I am honored to have my work featured at Rebecca Solnit's most recent book, The Mother of All Questions. Six large format charcoal drawings from the series HairScapes are part of this follow-up to her national best seller Men Explain Things to Me. Using a combination of humor and profound insight, Solnit's new book offers indispensable commentary on women who refuse to be silenced, misogynistic violence, the fragile masculinity of the literary canon, the gender binary, the recent history of rape jokes, and much more. Feminism and femminity can empower each other and definitely The Mother of All Questions arrives at a crucial moment... The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit Published by Haymarket Books Book Release, March, 2017 Book available at Green Arcade www.rebeccasolnit.net
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I see drawing as a form of connection with the space around me. When drawing and architecture coexist there’s no separation between the maker, the object and the viewer; between you and me. When this integration happens I see the world as an extension of who I am. Cavemen lived a fully shamanic experience of art and space, projecting onto the cave walls their own psyche. Drawing repetitive lines allows me to enter my subconscious mind and, like with Ariadne’s Thread, retrieve my most hidden secrets and bring them back to light.This is the game of life, a sutil thread that helps us to find our center in the labyrinths of our consciousness.
Last January 20th women from most of US states and around the world marched together in sisterhood to speak their truth and raise their voices. We walked, danced, sang and drummed! Our voices will be heard!
After a long day of drumming with my Maracatu fellows both in Oakland and San Francisco Women's Maches i met with my long time collaborator, artist Eliza Barrios, to do another guerrilla action in the street of San Francisco. We gather at our temporary office at Phil's Cafe on Market St in the evening. We divided our tasks and went out in the pouring rain to fill the newspaper stands with a message to the entire world: WE ARE POWERFUL. And yes, we are. "Inhabitable Drawing, A Carpet Landscape" explores and expands traditional concepts of drawing. In order to “erase the limits of architecture,” I use hand-cut pieces of carpet (repurposed from cast-offs from a local hotel) to create an “inhabitable” space of artistic wonder and beauty.
Using a material like carpet, that alludes to the idea of home and comfort, and pushing those limits, I create a flowing environment that affects the way we perceive the space and where the drawing becomes inhabitable. We'll also have two designers on hand for those interested in local artisan gift-giving. Deborah Sciales is a Bay Area-based designer specialized in wearable finery as art and Claudia Kussano, jewelry designer inspired by organic shapes that evoke a symbiotic awareness of the world and our spiritual surroundings. Join me to experience this unusual installation while enjoying holiday treats and the “literate, melodic” music of two local acoustic singer-songwriters. Inhabitable Drawing, A Carpet Landscape Sunday Dec 4, 4pm, concert at 5pm aMuse Gallery 614 Alabama St @ 18th San Francisco, CA 94110 Join me for Fall Open Studios at 1890 Bryant Street, Studio # 211 Home to over 100 artists, 1890 will open its studio doors to the public for a weekend full of engaging conversation and fascinating art discovery. 1890 Bryant St. is a friendly, unique and dedicated arts community practicing a wide range of mediums and disciplines; there is something for everyone! 1890 Bryant St, Studio # 211 Friday, November 4 | 6:00 - 9:00 PM (Preview Reception) Saturday, November 5 | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday, November 6 | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM In addition to my studio, the entire arts community at 1890 Bryant Street will also be participating in Open Studios. Please stop by to discover all the diverse talent we have in our building. To learn more, follow our Facebook and Instagram. We also have an event page with additional details! The Nomadic Labyrinth was featured at Art Night SF, last September 30th, at UN Plaza in San Francisco. Many people came and walked the labyrinth and it was also the place where world class flamenco dancer "Farruquito" led a flamenco flash mob. What an incredible opportunity I had to celebrate two of my passions, labyrinths and flamenco, at the same time! Art Night SF is a collaboration between artists, galleries and local institutions to promote the arts in San Francisco and reactivate the Mid Market area. By bringing people together for an outdoor exhibition, Art Night SF hopes to celebrate the impact that cultural contributors are making within the city.
Learn more about The Nomadic Labyrinth here ![]() THE PIPE LINE A BLOOD MINE A political action 8 am on Friday September 16, 2016 Market Street and Montgomery Bart Station in San Francisco About Daily Slots Using news stands located along Market and Montgomery Street as “vehicles to deliver information”, artists Eliza Barrios and Paz De la Calzada sent bi/weekly messages through the windows of these structures. Altering the visual landscape of the pedestrian/urban environment, the messages are a mixture of iconography and slogans that call attention to the economy, consumerism and un-sustainability of the capitalistic culture. One of the most revealing parts about my trip to India was discovering the role that women have in the development of the cultural/spiritual/craft legacy. The same as in old generations of women in my own country, Spain, women are the ones weaving, knitting or stitching. In India they also use white lines made with chalk, rice paste or rice flour to "knit or write" in the floor of a street or the outside walls of their houses. These intricate mandala-like designs are called kolam in South India. In fact the word knitting/weaving - creating a textile, in Spanish tejer - have the same origin as the word text - texere in latin. It makes sense and makes me think how these women use artistic lines not only to intervene the public space and playfully affect the way we experience the architecture of their homes but as a way for self -expression that in some cases makes more sense than using words.
Lines, geometric patters and intricate forms are a big part of my work. Seeing these fierce women working with lines and creating "texts" inspires me to reflect about my own fascination and almost obsession with making likes and creating all these intricate paths either to be walked or contemplated. I was honored to be part of Rock the Garden, at Montalvo Arts Center, last Friday July 22. This 5 Hour Sculpture Show was an interactive evening where the public could enjoy art installations in a participatory way. The Nomadic Labyrinth was one of the 10 projects selected and it was great pleasure to see so many people engaging with the labyrinth in many ways.
Learn more about The Nomadic Labyrinth here Last Thursday was the opening of ¨Carpet Diem¨, my first solo exhibition in Galicia, Spain, since I moved to San Francisco in 2003. The show is part of the third edition of the project called Estado Critico: 10 Curators, 10 Artists and is curated by artist and professor Almudena Fernandez Fariña.
The installation presented at Sala Alterarte, University of Vigo, plays with geometric patterns created with three types of carpets, two donated by the MARCO (Museum of Contemporary Art) and the other one from Casa Sirvent, both in Vigo. Carpet Diem Sala Alterarte, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain May 12 - August 15,2016 Opening Reception: Thursday May 12, 12 pm |
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in Crete and the creation of a labyrinth |