Tag Archives: sculpture

Tarotcast

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of June 30, 2019

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois was a sculptor, painter and printmaker.  She was born to tapestry restorers in 1911. She had a traumatic childhood. Her mother was ill her whole life and died when she was in her early 20’s. Her father had a series of mistress during that time which greatly effect her.  This emotionality was enhanced by living in Paris during WW1.  These events left her with deep-set feelings of abandonment and loss. She started off studying math for peace of mind through the study of rules nobody could change, but after her mother’s death turned to art.

Louise used her art form as a therapeutic process. Using the lens of what she calls pre-gender feelings, she contemplated the themes of the body, sexuality, gender, loneliness, jealousy, anger and fear.  She worked through and with her depression and anxiety by using symbolic items or images that expressed her personal inward journey. For example, Bourgeois uses the spider as symbol of her mother as a predator, protector, and weaver.  Louise is a perfect example of an artist that creates art that can be as cathartic for the maker as the viewer.  As she said: Art is a guarantee of sanity.

 

P.S.  Sorry, I’m a little late today with tarotcast, the universe is throwing me some curve balls.  NOTE:  this might also be affecting any of you with major planets in Cancer and Capricorn.  The next two and half weeks beginning with the partial solar eclipse on July 2nd in Cancer then the Lunar eclipse on July 16th, are big energy movers and shakers for those two signs.

Thank you for sticking with me.

Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Cancer this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.

 

Aries

Knight of Cups – The last two weeks you have been dipping in and out of the spotlight.  First the Sun card brought a sense of accomplishment and energy for getting things done, growing healthier, and succeeding in new ways.  Then the Hermit advised you the opposite by pulling away from society the next week you could be more productive. This week the Knight of Cups has you back in society’s fray.  This card is all about being the social butterfly and sharing your love.  Enjoy the company of people this week.  Not only will they bring you energy but also connect you to your emotions and heart.

 

Taurus

Louise BourgeoisFour of Pentacles – The Four of Pentacles has you focusing on your resources and how you spend them. This week your time, attention and money will be limited so use them wisely.

 

Gemini

Nine of Cups – The Nine of Cups is the card of contentment.  Take this week to focus and feed the activities and people that bring a smile to your face.  Do things that are satisfying and pleasurable.  This week smile – life is good.

 

Cancer

Queen of Wands – To embody this Queen you need to reconnect with your passion, awe and joy.  All Wands advise that nature be part of this process.  Mother Earth is calling for you to get out and hang with her this week.  She will help you reconnect to who you are, inspire your creativity and ignite your desires. Due to the Eclipses, see intro above, these next two and half weeks hold a lot of power.  Use wisely.

 

Leo

Three of Cups – The Three of Cups is the card of friendship.  The best way to gather this card’s energy is to hang with friends.  Whether that is watching a game, going out to listen to music or going to your local pub, this week reconnect with your friends and they will fill your cups – literally and figuratively.         

 

Virgo

Six of Swords – The Six of Swords advises the simplification of one’s thoughts by gaining perspective with distance.  The best way to work with the energies this week is to strip the problem/ project down to the bone, step back and then rebuild.

 

Libra

Eight of Cups – Last week the Chariot challenged you to take the reins and create change in your life   The Eight of Cups continues this theme but challenges you that to do it properly you will have to leave something behind.  A great exercise with this energy is to go through drawers or closets and get rid of things that you no longer use.

 

Scorpio

Two of Wands – The Two of Wands is the card of the future.  This is a great week to do some daydreaming and planning for what you would like to happen a month, a year and five years from now.  If you don’t have dreams, then you have nothing to aspire and grow towards.

 

Sagittarius

King of Pentacles – The King of Pentacles’ energy is do and build.  This is a great week to tackle a project and get things done off your to-do list.  The only challenge with this card is you will need to take charge if you are working with others without being bossy.

 

Capricorn

*Moon – Another big week for you all.  Last week, Judgement the card of evolution challenged you to awaken and make the big move to totally change your life.  This week the Moon the card of emotions and subconscious adds to that energy of progression. Therefore, this week might hold challenges around your triggers, but you can really focus the Moon’s energies to have major break throughs.  Especially since you can charge this evolution with the might of the solar eclipse on July 2nd in your sister sign of Cancer and then the Lunar eclipse in Capricorn that is happening on July 16th.  These next two and half weeks are big energy days for Cancers and Capricorns.

 

Aquarius

Louise BourgeoisPage of Pentacles – The last two weeks, the Judgment card had you picking something you want to evolve in your life, and then the Star card gave you some time and space to adjust to this growth.   This week with the Page of Pentacles’ energy things start to normalize if you let yourself be flexible and open minded.  Come at this week with curiosity and the love of learning.

 

Pisces

*Magician – The Magician is the card of materialization.  First this card says you have all the tools you will need this week to get things accomplished.  Secondly, it advises you to tap into your intuition or gut to navigate the best process to transform your creations onto the material plane.  And thirdly, this card says you have the willpower to manifest what you want in the world if it has a divine purpose.  You are the conduit of divine energy – use it wisely.

 

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

 

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of March 17, 2019

This week’s artist is Edith Meusnier.  Some have classified her as an environmental, textile or fiber artist.  These three categories have predominately woman in them.  Why?  First, let’s define the categories.   Environmental art is artistic works that are intended to enhance or become part of the environment or make a statement on environmental issues. Textile arts are arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects. Fiber art refers to fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic fiber and other components. It focuses on the materials and on the manual labor on the part of the artist as part of the works’ significance and prioritizes aesthetic value over utility.

It is curious to categorize her in just the above, for she is ultimately a sculptor. Sculpture is the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round.  (Sculpture’s original definition has the materials being carved or molded but that has expanded as the materials we use have too).  Creating and using the first three categories is one way that bias can happen especially for women artist.

If you compare her work to Andy Goldsworthy (named as a sculptor, photographer and environmentalist) they are similar.  He uses outdoor space to create temporary installations that highlight the environment, so does Edith.   They only difference is that she uses gift ribbon, and he uses objects from the environment.

Or we can compare her to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, they are considered artists that make environmental art.  (Note:  Christo as a solo artist is named a sculptor. Christo also took sole recognition for all the art until 1994 then retroactively renamed it with Jean Claude’s name.  And now the team is considered environmental artists.)  They use a variety of fabrics to make their pieces.  So environmental art doesn’t have to use only pieces from the environment nor make an environmental statement.  Nor if you use fabric are you only a  textile or fabric artist.

Ultimately is the art community putting women, who use out of the ordinary (wood, metal or stone) materials to build 3- dimension pieces, outside the high art form of sculpture because of the material she uses,  are women  allowing themselves to be sub-labeled instead of taking on the broader term, or is it simply because women aren’t the right gender to be seen and named a sculptor?

P.S.  Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.

Aries

Edith Meusnier*Lovers – The Lovers show up to remind you about one of the most important pieces of being human – connection.  How you connect and who you connect with this week becomes very important to figuring out what direction to take in the coming months.  A simple example is choosing wisely about who you talk with and what you talk about at the water cooler, for the relationship there create your work environment.  A complex example is taking that idea home with who you choosing as your partner.  If it is not a supportive relationship, why are you in it?  And if it is supportive – reward it.

Taurus

Ace of Cups – Love is in the air.  The Ace of Cups wants you to open your arms, ears, and heart to people around you.  This is a great week to make new connections and deepen relationships you already have.  Take time this week to share your heart.

Gemini

Edith MeusnierKing of Coins – The King of Coins comes when you need to look at how you make you money.  Is it satisfying?   Do you feel supported?  Are you making enough to make ends meet?  Then in answering these questions you will either be celebrating and imbuing in your accomplishments or begin making to-do lists that will create “yes” answers.

Cancer

Edith MeusnierQueen of Cups – The Queen of Cups challenges your life – wanting it to flow freer.  This week celebrating the joys both big and small.  Have some fun, hang with friends, have a beverage for the joy of it – think root-beer floats or champagne. Being in water will help remind you of your joys if you are stuck.

Leo

Edith MeusnierKing of Cups – The King of Cups ask you to get in touch with your emotions this week, especially when they deal with your environment.  Your emotions ae clues how to handle situations.  For example, if you thrilled to talk to someone then do so, if you are not then don’t feel obligated.  The challenge is not to go inward with your emotions but interact outward.

Virgo

Edith MeusnierEight of Cups – Time for some house-cleaning this week.  Not only should you be doing in your environment but also in the internal dialogue and emotional swings you have.  Take “items” out of the closet/dark, dust them off, see if you still need them and if not toss it.   Your only challenge is this may not until the weekend, but don’t forget to do it.

Libra

Edith Meusnier*Hierophant – This is a great week to work with structures and systems.   The Hierophant challenges you to create structures for yourself to find ways to work smoothly within in your control and to learn from structures you have no control over (like education, government etc..).  This can look as simple as going over your schedule and to-do list to shift and reprioritize.  Or as complex as, you are having a sit down with a boss or co-worker and come up with a new plan that can work for the betterment of all.  Also, for lifelong learners this means going back for a course, class or book you know will help you obtain your goals.

Scorpio

Edith Meusnier*Fool – Last week, the Empress wanted you to reconnect with the person who was the most motherly to you and then cultivate those “motherly” qualities in yourself. Now the Fool shows up and has two challenges for you this week:  1) Don’t take that task too seriously.  Don’t forgot not only do good mothers nurture, but they also play.   2)  Take the “motherly” you on the road.   This can look as simple as visiting a friend for a drink and vent session or taking your child to a skate park and you both skate(board).

Sagittarius

Edith MeusnierNine of Pentacles – The Nine of Pentacles declares this is a great week for getting your work done and enjoying it. This card helps you hone your flow, but to get the most out of it you should hole yourself up.  It is not that you can’t work with others, you should just be very choosy when you do so.

Capricorn

Three of Pentacles – Second three in a row so let’s look at the number three for a second.  Threes have us ground ourselves in the present but with our sights towards the future.  Last week the Three of Swords ask you to be honest with your emotional thinking.  And this week the Three of Pentacles have you working within the material plane.  So, questions like, where am I will drive a stake into the present for grounding and questions like where I am going with my work need to be pondered and sketched out towards the future.  This card also reminds you for this week that working with others cuts your work load and increases output.

Aquarius

Queen of Coins – Last week, the Tower card came to remind you to that something needs to be fixed that you have been putting off.  The Queen of Coins continues this theme of mending and fixing.  So, if you didn’t do it last week get it done.  However, she also challenges you, once it is finished, finding time to sit back and enjoy some delights from the material plane.

Pisces

Edith MeusnierAce of Wands – This is your last card of your birth month and what a great one.  The Ace of Wands is the card of beginnings that light your passion. Remember your main birth year card is the Devil (click here for a refresher) And the King and Nine of Swords are going to challenge you to get out of your head to take these “exams.”  And now the Ace of Wands is the candle on your cake.  This card is foretelling that while you are passing your tests, you are simultaneously creating a new future that is more passionate and creative.  This week start planting the seeds in your mind of what you want to grow as you graduate into the new you.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of Janaury 27, 2019

This week’s artist is Bordalo II.  He started off as a graffiti artist in Lisbon, where street art is popular and legal.  He re-uses trash, specifically ones harmful to wildlife like plastic, to create his graffiti-sculptures. He chooses animal images to highlight the dangers of pollution in our world.   I create, recreate, assemble and develop ideas with end-of-life material and try to relate it to sustainability, ecological and social awareness.

Plastic is so much a part of our everyday lives and important for many areas (especially medical and automotive), but we need to curb our reliance on it.  Look around your home and you will find an average of 70% of your life has a plastic part.  Around 60% of clothing has plastic in it (all synthetic fibers are plastic: polyester, acrylic, nylon). The first thing all of us can do is stop using single use plastics (even if you use them more than once).  And then just being conscious when you buy plastic toys, your clothes, or even organizing with plastic bins, try to find more biodegradable alternatives or at the very least with less plastic or recycled plastic in them.

Boradalo’s work is imaginative, deep and a needed reminder. I love to see that he also did one of a human (see Aries below)) for we are not only the cause of pollution but also a victim.  We are a species of Earth just as the pelican, elephant, snake or spider.  Once we start seeing that we are part of the larger ecosystem maybe we will stop harming our home.

P.S.  Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  If you do an beginning of a year Astrological Reading.

Aries

Ten of Swords – Every week has the potential to be good or bad, but when the Ten of Swords shows up it leans toward the negative.  This week, your environment will show the prickly side of the human experience.  There are a couple of ways to deal with this card – hide or if you must show up, avoid.  Listening to your intuition will help you navigate this week.  Heed your inner voice/gut.

Taurus

King of Cups – This is your second King in a row so let’s dive deeper into the Kings.  When Kings show up, they are wanting you to master or manifest specific areas of your life.  Last week the King of Pentacles had you working on your material plane.  This week the Cups are about manifesting your emotions.   This King is not afraid to cry so all emotions are OK.  The work is having them, accepting them, learning their lessons, and then letting them go.
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of Janaury 27, 2019 →

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Tarotcast for Week Of November 25, 2018

Ron Mueck Hyperrealism

Hyperrealism is the genre of painting or sculptures that resemble or portray real life and offshoot of photorealism.  Photorealism is a painting, drawings or other graphic medium in which an artist tries to replica a photograph.  These movements were born with Pop Art in the 60’s and 70’s.    Ron Mueck creates hyperrealism sculptures, and what sets him apart is his use of scale.

He grew up around dolls and puppets in his parents business, and became a model maker and puppeteer for children’s television, films such as Labyrinth and worked in Jim Henson’s Muppet Workshop.  Then in 1996 he started creating fine art sculptures. Mueck uses resin, fiberglass, silicone, and many other materials, constructing hyperrealistic likenesses of mostly human beings, while playing with scale. When asked why Mueck plays with size he said:  Life-size figures … never seemed to be interesting. We meet life-size people every day. Altering the scale makes you take notice in a way that you wouldn’t do with something that’s just normal.

It is interesting that this concept of scale with the human form resonates in our human psyche.  Take for instance, the TV show Land of the Giants or the stories Thumbelina, The Little Peach Boy, Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland or as far back The Odyssey.  All of these stories have the theme of large and small.  Is it our biological fear of being prey that has us pondering size especially in contrast to us? When we play with scale particularly with our human form we end up observing things that are commonplace in a new way.  This is the beauty, awe and sometimes horror and disgust of looking through a magnifying glass, microscope or telescope.  Playing with scale not only has us observing the ordinary and everyday closer, but it also has us questioning our place in the Universe. And that is a great exercise with this kind of art.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it’s a big week for you.  And please share.

 

*Aries – Death

Ron Mueck Hyperrealism The Death card is an appropriate as you head into the winter months.  This week has that feel of slow natural change that happens each season.  This card asks you questions like: What cycles are you starting up again? What ideas or projects do you want to store and work on next year?  What do you want to let die or finish before spring?  This week start mulling these questions in your head, so by winter Solstice you will have a good strategy and platform for 2019.

 

*Taurus – Strength

Ron Mueck Hyperrealism You are going to need your strength this week.  Not because the outside world is trying your patience, but this week is more about your internal struggle to get things done. This card wants you to assess how you hold yourself back.  Do you think you are not strong enough? Or are your opinions and expectations too strong?  Does your will power not let you rest or does it drag you down into inertia?  The Strength card shows up right before one needs to gather their strength to create momentum with the material goals in life. While the rest of us are hibernating, winter will be the perfect time for you all to kick ass, so use this time to garner your strength.
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week Of November 25, 2018 →

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Tarot-cast for Week of May 20, 2018

rock garden of chandigarh

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India.  It was started in secret by Nek Chand, a government official in 1957. He worked in his spare time, may times at night, bicycling his materials into the forest, an kept it secret until 1976.  since it was on public land the authorities wanted to tear it down, however, locals fought for his creations. He won and was hired by the government to continue his work with a crew of 50 workers. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres. The entire project was built from industrial and home waste and thrown-away items.

I just love this story and its creation.  It started from a man who saw all this destruction and waste and he decided to create something magical.  This is an amazing trait of humans and to create beauty out of what others consider trash. A trait that is useful in building up our resilience but also creates a bit of magic in our lives.

P.S. Please share.

Aries- Six of Cups

rock garden of chandigarhLast week the Tower challenged you to let go of needing to control change and to subtly navigate it by shifting your stance.  This week the Six of Cups continues the theme by having you look back in to your history for clues on how to deal with this change.

Taurus– Nine of Swords

rock garden of chandigarhThe Nine of Swords is the card of worry.   Worry can be helpful when you use it to prepare for the future or to re-think about your past.  However, the challenge with this card is to know when worry becomes nothing but thoughts that have no objective or conceives a useful action.  This week be aware where your worries take you. Continue reading Tarot-cast for Week of May 20, 2018 →

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Tarotcast Week of August 6, 2017

The Talking Skull, above, and the sculptures below are by the artist Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. Fuller is considered to be a forerunner of the Harlem Renaissance. After art school in Philadelphia she moved to Paris and became a protégé of Auguste Rodin. In Paris, her artistic ability was nurtured and exalted.  However, on her return to the US her art was considered “domestic,” and she was shunned by the Philadelphia art scene. ( I am not exactly sure what “domestic” means but a polite way of being racist and sexist in the early 1900’s in the Northeast.)

Fuller’s work was not limited to the reflection of the African American experience. For instance, she made a religious sculpture annually, but many of her pieces were political in nature and some did express the African American experience at the turn of the 1900 century.  I see that sculpture above as not only a way Meta spoke to the world about a certain people’s history but also how she understood and beautiful articulated the complexity of emotions of a human questioning death.

P.S. Remember, signs with * it’s a big week for you.

 

*Aries – High Priest –  Last week, The Star card advised you to slow down and do some much needed healing and breathing. This week the High Priest is challenging you to continue the intentions of last week, but to do so you will need to create boundaries and structure in your life. Remember the big rule in air flight: put your oxygen mask on yourself before putting it on others.

 


Taurus – Three of Wands – You know last week when the Queen of Swords asked you how to make you your deepest desire happen? Well, you get another week to work on that. Last week you tried to get what you wanted done, and you found that you didn’t have the resources, including time. The Three of Wands is giving you another week to set up the circumstances to get those deepest desires to sail into port with more ease.
Continue reading Tarotcast Week of August 6, 2017 →

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Tarotcast for week of April 23, 2017

Minneapolis is home to the Minneapolis Sculpture garden where the above Spoonbridge and Cherry is the center piece. In my research I found  a website of the Smithsonian American Art Museum called Save Outdoor Sculpture! –SOS! ,and I found that Minneapolis has a lot more  hidden sculptures.  This volunteer-based program’s mission is to preserve and celebrate America’s outdoor sculptures. Nearly 7,000 volunteers are collecting information about the history and condition of their communities public sculptures, and they have found many of them to be at risk. SOS! works with individuals and groups to document, restore and educate people about these free public artworks.

Not only does this site encourage us to document public sculptures and help find resources to conserve your communities’ sculptures, but it has an amazing data base of really cool sculptures all over the world to discover. I suggest to you this spring go discover or rediscover the public art in your community.

P.S. I have attached some of the sculptures of Minneapolis to your tarotcast. Remember, signs with * it’s a big week for you.

Aries – Ace of Swords – The Ace of Swords is challenging you to change your mind. This could be accomplished by learning something new, changing an old thought, or changing your stance on something. With any of these choices you will gain a new perspective on how you think.

Taurus – Seven of Swords – The Seven of Swords’ lesson is around regrouping. This continues the theme from last week  to recognize what you have accomplished in the past three months. Last week it was time to celebrate and continue your work. This week is all about stepping back to tally and restock your resources.
Continue reading Tarotcast for week of April 23, 2017 →