ARTBLOX

Mary Lou Zeek has come up with a great way for artists to help other artists and have a heck of a lot of fun in the process. The Mary Lou Zeek Gallery has a refurbished cigarette machine, retooled to dispense, instead of cigarettes, original works of art. People are encouraged to buy a $10 token (or two) and let chance take its course. You don't know what you're going to get... a lovely painted block, an assemblage or collage, or in my case, photos and digital photo-mointages wrapped around the block. I just brought seven completed blocks to the gallery yesterday and told Mary Lou how much fun I had doing them. As a 2D designer and photographer, I found creating three-dimensional pieces challenging and, like I say, a lot of fun. Proceeds of the sales go toward the Artist Relief Program, assisting local artists in case of personal financial emergencies. Mary Lou Zeek's gallery is at 335 State Street, in Salem. Participate or purchase! Who knows? You may end up with an original Shapiro!!! 

Natalia among the Ruins (from a digital montage)

Natalia 

Girls who Smoke (1)

Doctors Recommend Smoking

El Gallo esta Muerto

These two ARTBLOX were an attempt to turn a couple of my landscape photographs into three dimensional art pieces. It was an interesting experiment and compelled me to look at my work in a different way... to "walk around the image" as it were