Artist Patricia Maciesz has a knack for finding photo negatives all over the world. Lucky for us, she's found a unique way to "print" them, by painting the negative image, then digitally "developing" the painting. She's putting this fascinating process from a series of negatives found in Paris on display at Steeplechase this week, with an opening for the art show on Friday, August 26 at 8pm.
In addition to this project, she has been working on Halfslant, which aims to create dynamic and engaging artistic endeavors, as well as a variety of freelance projects.
The New York native recently moved to the Kensington/Windsor Terrace area, so we asked our new neighbor to tell us a little about herself in a series of 5 questions.
Why did you settle in Kensington/Windsor Terrace?
Loved the park and the diversity here. We moved from Paris, which has a very homogenous culture and routine. Here, I can go to my supermarket Golden Farm 24/7! In Paris, you're out of luck past noon on a Sunday to get some flour! I feel so connected to the community in even such a short time.
What’s a typical day in your life like?
Take the dog to the park for off-leash hours, coffee and work, work, work, then evenings in the studio.
What is the area’s best kept secret?
The yummy eats on McDonald near Church, and the little dog park by Greenwood playground.
Explain a little bit about your art and your business.
I make art to satisfy the creative impulse. Halfslant projects are more about bringing out the creative impulse in others. When we do Halfslant projects, it is never really about the outcome but about the process of working with different people and learning about their perspectives and experiences. Finally, I freelance as a designer and web developer.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I am collaborating with fashion designer Maria Severyna on a line of fabric based on my prints, which I'm really excited about. I can't wait to see the work transformed into some of her incredible dresses.
Our current Halfslant project, Yourstreets, is a partnership with a team of public health care professionals to create a targeted awareness campaign leveraging new technologies and art in three NYC neighborhood's with the highest rates of HIV infections.
My next hope for Halfslant is to work with kids--we had a great experience working with an art class at a community center in Krakow, Poland last year for our Nowa Soda project. I would love to create an artist-in-residence program where a contemporary artist is partnered with a class and works with them on a project that they conceive and execute together. From my experience, giving kids ownership of the work yields incredible results and a powerful collaborative experience for the artist.
Patti's Kickstarter campaign ends tonight, but if you'd like to purchase a print from the upcoming show, they will be available at the opening, or at her Etsy shop.
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