Magical Realism

Art for Good, Friday March 2nd

2012-02-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Toward the Sun
36 x 35 in
Acrylic

Queen City Prints presents Art for Good: A Collection of Work to Benefit WNYHeroes. The evening will feature artwork by over 15 local artists, music, cash bar featuring Flying Bison and food by Buffalo's famous Lloyd Taco Truck.

All proceeds from the evening will go to ...benefit WNYHeroes, Inc., a not-for-profit organization which provides local veterans, members of the armed services, and the widows and children of deceased veterans with access to essential services, financial assistance and resources that support their lives and sustain their dignity.

Featuring Work by:
Bruce Adams
Mary Begley
Joe Bergquist
Philip Casilio
Phil Durgan
Robert W. Kinkaid, Jr.
Christina Laing
Chris Reilley
Tara Sasiadek
Paula Sciuk
Chuck Tingley
Richard Tomasello
Marcus Wise
and more...

$5 Donation to WNYHeroes is suggested. And while you're here, don't miss other events in the area for First Fridays and The 500 Block Party!

For more information, visit www.queencityprints.com/art-for-good-wnyheroes

Lovely Dark and Deep: Process

2012-02-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

My next solo show will be opening on May 4th at 464 Gallery: Lovely Dark and Deep. I am in the midst of working on 20 paintings for the show: each one has a completed layout and a TON of painting left to accomplish.

In the meantime, here are some process photos for my underpaintings:

Fire spirits

2012-02-23T12:15:00.001-08:00

I've recently completed The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron with a friend. I highly recommend it to any creative types.

It helps you examine what creative urges you have blocked and why, and in going through the exercises I definitely identified that my urge to work illustratively: which has been an instinct since I began drawing as a child and all through school, has taken some critical hits. .

At a certain point, I started trying to work against my own nature and avoid the appearance of line work in my paintings that was always naturally present in my doodles and layouts.
This series has been a way of working with no technical expectations: I painted intuitively, enjoyed the hell out of the process, and I feel the finished work is a bridge to the kind of energy I want to capture in future work.

Litlith: solitary, strong.

2012-01-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Lilith: solitary/strong
Tara Sasiadek
Acrylic on Canvas
16 x 20

Little Leviathan

2012-01-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Little Leviathan
Tara Sasiadek
Acrylic on Canvas
16 x 20

Altars for the El Museo Day of the Dead show, 2011

2011-11-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

The Sacred Whore bids Farewell to Dead Time
Tara Sasiadek
Mixed Media on Panel
30 x 40 x 10

I first read about "Dead time" in Adbusters: it represents the non-moment after a nuclear explosion: the eerie silence that fills you instinctively with foreboding. In the context of our lives, "dead time" is an infection of non-moments in day to day living: that minute you realize you are surfing the internet with no apparent aim or pleasure, the sluggish feeling of exhaustion after a day-long desk campout. We spend much of our lives doing nothing in particular if we allow ourselves to. Adbusters is putting out a kind of rallying cry to reject dead time and embrace using every precious minute of our time to experience life actively.

This is a huge challenge for me: I am tired and often would rather curl up and read instead of paint or take a walk at the end of the day. This altar/painting is a kind of promise of accountability: not to never again slack off, but to name dead time and reject it as a constant drain on my life. I think it is better to refresh with a purpose, too allow a break before you get to the point of zombie-like marathongs of fringe with no contact with the outside world.

Not that I have ever done that, of course.

The Crooked Madonna Honors her Inner Daemon
Tara Sasiadek
Mixed Media on Panel
30 x 40 x 10

These self portraits are the first I have made in about a decade, but the symbols remain related: I think of teeth as double edged: on one hand useful, on the other terrifying in their power to rend you apart. I can't imagine a daemon worth its salt without them. Daemons were once considered inspirational rather than possesive, and this altar is a thank you of sorts to my better toothy instincts: without the tenacity to fight, I may have never gotten up to put brush to anything. When I create, despair and fury and confusion become aids to the process. Art transforms my weakness into something of use: the ability to tap into that is a gift from the universe, perhaps a daemonic one.

Live Painting Slide Show: Echo Art Fair at the Buffalo Central Terminal

2011-07-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sirens: a Mythological Series

2011-06-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sirens, Song Entwined

Tara Sasiadek

36 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Raidne, Wisdom’s Laughter

Tara Sasiadek

24 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Teles, Muse’s Daughter

Tara Sasiadek

24 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Aglaope, Immortal Voice

Tara Sasiadek

24 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Parthenope, Distant Sea

Tara Sasiadek

24 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Molpe, Mystic Urge

Tara Sasiadek

24 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Keres, Spirited Death

Tara Sasiadek

36 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

Alkonosts, Sweet Oblivion

Tara Sasiadek

36 x 36 in.

Acrylic on Canvas

In Which my Fabulous Models Entwine Their Hands in Maddening Ways...

2011-04-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

From raw canvas to here, roughtly 50 hours.

I do a quick and dirty gestural drawing of my model shots.

I start to lay in the major light values with transparent white and ochre glazes.

I solidify the outlines of the figures, block in the background and lay in gold leaf.

The first steps take forever and look like nothing is happening, but they are essential for the fun parts: ornamentation and imagination go wild here.

I add layers of color and piped acrylic gel for texture.

True story: I worked forever on these many entwined hands only to have my dear husband scare the life out of me asking why there were 7 of them instead of 6. (There are six damn hands.)

In the final stages I ususally have to walk away or sleep on the painting before I decide it is really ready to varnish and hang.

Sirens opens this Friday April 15th, from 6-11pm.
Food and drink is also provided, as well as incredible music and performance with DJ PROJEX, The Stripteasers, and live Sirens.
464 Gallery at 464 Amherst St, Buffalo NY

Street parking is free and available.

The Making of a Siren

2011-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

I started with Yellow Ochre Arcylic on Masonite panel.

Next I blocked in the background details, and layerd in gold leaf.

Texture was added with clear gel medium over the gold leaf and underpainting.

I piped clear gel cake-decor style to create relief details on the mantle and crown.

Translucent color fields in many layers get build up over the gold leaf and the figure.

Finishing touches with layering white and warm glazes on the figure.

Fini.

Debase: Creating Profane Space

2011-03-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

One month ago, local gallery owner Marcus Wise mentioned to a group of artists that he had a blank spot open for Blink Gallery that needed to be filled. In a really enjoyable and slightly insane endeavor, a group of us conceived of a show that night and put in together in about ten days.

The best part of this whole process was feeling the synergy of our feverish minds bouncing off of each other. The result of all of this was

DEBASE:

An interactive installation as the collaborative
effort of 6 local artists: Marcus L. Wise, Tara Sasiadek, Richard Tomasello, Anna Bystran,
Chuck Tingley, and Dana Saylor.

“DEBASE” is a sarcastic shrine to the nauseating media images of "physical
perfection" we are inundated with daily. Combining a tactile “adult ball-pit,” the artists
have filled the gallery with a “knee-deep” volume of crumpled images and propaganda
that celebrate the debasement of the body through traditional media. Participants are
invited to pass through a red curtain and wade into the experience of their own
debasement, as they are bombarded with the photo-shopped and judgment-infused
sounds and images that while potentially palatable in their daily recommended doses,
become horrific and grotesque in greater quantity.

Each artist has made an offering to the angry, jealous god of physical perfection in
the form of small, collaged idols that line the walls of the gallery, with a large idol of
twisted perfection gazing knowingly over the proceedings. Choose to revel or wallow in
your own debasement, and perhaps to do the backstroke through the filth, or choose to
add you own imagery to the pile in a gesture of cleansing or rebellion.

This experience was a huge eye opener to me. As I was making endless complex lists of what had to be done for my solo show, through sheer will we acted to make this happen, and had a fabulous time doing it. In short, I need to do more and think less when it comes to art-making.

Crooked Madonna, Sacred Whore

2011-02-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

Finishing up my work in 2010, I switched from Encaustics to Acrylics and started more realistic color renderings. It's been about a decade since my last self portrait, so this was a learning experience in looking carefully, as well as trying to stretch acrylics thorough glazing.

Crooked Madonna, Tara Sasiadek, Acrylic on Canvas, 24x36

Sacred Whore, Tara Sasiadek, Acrylic on Camvas, 24x36

I am really falling in love with this medium, though I resisted it for so long...

Ripe: An Immersive Art Installation

2010-11-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Ripe: An Immersive Art Installation by Marissa Lehner and Tara Sasiadek

...1,500 square feet of felt later: I feel what I feel after every installation comes down- if only I had an extra empty room to set it up in permanently!

Still, the beauty of so many things is in their limited, ephemeral quality:

You walk into Blink Gallery on Amherst St, and you come face to face with a heavy indigo curtain. Pulling it aside, you enter a cave like tent, and possibly another universe.

Inside, there are old book pages, turned into floating ideas- perfect forms coated in sweet scented beeswax, rustling and bumping against you in a friendly way as you explore deeper in.

On the floor, ripened ideas sit pulsing with light, the details and concepts within them are illuminated.

This work was made, installed, and conceived of by the very talented Marissa Lehner, and myself, Tara Sasiadek. Mostly because then we had an entire week to have picnics and take naps inside of a peaceful and soothingly strange space.

The opening was incredible, for the space came alive in a completely different way when filled with people. When we gave our artist talk, we all sat down together inside the installation and it felt much like visiting an astrolabe on a field trip, or having a secret meeting inside of a fort.

I can't thank Marissa enough for working with me on this: it was a pleasure and a joy to have such a passionate and free thinking collaborator. We were also extremely blessed to be working with Gallery owner Marcus Wise, who was not only permissive, but excited and supportive of having his entire gallery taken over by this piece.

Now, bits of it are taking over my and Marissa's cars instead.

Creative Energy

2010-10-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if this is a myth: We only have so much creative energy.
I do know this: I can only physcially function for so long before collapsing in a little heap.

I have been quiet here for a while. I am in the midst of chasing a dream I rejected as ridiculous over a decade ago. Like most dreams, no matter how poorly I treated it, it followed me around, mooning.

And so last spring I dragged myself, extremely anxious, to audition for a musical. And to my great surprise- I got a part. A dancing part- which is not my forte. I was so ridiculously giddy.

And as rehearsals started this summer, I walked home from each one singing and whistling and smiling like a fool. As they stretched into fall, I realized it was hard to find the time to take pictures of all the art I was making- but that visual creativity was still with me. I painted in stolen moments, sculpted in between scenes, beading on my lunch break... I just couldn't find the oomph to post about it.

I think that is the major challenge facing creative types today. You pour out your creativity, but until you reach out with it somehow, is is just a big puddle of creative goodness on the floor.

So here is some art that I have made- with a group of fabulously kind and talended people I am honored to have met and worked with:

If you are in the Buffalo area and would like to laugh your arse off, check it out:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Music by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by:David Hall
Vocal Direction by:Cindy Mayo
Music Direction by:Betty Pitcher
Choreography by:Renée Speers

October 8–10, 14–17, and 21–24, 2010
SHOW TIMES

Thursday, Friday, Saturdayperformances begin at 8:00

Sunday performances begin at 2:30

Goddess Prayer Cards

2010-08-11T18:51:00.001-07:00

Psyche- Goddess of the mind, spirit of the air.

Brigid- Goddess of the flame and hearth, Earth dweller.

These started out as sketches...
and became 8x10 Acrylic paintings...
and eventually became double sided prayer cards found here.

A Mad Tea Party

2010-05-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another corner of today's mad celebration. The woods are silent but shaking, as something enormous lumbers toward you...

As a young girl, I was both terrified and enthralled by Lewis Carrol's Jabberwocky. It seemed like the ideal unnamed terror- giving me just enough information for my imagination to run wild. Handing me a passport to heroism.

"`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe."

What of instead of snicker-snacking the poor Jabberwock, we could befriend it? Like conquering our own giant nameless fears- if you look into that space you dreaded you may find an ally instead of an enemy.

I wanted to paint Alice's completely different relationship with a young Jabberwock: both loving and tenuous- here she reaches out to bond with the fearsome thing, and I envy her while holding my breath a little. You never know what is going to come galumphing out of a mirror.

I used a combination of Encaustic and Mirror-Mosaic pieces along with cardboard-collage, metal leaf, and oil paint- so pretty much a mad mash-up of things!

Nomad

2010-05-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

This local periodical, bursting with art in many forms, has its third issue release party coming soon:

NOMAD Issue 3 will be released this Wednesday night at WAM (writers-artists-musicicans) (http://www.wambuffalo.com/) - Be sure to come down & check out the event!!!

Release Party
Wednesday 05/26
Stillwater, 481 Delaware Ave
7-10:30PM

Full disclosure: My painting, OK Bodhisattva is in this issue!

Sacred Space for Rent

2010-05-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you have to really embrace the temporary nature of well, practically everything. As I was setting up my installation last week, I thought with every rock, key, and statue I placed that I would regret all the complexity of my altar when I took it down in a week.

Well, the thing has come down with little fuss, and is now back up in my studio, and I have to say, moving everything was no big deal- in fact, trying out a few new configurations for all those objects was a great editing tool. Now my studio feels conducive to channeling the many voices of the universe, and I feel well and truly nested there.

In other fun ritual news, during the opening the candles in my installation lit some of the flora on fire, and my friends kindly informed me that I was apparently about the burn the gallery to the ground. (Sorry Marcus...) This announcement was followed by quick thinking as someone handed me a beer and a promptly baptised my appropriated statues of the Virgin Mary with some Old Milwaukee and averted our fiery deaths.

So, it was an installation, a sacred ritual, and a performance, all in one!

Hypersigilization

2010-05-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Psyche-Breath of Intuition, West
Mixed Media on panel
6x6x2 in.
Mary-Water of Compassion, West
Mixed Media on panel
8x8x2 in
Brigid-Strength of the Earth, West
Mixed Media on panel
10x10x2 in

Sophia- Fire of Wisdom
Mixed Media on panel
12x12x2 in.
Brigid-Strength of the Earth, East
Mixed Media on panel
10x10x2 in

Mary-Water of Compassion, East
Mixed Media on panel
8x8x2 in.

Psyche-Breath of Intuition, East
Mixed Media on panel
6x6x2 in.

This second series is another seven pointed crown, meant to complement my first series. While “Our Ladies” are objects of adoration, these shrines are vehicles unto that adoration.
They are less traditional images in a Christo-Judean sense, though as a nod to Byzantine art and icons I have utilized mosaic as a background technique. The symbolism here owes more to mystical systems that more readily acknowledge female divinity alongside male.
A sigil is a symbol imbued with particular will or intent, and hypersgilization is the process of creating an extended body of work imbued with specific intent. In this case, I have made a series of seven altars with symbols representing a break down of feminine divinity with facets representing the many aspects of personhood: heart, mind, soul, and strength. The intent of each work is devotional.
The process of making each shrine was a meditation in and of itself, through laying and grouting mosaic tile, layering plaster, clay, and paint, to slowly reveal the finished sigils: For the cente, the soul itself as an expression of divine wisdom, flanked by the sensual strength of the body, the compassion of the heart, and the winged intuition of the mind.
The individual altars reference specific divine women: Sophia, Holy Wisdom, Brigid, a Pagan Goddess appropriated by the Catholic Church as a saint, Mary, Mother of God, and Psyche, a human woman elevated to the level of the Greek Goddess of the mind

A Crown of Stars

2010-05-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

Preview time! Here are some photographs of the main series of my upcoming show, courtesy of owner and photographer Marcus L. Wise. My opening, "A Crown of Stars" will be at:

464 Gallery

464 Amherst St

Buffalo, NY

6 to 11 pm

Friday, May 7th

Complimentary deliciousness in both liquid and solid form will be provided, as well as merriment, interactive installations, and the grand opening of Blink Gallery right next store that same night!

Our Lady of Glaciers

Encaustic on Canvas

60 x 24 inches

Our Lady of the Wood
Encaustic on Canvas

48 x 24 inches

Our Lady of the Lost

Encaustic on Canvas

48 x 24 inches

Our Lady of the Stars

Encaustic on Canvas

36 x 24 inches

Our Lady of Song

Encaustic on Canvas

36 x 24 inches

Our Lady of the Wind

Encaustic on Canvas

22 x 24 inches

Our Lady of Synapses

Encaustic on Canvas

22 x 24 inches$300

Artist Statement

The seven stars that make up this series are the points of a crown. They are divine, passionate women.

Living day to day, our minds are constantly filtering images into categories. A thousand times a day or more we see, hear, and are exposed to two huge cultural archetypes: the male as a figure of divine authority (Yahweh, Jesus. Allah, Buddha, that guy who does movie trailer voice-overs…) and the female as a sexual object (advertisements from toothpaste to cars, music videos, media everywhere.) While this isn’t news to most, the fact remains that we rarely see images of women as figures of authority, and very rarely as images of divine authority, undiminished by their sex.

Sex- both the gender and the act- has created a false divide in our modern archetypes of women: the Mother, the Madonna, is holy and virginal. The Whore is unholy and sexual. If these are the images we are given of women, if these are the archetypes young men and women are exposed to, surely our expectations of behavior for girls will be heavily imbued with judgment about women exercising their natural sexuality, and about being female in the first place.

The women in my series are innocent in that they have no idea of this manufactured dichotomy. They have no idea that they should strive to fulfill one role or the other. They are free to embrace their inclinations without unspoken censure from media bombardment or the attitudes of others.

They represent a new archetype, or rather an ancient one new to mainstream culture. They are images of the unrestrained feminine divine. They are not powerful despite their sex. They are powerful, period. This holy power was not gained by abstaining from or repressing their female attributes- they are naked and unashamed because there is no stigma in their minds about being a woman.

At the same time, these figures are not meant to be explicitly sexual, because their sexuality is only one aspect of their power. Their personhood, their humanity, is an integral part of their divinity- and that includes body, soul, mind, and strength.

There is also an autobiographical aspect to this series. My family is Roman Catholic, and I have appropriated the gold leaf haloes from medieval and Byzantine art. As a Catholic I have been exposed to Mary and the Saints over and over as divine women, but always as subordinate to stronger male figures. Therefore, my models for this series are the women in my family, because they are where I have seen women as strong and unapologetic in my own experience.

This can come across as reactionary, but it is never my intention to exclude divine men or male ideas- it is my intention to provide both options for everyone. I want to provide images of the feminine divine, because we all need a mix of male and female wisdom to achieve balance, and these images are in short supply when compared to the dearth of media representation of women. These ladies are different facets of womanhood and women’s wisdom. Their hands speak as loudly as their expressions because they are goddesses of action- living flesh and light. Together they form a crown of stars.

“For I am the first and the last.

I am the honored one and the scorned one.

I am the whore and the holy one.

I am the wife and the virgin.

I am the daughter.

I am the members of my mother.

…I am the silence that is incomprehensible and the idea whose remembrance is frequent.

I am the voice whose sound is manifold and the word whose appearance is multiple.

I am the utterance of my name.

…But I am she who exists in all fears and strength in trembling.

I am she who is weak,and I am well in a pleasant place.

I am senseless and I am wise.”

-THUNDER, PERFECT MIND ~ Gnostic Poem 100, AD

Strength in Yielding

2010-04-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is a time where we stretch and shake off our cold weather stiffness, and I have been thinking a lot lately about the flexibility of the Willow. There is a young Willow tree in my parent's back yard, on the edge of the pond,and this year it has finally grown enough to achieve that graceful bending shape so evocative of old illustrations.

It tells me there is no shame in bending- there is strength in it. Life changes and we must change with it. What I can accomplish in the studio when I have worked all day long is not necessarily the same amount I normally can. I have to pace myself, even in the face of a pending deadline.

If I were to never yield, if I were to try to force my path forward, it would be straight for a time, and then it would be broken by outside forces. And even if I were able to force a straight path forever, what would I do, with that unyielding life? Who wants a life comprised only of straight lines, with no surprises? I want one full of twists and swirl, where at times it may seem that I am going nowhere, and then when I am able to step back, the beauty of the patten strikes me all at once with wonder. We cannot have all straight paths- and deep down, I do not think we want them, either.

The Questing Beast

2010-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

(How King Arthur saw the Questing Beast- illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley)

The Once and Future King, by T.H. White, is perhaps my favorite novel. That sort of thing is hard for me to choose, because I am obsessed with novels and narrative in general. That obsession certianly manifests in my artwork, and also in how I think about my own life.

In TOAFK, there is this dotty old King, Pellinore, who has left the safety of his own kingdom to chase the questing beast. Throughout the story, it becomes clear that the purpose of this is not to catch the beast, but to have something to quest after. The chase itself is the whole point.

When the beast becomes ill and King Pellnore catches up to it one itme, he isn't shouting gotcha and anticipating a triumphant end to his journey. He is actually worried about the beast's health.

My self proclaimned quest is to live a creative life. To get up each time I lay down to die and make something new instead. To never stop looking no matter how it may seem that I have reached a point where victory or defeat are inevitable. Both end the questing- neither will satisfy as much as the quest itself.

Now why choose to name a quest? I want to increase my focus and determination. To be an artist, it is possible that you will need a certian amount of talent, but it is quaranteed that you will require great passion and determination. Imagine that you havbe incredible natural talent and no perserverance. If you encounter any of the many perils an artist must face on your journey, that talent will be left to waste after your first defeat.

Now if you feel you have no talent at all, but you have passion and determination, your unwillingness to give up will lead you through any number of beasts and challenges, even the challenge of doing well for yourself. Because after a success, it is tempting to rest as much as after a defeat. But if you perservere doggedly, you will hone your talent beyond whatever natural starting point you have with study, workshops, and mentors, you will promote yourself and present your work repeatedly, and each success and failure will strengthen your resolve, and increase your wisdom.

In the face of this determination, even if you are blessed with talent, money, studio space, and oodles of time, many fantastic beasts will still show up to thwart you on your way.

These entries will be a record of art making in the face of snarling critics- inner and outer, and definitely of my sad defeat by the sirens of procrastination. It is my quest log of sorts. I may slay some dragons, and hopefully befriend others. Most of all, I will remember that the quest is always in the journey, because nothing lets a narrative done so much as its end.

The Story of stuff

2010-03-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

This website is the best summary of so many things I think about in terms of our endless consuming: it is a 20 minute video that I feel I need to take like medicine every once in a while to help me remember to focus my life on experiences rather than things.

Teaser Trailer
As an artist who fabricates things, that is a double edged sword. I make more stuff all the time. I deeply feel that my nature is to create- I believe is is one of the best facets of human beings in general. But there is a big philosophical step between making something with your own hands, and the exploitative measures taken to make the stuff on the shelves at your local super store described in the video above.

When I make something, I try to use things I already have. I will be posting images of a phoenix I made using tin foil as the base. Making it made me think about all the tin foil I have thrown out after using in cooking- I need to rinse it and save it for sculpture armatures in the future.

But as said in the video- recycling is not enough. So while I want to use my art as a way to reuse materials, I have also been thinking about ways to combat this system. I have discovered in Washington, for example, that I could dress very professionally for work and very artistically on my off hours for next to nothing wearing the designer cast offs I found at the goodwill. I want to extend that idea to the rest of my life now that we are looking at a new apartment.

My in laws are a great example of fighters against planned and perceived obsolescence. They pretty much avoid the idea of needing new stuff when your old stuff is "out of fashion" entirely. And one step better, my Dad broke through a barrier in my little consumer culture zombified brain: We were making perogies last spring and using a rolling pin, which he mentioned that he had fixed when something went wrong with the ball bearings inside. At first thought- how silly, you could get another one at the dollar store... and then I thought- how much crap do I have from the dollar store that I didn't need, because I could have spent a few minutes fixing a broken item? Serious epiphany time there.

Custom Beer Steins

2010-03-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

These were sculpted with polymer clay on glass, using the millefiori cane technique- It was a lot of fun and also a long process to figure out to make a hopps cane- before I added texture, they looked like nothing so much as bright green strawberries.

Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo

2010-02-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

I drew this logo to go with Kate Wolcott's beautiful text. Jonathon Furman provided magical computer skills which I have yet to comprehend.

If you are a Buffalo artist of any kind, look into this new organization: ELAB's facebook page can be found here:

"This is the new Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo Networking Group. An arm of the national Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Program that works to identify and cultivate the next generation of arts leaders in America. It is a place for new leaders to share their interests with others as they continue to develop their skills and their commitment to the arts. "

The Human Form at VAuLT

2010-02-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

HUMAN FORM
Opening Reception with the artists and live music & refreshments
*****Friday FEBRUARY 19, 2010 from 8pm-12midnite.*****

The VAuLT
702 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

"Man has been painting himself for as long as recorded history
remembers. There is something mysterious about the human body, a form
so familiar, yet one that is endlessly fascinating to us.

The exhibition explores the human form through the eyes of four
sculptors, four photographers and nine painters. Works by Jaclyn
Baldassara, Tony Banks, Jonathan Barcan, Zachary Boehler, Myriah
Brown, Alana A. Fajemisin, Amanda Giczkowski, Marilyn Hammer, Maria
Hatzipetros, Porsche Jones, Candace Keegan, MC Koch, Angela Lopez &
Julian Bryce, Dario Mohr, Heather Nath, Cara Lee Nisbeth, Tara
Sasiadek, and Ashley Smith.
The sculptures, photographs, paintings, jewelry and mixed media work
will be on exhibit until April 9th,2010.

Utu is a word in Swahili, which means the essence or spirit of what
makes one a human being. It is our humanity that makes us unique as
living beings on this planet.

This exhibition hopes to do more than illustrate the endless
variations of the human form. It seeks to bring out the spirit,
humanity and utu in us."

Tree of Life

2010-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

I realized today looking for this oil painting on my website that I never posted any pictures of it:

The tree of life is a concept that stretches across mythology in many cultures, and almost automatically shows up in my imagery and doodles for work. It is a major archetype and always on my mind.

Romance: 464 Gallery Turns 1!

2010-02-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

A birthday celebration and art opening in one: drop by the 464 Gallery from 6-11 tonight for food, friendly shenanigans, and a brand new show all about lurve.

464 Amherst st, Buffalo, NY 14127.

Buffalo Indie Market

2010-02-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

If you like to shop local and quirky:

Buffalo Indie Market
11 am to 3pm
Saturday February 6th, 2010 at Juniper
Buffalo Loves Handmade
810 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY

Merge Opening

2010-01-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

I will have a number of paintings up at Merge for the February show, themed PASSION.
The opening is from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday February 4th, 439 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202.
Stop by for some delicious vegetarian dishes and titillating visuals.

The Supermarket of Good and Evil

2010-01-20T18:50:00.001-08:00

Eve goes shopping for some organic produce. It is amazing how much evil we can commit just as consumers. I very often feel overwhelmed at how many things I can commend or condemn just based on what I choose to buy or eat.

2010-01-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

So for the last few days I have been experimenting with acrylic paints. They aren't my usual medium, and it has been difficult to adjust to how swiftly they dry- I am so used to being able to alter things almost indefinitely with oil and encaustic. But after a few day of trial and error, I met some success with glazing working on the "Romance" theme for the next show at 464 Gallery:

2010-01-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

And yet another series: the Goddesses Brigid, Sophia, and Psyche:

2010-01-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

A new series: instead of wire wrapping keys, I am working with the clay and leaf canes for a more organic approach:

2010-01-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

More jewelry in my Tempus Fugit series, because I enjoy puns and fluttering clocks...

2010-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

More hammered jewelry with the Celtic trinity knot- today in copper and labradorite:

2010-01-07T19:48:00.001-08:00

Moonstone and silver wrapped works today:

Logos Timeline

2010-01-06T19:17:00.001-08:00

Today I have started laying out Logos, a graphic novel Chris and I began back in 2005. Our quasi new years resolution is to work on it with more regularity so by the end of January I need to have two complete time-lines: The order in which things occur, and then the order in which they are revealed.

Polymer Clay

2010-01-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

For a few months now, I have been learning polymer clay basics. This has been helping me lend a much more sculptural quality to my art-pendants, and since the new year I have been making canes for the first time- mostly of leaves. Here are some new pieces about to go up on Etsy:

Oil Pastel Sketches

2010-01-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Four days into the year and I have been enjoying my new oil pastels so very much. They are intense and it feels a bit like being able to oil paint anywhere.

The Reset Button

2010-01-03T09:29:00.001-08:00

2010 Art Plan: Create something everyday.

Keep a creative record through sketches and blogging.

Flourish.

Deep Blue Squid

2009-12-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

“Deep Blue Squid”
Encaustic and Oil on Canvas
10 x 12 in.
2008

Yet another squid opens its gaping maw and extends its tentacles for a friendly hug. Don't you want to play?

El Dia de los Muertos at El Museo

2009-11-06T10:28:00.001-08:00

My newest painting can be seen at El Museo's Day of the Dead show in Allentown:

Our Lady of Glaciers

The opening was beautiful- the personal nature of each artist's altar was fascinating.

The show can be seen at 91 Allen St, Buffalo, NY from Tues-Sat 12-5 pm until 11/25

Artists United For Human Rights

2009-11-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Some pics and a link to more info about this October 4th event- the Pearl Street grill hosted us very kindly due to inclement weather, and so many wonderful musicians and artists donated their time and work- I look forward to further events and meeting up with everyone again.

New Resin Pendants

2009-08-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

My latest project has been making animal-totem resin pendants. My favorite is the kraken. The most enjoyable aspect of the creative process so far has been giving them all secret names.

The Buffalo Indie Market on Artvoice TV

2009-08-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's Canal-side show was featured by Artvoice on their website- the weather was steaming hot, but brave souls came out to the canal anyway.

A Wonderful Weekend

2009-08-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

I had an incredible time at my first sales event, participating in the Artistic Wine Trail Weekend on the 8th and 9th. Delicious wine flowed freely at Niagara Landing, and I got to meet and speak with other artists and art enthusiasts. Above you can see the beautiful herb garden they have outside, and from when it started to rain, the tanks full of wine where I set up inside.

Upcoming Events

2009-08-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have relocated to Buffalo, NY, and have two upcoming August shows:

This Saturday and Sunday, August 8th and 9th, I will be at Niagara Landing Winery and Gallery for the wine trail's "Artful Weekend," from 10 to 6 on Saturday and 12 to 6 on Sunday. Come and enjoy local artists work, of both the solid and liquid variety.

Next Weekend, the 15th and 16th, I will be showing at the Erie Canal Harbor when the Buffalo Indie Market is Canal side, 12 to 5 each day. There will be live music and hopefully, glorious summer sunshine.

Bodhisattvas and Reliquaries at Busboys and Poets

2009-03-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Busboys and Poets will be hosting an Artist's Reception for me on Thursday, March 26th, from 5 to 7 pm, at their U St Corridor location, 14th and V St NW. Both the Bodhisattva and Street Reliquary series, along with individual works in oil and mosaic will be on display.

ESHS Obama Mural

2009-03-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

Avram Walters, Joshua May, myself and a number of very talented students completed this mural in the foyer of Eastern Senior High School, which was unveiled for Black History Month.

The President himself was not available to come to the assembly, but we did have a pretty impressive impersonator, who had his lovely wife impersonated as well, for a beautiful dance to "At Last."

It is hard to describe what the recent election has meant for my students- but Hope is its own kind of sacred space.

Street Reliquary Series

2009-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

“Simple City Reliquary”
Encaustic and Oil on Panel
6 x 12 in.
2008
The first in a series of sculpted hands, Simple City is the relic of an unnamed street saint, a gang member or perhaps a bystander mowed down at the corner store. The closed fist begins the cycle of violence, named for the most prominent tagging presence in my classroom.

“Northeast Reliquary”
Encaustic and Oil on Panel
6 x 12 in.
2008
Gangs use a number of occult symbols as tags, and my classroom walls have seen a number of them come and go. This second relic is named for the quarter of DC I live and teach in, the hand is open and tensed as if waiting.

"54th St Reliquary”
Encaustic and Oil on Panel
6 x 12 in.
2008
I have an uneducated outsider’s view of gang violence, seeing it’s trappings and tragedies with little direct involvement. This third relic is a memorial for the youth who are forced into posturing to survive, as more people are pulled into conflicts that escalate by association.

“Peace Reliquary”
Encaustic and Oil on Panel
6 x 12 in.
2008
The final relic in the cycle is a rare and beautiful moment of calm in the face of unbelievable pressure. A tribute to young men and women who put their siblings on the bus, come to school all day, go home and work a full shift, and then repeat, finding it in themselves to avoid the pressure to fight, and pour their passion into art, sports, or music.

Wheel of the Year Series

2009-03-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

“Mabon”
Encaustic on Panel
24 x 24 in.
2008
Mabon is the Celtic holiday that celebrates the harvest. This begins a series of seasonal personifications of the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year, which represents sacred time as an endless cycle outside of linear time.

“Samhain”
Encaustic on Panel
9 x 20 in.
2008
Samhain is a time of endings and beginnings, as the harvest ends and the dead are celebrated in our memory. It corresponds with our idea of Halloween as a time when the “veil between worlds” grows thinner.

“Yule”
Encaustic on Panel
24 x 24 in.
2008
Yule marks the season of quiet and dark, and celebrates the presence of lights in the darkness. Holidays at this time celebrate the human yearning for hope and renewal.

“Imbolc”
Encaustic on Panel
9 x 20 in.
2008
Imbolc welcomes the first signs of spring, and celebrates the fire that represents purification. Our belief in or need for meaning is reaffirmed with the return of the sun.

“Ostara”
Encaustic on Panel
24 x 24 in.
2008
Ostara marks the return of strength to the land, paving the way for the fertility and bounty of the coming year. The cycle continues, with each part of sacred time giving an opportunity to touch the beyond through ritual and remembrance.

Anna Sophia

2009-03-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Anna Sophia Logos
Mosaic, Encaustic and Plaster on Panel
31 x 31 in.
2008
Anna Sophia, or Wisdom, was sculpted in the likeness of my younger sister, and placed in a sacred space with adornments and protections for the logos, or word, that she holds enclosed in her arms.

Merciful Heavens

2009-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

“Merciful Heavens"
Oil on Canvas
24 x 36 in.
2009

Find refuge in the shelter of the world tree. Hands outstretched, the universal mother soaks up the rain that mercifully washes away the ravages of time.

The original is available.

Bodhisattva Series

2009-03-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

OK Bodhisattva
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
24” x 36”

A Bodhisattva is a spiritual guide in the Buddhist tradition- similar the a saint or guardian spirit. Some souls are so giving that when they reach enlightenment, instead of moving on to Nirvana, they remain behind in order to help other souls along.

The hand signal shown is a Mudra- a hand signal meant to aid in clearing the mind. The Gyan Mudra is meant to be grounding and represents the root of your spirit and the feeling of home. I use it in this series as a dedication the the strong guiding women of my family.

Eve: Bodhisattva of Compassion
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008

This painting is in memory of Eve, my cousin who lived in the moment with happiness and grace.

Katherine: Bodhisattva of Creation
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008

This painting is in memory of Kathy, my aunt whose life as an artist was overflowing with positive creative energy.

Sophia: Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Oil on Canvas
24 x 35 in.
2008

This painting is in memory of Sophia, my Grandmother who lived her life with "all things in moderation.

Creating Primitive Beeswax Ornaments

2008-10-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

You will need:

Clay and modeling tools
A shallow box or Tupperware container
Mold Release Spray
2 Part rubber-mold mix
A crock pot
Pure beeswax
A soft brush
Powdered pigment in an iridescent hue
Thin wire
Pliers and wire-cutters

(I linked to where I got some of the less-common supplies)

First, sculpt away. Keep in mind that your designs can be as complex or as simple as you like, as long as you avoid any areas where the piece is not solid. If you try to cast something with a loop or a hole, it will not come out of the mold without breaking. You need one continuous piece without overhangs or tunnels, etc.

Once your designs are set, make sure they are securely set into the container or box top into which you plan to pour your mold. If they are not, they will come loose and float to the top during the mold casting process.

Next, spray your clay and container with mold release, like greasing a cupcake tin with pam. Mix your two-part mold rubber of choice very thoroughly, and pour it in slowly, starting at the lowest point and filling upwards.

Make sure that you have more mold making material that you think you need. There is nothing worse than having to do everything again because you underestimated.

When the mold has set (depending on the instructions) peel it out and clean out any residual clay. Instead of using the spray release, I used a powdered pigment to give the ornaments a subtle sheen. Brush it into the mold lightly, coating the edges and details carefully.

Meanwhile, melt your beeswax down in a standard crockpot. If you'd like, you can add any powdered pigment of your choice in this stage- just take care to mix thoroughly.

Pour the wax carefully into the mold. starting again at the lowest point. Don't worry too much about spilling over your edges- you can easily melt it back down again to use later.

The wax becomes opaque as it dries. There can be some trial and error in term of knowing when to take it out of the mold. Wait until you feel slight warmth coming from fully opaque wax, and gently pop it out of the mold. It should still be flexible enough that you can trim any over -spill or mistakes with a butter-knife or wood sculpting tool easily and save it for later.

While your wax is reaching that stage, make some simple wire loops, and when the ornaments are cooling off, work the wire in to the wax before it hardens.

... and voila!

Logos

2008-10-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Another work related to the story of Logos: This installation is about sacred space: A figure is set apart, surrounded by barriers and indications of otherworldliness.

Plaster, acrylic and mixed media.

Transference

2008-10-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Transference
Tara Sasiadek
Encaustic on Panel
24” x 24”

Living in the city, I now crave time spent outside in spaces with as little evidence of humanity in them as possible. This is a reflection on those times I insert myself in the calm and lush outdoors, and attempt to internalize the serenity I find there. Of course, in doing so, I am inserting my own humanity into the space- an Observer’s paradox.

Artist's Journal

2008-10-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

An online record of my and countless other's personal and traveling art journals:

Glyphe XXV

Fire of Origin

2008-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Fire of Origin
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
24” x 52”

We all have stories we tell about ourselves, and sometimes they become more myth than reality. When I was eleven, my family’s house burnt to the ground. We were safe, and for a child unconcerned with insurance and the like, the major effect of this event on myself was creating a fascination with fire.

Fire has traditionally been thought of in two ways- a destroyer and a refiner. I prefer the second interpretation. Fire removes impurities and obstacles so that you can move on to the next strange in your life. When you seem to find nothing but devastation around you, consider instead that the destruction that has taken place is the start of infinite possibilities. You have the chance to rise like the phoenix.

The original is available.

The Dreamer

2008-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

“The Dreamer”
Oil on Canvas
48 x 48 in.
2008

The moment where we touch the mysterium tremendum- the humbling sublime- is as indescribable as the Numena itself. This painting is a meditation on the surrender and release inherent in communion with something beyond normal human experience.

The dreamer drifts on a sea of possibilities, and for the moment, is at peace.

Humanity is set apart by our willfulness and imagination. Despite our failings, our ability to dream and connect subconsciously with one another is beautiful and difficult to pin down or describe.

The original is available.

Palpitation

2008-10-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

Palpitation
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
21” x 50”

This is a self portrait, meant to display the vulnerability of displaying your worst aspects. To me, the most terrifying monster has always been my own potential to do harm. In a similar vein, an illness, such as heart arrhythmia, is both alien and enemy, and a deep part of ourselves.

Conquering Spring

2008-10-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

"Conquering Spring"
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Linen
24” x 36”

No matter how hard winter holds on, the green and wet spring always bursts forth in tendrils of warmth and light. Use this to remind you through long dark nights of the new life that lies just beneath the snow.

The original is available.

Reach Abundance

2008-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Reach Abundance
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Linen
18” x 36”

“Exceptionality” is mainly used in education today as a politically correct term for discussing a disability. I feel that Exceptionality is in fact a much more accurate term than “disability.” For every obstacle we are given, the human body and mind reaches around into uncharted areas of potential. The individuals I work with who have exceptionalities are incredibly gifted. This painting is a tribute to their beauty and determination.

Claustrophobia

2008-10-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Claustrophobia
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Linen
24” x 36”

This painting is about the pleasures and trials of a relationship between three people. There is a web of interrelation and shared history that cannot be seen but is present in all interactions, and an inherent tension in a group of three that can be destructive if not kept in balance.

Jean D’Arc

2008-10-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jean D’Arc
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
38” x 60”

Jean D’Arc is a work inspired by a time of personal struggle with both faith and power-relationships, as well as a reflection on the lyrics by Leonard Cohen:

“It was deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of Joan of Arc,
And then she clearly understood
If he was fire, then oh -she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?”

Eden's Epilogue

2008-10-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

"Eden's Epilogue"
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
40” x 40”

After the fruit was plucked from the tree, after Eve was anointed with the wisdom to discern good from evil, the flight from paradise began. My interpretation of the aftermath is that industry is the enemy of paradise, and Eve runs alone into an uncertain future, armed only with hard won knowledge.

The original is available.

Kraken

2008-10-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Kraken
Tara Sasiadek
Mosaic on Panel
24” x 48”

Part of The Monster in the Mirror series. Kraken is the many tentacled monster of the deep, grasping at ships and hapless sailors and pulling them into its gaping maw.

Burning Bush

2008-10-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

Burning Bush
Tara Sasiadek
Mosaic on Panel
72” x 48”
$1000

Burning Bush is a politically charged play on words, in three heavily mosaic-covered panels meant to evoke the ornate church adornments of Byzantium. The first panel proclaims that God Speaks in nature, as in the burning bush of Moses, as the bush catches fire with divine speech, impossible to behold directly. The middle panel portrays a public figure hubristically claiming to “Speak for God,” and the third declares the right of every individual to speak for themselves without fear of persecution by the state, represented by a burning “female bush.”

Psyche

2008-10-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Psyche
Tara Sasiadek
Oil and Mosaic on Panel
36” by 48”

Psyche is the Greek word for the soul, or self. Here the self has been damaged, but not beyond repair.
Based on the myth’s retelling by Louis Couperus, which tells of a descendant of the original mythic Psyche, who loses her wings along with her innocence, and regains them along with her independent and fierce spirit.

2008-10-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Psuedo-Dionysian
Tara Sasiadek
Plaster and Canvas
72” x 96”
Borrowing my title from a Mystic who wrote of the ultimately unknowable nature of the divine, and the God of wine and revelry from whom he derived his name, I made this work on instinct. The screen depicts a riot of the sensual and natural melding, and the ecstasy of intimacy between a group of people who cannot possibly know or even think of how the future will draw them apart- leaving those moments of effortless pleasure etched in stone in the untouchable past.

Currently available, this piece has been shown at the Albright Knox and MOCA Gallery in Washington, DC

www.TaraNova.us

2008-10-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Resin casts, Watercolor Portraits, and Jewelry

Upcoming Events

2008-10-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Busboys and Poets:

"Urban Bodhisattvas"
On Display now: Original Works in Oil and Encaustic

A Star Bound Book

2008-10-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

I made this for an art swap, and it is now winging its way to Italia.

Encaustic Work Area

2008-10-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

My first in depth encaustic painting: I fused 5-10 layers of dark blue wax, and covered the surface with a luminescent greenish white which I then carved away. To finish, I fused and carved the tree canopy with 2-3 layers of green and more carving.

2008-10-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

Feel free to accuse me of personification.

In my universe, human beings are not the only consious, creative beings. We are surrounded by the mysterious and beautiful, the terrifying and strange.

Severus was brave in the face of terrible pain, and we were so fortunate to have him with us, even if it was a terribly short period of time to be with a friend.

His strange little cat spirit taught me so much, and his presence in my studio and my kitchen and my lap will be missing forever.

Links

2008-09-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

1001 Journals
An extension of the 1000 Journals project: Set up your own persona journal, peruse other’s journals, or participate in a traveling journal.

464 Gallery
A local Buffalo Gallery that supports emerging artists.

Art Calendar
Articles on technique, marketing, and listings of artist opportunities.

Arts Council of Buffalo
Your local arts advocate in the Buffalo and Erie County area.

ATCs for All
An un-juried site for reading about, perusing and swapping Artist Trading Cards.

Buffalo Indie Market
Buffalo's traveling monthly place to shop handmade.

Over-the-Counter-Culture
Politics, Humor, Education and the Buffalo Bills... and I appear to know the author.

Influences

2008-09-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

A few of many:

Christian Boltanski: Installation Artist
Mark Bradford: Collage and Installation
Andy Goldsworthy: Sculptor
Frida Kahlo: Painter
Pepon Osorio: Sculpture and Installation
Matthew Ritchie: Sculpture and Installation
Ursula von Rydingsvard: Sculpture and Installation
Shahzia Sikander: Painting and Installation
Kiki Smith: Sculptor and Printmaker
Do-Ho Suh: Sculpture, Installation
Kara Walker: Painting, Paper, Installation

Illustration:
William Blake, Charles Vess, Aubrey Beardsley, Mucha, Ernst Haeckel

Written Word:
Science Fiction: Bradbury, Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Ursula Le Guin, Madeline L'Engle
Fantasy: T.H. White, C.S.Lewis, Tolkien, Gaiman
Horror: Lovecraft, Poe, Clive Barker, and Stephen King
Philosophy: Plato, Kant, Heidegger, Simone de Beauvoir, Anscombe, Scanlon
Poetry: Rumi, Rainer Maria Rilke, Anais Nin, Yeats

Music:
Leonard Cohen, Flaming Lips, Rolling Stones, Tragically Hip, Tori Amos, The Killers, Regina Spektor, Rufus Wainwright, Alanis, The Arcade Fire, The Beatles, The Cure, Dar Williams, David Bowie, E.S. Posthumus, Johhny Cash, Josh Ritter, Melissa Etheridge, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, B B King, Queen, Sam Roberts, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Simon & Garfunkel, Sting, The Tea Party, They Might Be Giants, Tom Petty, Third Day, U2, REM, Warren Zevon, William Shatner

Scent:
The wide world and its many kitchens.
The Eastern Market in SE DC
The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

And so, so much more... but this is a good start!

Artist Resume

2008-09-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

TARA SASIADEK
202-270-0146
Tara.B.Sasiadek@gmail.com
www.TaraSas.com

BORN: September 1, 1983, Buffalo, NY

WORK/LIVE: Buffalo, NY

EDUCATION:
2008 M.A. Education and Human Development George Washington University (summa cum laude)
2006 B.FA. Fine Arts State University of New York at Buffalo (cum laude)
2006 B.A. Philosophy State University of New York at Buffalo (cum laude)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2009 “Urban Bodhisattvas,” Busboys and Poets, Washington, DC
2008 “Burning Bush,” Skewers, Washington, DC
2007 “Kraken,” Capitol Realty, Washington, DC
2006 “Infinite Compassion,” Reader’s Lounge, Washington, DC

JURIED EXHIBITIONS:
2008 “Rhythms of Autumn,” Capitol Hill Art League, Washington, DC, Juror F. Lennox Campello
2007 “The Tempest,” Capitol Hill Art League, Washington, DC, Juror Catronia Fraser
2006 “Politico,” UB Art Department Gallery, Buffalo, NY, Juror David Schirm
2005 “Rumsey Exhibition,” UB Art Department Gallery, Buffalo, NY, Jurors: Department Faculty

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2009 “El Dia de los Muertes,” El Museo, Buffalo, NY
2008 “Erotica,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Washington, DC
2007 “Leukemia Benefit at Leftbank,” O’Neill Studios, Washington, DC
2007 “Beaux Arts,” BeBar, Washington, DC
2006 “Apriori,” Central Terminal, Buffalo, NY
2005 “Residue,” Kitchen Distribution Gallery, Buffalo, NY

INSTALLATION and PERFORMANCES:
2006 “Music is Art,” Center for the Arts, Buffalo, NY
2005 “Pseudo-Dionysian,” Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2003 “For Her Pleasure,” Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

AWARDS/GRANTS/RESIDENCIES:
2008 DC Teaching Fellow
2006 Morrison Arts Award Recipient

PUBLICATIONS/BIBLIOGRAPHY:
2009 “Art and the City,” The Hill Rag, Washington, DC
2008 “Hip-Hop the World,” HotTopix Studios, Washington, DC
2007 Featured Artist, Nonce Journal or Arts and Letters, http://noncejournal.elsweb.org/
2006 “Politico Review,” Spectrum, UB Student Newspaper

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:
2006-Present Art and Special Education Teacher Eastern Senior High School (Washington, DC)
2005-2006 Construction Worker and Mason Woodcrafter Construction (Buffalo, NY)

2008-09-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Contact the Artist:

Email:
Tara.B.Sasiadek@gmail.com

Phone:
(202) 270-0146

Studio:
Please contact me to set up a visit.

About Tara Sasiadek

2008-09-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Tara Sasiadek has moved home after a three year stay teaching and painting in Washington, DC.

Her work is mainly figurative, surreal, and heavily imbued with myths which weave in and out of the known world -brought to life by phenomena and fiction. She prefers encaustic, oil, mosaic, and sculptural relief work. The common theme across all her work remains the idea of humanity striving towards the unseen and ineffable: the Numinous.

Tara has a BA in Philosophy and a BFA in Painting, both from SUNY Buffalo, as well as a Masters in Education and Human Development from the George Washington University.

The artist welcomes questions, ideas, criticisms, suggestions, and commissions from any and all.

Artist Statement

2008-09-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I recently was filling out a questionnaire for an art swapping project, and under “aspirations,” came the part where I had to sum up what I wanted to accomplish artistically in my lifetime in one sentence, and it was shockingly easy to write.

I want to make art that people want in their homes, their sacred spaces, their places of work-
Not because it matches the color scheme, but because it touches something in the people who make those spaces meaningful.- but because it draws out their dreams, or lends tranquility, or makes it impossible to forget a horrible truth they are working to change.

In my mind, successful art means something to us about ourselves, the way the books I love are a part of my home and its meaning. Michael from Stranger in a Strange Land reminds me to Grok- drink deep of the moment. Merlin from The Once and Future King cautions me that might never makes right. The Gunslinger helps me remember the face of my father. Lovecraftian monsters haunt my steps and keep me on my toes.

It is my dream to make art that fits into the tapestry of others’ lives, the way my studio is covered in the images of places and works that inspire and guide me. I want to be connected in the way readers are, in the way long distance lovers are by letters and photos. Museums are too sterile for this kind of touch to work. Trading artwork with other artists, making customized works- these are things I need to begin seeking in earnest, and this is my starting point.

“To dream in isolation can be properly splendid to be sure; but to dream in company seems to me infinitely preferable.”
-Clive Barker