Creativity Takes Courage At Art Basel
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Author Archives: loiswhitmanhess
Bringing Art Basel To You
I know that most of you are wondering why so many people love contemporary art. The only explanation I can give you is that most pieces are colorful, are thought-provoking, and have lots of energy. You may not agree, but I can honestly say other types of art don’t energize me the way these do. I guess it’s all about your personality. I need bright, abstract art surrounding me in order to feel positive. A close girl friend said she was underwhelmed by many of the pieces she viewed at the Miami Art Fairs. I can understand her feelings even though I get the opposite vibes.
Watch this NBC Miami TV report.
Day And Night
This gorgeous sculpture (Claudio Ciarvolo) is in front of Temple Emanu-El on Washington Avenue and 17th Street, across from the Miami Convention Center. It’s going to be our go to place to remind us of our dear friend Kent who we lost today. We hope to remain close to husband Brian who is a prince of a man. Kent enlisted me to be on the board of the Fisher Institute for Alzheimer’s Research and the publicist for his recent children’s book.
Today At Art Basel
This sculpture by Dada Khanyisa, Capetown, South Africa, being shown at Art Basel, will hopefully be the big winner for us. The companion piece was purchased by Jorge Perez, for Perez Art Museum of Miami. We loved our choice when we saw it a few weeks ago at the Fountainhead Residency. Now it’s ours. Eliot and I feel one day we will get a call for our sculpture to be shown in the Khanyisa collection at some museum as well. Fingers crossed.
Art Basel Buddies
It’s always wonderful bumping into friends at an art exhibit.Today we were lucky to catch up with the very talented artist, John DeFaro (l) art restorer, Viviana Dominguez, (second from right) and a group of their friends.
I turned the corner in the front hall at Art Basel and saw architect Bruce Danzer of Provincetown.
Art Lovers Are Works Of Art
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Bonnie, Please Shut Your Blinds
My girl friend Bonnie lives on the 30th floor of a high rise with beautiful views of NYC. Being that high up brings her lots of freedom because she doesn’t have neighbors peeking in.
That was the case yesterday. Today, Bonnie may have a police drone checking her out. It was just announced that the NYPD will be using drones for hostage situations, remote crime scenes, incidents involving hazardous materials, monitoring crowds at large events and collision documentation.
The drones include 11 DJI Mavic Pro quadcopters for tactical operations, a pair of DJI Matrice 210 RTK quadcopters for 3D mapping in search and rescue work, and a DJI Inspire 1 quadcopter for training.
NYC is not the first to use drones for safety purposes. While the use of drones in many cases are restricted, the NYPD is allowed to use them in emergency situations. A lawyer for the Civil Liberties Union said not enough is being done to prevent misuse.
This should get interesting.
Read more about it in CNET.
Happy Birthday Mr. Broadway
It was a great night of celebration. Broadway actors,, producers, and agents all came out to spend the evening with our good friend Chuck Steffan, one of the best lyricists ever. Everyone was in a great mood so it made for some interesting conversations. Shh! I won’t breathe a word.
Move Over Elton John
Thank you Sunny Sessa for allowing me to share Sammy’s talents with the DigiDame audience. This video brought absolute joy to me and everyone I showed it to you.
Eliot and I went to see “The Ferryman” Saturday night. Of course, we enjoyed it very much, but we had a star sighting right next to us. This 80 year old plus couple looks damn good.
Takes One to Know One!
I’ve sure gotten old!
I’ve had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I’m half blind, can’t hear anything quieter than a jet engine,
take 40 different medications that
make me dizzy, winded, and subject to
blackouts. Have bouts with dementia.
Have poor circulation; hardly feel my
hands and feet anymore. Can’t remember
if I’m 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends.
But, thank God, I still have my driver’s license
Heated Jackets
The Newest Rage If You Like To Be Hot
Ravean Digital Outerwear
You are looking at the future of fashion in the digital world. Heated back, chest, and pockets. Control your jacket’s internal temperature and the zone you want heated. The jacket will simultaneously charge your mobile device up to 3X while keeping you warm. Lightweight, water resistant and packable. Comes with a removable and adjustable hood. 100% washable. Battery and charger included. This is for me. Check it out here.
Instagrammers To Play Hide And Seek
This is a warning to all Instagrammers who visit Wyoming state forests and remote lakes. Stop taking selfies and identifying the location of the photo on social media. For social media enthusiasts, this is called Geotagging, or GeoTagging. Wikipedia explains Geotagging as the process of adding a geographical identification to photos on social media platforms so other users can find the same exact location.
According to the New York Times, Brian Modena, board member of the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism, said the Grand Tetons was under threat from visitors drawn by the beautiful vistas on Instagram.
Modena was quoted as saying “one or two hikers a day would make the nine-mile trek up to Delta Lake. Now, as many as 145 people are hiking there each day to shoot engagement photos and other romantic shots.”
Local folks all over the world claim photo-tourism has led to travelers taking selfies in the most unusual places. There are more visitors in the Louvre in Paris spending time photographing themselves in front of the Mona Lisa than looking at it.
We did that.
Advertising campaigns are beginning to pop up to get tourists to stop geotagging photographs. In order to help the cause, Instagram users have started to use the hashtag #nogeotag.
We are all in this together.
Multi-Dimensional Selfies
Eliot and Dada Khanyisa. Check out her sweat shirt. Say the words slowly. young and lazy. Couldn’t be further from the truth
One of the best things we did when we moved full time to Miami Beach a few years ago was to join business and cultural groups. Within a short period of time we had big groups of friends with diversified interests.
One group that has been very rewarding is the Fountainhead Residency and Studios. Founded and operated by Kathryn and Dan Mikesell, several artists from around the world are invited/sponsored to Miami to create works of art in a new social environment.
We have met very interesting artists, mostly young folks who have had some success so far. One gal, Shatha Al-deghady, was from Cairo so she really gave us a great overview of Egypt before we left for our trip. She is beautiful and her art is very experimental—belly buttons and scars. More about her later this week. Her work is being showcased at the Miami Art Fair.
The work I wanted to share with you today was created by Dada Khanyisa, a very young female artist from Joburg (Johannesburg). She is now based in Cape Town. The Johannesburg gallery that represents Dada will be featuring her work at Art Basel in the new Miami Convention Center. Look for Stevenson Gallery. She is a graduate from the Michaelis School of Fine Art.
We were amazed when we saw Dada’s work. Her focus is texture and multiple dimensions. She creates sculptural paintings and relate-able objects. The objects include re-interpreted wall units, figurines, reconstructed sneakers, digital illustrations and sometimes a tattoo on someone.
In her own words, “Most of the work I produce is about the black experience; the weight of the content is based on the currency of memories. I enjoy focusing on what people neglect or take for granted- their daily tasks and what was part of their growing experience. The work acts as a social mirror with some distortions which are fueled by the imagination and a particular agenda.”
I’m not sure what that all means but the multi-dimensional work Eliot and I love have a “selfie” photo aspect to it.
A work in progress
Other artists showing off their work at a Fountainhead opening.
Shatha Al-deghady and a friend
Words Matter
An Evening With Annie Leibovitz
I got chills all over my body tonight when Annie Leibovitz got a standing ovation as she walked on stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. It was wonderful being in an audience where like-minded people appreciated the talents of a woman who has captured some of the greatest moments in pop culture history. The legendary photographer was debuting her newest book, “Annie Leibovitz At Work” at the Miami Book Fair.
Leibovitz shared some remarkable tips to anyone who wants to be a serious photographer. Most of what she said seemed like a lot of common sense to me, but I guess it’s always good to get confirmation from a well-respected leader.
Leibovitz said the most important element in picture taking is the content. People should focus on photos that tell a story. One of the most remarkable things about a photo is that it becomes more meaningful as time goes by. The older it gets, the more you see.
Leibovitz is definitely a renaissance woman. Unlike many photographers who had a difficult time giving up film, Leibovitz has embraced the digital age. She believes in change and is willing to learn new photography methods. She wants to experience every opportunity. Very little intimidates Leibovitz her because her main goal is to capture the beauty of the moment.
That’s why she is so enamored with the smartphone. Leibovitz feels we are living in a remarkable time when we can just take out a pocket camera at any time and shoot. The possibilities are endless.
Photos featured in her book.
