SCOPE ART FAIR 2009: INTERVIEWS BY INDIRA CESARINE
SCOPE is one of the largest and most global art fairs in the world featuring contemporary art at seven venues worldwide. Through a unique program of solo and thematic group shows paired with museum-quality exhibitions, collector tours, screenings and special events the show strives to present the most innovative and unique artists, galleries and curators while networking them with patrons of the Scope Art shows. With over thirty fairs spanning the past eight years, SCOPE has defined its position as the premier showcase for emerging contemporary art. We had the privilege of meeting and interviewing some of the artists featured at this years SCOPE Art Fair.
Born into a family surrounded by music, it seems only natural that David Ellis would walk down a path that involved music and the arts. Ellis creates paintings that are recorded in a form of time-lapse animation that he fondly refers to as “motion painting”. This type of painting is the perfect forum for collaboration with other artists as well as spontaneous and improvisational solo works. By working on walls in spaces that are open to the public he invites viewers to be part of the creation process much like that of a street band playing for the public that passes by. You can view Ellis’s works at Anonymous Gallery in the lower east side of New York City.
Bruno Levy and Blake Shaw have created a new multimedia performance that functions amidst the intersection of art, music and technology. This dynamic duo develops software to construct a unique interactive performance seeking to affect the audience in a unique way. Electronic music blasts while the performance places it’s emphasis on sound reactive visuals, interactive installations and guerilla technologies augmenting public spaces are all part of the Sweat Shoppe project.
Bruno Levy recieved his BFA in photography from NYU in 2001 and is the co-founder of SQUARESQUARE; a media company specializing in live video, design and motion graphics. He directs and shoots music videos and is trying out his hand at painting as part of the new multimedia performance duo, SWEAT SHOPPE.
Blake Shaw started creating music from the young age of just ten years old, by the time he was 16 he was playing at raves and club parties throughout the southern midwest. He has expanded his artistic vision and is writing software and developing interactive enviornments by creating new platforms for artistic expression. Blake is currently studying Visual Art and Performing arts at Bennington College.
German based painter Stefanie Gutheil had several of her artworks featured at this years Scope Art Fair in Miami. Gutheil has a unique take on the world and depicts “stories” from her daily life on the canvas. Her self described style is a mix of ” comic book and expressionism”. Grotesque and fascinating creatures are featured in all of her works, representing humans in disguise; “they are the monsters we all have inside of us”. Dark and fascinating, her style is appreciated by many collectors; when she made her US debut at the Scope booth of the Mike Weiss Gallery, 14 of the “Kopftheater” series sold within four days. You can view Stefanie’s paintings at the Mike Weiss Gallery In New York City.
Langer has a true talent for creating a visually pleasing presentation that appears shockingly real, her “Resprise” installation at the Scope Art Fair was truly a treat. The reproduction of the two dimensional Flemish painting was brought to life in her three dimensional sculptural work. Beautifully crafted works of resin, fiberglass, styrofoam, string and oil paint depict birds, dogs and horses atop fake snow. Her work can be seen at the Christopher Cutts Gallery in Toronto.
Israeli born Yigal Ozeri moved to New York almost 20 years ago and has made an impressive rise in the art world, especially in the past five years. Yigal creates photo-realist paintings portraying beautiful young women in the wilderness. In his own words, “I work with the idea of perception and illlusion. It’s not hyper-realism, not photo-realism…it’s reality”.
His most recent works can be seen at the Mike Weiss gallery in NYC. Ozeri’s work has been featured in Galerie Andreas Binder, Germany; Charim Galerie, Vienna; Alon Segev Gallery, Tel Aviv; Mcnay Art Museum, San Antonio; The Museum of Modern Art, Israel; The New York City Public Library, New York; Scheringa Museum Voor Realisme, Netherlands; The Kuntzerien, Germany; The Kennedy Center for the Arts, DC; The Israel Museum, Israel; among many others.
Karelle Levy decided to start her career making knit fabrics right out of college. After quickly accumulating hundreds of pieces she decided it was time to start selling them and created her line krelwear knits. At this years fair she created an interactive booth featuring “Krel to go quickie couture”. Any client passing by could have an article of clothing sewn onto their body by Karelle, making it not only a custom made piece of clothing but the client is actually becoming part of the creative process. Karelle is based in Miami, Florida but you can buy her clothing at boutiques in New York, Los Angeles and of course, Miami.
English Born Karim Hamid has been focusing on presenting media superficiality and the human condition in his paintings starting back since 1995. Though much of Hameed’s imagery is distorted it is quite apparent that he finds inspiration in the process by which the female figure is objectified by the male gaze. He utilizes images from pop culture to present this image of the objectified female in a highly exaggerated and explicit way. There is a depth and seriousness to his work that needs no words to explain the message he is portraying.
” While the imagery is often distorted or exaggerated in my work, also expect my work to express itself within its own polemical and painterly distortion of that distortion. It is about the thing/person being observed, as well as the method of being observed”. You can view Karim’s work at the Aureus Contemporary Gallery.
VIDEO DIRECTED BY INDIRA CESARINE
VIDEO EDIT BY JOHN PAUL ZUVIATE
TEXT BY KATIE THURBER
