Godfathers

The Ciccio&Jacinto Advent Ball - December 1st 2006

We have Godfathers. I mean, ArtSEEN Godfathers. Not in the classical sense, they didn’t give ArtSEEN it’s name, yet in a funny way, they’ve both supported us with their humour and encouragement daily, since we met them, per chance, right at the beginning of the ArtSEEN. Sandra, AJ, and I were having dinner at Poldo's (Ristorante Buca Poldo in Florence,) and the two gentlemen at the table next to us smiled, offered a comment, and thus we started talking! They “adopted” us and our brand new project ArtSEEN, which at that time was still in the works for the Pilot issue. Since then, Ciccio&Jacinto have been ever present – with their smiley faxes that arrive almost daily from whichever country they may be visiting. They’ve seen us grow, they’ve advised us, they’ve given us hope in those times where everything was very difficult, and always made us laugh with their stories. Ciccio&Jacinto are two very private gentlemen, and although we’ve thanked them each issue of ArtSEEN, they’ve refused to allow us to say anything more. Ciccio&Jacinto are collectors, they have a fairly extensive collection of both Modern and Contemporary art, as well as other “objects,” and as much as possible, they prefer to stay out of the “art world.” Their taste is impeccable, they collect artworks and objects not dictated by the fashions of the art world, which is why they prefer to steer clear of gallerists and curators, and have contact with the artists in person. The works featured in their amazing collection are both from well known artists, and artists whose names remain as yet unknown.
Anyway, all this to say that last night I received a fax from them: they love our blog! And they’ve offered to tell us their story, to share in the blog! They proposed to send me or Sandra a fax each morning from December 1st to December 25th, revealing to us their story bit by bit, in an Advent Calendar fashion! We’re all very, very excited about this and accepted the proposal with joy! A friend of theirs will e-mail us photos and images they wish to share as well!
So, starting from tomorrow, December 1st 2006, we will present the “Ciccio& Jacinto Advent Ball!”
We are very grateful to Ciccio&Jacinto for this “gift,” and we’re curious to see what happens!

The A-Team

ArtSEEN journal is a result of collaboration between many people. We all work on a voluntary basis, meaning, we don’t get paid for the work we do for ArtSEEN (all of our finances are employed for the printing costs, which doesn’t leave much left over for salaries or any extra costs.) As the Editor Team, we are very grateful therefore to the people who support the ArtSEEN project, who spend their time and share their knowledge with us. We are pleased that our collaborators work with us with pleasure, contributing to the quality of ArtSEEN journal. As we are happy that ArtSEEN journal merits their time, their work and their belief in it!!

Here are our permanent collaborators:

Martin Siegrist- ArtSEEN Advisor

Martin Siegrist - Martin is a creative thinker from Zurich, Switzerland: he works in architecture, scenography, and design, and has many wild ideas. Martin is the ArtSEEN Advisor, the person we turn to for expanding our ideas, both philosophical and visual. His support has been a gift to us from the beginning of ArtSEEN, and includes the donation of his old Mac which I use for the lay-out. Martin also helps when he can with the lay-out of the SEEN, and also in solving many of those little knots that may come up. His technical and creative ability is the basis behind “the Map,” ArtSEEN special issue summer ‘06.

www.buero-zuerich.com

We are waiting for a photo of Melissa

Melissa Morris – Mel is our English language Editorial Consultant. Her job is to check all our English texts, and especially our translations from Italian to English, and make sure they are in proper English (English English). She also analyses the texts, making great suggestions for clarifying ideas. Her understanding of the thought behind a funny-sounding sentence is precious to us and our artist-writers! Mel is form the USA, she too is an artist, a teacher, and leads bicycle tours in the summer, bringing all her passions together.

Federico Fratelli - Editorial Consultant

Federico Fratelli – Fede is our Italian language Editorial Consultant. He also has the hard task of transcribing our Italian translations into proper Italian (Italian Italian)! Not always easy, as translating phrases we may take for granted in the English language, is not so easy- Fede is the mind who finds out how to verbalise “raining cats and dogs” in the appropriate Italian way. He ploughs through our odd grammar, and finds solutions for it. Fede is Florentine, and his creative process is directed to the financial flux of international stock exchange. He’s a motorcycle and car pilot - he raced professionally for many years in Rally car races. Did you know he was Italian champion of Karate?

We are waiting for a photo of Silvia

Silvia Caparrini – Silvia is another one of our helpers, and Editorial Consultants. She, like Fede, has helped us with the texts right at the beginning of the SEEN. Silvia, together with Mel, also leads bicycle tours, and is finishing her university studies for a professional translator – English, German and French featured.

Sue Carlson - ArtSEEN Representative New York

Sue Carlson - Sue is an abstract painter who got to know ArtSEEN by being present in the first edition of ArtSEEN PLUS in September 2006. Since then she has collaborated with the magazine by helping to put ArtSEEN Journal in Spoonbill and Sugartown Books and ArtSEEN PLUS in the Pierogi Gallery, both are located in Brooklyn. Her enthusiasm has warmed us and we are very happy to say that she is one of our very first fans on the other side of the Atlantic!

www.suecarlson.net

From an e-mail

"It is very sad to hear about the child who was killed. It’s very awful as well. It’s very awful how humanity, with this fabulous potential to create, chooses to destroy. It is sometimes so easy to destroy. It is always very sad to me to hear this happen, to see it happen. And it makes me think we, as artists, as creative workers, have to work even more. As I know full well that our input can’t change the world, but it can support other people in believing and trusting in their creativity. Imagine, an Army of Artists! 100,000 artists, at work, collaborating together! Maybe whoever it was who held the weapon that extinguished a life would feel more satisfied and fulfilled if a paintbrush was given them. I prefer to accept the label of “dreamer” but I do believe creativity can make a difference."
From my e-mail this morning, in reply to my friend, David Degreef-Mounier

Morning

I woke up early this morning to go to Alessandro (The Printer's) place to make one last correction to ArtSEEN Journal's winter edition before it went to print. It is always nice to have an issue at the printer's and realize how many amazing people have contributed to it. So this blog is dedicated to all our art writers and contributors who have helped make ArtSEEN Journal absolutely fantastic - A big Bravissimi to all of you!

Welcome

Gordana Bezanov - 'G' - the Editor
Andrew J Smaldone - 'AJ' - the Senior Editor

Sandra Miranda P. - 'S' - the Managing Editor

Welcome to behind the SEEN, ArtSEEN journals blog!

ArtSEEN journal is now a year old. It is also composed of many people who work together to make it happen: all of us are artists.
ArtSEEN journal aims in presenting artists words, thoughts, ideas about their own art, art they see, events in the world, and life in general. It is a first hand account of an artist’s process, something not many magazines do,
The artist is the pivotal point in the art world, and ArtSEEN is one way of bringing the focus back to this creative person!
We, the Editor Team, thought to open a blog, where we can share our process in making ArtSEEN happen, the “behind the SEEN” bit.. composed of many different moments, sometimes difficult, and many funny, and many joyous.

May I first introduce the Founders –Editor Team?

Goran Bezanov, MSc. PhD. Professor at the Southbank University of London.
My brother as well. He was born in Belgrade, when Jugoslavia was still Jugoslavia, without ex in front of it, and when the idea of Serbia and Montenegro would have been considered anti-patriotic. Our parents moved to Zambia, in Africa, many years ago, and Goran, of course, moved with them, then on to the UK, where he lives. What can be said about Goran is that he’s full of innovative ideas, ArtSEEN being one of them. Goran, thus, became the Publisher. In his free time he fixes his 928 Porsche.

Sandra Miranda P. (Miranda is the surname), and the P. stands for Pattin, Sandra's mothers surname. Sandra is from Colombia, and works in Florence, where she organizes the Florence Biennial. She's the one who's in charge of the managing part of ArtSEEN, thus, the Managing Editor. This involves a lot of contact with a lot of people, from bookshops to gallerists, artists, etc...and also the arduous task of finding finances we need to print our publication..

Andrew J Smaldone MA. Andrew, know as AJ behind the SEEN, is the Senior Editor. He’s originally from Tennessee, USA. AJ’s job is to contact our artists-writers for each new issue. He spends a lot of time emailing with them, and together with me, we collaborate closely with them to enhance the articles, and to bring out the best in each one of our collaborators. We won’t say what the J stands for, you’re welcome to guess.

Then there’s me, Gordana Bezanov MA. Behind the SEEN, I am G. I was born in Zambia, then moved to the UK following my older siblings traces, but “broke away” and moved to Italy back in 1993. My task is to see that this intricate human collaboration runs, and comes to fruition. I spend a lot of my time contacting people as well, assisting Sandra and AJ, contacting artists and galleries we may wish to work with in our future issues. It’s also my task to propose the Theme for the next ArtSEEN. I also stand for the graphic designer, not because I am one, but because I had no choice but to learn fast – so I am the one who does the lay-out of both the SEEN (the journal) and the PLUS (the supplement.) I have the enviable position of Editor.

Together, we’re the Editor Team.