Inspired

My  californiacation was not just a judgement trip. I left feeling very inspired by some artistic discoveries.

cherry wood carvings @celebration gallery, US Grant hotel downtown San Diego.

http://www.meekyungshim.com/


Mee Shim has a studio in the little Italy area of down town San Diego. I was blown away by mystical narrative and modern use of realism. Mee uses symbols from asian folklore and collages it with modern artifacts like advertisement pages and graphic styles. Her work is personal but does not force an emotional response on the viewer.  Being an artist myself, I know the value of manifesting your emotions through a timely process to better understand them, but I am still turned off by art that is just the artist demons and is meant to disturb.  Mee's work is obviously emotional, but there is still a sense of beauty which allows a universal relation.

My other new thing is heritage based art. I love the soul of craft and seeing how contemporary artists interpret it.

Stephan Doitschinoff aka: "Calma" ,Brazil.
http://www.mcasd.org/vivalarevolucion/

Mexican skulls

I don't care if Old Town is a tourist trap, I'm so into the skulls for the day of the dead. They have the vibrance and spirit of the beloved Frida.  I even bought a few mexican style dresses...but they were made by Ecuadorians...
regardless, my inspiration stands. 

                                     

Heritage is what gives these pieces substance. Perhapes it is the social climate of uncertainty that        demands a sense of origin ; helping us to better  understand ourselves in the now...