It is with intent I do not write too much of my art in the description of each artwork for it is not for me to tell others what to see, feel or hear. We all carry different experience which has shaped us to see, feel and hear in the way we do and this we project onto every circumstance in our lives. No one sees, hears or feels like another. Telling Maria Solitaire scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land The Call
someone else to see something they cannot does not feel right to me, so in the name of each artwork is a multitude of layers which is mirrored in the artwork itself. The more you remember the more you see. I want that open space for my audience for it provides them with a safe infinite space to feel into. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Autumn light
Above is also the reason why I do not frame my art before selling. I feel it is the buyer´s choice of what kind of frame they want or if they do not want a frame at all but simply hang it as it is. You are a versatile visual artist, and your practice encompasses photo art, paintings, and photography: what does address you to such cross disciplinary approach? When I feel limits to what I want to create I expand my vision into where I can find that which can create what I want to show. When I feel I cannot capture something in a photograph I merge it into photo art. Working cross disciplinary also provides me with new angles to see my art and it enhances my creations. How do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? By the way, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Maria Solitaire Land
All is connected
street and especially to online platforms — as Instagram https://www.instagram.com/solitairyart — increases, how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalised audience? Maria Solitaire: To be honest, I have not thought much about the nature of my relationship with my audience till now. I have spent so much time overcoming fear of showing my art it has been on the backburner. I welcome the change and expansion of areas where art can be experienced. People who might not have been able to experience someone´s art now can. I cannot pass this question without thinking about those inspired by someone else´s art and what it may change in their life. The unpleasant side, which I have seen for myself, is all the scammers using online platforms/social media to entice emerging artists with vanity. We have really appreciated the multifaceted nature of your artistic research and before leaving this stimulating conversation we would like to thank you for chatting with us and for sharing your thoughts, Maria. What projects are you currently working on, and what are some of the ideas that you hope to explore in the future? Maria Solitaire: Thank you for inviting me! Over the next few months I will redesign my website. I am also working on a new collection quite different from my previous paintings. I have several other paintings awaiting completion. So far most of my paintings have been smaller in size, but I am moving into larger canvas and will continue evolving the technique I used for Autumn light. I have projects in various stages within other creative areas, some brand new. When ready to be revealed they will be shared on my Instagram and website. On the horizon I am looking into video and sound. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Maria Solitaire Land An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Call of the butterfly
Hello Miguel and welcome to LandEscape. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production and we would like to invite our readers to visit http://www.marquesdejadraque.com in order to get a wide idea about your mulifaceted artistic production, and we would start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. You have a solid formal training and after your studies in Spain, you moved in the United States to nurture your education at the OTIS College of Art and Design in Los Angeles: how did those formative years influence your evolution as an artist ? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum due to your Spanish roots direct the trajectory of your current artistic research? My first trip to the United States and Mexico was in the early 80s, I was doing a series of portraits that had been commissioned to me. Then around 1986, I went to Los Angeles. An editor who was interested in my work. The influence in those years was all new to me, a city like LA, without people on the streets, very wide streets, distances, where you need a car for everything, the heat of the desert, etc ... So I started painting scenes in bars and restaurants, where I had contact with people. Since I was a child I has been interested in Figure, Portrait, Movement, and light. I'm is interested in all the materials that I can adapt to my paintings: Oil, Charcoal, pastel, cement, ink, acrylic, spray paint, etc ... And adapts it to my paintings, depending on the series he paints. My inspiration comes from living day to day, from my travels, from contact with people, from what I reads, from what I sees in other artists, from the conversations with friends, from the cinema. To sum it up somehow... Right now I'm interested in figurative abstraction, inspired by this spring and the colors of nature. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW LandEscape meets Marques de Jadraque
Dogs Pub, 35x47 in (89X120cm), Oil on canvas, 2020
I came from living in Barcelona, imagine the change? Then I started making my sculptures and that was when I took some classes at the Otis College of Art and Design school, to learn the different steps when casting bronze, I also took some graphic design Marques de Jadraque scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Untitled, Mixed media-cement, pigment on burlap, 30x30, 25x25, 2021
classes. At this time it was already adapted to the city. The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of LandEscape — and that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — has at once captured our attention for the way you created such stimulating combination scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Untitled, Mixed media-cement, pigment,pencil on burlap, 30x30, I-S 25x25, 2021
between abstract sensitiveness and reminding with reality: would you tell us something about your usual setup and process? In particular, do you create your works gesturally, instinctively? How important is intuition for you? Firstly, this job you have selected is the last one and it is within my period between NY Marques de Jadraque scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Untitled. Acrylic on Canvas, 36x36(92x92cm) 2019
Untitled. Oil, Charcoal, Pastel on Canvas. 36x48 (91x122cm) 2020
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition and London, in which I am living at the moment. My process is practically always the same, I start from an idea, that I usually make some sketches or annotations in a notebook or paper napkins, what I have at hand, and I use the technique that I have in the studio. My themes arise, sometimes when I least expect it, from observing what I have around me. In my case, intuition is important, it is what makes me have the illusion of doing what I am doing. As you have remarked once, your inspiration comes from living day to day, from your travels, from contact with people, from what you read, from what you see in other artists, from conversations with friends, from cinema: how does your everyday life's experience fuel your artistic research? In particular, how do you consider the role of memory playing within your artistic process? Yes, the experience of life fuels my inspiration. Of course. And the memory? Elementary. When some ideas come to me I try to write them down. Relying only on memory is not practical for me, I need to make sure I don't forget it. We have been fascinated by the balanced combination between delicate and at the same time intense nuances of tones, showing that vivacious tones are not strictly indespensable to create tension and dynamics. How do you structure your process in order to achieve such brilliant results? In particular, how does your own psychological make-up
Marques de Jadraque scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Untitled.(reminding Cezanne) 47x36 (119cmX91cm) Spray Paint, Acrylic, Pastel, oil on canvas, 2020
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Untitled 31x42 (69cmX107cm) Pastel, Acrylic, Ink, Spray Paint on canvas, 2020
determine the nuances of tones that you decide to include in your artworks? Letting go of what I am doing, with "inspiration", intuition and observation. And if when that time comes, I better catch myself in the studio. Your artworks provide the viewers with such immersive visual experience: how do the dimensions of your canvass affect your workflow? From my point of view, dimensions are important. It helps me to play with spaces, proportions. There are themes that do not make sense in their real size and when you change the proportion it takes another dimension. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. I like to play with the dimensions. You are currently interested in figurative abstraction, inspired by this spring and the colors of nature: how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination, playing within your artistic production? Nature gives me nuances, guides me. Reality is the beginning, and imagination changes what was started. And vice versa, imagination is the beginning and reality is changing the imagined. You are a versatile visual artist, and your practice encompasses Painting, Sculture and works on paper: what does address you to such cross disciplinary approach? Marques de Jadraque scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
Untitled 47x36 (119cmX91cm) Spray Paint,Acrylic, Pastel, oil on canvas, 2020
Untitled 47x36 (119cmX91cm) Spray Paint, Acrylic, Pastel, oil on canvas, 2020
I think you are only changing materials and volume. In painting, drawing is dimensional, in sculpture hands are worked in three dimensions, materials play another way. It is another way of looking at what is being done. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Untitled spray paint on canvas 67x67 (170cmx170cm) 2020
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Marques de Jadraque Land Untitled Acrylic on canvas 67x79 (170cmx200cm) 2020
We daresay that your artistic production seems to aim to look inside of what appear to be seen, rather than its surface, providing the spectatorship with freedom to realize their own perception: how important is for you to trigger the viewers' imagination in order to address them to elaborate personal interpretations? In particular, how open would you like your works to be understood? The viewer has to look, feel and let himself be carried away by the work and then draw his own conclusions. You are an established artist: your works are in private collections and over the years you have participated to a number of international group and solo exhibitions, including your solo "Tools”, at Camarote Madrid, Leon, Spain. How do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? By the way, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street and especially to online platforms — as Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marquesdejadra que — increases, how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalised audience? Yes, I'm starting to get older. I have done many things but I have to do more, if possible ... From my experience, it is a profession of physical contact. Yes, art must be seen live, if you have possibilities. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
Marques de Jadraque scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land TENDEDERO, Acrylic, Pastel, Oil on Canvas, 52x64 (132x162cm) 2020
For this reason, platforms are very important for those who do not have the opportunity. We have really appreciated the multifaceted nature of your artistic research and before leaving this stimulating conversation we would like to thank you for chatting with us and for sharing your thoughts, Miguel. What projects are you currently working on, and what are some of the ideas that you hope to explore in the future? Thank you for showing interest in my work, thank you for this interview. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Matador, Bronze, 29x6x6, 2020 Matador, Plaster, 28x8x7, 2019
Matadors
Tendedero, Plaster, metal and cloth, 48x22x52, 2019
Untitled, Wood, Cardboard, 16x5x9, 2021
At the moment I am working on my abstract work, my cardboard templates and making wood, plaster and cardboard sculptures. I hope readers can understand my answers, my English is very limited, sorry for the mistakes. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Marques de Jadraque Land Untitled composition of cardboard cut eh installed on the wall, 45x45 (115x115cm) 2020
Hello Hadi and welcome to LandEscape. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production and we would like to invite our readers to visit https://www.instagram.com/hadi.khani.13 in order to get a wide idea about your mulifaceted artistic production, and we would start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. Are there any experiences that did particularly influence your evolution as a painter? In particular, do your studies in the field of Engineering and Persian culture influence your approach to visual arts? Philistine Schaele, the French writer and philosopher of art, says art is as an attempt to create an ideal world, a world of images and pure emotions alongside the real world. A clear example of this word can be seen in Khani's paintings. Simple and fluent paintings with colorful surfaces that boldly distance themselves from the palette of nature and roll with happy and playful colors and, like other modern works, are somewhat easily avoided. His paintings are extremely deep and curved surfaces and lines with their fluidity make it easier to understand these depths. In most of the works, the road plays a key role. Endless roads that invite the audience to the infinite land. A journey to the depths of dreams and imagination . An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW LandEscape meets Hadi Khani
Hadi Khani: I believe every individual is influenced by his/her environment in one way or another, and I am no exception. However, I do not see my life experiences as elements to be conveyed directly on the canvas; rather, they find their way into my paintings in a more implicit and indirect way. The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of LandEscape has at once captured our attention for the way its distinctive style provides the viewers with such joyful and intense visual experience: when walking our readers through your Hadi Khani scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
usual setup and process, would you tell us something about yur main sources of inspiration? Hadi Khani: My biggest inspiration is a book named, “Slivers of Life,” written by Yusef Saee. The book has enormously influenced me, since it unpeels the multiple layers of life—happiness, beauty, etc.—and invites the reader to a world filled with beauty and sensation. 3) Jackson Pollock once remarked that painting is self-discovery, and that every good artist paints what he is. As an artist constantly looking for inner discoveries in the world around yourself: are you likely interested in triggering free inspirations in the viewers? And how important is for you to invite the viewers to elaborate personal interpretations? Hadi Khani: As an artist, my whole attempt is to reconcile my viewers with the lost world of sensation, beauty and happiness. As Yusef Saee puts it in his book, to look at beauty from several angles is to see several beauties. 4) We really appreciate the thoughtful nuances that marks our your artistic production, and that provides your landscapes with such meditative quality: would you tell us something about your choice of tones? Do you choose your colors intuitively or do you carefully plan each brushstroke? Hadi Khani: While painting in nature, I try to adapt myself to the silence dominating it— the process which helps me feel in unity scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
Hadi Khani scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
Elaine Crowe scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land with the flow of universe; and as a consequence, my lines, brushstrokes and palette become impulsive and intuitive. 5) You created extremely stimulating paintings centered on human figure, as the interesting Drown in a dream. However, your landscapes are usually devoid of human presence, and seem to suggest the universality of Nature, with no need to include human figures: would you tell us something about this choice? In particular, how do you consider the relationship between Nature and human figures in your artworks? Hadi Khani: I try to represent silence and ambiguity in my works and eliminate any factor that may stand in the way of my subject. If a human face or figure arises in my paintings, I try to bring it into harmony with the nature’s mood and airiness through the use of harmonious colors and forms. I see nature as a harmless entity, and I love its silence and brightness devoid of humans. 6) You often work with large canvass, that provide the viewers with such immersive visual experience: how do the dimensions of your canvass affect your workflow? Hadi Khani: Sometimes large, sometimes small, the dimensions of my canvases are highly reliant on the aesthetics of nature; in other words, it is the mood and beauty within the nature, as well as my subject matter, that dictates the size of my canvas—helping me paint in a more concentrated manner.
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition 7) As Mana Sepahvand stated once, in most of your paintings, the road plays a key role, noting that such endless roads invite the audience to the infinite land, inviting them to a journey to the depths of dreams and imagination. How do you consider the role of symbols playing within your artworks? And how important is for you to deploy elements of ambiguity that make the border between reality and imagination more fluid? Hadi Khani: There is no doubt that symbols in general, and road in particular, help me express my feelings. As a matter of fact, road is one of the elements that provides my audience with ambiguity and dream. Indeed, road is an expressive means to convey the sense of departure, ambiguity and pleasant sensation. Since I see the whole world as being saturated with a dreamy and joyous obscurity, some symbols, like the road itself, can have both reality and illusion at their heart. 8) As a Persian painter, do you feel part of a generation of artists, or do you see yourself as a solitary creative? In particular, how does your life in Iran inspire your work? Hadi Khani: I see myself as an artist who paints in isolation—far from the maddening crowd. I am an independent artist, creating his creative works in isolation. I come from a country that embraces different cultures, and I regard myself as part of the cultural heritage of Iran. From childhood to adolescence, I would weave Persian carpets alongside my mother. The sharp colors and patterns of Persian carpets later made their
Elaine Crowe scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land