creative

Tiffany Ownbey’s sculptures feel alive. While whimsical and surreal in appearance, each piece is imbued with genuine emotion, ranging from bliss to anger, hopelessness to happiness. Many of her creatures seem to simultaneously exude contradictory characteristics—playful and menacing, desperate and satisfied, silly and serious, contemplative and spontaneous, disconcerting and lovely—that make them all the more lifelike. Gather enough of them together, and the collection suggests what a casting call for a phantasmagorical movie created by a mystical Burton-Gaiman-Dali collaboration might look like: teacup army, zippered horses, a timely woman, clown, keeper and eater, baby maker and American daughter, horse dog with rider, righteous bunnyman, mobile home, and a gang of others ready to play their roles in some sublimely bizarre narrative.

The North Carolina-based artist studied ceramics and printmaking at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Western Carolina University and Penland School of Crafts because papier-mâché—her first love—was not offered. Thankfully for us, her passion for papier-mâché, which began as a young child making piggy banks for gifts, never subsided, intensifying instead. Ownbey employs traditional papier-mâché techniques but uses vintage sewing patterns (rather than newspapers), books and found objects; she layers colored papers using a collage approach to add vibrant hues to her figures. Despite the ubiquity of recycled art these days, Ownbey manages to avoid stale and clichéd uses of found objects, implementing and upcycling a variety of otherwise discarded items—from old toys and various doll parts to vintage suitcases, clocks, phones, and all kinds of other flea market finds—in fresh and subtle ways.

Ownbey, who has exhibited her work at art festivals and galleries throughout the United States and as far as Japan, has transformed common craft into high art without sacrificing its approachability or humor. While each of her creations could be considered a signature piece, two seem especially suited to represent her distinct style and the broad scope of emotions and experiences that inform and inspire her work. First, “Due to Fall” (at left)—inspired by a poem by the inimitable Dorothy Parker titled “Symptom Recital” and created during a particularly hopeful period in the artist’s love life—is part of a series of pieces that incorporates vintage cases (from violin cases to suitcases) as framing devices. “Serial Lover” (see below), which Ownbey completed in May after two months of allowing the idea to evolve and working to get certain elements just right, epitomizes quintessential Ownbey: dark, mysterious, wry and powerful. Like great poetry, her work expresses poignant messages and intense statements while maintaining a healthy dose of ambiguity, allowing us to form our own interpretations and create our own connections.

A Conversation With John Trigonis, Sharing His View
of the World on the Page and the Screen

As a poet, John Trigonis sprinkles words on the page that produce a sensory response from anyone lucky enough to read them—in a chapbook, on a Web site, in a literary magazine. Though still mysterious and provocative, his poems are filmic scenes from some bigger, larger life. Confessional and observational, his narrators share what they see and how they see it. Like all poetry worth reading, an honesty is palpable, and without knowing it we’re swept up in some kind of quest to discover, or uncover, some kind of truth. His work has been widely published in the U.S. and U.K., and Trigonis has also published six chapbooks of his poetry.

As a filmmaker, John Trigonis creates poetry in motion. Even when quirky and off-beat, his short films seem to naturally explore some facet of the human condition, searching with stories and characters for some kind of light. Trigonis, 32, wrote his first screenplay—a feature-length film—back in 2001, which led to writing and directing five more films (as well as directing another two). His credits also include work as actor, cinematographer, and producer, along with directing and acting for the stage.

And we, readers and viewers, benefit from the fact that the poet and filmmaker are one, both of those divergent creative crafts influencing each other in subtle ways. So whether with a collection of poems or a short film, Trigonis will make you think and feel.

Trigonis, a “freelance” professor at universities throughout New Jersey, epitomizes the indie spirit of 21st century and exemplifies the DIY movement, embracing the possibilities afforded artists during this era of social media and affordable technology. He’s even pursued a fairly revolutionary method of funding his latest project. In addition to using his own money, Trigonis turned to IndieGoGo, pitching fans and complete strangers on the incentives of funding the film (perhaps a producer credit will entice you, along with several other perks). He has already reached his goal, raising $5,595 in relatively short order.

Today, thanks to all those who contributed (from small amounts to larger donations), Trigonis—along with cast and crew—starts production of his latest vision, Cerise, a short film about a former spelling bee champion who is haunted, 20 years later, by the word that took him down. Production will continue through the week, and you can follow the filming process this week by visiting Cerise on Facebook and Vimeo for constant status updates, pics and vlogs.

Trigonis recently took time from a busy schedule of rewriting scripts, holding auditions, scouting locations, and making other preparations to discuss a wide range of topics—from his artistic roots and creative process to his DIY nature and the future of “crowdfunding”—with The Madness Of Art. Read more…

“There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.”—Émile Zola

“To create one’s own world, in any of the arts, takes courage.”
—Georgia O’Keeffe

I first discovered René Hugo Arceo‘s El Poeta while browsing Etsy and finding The Serie Project’s shop. I marked it as a favorite, knowing I would soon return to make the purchase when financial circumstances permitted. Soon, however, turned into many months—not necessarily due to a lack of funds but simply because I forgot about it. Eventually I rediscovered El Poeta (scrolling through my “Favorites” one day) and finally bought the limited-edition print, which is now framed and hanging in my library.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, René Arceo’s body of work is remarkably diverse, spanning a broad spectrum of styles, subject matter, and media—from a whimsical figure with colorful acrylics on paper to an abstract watercolor on canvas. But this Chicago-based artist makes the most memorable impression through printmaking. In his brilliant linocut prints, Arceo blends hints of surrealism with various influences—from his Mexican roots to the students he teaches at Chicago public schools—to form his distinct brand of contemporary folk art.

With El Poeta, Arceo celebrates the importance of the poet and honors the power of the pen. As a writer, the subject of the work immediately resonated with me, and the bright, vibrant colors and fantastical scene only enhanced its appeal. As the Etsy description states,

El Poeta is a fantastic figure; he is a creator deep in thought and surrounded by his muses and characters he can bring to life with the power of his words. Like a plant, the poet is a vivid green and through him there is potential for growth, hope and new life….As an artist, Arceo feels a kinship with the poet, who also has the power to create worlds.

El Poeta is part of Serie XV, 2007-2008, celebrating The Serie Project‘s 15th anniversary. Based in Austin, Tex., The Serie Project is a Latino-oriented nonprofit program dedicated to producing and promoting fine art serigraphs. Each limited-edition print (50 in this case of El Poeta) is a unique creation, not simply the result of reproducing a painting in large quantities. Thanks to serigraph printmaking, more people can enjoy original artwork at more reasonable prices. As Arceo puts it, “multiplicity can contribute to reaching larger audiences while subsequently making the artwork affordable or more accessible.” Amen to that, I say, as I attempt to summon the muse, staring no longer at a blank wall but El Poeta—a regular reminder of the power of the written word, of art.

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
—Jack London

“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”—Ray Bradbury

The long-awaited Spike Jonze-directed Where the Wild Things Are arrived in theaters on Friday, and the film—based on the beloved 1963 book by author and illustrator Maurice Sendak—topped the domestic box office over the weekend, grossing an estimated $32.5 million from 3,735 theaters, according to Variety.

Just like the classic children’s book, which won Sendak the Caldecott Medal, the PG-rated movie’s appeal extends far beyond contemporaries of its main character: those over the age of 18 comprised 43 percent of the audience this weekend, while families accounted for a mere 27 percent. While I’ve yet to see Where the Wild Things Are, it will likely get me to a movie theater for the first time in about two years. (So there’s no misunderstanding, I love movies and watch a lot of them, but I simply prefer to do so from the comfort of my couch with conveniences of home, i.e., wine.)

Obviously, Where the Wild Things Are is one of the hottest topics on the Web in recent weeks. More importantly, the book and the movie both seem to inspire creativity, awakening that sense of pure imagination that resides within all of us.

So, The Madness of Art offers this roundup of all things wild. Read more…

“In writing songs I’ve learned as much from Cezanne as I have from Woody Guthrie.”—Bob Dylan

Once Destined for Dump, Street and Traffic Signs
in Disrepair Upcycled by Savannah Artists

What do you think of when you see a stop sign? Stop, of course. What runs through your mind when you pass a speed limit sign? I better slow down. Such signs are intended to force instinctive reaction, with little or no conscious thought. Beyond the instructions they provide us as drivers, street and traffic signs are not exactly fodder for much musing. Unless you’re Miriam and Jacob Hodesh. Read more…