Julien Gardair: Polyphonic Situations

Julien Gardair, Whole together, All apart, 2019, pigments and acrylic on industrial felt cut in space, 7x20x16ft, BRIC, Brooklyn, photo courtesy the artist

The French born Brooklyn based artist Julien Gardair makes carpets, paper cutouts, paintings, sculptures, video or everything in between. This proclivity for smooth sail between forms in context of specific sites globally paired with his insatiable explorations, make his body of work versatile, whimsical and layered. Julien Gardair shares with Art Spiel his ideas, experiences, and what is behind some of his many projects.

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Yasmin Gur – Upcycling Waste

Yasmin Gur, My Old Room 2014, Urban Passages ,reclaimed wood

The Brooklyn based sculptor Yasmin Gur is fascinated with the process of upcycling materials such as reclaimed wood and transforming them into dimensional artforms which often respond to the site’s architecture. Gur is the producer for The Upcycle Junction Market, which gives her and ten other local artists a chance to take an active part in the urgent conversation about waste.

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Beth Dary – Near the Water’s Edge

Beth Dary, Elements of Ambivalence, 2006, fabric, pins, encaustic, 10’x17’x4″, photo courtesy of the artist

Beth Dary‘s sculptures, installations and drawings have in common deep layers of meaning, imaginative combinations of materials, and subtle delicacy in form and color. Her insatiable curiosity in exploring diverse materials and processes results in a wide array of formal expressions, ranging from ceramics to photography; fabric to glass. She shares with Art Spiel some insight into her work throughout the years, her process explorations, and her upcoming projects.

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Cecile Chong – The Layers Beneath

In her layered paintings and installations Cecile Chong brings to life notions of “otherness”, how cultural filters make us see each other. Her departure point derives organically from her experiences since early childhood. Here she shares some of these experiences, the genesis of her diverse body of work, and her upcoming projects.

Cecile Chong, DNA Matching, 2018
Encaustic and mixed media on wood
11 x 8 inches, photo courtesy of the artist

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Laurie O’Brien – Peephole Cinema in Brooklyn, a Path towards Generosity

Martina Menegon, Splits Are Parted, Film Still, 2016, photo courtesy of the artist

Laurie O’Brien is a visual artist, teacher, and culture maker. She has just launched in Bushwick her Peephole cinema project , a free public cinema showing short, experimental silent films 24/7, through a dime-sized peephole.  In this interview with Art Spiel O’Brien talks about her experience as an artist and educator, her love of animation, and the story behind her project. Continue reading “Laurie O’Brien – Peephole Cinema in Brooklyn, a Path towards Generosity”

Martynka Wawrzyniak – Ziemia: From Warsaw to Greenpoint

Ziemia unveiled at McGolrick Park, photo credit Wojtek Kubik

Unveiled on June 9, 2018, the core object  in the multidisciplinary public art project Ziemia (“Earth” in Polish), takes the form of a ceramic orb. The orb was created by the Greenpoint based artist Martynka Wawrzyniak in collaboration with The Polish Cultural Institute of New York, NYC Parks, and  most importantly – Greenpoint residents.

Surrounded by the  rolling meadow in McGolrick Park, the orb represents the collective portrait of the diverse Greenpoint community, with an emphasis on participation of the many Poles who have lived in the neighborhood for generations.  Martynka Wawrzyniak shares with Art Spiel the ideas behind her intriguing public art project, as well as some thoughts regarding her overall art practice. Continue reading “Martynka Wawrzyniak – Ziemia: From Warsaw to Greenpoint”