Simone Drucker – Art Blog

” Representing the hope for a new world born out of the trash and discards of our times, the mannequin art piece created by local artists Simone Drucker and Tanya Clarke and sponsored by Altered Space Gallery has been awarded  an honorable mention in a juried exhibition at the new Santa Monica Place.  100  local artists, designers, and businesses participated in The Mannequin Collective Show, on display at the new Santa Monica Place now through August 22nd.  The Altered Space gallery art piece can be seen at the entrance to Nordstroms on the 2nd level.

The mannequin is seen passing through a portal, leaving behind a world of trash and muck.  She is seen with new life; filled with blossoms and bathed in sunlight.  All of us at Altered Space Gallery are so proud of this creation by Simone Drucker and Tanya Clarke.  We invite you to see the artwork on display through August 22.”

For more information on the show, see:  http://www.lamag.com/multimedia/promotions/2010/mannequincollective/

11 birds, approx 12″ x 36″ each.
Materials: Branches, corn husks, beet juice, thread, hemp twine.

Somewhere out in Palm Desert, California

GALLERY: Click on images below, to enlarge.

Untitled 8″ x 10″

Mixed Media:  Plaster, Resin, steel, dried flowers, hardware

This year, I had the opportunity to create a piece of art for the annual INCOGNITO charity art show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.  A selection of 500 artists are asked to donate an 8″ x 10″ work to be sold for the fixed price of $300.  The artist’s names are left off the display, and patrons must run around guessing which pieces are worth the most (some estimated up to $10,000)!  Names are revealed at the end.  There were several very famous artists participating:  Ed Ruscha, Yoko Ono, Ed Moses, and John Baldessari were some of the bigger names.

I JUMPED at the chance to create a piece for this show: there is a catch, however. I was not asked to participate by the museum itself – rather, I was approached by an artist friend (also the owner of the shop I rent studio space in), Jon Grauman.  After participating for the last 3 years, this time around his schedule was crazy, and he asked me if I’d like to stand-in his place.  Unfortunately, the museum decided to leave my name completely off the list.  So MY PIECE is in the show, under HIS name: http://www.smmoa.org/Incognito_Revealed/G/Grauman-168.html And my name is nowhere to be found in the program.  Kind of disappointing.

It was still a great experience, and hey – my piece sold in 30 minutes! I consider that a job well done….

The piece is inspired by Gothic architecture, and insect anatomy.  I have been working on the relationship between these two structural “systems” for a while, now.  I believe the physical manifestations of man-made and natural forms are very similar in these two realms; I am fascinated by how the metaphorical and symbolic translation of a religious ideal can become the organic, symmetrical, arching forms of a building, that is mirrored by the delicate exoskeleton of a small creature.

Photo from the show: Mine is on the bottom row, 3rd from the left.

I’ve been gearing-up to start working on some major pieces – a collection of sculptures and mixed media works for holiday shows, and next year.  Look out, Los Angeles! I’ve been doing quite a bit of sketching, both on paper and in 3D, to explore specific themes and concepts. Current software of choice for 3D-modeling is Rhino – it really helps me to visualize installation pieces, and help sort-out structural issues before the build (and its fun to play around with, too!).

Here’s a bit of my current artist statement:

“My work is about the relationship between the natural world and the “man-made.” I create pieces that blend industrial, or light-industrial production techniques with organic forms and nature-imagery.  I am constantly fascinated with how man operates in the natural world – the world that envelopes us and of which we are crucial participants, despite the perception that we are unique outsiders to its cycles.

My style emphasizes geometry, functionality (implied or viable), as well as symbolism; most projects start out as a hunch, or a “vision;” I feel often, that I am channeling something greater than myself.  What unifies my work as a whole (which includes everything from site-specific installations, to jewelry) is an attempt to recognize patterns, and explore the similarities and processes between planned, contrived “creation” and what occurs inevitably in nature.”

“Maschinafly” Study.

All Work © Simone Drucker 2009