Name: Tash
Location: Weehawken, NJ
All Other Entries: Link Here
Artwork: Self Portrait by Kiara & Shadowbox Piece by Unknown
Purchased/Found: West Broadway & Spring
Price: $0 & $60
Pitch:
The first piece is a self portrait of my sister Kiara. She created this for a final project in college a few years ago. The small art piece next to Kiara was done by a street artist in Soho. He is from Vermont and sells these unique shadowbox pieces (made out of wire from a porch screens) on the streets in West Broadway and Spring. I paid $60. I don't know his name. If the light hits it just right, a unique shadow forms. It's usually in our kitchen. I give a bit more explanation below.
Artwork: Woman's Face by
Jacinta!
Purchased/Found: West Broadway & Spring
Price: $60
Pitch:
The second art piece is a large one I commissioned by an artist i met on the streets in SOHO. It's the first thing you see when you walk into the door of our apartment. The artist's name is Jacinta Stewart. She is originally from australia. .(Email Jacinta! js@jacinta-stewart.com)
Hi, I've been way too shy about entering any of these contests, but I love art and I think I have a unique way of finding and attaining good, original, affordable art.
I started collecting original art about ten years ago. However, it wasn't until I moved to the New York City area with my husband three years ago that I really started.
Where?
I buy my art on the streets of New York City.
Every Saturday and Sunday, I walk around the city and talk to fascinating artists.I never buy the ubiquitous stuff bought by Midwestern tourists (sorry, I love the Midwest, really I do) Instead, I converse with the artists about what inspired a favorite piece. So in our apartment - nearly everything is original or a limited edition and I know the back story behind each piece. Most it has been purchased for no more than $50 to $800 bucks. Only one piece cost as much as $800. One limited edition, which is my husband's office, was done by a man from Senegal - a famous African stampmaker. Now, he paints and sells his art on the streets of Spring and West Broadway and is probably one of the most well-respected of the street artist in Soho. He does a sort of African cubism.
There is also this big grizzly of a guy named Steven Duffy who sells fantastic etchings for $25 or more. There are some that's less. All of these guys are in the same spot in Soho - around West Broadway and Spring. Duffy has sold several pieces to some famous celebrities scouting the streets for art.
One of my favorites: It's sort of a portrait-sculptor of a woman's face. The face is made out of the same material used to make porch screens. The artist is from Vermont. It cost me $60 and everyone loves it. But the colorful portrait you are looking at comes from Jacita Stewart.(Email Jacinta! js@jacinta-stewart.com) She is an artist from Australia. She lives in SOHO, where she rents a room from an 80-year-old artist. I met Jacita on around Spring and West Broadway as I was checking out art for an article i was working on. Jacita was standing on the streets with the most beautiful art piece of a European-looking woman. A dog was just about to pee on it. I fell madly inlove with the piece and commissioned a similar piece, but I wanted it to be of a woman of color. I paid about $800 for it. It is the first thing you see when you walk into our apartment. Everyone has their opinion of it. The other piece you see - a seminude self-portrait - is of my sister. This was her final project for college. It has to do with body image and hair. She is stunningly beautiful in real life and I think the art piece shows that. I have much more in my apartment, but I hope you enjoy what you see. We do!
Tash from Weehawken, NJ
Stunning. Also, love your ways of collecting art. I love art with a story.
i LOVE your sister's work. can we see more of it somewhere? this entry is inspiring!
You win! This is awesome.
Love the painting. Strong, vibrant colors and slightly edgy.
I love your pieces. You have such great taste in art. You are definitely the winner.
I know Kiara's work and for all of you that are "oohing" and "ahhhing" -- and you surely should -- you have no idea how how truly beautiful hand evocative her work really is...up close and personal. The painting looks great on the wall with the lighting but what you don't see is the third dimension; and that is that the hair on her head is HAIR. It's quite incredible and really moves the as an art piece up a notch.
And don't forget the cool clock. So fifties motel/coffeeshop. Fabulous!
i love it. it's so rich. love your sis's piece. i would be proud to own that too. great collection.
Just beautiful - thank you for sharing!
Wow! Thanks for these nice comments. My sister is an artist in Boston and has several pieces like these. I am sure she wouldn't mind showing others. I just love art with stories behind them. I guess it's the journalist in me. In the third picture frame (the one with the eames-era clock) , you'll see a small yellow and black painting. I got that from a street artist in soho. He lives in Union City and I think he had some issues with drugs in the past. I liked the painting (i bought for $40) and asked him what was it. A mask? He said "no, it's me looking around a corner when I was on drugs and before I turned a more positive corner." That same photo shows a picture of a black man in a coat. I found the poster on the streets of paris eight years ago. It was announcing some art showing at a nearby gallery. I tracked down the gallery and learned more about the artist.It's hard for me to buy anything without knowing something about its story. I've never found an artist who didn't want to tell their story. Have you?
Can you come right now and do something this great with my space?! Fabulous!
tash, thanks for overcoming your shyness because this is a real treat. I love everything about it. The first shot of your sister's portrait in the lamplight is so beautifully photographed, you are an artist yourself. Those three elements are perfect together. The room is also a wonderful composition. I especially love that you are recognizing the stories of the art, which at its best shoud be full of narrative and meaning. You interweave those stories with you own when you seek out those artists who speak to you and you live with their works. A collection of art can be like a great party and you put together some interesting voices. Awesome on every level.
I just love the self portrait!! Stunning!
I really like this - it just seems to be an interesting and comfortable house. It feels like a real house, even if positioned for pictures.
Though all the art is great, I esp love the Jacinta painting... warm and happy, like it's a benevolent personality in the room.
love it!!!!!
The work is great lil sis gotta keep it up, its hard being a artist and she's doing a great job of it for years now. Tommy
All I can say is Chic and Homey!! You blend everything together so well, yet everyone of your pieces talks to its viewer. Keep it up Tash!
(Wink)
Wow!! I've just recently become interested in art. I had no idea there could be so much meaning behind the artwork. I like the way you collect your art! I really love the one of your sister. She's beautiful and the real hair makes it extremely unique. I like the fact that the one by Jacinta is the first thing you see as you walk into your apartment.....what a great conversation piece....especially the part about the dog getting ready to pee on it.
Tash,
I love your pieces, particularly the self-portrait of your sister. The form, the 3-dimensionality, soft colors are beautiful. Gorgeous, bold, self-assured. What else is your sister doing? Does she have a website? Also the Jacinta piece is a real stand-out. The brush strokes and texture almost jump off the computer screen. Does she work in oil or acrylic? These certainly are not timid pieces and you do have a great eye for current artists! What else are you hiding in there?
One more thing, I love the wall color and furnishings. DWR? Also those table lamps are really nice. Good job!
Your collection is fabulous. I really dig your style. Thanks for sharing.
TLS
Such an evocative collection! And the artists' stories? That is totally the way to collect: piece by piece, like creating a family, each with its own history and personality. The point isn't the price. Rather, it's what speaks to you individually. And we love the fact that each piece can stand on its own, nevermind that together they make a beautiful whole. Hats off!
Tash: I am a collector mainly of art of people of color. Your art is stunning! I really love Jacinta's work and in fact she reminds me of another artist named Gina Beavers.
Do you know if it would be possible to purchase some of her works even though I live in D.C.
Keep entering these contests - you really have an eye for design. My style is somewhat similar and I utilize much of the art I collected in my design. I love the piece of your sister.
Wonderful presentation!
candi, thank you so much for your kind words. good to hear there are others out there like me. the piece from jacinta was actually commissioned by me. I look nothing like the art piece - i wish, but she did take a photograph, but i think most of it came from her own imagination.
here is jacinta's website. you can check out her work. she is really wonderful.
http://www.jacinta-stewart.com/