Interview for Libélula (Dragonfly) Revisblog

I have been flattered by my friend Sarah Valerio, with an interview about my work on her cool Spanish blog Libélula RevisBlog. I took the liberty to translate it so those of you who do not speak Spanish can read it. I thought it was great and wanted to share it with you.  I also want to thank her for including me in her blog and would like to invite you to follow her. 

I have to say that this interview caused me to think a great deal about myself and my artwork. 

Please comment.

Thank you............

A rare woman in the everyday ...


Arlette Cepeda gets up every day and drinks her coffee in the morning while smoking a cigarette with her husband. She gets her three children ready for school and then takes the ferry from Staten Island to New York to work. Her laughter is infectious and melodious as only jingles the laughter of a Caribbean women. From looking at her, no one would imagine the seething sea of ​​ideas under her calm appearance.
This artist is a wonderful human being who makes music, photography, painting and ceramics, among other things. She describes her art as "direct, emotional and questioning."


She has participated in various group exhibitions and won an honorable mention in the XXIII Biennial of Visual Arts of the Museum of Modern Art in Santo Domingo, DR. She taught digital photography for the Brooklyn Arts Council, Public Schools 111 and Kingsborough Early College School and was a visual arts instructor for The Children's Aid Society. She was the Administrative Director for CAS / AileyCamp Staten Island and a Public Relations Assistant Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
After all the years she has been my friend, I can not but feel fortunate to have someone  special close to me. I invite you to get to know her in this short interview.

Libélula (Dragonfly) RevisBlog . Where are you from? What makes you who you are?

Arlette Cepeda. I was born in New York and raised in Santiago. I am the only child of single mother. I grew up in a bubble where I was the center of the universe; thinking I could do and deserved everything. I grew up believing I was special, unique, and different and with an incredible need to express my feelings. It goes without saying that the bubble has long burst. I come from a matriarchal family, from much love and sacrifice. I come from a Third World country where the power goes out and you can still find Mabi in glass soda bottles  I come from the constant struggle to be better. I am the product of a mother completely dedicated to me and a grandmother who was and still is the protector and provider. The falls and rises are what made me who I am today. I was always in contact with art, it was my childhood companion, my guide as an adult and my goal in maturity.

LRB. Tell our readers about the things you love.
AC. I fully enjoy the magic of discovering something done right, no matter what it is. I love food, flowers, Jazz, Bosanova, independent music (underground) and sharing with friends. I am passionate about finding the details that go unnoticed in everyday things, and somehow give them justice and the importance they deserve through photography.
Ceramics is so relaxing for me. I love the touch with the clay, making something from nothing. What I feel is comparable to what happens to the photo paper when I'm in the darkroom, magic.
Painting is what really fulfills me. The fabric and the brush allows me to invest my feelings in the most physical and intense way.

LRB. What kind of artwork you do and how does art become part of your life?
AC. As a child I was always inclined to the arts. I studied theater, music theory and played the violin for several years. I was a very busy girl! The emphasis on the arts came in the adolescence, when I started taking painting classes at the Instituto Dominico Americano. In college, I had the opportunity to experiment with different media. Photography became my preferred medium, being it practical and immediate, but I also enjoy painting and ceramics.

LRB. What do you think about the emerging generation’s artwork in general? How do you see contemporary art?
AC. I must admit that my knowledge of contemporary art is limited, but from what I can see around me, there is much young talent with big ideas. However I feel they rely too much on what has already been created. Thanks to the many tools available today to duplicate and manipulate images, I get the impression that the execution of ideas is done very lightly, I feel that they lack more process, a more polished end result. Consequently, I find that many artists feel the need of having to explain their work to communicate the idea generating it.

LRB. How is being married to artist Homero Herrera-Chez, being both so talented?
AC. It's fascinating! I admire his dedication and versatility. I am the biggest fan of his work and his harshest critic. I respect the professionalism and consistency in his work. To witness the creative process of an artist is a unique experience. I have the privilege of seeing the birth of works and witness how they evolve and become great pieces. There is a feedback during the creative process that allows us to both to see and make adjustments that maybe we would not have done if we were not together.

LRB. You are a mother of three children, a wife and you also work. In other words, you have your hands full. Where does the artwork fit into your day?
AC. The truth is that it has been difficult to find a space to create, but I think without art my life would not have any sense. The small moments in which I can think and create happen when I go to and come from work, either on the train, ferry, bus or walking down the streets. And very late at night, when everyone is asleep and I have a little energy left.


LRB. What are the challenges facing women as artists in New York City and the society in which we live?
AC. From my point of view, the challenges are the same ones they faced a few decades ago, but on a smaller scale. The artistic circle is still dominated by men. I think the recognition of their work is their greatest challenge.


LRB. What is Arlette Cepeda, the artist, trying to reach ? What can we expect from your work in the future?
AC. I plan to continue capturing images and would like to have an exhibition of them in the near future. Life itself will mark the steps of my artwork, as it has always been the result of my experiences. In the mean time, my priority is my family. Art will always be in my life, that I'm sure.

A sample of her work...

To read this interview in Spanish,  please visit:

Libélula RevisBlog

http://azulibelula.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/arte-arlette-cepeda-arte-y-fuerza/ 

Time for change

Dear friends,

It has been a long time since my last post. I mentioned on the last one that this year was about change. Well, change has knocked on my door. I will be without a job by the end of August and this news has caused me to think about my life: my past, present and future (even more than before).

When one is let go from a job, one questions oneself. Was I not good enough? Do I fit the job description on this post, or this one or that one? “I could be a dog walker… Why not? Right…, that job does not pay the rent.” “I could drive trucks; I’ll get a CDL license. The pay is very good according to this post.”
I started to consider options I had discarded in the past and new ones I never though of considering.

I am worried.

The quest for survival has been the main drive of both my professional and personal life, with little room to pursue my real interests or indulge in the pleasures life has to offer.
I know this does not make any sense, my sentences are incoherent. Bear with me; it will make sense with the help of the illustrations.

I am hopeful.

I hope that something fabulous will happen and everything will be fine. I’ll find a nice job, we won’t have to move and everything will be alright.

I am scared.

When bad times come, most people go away. It feels as if I have a contagious disease that no one wants to catch.

I am strong.

I’ll get through this. I have been here before not too long ago. The load is bigger and heavier now, but I think I can.

Until next time.

Arlette

I've been busy these days!

My dear friends, I broke my promise of not taking so long to post again.  It has been more than a month since my last post, and if I am writing right now, it is due to the words of encouragement from Mr. F. and a good dosage of will power.

I have been so busy it is unbelievable.
My son had his school's spring concert last Thursday. It was wonderful to hear him play the sax in his school band. My favorite piece was Antiquitus by Joseph Compello.

On Friday, my daughter performed at her school in "High School Musical 2", as Kelsi, the pianist. She had a small solo part singing "You are the music in me", she was awesome!

We went to see Banana Shpee in the city on Saturday.  It was great, I highly recommend it; and on Sunday, went to a baby shower in Jersey. And this was only last week.

Work has been quite busy as well.  Many changes are happening, people leaving and coming.  2010 is definitely a year of change.

Emotionally, my roller coaster went turbo this month. I am convinced I must have some hormonal problems or something.
Again, I went from happy, I am getting things done, I am content with my life, to complete dissatisfaction, questioning every aspect of my life.

This questioning, aided by a wonderful book I got for mother's day titled "Me: five years from now" by Sheree Bykofsky (which by the way, I am not ready to tackle) prompted many, many questions.  Here is a small (very, very small) sample:
Who the f---- am I?
Where am I going?
What am I good at?
What makes me happy?
Why am I so angry?

Sounds like philosophy, right?  These are the kind of questions you find on subway ads for The Philosophy Institute (I think is called), have you seen them?

Then, I asked myself, Am I going crazy?

Here is a little drawing I think illustrates what I was feeling a couple of days ago.

A.  Cepeda 5/2010

I will ask for your assistance to help me climb a few steps of the mountain called The Infinite Search of Finding Out Who I Am.  I f you have a moment, please answer the question below, (paraphrased from the aforementioned book). I ask that you be as sincere as you can. It can be as trivial or as deep as you like, but parting from your own experience with me. You can comment anonymously if you don't want me to know who you are, or if it makes you feel more comfortable.  Remember it is for the good of the cause, which is to help me figure out some parts of who I am or at least know how others perceive me. Here it goes:

"If you were describing me as a character in a novel, this is what you would say" ...

I will leave you with that thought/homework and another drawing.

A.  Cepeda 5/2010

Your comments are always welcome and I looking forward to reading them. Thanks for your time.

Arlette

Arlette's emotions: A roller-coaster.

Hello! I finally found a moment to sit down and write.

It has been almost two weeks since the last time, and boy how many things have happened to me.  My emotions have gone from the deepest low to very high, from sad, disillusioned and desperate to happy and hopeful.

Work, home and my head feel like three different realities.  They coexist and bring about chaos, because each interfere with one another. One has become overwhelming, then peaceful, then uncertain. The other suddenly becomes pleasant and full of dreams and the other one disconnected, confused, paralyzed.

To help canalize all these emotions, I hopped them all on a roller-coaster and took them on a spin with the pen and paper one day and the camera another.

Here are the results of these rides that still have not stopped.

Please write some comments, maybe they will help me get off and ride on something more stable.

Thanks for reading and for your time,

Arlette

Digging inside

Hello!

It is late, I had been thinking about this moment all day, yet the moment came and I am blank.  I guess it must be because I am tired. I want to share many things with you, but they are all incoherent, loose ideas, all jammed up in my head.  Practice makes perfect, I hope that the more I post the better I'll get, I hope.

I took a few pictures this week and wanted to share them with you. I also did a few drawings that I plan to post over the weekend.

I think this year is a year of change, of radical change. The Earth is shaking, the economy is crumbling and on a personal level, the dissatisfaction is reaching a limit. Let me rephrase that last statement; the desire for fulfillment is almost unbearable.  That sounds better. Everything as I know it is changing or will change soon, hopefully for the better. What used to be is no longer, I hope I can adapt and move on.

I will leave you with a quote and some pictures:

"Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself" 

(Unknown)

Artwork

Hi!

Since the launch of this blog, I have failed to talk about my artwork.  What a mistake, what was I thinking? Da!

Photography has become my main medium, but I enjoy ceramics and painting as well.

You can view some of my ceramic pieces here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=348280&id=637045340

And here is a recent photo.

I like to take pictures of details, things that we tend to dismiss, ignore, yet can be so interesting and beautiful.

Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks.

No complains!

Have you ever felt like a nagger?  That's how I feel.  I read my previous posts and realized that all I have done is complain.  Complain about everything.  What a nagger!

I will not complain today. It was a nice day.  I feel happy.

Here is a photo. Enjoy it!

Arlette