Patricia Gagic has been internationally lauded for her work as one of Canada’s most exceptional communicators, artist, author, and successful entrepreneur. Gagic is a thought leader merging realism with soul, bettering the lives of the vulnerable on a local, and global level. In 2017, she was presented the Excellence in the Arts for Courage and Commitment to Human rights, Dignity and Freedom Award by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. She is a four-time named WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. Her speaking engagements include the Harvard Club of Boston, Carnegie Hall and NASDAQ. She is also the recipient of the SNBA Gold Medal at the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris, and Silver and Pewter Medal Academique Societe Arts Sciences Lettre of Paris, France. Additionally, she is a Certified Meditation Specialist by University of Toronto and 2020 Universal Women’s Network Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Patricia was Knighted as a Dame of the International Order of St. George. She is a member of the IWF (International Women’s Forum). Patricia has now collaborated with an extraordinary musician/artist/friend, Greg DiFrancesco, under the brand Lotus97.7 producing NFT’s and music video, produced by Authentify Art. Patricia named her drum kit, Lotus, for the depth of purity and resonance. Greg is 97.7% Italian and thus, they are Lotus97.7.
Is there synergy between art and music?
A: Music and Visual Art for many artists is inseparable. There is a strong synergy when two separate things come together to form something greater than the worth of its individual parts. There is a powerful vibration which engulfs the act of painting/drawing while music is playing. Somehow, the channels are opened freely and we catch ourselves outside of the built-in emotions and gravitate to our true heart. This perfect harmony never distorts and even if the results are not flowing with happiness, they are sitting in truth. Music stimulates the brain and every aspect of our being finds companionship with the magic of sound and visual.
Tell us about your recent collaboration with the extraordinary musician/artist Greg DiFrancesco.
A: Greg and I met when we were 12 and 13 years old. We were best friends and although time separated our lives, we have come together again to apply our ideas and talents in a whirlwind collaboration. After a long-standing professional drumming career (Silent Eighties and Phat Orchestra), Greg has ventured into the world of painting. What we have manifest is the ability to produce unique works created through our delicate understanding of music and visual art. His talent for understanding rhythm and assonance manifests on each piece as the canorous of the works develop.
Patricia has taken her decades of training with Master Artist Dragan Dragic to new levels. One of the most interesting aspects of their partnership evolved as Greg encouraged Patricia to take up drumming. This has been a long-time desire which she never pursued. She remembers sitting on the steps with Greg’s brother Tom dreaming of sitting behind the kit! Within a short period of time, under the mastery of Greg, she was bitten by the drum bug and totally smitten! She currently owns three drum kits (Gretsch Renown, Sonor SQ1’s and an electric kit). The collaboration under the domain of Lotus97.7 brings a nuance of equanimity and brilliance to their dual passion for painting and drumming.
What is your mission for Lotus97.7?
A: We are passionate soul artists full of eclectic and organic visions. We wish to bring hope, balance, creative restoration, and self-empowerment to people seeking to be their truest self in life. Our practice is based on mindfulness which is a shift in awareness. We exercise mindfulness as fairness and hope to see all people winning and embracing the success of believing “there is enough for everyone”. We wish to encourage music in all forms, especially drumming combined with visual art as a means of expression. Ultimately, we wish to create a foundation to bring art and music to the forefront of education.
How exciting is this project?
A: I think about life as an art. I ask what would life be like without Art?
There would be noise and tones…but no music. There would be letters and words but no stories or novels. There would be pictures but no movies. There would be colors, dots and lines but no drawing. There would be shapes and materials. There would be no way to express human ideas, emotions, imagination, memories or thoughts. We wouldn’t know what the past looked like. Whatever is difficult to find in life…is possible in ART. I love stretching my mind and playing to the edge of limits. As an abstract artist I create happy accidents with Divine Discontent. I have always felt art is daring, transparent and should jolt us into consciousness.
From the moment I became aware, I always felt this deep longing for finding the answer to the cosmic consciousness world we live in. I use the wisdom of my hard-earned karma to reveal answers. What I hold is a reverence for applying these grounding lessons to help create a kind of spiritual roadmap on “how to transform your life experiences into manifesting the life of your dreams, while reducing your suffering and increasing your positive outcomes”.
For me, life is an epic, cosmic, biological miracle… a roller coaster experience punctuated with profound moments of exhilaration and deep crevices of darkness. Working with such exceptional people like Greg, Kelty and Theo is quite extraordinary. There is a magical chemistry between all of us which keeps the ideas flourishing and quick paced.
Share your recent work.
A: The paintings depict a variety of drum/percussion themes. Many of the pieces combine etheric abstract backgrounds which have specific drum kits belonging to some of the most amazing drummers. For example, John Bonham and Neil Peart. The paintings are a collaboration where both Greg and I are painting on the pieces at the same time, creating a kind of dance which is reflective of the music we are listening to. Once the pieces have been completed, we take a variety of drumming tools, sticks, wire brushes etc. and choose the music which resonates with the work. We then dip the tools in paint and begin the drumming on the painting…. all of this is captured on video.
Tell us about Authentify Art. Why are they the perfect partner?
A: AuthentifyArt.com…. their mission is to modernize the art world by using technology to create trust for the art market. They revolutionize the art industry by providing verified data for art and create unparalleled access to art. The relationship is being cultivated based on the “beginnings of the NFT phenomena. Our work as Lotus97.7 has a uniqueness in that we are not just painting but we are also creating videos of our work. We actually paint drums on the pieces which is recorded which also further enhances the value of the work.
Our NFT’s are going to be launched at the LAFrieze event in February in Los Angeles. Our work will also be available on the AuthentifyArt site.
Some of the ways in which AuthentifyArt makes a difference are:
· Secures the identity and integrity of artworks with tamper-proof ID tags that include features to verify Proof-of-Presence and location when in-transit or on loan.
· Consolidates important due diligence documents and images.
· Gives users real time control of how and when information is shared
· Protects artworks value by recording and monitoring all activity and interactions, physical or digital.
What’s next for you in 2022?
A: World of Art Magazine has named Patricia one of the Top 10 Contemporary Artists and there will be several events in Italy and France. Our Lotus97.7 events will be ongoing and very soon the first NFT’s will be launched.
Patricia – pattilotus97.7@gmail.com
Comentários