Everyone goes to Art Basel to see the art. I go to Art Basel to look at the people. There is a reason why Art Basel is in Miami. The people who live or visit Miami are very creative. It’s always a show.
I found this couple outside the tents of Art Miami and Red Dot. The two were total showstoppers.
The tents
I took Jerry Powers by surprise. He is the founder of Ocean Drive magazine.
<a href="
<a href="
<a href="
Colleen Duffley
I had the chance to see one of the most amazing photo exhibits last week. I came across it at Red Dot, one of the many satellite shows during Art Basel. At first I thought I was looking at a wall of 8 by 10 inch photos, but as I got closer I realized the display consisted of 40 iPad 2s mounted on a free-standing structure. Entitled “Light Impressions,” the exhibit was in celebration of iPhone photography now renamed “iPhoneography.”
The new art form was conceived by Colleen Duffley, an international photographer who directs and produces many different types of creative installations. Duffley wanted “Light Expressions” to level the photo playing field by allowing people from all walks of life to capture an image on their iPhone camera that expressed their imagination, sensitivity and innovation. Each artist was assigned one iPad 2. Every iPad features 13 images continually looped at different intervals.
The metal structure that is used to showcase the 40 iPad 2s actually materials recovered from a wreckage of 1995’s Hurricane Opal. An additional iPad 2 is used to stream the entire show online at http://www.studiobthebeach.com. Studio b. is Duffley’s creative venue that brings together the world of photography, art, literature, fashion, design, music, and the culinary arts.
Duffley said, “iPhone photography is still an emerging art form. We are just discovering its capabilities. People are astounded to see what is being done with iPhone camera work. It doesn’t matter which iPhone is being used. It is all about capturing the image, the processing and publishing. It is a pure art form. It is much more about creativity than the cost of the camera. I feel that all of the artists are unique and important to the overall look of the installation. It is the coming together of a community.”
This is the list of photographers from across the globe who partcipated in the first exhibit. The artists keep changing all of the time.
Gerard Godin, Janine Graff, Nathaniel I.Cordova, T.S. Elliott, George Alexandris, Helen Breznik, Elena Herrero, Amo Passicos, Robert Herold, Aik Beng, Edina Herold, Amy Hughes, Colleen Duffley, Natali Na Prosvet, Laura Peischi, Alan Kastne, Cara Weil, Donna French, Jason Donnelly, Benamon Tame, Paul Moore, Jamie Stewart, Art Meripol, Allessandro Greganti, Jenny Markley, Jen Bianco, Elizabeth Grilli, Hans Borghors, Giuseppe Navone, Jaime Ferreyros, Catherine Restivo, Easton Reynolds, Stephane Mahe, Catriona Donagh, Alain Guerquin, Daniel Berman, Seikou Yamoka, Chris Harland, Roger Guetta, and Dan Piassick.
Here are Duffley’s comments on some of the iPhone photographers:
1. Nacho Cordova. “He was one of the original 40 . He did not use many apps to create his photography. He just had great composition and lighting. Nacho was killed shortly after the installation opened. His work is strong and timeless.”
2. Giuseppe Navone. “His images are painterly and evoke mood and emotion. He does use apps but it’s not overdone or obvious.”
3. Paul Moore. “He almost has a 3D look. Or truly HDR effect. Saturated scenic’s that still have great composition. His people are amazing.”
4. Elizabeth Grilli. “Amazing bird shots. You have to capture the image. Her birds are Cartier Bresson like.”
5. Shikoku Yamasaka. “New to the installation. He used fingerpaints on his iPhone and iPad. These are really paintings but I feel he is creating amazing images. I love them.”
6. Janine Graff. “Her images are playful and fun. And very creative using apps to mix multiple images.”
7. Edina and Robert Herald, husband and wife from Hungry. “When I chose them I didn’t know they were husband and wife. I don’t look at the names, just the images. They are hauntingly beautiful. It’s the only way I can describe them. Timeless, they stir the soul.”
Many folks who saw the exhibit at Red Dot told Duffley, “Steve Jobs would have been proud to see the iPads being used this way. He would have loved your creativity.”
Debbie Lee Mostel is a prime example that age has nothing to do with the appreciation of technology. After years of successfully designing jewelry for Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale’s, Mostel became fascinated with the construction of technology: motherboards, heat coils, and laser pickups to name a few. She decided to use the guts of outdated computers and other gadgets to form new creations that people could cherish and display. I came across Mostel this past weekend at Red Dot, a satellite art show just a few miles away from Art Basel in Miami.
Of course, I was attracted to Mostel’s exhibit when I saw the technology angle. I loved that parts of technology inspired her to create new art forms. It is always refreshing to see a woman involved in fashion switch to electronics. I think it shows that women on the art scene are capable of developing new values that haven’t been explored before. I have included a video where Mostel talks about her art and the iPhone pictures I took of her magnificent pieces.
DigiDame 
