Tag: argentina

Cool is Kul is “Cool”

What makes something or someone “cool”?

The whole concept has become blurred by so many personal interpretations that to some, it may have even lost meaning.

I keep hoping, at the very least, that it maintains a certain conceptual dignity in true reference to its roots.

According to the Oxford dictionary, it was originally an African-American usage that became popular in the 1930´s as a general term of approval, meaning something akin to admirable or excellent, combined with certain aloofness that is meant to give it an aura of mystery.

Yet some have concurrently developed the idea that the concept of “cool” originally developed from the Swedish word for “fun”, kul, which sounds very much like cool.

When one thinks about it, it is a nice idea to join both competing interpretations, as “cool” was popularized among jazz musicians and enthusiasts in the late 1940s to describe the music, art and scene that evolved with the great American Jazz revolution.

Cool to me is still that.

Cool is excellence, aloofness, and fun. And all of these terms relate perfectly to Jazz.

What I try to do as an artist is also “cool” in its own way.

My light synesthesia has embraced my most creative instincts around jazz. I consider jazz to be the best example we have of a creative community. Forget about brain storming sessions. Just think of Miles Davis and his band in 1958/61.

This is the perfect combination of extremely creative individuals combining to make something sublime, without losing the characteristics of each musician. It is the perfect example of cool.

My art feeds on that brilliance. I admit my talent would not be able to show itself in the same way without musical creative geniuses like these.

And it is my hope that my art reflects that same aura of coolness.

Charade_(2014)_90x130 — CHARADE (2014) 130CM X 90CM ACRYLIC, INK AND OIL BASED PAINTS ON WOOD. Copyright 2014 Ignacio Alperin

Art that is fun, intellectually challenging, and aloof enough to make the path to its full discovery, something interesting and worth doing.

I leave you with a Miles Davis Quintet full concert, from 1967. Enjoy.

Until the next time.

Ignacio

Tags abstract, abstract expressionism, acrilico, acrylic on canvas, Alperin, Architecture, argentina, argentine art, art marketing, arte, arte innovador, artistas argentinos, artistic intervention, contemporary art, expressionism, ignacio alperin bruvera, music on canvas, suit and tie, visual jazz

2013 Art works 2013 Exhibitions Exhibitions IN ENGLISH Promoting your Art Videos Visual Jazz

An afternoon with Mr. Evans (and if it is in Paris, even better…)

Post author By Ignacio Alperin Bruvera
Post date September 24, 2013
No Comments on An afternoon with Mr. Evans (and if it is in Paris, even better…)

Bill Evans is one of those artists who are constantly present in my work.

This great piano genius was born in New Jersey, in 1929. He passed away in 1980 from health complications related to his hepatitis and his cocaine drug abuse, in what was described by a close colleague as “the longest suicide in history”.

At the height of his career, Evans was as emblematic to jazz and his instrument (piano) as Miles Davis was to the movement and trumpet playing.

He is seen as the main reformer of the harmonic language of jazz piano and was influenced by impressionist composers such as Debussy and Ravel. His versions of jazz standards, as well as his own compositions, always featured thorough changes to their original harmonies. Musical features included added tone chords, modal inflections, unconventional substitutions, and modulations.

From Wikipedia:

Above is an example of Evans’s harmonies. The chords feature extensions like 9ths and 13ths, are laid around middle C, have smooth voice leading, and leave the root to the bassist. Bridge of the first chorus of Waltz for Debby (mm.33-36). From the homonymous album of 1961.

One of Evans’s distinctive harmonic traits is abandoning the inclusion of the root in his chords, leaving this work to the bassist, played on another beat of the measure, or just left implied. “If I am going to be sitting here playing roots, fifths and full voicings, the bass is relegated to a time machine.” This idea had already been explored by Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner, and Red Garland. In Evans’s system, the chord is expressed as a quality identity and a color. Most of Evans’s harmonies feature added note chords or quartal voicings.

Thus, Evans created a self-sufficient language for the left hand, a distinctive voicing, that allowed the transition from one chord to the next while hardly having to move the hand. With this technique, he created an effect of continuity in the central register of the piano. Laying around middle C, in this region the harmonic clusters sounded the clearest, and at the same time, left room for contrapunctal independence with the bass. Evans’s improvisations relied heavily in motivic development, either melodically or rhythmically.Motives may be broken and recombined to form melodies. Another characteristic of Evans’s style is rhythmic displacement. His melodic contours often describe arches.Other characteristics include sequenciation of melodies and transforming one motive into another.^”

Beyond his brilliance as a pianist and musician, and his technical excellence, Evans managed to imbue his music with a such warmth and melancholy that listening to him playing, even today, generates a deep emotional vibration.

This new work of mine, from 2013 and simply called “An afternoon with Mr. Evans” is one more of the many jazz and Evans inspired works in my own artistic repertoire.

An afternoon with Mr. Evans_2013_50x65 b — AN AFTERNOON WITH MR. EVANS (2013), ACRILYC, INK AND OIL BASED PAINTS ON CANVAS, 50CM X 65CM, c Copyright 2013 Ignacio Alperin

I leave you while I hope you enjoy these next few minutes listening of this genius playing live in 1972 .

See you next time.

Ignacio

Tags abstract, abstract expressionism, acrilico, acrylic on canvas, Alperin, Architecture, argentina, argentine art, art marketing, arte, arte innovador, artistas argentinos, artistic intervention, contemporary art, expressionism, ignacio alperin bruvera, music on canvas, suit and tie, visual jazz

2008 art works 2009 art works 2010 art works 2011 art works 2011 Exhibitions 2012 art works 2013 Art works 2013 Exhibitions Design Exhibitions IN ENGLISH Visual Jazz

Ñ, that weird little letter which may well define the Spanish language, and its role in an undefined coffee table

Post author By Ignacio Alperin Bruvera
Post date May 29, 2013
No Comments on Ñ, that weird little letter which may well define the Spanish language, and its role in an undefined coffee table

The most popular and competing Western languages in the world are English and Spanish.

For the Spanish speaker, the letter Ñ (roughly pronounced N-ee-A ) is like a symbol of this language´s uniqueness.

In Argentina, the top selling literature, arts and culture magazine, edited by CLARIN (the country´s most popular and largest selling newspaper) is properly called simply “Ñ”.

Yes, just a letter, but one that is the symbol of a whole language.

This magazine is published every Saturday and has average weekly sales of approximately 80,000 copies. Ñ, together with the LA NACION´s newspaper ADN (DNA in Spanish, and a different and perhaps more modern way of asserting where its cultural roots are), are the 2 most popular cultural magazines in the country.

I have been privileged enough to have been featured in both at different times, and it is always a proud moment when I can see my work reproduced in such prestigious and popular publications, and particularly when I find myself surrounded by articles on truly amazing local and international artists.

Last Saturday (May 25^th) I was surprised to find my latest intervention, and what has become so far this year´s one of my most popular works (my “Crystal coffee table with color pencils”), being featured on page 6.

It is always fun to see how a writer approaches a piece of work. I still remember a short article in the same magazine a couple of years ago, in which a journalist with immense generosity, compared and intertwined my work in my “Visual Jazz Series” with Julio Cortazar´s writings and his love for Jazz (for an explanation of how my art and music are interconnected, and particularly Jazz, check out “Jazz means freedom” at http://wp.me/pN8b8-9s ).

This time the reporter took a more clinical approach, which oddly enough I feel it is the right way to look at the piece.

First of all, because only a live viewing will reveal a certain depth and 3 dimensionality, that cannot be explained through a photograph. Secondly, because the piece is intriguing and that fuzziness is better left for the viewer to unravel, rather than subject it to an explanation that can only partially encompass all that it has to offer.

And I can only invite you, if you can, to have a look at it live at the Buenos Aires Design Shopping Mall, where it will be on show for a little while longer. And if you can´t, do not worry, at the very least I have some great pictures from the great Fabian Cañás which I have published here previously and on Facebook for you to look at and enjoy. I hope you do.

Until the next time.

Ignacio

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Follow Ignacio on…

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ignacioalperin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Contemporary-Artist-Ignacio-Alperin-Bruvera/147225685298260

Tags abstract, ADN, Alperin, alperin art, alperin art london, alperin art new york, alperin bruvera, alperin design, alperin visual jazz, architectural design, Architecture, argentina, argentine art, ARQ, art, art and jazz, art and music, Art Deco, art from music, art interventions, art marketing, art sale, arte, artistas argentinos, artistic intervention, australian art, Ñ, bill evans, Buenos Aires, buenos aires design recoleta, Clarin, coltrane, constructivists, contemporary art, contemporary artist, contemporary visual artist ignacio alperin, cortazar, crystal coffee table with pencils, Design, design interventions, Dinah Washington, dizzie, ella fitzgerald, established, established artists, expressionism, expressionist, faber-castell, Furniture design, Global Art Group, ignacio alperin bruvera, ignacio alperin bruvera visual jazz, ignacio alperin contemporary artist, ignacio alperin contemporary design., ignacio alperin international exhibitions, ignacio alperin miami, ignacio alperin visual jazz, impressionist, innovative design, Jay z, jazz, jazz made visual, jazz visual, jazzy art, JT, justin timberlake, kandisnky, La Nacion, miles, miles davis, mirror, modern visual jazz, monk, music and art, music on canvas, my favorite design, my visual jazz, Nina Simone, object intervention, open arts, Pencil, picasso, pollock, Revista Ñ, sculpture, sinatra, suit & tie, suit and tie, tony bennett, van koenig, visual, visual jazz

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ART, SUIT & TIE

As everyone who knows me (www.ignacioalperin.com) knows, I am a maker of art and a lover of both art and music, particularly jazz and all its variations.

I have always endeavored to put both artistic forms of expression together, looking to synthesize them into new creations.

I have managed to do my own thing, but my love for the works of great geniouses like Kandinsky, Picasso, Van Koenig, Rauschenberg, and Pollock amongst others, will show through.

In music, even though my tastes are usually expressed in terms of the great bebop and hard bop masters like Evans, Coltrane, Monk, Davis, Pepper, Bird, and the golden era of American voices like Ella, Sinatra, Bennett, Dinah Washington, and Nina Simone, I am quite eclectic. I love classical music, tango, blues, soul, hip-hop and I can find inspiration in almost any tune that I enjoy, no matter its style.

Like I always say, music deserves a great deal of the credit in my art. “Inspiration is easy to find when you are perched on the shoulders of genius” is my usual response.

As I slowly entered into the realm of object design and sculpture, music was also there to inspire me, to make me “see”.

As many of you have seen, I recently introduced my latest piece at Art Deco, an Exhibition of intervened objects by well known Argentine artists, which took place at the Recoleta district in Buenos Aires in late April.

My design is quite simple. An all crystal coffee table within which, just like a transparent jewel box, In which I placed a sculptural piece made up of more than 1800 Faber-Castell Goldfaber artistic pencils standing perpendicularly and making up a colorful and airy version of the painting that lurches beneath.

It strikes me that every person, whether young or old, who has stood in front of the finished table ends up drawing out a big and happy smile. The color pencils create a link to something very familiar, something warm within each one of us, and initiate the communication with the viewer immediately.

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The idea of using pencils for this intervention came to me as I watched a Tony Bennett documentary a while back. I already had the crystal table and listening to that genius sing made me close my eyes, and suddenly I saw it. It was like a clear box full of candy, the idea of the beautiful color pencils used as objects d’art instead as of instruments was born. I know others have explored this avenue, but I think I have managed to make it both artistic and utilitarian, with a cool twist. I am happy with the results and with the reaction of the public. It has been a wonderful experience.

And to me, it is important that my art also has that COOL factor. It is a style and it is a message. Art is not something rigid, stuck somewhere in an impregnable limbo. It is something to be enjoyed. My art is a message of fredom and cool, for all to enjoy, in any way they wish to enjoy it.

And of course, preferably at home, after acquiring it!!! 🙂

And talking about cool, enjoy the images of my latest work while you listen to the new 60’s Jazz scene B&W video of Justin Timberlake’s latest (featuring Jay Z). It seems that JT, just like me, also likes doing his thing with a Suit & Tie.

Until the next time!

Ignacio

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Art and Design: Ignacio Alperin Bruvera

Photos: Fabian Cañas.

Painting accompanying the table in photos: “Let´s get away from it all” (2012) by Ignacio Alperin Bruvera, 100cm x 100cm.

Follow Ignacio on…

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ignacioalperin

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Tags abstract, Alperin, alperin art, alperin art london, alperin art new york, alperin bruvera, alperin design, alperin visual jazz, architectural design, Architecture, argentina, argentine art, art, art and jazz, art and music, Art Deco, art from music, art interventions, art marketing, arte, artistas argentinos, artistic intervention, australian art, bill evans, Buenos Aires, buenos aires design recoleta, Buenos Aires Dseign Recoleta, coltrane, constructivists, contemporary art, contemporary artist, contemporary visual artist ignacio alperin, crystal coffee table with pencils, Design, design interventions, Dinah Washington, dizzie, ella fitzgerald, established, established artists, expressionism, expressionist, faber-castell, Furniture design, Global Art Group, ignacio alperin bruvera, ignacio alperin bruvera visual jazz, ignacio alperin contemporary artist, ignacio alperin contemporary design., ignacio alperin international exhibitions, ignacio alperin miami, ignacio alperin visual jazz, impressionist, innovative design, Jay z, jazz, jazz made visual, jazz visual, jazzy art, JT, justin timberlake, kandisnky, miles, miles davis, mirror, modern visual jazz, monk, music and art, music on canvas, my favorite design, my visual jazz, Nina Simone, object intervention, Pencil, picasso, pollock, sculpture, sinatra, suit & tie, suit and tie, tony bennett, van koenig, visual, visual jazz

2010 art works 2011 art works 2012 Exhibitions Exhibitions Promoting your Art Visual Jazz

ART SALE 2012

The concept of affordable art has been around for a while. In Argentina there are a couple of main exhibitions dedicated to the idea of bringing a new fresh public into the world of art and getting them to see the beauty, the enjoyment, and most of the times, the great investment that is collecting original art.

Art Sale is one of those two and I am very happy to be a part of it this year.

Located in the very posh Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires, most exactly in the Madero Mystic River Boat, Art Sale 2012 will bring together some of Argentina’s best artists together with a growing number of emerging artists.

Last year the public took advantage of the prices and the whole event was almost sold out. Long cues of avid collectors and first time buyers flocked over the four days of the Fair and went home with great works at even greater prices. Not all the paintings shown are at “sale” prices, but every artist must present at least one painting at a very affordable price which means that there will be at least 80 paintings at fantastic prices during the event.

If you are in Buenos Aires or are planning to be here next week, I recommend you take a nice scenic walk along these old XIXth Century wharfs converted into a very trendy neighbourhood in the 1990’s and which, with the years, have blossomed into one of the most glamorous areas in town.

I will be there from August 1st (for the pre/sale for sponsors) and then from August 2nd when it opens to the public until the 5th, showing and selling my works. On Sunday 5th of August I will be painting live from 2pm until 8 pm, so anyone interested in having a nice coffee and seeing and talking about what my Visual Jazz is all about, will be most welcomed! I may even let you participate in the painting if you like! 🙂

And talking about the paintings, I haven’t decided exactly which paintings will be there, but here are 3 of the possible choices (sorry about the quality of the pics but I have not had a chance to get them properly photographed yet!).

If you are going to be in Buenos Aires over the next few days and you would like to receive a listing of my paintings at art sale with prices, just send me an email and I will be more than happy to send it to you.

I hope to see you there over the next few days, from Thursday 2nd to Sunday the 5th.

Until next time!

Ignacio

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