stitched identities

I could not leave Wednesday wordless today.... Have you heard about Baang & Burne Contemporary? Don't you just love the name? Jane Zweibel
Self-Portrait Praying #3 2008 Oil on sewn and stuffed canvas 48 x 26 x 12”

This who they are in their own words: Baang & Burne Contemporary was created by artists and co-directors Kesha Bruce and Charlie Grosso, with the intent of providing an innovative way of bringing artists and art collectors together, especially newer collectors who are often deterred by the high intimidation factor at most contemporary art galleries. The gallery takes its name from a cold-war era espionage term used to describe covert demolition and sabotage operations, altering the spelling slightly in a tongue in cheek reference to Big-name art galleries that donne the names of their well-known directors.
Don't you just love the sound of that idea? I did. To me it's a very exciting concept.

Stitched Identities is their first event. Stitched Identities is the first in a series of Baang & Burne’s signature one-night-only art events where, unlike at a traditional art gallery opening, artists, art collectors, and members of the Baang & Burne mailing list are invited to attend a small intimate brunch or cocktail hour in a private home or a chic hotel suite. During the event every invited guest has the chance to not only personally meet and talk with the artist, but to slip on a pair of white cotton art handling gloves and actually hold, touch, and admire the works of art up close. Baang & Burne Contemporary has plans to host a series of one-night-only private events in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles through 2012, aiming to provide a fresh alternative to a traditional art opening while working with artists who already have an established market and exhibition history, as well as partnering with lesser known emerging artists.

The first artist they are profiling is Jane Zweibel. I had the privilege of reading a very interesting interview with her and I wanted to share a couple of questions from that interview here on my blog. Jane Zweibel
Self-Portrait Praying #4 2008 Oil on sewn and stuffed canvas 34 x 34 x 12”

How important do you think it is for artists to know about art history, and why? I think it is extremely important for artists to know about art history. Art history is a continuum. As artists, we are all an integral part of that continuum. I think that being well versed in the history of art presents artists with a wealth of information to draw upon. I have learned so many invaluable lessons from artists who came before me, and this has profoundly enriched my own development as an artist. Artists don’t work in a vacuum; we all have influences, which are key to our finding our own artistic identities. For example, I wouldn’t be the same artist I am today without looking at, learning from, and being affected by, the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo. Although I consider my own self-portraits uniquely my own, I know and appreciate that Frida Kahlo’s indelible images have influenced my images.
Do you believe artistic creativity is an innate human quality? What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?
I do believe that artistic creativity is an innate human quality. I think that all people are born with the potential for creative self-expression. However, unfortunately, because of the poor level of art education in most public schools, and the lack of support for art education in general by the government (at least in the United States), most people’s innate creative potential is neglected and un-nurtured. This is a profound shame. On the other hand, I don’t think that everyone is “born” with natural talent for art. But certainly, everyone has within them the capacity to express him or herself artistically and creatively. It is indeed a human quality. Besides visual art, I would like to be naturally gifted in one of the other art forms, such as dance or music. Especially music: my mother was a gifted musician. I wish I could have inherited some of her talent...but maybe it is there, and just needs to be unlocked. Jane Zweibel
Self-Portrait Praying # 6 2008 Oil on sewn and stuffed canvas 40 x 16 x 12”
Thank you to Kesha Bruce for asking me to be on the Baang & Burne inaugural blog tour!