all images Copyright 2011 © Andrea Lira

6/28/13

Carta hacia mi misma

La vida esta llena de detalles y momentos felices, cuando nos damos el tiempo de apreciarlos. La empátia de nuestros amigos, la mirada de una nuevo amor, el amarillo del sol, las hojitas que caen libremente, la timidez de un niño, la fe en nuestros sueños, las pequeñas realizaciones diarias, cuando nuestro trabajo es reconocido y cuando nosotros mismos lo reconocemos, el silencio, el amor infinito de los padres, la alquimia que se produce al cocinar, la alegría de despertar sano y no tener ningún plan, la capacidad que tenemos de hacer magia, de tener fe en la gente, de crear, de compartir, de amar sin miedos. Ayer un hombre joven y sabio me dijo; "...para poder dar amor, primero debes amarte a ti mismo” no era primera vez que lo escuchaba, pero fue la primera vez que me hizo sentido. Quiero aprender a amar y para eso, debo tener fe en todos mis sueños, aceptar mis defectos y virtudes. Quiero dibujar una historia de amor tan linda como los trazos de un niños que toma un pincel por primera vez.


Con amor,
Andrea


5/2/13


DIALOGUE I

The Day: When are you coming back?
The Night: The more you ask me, the longer I take.

5/1/13

Distance


Distance between you and me,
Between my head and my heart.
Between my hands and your hands.
Between my mind and yours.
I can’t see you anymore, you are too close.
It is all about the distance.
The desire of proximity is the attraction.

Balance


I am in the center.
The center of what?
The center of a line.
I lean to the sides.
I draw a circle with my eyes.
My head is not balanced.
if I loose my center
I can balance.
Center
your
balance
off.

3/22/13

Cover Design For Stolon




























I just created the cover for this wonderful magazine.
stolon is live and on the shelves as of today.
It is for sale from McNally Jackson online here
(
http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/bookmachine/stolon-spring-equinox-edited-jk-fowler)
and in seven bookstores around NYC
(for most locations, you can visit 
http://www.nomadicsojourns.com/stores.html). 

3/13/13

DISTANCE


The distance between you and me,
between my head and my feet,
between my hands and your hands,
between my house and your house,
between my left foot and my right foot.

The distance between footsteps.
Long footsteps.
Short footsteps.
Medium footsteps.

Too close
I can't see you.
a little farther
I see you better.

Distance that we create.
It is all about distance
the distance between things.
The desire of closeness is stronger than
closeness itself.
We want to be close, 
so we can go far
so we can have distance. 

3/7/13


Off – balance


I am centered.
Centered in the middle of my center.
Center in a circle.
I lean to the right,
then to the left,
drawing a circle.
Opposites attracts.
I am in the middle.
In the middle of nowhere.
off – balance I am.
I don’t want to balance.
The center is always the center.
The center of my body.
My belly is my heart.
My heart is in the center.
My head is off balance.
When I loose balance I find my center. 

I am tired
Tired of being tired
Tired of tyrants people
People that are tired
Tired of fighting
Tired of loving
Tired of being tired
Tired of looking at the time
Time gets tired too
I am not tired
I am tired of you
Tired of me
of me and you
Tired? Who is tired
I never get tired
I am tired of writing this poem.

3/6/13

peoms...

You became the persona I want to be
I jumped from body to body searching for my soul
If I could only find it in my skin I would remained still.

2/25/13








A piece of You




this is how i feel about love..


Art is a way to liberate your soul, your fears, is the one place where you we can be completely honest. Some people may like it some people may not, art is not there to please people, it is what it is, sometimes it is aesthetically beautiful, but I believe that any true art is beautiful, no matter how ugly or raw is the execution...when the message is clear, there is nothing else to say but to feel.

12/14/12

Sing a song
about what you love
create a melody
and sing it everyday
with your eyes close.
Put images to your song
and search for those patterns
during the day.
At night let your soul sing.

Whooooooo
are youuuuu
falling from the skye?
land in my arms.
don't let me go
plant your roots next to mines
lets make a garden
together, so people can rest
in you shadow and the birds
can call it home.

12/13/12


Walk into the forest, through the tunnel of trees, there is a little black bird singing, what is he trying to say?

I can smell of the soil, there are characters that belong there and others that don't. Where do you belong in this hidden forest? They are dancing, the dance of desperation, they are wondering, screaming, sleeping. This is a forest where you can see your dreams and fears at the same time. You can enter or leave, but anything can happen in the forest.

12/12/12


I take out my shoes
I lay down in the ground
I look outside
I am afraid
I want to fly
I want to feel
Feel the wind
Feel the river
Feel your skin
I walk in the forest and I get lots
Many people get lost and never come back
Many people feel lost and they know where they are
I take out my shoes and I can feel again
I walk around.
I feel the grounded.
I stop and look through the Window.
Everything is moving even my hair. 

12/11/12

Quiero vivir en un bosque
este puede ser imaginario o real.

12/10/12

Sueños...

Soñaba que Frida Kalo, me acariciaba el pelo mientras yo escuchaba cantar a los pajaros que habiataban en su tocado lleno de flores, mi cuerpo al igual que el de ella, estaba bendado como el de una momia...la casa estaba llena de perros, al dia siguiente soñe algo distinto. estaba al borde de la antigua picina de la casa di mi niñes con mi padre y un niño pequeño, los 3 nos sumergiamos felices al agua, nadando como si no tuviera fondo, luego matabamos a una araña roja como quien mata a la mujer o al hombre que ama porque ya no puedes vivir mas con el.

12/6/12


Al estar tan desconectados con la tierra y la naturaleza estamos perdiendo nuestra capacidad de asombro y conexión con la tierra. Cada vez el contacto con la naturaleza y los animales es mas lejano, la observamos con una mirada casi museológica. Nos sorprendemos al ver las plantas, pero no por su misterio y belleza sino porque estamos distanciados de su proceso, de las semillas, del olor de la tierra y nuestra relación con ellas. Es por eso que en mi trabajo deseo conectar a nuestro cuerpo con la naturaleza, para así volver a desearla,  a escucharla, sentirla, respetarla, entenderla, hablar con ella. Encontrar en ella a nosotros mismos. El antropomorfismos es usado por muchos artistas y poetas para darle voz a las plantas, nubes y animales, para así acercarlos mas a nosotros, pero los humanos no siempre sabemos escuchar.

En un lugar remoto, donde solo pajaros alados pueden llegar habitan especias que no se encuentran en ningun otro lugar. En esta tierra escondida se puede escuchar a las flores y  los arboles. En este lugar no hay diferenceia entre los animales, los humanos, las plantas, el agua, el sol y el viento. Todos coexisten felices y sus almas se entrelazan como las raises.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful creature that was half tree half woman. She lived inside a tree happily, she needed water everyday as we need food and love, she needed to see the sun, as we need to go outside, she needed to adapt to the cold, as we need homes. She changed her leaves every year as we change our vision and bodies, she was a tree and she was a woman. I wonder what is the difference between us, I wonder why do we separate ourselves from our friends the plants and animals. I wonder why our feet don’t look more like roots.

11/27/12


art does not have to impress people, it has to be real .
there is a door that i want to open
there is a window that i want to jump from
there is a book that has been laying to me
there is a story that becomes real
there is a witch in my room
there is a little girl hiding behind a rock
there is a lake with blue water
there is a line of trees that talk
there is a flower that eats fingers
there is cloud that carries me
there is woman inside the child
a child inside me.
there is a mirror that shows me a lie
there is reality and their is fiction
there are my dreams and my life
my life is a dream
there are tinny chairs, they are there for my 7 friends
they are there for me.
do you understand?
i want to be lost in that forest, i want to eat
all the candy I want and never grow up.


11/20/12

El deseo


- Cual es la diferencia entre el deseo y el amor? 

El deseo es irracional, el amor crece e involucra las emociones y la cabeza.

- Me amas o me deseas?

Ambos y ninguno. 




watercolor test!



11/14/12

ART ON VINYL

A Vinyl that I intervene for the benefit at Local Project, this coming Saturday!

Two sided to every woman

11/11/12

Tree

A tree that I made in the bathroom of Local Project with some recycle Yarn.


11/1/12

el vuelo



Después de la tormenta las hojas seguían abrazadas al árbol, bailando bajo el hechizo del viento. No se daban cuenta que su destino final, no era el árbol, sino ese vuelo circular que como un remolino las lleva al infinito.


10/31/12

Body Structures

I had the pleasure to participate in group show @ Local Project  in New York. The show was called "The Discovery of the Americas". Since I am originally from Santiago Chile and I have lived in the US for almost 10 years, I decided to make a video about the relationship between my body and home, about the structures that we create with other people that eventually become part of our home. I wanted to explore the geometry of our bodies and observe the shapes we create when we move in time and space.

If you want to see the whole video you can watch it here

Here are some pictures of the video projection and the interactive mural that I did outside of the gallery that was called "Where are you going?" and it was finished by the audience.

Video still from "Body Structures"

Projection still from "Body Structures"

Interactive mural "where are you going?"






10/30/12

OFF SCREEN A GROUP SHOW @ FIREPROOF IN BUSHWIK

Here are some picture of the group show that we did with my pears at nickelodeon, the only rule was to do something had made, so (off the screen) the title of the show. I made a large embroidery of one of my characters from the series "Human Species" and then I put a poster for people to grab with all the rest of the species. Some of the characters where pasted outside of the gallery like living beings! so it was like a scavengers hunt.

here is blog post that a person made about the show.
http://www.lesnyc.com/arts/off-screen-art-exhibit/









9/28/12

home sweet home


La casa, el árbol, el cuerpo, el deseo, las raíces, la tierra, el cielo, la muerte, el recuerdo y el olvido. Tu casa, mi casa a donde vivimos? 
In my head, there is a little person that can fly. It can travel to many places at once. It can be a snail and a dragon at the same time. It can be men or woman, a child or tree.
Nothing matters in my head, because the only rule is that everything is possible, the words can be eaten, the bodies can be folded like paper and send over the mail as love letters. People talk in rhymes and the birds can give singing lessons. In my head I am shape less I can be an insect in your neck or a shark in the ocean. I feel the wind and travel with it. I never think I only do, I carry a magic pencil with me and draw lines everywhere, and they help me remember where I have been and where I would like to be.
I never know where those lines go, cause they never stop dancing in my brain, entangle with my friends, creating relationships making, making nodes that become stars on a map.

9/6/12

dreams about hair

Yesterday I had a dream, I was on the passenger sit next to a man that was driving a bus to the country side. While he was driving he was touching my hair in a very tender way.
Then we lay on the field with a book of poems, and he continue to touch my hair making little curls with it. When I woke up, I felt loved, maybe I already know this person. I only know that I want that kind of love.

On Strike


8/7/12

GROUP SHOW

I will be showing some of my work at the Brooklyn Fire Proof.
Some of my drawings from the "Human Species" series took life
and now they are wondering around in the streets of Bushwick!
so if you are in the hood take a look, because you may find some of them.















5/21/12

ACTIONS versus THOUGHTS

I talk when I move my arms and legs. I shout with my head and my hair echoes.
I love you, when I twist my torso, move my toes, my eyelids, open my shoulders and neck.
My words support my actions, my actions are my only words. Thinking about the memories and anxious ideas about the future. Thinking is not always living, living is doing things. Dancing is my only true reality. Reality is not always in sync with me, so I try to catch up by moving slowly towards clarity. Everybody is dancing their own life, their own reality. Harmony is when two rhythms have a dialogue and create a new one.

5/17/12

FIRST TIME AGAIN

The first time kissing you, the first time having a conflict, the first time making a meal, the first time crying, the first time watching you sleep, the first time laughing together. Everyday is a new day, everyday we change. The first time I felt in love, I realized I was addicted to that feeling. Sometimes I fall out of love, just to start again.

DANCING

Dancing makes me feel alive. I feel my feet on the ground, my hands on the sky, my eyes are close and I can travel through time. I can be an animal, an insect, a man, a woman and a child. I am not pretending. I become a new spirit. I can read the movements of my ancestors, I can feel the beat of the earth, the motion of the waves, the space between me and the air. Motionless I am dead.

2/8/12

Que significa la animación como medio de expresión

Animar, pensar, reciclar, crear, contar historias, olvidar, recordar, romper, pegar, estirar, arrugar, plena libertad! todas son acciones contrarias que cuando las unimos, las cocemos, pegamos o juntamos se transforman en algo nuevo. Lo nuevo siendo solo una nueva visión de lo viejo, una nueva forma de mirar lo antiguo.

La animación es eso, una yuxtaposición de cosas unidas por el tiempo y el espacio, creando así realidades inimaginables. La animación es en si, es para mi una de las formas mas experimentales de hacer cine, o contar una historia con múltiples imágenes. Me es muy difícil expresar con palabras que es el animación, por eso solo puede definir que significa para mi.
La animación es la ilusión de vida y la distorsión de la realidad es la capacidad de volar por el cielo sin caer y aterrizando en una nube de papel, con cuerpo de elefante y voz de pez. 

Todo se mueve, todo cambia, todo tiene un opuesto, todo muere, todo tiene vida o le damos vida.

1/9/12

01-09-2012

Soy de un material frágil.
Penetrable, translucido.
Con sicatrices y marcas.
Marcas del tiempo.
Tiempo que no puedo controlar.
Estoy hecha de un material
Solido y liquido.
Me puedes cortar con una hoja de papel.
Me puedes perforar con la mas fina espiga y me dolerá.
En cambio, mi alma es fuerte, solida e impenetrable.
No la puedes romper ni estirar, ya que es intangible.
Pocos saben amar lo intangible.
Cada vez olvidamos mas el alma de las cosas, de la gente.
Si me amas te mostrare mi alma, pero si tu corazón es egoísta,
solo podrás sentir la superficie de mi piel.

1/8/12

2012

Gracias a la tierra, el Sol, la luna, el viento, el agua, los arboles, los animales, los insectos, los peces, los humanos, lo sobre humano, las estrellas y el universo, estamos todos aqui.

Este año cambiare de piel nuevamente, botare la vieja para asi aprender a volar con la nueva. los mayas creian en los ciclos de la naturaleza y en la magia de la serpiente emplumada que cambia su piel y renace. Creian en la dualidad, en la relacion entre lo el inframundo y el cielo, como muy bien lo representa el arbol de la vida. Todos estos simbolos explican la creacion, como el ser humano muere y nace y la importancia de aprender a morir y nacer constantemente. Siendo la muerte solo el principio de una nueva vida.

Nuestro cuerpo es fragil y fuerte a la vez, estamos en costante riesgo, solo hace falta un pequeño accidente y lo que llamamos vida se puede evaporar. No controlamos nuestras vidas y por eso tenemos la necesidad de creer, tener fe, crear mitologias que expliquen nuestra corta existencia y la magia y el milagro que significa estar vivos.

Volviendo a la serpiente emplumada, este año voy a vivirlo como si fuera el primero y el ultimo, con una piel nueva, pero con sabiduria adquidira por las vidas pasadas. Este año bailare con el viento y me viajare por los mares como agua, lluvia y rios. No dejare que nada se estanque, cambiare de piel cuantas veces sea necesario y volvere a nacer una o otra vez y dentro de esa vida naceran otras vidas y quisas vida se forme dentro de mi, como yo me forme dentro de otro cuerpo, extirpando parte de el.

Gracias a la vida por haberme hecho mujer y darme la posibilidad de continuar la cadena humana.

12/24/11

Dec 24, 2011

Every movement in life means something.
Every gesture says something.
Every posture conveys an emotion.
Every shape reveals its content.
The rhythm and the feeling of the motion is the level of intensity.
Everything is a language, and we can create languages from anything, from an eye blinking, from the motion of a shoulder, from the movement of your nose, your hear, the wind, the leaves falling, stones, water, the clouds and all the elements of nature that talk to us. We just need to watch and learn to read them. Like the secret language between to lovers that learn to read each other’s eyes, breathing and silence. Silence is another language as important as words and body language. Silence talk about everything and nothing.  When we see people talking they are not always communicating effectively, sometimes a long hug can say more things.  I believe that hand gestures and eyes are the language of the soul. They move unconsciously many times, we can't always control them and many times the act and protect them trying to hide their emotions but they always find a way to say the truth no matter how much you try to hide them.  This is why in my drawing, body postures and motion are key elements to understand the characters language and they complex existence. This characters are part of me and I am inside of them as well, we both try to understand who we are and why do we need to act the way we act, why do I need to draw them why do they need me and how to better understand life by creating and recreating life experiences. What is the pain that exist in all of us, why do we worry, why do we need to love, why do we hate. All this range of emotions can be translates into motion, into specific postures that communicate what is to be a human a fragile human that is supernatural and mortal at the same time. 

12/23/11

SINOSPSIS

Cuando me preguntan de que se trata el libro que estoy ilustrando, siempre trato de dar una respuesta clara, pero mi cara de duda revela mi indecisión respecto al tema. Por eso, e decidido escribir una pequeña explicación.

Mi libro, explora la misterioso relación entre el cuerpo femenino y la naturaleza.
La biología del cuerpo y su transformación. Usando un lenguaje poético y una narrativa autobiográfica.

El libro busca encontrar a través de la yuxtaposición de imágenes, la relación entre nuestro entorno
y nuestro interior, creando personajes imaginarios  que mutan con la naturaleza.

Mi necesidad de explorara el mundo femenino a través de la naturaleza y la mitología, nace por mi propia desconexión con mi cuerpo, instintos y sexualidad. Esta perdida, es causada por el exceso de trabajo, el poco contacto con la naturaleza que se tiene en la ciudad, las presiones externas por ser un tipo de persona y por el medio a explorar nuestra propia sexualidad femenina. y conocimiento del cuerpo. Las plantas como el cuerpo también son seres muy complejos que debemos entender y cuidar para que crezcan sanas, es por eso que a través de la naturaleza este libro trata de buscar respuestas en ella.

DEC 23


Las raíces se aferran a todo, al cemento, a la tierra, a las piedras, donde encuentre la posibilidad de entrar y sostenerse lo harán.  Las personas somos similares, buscamos gente y espacios donde instalarnos para poder crecer apartir de una base sólida, si no encontramos espacio donde expander nuestras raíces,  siempre nos sentiremos débiles e inestables. El cuerpo tiene la capacidad de crecer infinitamente, aprender cosas nuevas y transformarse, pero para poder hacer eso debemos acercarnos a la luz.

12/20/11

DEC 20

My video Open Language is playing together with Si=No by Paola Romoli Venturi.
If you have time check it out!  

http://www.undo.net/it/duevideo/1324309176


12/19/11

DEC 18 - The Root System of a Woman

I did this drawing for my friend Paula, who just turned 30 years old.
A very important number in the life of a woman. The drawing represents
the beautiful changes that happen in our bodies, and how our roots system
and leaves change shape and evolve into patterns that resemble our dreams
and life options. My friend, has a great heart and that is why her "body"
keeps growing and growing and discovering new shapes.



12/17/11

DEC 17

I love life
I love to be alive
I love living
I love to love
I love to learn
I love learning to love
I love laughing
I love craying
I love plants
I love animals
I love cooking
I love my body
I love your body
I love getting old
I love kids.


12/16/11

DEC 16

La vida es tan frágil y rápida, por eso cada día es un pequeño milagro.
El deseo de vivir y ser feliz es como una bola de energía que esta justo entre medio de las dos costillas debajo de tu corazón. Esa bolita solo puede ser activada desde adentro, la gente y tu entorno nos puede motivar e inspirar pero también nos pueden apagar esa luz, y muchas veces sin mala intensión. Por eso uno mismo debe preocuparse de mantener esa bola de luz activa. Yo por ejemplo, para mantenerla prendida debo confiar en mis instintos y estar constantemente creando, dibujando desde mi imaginación analizando al mundo, bailando y moviendo todo mi cuerpo al ritmo el día a día. Al ritmo del sol, de las montañas, del agua, de las piedras, de los arboles, del invierno, del viento y las estrellas. Cada día es un baile nuevo y siempre estamos aprendiendo. Me imagino que mientras mas bailamos mas fácil se nos hace aprender nuevos pasos, como el de la vejez y el de la muerte, dos bailes a los cuales no le debemos temer, pero debemos honrrar con nuestros trajes mas elegantes.

12/14/11

DEC 14

Sometimes, I wait to long to do the things I really love. For some reason I am always postponing my projects. Creating should not feel like work, but it is! it takes time and concentration.

Maybe the nature of my work is to be spontaneous, playful, without over thinking, maybe I should follow my intuition more and not care if it is good or not, but I have a visual taste and I know when things are not expressing and communicating.

It is been almost 7 months since I started my book project, it was first call "Human Landscapes", then, "Dancing Tree" and now...I am not sure! but that is not the point. The thing is that it keeps changing and is not really flowing. My biggest fear is to do something cliche and that though stops me from finishing.
I guess this process is normal, it is normal to change my mind, it is normal to fall in out of love of your own work.

What is most important, is not to stop working, because this is what I love to do, and the fact that I don't have enough time is not an excuse. I think I have to stop talking and use this TIME to work, to draw, to sit in my room and think.

12/13/11

DEC 12

A man in the floor
Nobody stops
Who is he?
I ask him if he needs help
He looks like he haven't sleep in days
"I am ok", he says.
I will never see him again.
That man changed something on me.

12/8/11

DEC 8

Today I did not think about my work,
I was making other peoples work. 
I wish I could do my work every single day until I die.
I wish I could dance every week, 
I wish I could kiss every night, 
I wish I could play with animals every weekend, 
I wish I could teach a kid how to love an animal. 
I wish I could be an animal with 4 legs and 
many teeth, so I could taste every fruit and fish like a bird. 
I wish one day I will not need to worry about clothes 
and just cover myself in my black hair. 
Hair is warm, it is there for a purpose.
I wonder why we take it out. 
Are we ashamed of our selves and wild nature?

12/7/11





Dec 7th - Divided Head

I am trying to understand my head. Not an easy task at all. My head is divided into many parts, my rational side, my creative side, my Chilean side and my American side. But this categories of the brain do not work in a consistent or chronological way, they fire up when ever they want and I can't control them. Sometimes I try to follow my heart for the important stuff, but my heart is even more divided, between been independent and single and wishing to have a family of my own.
Those two don't work together either.

But I have realize that life does not happen in order either, there are constantly surprised in my life that make change directions. People influence me, maybe a little to much. I love people as much as I love my solitude, it is strange but everything needs contrast.
Otherwise life will taste like an unsalted egg, good but not great.

I want my life to be great, I want to be in risk, I want to love, fail and success without regrets. I don't want to double questions self I just want to do things, without caring about what the rest think of me, but I find that hard, since I am a conservative girl, with a catholic background, raise in Chile, who moved to the US to study and still haven't by a ticket back home.

I still dream about living in the woods.
With a charming prince who loves me so much that gets me wild flowers every day and I prepare him amazing meals. (this is obviously a dream under construction, since I am an awful cook)

I guess that is the dream from one side of my heart the other could not care less about the prince and wants to be an international artist, constantly traveling and adventuring in the tribes of the world.

Dec 7th, 2011

Nothing is more important than to find your voice.
This is not just to be original it is about been able to have confidence in you artistic choices, in you instinct as an artist and individual.
I believe that every person has a unique personality, set of experiences and dreams,
for that reason, h@r own voice.
This voice is always in evolution.
Part of finding that voice is to have the flexibility of transforming with it, without fears,
but with a sense curiosity and of adventure.
I am trying to be not who I wish to be, but who I am in the present.
Otherwise I will never be.

To be a woman
To be 29 years old
To be single
To be independent
To be an artist
To be a child
To be sexy
To be insecure
To be tender
To be giving
To be honest
To be fearless
To be a failure
To be a success
To be young
To be old
To be thin
To be fat
To be happy
To be anxious
To be sad
To be a human being.

All those things are constantly changing. I am all of those, I am comfortable with the person I am. I want to keep evolving.
Live my life at the fullest.

12/6/11

Dec 6th, 2011 - Epifanía

Hoy tuve una epifania! hace tiempo que quiero decidir si debo quedarme en New York, o volver a mi patria despues de 10 años afuera. A un mes de cumplir mis 30 años me di cuenta que quiero volver,
queiro comprar el pan en la esquina y saludar al vendedor en español, quiero caminar por la alameda mirando a la coordillera que me crio y me inspiro en esas tardes grises de Santiago.

Quiero sentir la lluvia, las penas, la alegria en mi tierra, quiero ser parte de ella.

Eso es lo que quiero hoy, pero nose mañana...