ASK THE ARTIST: 12 QUESTIONS & A JOKE,
is an opportunity for our gallery supporters, friends and clients to get to know our artists a little better. It’s a fun way to get a glimpse into the personalities of the artists and at the same time connecting the artist with their art.
Hope you enjoy!! Ida Victoria
A lifetime of art immersion has led Hresula Bentsen to the age-old technique of mosaics. Her Greek heritage led her to Greece and the mosaic icons and floor patterns immediately struck a chord with her. In 2009 she took a class on the technique of mosaic art and became hooked. Forming a contemporary twist on an ancient art form, she employs a strong color palette to create fluid movement and flow in her pieces, whether they are large scale murals, wall hangings or free standing sculptures. Her key influences are modern painting, a profound connection to her natural surroundings and light, a color palette of the 60’s and primitive and other non-Western cultures. Based full time in Loreto, Baja California Sur, her work is constantly evolving as all art does in time. The long history of mosaic art in Mexico is also a constant inspiration and influence in her work.
Hresula is a very new artist to the gallery, and we are planning a show of her most recent works next month, on November 13th! I thought what better way to promote her show and to introduce her to gallery fans than to ask her to participate in our 12 Questions & A Joke Series… Let me introduce Hresula!!!
Q: If there was a favorite work of art you could hang or display in your home, which would it be?
HB: I am a fan of Sergio Garval an artist out of Guadalajara, Jalisco. The painting shown is his response to hurricane Katrina and the devastation to the people of New Orleans.
Q: If there was one dead artist that you could hang out with for a day, who would that be? Why?
HB: Antoni Gaudi. He was a multi-faceted artist working with mosaics, wrought iron, furniture, and architecture. His work is very organic and contemporary ahead of its time. Barcelona has an explosion of Gaudi’s influence.
“Color in certain places has the great value of making the outlines and structural planes seem more energetic.”
“The great book, always open and which we should make an effort to read, is that of Nature.”
– Antoni Gaudi, Spanish architect & artist (1852-1926)
Q: If there was a magic power you could use in your art making, what would it be?
HB: Live long enough to create all the ideas in my mind.
Q: If we were going to talk about your art, where would you want to start?
HB: The passion of setting one tesserae at a time to complete a larger mosaic picture.
Q: What quality in others makes you want to slap them?
HB: Pessimism.
Q: Art is so subjective, what kind of art is unappealing to you?
HB: Any art that is not inspired or cookie cutter in nature.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as far as your art, inspiration or career?
HB: Create your vision and stick with it. Maintain a daily commitment of work to keep the portals open.
Q: What is most important to you…the subject, the process or the final work?
HB: Process
Q: If your work was edible, what would it taste like?
HB: Jelly Beans.
Q: What is the one thing you need in your studio to work, other than your art supplies?
HB: Music.
Q: What is your most favorite piece of your artwork on display in Galeria de Ida Victoria now, and why?
HB: “D. MOBIUS”. The complexity of creating the mobius strip and placing the tesserae at a 3D visual level…or TBD!
Q: In the era of the internet, why do you choose to continue to work with galleries?
HB: Galleries are important. No matter how good your photos are one must see art in person to feel the emotion and the “mano” work. This is especially important with mosaics and refraction of light.
Q: Now the best part, tell us a joke.
HB: Pun of the day. When artists dream in color it’s a pigment of their imagination.
Why do I love Hresula Bentsen’s work?
Hresula came from Loreto last Spring to do some much need shopping in Los Cabos and to show me some of her work. As she unwrapped her pieces from the newspaper and bubble wrap, the sun hit the pieces and they began to glow and sparkle!! I was fascinated that not only were cut tiles used in her work, but shells, geodes, fossils were also included in these pieces, creating a play in texture, color and depth that I have not seen before in mosiacs. The work is so detailed and fine, and seamless…She is a true master of her chosen medium. I’m convinced she could include any object in her mosaics!! I love that Hresula can create small works- little gems just as beautifully as her large scale installed commissioned murals. Her Baja inspired works such as her sea turtle shells are created to hang on a wall as a painting would, but with their natural curvature to mimic a turtle shell, the work becomes 3-Dimensional eye candy! I am so thrilled to now be representing Hresula and look forward to this upcoming exhibition that will feature 17 pieces, ranging from wall hanging to free standing sculptures. I hope you will join us November 13th for the opening exhibition. More info to follow!!
-Ida Victoria
My favorite Hresula piece in the gallery is SARGASSO GOGO. This life-size turtle shell celebrates the sea turtles we have here in BCS and I just LOVE the flow of the patterns, the play of materials, the cast shadow it creates on a wall, the sparkle of the glass tile. It is almost therapeutic to look at. I can’t wait to see more from this series!!
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