Studio-phoenix blogspot is an art-blog bringing you some of the best in new visual and performing art, music, food, fashion, politics and events in NYC, the Balkans & elsewhere in the world . The main focus is to post articles and cover stories about emerging artists in New York City, with a strong focus on Brooklyn. Please stay with us as we seek to improve, and refine our methods. "Art is the reason, art is the way". Cheers!
The Gallery was full of energy, smiles, and the interaction of people.
Alenka(The Artist) is on the left(I love that hat, so cool. she's amazing & beautiful),
and Sanja(fashion designer, so damn talented and lovely) in white.
Natasha, looking beautiful and stylish.
She is one of the operator's of Gallery MC
Tuesday, June 14th 2011: Before I got to the "City"(upper west-side)light rain had begun to saturate the streets, giving it that romantic sad feeling. The post-work crowd of slightly upset, super happy and apathetic New Yorker's went to and fro, as they usually go. I made my way to 549 west 52nd(Gallery MC)along those familiar wet streets and saw some of the guest's streaming into the lobby. In that retro-cool noir lift, an icon of the city's former glory, I heard the beautiful language of some of these interesting people from Europe. A prelude to the main event. The vertical door's of the lift opened on "Slovenia In Us"(Lipizzaner Horses), a photography exhibit by the wonderful, and charming Alenka Slavinec. Gallery MC was packed like a dazzling night-spot in Ljubljana on a post-work Friday. A beautiful mix of Americans and Europeans of varying degrees. The show "is a tribute to Slovenian independence and freedom through the Lipizzan stallion. The twenty photographs Ms Slavinec has chosen take us on a journey of love, truth, beauty and tradition while representing each year of Slovenian independence". In 1991 Slovenia declared full sovereignty(followed by a ten day war) and today is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, The Schengen Area, NATO, and OECD. Supporting artists for the event included Sanja Velickovic and her fashion designs, "through which we feel the growing pains of Lipizzaner(or Lipizzan). These pieces are made especially for this exhibit and will be displayed among the photographs". Srecko Molk created the frame and Jewelry designs, with music by Zan Tetickovic. The Artwork will be on display until June 25th with a closing event on that date @ 7pm, hosted by Larissa Drekonja. Alenka's photographs are stunning, gentle, and full of love, loss and hardship. They are the embodiment of her country. The haunting images of the Lipizzaner's in the misty forests of Slovenia gives you a romantic, joyful image in which, tragedy's somber grace...may be lurking near. The horse's can be seen as a constant throughout the history of area now known as Slovenia; dating back to the creation of the breed in 1580 by the patronage of Archduke Charles II of the Habsburgs. Despite the first Coalition war, Napoleon(Napoleon I), world war I & II, the Nazi's, the creation of Yugoslavia(Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), and the Communist period, the Lipizzan....is still there. "No matter what the obstacles we face we know that the sun is above the clouds and if we keep on going, we will always reach the sun"(Alenka Slavinec). If you would like to know more about Alenka Slavinec, The Lipizzan or Slovenia:www.alenkaslavinec.comwww.wikipedia.org/wiki/lipizzanwww.wikipedia.org/wiki/slovenia
Article, vid-clips, and photos(Canon IXY[digital]&Canon EOS[film]): K.K.W. "Art is the reason, Art is the way"
I grew up in the Ditmas park area where "Rowan" was playing on June 9th, @ Sycamore bar/flower shop(1116 Courtelyou Rd, Bklyn N.Y:). I suppose like many others I never thought events like this would be happening now. The old neighborhood has changed and is still slowly changing. Rowan is a solo act by Shelley Burgon(Family Dynamics, see April posts)that's highly inventive and tech-deep(mode/method of delivery)in its sound and emotional content. Rowan's power is that the music is rooted in the classical yet delivered through digital tech(The past meeting the future?). The sound is deeply personal carrying with it something of the feelings and inner thoughts of miss Burgon, which may or may not resonate with others. The music, or rather sounds, speak without words through the abstract digital-passion of the one who created it. Shelley's electronic project(Rowan) was started a year ago using primarily a Mac laptop and a key-board. When you listen to sounds of tracks you'll hear samples of a harp, which she does play, giving the whole a slight classical feel. The two tracks she played that night were composed two months ago and two days ago prior to the show. Miss Burgon was unavailable for comment but is interested in an interview. Much like other new ventures in the area of musical creativity, the beginning is very interesting, but its the journey thats the point. Looking forward to where it will take you. Shelley Burgon has the skillz and the passion, and I'm very interested to see where Rowan will take it. Article, photos & vid-clip by K.K.W. "Art is the reason, Art is the way".
Gorazd & Natasha(right w/vest) owners & operators
of Gallery MC(Macedoina).
One of Nora Halimi's transcribed poetry text.
"I find in calligraphy the energy and rhythm which bring
my compositions to life". Nora Halimi
One of Edin Kurtishi's Mono-type's. "His work
strives to relay the atmosphere and emotion of
the landscape through his personal experience"
On 52nd st between 10th&11th ave(west-side)@ 549 you'll find Gallery MC, run by Gorazd & Natasha of Macedonia. 8 floors up on a large spacious lift thats perfect for some cool noir movie. The vertical doors opened up that Sunday evening of June 6th, to a showing of Artwork(Ink Poetry & Heavy Skies) by two young talented, engaging artists.
Natasha(in the vest)speaking to Zvonko Mucunski
Consulate general of Macedonia.
Nora Halimi
Natasha speaking to Ana Piponska
Edin Kurtishi(middle) speaking with a guest and
Zvonko Mucunski(consulate general of Macedonia)
Nora Halimi and Edin Kurtishi are two artists who, by the nature of their work, have a deep respect for elements of the past, without losing step with the present. 'Black ink and white paper are the basics of expression. Calligraphy is certainly the starting point for my work, however, love for literature has played a crucial role in choosing and exploring the cohesion between calligraphy and poetry. The work investigates the implications of embedding poetry within paper to give the "narrative" a material presence'. Halimi's work(Ink Poetry) is stunning to behold in its skill and dedication. The look of the paper(the method of writing for thousands of years)is striking when you think of the fact that almost no one uses paper like this anymore. The style of the ink she applies is almost to graceful for words, evoking memories of every beautiful book or page of similar writing I've ever seen. Myself being a visual artist, lover of words and writing, I find her work deeply moving in a mental and physical way. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/calligraphy . 'Edin Kurtishi's work(Heavy Skies) strives to relay the atmosphere and emotion of the landscape through his personal experience. It contains the idea of the sublime and those immediate feelings of drama in a continuously changing landscape, which he feels are inexplicable through words and phrases, therefore it drives him to explore and express these emotions through the media of monotype. In Kurtishi's work the sky is a graphic environment and the birds become a metaphoric entity. His work brings you into a world of representative drama. The lines, colors, birds, and strange patterns(intentional & unintentional)come together to represent his emotions in the drama, that is his "monotype's". www.wikipedia.org/wiki/monotypeIf you would like to know more:www.gallerymc.orgArticle and Photos by K.K.W "Art is the reason, Art is the way"
