery.

The current economic climate has pushed artists in the direction of this "midpoint".  What can we do to validate their creations?  Let's talk about that...

MARIMER

Ayer Jaymee escribió:

Desde hace casi dos años soy miembro de  Fusión Isleña, una bella galería en el Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas.  Arriba ven una de mis pinturas, titulada Antorcha de Belleza, que pinté en 2011 y que se exhibe en la Galería desde 2013.

Bienvenida Jaymee!

Hello from Jaymee Weinreich

For almost two years now, I have been a member of Galeria Fusion Islena, a beautiful gallery in Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Above is one of my paintings entitled "Torch of Beauty", exhibited in the gallery for most of 2013. This was an oil painting I did in 2011.

Today I am introducing my two partners who are at the gallery with me right now.   Jaymee will be posting something soon.  It's her day today.   I'll be back tomorrow.