MAP Magazine

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Miami is a seductive, albeit deceiving tropical beast, and to tame her is hardly an easy task. But a little ambition, a little vision, and lots of tenacity can go a long way. We – the artists, the community leaders, and all the culture-seekers – know that there is ample opportunity here to shape the cultural climate and establish a stimulating creative locus. To hell with the distractions, the detractors, the riffraff, the comparisons, the snafu predicament of a city still building its identity (and its institutions) and the moneyed snowbirds who merely want to take advantage of the beach and warm weather. Consider this, as we’ve designated it before, a frontier town that, if handled correctly, has all the promise of a powerful, newfangled idea. We are an enclave, good readers. We are the creators.
Now that Season is in full swing, we found it fitting to present our annual “Maestros & Mavericks” issue – an homage to what we believe are some of the most noteworthy figures in the creative realm, both on a local and international basis. Turn to our extended “Frontier Folk” feature (p.32) for our selection of Miami creatives who have helped form a significant culture scene. Written by various MAP scribes, the whole section was shot by our senior photographer, Jeffrey Delannoy, with fashion direction from our fashion maven, Jessica Bosch, and guest stylist Chiara Solloa, who were all inspired by a playful, turn-of-the-century aesthetic.
You’ll also notice that we’ve given more space to fashion in this issue with two distinctive editorials, both exquisitely styled by Jessica Bosch. Delannoy transports us to a chimerical world, where playing dress-up and getting frisky is perfectly acceptable in “Frolic Under Consent of the King” (p.72) – perhaps it is only a reverie, but revel in it while you can. Meantime, Miami-based photographer Andre Gabb gets a little darker with “Good Afternoon, Pandora” (p.64). But don’t fret – she won’t bite. At least we don’t think so.
Given our proximity to Cuba and the preponderant Cuban population here (including, naturally, many Cuban artists), we decided it is high time to properly and thoroughly explore the Cuban art scene. New York-based writer Emily Jerome took a trip down to the island and came back with a shrewd, detailed and incisive account (p.54), featuring a revealing case study of Ezequiel Suarez, perhaps the most controversial artist currently living in Cuba. Don’t overlook this, as interest in the Cuban art market is growing, and who knows what will happen once the Castro regime loses power.
On the other hand, Michelle Weinberg, an artist/writer and regular MAP contributor, journeys up north to idyllic Provincetown (p.60) – a bohemian burg where creative energy reigns supreme.
Taking this to an international level, we’ve gone out of our way to score interviews with several Maestros & Mavericks that we deeply respect: Michel Houellebecq, the famously contentious French writer and author of The Elementary Particles, Platform and The Possibility of an Island (p.14); Art Spiegelman, the comix genius and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus series – he also created this year’s poster for the 25th anniversary of the Miami Book Fair International, which we are certainly looking forward to in November (p.26); Marcel Dzama, a Canadian artist who has imagined a strange, yet enchanting little universe where man and nature intermingle, with often violent results (p.18); and an eclectic batch for music, including former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy (p.22), indie stalwarts the Walkmen (p.24), DJ and beat-creator Michna (aka Egg Foo Young) (p.16), and a rather unusual encounter with the RZA from Wu-Tang (p.28).
Local artist Christian Duran provided a couple new hand-painted oil works for our Artist Showcase this issue (p.52). These are derived from religious iconography, but stand on their own as beautifully intricate semi-abstractions, with synaptic layers of natural and neural-like patterns. Duran will be having a solo in March at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood.
As always, look toward the end of the book for our signature columns: Danny Brody treks throughout the state to engage us with the peculiarities of Florida cuisine in “The Art of Hunger” (p.90); Peter Dahlstrand reminisces about running with the bulls and listening to Graham Parsons with drunken New Zealanders in “Notestalgia” (and do enjoy the accompanying drawings, which Dahlstrand creates himself); and John Hood riffs on both his sartorial proclivities and Frank Sinatra’s days in Miami when filming Tony Rome in “Man in the Dark”.
Remember to carve your creative niche here. This town is ours, just as much as anybody else’s. And Art Basel will arrive faster than the lifespan of the Beach’s new “it” club. So, meantime, we’ll be preparing our upcoming “International Art + Design” issue for the winter.
Cheers,
Omar Sommereyns
Editor