Top of this document
Go directly to navigation
Go directly to page content

Article, Mailing: PUMAVision

One Week Left to Apply:

Three fully paid trips to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel

  • Art Basel -

    Art Basel takes place in Halls 1 and 2 of Messe Basel, Messeplatz, 4005 Basel, Switzerland. Hall 1: Built in 1999 by the Swiss architect and art collector Theo Hotz, this hall hosts Art Unlimited, Art Statements, Art Basel Conversations, Art Salon. Hall 2: A landmark building from the 1950s, built by Hans Hoffmann, the building hosts Art Galleries, Art Feature, Art Edition and Art Magazines.

If you haven’t yet applied for the three fully paid trips to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel now is the time!

Applications close on 15 May 2012.

Since mid-March hundreds of members of each Creative Art Network site have joined us in celebrating the third anniversary of the Creative Art Network by applying for this opportunity.

Open to one member of each Creative Art Network, these trips will take place from 14 - 20 June, 2012 and will include: Transportation from your home town to Switzerland, then Germany and back home; 4 days (3 nights accommodation) in Basel, Switzerland; 3 days (2 nights accommodation) in Kassel, Germany; Welcome dinner with PUMA.Creative Chief Curator Mark Coetzee; Tickets to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel.

dOCUMENTA (13) is one of the world’s leading arts events centred in Kassel, Germany every 5 years and Art Basel is the foremost commercial art fair taking place annually in Basel, Switzerland.

To apply for the Creative Caribbean Network trip to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel please log into your Creative Caribbean Network Profile and navigate to the opportunity’s page found here:

http://www.creativecaribbeannetwork.com/page/28124/en

Contributions
Comments (4)

Gearman Queue Worker added a comment to Three fully paid trips to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel

How do I stop getting emails from Gearman Qkueue Worker. It seems like a virus or just plain harassing. Is anyone else getting these annoying emails?

,
11 May 2012, 2:19

Re: Gearman Queue Worker added a comment to Three fully paid trips to dOCUMENTA (13) and Art Basel

Dear Charo

Please send an example of the spam and we can follow up with the user.

Thanks

PUMAVision

Charo Oquet:
How do I stop getting emails from Gearman Qkueue Worker. It seems like a virus or just plain harassing. Is anyone else getting these annoying emails?

,
13 May 2012, 23:43

I AM GREATLY INTERESTED IN THE TRIPS TO dOCUMENTA (13) and MEETING MR. MARK COETZEE!

In the words of the late but immensely GREAT Godfather of Soul, James Brown, "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE" include me in the drawing for the three fully paid trips to dOCUMENTA (13), art Basel and to meet with PUMA.Creative Chief Curator Mark Coetzee!!!!

As a scholar and educator of Africana studies and an aspiring artist who is trying to become global in outreach, I will TRULY appreciate attending such a prestigious event if I am selected. Grateful for this AMAZING opportunity afforded, I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!

http://www.creativecaribbeannetwork.com/person/18358/en

With great sincerity,

Karen D. Brame El-Amin

,
14 May 2012, 23:38

"Nu(bian) World Order" Black & White Photography Montage

This montage of photographs, "Nu(bian) World Order", is a visual representation of one of my interpretations of the Africana experience in the United States from a Black male perspective.

While to conspiracy theorists, the term, “New World Order”, often refers to the rise of a one-world, authoritarian governmental system, it is more widely recognized and accepted as an historical era that witnessed a dramatic change in the international balance of powers and global political ideologies. Although this term is often applied to Western civilization and its global influence, I re-purposed it to reflect Western civilization’s source from its earliest beginnings in Africa, the origin of awesome empires including Nubia, Egypt, Mali, Kush and Songhai and the birthplace of humanity, according to many anthropologists, historians and scholars.

The slave trade, the holocaust which brutalized Africa, had tragic long-lasting effects for many of the Africa Diaspora, including the loss of connections to cultural identity and respect for heritage. In the United States, the Black man, often portrayed as a “Boogey Man” of sorts, has been presented in the most negative of lights and associated with degradation. His image is often that of a coward, a murderer, a negligent spouse, an unwilling parent and a shiftless or ungodly person.

While there are individuals who do represent these roles, with this piece, I wanted to include other images of “The Black Man” in order to illustrate the diversity of his humanity. My intention for "Nu(bian) World Order" is that it will present a more authentic portrayal of him and provide a truer sense of reality. This more inclusive and accurate “definition” and representation of The Black Man signifies a “New World” interpretation of him and the “order” or significance of his global presence and his powerful contributions.

The subject of the piece, The Black Man, is primarily represented in four different images. I wanted to convey the content of "Nu(bian) World Order" through the use of plastic elements such as shapes, details and colors. I chose actual lines, as in the quadrilateral shapes of the bricks in the wall and the cylindrical shape of the lamp post, primarily for the purpose of contour, when contrasted with the more fluid, rounded shapes of the human subject. The use of one medium, photography, builds a sense of unity in the montage and the choice to use coloration heightens the impact and rhythm to create a feel of harmony. The use of welcoming colors such as violet, grey and coral invites the viewer to take a more active role in approaching the art and the subject matter.

The subject is “captured” in his various positions for expressive purposes to reflect the social and cultural context of The Black Man. The sizing of the subject varies throughout "Nu(bian) World Order", lending a sense that none is actually subordinate to another. While the figures are not bilaterally symmetrical, they are balanced in such a way that they achieve unity. Both the figures and the shadows are equally important, greatly enhancing a sense of cohesion.

To imply space and create depth throughout the montage, I also utilized both foreshortening and one-point perspective. Foreshortening demands certain figures in the foreground appear closer to the viewer by being proportionately larger while others in the background appear farther away by being proportionately smaller. I used one-point perspective to focus viewers’ attention on the subject, further identifying him as central to each photograph.

All these artistic devices and components allow for greater representation of the equality of the human components that define The Black Man, including history, professionalism, a sense of cultural pride and spirituality. Inspiration is received from the connections to others of the Africa Diaspora, most notably Marcus Garvey as pictured on the subject’s tee-shirt and the Afro-Germans as evidenced by his military cap on which the word, “Berlin” is emblazoned. Also highly significant is the link with Africa, as presented through the use of traditional garb and fez and the subject’s position of prayer. These connections are among the most positive features of "Nu(bian) World Order".

This piece embraces a great deal of complexity, from the energy that is encompassed in the work to the intended purposes of the work. However, I believe that this montage has the capacity to be analyzed, appreciated and discussed for a long time. Because of its complexity, with each viewing, one can see something new in "Nu(bian) World Order".

Karen D. Brame El-Amin M.A., M.A.

,
14 May 2012, 23:45