Sarasota, Florida to Xiamen, China

Xiamen Artist Exchange

After talking about the Sarasota Sister City Exchange 

for the past five months, the exchange is finally underway!

My journey to Xiamen, China started at 3:30a.m.est.  I arrived at Tampa International Airport/TPA at 5:00a.m est. I barely made it through the Continental International ticketing process with just enough time to clear security and board for Newark, NJ/EWR in route to Hong Kong.

I can see NYC from my vantage point in the Continental terminal at EWR with a clear view on a beautiful sunny Mother's Day.

I depart at 3:15p.m. est from Newark and arrive in Hong Kong at 7:05p.m. on May 9,2011.

I depart Hong Kong at 9:40p.m. and arrive in Xiamen at 10:50p.m.  A long day of travel,

putting one foot in front of the other.

Fifteen of the twenty-five pieces I am carrying in my bag for an upcoming exhibition at Xiamen University in June, 2011.  I will be be meeting with graduates, undergraduate students and faculty in the next few weeks.  I will be  to giving a lecture about the work, conduct a demonstration and meet with students about their work.  Its exciting and inspirational to think about all the possibilities connected with our meeting.

I was recently selected as one of two cultural ambassadors to 

represent the City of Sarasota in a cultural exchange to our 

sister city of Xiamen, China.  I will be meeting with students 

and faculty at Xiamen University, independent artists and cultural 

art organizations in Xiamen.

I will be exhibiting twenty new pieces at Xiamen University in conjunction with a lecture and a workshop for students.

I will be leaving for Xiamen on May 8,2011 and will be there through May 24,2011.

Bona Fide Florida 2009/10

I was recently selected as one of eight Florida Artists to participate in a national exhibition entitled: Navel Gazing, Artists Visions of Florida. The exhibition will open at the Brevard Art Museum in Melbourne, Florida on January 30, 2010.

My proposal involved creating "new" work inspired by taking an unconventional expedition through the heart of Florida between Sarasota, Florida and Melbourne, Florida.  That seven-hour, 375 mile round-trip field expedition took place on the last day of November, 2009. 

After meeting with curator Jackie Borsanyi at the Brevard Art Museum, we determined that my contribution to the exhibition would be five new 24"x36" mixed-media drawings on frosted mylar.  I will be using this blog to document the creative process and devlopment of those new pieces.

6:57 a.m

30 November, 2009

Leaving the Gulf of Mexico, I headed north on a route that would involve traveling on a portion of the original "Cracker Trail" in Manatee county. I then proceeded east-northeast through the undisturbed center of the sunshine state toward the Atlantic Ocean.  The Cracker Trail was used by the early settlers and cattlemen of Florida to move goods and livestock between the populated coasts of Florida.  Much of the route looks as it must have in the later part of the eighteenth century.

The Route:

301N from Sarasota

SR70E
SR675N
SR64E
27N
SR630E
60E
SR441/15N

SR192/500E to Melbourne

Click on each image to enlarge.

You can view my professional work at:

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~rfarber/index.html

Navel Gazing: Artists Visions of Florida

NEW DRawings: 2010

These most recent drawings are my contribution to an exhibition entitled; Navel Gazing, Artists Visions of Florida. I was selected as one of sixteen artists from the United States to create "new" work about Florida.  The work will be featured at the Brevard Art Museum in Melbourne, FL on January 30, 2010.

I created the following suite of five mixed-media drawings in response to a 375 mile unconventional round-trip expedition between Sarasota, Fl on the Gulf Coast of Florida and Melbourne, FL on the Atlantic coast of Florida on the last day of November 2009.  With this newest suite of drawings, I attempted to represent the journey, the space and the landscape between the two coasts of Florida.

They are the residue of that experience and reflect an atypical journey through the heart of undisturbed Florida.

1. 10-70 In Progress SR64E and Myakka Rd., 2010, Mixed-media, 24"x36" on Frosted Mylar

Detail: 10-70 In Progress...

2. "Its Whats for Dinner Mate...", The Kibler Ranch, 2010, Mixed-media, 24"x36" on Frosted Mylar

Detail: " Its Whats for Dinner...

3. Captain Tom Navigates the Kissimmie River Lock After Leaving Bird Island... 2009, Mixed-media, 24x36 on Frosted Mylar

Detail: Captain Tom...

4. Alone on The Cracker Trail, SR64E , 2010, Mixed-media, 24"x36" on Frosted Mylar

Detail: Alone on the Cracker Trail, SR64E...

5. “Code 12...” SR 60W at Yeehaw Junction, 2010, Mixed-media, 24"x36" on Frosted Mylar

Detail: “Code 12...” SR 60W...

Click the images to enlarge.

You can view my professional work at:
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~rfarber/index.html

Creative Process:

This particular suite of five images was selected from over three

hundred images shot on the route between Sarasota, FL and Melbourne, FL. The images were shot through either the driver or passenger side window. I typically hold the camera at arm's length as the vehicle moves at speeds between 45-70mph. I intentionally do not look thru the viewfinder. This method of capturing images seems to more accurately reflect the suburban experience of moving through the landscape, from place-to-place, in an automobile.

As a result of that process, I never quite know what I have captured.
This adds an element of chance and random spontaneity to the work. I typically respond to the selected images by adding physical layers of information to the surface. These physical layers generally take the form of paint, collage elements, drawing or diagrammatic information. That information is added in layers as the drawing is developed over several work sessions.  I rarely, if ever, pre-plan the work. Its a risky creative process, but the conceptual/formal challenge of creating the visual narrative and pulling the image out of the ground keeps me engaged in the work.

Click the images to enlarge.



You can view my professional work at:
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~rfarber/index.html

Forgotten Route

Much of the route is shrouded in a mix of late Fall sun and high clouds.

Just minutes outside the commercialism and coastal conjestion, you encounter a mysterious, fertile and undisturbed Florida landscape.  To some, this stretch of state highway must seem as an impediment to their journey between the populated coasts of Florida.  I drive for an hour at a time along the route without encountering a single vehicle.

Click the images to enlarge.

You can view my professional work at:

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~rfarber/index.html

Image Construction

How the drawings are constructed:  The drawings go through a series of steps that enable me to add several layers of information, media and materials.  The layers happen in no systematic order.  Layers of matte MSUVA varnish, paint, drawing media, and collage elements are added and subtracted throughout the creation of the work. 

After the images have been selected, they are typically manipulated in PhotoShop and then printed on acid free matte paper. I use Polar White, matte paper.  The image area measures 6"x26".  The completed drawing will eventually be mounted onto a 24"x36" sheet of frosted mylar when it is finished.

Layers of information are added to the image in layers. Drawings on oriental gampi paper are created, to scale, to be collaged into the drawing.  The drawing components are then attached to the surface using a PVA archival glue.

Layers of paint and varnish continue to be added to the image.

Silkscreen information is added to the image.  Drawing information is created to scale on an oriental sheet of Gampi paper.

Drawing elements are collaged into place using PVA archival glue.

The drawing continues to have layers of information added and

subtracted until it is resolved.  The first of five drawings nears

completion in December 2009.

Captain Tom Navigates the Kissimmie River Lock after Leaving Bird Island...Mixed-media, 7"x26" image area mounted on 24"x36" Frosted Mylar 2009.

Detail

Click the images to enlarge.


You can view more of my professional work at:

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~rfarber/index.html