Thursday, October 13, 2011

YOUR CHILD'S SHOES MADE INTO A WORK OF ART

This year for christmas I have already started making a new set of images for parents that want to have a little piece of their children's baby years made into art. The process is simple. You find a pair of shoes that you find hard to part with and still have lying around the house. You send it to me, I photograph it with a very high resolution camera, making sure all the little details are on the image, we chat and find a small phrase that you want to have on the bottom of the image. I print it on an 11x14 size archival paper and send it you. Here on the bottom is one example if you click on the image you will be directed to the whole portfolio. It is a beautiful and very personal gift.


Price: $175 each image.

Details: Hand printed on archival paper by myself and delivered to you with archival paper wrap in a hard archival envelope, wherever you are.

You can contact me at laraalcantara@gmail.com , or call me at 646-234-3391

Monday, October 10, 2011

My trip to Paris and Venice with my mom.

Growing up you wish that someday you will be married and have kids and live the life you always wanted. I grew up, I met my husband and married him, had a daughter 3 years later and now I have to say I am living the life I always wanted. Not only I live in New York City, which is my dream city, but I get to live and share this city with my husband and my daughter Maia. After a couple of years of being a mom and 6 being a wife I got the opportunity of having an all girls trip to Paris and Venice with my mom. No men and no kids. Just my mom and I.
This has been the most amazing trip, I rediscovered who I am, and what I love about myself and how much I love photography. I rediscovered my girliness and my craziness, and my incredibly dark, black humor.
My mom and I spent 9 days between Paris and Venice looking at art in the Venice Biennial and enjoying beautiful days in September. This trip has given me the power to be again the best mom and wife I can be. Getting away from reality for a little bit is just an enlightening process. First I discovered how much I miss spending time with my mom, and second I discovered the reasons why I love who I am. Might sound egotistic, but yes, you have to know what you love about yourself to be able to love other people. I also understood, that now life without children is no longer yours, it is theirs, all you think about is how much they would love this toy, or how cute they might look in that frenchy clothes. I also realized that I can't live without my husband. How much I love him and how much Paris is a part of us. Every corner and every cafe, we had a glass of wine at when we were not parents yet.
Here are some pics of my girly trip with my mommy.

This pic is in Venice We left Paris at 6 am and had the best weather and most amazing art to watch. This is the sunset of our first day there. If you know me, you might realize I chopped all of my hair off!!!!!


The Venice Biennial is one of the most incredible art shows known to man. The whole city of Venice which is beautiful by itself turns into a museum. Every country participates with their own chosen artists and the beauty of shared spaces and Venice and art get together to present an inspiring array of art works in all kinds of medium. Photography, painting, Video, Sculpture, performance art, installation art; you name it, its there. Here are some images of some of my favorite pieces.


The art of performance

This chinese Artist wanted to replicate the antique houses that no longer exist. To make a statemnet about traditions passing through and not being a part of life anymore.


Notice the word Maia in the middle of this German art installation... I put that there

This beautiful paper piece is by a Venezuelan artist, we saw this in the Venezuelan Pavilion.

This was in the Israeli pavilion, beautiful image


These were pieces of fabric that hung from the ceiling, made out of silk with prints of leaves over them, showing the change of seasons.

This piece was called the dream closet. You walked in and the piece is built out of old closet doors.
This was in the Russian Pavilion
from the various speakers you could hear people and children's voices and sirens.

Ever been in a James Turrel???? Amazing

I was inspired also to make some images and here are some









This was the last sunset we had in Venice, from the window of our small apt. Just imagine the bells ringing from the church next door.