#artistspotlight

[kidmograph]

HACKED [PHOTOSENSITIVE]

[thesoundoftheomens]

BAD OMENS x ERRA // ANYTHING ＞ HUMAN //

One of my favorite songs of [The OST]

Concept by Noah Sebastian

Creative direction by Davis Rider

Artwork by Nicola Izzo with Chiara Parisi as colors assistant

Animation by Braintickle Studio

Produced by Seth Marques & Josh Parsons

[kayuwerott]

One of my Playlist @Spotify

Analog Digital Sound. Synth. Spiritual Journey.

Surrounded by awesome Artists like: David Bowie, Kin Ping Meh, Tangerine Dream, Can, Brian Eno, Vangelis, Ash Ra Tempel and more...

incl. few of my Snyth Tracks. Have fun and thanks for listening and saving.

Synth Wave

#musicfriday #radiodust #PlaylistOfTheDay #NetflixTH #fypシ #newsおかえり #TBT #DreamBig #Spotify_BEFIRST #NewJeans #spotifyplaylist #TikTok #ArtistSpotlight #hits #bestsongsforever #moodchallengechallengeToday #musica #virals #art #tbt #Spotify #playlistoftheday #tbt #tbs #spotifyplaylist #newmusicfriday #newmusicalert #epic #music #share #listen #likeforlikes #followforfollowback #Superhit2024

[studioahead]

Artist Spotlight : Nobuto Suga

It will surprise no one that Studio AHEAD loves walking through the deep forests of Marin. So it was a delight to speak this month with Nobuto Suga, a Japanese-born woodworker who shares with us not only an appreciation for Northern California's forests, but a willingness to allow the natural world to influence and guide his creative work. To look at a Suga piece is to read, behind each block of wood, the tree that gave the piece its form and the landscape that gave home to the tree: "We are not separate from our natural world. Nor are we separate from each other." We were happy to speak of creative partnerships with those we cherish: in our case, Elena and Homan; with Suga and his partner Amy.

Studio AHEAD: Share with us some of your journey in arriving to California. Did you grow up here? What was your introduction to woodworking?

Nobuto Suga: I grew up in the countryside of Hiroshima, surrounded by forest and farmland. I started playing around with wood when I was sixteen. I remember one day my father brought some pieces of milled lumber home. The pieces came from trees that had been cut down on one of his landscaping sites. I was fascinated by the grain patterns in the wood and I wondered what form I could shape from the wood. I made a towel rack and some shelves, those were my first woodworking projects. They are still in my family home, and whenever I visit there, I see the living element of memory in those early pieces. 

In 2000, I went to upstate New York to study ecology and gain a wider understanding of ecosystems. On a visit to the West Coast my eyes were opened by the majestic landscape of an old-growth forest. When I settled in San Francisco in 2014, I reconnected with the forests and woodworking. I have been deepening my appreciation ever since.

SA: Does the region where the tree grows affect how you work with it? Does a tree in Japan necessitate a different way of keeping its integrity than does a tree in California?

NS: Yes, absolutely. It does affect how I work. I had an opportunity to work on the edge of the coast recently under an old cypress canopy. I felt a direct connection with the surrounding elements—the wind and the rocky landscape. Connectivity to place is a very important part of my process when forming and laying out a vision and a direction. Without that connection, I can not make work. Relationship to place is extremely meaningful for me.

The most majestic tree I have ever encountered is at a Shinto shrine in Hiroshima. It’s wildly branching. The tree is covered with moss and lichen. It hosts so much life. It is a living historical artifact. Typically the trees around shrines are given the most respect in Japan. But a tree is a tree and deserves deep respect no matter where it grows.

SA: Tell us more about this respect. How does a designer go about respecting the material? Does this play into or get in the way of innovation, of using materials new ways?

NS: I’m keen on using urban salvaged and reclaimed wood to extend the life of the source elements. Understanding resources and bringing out the best characteristics of the material are very important to me. Working with resources from this perspective can help lessen our consumption flow which is excessive and problematic. It is important to build awareness and have respect for our natural environment that we depend on for life. We are not separate from our natural world. I’m fortunate to have access to urban salvaged wood and reclaimed materials in the Bay Area. I’m just one of many here who works respectfully and consciously with wood. I’m glad to be part of this community of woodworkers.

SA: You helped repair Sol LeWitt sculptures in New York. What ways do repair and creation intersect or diverge?

NS: My plan at that time was to attend a landscape architecture program, to explore physical interaction with space as a way of connecting with nature. But instead, I was fortunate to meet with a few Japanese artists who worked with Sol LeWitt for many decades. I participated in two executions of his Open Cube Structure, learning directly from a lead fabricator/artist, Kazuko Miyamoto. It was a very repetitive process, and it was pleasing to see the progress of structure and various visual effects that appeared in each step. 

LeWitt’s sculptures are based on numbers, laying out a grid and a score, and the structural form emerges like a sound. The visual effects appear within the open cube from many different angles. I appreciate his vision, playfulness, endless curiosity, and openness to discoveries. LeWitt’s system of composition and application has a heavy impact on my practice. 

Over time, I have developed an interest in kiwari, a traditional Japanese method of proportion or a co-relationship with each structural component. There is an underlying interconnectedness that I experience in nature, and when I make something, as I put pieces together I am always trying to respond to this feeling.

SA: Can you elaborate on this? Is this harmony of proportion what you are trying to achieve, or are you purposefully distorting these ideas of proportion to evoke certain emotions?

NS: Woodworking gives me new challenges all the time. The harmony of proportion is a starting point and a structuring principle of a concept and a process. I’m not distorting these ideas, I’m searching for the best way to accommodate the material and honor what it is offering.

SA: Your partner, Amy, is your collaborator and you've built a home, studio and practice together. Tell us about how you work together.  We [Elena and Homan] are creative partners and are grateful we have each other to move through creative life together. If one of us feels unbalanced, the other brings us back or carries the baton for a while.

NS: Amy and I have been interacting and influencing each other with our creativity and sharing our appreciation for the last 15 years. She and I first met each other when we were both involved in the retrospective installation for Sol LeWitt at MASS MoCA in 2008. We had a spark and a similar appreciation of nature and have been together ever since. Our cultural backgrounds are different, but our attention to detail is the same. We’re both interested in the qualities of line and the negative space between things. And we both have a lot of respect for the untouched elements of a place or a material. We have been cultivating a shared language for the last fifteen years. 

We tend to take turns supporting each other’s passions and projects. When I was pursuing ecological restoration, I assisted Amy’s art practice by helping with installation and gathering materials. Five years ago, Amy set up our family woodworking business, Suga Studio.

I enjoy and appreciate her vision, playfulness with elements, and I admire her ability to transform an indescribable emotion to visualized formations. Our practices blend with regular and creative existence in a way that gives us energy and flexibility. Pursuing the passion and our listening hearts is filling me with gratitude and compassion. Our next direction is making an even deeper connection with nature. It inspires us both to the core of our being.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

[artlada1]

Intuitive art painting...✨🌙

[davidwfloydart]

The Silent Whispers by Misna Chanu 🎨 #artistspotlight #whispersofoursouls #whisperoftheheart #soundofsilence (at Catalina Foothills, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnup-AUPLTfGo80Bd9PS252qVBgL8L-ASSiQmg0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[sheishine]

Behanceポートフォリオのインスタで「編みキノコブローチ」をシェアして頂きました！ My knitted mushroom brooches were featured on @behance portfolio Instagram! #水島ひね #hinemizushima Posted @behance Moodboard inspired the fantastical and mystical world of fungi 🍄 Featuring work by @daninjafx, @hellosongbom, @songhkang, @bandaminta, @marielamezquita, @sheishine, @marijatiurina, @ionelaapetrii, @dashaplesen, and more. Full moodboard in our bio link.⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #behance #artistspotlight #moodboard #fungi #mushroom #3d #3dart #motiondesign #3ddesign #animation #illustration https://www.instagram.com/p/CpjpZXauDej/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johndibiase]

Here’s a repost of my freehand graphite @mskristinlkreuk drawing ☺️ #kristinkreuk #burdenoftruth #smallville #chuck #joannahanley #lanalang #glamour #model #draw #drawing #freehand #art #staedtler #instaart #artcollective #graphite #artistsoninstagram #pretty #pencil #artistspotlight #portrait #gallery #pencildrawing #sketch #wcw #realism #fanart #photorealistic #photorealism #jjdart https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmuhh0EPPEN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[pokeythakidd]

Artist Spotlight: #SaintHarison

Brilliant voice and artist, and literally every cover I’ve heard from him he dominated on it. Hopefully one day he gives the supporters a full project of such. But also outside of the he recently released a single which is also doing great on pop charts, anyways great talent and artist that you should look into. Nonetheless love this mans voice and I'm sure you all will too.

(They only allowed me to post one so this the introduction to him)

Artist ig: https://instagram.com/saintharison?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

#TPMDaily #TPMForeva #saintharison #adele #cover #Frankocean #Taylorswift #Yebba #TPMjustthemessenger #PokeythakiddFacts

[sutrala]

The Stafford Brothers Electrify the Globe with a Modern Big Room Release, ‘Weekend’ http://dlvr.it/TDYgMv

[visionproductions2008]

Massive shoutout to the incredibly talented marika1199 for this stunning Throne angel illustration in the Hellaverse style! 🔥 Your vision brought the concept to life in ways I never could’ve imagined—absolutely epic. 💀👑 Thanks for sharing your amazing gift with us!

[kidmograph]

RE:BORN 2022

[thesoundoftheomens]

So what do you want to know exactly? Why everyone has a different band member her/his favourite? For me it's Folio bc he's the drummer😀

Hello! I have gained a following pretty quickly so I would like to know what my demographic is and get to know everyone better.

That’s awesome. Folio is a great drummer. Definitely a reason why I’m a fan of Bad Omens.

[kayuwerott]

Thanks to Best Music in the Universe Surrounded by: Lewis Capaldi, Harry Styles, Cwby, Queen, Avicii etc.

My Tracks:

#15 / Oramee pi, Kay Uwe Rott

#44 / Empathy, Kay Uwe Rott

#46 / Oramee pi, Kay Uwe Rott

#musicfriday #radiodust #PlaylistOfTheDay #fypシ #newsおかえり #TBT #NewJeans #spotifyplaylist #TikTok #ArtistSpotlight #moodchallengechallengeToday #musica #virals #art #tbt #Spotify #playlistoftheday #tbt #tbs #spotifyplaylist #newmusicfriday #newmusicalert #music #cinematic #moviemusic #score #Hollywood #soundtrack #epic #modernart

[studioahead]

Studio Spotlight: Headlands Center for the Arts

The Marin Headlands is just north of San Francisco but worlds away. About halfway along its cape, home to some of the Bay Area's richest biodiversity, is a cluster of former military buildings that now house the Headlands Center for the Arts, unlike any museum or gallery in the city because its art is made on site. Its artists-in-residency program attracts international talent, but the Center keeps things local with a series of open studios, exhibitions, and artist talks for tourist and townie alike. We spoke with Mari Robles, executive director of the Center since 2021, about what it is like to build community in a place where you can see more stars in the sky than people on the streets.

Studio AHEAD: Hi, Mari! Tell us about how you came to Marin. Prior to your start at the Headlands, you were living in New York City, which is pretty much the opposite in terms of geography and pace of life.

Mari Robles: Marin is opposite in every way to NYC (and Chicago!)—coyotes, owls, stars, quiet! Like so many people, I started exploring new parts of myself during the pandemic, and the opportunity to extend that personal adventure to a new home and such an inspiring new mission felt right. And on a very basic level, how could you say no to such a beautiful place?

Studio AHEAD: What’s been the biggest change?

Mari Robles: I welcomed the change of pace, but I must admit, the first blackout in the Headlands was shocking.  I didn’t realize just how dark it could get. That, plus the fact that you can’t get food delivered or grab a taxi out here, can make you feel removed from the rest of the world. Ultimately, however, it’s that remove that allows for a great deal of reflection and an opportunity to commune with nature—all things that make Headlands such a special place for artists, and I’m happy to say, me as well.

Studio AHEAD: Has New York influenced how you approach your current position as executive director? Does Marin affect how you look back at your years in NYC?

Mari Robles: While I was working at The Met, I thought a lot about the conversation between local and global communities, specifically how they seem to be moving on a parallel path. We are living in a time when the most globally impactful thing you can do is to be hyper-responsive to your most immediate community. It’s so easy to overlook, but the impact of that approach radiates outwards and can influence the wider world in such meaningful ways. This was true of my experience in NYC, and based on my experiences so far, I also believe it’s true of the Bay Area.

Studio AHEAD: I love your idea of global and local moving in parallel—that’s a great way to describe how we work as designers.

Perhaps the biggest change from New York, and Chicago and Miami where you have also lived, is that there are far fewer people where you are. Does this create challenges in terms of building a community? We know the AIR program is doing a great job bringing people together….

Mari Robles: Recently, one of our summer residents called Headlands a “parenthesis in the world,” and that really struck me—this place is really so singular in the arts community. Our campus has a strong connection to the rest of the Bay Area while being distinctly separated from it, physically and psychologically. That means it can provide you with moments of heightened attention in which you’re deeply present with yourself, the artwork you’re seeing, your ideas, and your community. In order to experience this, however, you have to surrender to the inconvenience of traveling to this place. And depending on your starting point, that can indeed be daunting. But for those who are undeterred, that inconvenience is always worth it. 

Studio AHEAD: It’s worth it definitely. OK! Let’s talk actual art. A theme we noticed in reading a lot of the current art residents’ statements is the role California’s natural environment plays on their ways of making art. Certainly in our own work, we are always bringing the countryside into our design decisions. When deciding residents, are you looking for artists who are attuned to their surroundings?

Mari Robles: Headlands supports artists who are at an inflection point in their careers. This means they are primed to explore a promising new direction or idea, and that the space, time, resources, and affirmation we offer them will help them plunge deeper into themselves and their work than they might anywhere else. We essentially want to incubate their next artistic incarnation and give them what they need to bring their creative practice to the next level. One of the most beautiful aspects of our residency program is that we have artists from all disciplines from all over the world—from visual artists to writers, dancers to performers, and musicians, all with a mindset of tinkering and exchange. What they share with each other and those who visit their studios—particularly during our Open House events—is often raw and vulnerable. In my mind, seeing a work of art take shape is a defining experience at Headlands. Anyone and anything here can be a catalyst toward a real creative breakthrough.

Currently, VictoriaShen, an experimental sound artist from the Bay, is in residency in our Project Space. She’s making instruments using kites, her body, and obsolete technology, and opens her studio five days a week for everyone to see.

Studio AHEAD: Do you do your own creative work? Or are you more of an organizer/director?

Mari Robles: I did play violin in my twenties, but these days, I’m an avid art lover, supporter, and leader who practices creativity every day in my personal and professional life. I’m not an artist, but I believe in the transformative power of creativity and have seen my life become richer and more meaningful whenever I approach a situation through the lens of possibility and worldmaking.

Studio AHEAD: Speaking of worldmaking, what are some areas—a neighborhood, a favorite vista—that have most delighted you since moving here? 

Mari Robles: In Marin, I recently discovered the Pelican Inn by Muir Beach, and I cannot get enough of the cozy atmosphere and delicious meals. I also frequent Sandrino’s in Sausalito and just love their pizzas, wine selection, and tremendously warm hospitality. And any time I need to be replenished, I take a drive to Hawk Hill; it’s humbling to see the beauty of San Francisco from that distance and then turn towards the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

Over in the city, going to see a talk at City Arts has become one of my favorite things to do. I really enjoy the range of critical conversations they organize.

Lastly, I’ve also seen a few amazing concerts at the Fox Theater in Oakland—Grace Jones, Nils Frahm—followed by some of the most delicious street food. I love the energy and living of those moments. 

Studio AHEAD: Thank you, Mari!

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva