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Art inspired by fellow artists & friends in Skopje
In The Shadow Of The Young Ones
/ (Vo Senkata Na Mladite)
A joint venture between one visual artist in New York, 1 in Bucharest, & 3 in Skopje.
Kerwin Williamson (NYC - project leader & curator), Ana Lazarevska (Skopje), Meglena Visinska (Skopje), Cinty Ionescu (Bucharest),& Matej Bogdanovski (Skopje).
The theme of our exhibition is Exploring the changing architecture of New York city, Bucharest and Skopje Macedonia. New architecture taking over the landscape, young vs old, a battle of style, thought, and city planning. The disturbances
these "young ones" cause within the minds of people, fans and critics is amazing. All three cities architecture has changed considerably in the last 10 years and will continue to change, but the question is how has, and how will those changes affect the people who live within these cities. As many of these buildings, and or structures are taller then others, or frankly more important, they often cast their shadow (literally & figuratively) over the older buildings, hence the name of the exhibition. But more than this its a way of looking at them. Although each city is unique to itself and in some ways extremely different, they all share this same aspect, albeit visually expressed in their own way.
"We 2 are 1". Self portrait by K.K.W (NYC) Digital photography / graphic art.
Ana Lazarevska (Skopje): Videography
Playing with different forms, mediums of expression and space.
Trying to fit the time and emotions into a form of art work.
In short, those are my interests in art. While creating artwork I do not set bounds to the mediums of expression, so that is why I have lots of creation on different materials, collages, all combined in space with light- installation, paintings, photography and videography. Choosing a theme of interest for me is almost always related to my experience and emotions. That’s how I chose to make an video titled as "Tourist Guide" dedicated to my city, Skopje. In the past few years there have been a lot changes in the city. I often remember how it use to be and how is now, and I am always coming to the conclusion that there are new places for new memories. I wanted to express the transition from old to new and from harmony to chaos, than backward. This is what drew me to the project "In the shadow of the young ones", the idea of visually exploring the current and continuing changes in Skopje and New York City. While our cities visually change, we notice but very quickly go past that and become numb once more, unable to see. The two are interconnected (the people & the city) through these changes, and so the one without the other is pointless. In the end , with this art work, I am rising the question, where is all these changes leading us? (Ana Lazarevska)
In a way photography is like exploration- visual, mental, and emotional.
And when it comes to a city, a person, moments within a place, its all the same. When you explore, its the journey and the subject (object or reason) that leads you towards understanding yourself, as much as the subject. With this project, "In The Shadow Of The Young Ones", it is very much so, both for the artists involved and those who will view their work. The architecture and monuments of any city is half of its charm, life, and what makes it unique. The people of the city, their reaction(s) to the architecture and monuments are the other side of that coin. The people are the creators and or inhabitants of the city and its structures, moving through and about them like blood cells move through our veins. The one without the other is pointless and more importantly, cannot be. Finding common ground, similarities, exchanging ideas while bringing attention to the disappearing parts of our cities due to change, is the goal of the project. Helping others to appreciate the geometric simplicity, the pattern of lines that alters the skyline, creating shapes in conjunction with the other buildings and structures. The reflective/gleaming quality that alters the urban landscape producing a powerful visual, which is a beaming reminder of urban change. To find some beauty, if any, in the juxtaposition of the "young ones" to their elders and the use of public space is what the project is about. (K.K.W)
Image #1 "The machine & its creation"
What I wanted was to engage the viewer with exciting visuals of "Modern" architecture in their city, and show through other artists in distant cities, the same if not similar thing.
We begin, with my images, in Brooklyn which is so much more then Manhattan in its own way.
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Next, a few examples of urban change in Bushwick Sector. In some ways it still looks and seems unchanged,
however slowly it is becoming more like Park Slope Sector.
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"Dumbo sector" - living proof that artists, in a way, help to increase urban change. If it were not for all the visual artists, musicians, etc who flocked there the area would not be what it is now (expensive, posh, with many new luxury buildings). This is why they have a hand in causing gentrification in the 20th & 21st century.
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Image #11. Try to look at the image in a sense of linear pattern. The bridge leading to the building, the overpass to the left creating a slight triangular shape in the middle.
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Image #13 Barclays Center, while still under construction.
Image #13 Barclays Center, while still under construction.
From here we cross the great bridge (Brooklyn Bridge),
into the heart of the city - Manhattan.
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Image #36 "Look up"
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Image #43 "Sic Luceat Lux"
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Image #55 At first I didn't like this image when I looked @ it on a large screen, but then I realize its the past (stone, brick, texture), and the future/past (glass & steel - which was being used as far back as 1925).
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Image #61 If your a real New Yorker or have been here before, you should be able to tell where this is.
Image #62 This is a new swank apartment building near Gallery MC (Macedonian gallery in NYC). I watched it rise form its foundations. "Stairway to heaven" ?
Image #63 The building on the right is one of my favorites, especially the top. A great example of architecture in NYC.
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C.I image #21(composite image- 2-3 images spliced together). The large face is of a Buddhist statue, which I think is a visual aspect of the religious insanity people place on property & where they live. The others are a student on the left, & 2 policemen on motorcycles.
C.I image #4 Original images by Matej Bogdanovski. "Pale rider - his name is death"
C.I image #1 With violinist Miranda Cuckson. The idea was someone playing a requiem for the old buildings being replaced.
C.I image #23 "Skopje in abstract" Original photos by Meglena Visnska.
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C.I image#27 with Acacia & Sunja
C.I image #9 With this one I used the face of a stone carving on a building in Harlem (an area in Manhattan), as it represents a major aspect of architecture of the past (ornamentation on buildings). Her face is almost engulfed by the glass of "Modern" architecture.
C.I image #34 Original images by K.K.W & Matej Bogdanovski. With violinist Miranda Cuckson.
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C.I image # 62 This I think is one of the best. I have to thank my fellow artists I'm working with & many other artists in Skopje for the inspiration.
C.I image #57 "The angel of death" Sic Luceat Lux (thus let the light shine). In death as in rebirth
C.I image #55 This one is a splice of an image from a cemetery, and plate of glass on a "Modern " building.
C.I image #40 "Requiem for Skopje #2". Original photos by K.K.W & Meglena Visinska. With violinist Miranda Cuckson.
C.I image #61"Requiem for Bklyn" : With cellist Valerie Kuehne
Meglena Visinska (Skopje) Digital photography & graphic manipulation. Image courtesy of the artist.
Each person has a different way of expressing his or her feelings....I find mine in photography and graphic manipulation (design) in Adobe Photoshop. It helps me bring out the key points of my inner revolt and express the emotions I feel toward the subject. The artworks I have created for this exhibition is inspired from the everyday situations that I face while living in this country of so-called tradition. Honestly, I do not know much about politics, but I know that every human being wants to be surrounded by beauty, warmth and love. This project, "In The Shadow Of The Young Ones", is a topic that deeply touches my soul; I feel over-burdened from my city Skopje.....a city that once was the love of my life...now has turned into chaos...
like a pile of things thrown on top of each other. Beautiful buildings...pure artwork from every point of view, so much detail, so much exclusiveness, so trendy...and yet they all lack something. Something I truly hope to discover from this project.
(Meglena Visinska)
C.I image #30 "Skopje splice". Original images by & courtesy of Meglena Visinska, digital augmentation by K.K.W
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Matej Bogdanovski (Skopje). Digital photography & graphic manipulation.
The cycle "Uber Skulpturalles" came about as a response to an invitation from the young artist from New York, Kerwin K Williamson, and his concept for the exhibition "IN THE SHADOW OF THE YOUNG ONES".
The main idea of the exhibition is to depict the urbanistic changes that happens in two different cities, New York and Skopje, through visual and creative ways. These two cities are different by many things, but also with certain similarities. Something that provokes us as artists are the new buildings, objects, esthetics and a new view that comes out of it all. The young buildings and monuments that cast their shadow on their neighbors, the old ones. Uber Skulpturalles is inspired by the pretentious construction efforts initiated by the Government of Macedonia who endeavor to make our capital Skopje, look more attractive and give it an image of a "true European metropolis". And at the same time leave a strong mark about "our identity". The aim is to achieve this through constructing buildings with an abundance of antique elements (pillars and colonnades), baroque facades and placement of monumental sculptures of "significant people from our history", even a triumphal arch.
And all this will be built at and around the main city square called Macedonia. I particularly used the sculptures as a main theme in these photos. In these seven digitally edited photos I deliberately made the objects dimensions several times bigger. In this way they dominate the surrounding environment, whereas the people are made smaller. With this I wanted to express my personal feeling of discomfort whenever I pass by these 'young ones' dominating the area, contaminating the space with its over-decoration and kitsch. (Matej Bogdanovski)
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Image #2 The image preceding this one is the surface of the building on the right, & what it reflects.
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Cinty Ionescu (Bucharest): Videography / digital photography. Original image of Cinty courtesy of the artist, digital augmentation by K.K.W
Transcending intersections is the main goal of living in urban spaces. Blurry lines is what you see when you travel at the speed of sounds & lights of the cities we love. Each point of view gets interconnected to familiar spaces when trying to understand what urban spaces are. With this video I managed to superimpose various cities in Romania, retaining their particularities, while emphasizing their universality. These cities are full of cables, which are metaphors for the bonds between us as spectators and citizens, cables that interconnect us while as well confuse us. Working with many layers was a daunting but necessary task in order to understand each of them and my own (layered and troubled) relationship to them. I therefore am obscured by the intersection and it's a powerful experience of everyday life in the Romanian urban space.
I rather feel traumatized and alienated by the urban space in romania, especially bucharest, and my belief is that living, seeing and experimenting everyday with and in an ugly and chaotic space we are marked forever in a very powerful way. (Cinty Ionescu)
I (K.K.W) had asked Cinty to take some quick, basic shots of Bucharest so those who have never been there would see images of the city, and some of their modern architecture, alongside the older buildings. I did some basic editing of the photos.
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Obscured (by the) Sun - a video by Cinty Ionescu
Music and additional footage - Miron Ghiu.
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Urban development is a part of life in all cities, though is overdevelopment, under-development, piss-poor development, and gentrification a reality we have to deal with? It is the hope of those involved with this project and rooting for it, that there be a great cultural exchange of ideas regarding this matter, East meets West. And while the West is considered the greater of the two, in many respects, hopefully so much of the best of what we are will have a positive impact on our friends in the East of Europe.
