Art Crush

February 24th

Melissa Meier

Biography

Our Host

Independent Curator

Kate Stern

1:00 pm (PST)

Melissa Meier and Carina Shoshtary

As a, independent contemporary art curator, Kate Stern conceptualizes and executes large-scale public art installations, numerous museum and gallery exhibitions as well as the renowned Frostig Collection. Her most recent museum exhibition Dress Rehearsal at the Oceanside Museum of Art was on view for 6 months. Kate also leads Arts & Culture art tours under the banner Take Me To The Art and in 2019, led two exclusive tours to Cuba.

Since the beginning of Covid, Kate has curated both in-person and virtual art exhibitions in conjunction with the bG Gallery.

To see some of Kate’s projects visit: www.katesternprojects.com

Melissa Meier, Skin Series - Constructions created with wheat

Carina Shoshtary, The Lonely Beast II

Melissa Meier's work confronts social and spiritual issues by incorporating mixed media sculpture into narrative assemblage. She is constantly working with new processes and structure, for example, with her “Laced” series, she photographed mug shot female portraits in natural light. With wood putty and graphite, the photographic surfaces are re-rendered and then dramatically altered with incised lace patterns. With a feeling similar to the Maori warrior facial tattoos, at once sexy and intimidating, the portraits are created out of a symbol of elegance, femininity and ironically Victorian repression. Meier's latest work entitled “Skins” furthers female portraiture, this time using natural elements such as leaves, feathers, stones, egg shells, pinecones, sticks, sponges, sea shells, scales and fur. Tribal ritual or the future of fashion, the “Skins” series asks the question: is there a difference?

Meier spent most of her childhood in Brazil. She received a B.A. from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She has exhibited her work in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and was chosen by Sotheby's for their Young International Artists group show and auction in Tel Aviv, Vienna and Chicago. Most recently, in Los Angeles, she has shown at Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Bleicher Golightly Gallery, Caporale/Bleicher Gallery and James Gray Gallery at Bergamot Station.

http://www.melissameierart.com/

Carina Shoshtary’s jewelry can be characterized as emotional, imaginative and innovative. Shoshtary describes herself as a kind of modern hunter- gatherer as she finds the materials for her artworks in her immediate surroundings. Her choice of materials is often unusual: colorful graffiti from heavily sprayed walls, old bobbin laces found in a cellar, the plastic nets of shower sponges. All her materials have had a previous life, a former use and meaning. With scientific curiosity and sensitive intuition, Shoshtary reveals the potential of these materials.

In Vogue Italia, Paola Aurucci, responds to Shoshtary’s propensity for narrative ‘They are alien jewels in a world that is somewhere between the real and the imaginary, able to make us reflect on the strange journey objects take, inanimate objects with a lot of sentimental value, able to tell us a story, bring up emotions and especially able to unlock memories.‘

Carina is also the creative force behind Fashion For Bank Robbers on instagram.

https://carinashoshtary.com/

Biography

Carina Shoshtary