Spain- Art, Food, and People- Part 2

  There's something about Spain, well actually lots of things about

  Spain, that make it irresistible to me.  This was my third trip there in the

  the last nine years.  I was gone for twelve days but could have easily stayed

  another twelve if I had the time.

 Three years ago I visited Madrid, Granada, and Sevilla.  This year, my trip was again
 to Madrid (how could I go to Spain and not re-visit the Prado?!) then on to Barcelona and Valencia.

 There are three basic things that make Spain great - the art, the food, and the

 people. In Madrid alone there are three major world class museums, the Prado,

 the Thyssen, and the Sofia Reina. The Prado by itself, containing El Greco, Velasquez,

 Reubens, Goya and more, is amazing. In the other two museums there are even
more masterpieces to be found, including Picasso's Guernica at the Sofia Reina.

Picasso-Guernica, Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

Goya, Prado, Madrid

Reubens, Prado, Madrid

Barcelona has Gaudi, the Picasso and Miro museums, and more.  Valencia is smaller,

and I was unfortunately only there two days, but there is a lot to explore. On top of

Spain's legendary art museums, there is a multitude of wonderful art galleries, which I will cover in a future blog.

Food. Generally I appreciate fine food but never think about it much, although I remember

from my previous trip that almost anywhere we went, whether it was a local small place or

a fancy restaurant, everything was great. This time around, I was even more impressed.
Seasoned traveler and food critic, Anthony Bourdain, has raved about the food there and
once said that the best young chefs in the world are in Spain.

 

 

My girlfriend and I ate in the wonderful markets, or mercados, as well as small "local" restaurants, hip to traditional tapas places, top notch restaurants, and even a newer "cool" pizza restaurant "la mucca".

In the end, we had a large range of foodie experiences and just about everything was fantastic.

 

Lastly, the people. Madrid and Barcelona, the two biggest cities, can be a lot of hustle and bustle, but

I still remember nine years ago, when I could barely speak a word of Spanish, we were going out

to dinner in Madrid and got completely lost. I stopped an older man in the street to ask him for

help. All I could do was point to an address and gesture that we didn't know where we were.

He ended up walking with us, a mile out of his way, right to the front door of the place.  Is everyone

like that? Probably not... but I have a feeling the generally warm and friendly Spanish disposition has something to do with constantly being surrounded by beautiful art and delicious food...and I supposed the traditional mid-day siestas don't hurt either.

Flamenco Dancer

So if you ever have a chance to get out to Madrid or any of the places mentioned above, definitely take advantage of that opportunity! More to come soon about the galleries we visited in Part Three...stay tuned!

-Darryll

Sarah Lukes- Artist of the Month- June

From the series, "Head Case".

Sarah Lukes is a photographer and collage artist from California and our pick for this month's featured artist. Her website, Beautiful Yourself, is loaded with all kinds of unique creations, threaded together with the ribbon that is Sarah's personal style. It is a style that is playful, cosmic and, with the combination of vintage imagery and modern adornments, timeless.

From the series, "Up Above the World So High".

Sarah mixes seemingly random elements together to create something unexpected, yet in the end the composition is whole and complete. She has an eye for textures and details, which she delicately pieces together in a manner that is often imperfectly perfect. Sometimes, it's the imperfections that really make the art. This is a strategy that Darryll uses in his photos while viewing the images on the computer. He will leave alone the bits that maybe any other artist would Photoshop out of their photo. I think these kind of decisions that Sarah and Darryll are making with their art has really helped to distinguish themselves from other artists perhaps doing similar work.

From the series, "Up Above the World So High".

 In a lot of the images, we see a strip of text, balancing out the entire composition. This gives each piece a touch of a meaning, yet still leaving a bit of intrigue, not giving her vision away all at once. The viewer is free to interpret and contemplate.

From the series, "Plastered Polaroids".

We get to see a piece of Sarah in each of her works of art but are left wanting more. It's this kind of subtle mystery, combined with her distinctive style, that helps to define Sarah Lukes as an artist and allows her to project her own brand of art into the universe.

Feast your eyes on loads more work at Sarah's website and enjoy!

Also, be sure to stay tuned for a future blog covering Darryll's trip to Spain!

- Chelsea

Back to Spain- Part 1

España - El Primero - Darryll Schiff

         Nine years ago, I ventured out to Spain to do some soul-searching and art-admiring. During my trip, I started taking pictures on the street that brought me back to my fine art origins and veered me away from my recent commercial photography projects. I was exploring a new style which led to a new way of approaching the camera as a tool. The result was a new and exciting path for me. Because of this, I consider Barcelona and Madrid to be the catalyst to my fine art career.

España - Darryll Schiff

I don't tend to listen to music while I shoot, but looking back at this set of photos from my last Spain trip, it seems as though Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain would have made the perfect soundtrack at the time.

Sueños de España - Darryll Schiff

 My style has definitely developed since then, and will no doubt continue to evolve, but I'm excited to see what happens in the next couple weeks when I return to my "artistic roots". I will soon be back in Madrid and Barcelona, talking to galleries, visiting museums, and of course, taking more pictures.

Barcelona - Darryll Schiff

        Stay tuned for part two, where I will keep you updated with my trip. Be sure to follow me on Twitter to see what pictures I'm taking in real time @DSchiffArt !
-Darryll

Monthly Round Up- June

Here's this month's list-o-links that I found to be particularly interesting. Please enjoy!


Incredible macro photography of the hidden world around us, brought to you by photographer Miki Asai.

Miki Asai

Thrift store paintings are given a comical twist when artist Thyrza Segal gets her hands on them.

Thyrza Segal

See how the meatpacking district in New York has cleaned up its act over the past 30 years in these before and after images by photographer, Brian Rose.

I can't stop looking at these highly saturated, bold, and playful images by photographer Maurizio Di Iorio.

Maurizio Di Iorio

Comic book legend, Lynda Barry, sits down with ArtNews to reveal how she keeps a smile on her face while pushing all the boundaries, how a non-artist can be an artist, and more.


-Chelsea

Ellen Jantzen- Artist of the Month- May

This month we have selected a photographer by the name of Ellen Jantzen. When looking at her website, it's clear that she has a deep connection with nature. Nature is raw, it is our home and our sanctuary, so we as humans are drawn to it. However, these are not your average landscape photographs, there is something much deeper here than a simple appreciation for nature.

Whetting the Waters - Ellen Jantzen

Her most recent series, Disturbing the Spirits, feels like a dream...one where your mind lands you in the middle of some remote, natural territory and no matter how hard you try to blink your surroundings into clarity, there's still bits that are in flux.

Alameda- Ellen Jantzen

This work feels melancholy and bittersweet, as if someone or something you love is fading away right in front of you and you become lost. Ellen achieves these complex emotions through her thoughtful and deliberate photo manipulation.

Promise of Spring - Ellen Jantzen

I have heard Darryll mention many times that when he manipulates the camera while taking photos there isn't a single movement that is arbitrary. It is clear to me that Ellen is making the same kind of choices, in order to get the final image to really say what she wants it to. Each picture feels like it has a different message, yet speaks to her bigger message in some way. Read part of her statement below:

"In 'Disturbing the Spirits' I am using imagery to convey my feelings about the state of nature, the nature of trees, and how to express their connection to past, present and future. By obscuring a portion of the image through a veil, I strive to heighten the remaining reality through discovery and reflection."

Threshold- Ellen Jantzen

Ellen takes in her surroundings, captures them, and injects her unique vision into them. It is this kind of delicate process that allows an artist to not only define their work, but also themselves.

Please be sure to check out the rest of Ellen's work on her website: www.ellenjantzen.com
Her work can be found at these galleries currently representing her:

The Susan Spiritus Gallery in Newport Beach CA: http://susanspiritusgallery.com/

The Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis MO: http://www.brunodavidgallery.com

-Chelsea

Artnois Magazine Featuring Darryll Schiff

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some exciting news with you!

Issue #10 of art and music e-magazine, Artnois, is out and I am one of the six featured artists. Artnois is a budding, yet prominent, online magazine that seeks out today's rising artists coming out of L.A. and beyond, and I'm honored to be part of their selection.

They gave me a 6-page spread filled with select pieces of mine and an interview that
covers everything from my artistic process to the music I'm listening to today.

Sneak peek of my feature. 

You can find my interview in the reader above from pages 24-29, or hop to this link to go straight to my feature.

This was a fun process for me to be involved in and I hope you enjoy the results.

-Darryll

Monthly Round-Up - May

Hi all,

I hope you enjoy this collection of links I've gathered over the last month!


- A precious view into the teeny tiny world of snails using macro photography.

- Who knew crumpled up garbage bags could look like mountain ranges, glaciers, and caverns? Artist Vilde J. Rolfsen did, that's who.

Vilde J. Rolfsen

- Learn to appreciate just how alive coral reefs are as they bloom to life in this slightly unsettling yet beautiful time-lapse video.

Daniel Stoupin

- An advertising agency hired photographer Nick Meek to capture images of 8 million flower petals sprayed across Costa Rica and the results are surreal.

Nick Meek

- These illustrations of NYC bikers are right on, especially since they perfectly apply to Chicago bikers as well!

Kurt McRobert

-Chelsea

Shae DeTar- Artist of the Month- April

This month I want to focus on the photography of Shae DeTar, specifically her painted photography. This series is just as it sounds, photography that has been painted on. I feel like many have attempted this with varying results, but the result of Shae's blending of these two mediums is original, seamless, and exquisite.

Shae DeTar

What Ms. DeTar has done with the application of paint on the images creates a product that appears to be timeless. So timeless, in fact, that the result is reminiscent of a time before color photography was even an option and people just colorized their black and white photographs after developing them. Shae uses a watercolor-like wash in most of the images but with that there are pops of more deliberate shapes and vivid colors.

Shae DeTar

The above image is one that stands out in my mind when I think about this series. This is because I'm reminded of a short video I saw once upon a time while researching early film experiments. In 1900, the Lumiere Brothers produced The Serpentine Dance, which is a hand-colored film of dancers who use the dresses they're wearing as tools to create the illusion of dancing butterflies. It's a mesmerizing video to begin with, because of the dancers' fluid movements, but with the evolving color added in post it becomes quite hypnotic. In this particular photograph, Shae's use of a muted color palette and the brushstrokes around the figures "wings" gives a sense of movement, allowing me to visualize the model dancing around like the Serpentine Ladies.

 

Shae DeTar

Shae DeTar

I find Shae's painted photographs to be inspiring and multifaceted. They appear to be very well thought out, from head to toe, from pre-production to post-production. This is something that Darryll especially appreciates because he knows how much time and effort it takes to see your vision through to the end. It's a way of thinking and creating that is deliberate and thorough. Beyond this, Shae is merging paint with photography, fashion with nature, and the past with the present. Her success in tying all these elements together is why we think she is defining art.
 

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out more of Shae's work at www.shaedetar.com

-Chelsea

Monthly Roundup of Links- April

Because we've been so busy at the studio lately, our weekly round-ups will now be monthly.  This month in the world of art and design, I bring to you these little nuggets of interest:

Charles Emerson's photos of flowers underwater are striking and fresh.

This 360˚ panoramic GoPro video is unreal and extremely innovative.

Jonas Ginter

Finding Vivian Maier is a documentary film that uncovers the truth about a mysterious nanny who, unbeknownst to everyone around her, captured beautiful street images her whole life, only to be discovered after her death.

These photos aren't totally a new concept but these are by far the best execution I've seen of re-creating classical paintings in photography.

Bill Gekas

Bing Wright's mesmerizing photos of sunsets projected on a broken mirror is like a beautiful watercolor, interrupted by dark chaos.

There's something so aggravatingly beautiful about a simple+clean design...for example, these counter weighted candle holders.

twocreate.co.uk

So that is what tickled me this month! See you next time.

Kyle Thompson- Artist of the Month - March

After delving into the work of Chicago-born photographer Kyle Thompson (our March Artist of the Month), I've identified three main themes that are delicately strung throughout his imagery. Isolation, hope, and serenity. Some images feature only one of these themes, some images nail all three, but any given image of his is able to stand alone and still be powerful.

This particular image catches my eye, for obvious reasons, but reading further into it, it displays one of those main themes I mentioned, which is Hope:

Carcass (2012)

The hands are reaching up towards something but they are more welcoming than strained. In other images we see a light in the distance, signifying some kind of salvation or clarity.

It may not be obvious at first, but when I look at the next image, I find it delivers a strong sense of Serenity:

Untitled (2012)

The Isolated figure is shrouded and appears to be helplessly hanging high above ground but certain clues tell me that the figure is perhaps not hanging, but jumping/levitating. His toes are pointed, his spine is curved forward, his arms are relaxed, and the fabric is not taut. The idea that he might actually be in control of this situation, along with the billowing white fabric and blue/green hued background, is definitely giving me a sense of Serenity.

Here is an image that displays the final of the main themes I've translated from the body of Kyle's work…Isolation:

Untitled (2013)

She appears to be stranded, which I take from her lack of belongings (even lack of shoes). But there's that Hope in the distance, in the form of a foggy, shadowy building that almost looks like a castle. And just round it off, there's also a sense of Serenity with the calm beach, muted color scheme, and the relaxed stance of the figure. An image that captures all three themes.

I believe this "theme threading", let's call it, is such an important thing to deliver as an artist because once you have successfully created your own brand, or "look", people will be able to recognize your work immediately, even if they have never seen that particular piece before. It is something that Darryll has established in his career, with the common thread being society+technology and its effects on our perception. I believe Kyle Thompson has achieved this as well and is giving us another way to define art.

Descending to Heaven Photo Book

Recently, we've been very busy at the DSFA studio with Darryll's newest series, Descending to Heaven. One of our tasks was to publish a large-format (in true Darryll Schiff form) photo book with select images from the series. We finally have a finished book and are ready to share it with the world.

 It is a 42-page, 12"x12", lay-flat, full-color, and might I say, gorgeous book. As well as pictures, we have included two pages filled with kind, creative, and generous words about the series from noted art critic, Michael Zehn.

"The Parade Commences"

"Optimism"

Creating a series-specific photo book is something we've done with a past series of Darryll's, El Lago, and will continue to do for future series. Books like these are important to the series as a whole for many reasons. Of course, it is a great way to promote the series. The actual prints are so large and it helps for potential buyers to see them smaller and closer together to get a better sense of the flow of the series. (see actual scale below).

Chelsea with a proof from the series. 

The book is also meant to be a limited-edition collectible to represent the series or to accompany a purchased Descending to Heaven print. Additionally, we carefully mapped out the flow of the series in this book and therefore, it serves as a great reference for us at the studio when putting together a show.

The index section of the book.

This book is truly one of a kind in the world of traditional photo books and printed at the highest quality, which is very representative of Darryll's work as a whole. To learn more about these limited-edition books, of which we only have a handful left, please e-mail me at chelsea@schiff-art.com.

Weekly Round-up of Links- 3/3/14

Here's a small set of links to preoccupy your mind and spark your creativity!


Here is an insightful guide to follow when designing logos/brands, or anytime you find yourself using color!

If you're in the Chicago area, go see the Edward Gorey exhibit at LUMA. Angela, the docent, will spill all the strange and surprising details about this man's life and work and it is truly enthralling.

"B is for Basil" - Edward Gorey

Anila Quayyum Agha has created an intricate cube lamp that casts its design on the walls surrounding it. This shadow and light art installation is becoming more and more popular it seems and will probably (hopefully!) soon leak into the interior design world.

Photo Cred: https://anilaagha.see.me/yearinreview2013

This little book by about creating and sharing your work is simple and so, so logical. Sometimes we just need people like Austin Kleon to break it down for us!

LACMA has started a live read series where notable actors/actresses gather to do an unrehearsed table read of a classic movie script of Jason Reitman's choosing. The last script was Pulp Fiction featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan (!!).

Artist of the Month- January/February- Alex McLeod

Because it is now February and we missed January's artist of the month due to Photo L.A. madness, I wanted to change gears and bring something really different under our spotlight to start off the new year. This artist is doing something so unique and fascinating, I find it hard to put into words how it makes me feel. This artist belongs in their own category of art-making; he is BOLDLY defining art and that is why I present to you, Alex McLeod.

Alex McLeod

When I first saw these images, I envisioned the artist meticulously creating miniatures and then placing each detail by hand into a 3D landscape and then photographing the finished product under the appropriate lighting. All of this is true, but what makes this exceptionally intriguing is that it is all done within the computer. There is no photography involved. These are fully digitally rendered images that McLeod is creating.

Immediately, my mind begins to journey through the landscapes and drink them up. They are so lush, elaborate, and inviting. Something I noticed shortly after is that there aren't characters in these images. This lack of people or animals becomes eerie, a feeling which is enhanced by the fact that these are such joyful and fantastical environments. So where are all the people?

Alex McLeod

This question allows me to begin to picture the kind of wacky characters that would exist in these environments and the kind of stories they would tell. They have a similar effect of matte paintings, that were once used in film making to provide an environment that, pre-3D rendering technology, would have been very difficult to build by hand. Now, they are done digitally and generally used for the same purpose, or for pre-visualization in movies, video games, etc.

Digital matte painting

I also begin to think of the I Spy books I read as a kid. Within the books, each page opened up to a new landscape, filled to the brim with objects you were meant to search for and identify. Again, when these books were first made, they weren't using 3D modeling software. They were building miniature sets, the way I originally thought McLeod was creating his images. 

Walter Wick creating a miniature set for an I Spy book.

This is so impressive to me because beyond the fact that McLeod is imagining up these whimsical, colorful spaces that I have never seen the likes of, he is rendering them in such a way that allows us to believe that these "sets" physically exist behind a camera somewhere.

Alex McLeod

In McLeod's art, all is not really what it appears to be. His technique is complicated, I'm sure, and something that no other artist will likely be able to imitate. In a way, Darryll has a similar approach to his art. He's making images that one may look at and try to identify the technique. In the end, what he's doing is a lot more complicated than meets the eye. I think Alex McLeod is able to say the same thing. In this way, he's blazing a trail and defining his own brand of art.


To see more of Alex's work, please visit his website here.


-Chelsea