A poem by me
Neighbors
I walk out of the door of my home and I am immediately confronted with the necessity to impress the neighbors. Stand up straight, speak clearly and gently to your siblings and do not, do not raise your hand above them as to reprimand them for their behavior. Not in front of the neighbors. Smile. Smile open your mouth wide to show you are happy. Happy to be residing in a world where you don’t feel you belong. Happy to be putting up this happy little front.
Do not shout in anguish over a scrapped knee or laugh loud and bright at the witty sayings that flow from the innocent mouths of your kin. Not in front of the neighbors. Do not think about the anger or hurt you feel from those who should be making it alright. The fire licking your insides, the everlasting smoke creating the everlasting tears.
Paint your face. Play your part. Resemble the beloved actor. That’s what the neighbors want.
Flower Gate @ Wynwood Walls
Wynwood is a large plate of art with a side of spontaneous creativity. Being one of the largest outdoor graffiti exhibits, Miami is very proud of our art scene here in Wynwood.
Wynwood houses the annually celebrated Art Basel art festival every December. Hundreds artists from around the world converge on Miami Beach to take part in this infamous festival. During Art Basel, you can walk through the streets and watch artists paint murals all over Wynwood and attend galas in the many galleries. This year, Basel is set to run from December 4-7.
Another interesting aspect of the Wynwood Art District, is that it is alway changing. You can see an artist working meticulously on a mural, but the next mont, it has been covered by another artist’s work; it is like on going circle of art.
From the young to the old, the modern to the classic, Wynwood has something that will surprise everyone.
Dot Fifty-One Gallery
On Friday, July 18, I was able to visit the “Reverse: Rewriting Culture.” group exhibit presented by the following artists; Consuelo Castaneda, David Rohn, Eduardo Rivera Salvatierra, Fernando Bayona González, Fernando García, Jonathan Wahl, Juan Pablo Ballester, and Nereida Garcia-Ferráz housed at the Dot Fifty-One Gallery in Wynwood.
The story behind the exhibit was interesting. They wanted to show that there is no such thing as “gay art” or “lesbian art” or “transgender art”, but I felt it was unnecessary. The fact that these artists felt the need to show the public that there is no difference between a heterosexual artist’s work and a homosexual artist’s work is ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, each and every artist has their own flare and style that makes them unique, but the fact that artists are judged because of their sexuality is not how we should be thinking in this day and age. Our sexuality now throws us into a one sized coffin, but no one is the same size.
Two pieces of art caught my attention; the first one being an untitled piece by Nereida Garcia-Ferráz. At first glance, I saw driftwood. Pieces of wood ripped from a ship’s hull as it crashed into a cluster of rocks. The colors weathered and dull from the salt water; the wood patterns showing through the hindered paint. This sculpture also gives us a taste of what the exhibit is trying to convey. I believe that the artist is saying that this is what homosexuality looks to heterosexual people. Rearranged and deranged. No longer able to be used for what we think it should be used for.
Nereida Garcia-Ferráz
Once the sculpture had been explained, I could see the stadium chairs they were. Garcia-Ferráz took chairs from the abandoned Miami Marina Stadium, tore them apart, and recreated this sculpture. I found it as such a great piece. Because there was no evident title, the spectator was able to imagine what story this piece was straying to convey.
The second piece, to much of my disappointment, did not have a title, description, or name of an artist anywhere near. (This was one of the problems I had with the gallery in general.) I found this piece very interesting. It was an installation of sorts. Forks, knives, and spoons could be seen protruding out of the walls, all of them connected by wire wrapped with rubber. Also connected was a goblet, salt shaker, and plate. All of these objects hung ghostly above a low, black table. It looked like a spider web.
All in all, I found the trip to the gallery interesting. I enjoyed experiencing the different emotions each piece was able illicit from me.
Artistically Prone 