Rocio Graham

internal maps

2011-04-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Internal maps and journey. This piece speaks about my internal journey that has brought me where I am today. We all travel with our luggage and our baggage. The bits that brought us to our present self. in this piece I display all my diaries and personal letters received over the years in my life starting in 1987.

Stretched like a shoe

2011-02-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

When Visited Valerie Artzen http://valeriesarttalk.blogspot.com/ studio a month ago I was immediately intrigued to one of her objects in her studio; an antique Shoe stretcher. I was a piece that evoked feelings that were not yet defined, attracted or repelled? I could not stop thinking of the mechanical, the patriarchal and production.
She kindly lent it to me and the shoe stretcher was the inspiration for these pieces. After the art pieces evolved, I started to reflect on this object and how I associated with the mechanical pieces used by gynecologists. Intermediately I started to think about the frustrations felt with those visits. Any woman that has had a certain dose of body invasion either in regular doctor visits or else can testify to the uneasy feelings. We become a petri dish for experiments sometimes, a land that is colonized by invasive entities. By analyzing the object of our fear we can take its power away and feel less threatened by it. I guess that I what I attempted to do here.

Dream series............. or is it nightmares?

2011-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

There is always a rite of passage in our lives; a cathartic moment that draws a fine line between what it was and what it will be. This decisive moment is like the frame of a door; you are leaving but entering at the same time. It is a place of duality: doubt - hope, excitment- fear, happiness-nostalgia. It is a place where most of us do not like to be. We live in a world of absolutes, having this space of transition ( limbo,permanence and ephemera) is very unconfortable . We prefer not to get there, it can be like a dream like state but it may feel like a shitty nightmare. These series of photos were created during last fall as I was moving assurely freaked out making changes in my life. And surely to hell I went; but also I have found strenghts that I did not know I had. It has made me more aware; sensory sensitive like when you are first born and getting adjusted to this world. I am still in that space of nakedness and vulnerability but I trust past rite of passages. My body remembers and with this knowledge I dare to cross the door.

The Buddha in me

2011-02-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

These series speak about identity and my internal quest to find who I am and who I want to become. We all merge metaphorically with the places that we have live on or feel influenced by. There is always the quest for the search of that place that makes you finally feel at home. The place that allows you to grow and explore who you are and what matters to you. We can't deny the embodiment that happens as we move our spirit in physical planes, a certain level of mutation happens sometimes in way we can't perceive but it is present.

The East Side Cuture Crawl was a success

2010-11-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

The East Side Culture Crawl was a success; several of my handmade silkscreens found new homes and a few of my mixed media paintings were adopted by lovely families.

Thanks all for supporting the arts in Vancouver. Our goverment does not support us and leaves it to the public to keep the art scene alive. Thanks!

Food is fun By Rocio Graham

2010-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

In this performance piece I am intending to raise issues regarding our relationship with food and how we have lost the fun of eating because we are so concerned about our weight and our body image.

I am showing that my relationship with food is mostly festive. It is about the fun of sharing food, enjoying what I eat as opposed to feel that is something that has to be measured and afraid of.

I sense an apathy of young generations to eat. There are more than ever eating disorders due to the pressures of the new beauty stereotypes. In this piece I have a young man that represents the new generation of hipsters, they want to be cool they want to be fashionable they want to be skinny. I represent the women that rebel to that that want to eat and enjoy life without concerns about body image.

Eating has lost it fun, and I attempt to raise issues regarding that by playing with my food; having a sensory experience beyond the act of eating. Some may think is disgusting but I can tell you it is a lot of fun.

I want to thank Ryan Chantree , Mark Hoge and Rosita Perez for their assistance with this messy project.

Luchadores and other bits

2010-09-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

This year is the 200 anniversary of the Mexican Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. I have not been able to stop thinking about the socio-politic state of Mexico today. The last time I was in Mexico I almost had to ask cabdrivers for their mom's birth certificate just to ensure they had an identity and they were not criminals kidnapping me on the way to the Museum.

The Mexican insecurity has reached unimaginable highs and I can not stop thinking about the fact that Mexico after 100 years needs another revolution. I mean ; I grew up in "Cartel" central having drug dealers , priests and delinquents as neighbors ( yes in that order); so you can assume I am not a light heart person and it takes a lot to surprise me. That is why I am for the first time utterly concerned about with the Mexican state.

I wanted to create a series of artwork that spoke to the Mexican Revolution, a new one, a fun one perhaps ( although Revolutions are usually not fun processes).

I have created some pieces but I have not found the voice yet; the face and the voice of the new revolution. I will be posting new work very soon and I sincerely welcome feedback. What you think is not right or wrong.
I want to know what my work makes you evoke.

I know that in Art there is not right or wrong per say but I need to be humble and listed to others ( my own revolution I guess).

Based on the famous Mexican Westlers as an icon of fight and resilience.

At the end this is just a learning process for me; I am not looking for validation but to engage in conversations with other thinkers like you; so, I am all ears.

Cedar box with textured sides and the use of Mexican milagros and tin.

Pure copper sheet worked with rusts and patinas to create a "living" piece of art that will change with time.

Another wood box with 2 separate compartments or drawers. A very funky and beautiful box inside. I will post the inside shortly.

As a Craftivista I needed to use found objects. Check the details in the piece the phone wires and other very cool found objects embedded in here. This piece has a estrange relationship to revolutions. I think speaks more to the fact that I am so far from Mexico and relates to the communications issues I am facing.

Again found objects in this craftivista piece. I can not stop thinking about the movements of people to generate change. We are the machine.

Rust and patina mingle in this tribute to Zapata the revolutionary icon.

Craftivism Sep 25th 6-9PM

2010-09-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I will be participating at the the Craftivism (Downsized) Art Show that starts with a reception and painting workshop at Raw Canvas in Yaletown (1046 Hamilton Street, Vancouver) 6 pm to 8 pm on Saturday, September 25 during Culture Days across Canada. FREE COVER.

Check the online gallery of artwork for sale at: http://artistrun.org/

Many of the art pieces utilize... found materials and recycling due to the theme of sustainable community centered around ideas of subversive structures and networks, which engage various social issues about communities-of-care and intimacy versus immediate publicity: including anti-consumerism, slow time, geo-social networking, environmentalism and sustainability.

The name of The Craftivism (Downsized) Art Show also illustrates that art funding has been severely downsized in BC. A “normal-sized” canvas could fetch $1200, but the canvas size is reduced to a tiny 8” x 8” and discounted by 92% to reflect how much the art funding has been cut in BC. Therefore, each 8” x 8” art piece is $110.40 with no HST as it is included in the price.

You’ll have a chance to win the grand prize of one month of green cleaning (value up to $5000) if you are selected as the winner. Also as our special guest, you’re also entitled to one FREE gift certificate of your choice from Nexus Hair Design at Metrotown or from Bob of Garlick Marketing.

Transformed

2010-08-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

This piece speaks of the transformation and the new life we give things or to people. We recycle them both, and new stories are written. Part of me changes with the piece, as it is created and transformed. We both get new chances and are not the same. In a state of mass consumerism , re purposing is not only a way of cleansing our outer but our inner world as well.

Hooked!!!!! - Documenting the creative process for the Down Size Show Sep 25-26

2010-08-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Start with a serendipity visit to the thrift store. A love at first sight, something shiny or old, something discarded that gets me intrigued about its previous life. What did you see? what did you hear? what was it like? I say to the new trinket found in my favorite junk store and then I am hooked!

I am fascinated with stories; found things have many. I try to unveil them; to give this piece of trinket a new life, a reason to exist. Old things connect us to other people, to other lives past lived.

Mike thinks that is another way or hording which sounds like a crazy thing that creepy people do. Liza Lee http://www.lizajlee.com/ thinks is Craftivism ( I like better the later).

Anyway, once this new found object gets me intrigued I start dreaming. I think about it in the car; while driving to my monotonous corporate job. I think about it while showering, when sleeping , stories come and go.
Colours get changed and one day Eureka! I get it!!!!

I discover what it was meant to be. The composition starts taking place in my mind. Sometimes I spend months before I can actually start a new work. Once everything is in place in my imagination I can't stop.

A few months ago I came across an old fishing box and I fallen in love with its colourful contents.

I started with the red background with this gluey colorful texture that reminds me of summer storms in far away places, the crisp yellow of nautical ropes, the blue hues of oceans and the hooks.

How I will end this piece is uncertain, but for sure I will dream about it!

Downsize show- Creative process

2010-08-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show an example of my work process. This piece will be at the Down Size Show September 24-26 at the Narrow and Artist Run Org. The raw materials used are: wood board, copper wires, copper charms, copper sheet paint etc.

The copper wired got hammered ( literally) to create an uneven distressed look. As I have been so pissed about the HST and how it has made my art supplies more expensive, I decided to visualize the moron that proposed the HST and let my anger out on this sheet of copper.

As society we get "banged" by policies so here I reflect on that.

To help with the distress look I spray the copper that has been twisted and worked on. Part of the production process involves the use of copper wire and charms. The biggest resource we have in our communities is the ability to connect and wire ourselves to others. That resourcefulness will allow our communities to thrive.

I keep thinking about the moron that kept hidden truths about how we would be affected by the HST. Artists keep fighting for resources and ability to survive economic downturns and making our supplies more expensive will not help our industry thrive.

As they say "Damaged has been noted".

This pieces is taking a final form; it needs more work, perhaps more colour, perhaps a hint of optimism. Any ideas?

The Green Revolution

2010-05-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to submit to the Green Revolution show so I called my artist friend Melanie and and asked her if she would like to make a couple of pieces together. Melanie works with basketry and I do paint so we figure our minds could complement. Well together we finished 3 pieces "Bigger than a bread box", "Tree of life" and "Green Revolution 1"
Once I started I could not end this project as working with found objects is a fave practice for me. I ended up making 12 pieces. Working with the materials it made me think and reflect on our issues of resources and re purposing. Some countries like Mexico where I grew up that is a given but in Canada where I live this seems still a foreign language.

I am most worried about is our food and water supply . My pieces tell stories about those two issues, the how we need a green revolution that takes us to the basics of self fetching and reliability to really be able to move forward. I am loving working with other materials rather than canvass. It is quite liberating to play with discarded materials. I feel like a girl just playing by myself making stories and scripting plots that nobody can understand. You can see the humor in these pieces. The best way to tackle difficult topics is to have fun with them I guess.

Figuring out series

2010-03-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

The painting series “figuring out” is inspired by my internal quest to make sense of the places and people that surround me and how they fit in my life.

I use geometrical figures to represent people; they all come in different shapes and have unique qualities and energies.

My acrylic abstracts are a reflection of my experiences when I analyze or try to “figure someone out”. This stirs up feelings of excitement, confusion, amazement, and frustration that come to you when you try to understand another human being.

Who are they? What do they give or take in life? Those are examples of my internal questions. Understanding brings empathy and compassion and that is what I attempt to do through the painting process.

The cheaper show

2010-03-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

These are the submissions for the cheaper show #9 in Vancouver. I am looking forward to it. This yellow painting is called "sharing our edges". I got obsessed with this yellow tone that I saw on a painting and I launched myself to the discovery of that perfect muddy yellow. 5 colour layers later and 3 washes, I found this magic yellow that I could not take my eyes away. It reflects on the complexity of relationships. Everything has its place, colour, drama all in one. Unfortunatelly its hard t appreciate all the detail that is hidden from the camera.

The blue painting is called solitude. It was painted as you can imagine on a rainy day in Vancouver. I wanted a painting that will captured how I see myself sometimes like this still tree in amazement by what surrounds me. Painting gives me solitude and in my own unique way like the squares things make sense to me.

salon style

2010-02-22T12:39:00.001-08:00

This tree was inspired on the love that keep us together in society and in families. We are all different yet we find a way to fit and accommodate everyone. This tree was the base for my last tree "figuring us" where I address the issues of diversity and fitting.

In the puzzle piece I work with the ideas and feeling I have regarding my in-laws that constant playful energy yet sometimes it takes us a while to fit, to find our space in the family. I associate orange with happiness and that us the colour of choice for this piece.

I really like how Julie arranged the exhibition in February. Considering the mix bag I gad I can not be more pleased. We had so much fun and I was so surprised on the amount of traffic we got. Way to go Julie. Your events always rock!

all you need is love

2010-02-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

For this Love series Rocio was inspired by the different types of love we all encounter in our lives.

Rocio researched the theme of Love only to find out that Love is such a complex feeling that it’s hard to confine it to a canvass or a box. A lot remained unsaid.

Love takes unique shapes in this series like the “puzzle” love of the in laws, the love tested by time “as if oxidizing” , naïve love sweet like candy, self love and same gender love and its legal fragility as if cemented on a tile .

The history of forever happy is pursued by all and achieved by some like Tacho and Nora Vazquez whom were blessed with a steady love that lasted centuries until death broke them apart.

I was always amazed about the 55 happy years Tacho and Nora achieved together. They had 10 kids and in their 80's they still looked at each other with an sparkle in their eye. Love has been mocked and reduced to a valentine card these days. I have been reading a few books on the theme of love and let me tell you it is not easy business, but as the song says "all you need is love".

New Art series: Wet Exhibition at Forsya Sep-Oct 2009

2009-09-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

After a long absence I am getting back to this place. I just finished the Wet series that is currenlty exhibited at Forsya in Vancouver.

Why water you ask, well water is movement and evolution. We were originated from water and I associate humans with fish more than anything. I grew up by the water as well and it has such an emotional tone. Water cleanses you, refreshes you, allows to move and to free yourself.
If there is water there is life and that is where the fish come in to place. I associate fish with fecundity and since I am in that mind set at moment it is just natural. Fish are also resourceful they sneak trough things, they are opportunistic and like a dream like you can not hold them for long.

Are we really all hypocrites when it comes to environment?

2008-05-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Michael and I do not consider ourselves environmentalists at all , we both think that we all are a bunch of hypocrites anyway.

Since I met him 5 years ago when a student with a sustainability class as part of his engineering degree, some of our discussions in our relationship came from the green front.

He hated how much toilet paper I used and how much water I used to flushed just pee. He tried different arguments strategies to make me change but I could not bear the fact. After all he came from a culture of "if it is yellow let it mellow, if it is brown flush it down". My arguments were about the amount of laundry he made each week. I can go 2 -3 weeks before I can fill a load and in my opinion that is more green ( less energy, use cold water, less water overall anyway) than him doing laundry each week.

I wanted to get rid of our used car as it is not only economically stupid but environmentally unacceptable. That was not an option to him although we never use our car only on the weekends for his hockey games or our errands and out of town trips.

We achieved a happy medium:

We both commute with public transportation, laundry is made each week but only one load that should cover both, we eat organic food ( SPUD) but we try mostly local as organic beens sprouts from Mexico are not exactly the most environmental food.

I try my best to use less toilet paper with post consumed content ( I do try hard I assure you).

We take short showers, re-use bath water to water our plants,use cloths grocery bags as much as possible, decide to live close to home in an urban area to have less footprint ( I have to confess I hate not having a garden) and both of us try to implement change in the work we do that promotes sustainable operations in our own way.

However we both have came to the conclusion that as humans we are so stubborn that it is hard to let our pleasures go.

The biggest bang for our buck in this environmental crisis has been determined by many as the Carbon Monoxide footprint. If we want to exist in 100 years , we need to eliminate this footprint or we are completely toasted.

Mike and I were discussing last night that as humans we can try to so small changes in our lives, have clean water, less pesticides etc but unless we tackle the Carbon Monoxide seriously we are beyond f......ed.

Now we realized that the biggest issue came from the Globalization. In the 90's I do not remember any other conversation amounts Mexican businesspeople than Globalization and Free Trade. That was the "it" thing. Every business magazine talked about it and that is in my opinion what got us toasted.

The free transportation of goods and services is what got us in this mess. We want all these nice things such as matcha tea, Latino American coffee, cheap goods made in china. Its is the madness of the movement of goods and people. We want to travel to foreign places, we want to live in suburban areas but have the corporate job in downtown Vancouver, we want to feel special and have special food brought from far away places directly to our pantry.

Moving, moving ,moving that is the sickening truth. The need for moving things it is what made us go nuts in to far away wars to secure the thing that make things move ( OIL).

What happened to eating what your backyard provided?, to make your own clothing, to use the goods and services of what your self sustainable society provided. It made traveling more exciting. In order to have a cup of coffee or chocolate you had to go to South America, you could only try green tea in Asia and we could only east salmon in places like BC.

Yes as Mike said it, we are just plain stupid and hypocrites. We do not care as a society and we will be extinct soon enough.

We do not have children so technically we should not even care that this world goes to the ground.

After all they have tried to convince people to change their habits for the future generations because they do have children. Some people with children that I know seem do care the least about sustainability. That is quite interesting actually.

I do have nephews and friends' children that I love that deserve to experience what I did as a child: Being waken up by birds, climb trees, being able to swim freely in a pond or a river without fear that the water is so polluted that you would get sick.

They deserve that we play in the earth playground and when we leave this world we leave it at least the same as how we found it. Don't you agree?

Ceviche

2008-05-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

I always get calls for my Ceviche recipe speciallya s the summer weather finally arrives to Canada.

Well here is my Sinaloa Ceviche recipe I hope you enjoy it.

1lb of peel off chopped shrimp ( uncooked)
4 big limes juice(get it in a small cup)
1/2 onion ( if big) or 1 medium white onion chopped finely
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
5 Roma tomatoes finally chopped
1 celery stalk finally chopped
1 Serrano ( or Jalapeño) Chile chopped ( if you take out the stems is less spicy)
Tortilla Chips
Avocado ( if desired)

Salt
Pepper

Step 1
Pickle the shrimp.

Place in a big bowl the fresh chopped shrimp add the lemon juice ( must cover all the shrimp),add the chopped onions, salt and pepper.
Let the shrimp pickle ( cook in the lime juice) for 15-20 minutes ( No more than 20 minutes or you will be overcooking the shrimp and will taste rubbery).
Both the onions and the shrimp must be pleasantly pickled before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Step 2

When the shrimp is pickle, add the tomatoes,cilantro, celery and the serrano chiles chopped.
Mix well, let the flavors mix for 10-15 minutes. Chill in the fridge if you will serve the dish later.

Enjoy with tortilla chips and add chopped avocado for extra flavor/texture.

From the ying yag perspective this meal possess all the flavor notes, sour/spicy with hot and cold notes that makes this dish so perfect and so balanced.

Note the lack of fat, the high level of protein and vitamins. This meal is crafted in heaven.....

Domingo in San Miguel de Allende

2008-05-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

I spent 5 hours sitting in SMA's plaza sipping coffee and preparing a plate for my printmaking class.

The banda orquestra was playing on the background, families walking around enjoying their Domingo. I had not experience a Mexican Traditional Domingo in so long. It was so nice to be a witness to so much life.
Children feeding the pigeons, lovers holding hands staring at each other, grandmas eating fresh fruit. Everybody was at the plaza from the tequilera rich families ( I met the Orendain Family), students, farmers and their horses, new /old families to the beggars all sharing the music the laugher and just sharing a lovely Domingo.

Traveling by yourself has its advantages as you get to chat to everybody . Today I chat to the cuban family that emigrated to Mexico 8 years ago. I talked to an Argentinian /Mexican couple that maintain a long distance relationship. They meet in SMA only when he gets holidays.
I met a couple of expats that have made San Miguel their home after retiring. I chatted to a couple of kids that alto ugh are not orphans their mother leaves them on the plaza all day to hang out while she goes out working. I also helped a group of gringos that had an emergency with one of their friends that had to many margaritas.

I chatted to the fruit stand lady, the tour guide and the waitress as well.

All shared a bit of their life with me as if everybody needs a confident and I was just there at the right time just listening, interested on so many stories.

I love this town that seems to be like a melting pot where people are not afraid of sharing who they are. There is a sense of freedom that may be co-related to the fact that this region is the region that offered the country its independence. Libertad ( freedom) seems written everywhere and I just came to taste some this Domingo.

Las Grutas

2008-05-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Las Grutas a hot spring hotspot 20 minutes away from San Miguel.
There are a few hotsprings in the area. For 8 bucks I had a pleasant time, soaking my aching muscles in the grotto they have. The grotto is a big stone chapel with only a few rays coming inside.

I also had a massage for 10 bucks and needles to say I feel like new.

I have been having trouble sleeping lately mostly because I miss Michael. It has been a long time without seeing him and even when you can have a great time by yourself it feels like it is always better when you are togehter with your partner.

I am glad I had my massage and I am sleepy already wich is a good sign.

People are really nice when they see woman alone as if they feel they need to incorporate you in their conversations. Definetelly in Mexico is not "normal" to see a lady traveling by herself.

The rainy season has arrived to San Miguel but unlike Vancouver you actually enjoy the torretial showers soaking you to the bones. It ios a nice refreshing time after some lovely hot days.

Well another day in San Miguel but it feels like my other life ( Vancouver) is something far far away in time as if I had been dreaming and I just woken up.

San Miguel de Allende at last

2008-05-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, after 3 weeks reclaiming my country I have landed in San Miguel de Allende. This place seems to be have been crafted in my dreams.
A sleepy Colonial Mexican town where all people know each other and befriend you after the first good morning. Also this place has a mix of foreigners that allows you to have a day that includes horseback riding, art classes in a 19th century building , 2 dollar cervezas some tacos for dinner and a game of Hockey at the local pub.

It has the best of each worlds, enough Mexican to be always happy and enough North American culture to have things organized.

My printmaking teacher is awesome, so are my classmates. Students show when they wake up. There is not fuzz about the time you arrive. The class start at 10 but you are not summoned not get the evil eye if you show at 11:00AM. As the teacher say it: "it is better that you show happy and ready to work than bitchy because you did not have enough sleep".

I just feel like this is my tempo. I show everyday to my class around 10nish and we get to our business. Lots of jokes and laughs , everything goes and everybody uses each other supplies. No fuzz about the "my stuff" or "boundaries" bullshit you get back where I live ( Vancouver).

My people are naturally happy as if the secret of happiness has been handed down from our ancestors: "Do not fuzz and do not chinges"

I love Canada too after all Canada has given me my Mexican identity love back. I love Canadians so I married one but this is just home.......