"You Were Almost Extinct too"

Derek Weisberg
You Were Almost Extinct Too
October 20 - Dec 6

California ceramic artist
for more information go here.

Exhibition Catalog now available

We produce one or two exhibition catalogs per season. The new one for the upcoming Derek Weisberg exhibition [Oct 29 - Dec 6] is now online and available.

Go here to see a preview.

Interview series continues with artist Jonathan Stein

Our interview series continues with conceptual artist Jonathan Stein

1. When did you begin to define yourself as an artist? I can remember back to when I was a child. The only real happiness I derived back then came from being immersed in art. As a smaller-sized individual in this world, I think it’s typical to hide and seek refuge somewhere where your physical proportions don’t matter and you can be judged on what comes from within versus what’s on the outside. I nurtured that love as a child and would call myself an artist even as young as 8 years old.

2. Is there one specific piece or series of work that altered or defined what type of work you would make? My art career has been sliced in half. I still walk a tight rope between socially driven art and that of commercial Pop Art that seems to be what most people are willing to support and purchase these days. With reference to socially conscious raising art, I created a very poignant work called “The Repeal”. This crocheted yarn installation illustrated a back alley abortion and addressed the inherent threat posed to a women’s body that resulted and would result again from Roe vs. Wade being repealed.

3. Are there any artists in particular that have influenced you and your work? The list is endless but if I had to name a few: Andy Warhol, Vik Munoz, Barbara Krueger, Dorethea Lange, Sandy Skoglund, Diane Arrieta, Edward Kienholz, Jenny Holzer, David LaChapelle, Andres Serrano and currently Spunk and The Orange Kittens.

4. What motivates you to continue making such socially provocative works? We live in a world where social injustice is a constant. After a while we as a society become complacent, for we have the power to simply ignore the television reports or turn a blind eye to newsprint. For me as an artist, should there come a point in my lifetime when social intolerance and inequality is no longer in existence; (snickering) then maybe I would direct my creative focus on photos of oversized water lilies or extra-large friendly oil paintings of dogs running on the beach.

5. Personally, I see a trend toward a more conservative attitude in the contemporary art world in the United States. Do you agree? I think our society is becoming further politically and socially polarized. In the art world, I think money influences and drives what most artists create and or have the privilege to display in galleries or art fairs. I know there are artists, operating outside the mainstream; who are trying to radically challenge this attitude but so few get the validation they need and that upsets me.

6. Do you find that your geographical location helps or hinders your ability to show the type of work you want to? Why? Living in South Florida offers benefits and setbacks. We are a cultural melting pot brimming with diversity but sadly that doesn’t always guarantee an acceptance of imagery or concepts that demand more from an audience. I have been a victim of senseless censorship and saw the lengths institutions down here will go to not support activist art. I have also found spaces that try to nurture art that is not merely “valuable” for it’s aesthetics. While I do overall see NY,LA, San Francisco and Europe as a more receptive platform for my work; nonetheless, I wish to be a strong visual force here in South Florida that may one day change the opinions of the masses.

7. You use a wide variety of mediums from photography to sculpture. How do you choose and do you prefer one over the other? I always say, “the concept dictates the medium”. I love being tactile and diving in with my hands to fabricate whatever I am doing. It isn’t enough to take a photo; I love building sets, fumbling to construct a costume from scratch or spend hours studying body scarification and prosthetic cosmetics in order to simulate abuse on one of my subjects. No matter the medium, as long as I have an intelligent reason for my work, I am happy to learn and express myself even if I have never worked in a medium like crotchet when I did my “The Repeal”piece.

8. What do you want to accomplish as an artist? I want to leave behind a legacy or work that touches people and proves I was here. Often I take photos of the most important moments in my life or other’s around me. More often than not I am not in any of the pictures subsequently muting out my visibility in the process. I wish to change the world through art and then one day fashion a foundation to support other artists who are fighting to stay alive without abandoning their love of art as well. That to me is concrete proof not only of my art but who I am and who I was.

9. This series, It’s just make-up, is very powerful. Is there anything else we should know about it that hasn’t been discussed? I am always more fascinated about other people’s responses and explanations of the work versus my own. I have clear intentions and motivations for everything I do artistically, but feel the viewer should come to the work and experience it without subsequent inflections from me to guide them in their experience.

10. Where else can we see your work- galleries, online, etc.? www.gallerybiba.com, www.calixgustav.com, and www.steinseye.com to name a few places.

New Season opens with Jonathan Stein and Birds are nice

The new gallery season opens with two solo shows.
Exploring Gender with Jonathan Stein and Introducing Birds are Nice with Miami artist Birds are nice. August 20 - October 15, 2010.


Jonathan exhibits a series of photographs that explore gender and violence.




Urban artist Birds are nice is showing light hearted- mixed media on cardboard.
An exhibition catalog was made for the Jonathan Stein exhibition.

For more information on both artists see links below
Jonathan Stein

Birds are nice

All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Call for more information 561. 799.8530

Derek Weisberg

We have a great line up of exhibitions this year. Please check out this link below for our October show. There is a time based project in relation to the exhibition.

For more information on this artist and project click here!

Studio visit with artist Birds Are Nice

This year we are sending our gallery committee around to chat with some of the artists exhibiting this year in our library gallery space. For our first visit we sent Dr. Jackie Kern to have a chat with Miami artist Birds are Nice.

Birds are Nice will be showing August 20 – October 15, 2010.

JK: Who is behind the wonderfully fun and refreshing Birds are Nice (BAN)? Why not use your real name?

BAN: I am an artist splitting my time between Miami and Palm Beach. I have been exhibiting for a few years with my real name. I became extremely bored and tired of being pigeon-holed as a particular type of artist. I just decided to forget everything I learned in art school and approach the work from a more fun, branding model.

JK: How do you feel this will be received in the fine art market? How are you marketing your work? Will BAN be seen as applied art or street art?

BAN: Probably and hopefully (to the street art thing)! I think once again my work is somewhere in between all types of art- so people will categorize it as they see fit. It is hard to break through any art market. So I figure if I am enjoying what I do, that will eventually get noticed by someone. One thing I have been running into is that it is really hard to be anonymous. The system is not set up for it. It confuses people. That is ok. I like to keep people thinking.

JK: Are there any agendas or themes in your work?

BAN: The only agenda I am going on this time is fun with visual/graphic appeal. However, that being said, I do have very strong opinions so they will probably keep trying to come out in the work. My main goal with this work is to make people see things they normally may not think is art and hopefully smile a little. Everyone is so serious all the time. Lighten up people! Fun is good.

JK: Tell us more about what we might see in your artwork that will make us smile and have fun? Who or what influences the work and how long has BAN existed?

BAN: THere are many unusual every day objects attached to the work. BAN has officially existed for about three months. I have been thinking about it for a while now. Besides, I was totally jealous of those graffiti guys all having fun names!

JK: What and who inspires Birds are Nice?

BAN: I really still enjoy Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol (I am getting back into screen printing), and several “urban-graffiti guys” such as Word to Mother, Os Gemeos, Know Hope. I like Dave Kinsey. There are a million.

JK: Tell us about your art background and experiences in making art? Have we seen your work before?

BAN: My degree (BFA) is in clay sculpture but I haven’t been doing that for years. My ideas don’t really fit into what the clay allowed me to do. Plus it takes too long. I am very spontaneous. It was very annoying waiting for clay to dry and fire. I consider myself a self-taught artist because I do a lot of digital illustration, screen printing and use materials I learned nothing about in school.

JK: What’s on the horizon for BAN? Where can we see BAN next? What can we expect?

BAN: I have a show coming up in September at Calix Gustav Gallery in the Wynwood Arts District, Miami. I have some plans brewing for some outdoor work in conjunction with Art Basel. Hopefully that will work out. After that? Big plans : )

For more info on BAN go to http://www.birdsarenice.com