Mi and Romy Nayar @ Artspace UTSA

Ro-Mi-Gor

Mi and Romy, I will call them Ro-Mi for this post because it sounds and looks funny. Ok lazy writer as well but with over 30 degrees I allow myself to not only be lazy, I even allow myself to be super lazy. Ro-Mi are a nice match for a new exhibit at Artspace UTSA. Maybe I should add Igor Ballyhoo as well, because the builds at Artspace UTSA are his. So that would be Ro-Mi-Gor as stage name. The Ro-Mi-Gor ensemble is one of contrasts as well as overlap. Both Mi and Romy have an eye for subtleness/sensitivity with the kind of depth that makes you wonder what you are looking at. Igor is the opposite I suppose, not particularly subtle but more robust with masculine buildings/creations that can be somewhat intimidating in their strength and size. Another contrast is the use of bright deep colours by Mi and often more dark ones by Romy and Igor. Plus the difference in 2D and 3D work of course, Mi being the 2D artist in this. This combination of contrasts and some overlap works well for me. Ro -Mi -Gor complement each other and emphasize each other and are definitely worth a visit.

UTSA Artspace

UTSA Artspace is curated by constructivIST Solo. ConstructivIST is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educator at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), and interested in the interplay between STEM learning and instructional technologies. STEM learning is a curriculum based on the idea of integrated education of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. A non-seperated approach to fully benefit from combined insights and combined knowledge.

I now quote from the UTSA Artspace website:

Our new exhibit highlights the work of two artists again: 2D artist KissMi (aka. Mi) and 3D artist Romy Nayar. Please join us for the opening on Wednesday, June 21, at 8 am SLT at our beautiful UTSA ArtSpace Gallery .

The work of Mi captures what could be called states of being, moments of existence, in haunting imagery. Each picture deserves quiet contemplation and reflection on one’s own experiences relative to the art piece. Upon entering the gallery, and turning right, visitors will find a gift by the artist.
Romy’s work is accessible through the gallery, through a large door placed in the back. It serves as a teleport to the sky area in which the exhibit “Lamento” is housed. The artist gives us the following quote “I don’t want anything at all, everything is lost, always…to live without anything, is to lose nothing.” We invite visitors to explore the space through a series of doors.

Personal impression

The opening being at an unusual time will be a reason many missed it. That’s a perfect opportunity to now visit alone and with your own reflections and thoughts. Below are mine.

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2D work by Mi

I like Mi’s work very much myself. Everyone here knows I am not too soon calling someone’s creations art, but with most of Mi’s work I have no hesitation at all to give it that value. A very good sense of colour, bright without being blatant and compositions that are striking, with a strong call upon on your mind to connect with them and make a story you feel as vibrant and present. There are some black and whites too by the way, some of them taken at other exhibitions, but Mi herself said to me she is more a colour person than a black and white person. I would have no trouble to fill a wall with Mi’s work. My favourite works are Bubbles Minds, Exercito, Frames and The Angel Asleep (last one is top fav here).

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Lamento by Romy Nayar

Romy’s work I also like very much, though it maybe is a bit strange to say for such a sad work. I think however we all know this feeling. Lamento means grieving, weeping and mourning. At the first level you will see a sculpture that seems to be forced to show certain moods. Or at least it shows how moods can rapidly change when life is taking you along a road of all kinds of exposures. It can make you feel trapped and out of control to be in a chaos of emotions. The sculpture holds a person like in a trap and my feeling is that this person is not happy at all and making a masquerade to pretend to be functioning well. The bright white box makes it look even more sharp and hard. Serenity around, a mess inside.

The second level via another door is a complete black environment filled with mourning women without a real face, wearing a white costume. Even the air is filled with mournings. Somber sounds of lamentations, as far as I could hear mostly females singing sad howls in the air. It feels quite depressed and desolated, people aching for the loss of whoever and whatever. Volants that move in the sky bring some lightness as if a spiritual power tries to comfort the souls of the ones that are grieving. When we enter such a situation in our lives we often feel lost and fear to experience new loss. This fear can be very strong and dominant. It can make us avoid all risks for instance, all connections and love, to be sure nothing can be lost again. It is to me the utter state of sadness when this kind of mood takes over a human mind, but it also makes sense, because hurts can be as devastating as choosing to be safe and isolated from all pleasures that possibly could be lost.

The clothes the free avatar and women sculptures are wearing remind me a bit at the processions in Spain called Semana Santa, but that’s more a religious thing and I don’t see a specific connection other than the clothes and a mourning Maria. Sadness is everywhere after all.

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Information

The pics I took deliberately show incomplete looks at the exhibits. Why? Because you have to check it out yourself to fully enjoy the Ro-Mi-Gor triangle :) For a change none of the pics are photoshopped. Lazy again and I find them ok as they are.

At both exhibits of Ro-Mi you can receive a gift. Mi’s gift is at the entrance gallery (a quadriptych with 4 of the exhibition works) and Romy’s gift is in the sculpture in the white box at the first level of her exhibition ( a free avatar of a lamenting woman, matching the sculptures at the second level of the exhibition). I searched for the building to be gifted as well, but alas :P More for you to explore via the links below:

Flickr stream Mi

Website Romy Nayar

Website UTSA

Flickr Group UTSA

TP to UTSA Artspace