Laura Nova, turning socially awkward moments, into fantastic works of art

LAURA NOVA uses a variety of media to investigate conventions of public and
private behavior, absurd moments of modern existence, and how various environments can become stages for social interaction. She states “my art work is based upon my observations of human actions in socially awkward situations.”

Tell us about yourself.

I use a variety of media to investigate conventions of public and private behavior, absurd moments of modern existence, and how various environments can become stages for social interaction.

How was your Art in Odd Places experience?

I enjoyed it. It was the first time I collaborated with a friend and artist Traci Talasco. We had a great time walking the 14th street commercial district, observing people running errands and talking to different vendors about our project.

Walk us through your thought process in creating your piece for Art in Odd Places.

It all started with this idea of introducing soap operatic musical scores to everyday life to make running errands dramatic and suspenseful. We spent a lot of time walking and talking, getting the lay of land. Then we drew up a storyboard and script which included points of interest identified along a map.

After that we made a lot of field recordings of the walk and a voice over of the narrative. The most fun was finding the soap opera music and fitting it into the story. The design for the project website www.dramaticpauseproject.com instructed participants to use their own portable devices to download mp3 files and a map to follow an interactive storyline in which the viewer becomes the subject of the drama.

Any words of wisdom for artists who are interested in becoming part of this year's Art in Odd places festival?

Mock up and test your idea at the site.

What projects are you currently working on and where can people reach you?

I am opening a solo exhibition at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT on May 20th. I am creating an indoor running track constructed within the confines of the gallery walls. Visitors are encouraged to move through the space on this looped spectacle while a fire bell rings as they complete a lap. You can reach me by my website www.lauranova.com

Where were your performances along 14th Street?

Sites of the walking tour included the Union Square Farmer’s Market, Metro Drug, Jason’s Jewelry, Good Stuff Diner, Artie’s Hardware, and Rags-A-Go-Go.

Any final words?

Take advantage of this opportunity to make a public work in the center of NYC.

Art in Odd Places in the Huffington Post

Our benefit last Tuesday was featured in the Huffington Post!

Read all about it here:

Photos from SIDESHOW

Dinosaur Feathers

Thanks to everyone who came out to Sideshow Tuesday night! It was a great success, here are some pictures from the night!

Olek

The BacKspace freaKsters

The Poofs

The Amazing Amy!

3rd Annual Crest Hardware Art Show

Our credo here in Art in Odd Places is very simple: exploring art in , as you may have guessed it, odd places. A few weeks ago we found an event that definitely adheres to our vision. The third annual Crest Fest 2010 was held recently at Crest Hardware Store in Williamsburg. Who would have thought to display art at the place where you buy your materials to create. Apparently, Crest Hardware did. What a genius idea!

Art in Odd Places would like to give a big shout out to Fred Flare for informing us about the event.

our friend's from Fred Flare

Definitely a great day of art, music and hardware supplies!

Enjoy the pictures!








For more information about Crest Fest, visit http://cresthardwareartshow.com/

Terry works Hard-y for the money (or arts)

AiOP is gearing up for this years festival! Remember to come out to SIDESHOW, June 22 at Theaterlab, our fundraiser for this year's festival! It promises to be an amazing night filled with freaks and carnies plus our talented artists will be there! Want to know about some of the artists from years past? Check out our blog for featured artists.

This week’s featured artist is Terry Hardy. Enjoy!

Terry, tell us about yourself?

I am painter, assemblage and installation artist. Born in Vernon, Alabama I have participated in more than 60 exhibitions. My interest in public/installation art continues to grow as my work becomes more autobiographical and delves deeper into my life long struggles with religion, relationships and sexuality. I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia.

How was your Art in Odd Places experience?

I was in AiOP in 2005..."DRAW HERE" in the East Village. 2007...."HOWLING and other justifiable acts" at Lincoln Center and 2008...."GLITZ". on 14th Street. I really enjoyed these experiences. Every year was in a different part of town. 14th Street proved to be the most difficult as I spent a good deal of money producing this piece and flying up for the installation only to have the installation dismantled overnight by the NYC street cleaning crew before anyone ever saw it. Fortunately I did have photo documentation of the work.

What projects are you currently working on and where can people reach you?

I have an opening on May 22 at Eyedrum Art and Music Space in Atlanta. The installation is "SAVED". It is a closet installation that deals with religion and the closet as safe spiritual sanctuary or repressed religious refuge. There is a Facebook event group for this event. Just enter "SAVED" in the search box or go to Eyedrum.org. This show runs through June 26.

Any final words?

Finally regarding AiOP, it is a great opportunity for experimentation....a lab of sorts. It amazes me how some projects, so obvious, are walked by daily and never noticed as we wade through life without really seeing our surroundings. Though that is part of the beauty of Odd Places and sometimes the even not so odd places.

Want to know more about Terry? You can contact him at www.hardyspace.com!

Summer Solstice Carnival of Love arriving in Manhattan: June 22

This is the place where you want to be

check our facebook event for details

http://tiny.cc/q7428

June 22, 7-10 PM

TheaterLab

I will see you there!

Be a fan of Tattfoo

@ArtinOddPlaces recently tweeted about this artist.

Tattfoo, is a social sculpture artist. Often working with an audience, and combining art and life into one category, Tattfoo was the perfect combination for the AiOP 2009: SIGN festival. Tattfoo's work has been shown in various sites in New York sponsored by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Fashion Institute of Technology and The Center for Book Arts.



Tattfoo, tell us about yourself.

My art practice seeks to find an immediate, direct, and effective way of exploring issues related to the individual in society through which to collapse the categories of ‘art’ and ‘life’ into one. Through the employment of multiple forms of media and various platforms of presentation, I promotes group participation between myself and an ‘audience’. Within this collaborative practice both minds and bodies are engaged in actions that transform the making of art into a ritualized and shared experience. In keeping with the spirit of this transformative act, I prefers to develop projects that are ephemeral and conceptual in nature.


Tattfoo, walk us through your thought process in creating your piece for Art in Odd Places.

Mobile Garden is a discarded shopping cart retro fit into a mobile edible garden that can be lock to a sign post or be parade to engage the public. I have the opportunity with work with the curators and team up with other artists and make Mobile Garden more accessible and open, where anyone can recycle an object and make it into a mobile planter.



Any words of wisdom for artists who are interested in becoming part of this year's Art in Odd places festival?

Art in Odd Place is a great chance to work in the public realm. Sometimes these interaction will spark further ideas. So let loose, sometimes, one's project might not be as pristine or white wall as a gallery show, but the return of having interaction with the public is priceless.



What projects are you currently working on and where can people reach you?

I'm working toward the idea of making Mobile Garden into an art franchise, where people in other city can contact me and adopt the concept and repeat it again in their respective city.
Also in the pipeline is a new mobile garden in a cargo bicycle format, taking the advantage of bicycle lane in New York City and promoting bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation.



Where was your performance along 14th street?

From Union Square to Meat Packing district.