This week, Vedere has been taking a closer look at the work of painters Andrea and Timothy Biggs, the principals of Biggs Art Studio. Have you visited their Vedere Storefront yet? 

As members of Vedere.com, we asked the pair to recommend another Vedere storefront that they feel deserves notice.

What did the design duo select?

"We like the work of KEDOWORLD, for their clean lines and innovative use of materials in both sculpture, and, especially, furniture," says Tim Biggs of Biggs Art Studio.

Based in Italy, KEDO  uses a unique carbon material to create elegant home furnishings and scultures. Click here to view KEDO's amazing storefront! Let us know what you love about their work in the comments section!

For instance, the KEDO K-2 carbon fiber coffee table uses irreplaceable elements of today's interior design.

Notice the carbon fiber twill weave used in the table, covering its lightweight, Termanto foam core. The thick steel bases used in between the wood and glass, add a sleek and fashionable look. 

Have you discovered the Italian-designed X-1 carbon fiber lounge chair? It was inspired by an aircraft structure.

The visual impact of the carbon fiber has deliberately been left exposed, giving the chair a series of reflections that are typical to the material. The core of the chair is made from honeycomb Nomex material, which when combined with the carbon fiber, creates extreme stiffness and a sleek look. The padded portion of the chair is made from high quality leather and is available in a variety of colors, while the head pillow has a system of regulation in three positions for maximum comfort. The X-1 is a full-length lounge, offering ergonomic comfort and support.  

Crossing Art is proud to announce their participation in this year's Curate NYC, a series of juried exhibitions with an online platform that exists to heighten exposure and opportunities for New York City's visual artists. 

"The artists in this exhibit were selected from over 1,500 who submitted work," claims Kathy Levine, Vedere featured artist. Other participants include, Niv Rozenberg, Benjamin S. Jones, Soo Im Lee, Brian Dupont and Francine LeClercq.

The exhibition runs from Dec. 10 - 31, 2011 with gallery hours from 11am-6pm, Tuesday through Sunday and also by appointment.

For more information, contact:

Patrick Regan,Director: patrick@crossingart.com

Maria Boobis, Assistant Director: maria@crossingart.com

This week, Vedere takes a close look at Artist of the Week, Kathy Levine, a multimedia artist who creates art about nature in an urban environment using recycled paper, photos, paint and other materials. As a new member on the site for curated art and design, we asked Ms. Levine to share with us any fellow standout artists she noticed on Vedere's ever-expanding network. “The work of Gregory Vorbe stands out for me,” she shares. Levine especially likes ‘Hommage a Sergio', which depicts a man integrated into his natural surroundings.

“His arms look like they are branches on the tree and the leaves become his hair,” she continues. “In my pieces, I try to show a connection between people and the natural environment, states Levine. “In addition, this mixed media painting uses vibrant colors, lines and shapes to move the eye around in it,” she includes.

Gregory Vorbe is a musician as well as one of the rising stars among contemporary Haitian artists. Growing up, he was fascinated by the beautiful vévés (sacred symbols representing the gods and spirits of the voodoo pantheon) and the haunting sound of the itinerant musicians who came out to perform during carnival season and Easter. For Vorbe, it was the attractions and mysteries of voodoo, with its roots in distant Africa that had a profound effect on his artistic imagination. “I also like Gregory Vorbe's piece called Woods,” adds Levine.

 

“The trees have faces in them like they are watching us at the same time that we are looking at them,” she says. “It reminds me of when I work with trees or wood and feel that they have a human-like presence. I frequently see eyes, faces and other body parts in them.” What do you see in the works of Kathy Levine and Gregory Vorbe? Share with us in the comments section!

This week, Vedere will focus on Brooklyn-based artist Kathy Levine, whose multimedia pieces combine her love of communicating her ideas and feelings through art with her passion for nature.

As you read more about Kathy Levine this week, be sure to also visit her storefront: http://kathylevine.vedere.com/

Is there a favorite Kathy Levine original art creation that you are currently wishing to own? Share with us in the comments section!

“I've always liked art,” shares Vedere Artist of the Week Kathy Levine. “It probably has something to do with my parents having taken us to every large museum in Europe when I was young.” Born in Queens, New York but raised in Spain and England, Levine studied art at Maria Grey College in London and received a B.A. from the State University College at Potsdam and a M.F.A. from Pratt Institute. Levine's awards include a Community Arts Regrant from the Brooklyn Arts Council, an Artist-in-Residence at the Millay Colony for the Arts, an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship from Yellowstone National Park, an honorarium from the Women's Caucus for Art and a Graduate Fine Arts Fellowship from Pratt Institute. She was also selected to be in the Who's Who of American Women in 2008/9 and 1998.

Ms. Levine's early influences were the people and art from different cultures she saw while traveling with her family in Europe, parts of the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to art and culture, both her parents instilled in her a love of the natural world.

In 1996, Levine founded C.A.I.R.N. (City Artists in Response to Nature), which consists of a group of New York City-based artists who explored their individual and collective need to connect with the natural world in a contemporary way. They also organized exhibitions in galleries in New York City and on Long Island.

In addition, Kathy's photographic work was exhibited in an online exhibition organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Her mixed media sculptures and relief paintings made from recycled paper, photographs and other materials have been shown at the Islip Art Museum, Cornell Medical Center, The New York Law School, Soho Center for Visual Artists, The PanAm Building (now MetLife), New Jersey Center for Visual Arts and the Federal Plaza among others. Kathy has taught at Brooklyn College, The New School, Pratt Institute, Adelphi University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Dowling College, Suffolk, Nassau and Kingsborough Community Colleges. In addition, she has organized many exhibitions and photographed for the New York Teacher Magazine/Newsletter, Kingsborough Community College, Dowling College and the Chinatown Planning Council.

Searching for an art or design-related event or exhibit during the holiday season?! Gifted interior designer Arlene Angard, and our Vedere Artist of the Week recommends The Holiday House, the designer table top showhouse was founded three years ago by Iris Dankner to benefit the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Iris is a thirteen year breast cancer survivor and a former executive member of the Board of Directors of Komen Greater NYC, where she served for six years. From 2005 to 2009, she also chaired the annual Komen New York City Race for the Cure® held each September in Central Park. "The Holiday House is a great inspiration for everybody looking to decorate their home for the holidays," she shares. "By visiting this showhouse, people will also be supporting the charity that organizes it, which is also worthwhile." In 2008, combining her two passions, namely her love of design and her efforts to help Komen reach its goals, Iris Dankner created Holiday House, the first designer showhouse held in New York City to benefit a breast cancer organization. Recruiting top interior designers in the New York City area, the showhouse was held in a historic mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and was a resounding success, with all proceeds donated to Komen Greater NYC to help in its quest to end the scourge of breast cancer forever. Since its inception, Holiday House has featured top designers in the field who are extremely talented and have a passion for the cause. Holiday House is about the celebration of life, with each designer selecting a holiday or a special moment in life as an inspiration for their design. So what are you waiting for--go and enjoy the entire experience! Stop by their Holiday House cafe by Moscow 57 for delicious treats, browse through books at Potterton Books, and shop for gifts at Sferra’s pop-up shop. Celebrate life then share your showhouse visiting experience with us in the comments section!