Tina Alberni

Art has the power to change the world. I really believe this.

We each live within our own microcosms of health issues and big challenges but we also live within a numbing macrocosm of larger global health issues that require our attention because if left unchecked, life as we know it would be consumed. Literally!
 
As an artist, I think one of my responsibilities is to bring to light and create a presence, a space, to some of those things I question, that I’m curious about or that I  understand either from lots of research(I love to research!) or from first hand experience and want to explore deeper.
 
If, through some of my work, I can manage to engage you by opening your eyes to something you had no idea about, to look at something from a different perspective, shined a light on a subject you are curious about, opened your heart to actually feel something, made you question a preconceived notion, to name a few, then I have done my job. 

If you, the viewer, have shared your opinions, perceptions, outlooks and thoughts with me, you have made me grow that much more and made my day for sure! Your feedback is always a gift.

This piece started to conceptualize as I kept hearing about large global epidemics stemming from challenging life conditions, as well as life threatening diseases endemic to sterile(or so I thought)hospital settings.
 
 Disease affects the lives of millions and millions of people. Diseases such as: ebola, zika, cholera, influenza, meningitis, sars, MRSA and other life-threatening, drug-resistant super bugs.
 
On global diseases we often hear that filthy conditions, overpopulation, contaminated food and water, animal migrations and other big problems are the reasons why epidemics start and to a point, one could almost see why certain areas in the world can develop widespread epidemics. But in a hospital setting? How could this be possible when hygiene, trained professionals and sterile conditions supposedly permeate the hospital landscape?
 
Well, 8 years ago, I fell victim to a drug resistant super bacterial bug in a world leading hospital. A supposedly impeccable and safe space. Cross-contamination occurred because a caregiver did not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.  I was lucky to have an incredible, wise doctor and I pulled through obviously but, for the rest of my life, I will live with the consequences of one careless, seemingly insignificant act of one person who neglected to do the small thing of washing their hands while handling my case under intensive care.
 
 No worries. Life is good and I celebrate everyday as a new day.  Everyday is a gift full of new insights and inspirations!

Having said that, tiny actions have big consequences right! Good health doesn’t come free and if you are healthy you can appreciate your gift. Disease is widespread but at least from my view, we each have a hand in either letting it roam freely or halting it.
 
Whether one is a health professional, a health advocate, a patron or just a citizen living one’s daily life, we each have the capability of making responsible decisions.

This 9’x3’ assemblage I title “Cocci, Bacilli and Spirilla”  hangs the 3 basic bacterial shapes in a waterfall-like assemblage painted in golds and reds. Interspersed among them, hang large pieces of glass dripped with red and gold ink.
 
To detect disease, blood smears are microscopically studied.  To obtain smears, often, many uncomfortable and sometimes painful labs have to be done to ensure correct diagnosis. The glass represents not only the obvious blood smear slides but symbolically, as in other work I have done, glass represents the strength, weakness and resilience of the human body.
 
The interlocking of the bacteria shapes come together to organize and repair the damage. The waterfall-like effect symbolizes the power and magnitude of some of these diseases and how they can bring you down quickly and ultimately terminate you. Why hanging? Because for just one fleeting minute, I felt like hanging the careless person responsible for my perilous predicament. Just being honest.
 
The gold color is a powerful and healing color in my life and the reds/pinkish tones represent the color of blood which means life flows if it’s kept healthy.
 
On a last note, someone recently asked me what each bacterial element represented and I realized that each piece is a reminder that it only takes one single bacterium to start a colony so at least please remember to wash your hands often!

Each 8x8 piece weaves textures in acrylic, shells, recycled plastic toys, glass and inks.

The first layers of shapes using blue, green, lavender, magenta, gold and white colors represent life and ecosystems emerging. With glass I represent life’s fragilities and contrast with rough textures to depict life’s resilience. For the next layers, I went back to each panel and literally covered-up those first layers in an effort to capture some real emotion of sudden loss of life, like the trees that suddenly just got cut down or burned down out of nowhere. It was painful to go through this process, but I did this to extract live emotion. The aggressive motion of cutting and the heat and strength of fire, come through in this layer through the use hot colors and repetitive negative and positive slash-like shapes. The top and final layer holds the lasting fingerprints, the memories, the energy and the random chaos of what’s left in the end.

I am on a second floor, I have 3 huge windows and a ton of work space and wall space!
HERE is a recent article about mount Holly's developing art scene, the Gallery and the studios. More Soon!

The current political climate has me a bit unnerved. This piece interprets feelings of insignificance, in the grand scheme of things, and how I sometimes feel buried underground in a bizarre place.
 
Cautiously and eagerly I, along with what feels like many people, seek to find the light again and that gives me a sense of comfort.
 
In keeping with the breath and iconography of my work, I include layers of heavy textures, bright colors and broken glass which represent hope amidst the heaviness and brokenness I feel in my being and in society.

Are times challenging you? Think of colors and textures that bring your world to a halt and then think of colors and textures that rock your world and bring you life! This is what this painting is all about! To make you think about these things. Keeping a pulse on our emotions and thoughts is important but I find so many trying to ruch on to the future that they skip this very important step.

This piece will exhibit at Ciel Gallery throughout the month of September 2017 and is available for sale.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for continuing posts.

Be true to yourself, always,

-Tina

For years now, I have noticed that I really love patterns. I love to find them, count them, sort them, color them, reorganize them and so on. I find the act of repetition or repetition itself very centering and very healing. My mind, body and spirit come together as one during these moments of “pattern bonding” and my world of chaos becomes calm.
 
There is no right or wrong in this process, it’s a pure act, untethered by rules, by judgments, requirements and expectations.
 
I have come to think of repetition as a form of invocation. Honestly, as I get older and live with this love affair with patterns, I begin to truly understand their power and how meaningful they are in my particular life.

This piece is titled "Halcyon Moments". It hangs nearly 10ft long and about 3 ft wide. I layered acrylic, gold leaf, metal, recycled elements and a variety of viscous mediums. I incorporate pattern, reflective gold, which is an idyllic and healing color in my life, and ungoverned textures capturing moments of serenity which, just like that, instantly become a part of my past and who I am. This piece immortalizes these moments.
 
hal·cy·on / halsēən/: a period of time in the past idyllically happy and peaceful.

You'll notice 3 different sections defined by a variance in pattern. If you start looking from the bottom and slowly move up you'll notice space opening up and, vice versa as you move down from the top spaces close-up. This is representative our feelings in fluxus, we slowly open-up to arrive at a higher self or the other way around, we close-up and stay locked-in a touch place. From my own experience, there are days I feel closed-up and "go" no where and other days I open up and feel the blossoming. A very personal journey for every person.

My goal with this piece is for you, the viewer, to reflect on where you "go" to find your own halcyon moments.
 
On some of the backs of each gold component, there are self healing words, some came from me and others came from contributors. I really love infusing my work with community energy. It helps take a piece on a journey and come to full circle.

I will be showing this piece for the first time at Ciel Gallery through the month of July. It is not for sale but rather I am actively looking for a permanent, public site for it to hang so if you have any ideas, please pass along.

Thanks for reading and go find your halcyon moments!

I have been challenged to skew a master for an upcoming show at Ciel Gallery (click for event HERE).
What a fun experiment! Below are a just a few  words about each of the 2 pieces so if you have the opportunity to see them in person, you will have had a little insight first. They will both be on view for the first time and are available for sale.

"Climbing Out of a State of Mind" by Tina Alberni

Wassily Kandisky associated colors and shapes with sounds, and found harmony in his juxtapositions of geometric shapes.  His work incorporates various archetypes and elicits deep observation from his viewers in order to make connections. As a synesthete myself, I resonate deeply with Kandinsky, his color associations and use of archetypes.

As part of Ciel Gallery's collective, I am participating in Ciel's silent auction this year by donating an original.  All funds raised will go to the Arts & Science Council, an organization I have benefited greatly from.
This is a great opportunity to get your hands on an original for a great price while also helping out many artists. Click HERE to get details on how to bid online for all the art available. If you live out of State, special shipping arrangements will be made.

Accepting change is not always easy but often when you manage to do it, it is quite refreshing and usually a growth experience.
 
I am all about opening my mind to broaden perspectives, learn new things, and see things from different lenses. However, when the changes are major, numerous, all at one time, and you just do not resonate at any level with any of them, I take a long pause. Living in a time of never ending flux of uncertainty is rattling me in a way I think I’ve never experienced before.
 
When I was growing-up, time lasted forever, fresh water, fresh air, freedom, nature, animals, etc where all a given. In my view, they were permanent “staples” of the earth that would always be abundant and in endless supplies.  I mean I just couldn’t imagine our planet without them. I never took things for granted though. From a young age, I was quite aware of poverty and hunger and understood clearly that I was privileged. I couldn’t fully comprehend how some had so much and some had so little, but it was evident that those who lived on the fringes struggled to have those staples. Nonetheless, the staples existed abundantly.
 
As time has passed, we know the amount of people living on earth has swelled to a point of no return, so the exploitation of earth and all it has to offer, has multiplied exponentially.  In my middle age, as much as I retreat from letting any sense of doom and cynisism creep into my life, it continues to linger.
 
For the first time ever, I do feel threatened. Mind you, I am quite familiar with the sense of threat. I have been robbed, chased by scary people, experienced natural disasters, economic downfalls, life threatening car accidents and health issues and so on, yet this ominous sensation I am experiencing is on a different level. My defensive instincts seem to be in full force.   
 
I am not a violent person. I won’t rise in arms. I don’t like the spotlight and my usual position in life is very positive and neutral on all fronts; I don’t take sides and really try looking at things objectively no matter who or what the circumstance. So, this feeling is quite new to me. It is revealing, quite firmly, where I draw the line when my values, fresh air, fresh water, food and freedom are vulnerable. I suppose this is a good thing to really know. Asserting my point of view so publicly is just something I have refrained from. I know I express things through my art and have asserted my views but they have always remained behind the artwork, never at the forefront. 
 
As you all know, for some years now, people around the world and now, very much so, again in the U.S., continue to unite for important causes. Some people get vocal, some march, some pray, some tap into divine energy, some work behind the scenes, some get physical, some preach,  and so on. Love, light, wisdom and knowledge, among other things, have perhaps, as a culture, been swept under the rug a bit, but now have the opportunity to come out and thrive.

“Persisting” and “Channeling Light” both mixed media lithographs, spawned from the current socio-political dialectic, combining simultaneously with seeds of hope and positivity, where love, light, wisdom, knowledge and the rest of goodness prevails.

One can do nothing, which according to native beliefs is still doing something; it means we are passively accepting and agreeing with the decision to do nothing or one can take action, trusting one's core values and beliefs. We have a choice.
 
My art will continue to be the vehicle of my expression and I am working hard to continue trusting that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. If anything, the current ‘climate” of world issues is bringing so many people together and that is a very good thing. Perhaps the darkness will implode and all will be on a better path in the end.
 
How are you feeling and approaching things considering our current state of affairs?

Thanks for reading and now back to my studio!