Ari Tabei – creating her own home in the natural world, synthetically

Tonight I attended an artist viewing and talk at Fair Folks & a Goat on the Upper East Side.  Artists Cosme Herrera, Eliza Stamps, and Ari Tabei were able to discuss their inspiration and careers, all to a room of attentive spectators.  We spent  the first half hour of the event drinking Pinot Noir and surveying the works as they were displayed across bookshelves, mantles, and of course the walls.

My favorite artist was Ari Tabei from Tokyo (visit her site), whom I found quirky and kind.  She started off by saying she was afraid of the nature and found synthetic materials like vinyl and plastic soothing.  Most themes in art and literature play to man’s need to be close to the natural world and reject the artificial, so Ari’s viewpoint is unique indeed.  She said in most places she visits, people don’t understand – except for people in New York City.