By Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek

When one mentions the Peter Pan your reminiscent of a mischievous boy who never ages. A young lad that freely flew the skies, draped in a green tunic, tights, a hat, and roamed around without a worry in the world.

That’s the exact theme of Victor Beckmann’s latest line of jewelry. “Growing up, my friends would all say they were afraid of the boogie man. I would say I was afraid of growing up. I always wanted to stay this age, “ stated Beckmann.

Beckmann clutched to his childhood, by designing a series of jewelry that function as games…a slingshot, a tag game, hop scotch, a bubble blower, and a jump rope. Each creative piece was intended to engage the users inner child, thus allowing for the jewelry to serve a duplicity of functions…wear fashionable jewelry and have fun while doing so.

Take for example the silver chain that is used as a necklace, it dangles from the neck but you can place it in both hands and start jumping around like you did when you were in grade school. The geometric sterling silver bracelet is uniquely designed with a piece of white charcoal anchored in the side, so whenever you fancy, stop and create your blocks and begin with your friends, the game of hop scotch.

The slingshot is also worn as a necklace and made of a lost wax casting method with sterling silver and star sapphires. Instead of rocks to use as ammunition when you were a younster, Beckmann gathered unfinished raw gem like garnets, peridots, and amethysts. Those gems were stored in a bracelet worn around the wrist yet easily accessible to use when necessary.

Victor is a recent Art graduate of UTEP and when asked if he is ready to mass produce his pieces, Beckmann noted, “I don’t really like to mass produce. When I design a line I like to make each piece more unique or special. A production line dilutes it.”

The wittiness of Victor’s playful pieces currently earned him an exhibition in the Franz Meyer Museum in Mexico City, with a show to follow in the Velvet DaVinci in San Fransisco later this summer.

Photographed by Jorge Calleja

By Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek

The great works of Tom Lea have walked off the canvas, jumped off the page, slid off the wall, and exited the book. His many mediums of art have been transformed into a couture line of clothing bursting with color, style, and a statement. Local fashion designer Zayra Estrada received her biggest commission recently when gallery owner, Adair Margo asked Zayra to design a collection of clothes inspired by the illustrations, murals, paintings, and writings of famous artist, Tom Lea.

Zayra referenced several mediums in order to create her collection. A painting called “Manolete Awaiting a Quite”, an abstract drawing Lea designed in John Norton’s art class, a stained glass window in the First Presbyterian Church here in El Paso, and a 1948 Illustration from a book he wrote, titled “The Brave Bulls”.

“Utilizing the “Manolete Awaiting a Quite” and the 1948 illustration, Zayra combined Lea’s love for bullfighting into two separate “Traje de luces”. (In the 18 century, the Spaniards called the bullfighting outfits suits of lights). Zayra took that concept and created two elaborate silk outfits that flowed with rich colors, tasseled chords, elaborate gold sequined accessories, and vibrant details. She even kept with the traditional dressing for a matador when she introduced the capote de paseo in one of her creations. (A matador drapes the capote de paseo over one shoulder as he parades in front of the audience in the arena prior to the beginning of the fights.)

The illustration from the art class of John Norton conveyed an abstract vision from Lea. Zayra transferred that vision into a black and white elegant knee length dress. In Lea’s work, there appeared to be a form swathed in cloth. This form visually expressed a jovial mood sharing a playful, yet alluring grin. Zayra’s creation is minimalistic in nature but teases the viewer ever so slightly as one shoulder is bared while the other is enveloped amongst black and white layers of satin waves.

A stained glass window inspired Estrada’s last design. First Presbyterian Church is the backdrop for this massive palette where colorful rays from the sun can be seen dancing in the background as a lofty golden cross set the center stage. Zayra knew incorporating the hues would be her biggest challenge. “I stumbled upon the perfect fabric one day and realized the similarities immediately from the stained glass window. I have to say, the fabric found me,” stated Zayra.

Zayra found a love for designing when she was in the fourth grade. She knew her goal in life was to create stunning clothing for women. “Women are already beautiful, so I want them to feel even more gorgeous. I want to enhance their beauty, “ noted Zayra.

Zayra Estrada’s collection is currently on display at the Mills Building.

zayraestrada@hotmail.com

Photographed by Peter Svarzbein

By Jeremy Pack with Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek

Artists are creating new ways of expressing themselves each day. Whether it is through photographing dolls in blenders, painting murals 10 stories high, or inserting LED lights into metal and calling it jewelry.

Metal smith Gregg Holguin incorporates LED lights with an intricate silver chain, which linked itself to four separate silver hoops. Each hoop held a metal encased LED light that changed colors periodically. The front of the metal was etched with “P175”, which illuminated the name of that particular collection.

He says he enjoys using the lights because he feels they are a distraction with a subsequent meaning. In this piece, the meaning runs deep for Holguin. “P175” was a paragraph in the German constitution that was amended in 1935 during the Holocaust. The amendment expanded the law that made sexual acts between men a crime. Thousands of homosexuals were exterminated in concentration camps during that time.

Each of Holguin’s collections contains either a political meaning or manifestations of his personal addictions. “All of my work comes from a very dark place that I’m trying to make positive,” stated Holguin. He goes on to say that he is inspired by stand up comedians, “The comedians talk about social and political issues right in your face and they make you laugh!” He says the same about his jewelry, by wearing the pieces he creates; the individual is a walking pulpit of politics.

www.facebook.com/Scorpio.Design.86

Photographed by Peter Svarzbein

By Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek

Are the days of button-up and plaid shirts over? Are Aéropostale, Izod, Polo and Burberry forever gone? Has the trend in fashion switched so immensely towards alternative clothing with designs that depict pigs walking on the moon and octopuses that teeter on stilettos?

This trio of artist are creating a sub-culture of t-shirts. Illustrator Gerardo Vargas is inspired by society. “It is about being alive, staying observant of what surrounds me. The fantastic interpretation of parallel worlds and being able to create from the magic I see in objects and then to transmit it to the world,” noted Vargas

Monica Villa is the creative director who manipulates the unique art pieces and transfers them onto the t-shirts. The third collaborator on the project is Art Director Diego Chavez who says they create “Wearable art.” “It is the brand’s motto and its mission is to let each person become a walking canvas on which a piece of art is showcased. There are infinite quantities of flaky images and scarce information, so a piece of art must be strong in order to stand out.”

The three talented artists are originally from Chihuahua and their label is humorously named Jamon Endiablado. “We actually thought Jamon Endiablado was a funny name for a clothing line. It means ‘devil ham,’ and, no, there is no religious connotation. We all laughed and wanted everyone in our path to be tickled by it,” noted Villa.

The designs of Jamon Endiablado can be found in El Paso, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Provincetown, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Jalapa, Juárez, and Mérida.

You may also find their work online at www.jaonendiablado.com

Photographs courtesy of Jamon Endiablado

By Kimberly Rene’ Silex

Her jewelry designs are created from non-traditional, donated, and recycled items, all of which are heavily influenced by her Mexican heritage.

Metal smith and graphic designer Ale Bremer takes a piece of fabric, a soda pop top or even “Loteria” cards and transforms these items into sterling silver jewelry.

She creates rings, bracelets, necklaces and broaches with a clean and minimalistic design. Bremer says her rings are pieces she feels to be a medium of the reflection of the world we live in. The world we have created for ourselves, and the world we have become accustomed to.

Originally from the Chihuahua area, she was schooled in El Paso, Texas and her works can be viewed locally at the El Paso Museum of Art, The Lynx Museum and online at www.alebremerjewelry.com . She currently works and resides in New York.

Photographs courtesy of Ale Bremer