Art Dubai Part 1:

At moments like this I wished I had put a +1 in front of my number on my business card.

It seemed like every ten minutes I was meeting someone from another country, yet me and my friend seemed to be the only “American Girls” around. We luckily had our native friend who is an international event planner who knew everyone and their mom. I normally do better with a wing-man and I guess he did too. He made sure to include me in every new conversation and I loved him for it as I was feeling a little over my head.

As I chatted with international artist, fashion designers, diplomats, ambassadors and business owners in the VIP lounge, they automatically asked if I was showing my work at Art Dubai. My response, “I’m showing next year!” The power of positive thinking…right? Ha. I was honored by these people assumptions and was inspired to reach to the heights they saw me at.

As a creative person, not only is it important to be constantly creating, but also to find a way to “feed” your creative soul; this means really looking at things, seeing things you have never seen before..or seeing them in a NEW way then you have before. I think this is why a lot of creative people travel the world, to become inspired. I found a lot of inspiration during my adventure in Dubai. Not only did the people that I meet on my trip touch me. Here are a few things that go me going…

This is a glass box with on going fans, constantly blowing gold sequence like a sand storm. Considering there was a sand storm while I was there and a lot of other people’s money “flying around”..I felt this work was reflective of it’s current location.

Another thing I saw flying through the show was the crown prince of Dubai. By accident I was in the building when the prince and his entourage came in for his private showing. I am captivated by all things beautiful in their variety of form, shape and color. Here is a pic that was quickly taken as my friend and I tried to blend in and act as if we where suppose to be their as we follow along. Trying to blend in as a white blond in Dubai…you will fail epically every time…I did. With in a few minutes the security guard was by my side asking for validation for me being their. Luckily I somehow had a Press Pass. With out a word I showed her my badge, hanging from my neck like an FBI agent, with an apologetic look she backed off. I felt pretty cool.

Another inspiring work at the show was this piece by Ran Hwang. The art is made of  two panels which are stuck with pins. The image is made up of multiple layers of small sequence which are hanging from the head of the tiled inserted pins. Once the viewer stands back can they see the image of the tree. Another inspiring image that was only really appreciated when the viewer looks from a far distance, like so many other things in life, was the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa.

In case you did not know, that is the tallest building in the world, respectfully 829.84 m or for us Americans 2723 ft according to my Google search. As I brought conquering my fears to “new heights,” I gripped the glass walls that supposedly encased me in safety. Sorry to break it to you Tom Cruise but the chance of seeing you up there did not motivate me to make the journey, the view did. As I looked down on the sand covered computer chip board looking terrain I was inspired to think how something could come out of what would appear to be nothing.

Talking about making something out of nothing…this hill side, in the capital is covered in green foliage! Not normal here! According to the story I was told…a leader held a contest to see who could come up with a plant that could survive this harsh land. He envisioned it covering the mountain. This inspired me because they are a people who try to accomplish what others would say is impossible.

The people inspired me. Here are some kind locals I chatted with at a hot spring in the capital’s park.

I was touched by the local women artist. They were brave and honest women who talked about things which really mattered to them in their art. Here is a work about a woman’s feelings of longing and regret for the old days of Dubai before it’s massive change. I want to make art like they do, relevant and true.

This was a lucky moment captured as I was swiftly going down a glass cased elevator. I loved seeing this native couple in their traditional clothing on the shore. It was an affectionate scene that made me believe a little bit more.

Thank you to all the people who I meet on this trip and to all those that helped make it possible. I was touched by the people I became friends with and know that meeting them is what made this adventure meaningful to me. I look forward to going back there…next time showing my work.

Into the Woods

In the year 2009, which now seems so long ago, I had commandeered my mother and taken her to the Met for a day. I don’t quite know the word to explain what the mother daughter relationship is like once you both are adults and have suddenly pasted through the veil to this magical world of being equals and friends.

My mother being behind me in my career path was willing to show it by coming and spending a day engulfed in art, even though her interest and understanding in art are, in terms of Americanized Salsa…mild. We pleasantly viewed the art and on our way out noticed that one could take a elevator to the roof top where more art was on display. Our curiosity raised and we ventured up.

Never in our widest dream could we have fathomed what we would experience (a little bit of a dramatic sentence..I know..but it was true!) Upon existing the elevator we encounter a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel sculpture of a seemingly endless expanding tree. It was a magical moment where the child in me bubbled out as I resumed climbing under and over branches and finding hidden places.

This moment was relived a few weeks ago when a friend was driving me to a horse riding lesson he had giving me as a present. We were driving through the country roads of Wilton CT as I saw it off in the distance on an expansive estate. My friend instead that it was not a sculpture but simply a tree that was painted. That was completely wrong and it would have been a very tacky thing to do in this neighborhood!

Insisting to prove him wrong, after the lesson…my first ridding lesson ever..that says it all on how I did, I made him pull over at the sight. Across the small stream and near a stone wall handsomely stood a metal silver “tree” sculpture..the same type as of the one I had seen on the roof top of the Met. Who knew that I could find world class art right in my own back yard..well…not my back yard! But one day!

The adventure was well worth the potential punishment for trespassing. Here are the images to prove it.

Here I am glowing knowing that I am doing something somewhat “rebellious” in my book, as I trespass in order to relish in art.

To see a cool video of how it was installed on the roof top, follow this address to utube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td_NVTJaah8&feature=player_embedded

To read about another parent and child experience with this art work, read from this sweet blog, http://theunbearablebanishment.blogspot.com/2009/09/daughter-in-maelstrom.html

To read what the Met wrote about this instillation go to, http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2009/roxy-paine

ARMORY SHOW NYC

A couple of weeks ago I was interning at the SCOPE Art Fair during the Armory Week in the city. It is crazy how you never know how one thing could led to another.  Of course I was entering the week with high expectation…that’s how I approach everything and how could you be an artist and not be like that. Little did I know what adventure awaited me!

First let’s talk about the art! The piece that warmed my heart was this little baby! Yes that is a real live (OK not ALIVE but it was at one point) deer. And if you take a close look, it has gold guns as antlers…what type of gun…I am unsure, but I know my father could tell you.

My house has a handful of guns, thus you see bullet casing in my work. My father, whom I seem to talk about a lot, has created his own shooting range in our basement, and to my disadvantage it is close to my studio space. OK funny side note/tangent, I find my self coming home after being away for awhile (you will soon find out from where). My father picks me up from the airport and begins to apologize profusely. I tell him that whatever it is can not be as big as a deal as he is making it. He confesses to have shot through one of my paintings..several times..! I go home and find my father’s eye sight and aim is not as good as it use to be as I detect at least 4 bullets that had ripped through my paint not only as they entered but also exited my painting. Two holes for one shot…not that bad!

This art work makes me think of several other artist that have used real animals as sculptures, from wolves, dogs to pigs..and now I have seen a deer. To name a few artist,  the well known living Damien Hirst, with his “Away From the Flock, Divided” in which he cut a sheep in half. Also American artist Robert Rauschenberg with his sculptural composition in 1959  “Monogram”, were he used a stuffed mountain sheep with a rubber tire wrapped around its torso, standing on a Cubist-style mixed media painting. There is a long list of others but it sufithes to say..this has been done before. My thoughts and interpatation of this work at Scope would be a whole post in itself..so we will leave it at that for now. Your thoughts?…any animal activist out there?

Being a sucker for nontraditional materials and cultural based work, I was also taken in by this sculpture. It is based off Mexican culture in reference to their celebration of the Day of the Dead or El Día de los Muerto. Can you guess what material was used to make this sculpture…? Sugar! That, is, it. Awesome! Celebrating this holiday in Mexico is definitely on my bucket list..a long with running a Marathon! Yikes!

Last but not least was this performance piece. This was the first “professional” performance work I had seen in real life. All others I had been exposed to, were online. The performer was silent but had someone there who I felt acted like his interpreter. You can see her standing off to the side as she explains to viewers the work  in progress. Along side her are framed photographs that document the piece, in some way adding validity.  I loved how simple this was. The young man is taking “I voted” stickers from a roll and applying them on his body, slowly covering his entire surface. As I listened to the woman explain to the camera man the meaning of this work, how it expressed the artist’s frustration with the American people on how they did not understand or take advantage of their power to vote, I could not draw the connection with that explanation and why he was covering his body in these stickers. You have any ideas…? What do you think?

Along with all the art I saw I also ran into a woman that I had briefly met about 5 years ago. As I glamorously walked around the SCOPE Art Fair, informing people about the free app. for the fair, this woman comes up to me and says, “I know you but how?” I knew instantly and whispered it into her ear as I gave her a warm hug and she continued to look at me in bewilderment.

Once the pieces fell into place, a brightness filled her face. We sat down and covered the basics of what had happened in our lives the last 5 years. We made the shocking discovery that we both were in the art world, I create it and she sells and collects it. Finished covering the past, she tells me her current projects and how she will be leaving for Dubai to attend the Art Dubai events. She then lamented about how she had an extra VIP pass to all the events but sadly could not find anyone to go with her this year. A look of pure thrill takes over her face and I can see the wheels turning in her head. “So what did you say you are doing right now..?” she asks with a ting of mischief in her voice. “I am painting and working part time as a designer at an event company,” I answer. “So….you want to get off work and come with me? I can get you a half price ticket, I have a place for you to stay, food and you will get into all the VIP events with me. This will be an investment in your career!

SOLD!

Being a woman who knows how to commit, I said yes that minute. Luckily when I went into work the next day and told my boss, she was willing to help me keep my word. A week later I had bought a ticket and found myself flying across the world to the Middle East, on a total 20 hour flight, to a country that I did not even know the full name of prier. I made this discovery as I called my credit card company informing them not to freeze my card when they saw purchases in Dubai.

“OK Ms. Saunders…let me put that in the system..um Dubai is not coming up. Are you sure you are going to Dubai?” said the young man in the most polite voice he could muster. ” Maybe Dubai is an area or city of the country. You are in a room full of cubicles… right? Can you just put me on hold and ask the guys around you which country Dubai is in?” I tell the young man as I lazily sit in my bed not wanting to get out while trying to pump myself up to face the reality of another day. After 2 minutes of painful music, he gets back on the line and to my amazement, informs me that NO ONE in the room knows! This information causes two contradicting and somewhat hypocritical reactions, One: What type of people/company am I trusting my money with, and Two: well…at least I am not the only one that doesn’t know!

FYI: The country is called The United Arab Emirates or the UAE.

From my adventure in Dubai, I not only learned the full name of the country it belongs to…but so much more! More information to come, “one post at a time.”

Reaching New Heights

Most people would think I have no fear. Yet if you had been there to see me dangling from a ladder installing one of my 6 x 8 Ft painting in a vaulted entry way, you would have seen the fear in my eyes. I believe in conquering your fears..and that is exactly what I was doing as I spent nearly three hours holding with one hand and screwing with an electric screwdriver with the other, while I was about 18 Ft off the ground. Thanks to my dad for the tools and instruction.

I love how this abstract painting oddly fits into this traditional space because of the replication of shapes from the branches outside the window and the gold color of the chandelier matches the colors in the work.

My itsy bitsy bleeding heart

A friend recommend that I have more images of my art work up! So in response to her comment..here are just a few recent works. Yet the problem with making art is that it is NOT like business or accounting or such because in those areas, 2+2 = 4. In art, this equation does not work, 2+2 could equal a big fat zero! You spend countless hours in the studio and at the end of the day you survey what you have done and sadly you have nothing you would feel comfortable showing a living soul, not even your mother who tells you everything you do is great! Then after muddling through all of that and you are about to question if you have a creative/talented bone in your body…something emerges. So here are a few works to show you, that are worth while to broadcast to the world. Enjoy!

This painting is the smallest I have ever made! It is about 10×12 IN. I used my signature foam panel with spray paint. I stole my Father’s chain and old bullet casings for stencils. Emphasizing the 3D aspect of the painting, I worked on the sides of the foam letting them cave in with the paint.

This painting is made on wood panel. The materials are, my favorite spray paint, oil bar, silk-screening paint, and paper (Shooting target). I often find myself perceiving my life as an unfolding story and have phrases come to my mind as I experience things. This painting is titled after such an event. 23 1/2 x 23 1/2 IN.

Title: “The look on my face was extremely telling”

Now I’m off to make some more magic happen.

Answering the question

I probably cleaned it too much. It kind of looked like when a man gets a new hair cut. You know it is suppose to look good but, it just looks too um…. new, even and well..perfect! In a week or so it will be just right.

It was the same with my studio. I wanted to make a good impression, look professional and so on but in reality I shouldn’t have gone this far, yet it was too late. He was coming on the train and if I tried to mess it up now, it would look forced.

I checked my phone and he had text me. “I’m en route. Should be there in about an hour and a half.” We text back and forth some minor details. I discover he needs a coffee when he gets here, there won’t be any of that at my house. If he gets off of Talmage Hill there will be nothing but a lot full of cars and a forest full of bare trees. We agree to meet at the final stop, New Canaan, where a Starbucks graces the town with its presence at the entrance of the station. Once the purchase is made and the small talk has begun we get in my car and make our way to my house.

On our way we drive pass The Glass House by Philip Johnson. I mention it to my passenger and he is unfamiliar with it. I find this funny for a man who is coming to interview me about my art. Without a warning I quickly pull my car over onto the grass along the towering stone wall. I dash out of my car and climb up and pier over the wall. I feel like I just sneaked into a movie theater without buying a ticket. We see a group having a tour inside the house. I look over to my partner in crime and he is causally standing beside me, sipping his coffee, able to see everything from the ground. I did not realize he was so tall! His face does not seem to change and I realize he doesn’t understand the significance of what he sees. The dates and names surrounding this house fail to come to my memory, I tell him to Google it and we get back into the car.

We reach my home, park the car, come into the house and go down stair to my studio slash man cave (well not mine but my father’s).

Then comes a reaction that I have come to expect. My guest enters the basement and like all the others, takes a grand look around, realizes the mere size of the room and then the amount of man’s toys that engulf me in my corner. Among the model airplanes, car parts, car engines hanging from the ceiling, wood working tools, radios, boy scouts equipments, camping gear, furniture and home made shooting rang is my art studio.

Having someone from the “outside world” is always an experience that causes some self reflection and insight. A slew of questions begin to unfold… all about my dad! What is he working on, how does he go about working on so many projects etc…! The funny thing I’ve noticed is that, as I describe my father’s creative habits, I am indeed describing my own. Not only does my father influence my creativity but so does the physical space he shares with me.

Yet I come to understand something new about myself with this guest. The tour of my dad’s toys has ended and we migrate to my work. I pull up cast away chairs from our collection of furniture, he turns on his recorder on his phone and we begin.

As I answer the question of where I went to school, a reaction arises that I have come to anticipate and enjoy. Upon receiving my answer he follows up with asking me if I am  Mormon. This I answer in the affirmative. The next question is the one that caught me off guard. “So does this aspect of your life influence your work?” Without a moment of thought or doubt I answer Yes!…He then returns with saying, “How? Can you explain?” With this question I am unsure of how to respond.  I answer, rambling some general explanation. After all was said and done, photos were taken, hands had been shaken and he was delivered to the train station…a sting of regret blocked my sunshine. Had I explained myself enough?

In an effort to redeem myself and to further my self discovery I answer more fully, how choosing to live my life in accordance with my religious beliefs affects the way in which I make art and is my basis for doing so. The answer begins when I was first deciding to pursue an artistic life.

There are of course moments in all of our lives when we doubt a decision we made, even a good one. I was trying to validate why I was spending so much time, effort and resources on making “stuff,” as some would call it. Was I making the world a better place, was I helping anyone with this “stuff?” The thought occurred to me while in reflection in a religious ceremony that God himself spent 6 days creating the earth. He was taking matter unorganized and creating a world in which we could live. I in essence was doing just that! If He devoted so much time and effort in making universes for us to live in, enjoy and become inspired and in awe over which in turn, causes us to reflect..then why shouldn’t I do the same. What could be a better use of my time, talent and resources.

While I was at Pratt for grad school, I had another experience that answered this question. He was short and had lost most of the hair off the top of his head. By the way he carried himself you could tell he had become weathered down over the years. If you knew him, you would not expect a positive sentence to escape his lips. One day he broke this stigma. We were in my classmates’ studio discussing her work. Some how in the context of the conversation about artist during World War II, this statement was made by my professor. “The act of painting is to have hope.” Coming from this man sitting in a deteriorating sofa that looked like it was consuming him…I knew there was something to it, I knew it was true.

I paint because I hope, I believe. I hope because I believe in something more then me,  that through Him, all things are possible, that with Him I can do hard things. I create because I know the best is yet to be. I know that when the world around you seems like its going up in smoke or you can’t seem to be able to tell what is up or down…that you can take some pigments, paint and paper and make something that makes you believe for at lest one moment..everything will be OK. Some how, by being able to take all these elements and make sense out of them, finding a way to make it all fit, you know the world will be made right.

Check it out

On Artsicle’s Blog they feature each of their artists. In each post they write about their visits to the artist studio. I am their recent post and would love for you to check it out and share it with the world! Please follow the link and enjoy seeing me and my work from another persons’ perspective.

http://www.artsicle.com/blog/sarah-saunders-chance-and-beauty