Art Basel 2009: The Days Before
Art Basel is here again! Last year this was the first major event that was covered by REVMiami.com, so to us here, Art Basel will always coincide with our beginnings.
Steve Imas and I met up Downtown this past Thursday and took a quick trip to two different galleries. The first one was located way up North past Churchill's Pub, on NE 59th Street and 2nd Avenue called Seventh Circuit Studios.
Steve heard that Psychedelic and Tool (the band) cover artist Alex Grey would be part of a show there, and it was something we didn't want to miss out.
The event really centered around the Moksha Family Art Fair, which included Grey, Robert Venosa, Mark Henson, Allyson Grey, Martina Hoffman, Fred Weidmann, and a whole lot more.
According to their website, the Gallery is open from December 3 to the 5, until 6pm, and having special night events after. Saturday being a Multimedia Performance from the Family, which boasts Live Painting, Music, DJs, and Performance Art.
When we got there, they were still setting up and installing art, but nonetheless it was breathtaking.
Moksha Family and Alex Grey in particular are heavily influenced by psychedelics and LSD in particular. I can't imagine what Saturday's event was like, but I'd imagine that if you didn't have any LSD or 'shrooms, you'd probably regret it.
After having our minds blown we visited REV friend and fan favorite Steve Burzynski at the Bakehouse Art Center.
Let me first congratulate Steve for his streamline park bench project that will be featured locally thanks to Public Works projects. These benches are the definition of minimalistism, but the grains and texture of wood and metal gives complexity to the apparently simple pieces.
Walking through the BAC, my mind was blown by the quality of art. Of course, I had to stop at every single Alex Yanes piece. His art is absolutely breathtaking, definitely one of my favorites.
We also stopped by the studio of artist Luis Diaz. A couple of minutes before, I had literally told the two Steve's how much I loved comic inspired art, and Luis Diaz is one great example of it.
Steve (Imas) and I were wide-eyed and in awe as Luis showed us an album of Garbage Pail Kids cards that he designed. Particularly, I love his Pop Surrealistic, comic influence style, reminding me a lot of artists like XNO, Marion Peck, Mark Ryden, and the other great artists of that movement.
After that we got a preview of the BAC's gallery opening for Art Basel, and again, Steve (Imas) and I were floored. Steve even mentioned how much the BAC had grown and how the quality of artists just kept getting better there. Steve (Burzynski) even said that working in the environment was definitely motivating to keep improving his pieces.
Can't wait for the rest of the days to unfold.
LINKS
Seventh Circuit Studios (www.7thcircuit.tv)
Luis Diaz (ldiaz.com)
Steve Burzynski (studiosteveb.com)
Alex Grey (alexgrey.com)
Moksha Family (www.mokshafamily.org)
If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:
- Art Center South Florida: blue.print.for.space
- Ric's adventures in Art Basel - Day 2: Art Basel on Miami Beach (Day) & Wynwood Art District (Night)
- The Bakehouse Art Complex presents: Lucky You! 2 : Thursday, January 28th, 2010
- Ric's adventures in Art Basel - Day 1
- Nature + Nurture = The Art of Steve Burzynski
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