Designer vs Artists…creations vs master pieces…

Creations and creator are two words that I don’t really understand nowadays. For me, creation comes out of the blue (must be that reminiscence that I have for being raised up in a country that STILL has a catholic confession).

I have notice that a designer is called a creator, or at least, his works are called creations, while what the artist does is a piece (of art). I am not really sure about this but it is something that I’ve being thinking about lately.

It all started with a newspaper release in EL PAIS (probably the best-seller newspaper in Spain) about a young designer called creator by the author.
I already knew about his work, a few days ago I visited his website ( www.seethisway.com), and I found his work fresh and fun. Finally!

If you enter in his website, you’ll see that some of his “creations” are not only useful and decorative, they also have a why, and an answer inside.
This young Spaniard designer is called Jorge Mañes, and as I said he was on the newspaper for his exhibition in ARCO. I’ve said before that there was also a space for design, and casapasarela gave the opportunity to a group of young designers to show their works.
Mañes decided to use his space for a hanger called Dear Hunter. I suppose that you are thinking about the film, and I hope that after reading this, you’ ll think about this work.

I could try to explain what is the meaning and the origin of it, but this time, the creator had the courtesy of explaining it in a text beside the hanger:

"Footprints are small clues that guide us through the depths of our memory, and as such, are able to transport us almost instantly into the remote depths of our consciousness. I love things that have the power to evoke something in us, to make us think or remember, that are able to tell a story and leave a mark on us."

"Dear Hunter emerges from a personal necessity for self expression, as a result of a creative process in which the deconstruction of a deer hunting trophy changes the rules of the game, and invites the viewer to reflect about the disregard of humanity for something as basic as the right of any living being to a dignified death."


After reading this, and visiting carefully his website, noticing that his work in Italy (Jorge Mañes now lives and develops his work in the nation of design) is more and more important, and every time changing and full of energy and knowledge, I started to think why is not this a piece of art? Why is Dear Hunter not his master piece for the moment? Or is it?.

To tell the truth, I don’t know. And I don’t know why an artist is not a creator. Are they different levels or just different ways to say the same thing?

We study at University the importance of what is useful for the Bauhaus artists. Would they be artists today? Or creators?

ARCO

For those who are not very into spanish art, Iet me introduce you a little trough the easiest way: ARCO

Located in Madrid, ARCO tries to show whats new and what is in the Spaniards and internationals galleries lately. In fact, this year, it was specially dedicated to Brasil, as you can see in the photo on the top (thanks to Cayetana Nicanor, by the way).

I must say that I am not the greatest defensor of ARCO for many reasons that some other day I will be pleased to explain, but I would like today to focus my post on it.

This year a very good friend of mine has being working in ARCO, and when she told me that it was great, I decided to search a little in the website to find out what was so good...
Is not only that ARCO means for us a conection with the art abroad and things that we (students) not usually see in the classroom, it is also a place where you can feel the art atmosphere, (with its goods and its bads), and how the art market moves and gets you inside.

First time I went there, two years ago I think, I wasn’t really sure if I liked what I was seeing or not -and I am not talking about the art pieces only-, but it seems like this year things have changed, and ARCO is not only open for art pieces or video-art; there was also a place for design and performance…yes, a plateu just for them, Wich I must say that (for me, in some way) destroys all the “romance” that a performance can transmit to the public.

After galleries and galleries I found a couple of things that I found interesting, maybe this gallery www.galeriaalvaroalcazar.com has one of the pieces that I like the most: http://galeriaalvaroalcazar.com/client/es/exposiciones_obras.asp?artist=3&page=1&exhibition=12&work=218
And also Porta VIII (wich is number 3). Both of them and in general all what was exhibited by this gallery in ARCO really makes me feel like something good is coming and I want to see it. In fact, a few of their pieces really reminded me what I saw in Black and White gallery wich is in front of Winkleman' s (I' ll write about it next week).

Although that I still think that ARCO is a jumble were is impossible to find anything and its full of stuff (wich is only that: stuff), I must say that I have read somethings about the situation of the stands, and the intention of make an equal distribution of the spaces and the situation of the galleries. So it seems like this years they have tryied to improve and break some rules about hierarchy in this business, and I find that it is a good reason to support ARCO for once.

First Opening

www.winkleman.com

Opening tomorrow Feb 21 6.pm-8.pm here in the gallery.
We will be showing 4 paintings of Joy Garnett wich I am looking at right now while I am writting.
I have being reading the press release that edward wrote and that you can find on the website. I read it and I tried to find it through my eyes, what Edwards see, and what Joy Garnett wanted to paint.
Since Joy G' s paintings are bassed on photographs that she finds, you can feel the realistic line, and even they can sound you familiar, like a newspaper photo, or a postcard that you have received.
The strong colours and the size of the paintings helps you to understand the meanings and gets you easier inside the picture.
As I look at them, I am more conscious about the meaning, but I still have some doubts about what I see.
Two of the pictures: Harbor and Morning in China make me feel the quiet, but still like if something is going to happen, like the same little fear that I have when everything is ok. Those two paintings are one in front of the other. Across them, one in front of the other too, are Noon and Night, thats the opposite, the fire, movement, noise and chaos. If figure myself in the middle of that cross, I have the two faces of reality, two sides of the same coin wich is always spinning, and you never know wich side is going to be the one up side at the end.
Despite that I can try to find the political meaning of this pieces, I dont really feel it necessary, even knowing that Night comes from a photo of the WTC disaster, for me is enoght what I see to understand the sense of this paintings.

Opening

OK. Welcome to my own opening.

This space is going to be used to post all my job, experiences and sensation as an intern during the next 3 months.

Suggestions, comments and complaints...feel free to express them.

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Bueno, bienvenidos a mi propia inauguracion.

Este espacio va a ser usado para reflejar todo mi trabajo, experiencias y sensaciones como interna (estudiante en practicas) durante estos 3 meses.

Sugerencias, comentarios, quejas y reclamaciones...sientanse libres de expresarlas.