| Reviews. MAG 02. Sep-Oct 05 |
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Page 5 of 5 Udi Edni. The White OneThe Stephanie Odegard Collection in Miami Design District is presenting The White One Collection by Israeli artist and designer Udi Edni. Appealing to “white” as a source for simplicity and beauty, Udi’s paintings and unusual objects are a nice addition to Miami’s diversity and colorful nature. Let the White One Collection be an inspiration for other artists to continue adding shades to Miami.Abel S. So, why White? Udi Edni: That’s easy. There are a lot of reasons, White is pure, it’s stunning, it looks great everywhere and it works with everything. White is clean, it always looks fresh and it’s always in fashion and yet it’s classic, it’s timeless and it is always appropriate.  White will accept every other color, it compliments and integrates. It’s spiritual, it’s sensual, it’s sexy, it’s positive, it’s uplifting, it’s inspiring and at the same time, very basic and natural, simple and not over complicated.AS: Is there a message that you are trying to deliver with ‘The White One’ collection? UE: The White One Collection is about escape from the daily clutter that we live in, and learning to re-appreciate life by looking again at things that surround us. By using white on white, you can see how beautiful simplicity can be; and by using natural twine and framing the different objects, you see how beautiful simple things are if you just look at them in a different way. AS: What are the objects that you use on the paintings? Are they utilitarian or decorative? Are they significant? What do they mean? UE: Some of the objects are personal; for example, the cowbell I found in a Buddhist monastery, or the precious stone that I kept for years to bring back memories. I use those personal items to give the painting an added value for its owner. Make it a piece of one’s life, not just a piece of art. Other objects are more design elements that I use to create an atmosphere or a theme. Interior designers can fly with their vision. For example, you can choose to decorate a new hotel or restaurant, or a new residential building with something related to it’s theme, such as a seashell or starfish if it’s by the beach and so on. Since those paintings are ‘designed’ for this use, the possibilities are endless. AS: You mentioned earlier that you are a flame artist or visual effects designer. When did you first start painting and how do you make the connection between your paintings and the graphic design world? UE: I started painting while living in New York City in 1998, when I made the first ‘White Dinner’ as a gift for a friend. I was living in a tiny studio apartment in SOHO surrounded by countless art galleries and fashion stores. I guess that I just got inspired and went straight to oil paintings and huge canvasses. AS: Just like that? Without any previous background? UE: I did it totally out of passion. I graduated Film school; and had experience with commercials and broadcast as a Flame artist but nothing really in fine art. (Flame is a computer software used for Visual Effects in Film and TV). Also as a visual effects artist, I see myself first as a designer and as such, the transition between computers to designing on canvas was natural to me. I approach fine art from a design standpoint, not like other traditional fine artists. I try to make my paintings not only beautiful and stand out, but also make sure they will have the potential to compliment what people already have or will choose to put on their walls in the future. As a designer I see it as an extremely important tool. AS: Will we see other colors in the future? UE: For now, I would like to continue with white, there is a whole wide world there and so much to explore, after that, I haven’t really thought about it yet. |
