Tatiana Supports the Arts

Tag Archives: exhibit

You are an obsession, You’re my obsession

August 13, 2008

Recently, the Fair was in Orange County, and of course I had to go and eat my share of things that are bad for me. Apart from that indulgence, I was treated to a visual array of eye candy. No, I’m not talking about boys. Well maybe I am, as I was accompanied by a rather cute one. But no. I am referring to, naturally, the arts and crafts contests. And more specifically… the table settings contest. It was neat. Some of them were beyond bad, but this contest in junction with my daily dose of DesignSponge have been brainwashing me into caring more about what my living space looks like. This being said, I have been constantly brainstorming ideas for place mats. I know, it sounds lame, but I’m excited to make some. Kinda like these I found on etsy.com…

except mine will be different/cuter and I’m thinking of incorporating some rick rack, because I’m old school like that.

Of course, I cannot talk about the OC Fair without mentioning that my roommate, the amazing KENDRA, won 1st place in the memorabilia contest! You go girl! I’m such a proud roomie. As the description says (photo to be added later), she has collected over 100 Vivien Leigh items. That’s a lot of old stuff… and a lot of hard earned cash spent on that old stuff. Homegirl is going to be able to fill a museum soon. We should start charging when people come over to visit.

In other news, in addition to my ongoing attempts to finish reading the legendary Harry Potter series (I’m still on book 5), I am reading Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants by Jill Soloway

At first, when reading through her 3 introductions, I got kind of annoyed with her cocky tone. A friend of mine got me this book for my birthday via my amazon wish list. I think I added it to my wish list because at the time I was really into reading as much feminist-y stuff as possible. I think the beginning of the book frustrated me because I felt like Jill was one of those feminists who give feminists a bad name, in my opinion. They think they know everything, and they think everyone who disagrees with them are inferior. Which, you know, is kind of lame. BUT. I continued reading and soon realized that I am actually really liking this book. It reminds me of Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. So if you liked that book, you’d most likely enjoy this one. Anyway, I have about 50 pages to go. Oh, I’m on Goodreads, and highly recommend it if you like to keep track of what you’ve read, and/or like to see what your friends are reading.

Also tagged books, contest, crafts, feminism, orange county, sewing – 1 Comment

From Chaos Comes Clarity

June 30, 2008

So, after seeing 311 this past Saturday night, I can pretty much die a very very happy lady. I rocked out to the songs that got me through high school, and totally remembered why I loved them so much. I, sadly, had slightly forgotten. In anticipation of the sounds of 311 taking me back to my high school state of mind, I wore my bright red Converse sneakers just as an inside joke to myself.

In other news, my roommate and I went to the Long Beach Antique Market on Sunday and boy oh boy was it hot!

I don’t know why… but I assumed it would be indoors so I didn’t wear any sunblock. Needless to say my skin is pretty mad at me today. BUT I found a lot of great deals. I was surprised by the wide variety of goodies the Antique Market vendors had to offer. From vintage clothing to old comic books and action figures. There was something for everyone. My favorite find of the day was a Paul de Longpre framed print for only $5. Yeow Yeow. All in all good times were had.

Anyhoo, it’s been a while since I’ve last updated, so here’s a little visual update:

Also tagged antique, festival, long beach, los angeles, music, orange county, thrift, vintage – 2 Comments

A visitor from the North, and my quest for the perfect jumper.

February 20, 2008

This weekend was an amazing weekend for two reasons:
1.) I went to the Getty with two of my favorite people.
and
2.) Joann’s was having an AMAZING sale on Simplicity patterns… 5 for $5! What up.

My good friend Marissa ventured down from the splendid North (Rohnert Park, CA to be exact) to hang out and bond. Marissa and I discovered a tradition that we have of always visiting museums when we spend time together. In the past we’ve visited the SF MOMA, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the DeYoung Museum, and the list goes on. This time, since she flew into LAX, we hopped over to the J. Paul Getty Museum. What a perfect day. The weather was beautiful, and the museum was not at all crowded. The Getty has a handful of exhibits currently running, but here are a few that I thought were worth mentioning:

The Goat’s Dance: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide -

This exhibit showcases the photography of Graciela Iturbide, from the barrios of Los Angeles to the wide open spaces of Sonora, Mexico. She captures the in-your-face nature of the cholos and cholas from the infamous White Fence and Maravillas gangs of East LA. The subjects of her photographs are compelling and allow us a glimpse into their dynamic world.

Consuming Passion: Fragonard’s Allegories of Love -

I absolutely loved these pieces, and I loved seeing the process in making pieces of such detail. The Getty provides not only the finished paintings for our viewing pleasure, but includes some original sketches and/or drafts and variations of the pieces. Very neat experience.

Alas, my Friday spent at the Getty came and went. The two hours we spent in pre-rush hour traffic back to Huntington could have been worse. I, of course, played my Shirley Temple’s Greatest Hits CD… but soon realized that I was the only one enjoying it. Needless to say, it did not help. Luckily we talked up a storm and passed the time the best we could.

Every now and then I get an itch to create an addition to my wardrobe. Usually this itch is a result of disappointing selections at clothing stores. My quest this time is to create the perfect jumper. The jumper is something I struggle with. Why? Well, for one, it can easily look like a Muumuu. And secondly it can make one look very juvenile- and being the youngest person in my workplace, looking more juvenile than I already do is not ideal. So, I have been doing some research. Luckily for me, Joann’s had an amazing sale on Simplicity patterns yesterday. I bought 10 patterns for $10! Woo woo. So here is the pattern I am using for my jumper:

I basically finished it last night, save for a few details that need some hand sewing, but I still feel like it looks a bit muumuu-ish. So, after perusing the good old internet I’ve found some inspiring jumpers:

I really like this jumper by Chloe. I like the bagginess, and the way the garment is styled with the collared undershirt.

I really like the way this jumper bubbles at the bottom, but not in the typical “bubble skirt” kind of way. I might utilize this technique.

The “Maeby Jumper” by Mooka Kinney, a dress designing duo from New York. I absolutely love what they do. Totally inspiring.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress with the perfect jumper…

Also tagged contemporary art, fashion, los angeles, museum, new york, sewing – No Comments

Sometimes Size Does Not Matter

November 7, 2007

I’ve been wanting to see this show ever since I found out it was going to be at San Diego State. I missed that boat, but luckily for me, the show was also traveling to good ole’ Cal State Los Angeles. I’ve never been to Cal State LA, and I must say, their Luckman Arts complex is gorgeous. Me gusta mucho. I love how accessible it is from the parking structure, and how easy it is to find from the freeway. Two thumbs up from a tourist’s perspective. (Everytime I go to LA I feel like a tourist). So anyway, going on as we speak…

The Graphic Imperative: International Posters for Peace, Social Justice & the Environment, 1965-2005

Where?
Cal State Los Angeles
Luckman Gallery
5151 State University Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032-8116
(323) 343-6604

When?
October 27-December 15, 2007
Gallery Hours: Mon-Thurs. and Sat. 12-5pm

How much?
FREE, except for the dollar that you’ll pay for parking… which is a bargain for parking in LA.

I STILL don’t get it.
What initially drew me to this exhibit? Two words: Guerilla Girls! I love seeing their pieces at different exhibits. They’re so inspiring, I would never pass up an opportunity to experience their work up close. The aura of powerful women is always palpable. I know their pieces are posters, and it’s not exactly the same as viewing a painting, because it’s not one of a kind… but I think that’s what’s so great about this exhibit, and about the graphic arts in general. Graphic art, for me, has so much cultural influence and resonates loudly irregardless of which form it takes; whether it’s a billboard, graffiti, a sticker, or in this case, a poster. It’s a piece of art that is utilized in the mainstream of everyday and in turn may be discussed outside of the political arena, making these issues everyone’s problem instead of just the government’s. It’s kind of sneaky if you think about it. We are advertising a social movement like we’re advertising a consumer good. If you capture someone’s attention, the product becomes more popular, and then more people will jump on the bandwagon. Well, that’s in the utopia for social movements in my mind, but I guess in the real world it’s a little more difficult.

The Graphic Imperative exhibits 111 posters that have served to create awareness of social issues or injustices that existed, and in turn created a discourse to try to make change happen. The exhibit includes posters from the past 40 years; four decades that were critical to many issues such as unfair labor, racism, violence against women, AIDS, the environment, and many more.

The Luckman Art Gallery at CSLA is pretty small space, but an average size for a University art gallery. Although the exhibit is small its message is anything but.

Also tagged 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, activism, contemporary art, feminism, gallery, graphic art, los angeles, posters – No Comments

Check it out…

August 14, 2007

Life Between Painting

Where?
6767 Bright Ave.
Whittier, CA 90601
562.696.9493
When?
August 11 – September 1, 2007
Gallery Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11:30am-9pm
How much?
FREE
I STILL don’t get it.
This show focuses on the pieces of four artists from the California College of Arts and Crafts: Ryan Martin, Nohemi Espinoza, Ramiro Hernandez, and Mick Farrell. Each with his/her unique perspective and concentration, this show exhibits merely a peak at the inner psyches of these distinct talents. From the abstract layered compositions Hernandez presents and explains to be reminiscent of his childhood to the almost surreal perfection of Martin’s portraits which exude a type of nostalgia for the beauty of innocence. Espinoza’s mixed media works express the juxtaposition of naivete and perversion while Farrell’s ink renderings add a dark humor which he explains are influenced by a mixture of found objects such as “a yearbook from the 1970s.”

Overall this was a really fun show to see. The Bluebird Art House is quaint and intimate, which makes for a great experience. The artists were all great to talk to, and my Aunt and I had fun arguing whether the abstract shape in one of Espinoza’s pieces was a pelvis or intestines. Even though the space was so small, I ended up sticking around for a couple of hours (4 total). The people were great, the art was great, and the DJ was great.

So, my camera ran out of battery basically right when I got there so I was only able to take one picture:

Yup. That’s the DJ. P Looks like you’ll have to go to The Bluebird Art House yourself if you want to see any art. But I must say, the DJ was pretty amazing. Never have I heard a DJ go from playing the Fugees to retro Indian music to Salsa. Talk about a treat for the ears. All in all the evening proved to be an amazing one and absolutely inspirational to the fans of art (–> Me.)