Editorial

  • Introducing...JAS - João Alexandrino

    Our first interview with newly joined CAMP artist João Alexandrino
    by Gabe Torres
    Introducing...JAS - João Alexandrino
    As the year comes to a close, we here at the gallery want to unveil our newly arriving additions to the CAMPers roster! The first spotlight we're featuring is Portugeuse multimedia artist João Alexandrino, also know as JAS, as we get to sit down and delve into his mind for the ideas behind his work and methodolgy.
  • by Gabe Torres
    Inside a Doll's House - Act 4
    As the exhibition This is Not a Doll's House continues in our North Miami space, we wanted to give the oppurtunity to shed some light on the finer details you might have missed out on with each artists work. Their inspirations, the analysis of the original Ibsen play, and their reactions to an ever-changing modern society norm all have major influences on their art, and that gives us great reasoning to prod their minds for the real reasons behind the Doll's House.
     
    This is part four of our interview series, if you'd like to go back to read the answers some of the artists gave in part one, CLICK HERE.
  • by Gabe Torres
    Inside a Doll's House - Act 3
    As the exhibition This is Not a Doll's House continues in our North Miami space, we wanted to give the oppurtunity to shed some light on the finer details you might have missed out on with each artists work. Their inspirations, the analysis of the original Ibsen play, and their reactions to an ever-changing modern society norm all have major influences on their art, and that gives us great reasoning to prod their minds for the real reasons behind the Doll's House.
     
    This is part three of our interview series, if you'd like to go back to read the answers some of the artists gave in part one, CLICK HERE.
  • by Gabe Torres
    Inside a Doll's House - Act 2
    As the exhibition This is Not a Doll's House continues in our North Miami space, we wanted to give the oppurtunity to shed some light on the finer details you might have missed out on with each artists work. Their inspirations, the analysis of the original Ibsen play, and their reactions to an ever-changing modern society norm all have major influences on their art, and that gives us great reasoning to prod their minds for the real reasons behind the Doll's House.
     
    This is part two of our interview series, if you'd like to go back to read the answers some of the artists gave in part one, CLICK HERE.
  • Inside a Doll's House - Act 1

    The first part in a series of interview questions with the artists of This is Not a Doll's House
    by Gabe Torres
    Inside a Doll's House - Act 1
    As the exhibition This is Not a Doll's House continues in our North Miami space, we wanted to give the oppurtunity to shed some light on the finer details you might have missed out on with each artists work. Their inspirations, the analysis of the original Ibsen play, and their reactions to an ever-changing modern society norm all have major influences on their art, and that gives us great reasoning to prod their minds for the real reasons behind the Doll's House.
     
    This is the first part of many as we give questions to each of the artists participating in the show, and each week we'll have another set of artists to see their responses to what our interviewer asked them.
  • An Interview in a Doll's House

    The first of our interview series with artists Rita Valley and Melanie Brewster
    by Melanie Prapopoulos
    An Interview in a Doll's House
  • Artist of the Month: Sonya Revell

    "It is important to be curious, to explore, to go down rabbit holes, to day dream, but also to be gentle with yourself."
    Artist of the Month: Sonya Revell
    Miami-based photographer, Sonya Revell, is The CAMP’s Artist of the Month for August 2023. Her Award winning series, Queef Latina Stars in Cabana Fever shown as part of our SCOPE 2021 booth features a fanciful drag fairytale starring the iconic local Drag Queen, Queef Latina. This series highlights the joy and fantasy consistent throughout Revell’s work, displayed boldly in scenes of dazzling glamour and colorful extravagance, and this oppurtunity gives us a moment to question and reflect on some of her thoughts on the artistic process as a photographer.
     
    Is there an artist that you feel inspired you to become an artist? 
    Tim Burton’s movies made a huge impact on me as a child and as a latch-key kid in the 1990s, I was heavily influenced by pop culture, MTV, and music videos. Later, in college, I discovered and was inspired by photographers like David LaChapelle, Philippe Halsman, Floria Sigismondi, and Rodney Smith. 
     
    Photo of a man in drag in front of a hotel with a baby stroller Pictured above; Queef Latina in Baby Velvet, 2019
     
    When did you know that you were an artist? 
    I don’t think there was a definitive moment, I just always knew I enjoyed the creative process and using my imagination. As an only child (until the age of 18) with two working parents, I often had to entertain myself and used creativity as a form of escapism. 
     
    Do you have a routine when creating art? What does your process look like? 
    To generate new ideas, I have to allow myself to day dream and let my mind wander. This is an important part of my process. Once I have a concept and I’ve let it simmer a bit, I try to pinpoint the best location, type of lighting, subject, hair/ makeup, and props that would help bring the idea to life. During the actual image-making process I try not to box myself in, but rather allow myself to experiment and play. 
     
    What are your biggest takeaways from your process? 
    Allow your mind to wander. Boredom can actually be a good thing. Be curious. Find topics that interest you and go down rabbit holes. Explore and go on adventures. All of these help breed interesting ideas. 
     
    Photo of a man in drag lingerie walking a dog
    Pictured above; Queef Latina in Morning Glory, 2019 
     
    What is the most important thing you have learned about being an artist? 
    It is important to be curious, to explore, to go down rabbit holes, to day dream, but also to be gentle with yourself. For me, creativity can be quite cyclical. I don’t always feel creative and that’s ok. I don’t do my best work when I try to force it. But if I’m feeling inspired it’s almost like a compulsion to create. I have to get it out. 
     
    Which is your favorite museum/art space and why? 
    The City Museum in St. Louis, MO (where I went to college) is by far my favorite art space. Sometimes museums can feel too sterile and the art feels unapproachable. What I love about the City Museum is how interactive the space is and that it demonstrates that anything can be made into art. 

    What do you want the viewer to gain when encountering your work? 

    Generally I want the viewer to walk away from my work feeling curious, dazzled, inspired, and maybe just a little lighter on their feet.

     

     

    To see Sonya's full catalog of works, click here to view the entire selection on Artsy

     


     

     

  • Jac Lahav Is A Great American

    "I want to show that it's possible to both celebrate and question America."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Detail from “The Lion of Anacostia (Frederick Douglass),” 2022. Oil On Canvas. 80 x 32 x 2 in.
    Detail from “The Lion of Anacostia (Frederick Douglass),” 2022. Oil On Canvas. 80 x 32 x 2 in.
    ​​"The Great Americans” is a visually compelling and thought-provoking group of monumental paintings by artist Jac Lahav that examine the notion of "greatness" within American culture. Through a unique juxtaposition of iconic and lesser-known figures, Lahav challenges viewers to interrogate their understanding of what constitutes a "great" American. 
     
    Lahav's work challenges the viewer to move beyond recognizable faces and surface-level narratives, encouraging a deep and nuanced exploration of our culture and ourselves. This approach to art, the intellectual and emotional depth, sets "The Great Americans Series" apart, positioning it as an enduring contribution to contemporary American art. It is on view at The Slater Memorial Art Museum until September 2023.
  • Artist of the Month: Ziesook You

    A sit-down discussion and look at works by May's artist of the month, Ziesook You
    by Gabe Torres
    Artist of the Month: Ziesook You
    The CAMP is pleased to present and feature for our May artist of the month, Korean artist Ziesook You, a more recent arrival into our collective roster. We wanted to be able to get a more in depth look at the inspiration and creation process that Ziesook takes into her transformative floral arrangements, taking a spin on traditional portraiture and the reasoning behind the multi-faceted and layered photographs shes made her own.
  • Artist of the Month: Xan Padrón

    "If you are fortunate enough to be able to combine your passion with your profession... life seems a little bit more bearable."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Xan Padrón. Courtesy of the artist.
    Xan Padrón. Courtesy of the artist.
    Galician photographer, musician, and composer Xan Padrón is The CAMP's Artist of the Month for March 2023.
     
    His successful Time Lapse series is emblematic of his intentional and patient brand of observational photography. Each Time Lapse yields a meditative, composite portrait that highlights its site’s unique rhythm and aura, reminding us that sometimes, the most special moments are the ones we aren't even thinking about.
     
    Read on to learn more about Padrón’s Time Lapse series, his process and influences, and what keeps this project so enduring. 
  • A Trip Through Nostalgia with Mindy Sue Meyers

    A conversation with The CAMP's Artist of the Month, February 2023
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Mindy Sue Meyers. Courtesy of the artist.
    Mindy Sue Meyers. Courtesy of the artist.
    Mindy Sue Meyers invites viewers to travel through time, not to rehash or do-over, but to preserve what lives inside of them. Through sculptural and textile-based assemblages of toys, ephemera, fabric, and trinkets, Meyers evokes memories of bygone eras with humor and sentimentality.
     
    “This variety of materials resonates with my childhood history of building collections and searching for comfort among my possessions. With a heavy 80’s and 90’s pop culture aesthetic, I encourage the connection my work has to the past and I hope to preserve a link to the nostalgia it creates. Each finished piece is an invitation for viewers to discover something from their own childhoods and sustain precious memories.”
     
  • If Johnny Ramstedt Wasn't an Artist, He'd Be a Carpenter

    A Conversation with January 2023's Artist of the Month
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Johnny Ramstedt. Malin Bengts ©
    Johnny Ramstedt. Malin Bengts ©
    Happy New Year!
     
    We're kicking things off with a spotlight on CAMP artist Johnny Ramstedt. The Finnish painter, adept at blurring the delicate line that separates abstract expressionism and minimalism, works in in large-scale. The pieces, all of which contain some form of commercial-use paint (namely house paint and alkyd) are technically untitled; still, somewhere within, they contain fleeting or even omitted elements of moments shared and experienced, and ultimately defined by a viewer. 

     

    Read on for a conversation between the artist and CAMP founder, Melanie Prapopoulos. 

  • In Conversation with Julie Peppito

    The CAMP Gallery's final Artist of the Month in 2022
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Artist Julie Peppito in a striped blue shirt cradling a bowl of sewing supplies to the left in front of one of her own multi-color assemblage installations.
    This month, The CAMP Gallery is spotlighting Julie Peppito, an artist based in Brooklyn, NY whose body of work is vast in media, scale, color, and purpose. Her assemblages can be interpreted as childlike curiosity with a punk twist, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with her paintings, installations, sculptures, and activist work to interrogate the world around us meaningfully.
     
    Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie's decades-long career has seen her work at venues such as The Long Island Children's Museum, Kentler International Drawing Space, Art in General, and PS122. She's a recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Sculpture, has made art for four New York City Park's Department playgrounds, and has been featured in The New York Times and ArtNews as of late. She's also been featured in The CAMP's most recent booths at SPRING/BREAK Art Show NY and SCOPE Art Show Miami Beach.
     
     
    Read below for an exclusive interview with the artist and CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos.
  • In Conversation with Margaret Ann Withers

    An interview featuring artist of the month Margaret Ann Withers and CAMPer Maria Di Giammarco
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Sculpture of short non-human creature sticking out its tongue
    Margaret Ann Withers. I can never surprise the dreams that are escaping from my yawn. 2022.
    Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern Project! At The CAMP, we’re firm believers in the power of the intimate relationship between art and those who love art, and we’re happy to champion it in our approach to a nearly-inaccessible industry. CAMP Conversations are written to promote thoughtful dialogue exploring the art industry embedded with our sophisticated brand of snark, involving artists, gallery employees, and our beloved audience.
  • CAMP Takes VOLTA

    A group interview with Idris Habib, Evelyn Politzer, Silvana Soriano, and Franck de las Mercedes.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    CAMP Takes VOLTA

    The CAMP’s participation in VOLTA is particularly meaningful considering the way the fair’s ethos aligns with ours—an intentional and accessible relationship with art. Keep reading for a deep dive into Booth 215 with artists Idris Habib, Evelyn Politzer, Silvana Soriano, and Franck de las Mercedes.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco
    Jerry Coker, 2022. Quilted thread painting made with cotton cloths and rayon threads. 24 x 24 in.
    Jerry Coker, 2022. Quilted thread painting made with cotton cloths and rayon threads. 24 x 24 in.

    This is Introducinga series of questions and answers sent to the latest artists joining The CAMP  in their own words: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview, this time featuring Mabelin Castellanos.

  • Who is Joseph Ginsberg to Joseph Ginsberg? An Interview

    "The work is the energy. I am solely the tool to make it happen."
    Who is Joseph Ginsberg to Joseph Ginsberg? An Interview

    CAMPER Amy Clarke, was fortunate enough to sit down and talk with a man who embodies the truth of what it is to be a creative—native New Yorker, artist, and designer Joseph Ginsberg. Gifted with what seems to be an innate artistic vision, the artist has been dreaming and drawing since he was a child. Fast forward to the present day, and the artist has gathered over 40 years of professional experience the industry from painting or blowing glass in his studio, to designing hotel lobbies from top to bottom. With such a variety of outlets, Amy wanted to talk with Ginsberg himself to find out how which speaks more to him. Who is Joseph Ginsberg to Joseph Ginsberg? 

     

  • Como la cigarra: An Interview with Clara Fialho

    Fialho discusses Jungian constructs, the power of cicadas, and how not having a babysitter was life-changing.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Clara Fialho in her studio" Clara Fialho ©
    Clara Fialho in her studio" Clara Fialho ©

    "I like it when people come up to me and tell me that that my work has brought them joy, or that it’s given them goosebumps. It means I must be doing something right, but then again, it is beyond my control. I can only hope that they will take something away from it."

  • by Maria Di Giammarco
    Derrick Okanta in his studio. @okantaart7 ©
    Derrick Okanta in his studio. @okantaart7 ©

    This is Introducinga series of questions and answers sent to the latest artists joining The CAMP  in their own words: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview. Today, we'd like to introduce Ghanaian visual artist Derrick Okanta.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    Melanie finally writes in after a busy first quarter.
    by Melanie Prapopoulos
    Tea Time with Melanie

    It's been a while since we heard from the elusive Melanie Prapopoulos. The artist, gallery director, and den mother to a crew exclusively made up of creative twenty-somethings, has led CAMP into 2022 without stopping for a breath. 

  • by Maria Di Giammarco
    Behind the Scenes of The CAMP x FFC's Sip & Shop

    The magic of an opening night or event in the gallery is in the final product, but it doesn't mean that getting there isn't an experience on its own. Read on for Brianna's reflections on Westport's preparing for the closing of Not Dior's New Look III, and for the debut of the long-awaited CAMP Signature Cocktail (yes!)

  • Me: A Reflection

    Maria Gabriela Di Giammarco reflects on curating The CAMP's March exhibition and the bigger conversation around accessibility in Fine Art.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Me: I Am Not An Outsider, I Am An Artist
    Me: I Am Not An Outsider, I Am An Artist

    I imagine that centuries ago, “outsider” would include any women, Black people, Indigenous people—in other words, anyone who wasn’t categorically known as Man from the dawn of Gender and Race—who had the guts to defy social expectations and put their creativity out there. I’d like to think that the greatest artists across all media are people who are, in the deepest sense of the word, novices or art babes who either lacked access to “formal training” or weren’t considered person enough (which, like, gross) to be included in The Conversation, and decided they didn’t need that to express their innermost brilliance. 

     

    So, I gift these musings as creative fodder, and I present this exhibition, which was absolutely magical for someone who’s on an eternal quest to interrogate everything until its bones sing, as a moment of reflection on whether Art is a gatekeep-y, awkward stringing together or Western norms and attitudes that demands one to give in, or if it’s just something We do, love, and care for. 

  • Not Dior's New Look: Vicky Martin

    Martin touches on the "privilege" of being an artist and her connection to the feminine experience.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Vicky Martin. In This Style, 2015. Photography on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper. 30 x 20 in.
    Vicky Martin. In This Style, 2015. Photography on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper. 30 x 20 in.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    British photographer Vicky Martin's work is driven by a fundamental, nuanced reflection of the feminine experience, toeing the boundaries of “real” and “made up”. 

  • Not Dior's New Look: Christy Powers

    "I believe that art holds up a mirror to society, examining and exploring the world and times we live in."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Christy Powers. The Smoking Gang, 2020. Gouache, ink, pencil and acrylic on Yupo on wood. 8 x 8 in.
    Christy Powers. The Smoking Gang, 2020. Gouache, ink, pencil and acrylic on Yupo on wood. 8 x 8 in.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    Christy Powers engages with the concepts of memory and reality through an adept reappropriation of photographic principles.

     

     

  • Not Dior's New Look: Alice de Kruijs

    "I don’t even feel it is a choice. It is this primal feeling, a calling, a necessary thing."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Alice de Kruijs. Black & White Project 11, 2019-2020. Photography on Fine Art Huhne Print with Matte Finish. 15.7 x 11.8 in.
    Alice de Kruijs. Black & White Project 11, 2019-2020. Photography on Fine Art Huhne Print with Matte Finish. 15.7 x 11.8 in.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    Dutch photographer Alice de Kruijs challenges long-held ideas of just whom gets to be considered beautiful, highlighting that 'fashion' is more about energy than the standards that have been decided for us. 

     

     

  • Not Dior's New Look: Fares Micue

    Micue's playful, yet honest, approach blends the perfection of editorial photography with the boundlessness of magical realism.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Fares Micue. Dreams Are Made of Gold, 2020. Photography on High Quality Fine Art Canson Paper. Multiple editions.
    Fares Micue. Dreams Are Made of Gold, 2020. Photography on High Quality Fine Art Canson Paper. Multiple editions.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    Writer and photographer Fares Micue plays with aesthetics to tease apart the complex emotions, providing us with a vibrant foray into visual storytelling. 

     

     

  • Not Dior's New Look: Franck de las Mercedes

    "Aesthetically, I will dare say the treatment and execution of the garment in my subjects has been more important than the subject."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Franck de las Mercedes. Moda 1, 2002. Photography on Epson Archival Ultra-Premium Resin Coated Glossy Photo Paper. 10 x 8 in.
    Franck de las Mercedes. Moda 1, 2002. Photography on Epson Archival Ultra-Premium Resin Coated Glossy Photo Paper. 10 x 8 in.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    Franck de las Mercedes, a Nicaraguan artist based in New York who is best known for having a signature aesthetic, digs through his own archives for Not Dior's New Look III.

     

     

  • Not Dior's New Look: Isher Dhiman

    Dhiman speaks on the relationship between her artwork, curiosity, and philanthropy.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Isher Dhiman. Alexander McQueen II, 2022. Fashion illustration using mixed media on 350gm paper. 11.7 x 16.5 in.
    Isher Dhiman. Alexander McQueen II, 2022. Fashion illustration using mixed media on 350gm paper. 11.7 x 16.5 in.

    At The CAMP, we believe that linking up with other creatives is the key to making powerful changes in our world, and working with FFC is only a footstep on that journey for both of us. Following CAMP founder Melanie Prapopoulos’ commitment to donating a percentage of gallery sales to Fashion Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that offers innovative and therapeutic programs in fashion and design, what was once a fun digital exhibition has blossomed into a conversation, and ultimately, a force for good. 

     

    London-based artist and illustrator Isher Dhiman is playing her part in the conversation about whether "art" and "fashion" are as mutually exclusive as we've been led to believe.

     

     

  • Views From The Studio: Aurora Molina and Molly Gambardella

    Andrea, Brianna, and Melanie reflect on last week's studio visits.
    Views From The Studio: Aurora Molina and Molly Gambardella

    As a gallery, we treasure visiting our artists' studios to look at new works, plan for future projects, and catch up. Join our CAMPers as they stop by Aurora Molina's and Molly Gambardella's studios for an intimate look at their creative spaces.

  • Moving Parts: An Interview with Laetitia Adam-Rabel

    "While I do pray to God, I am a little burnt on what male leadership has brought us to. So I feel it’s time to revere the female and the male alike."
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Laetitia Adam-Rabel. Courtesy of the artist.
    Laetitia Adam-Rabel. Courtesy of the artist.
  • America’s Reality and Margaret Roleke’s March on Society

    An analysis on the works of Magaret Roleke in her Westport show
    Toyland, 2016. Painted toys on wood.
    Toyland, 2016. Painted toys on wood.

    Just a few weeks after Margaret Roleke’s solo exhibition, March on Society, opened at the Contemporary Art Modern Project, the American public has been briefed with record high gun violence statistics.

     

    The New Yorker’s David Rohde stated in an article published earlier this week, that “more than 20,000 people were killed by gun violence in America in 2021, a jump in roughly thirty per cent from the previous year”. Though the spike in gun violence numbers does not come as much of a surprise, the question of how to move forward and what changes could be made linger in the minds of most Americans.

     

    Margaret Roleke’s January exhibition at the CAMP Gallery in Westport presented an exploration and a space to reflect on America’s violent tendencies. With the works in the exhibition, including sculptural works, cyanotypes, and silkscreen prints, Margaret makes this harsh reality known using an inviting technique and whimsical objects. 

     

     

    She reflects the American reality back at us using toy soilders in pieces Lace Wars and Baby Blue War, considering the introduction to these violent tendencies starts at a young age. 

     

     

    By utilizing rich blue colors in her cyanotypes and shapes familiar to the flag, Roleke mirrors these American values by manipulating the stripes to cover up the words "Hope" and "Unite" in her silkscreen prints. Even pointing out the effect on the lives of childern in sculptural work, McDonaldland, using McDonald happy meal toys, American childhood reliecs.

     

     

    Gently guiding the viewer to approach the piece, Margaret fuels one to ask the challenging question itself: What happens next? How do we move forward? How can these numbers change?

     

  • In Conversation with the Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse

    Laetitia Adam-Rabel, Viviana Romero, Sandra Onetti, Maria Lino, Leslie McKinley, Laura Marsh, and Nancy Billings reflect on fiber artistry and their purpose as creatives.
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    In Conversation with the Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse

    As we continue our third-annual collaboration with Fiber Artists Miami Association, the exhibition, Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, continues to reveal just how layered the original premise is at its core. If there's anything we've learned over the years, it's that fiber's adaptable quality extends beyond its material capabilites. The idea that textile art holds a dual nature in its capacity to be equally tender and jarring brings about necessary, albeit poignant, questions of its role within the context of "fine" art, as well as just how much validity our societies are willing to afford to the feminine experience. 

     

    This year's edition, which features 100 pieces displayed as massive quilt, can be explored from perspectives totaling to the same, whether they're present subconsciously or explicitly. What is certain and unquestionable is that the democratization of the fine art industry allows us, the audience, to interrogate ourselves better, and more deeply, than a run-of-the mill homogeneity allows. Whether one feels uncomfortable, affrimed, or like they've learned something they weren't expecting to, what unites both the artists and the audience is the idea that self-expression isn't something personal, and instead something that is more often than not done in the same of unity.

     

    In typical CAMP fashion, we're interested in what the artists have to say—about their relationship with textiles, whether fiber art and fine art are as mutually exclusive as we've been lead to believe, and about their nature as artists. Read on to get to know Laetitia Adam-Rabel, Natalia SchonowskiViviana Romero, Sandra Onetti, Maria Lino, Leslie McKinley, Laura Marsh, and Nancy Billings.

  • Juliana Torres: When Art Embraces Real Life

    The Role of Non-Artistic, Ordinary Materials in Art Democratization
    by Maria Di Giammarco
    Juliana Torres. the secret life of pictures, 2020.
    Juliana Torres. the secret life of pictures, 2020.

    The Contemporary Art Modern Project is also known as The CAMP Gallery—but we've grown to become a platform for artists and artistic endeavors across the board. 

     

    As such, we're honored to feature Juliana Torres' final thesis When Art Embraces Real Life: The Role of Non-Artistic, Ordinary Materials in Art Democratization.  You can view Torres' contribution to our upcoming exhibition, the third-annual installment of Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, opening October 1, 2021.

  • Reflections on Spring/Break Art Show 2021

    Leslie Sheryll and Tracy Nicholls join the conversation on Heresay:Heresy.
    Reflections on Spring/Break Art Show 2021

    Society has been guided, willingly or otherwise, by leaders and extremists that have turned our nightmares into playgrounds of misinformation and superstition, and entwined survival and politics. This is sadly reminiscent of events in the Dark and Middle Ages, where then, at least, one can argue that they did not have the knowledge, nor the scientific understanding, that we have in this new and current century. Whether it can be contextualized as a mirror or a foreshadowing of the present moment, riots were rampant, attacks on government buildings and attempted coups the norm, and even grander class disparities; uniting these separate historical experiences is the collective inaction of the everyday person. 

    CAMP founder (and curator of our recent Spring/Break Art Show booth) Melanie Prapopoulos leaned into the concept of Heresay:Heresy to create a contemporary version of an ages-old trope: the wizard's lair. Instead of hosting a vision of an elder seer with prophecies at the ready, The CAMP's Wizard's Room questioned the reality of our human creation and fused the perspectives of artists Dominik Schmitt, Aurora Molina, Leslie Sheryll, Tracy Nicholls, and photographers Michael Garlington and Natalia Bertotti in hopes of attaining some answers.

     

    Lucky for us, she also asked them directly!

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    In this edition of Tea Time, CAMP Founder Melanie Prapopoulos walks us through the itinerary for the last quarter of 2020. Usually our busiest season, we've packed it full of new experiences and exhibtions—typically CAMP.
    by Melanie Prapopoulos
  • Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern Project! At The CAMP, we’re firm believers in the power of the intimate relationship between art and those who love art, and we’re happy to champion it in our approach to a nearly-inaccessible industry. CAMP Conversations are written to promote thoughtful dialogue exploring the art industry embedded with our sophisticated brand of snark, involving artists, gallery employees, and our beloved audience.

  • Stefano Ogliari Badessi: About Nomadism

    A Guest Feature by Kooness
    by Maria Di Giammarco

    Whether it is sculpting, painting, photography, design or fashion, even if someone once said that “the medium is the message”, within an artistic production there can often be a tendency towards a specific narrative, which is visceral and detached from the media that is used to express it. Stefano Ogliari Badessi (S.O.B.), opens up a world of joint ventures and collective collaborations, whilst always gravitating around the themes of nomadism and strayness.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    March/April 2021
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    Last March, we were in New York for SPRING / BREAK during New York’s winter art week—this March though has been quite different from that experience! It was an interesting month with new artists joining our roster, new ideas brewing in the minds and offices of the CAMP, and a new look on social media, and always a new gallery exhibition.

  • by Gabe Torres
  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern Project, this edition featuring CAMP spotlight artist and fine art photographer Ellen Friedlander who was included in our recent online exhibition, The Fragmented Frame, a collection of photography works over a 10 year period that aimed to highlight the nuanced changes we are all experiencing in this time of COVID-19.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    This is Introducing, a series of questions and answers sent to the latest artists joining The CAMP and The CAMP Spotlight: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview, this time featuring Tracy Nicholls!

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    This is Introducing, a series of questions and answers sent to the latest artists joining The CAMP and The CAMP Spotlight: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview, featuring one of our newest artists, Carol Erb!

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    This is Introducing, a series of questions and answers sent to the latest artists joining The CAMP and The CAMP Spotlight: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview, this time featuring Molly Brocklehurst!

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    To kick off 2021, we're bringing you a new CAMPerspectives series: Introducing.

     

    In this series, you'll learn about artists joining The CAMP and The CAMP Spotlight: their journeys, their inspirations, and even some tidbits you may not find in a run-of-the-mill interview.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    February 2021
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    The CAMP Gang and myself have been a little quiet since December but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy! Since the marathon which was 2020, we rested for a couple of days and hurled ourselves into 2021. Our plan this year is to put together 34 exhibitions both online and physical, but knowing me, and the gang, we will do more than that!

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

     

    Except you’ll be hearing from the CAMP Gang this New Year’s Eve.

     

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    Notes on December
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    We closed one gallery, opened a new one, moved gallery locations, took part in online fairs, did online exhibitions, in-gallery exhibitions, signed new artists—I watched the CAMP team grow all from Westport, Connecticut! It has been an exercise in organizing and trusting the Miami and New York team, which has paid off.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    2020 is on its way out of our collective memory, though not without fully overhauling life as we’ve known it. In the spirit of growth and community, we bring you The CAMP’s 2020 Roundup, a small interview series featuring reflections from our CAMP and CAMP Spotlight artists.

  • by Mario Rodriguez

    Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern ProjectI'm Mario Rodriguez, CAMP's resident social media guru and operations staffer, and I have the unique chance to always keep abreadth of all the wonderful things we're working on and new developments with our lovely artists. Johnny Ramstedt is one such artist, and we are so excited to be exhibiting his work in Monokhromos II!

  •  Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern Project! I'm CAMP creative, curator, and art dealer Andres J. Mora, taking over this little space for the first time to facilitate our readers a look into the work and process of one of my personal favorite artists to work with, Vicky Martin.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    Notes on November
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    October was a whirlwind in The CAMP Gallery, not just because of the success of our two exhibitions: 40 Women Pulling at The Threads of Social Discourse: F.A.M.A & Guests, and Feminism From South to North, but also because we moved locations!

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    What started off as an interest in American 1950’s Pop Art for artist Emma Coyle back in the early 2000’s, has grown into a multitude of work which represents a strong want to make very precise individual images.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    Notes on October
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    Getting to October has been something of a task this year, the reason being that during the early days of COVID,  Fiber Artists - Miami Association  (FAMA) formed and with that came October’s exhibition. 

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you by The Contemporary Art Modern Project! At The CAMP, we’re firm believers in the power of the intimate relationship between art and those who love art, and we’re happy to champion it in our approach to a nearly-inaccessible industry. CAMP Conversations are written to promote thoughtful dialogue exploring the art industry embedded with our sophisticated brand of snark, involving artists, gallery employees, and our beloved audience.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    The CAMP’s booth for this year’s 3D Hamptons Virtual Art Fair featured a selection of works by CAMP artists Joseph Ginsberg, Dominik Schmitt, and Drew Doggett. While their perspectives exist on different points of every spectrum imaginable, they unite in both their sentimentality for memories and the lessons they’ve tucked into their pieces.

  • Tea Time with Melanie

    Notes on September
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    At The CAMP Gallery, September kicks off with the second edition of The Hamptons Virtual Art Fair, where we are exhibiting works by Dominik Schmitt, Joseph Ginsberg and Drew Doggett.

  • by Maria Di Giammarco

    The beginnings of textile work are an incomplete picture, what with the perishable quality of early materials, but what is certain is that the craft has always been more than simply utilitarian. That much is clear considering that the items most representative of us—our personalities, cultures, our values, our memories—tend to be woven, embroidered, or sewed.

  • Tea Time With Melanie

    Notes on August
    by Melanie Prapopoulos

    Starting a new gallery in the middle of a global pandemic may seem to be a ridiculous venture, but this time and experience has given myself and The CAMP Gang ample time to cement our purpose, our ethos, and our identity.

  • CAMP Conversations

    On "Collective Isolation" and Symbiosis: a Conversation with Beatriz Chachamovits and Khotan Fernandez
    by Maria Di Giammarco

    Welcome to CAMP Conversations, an editorial space brought to you byThe Contemporary Art Modern Project! At The CAMP, we're firm believers in the power of the intimate relationship between art and those who love art, and we're happy to champion it in our approach to a nearly-inaccessible industry. CAMP Conversations are written to promote thoughtful dialogue exploring the art industry embedded with our sophisticated brand of snark, involving artists, gallery employees, and our beloved audience.