Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., Sewing | Tags: nail art, sewing, vacation
I have made it through spring vacation week with my sanity mostly intact. I took my son to the Ecotarium in Worcester one day. I was trying to be a responsible mom, and not just let him play with his rainbow loom for eight hours straight while I stare at a wall drooling from excessive kindergartener exposure. The Ecotarium is a hands-on science and nature museum for kids. It even boasts a train ride! Unfortunately, the train isn’t working. It has a “tree canopy walkway!” Unfortunately, that’s closed as well. Humph. The vending machines work, though…if you need lunch because there is no cafeteria.
This is an image from the Ecotarium website:
Doesn’t that look lovely and educational??? Do not be fooled…the museum must be closed. A more accurate photo would show a maelstrom of kids and parents swirling around battered islands of educational displays. This is is pretty much the case with all indoor kid destinations: The Children’s Museum, the aquarium, The Museum of Science…etc. etc. They’re all the same. As a result, I typically avoid them like the plague. Bad mommy! I SUPPOSE it’s fun for kids. I’m not really sure. I know it’s not fun for parents…until they get a soundproof room with WiFi and a barista.
At least they had some live animals to look at. We got to see a soft shelled turtle, a spotted turtle, a bald eagle, some owls, a turkey vulture, a porcupine, a skunk, and other stuff. I loved watching a turtle munch on a big piece of lettuce. Adorable. Why are they so cute? Who knows.
I actually managed to get a surprising amount of stuff done this week, in spite of it all. Here’s some of the stuff that I made:
A bag for a friend’s daughter:
A pouch for a friend:
I also reupholstered two chairs. I’ve been meaning to do this for about four years. No joke.
They turned out pretty well, all things considered. I know that they’ll stay nice looking, as I won’t let anyone sit on them.
We also managed to survive Easter. I did such a good job hiding the eggs that we didn’t find one of them until the next day. Luckily, a squirrel had not tried to stuff it into his pouch and run off. (I mean in his mouth…I know that squirrels are not marsupials…)
Our eggs this year turned a little day-glo. I’m never happy with how our eggs turn out. Perhaps because I’ve got this in mind:
Am I setting the bar too high? HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS???? Don’t tell me with some tiny little wax dropper…there’s no way. Have you seen what the side of a candle looks like after it’s been lit for an hour? That’s what I think of when I imagine dripping wax. Seriously…how can I get these egg elves to come to my house??? Maybe the people who make these are the same people who do nail art????
Look at those tiny flowers!!! It gets worse:
Three dimensional flowers…This person clearly does not cook.
Umm…is that real? This person clearly does not eat.
No comment necessary. This is not a person.
If ever my husband ever feels that I am not spending our money wisely, I’ll just show him this pic. Is an electric can opener really the sign of a cultural apocalypse? I think not.
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., sculpture | Tags: art, boston, crocheting, GPS, ICA Boston, Nick Cave, sculpture, Soundsuit
Spring is here! Time to frolic through the dead garden! Mince through the muddy lawn! Leap amongst the leafless trees!
In celebration of the GLORIOUS change in weather (it’s above freezing now…), I went to the ICA in Boston.
Yes, I managed to stop scrubbing the kitchen floor long enough to make this visit. (Ha ha!…just kidding, I never scrub the kitchen floor!!!)
I did see some sunshine for a brief period. Luckily, I got a sunny-ish photo to prove that, yes, indeed…it isn’t snowing!
This sunshine didn’t last long, as you will see in subsequent photos.
ANYHOO…the reason I went was to see the AMAZING work by Nick Cave now on exhibit:
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
He had three of these sculptures together. They are so comical, and yet somehow regal as well…
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
THAT is a closeup of what is going on in that mass of beads/ornament/tchotchke-palooza. CRAZY!
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
This piece is four ENORMOUS panels of chaotic, antiquated, thrift store finery.
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
You’ll notice that there isn’t any plastic “junk.” It’s mostly beads, metal ornaments, ceramic figurines of birds/fruit, and brightly colored afghans. I think because of this palette, and because the items don’t appear broken or damaged, there is a certain refinement and respect for the materials. While it does look haphazard, the figurines do have an orientation and are placed upright…the beads are draped and not wadded up/thrown on, so there is some order to the chaos. HOW he managed to fix all of these things together with no apparent fasteners is VERY interesting. They aren’t bound together as much as suspended somehow…
Okay, so that is his new work. Mind-boggling, right? Here is is older work, which he is more known for:
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
These “Soundsuits” are AMAZING. Apparently, Cave created the first one in response to the Rodney King beatings. “I built this sort of suit of armor, and by putting it on, I realized that I could make a sound from moving in it,” Cave told the Washington Post. “It made me think of ideas around protest, and how we should be a voice and speak louder,” Cave says.
These suits are beyond incredible. The materials and excess are astounding…the fantastic manipulation of the human form is phenomenal…and the fact that they could actually be worn and in motion is superb. See videos here and here for some of his other suits in action. Cave is an Alvin Ailey trained dancer. I LOVE the idea of these forms in motion. These photos are terrible in comparison to seeing them in person. Their enormous size/height makes them overwhelming and mesmerizing.
Here are some close ups of the INSANE textures/colors/materials he used to make these:
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
Nick Cave at the ICA Boston
I LOOOVE THIS! Pure genius. I would LOOOVE to see one of his soundsuit performances! I’m almost inspired to cover myself in handmade potholders and jump around the living room for an hour! (Just kidding, that sounds too much like exercise…) Someday, I fear that I may end up in a crocheted strait jacket made out of colorful granny squares…at least then I’ll have an excuse for not mopping…
ANYWAY, I had a super fun time at the ICA. After paying $15 for parking, I felt guilty about leaving. Wasn’t there anything else that I could do in the area? I decided no, and headed out. Now, I am missing the navigational genes that most normal people have. As a result, I rely heavily upon GPS to get me places. I know…did I really need GPS to get home when I had JUST driven to the ICA from home a few hours ago???? Well, yes…yes I did.
Unfortunately, my GPS had a momentary lapse in usefulness:
REALLY? In order to get to Arlington from Boston I need to take a FERRY???? Why don’t I remember the ferry ride coming over here??? Is traffic really THAT bad that it makes sense for me to take a BOAT home instead???
Sigh. I guess I’m not the only one that’s “navigationally” challenged around here. No wonder why I get lost so often…
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: animation, art, decordova, Dreamworks, KFC, Kung Fu Panda, Turbo
Ack! Is it Friday already? How come my house is still a mess and I don’t look like Giselle Bundchen? Oh yes. I forgot. I’m still me. Damn.
Before I get completely sidetracked in my usual nonsense, I just want to give a big THANK YOU to Martha Wakefield and Jeanne Williamson, who included me in their recent show. Thank you so much!!!
Okay. Enough seriousness. I stopped by the deCordova yesterday with the intention of seeing whatever new and fabulous art was up. WHAT? THEY STILL HAVE THE BIENNIAL UP??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I wrote a post about it in NOVEMBER. I think that museums would get more visitors if they CHANGED THE EXHIBIT more frequently than once a year. *DRAMATIC EYE-ROLLING SIGH*
I just heard on NPR that fast food places are trying to come up with disgusting food chimeras to get you to stop by, such as this disgusting creation:
THAT is KFC’s Double Down “sandwich.” This is supposed to tempt you to come to KFC because it’s “new” and “freakish.” Brace yourself…don’t you think that the deCordova could learn something from KFC? YES! Create appalling shows that are up only for a short period of time! Why not? Or at least have two different shows that are staggered in their rotation…or maybe just offer a free Double Down to each visitor??? That might be tempting! (There’s a reason that I don’t do P.R., obviously.) No joke…change the exhibit SEVERAL times a year and people will come back SEVERAL times a year. I’m so logical, it scares me.
Recently, my husband was upset that I bought an electric can opener. He feels that it embodies the decadence and absurdity of our culture. I think not. I think that THIS SANDWICH represents the preposterous excess of our time. Am I right, or what??? Again, killer logic. Don’t tell me that you’ve stopped reading to head out to KFC right now. (Bring one back for me if you do, okay? My husband is vegan…SEND HELP!)
MOVING ON…As a result of my failing to personally see any new art for the reason just mentioned above, I’m resorting to giving you a link to cool work that I found online. If you’ve never looked at Colossal, you should. They always have amazing stuff. Such as this:
Please check out this video here. BRILLIANT! I love stop motion animation! I guess that’s a result of watching Gumby when I was little. Or was it because of Mr. Bill? Not sure. Anyway, it’s kind of soothing and zen. It almost makes me forget that I should probably be doing housework.
If you decided to read this blog because you thought that it would be interesting, stop right here. You’re out of luck.
My artist friends and I were lamenting the ridiculousness of the art world last night. Our conversation/whining was generated by this article. Yes, the Whitney Biennial…the Oscars for artists…is being criticized for its parasitic use of artists to generate money for itself. I know. Duh. That’s how it always works. The art world makes no sense. If friggin’ Dreamworks gets big profits from people coming to movie theaters to see something inane like Kung Fu Panda…then it seems OBVIOUS to me that artists showing at a venue should be making a profit from admission fees. Am I right or what??? (Say “yes” or I’ll send the panda over to mess you up.)
Seriously. What the heck is wrong with society?
Thankfully, my six year old son has not seen that movie. He did recently watch Turbo. You know…the movie where a snail competes in the Indianapolis 500?
My son got mad every time I mentioned how “cute” this snail is, zipping around a racetrack. Apparently, this is serious stuff for a kindergartener. I think that the whole premise is COMPLETELY HILARIOUS. I had to stifle my cooing and/or guffaws every time the little snail zipped across the screen.
My son drew this after watching the movie. In subsequent drawings, he has learned to spell “Turbo.” See? These movies are educational!!!
He also make this Lego version. Notice the flames coming out the back of the snail. Nice touch.
As this post seems to be turning into an inane rant about animation, I’ll leave you with the work of David Szakaly.
I think that Dreamworks or the deCordova need to get in touch with him. “Honey, I didn’t get any housework done today because I was in a hypnotic trance looking at swirling rainbows on tumblr. Sorry!!!”
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, artist, drawing, hand made, Pencil, potato chips, quilting, sewing
My son gets angry every time I buy Cheez-its, because I eat the whole box myself. (Gross, I know.) Maybe they have MSG in them? (Grosser.) They’re VERY addictive.
I have recently discovered a new snack food to eat excessively:
I know. Grossest. Try them! They’re not bad. I still think that salt & vinegar are more tasty, but I had to try these. I remember in Spain that they had some Lay’s chips that were flavored like a ham sandwich. Now, THAT’S gross. (BTW that bag isn’t empty…YET.)
I recently finished another crafty project…a quilted purse!
It was pretty labor intensive. I’m going to figure out a way to get small elves to work on these while I sleep at night. I’m also going to ask the elves to clean the house, since they’re already up. I’m thinking of opening up an Etsy store. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Words of wisdom? Are elves hard to find? They can’t be THAT hard to find, as everyone else’s house is much neater than mine, so they must be using elves.
Please don’t have them take me away and put me in a padded cell. While that might be good for napping, I’m sure that they wouldn’t give me any Cheez-its.
My son is always creating fearsome drawings:
He’s 24.
Just kidding. He’s six. I love the “v” shaped mono-brow that all of the faces have. I’m hoping that this truly is supposed to be a monster, and not just me on Monday morning. I haven’t gotten my eyebrows done in ages, so I have a sinking suspicion that this is actually me. At least my legs look skinny.
I’ve gotten a bit of “press” as a result of being in New American Paintings. I got to be the “artist of the day” for March 1 on this website.
C’mon people! I need votes! I only have 28 votes so far. You aren’t allowed to vote if you don’t give me a perfect score. Okay, just kidding. Make it at least NEAR perfect. It makes me feel better about my imperfections, like my “housekeeping blindness” ailment. Very troubling.
I also got some press in the latest issue of Artscope magazine.
Right now, this series of drawings is still up in Dedham at the Mother Brook Arts and Community Center. Can someone pick up a copy of this for me? I live in the ‘burbs, and I only know of one local place that has this journal. Otherwise, I’ll have to schlep into Boston to get some. Sigh. Just going to Stop and Shop seems like a major hassle…don’t make me drive 30 minutes to get into Boston. I’ll have to locate my “good” pair of mom jeans for that excursion.
I’ve recently starting ice skating on a regular basis. I skated a lot as a kid (not gracefully, mind you) as we lived near a small pond. I forgot how fun it is! I hate exercising, so this is pretty much the only way to get me to move around a bit, other than telling me that a fresh box of Cheez-its are in the next room. I’m even starting to dabble with ice hockey. I’m pretty terrible, though…so patience is key. Not falling on my face is generally important too. I think that the years of playing field hockey is actually doing me a disservice. I keep forgetting that I’m standing on two, skinny blades on a sheet of ice. Hmm.
Speaking of ice, my hands are frozen into two claws. I’m typing this in our unheated basement. I’m going to stop now, thaw out my hands by sticking them in my husband’s leftover coffee, and then probably finish the bag of pickle potato chips.
THEN, I’ll move onto the box of Cheez-its…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., Sewing | Tags: art, artist, dedham, drawing, quilt, sewing
“BRRRBOOHOOHOO” means that I’m getting VERY TIRED of the temperature around here.
I know.
11 degrees isn’t THAT bad. But when the wind blows, it IS cold enough to make one’s face ache, fall to the ground, and get lost in a snow drift. I almost tripped on mine the other day. We sort of missed out on warming up during February vacation, as we didn’t go anywhere. I was delirious with kindergartener fatigue for that entire week. I found myself staring vacantly at a spot on the wall while my son talked incessantly about: double inverted fishtail bracelets, how he needs more rubber bands, and why it’s better to stay inside all day and make bracelets instead of going outside for sledding and exercise. Because my son is obsessed with Rainbow Loom, we have an explosion of colored rubber bands all over the house, in addition to all of the bracelets/charms/actions figures that he makes. He keeps reminding me that I said that it is the “worst toy in the world,” which I mistakenly said when I was in a fit of frustration trying to help him with some rubber band disaster project. I get a migraine just thinking about it.
Actually, those days at home were much easier than the days with playdates. I yearned for a large margarita both during, and after, every playdate. Thankfully…there weren’t many of them as MOST people were gone because they had gone somewhere to thaw out. In our house, that’s standing in front of the toaster oven.
Let it be said that I am thankful that we have both a house and a toaster oven.
The vacation was a general success, though, as we did manage to get through it without Mommy falling ill with a case of the vapours. I threatened to do so numerous times. In order to cope, I also obsessed over my own crafty projects:
THAT…is a stupendous baby quilt that I made for a friend. I even sewed on a poem:
I know that I can post this without spoiling the surprise, as new mom’s don’t have time to get changed out of spit-up covered pajamas, never mind read my mindless blog!
NEXT PROJECT:
Yes. I made that. I followed a pattern that I found online, so I can’t take credit for the design…but I CAN take credit for the snazzy fabric choices! I’m using it to keep my knitting in…(more craft addictions…pls send help!)
Check out the super cool lining! I nearly broke my sewing machine with this…so next time, I’m using lighter weight fabrics. OR…I am going to get an industrial sewing machine, which I’ll set up in the middle of the dining room. (JUST KIDDING, HONEEEEEY!!!)
Besides showing you my ridiculous crafts…I am also proud to say that some of my drawings have been included in the latest issue of New American Paintings.
WOO HOO!!!! Yes, I draw AND make garish things out of fabric. Maybe I need to start drawing the garish things that I make out of fabric? Maybe not. I should probably start with some overdue housework first…
Nah.
The drawings in New American Paintings are actually up at a new arts center in Dedham right now: Motherbrook Arts and Community Center.
It’s great to be included in this show, as there are many really talented artists who are also participating. I’m going to show you the work of just a couple of people…
Christiane Corcelle, Square 27
This gorgeous print is part of a series that Corcelle has done. She specializes in carborundum collagraph printmaking. I have taken several classes with her, and she is also a great teacher. I LOVE this whole series…the colors…the transparency…the textures. Amazing.
Martha Wakefield, Slip #11
Wakefield is one of the co-curators of the show. She has an entire series of paintings on slips. In each one, the slip is almost floating down off of the canvas. She really captures the lightness and hidden quality of these garments (or rather, undergarments…). They don’t hang as if suspended from a hanger, but they are almost drifting away…slightly billowing to suggest the form of the wearer. Beautiful!
Jeanne Williamson, Fence as Lace #7
Williamson is the other co-curator. She describes her own work as: “Contemporary abstractions that combine grids from orange construction fences and rich textured mixed media surfaces.” She has taken such a neglected part of our landscape: plastic construction fences, and transformed/re imagined them into compelling works of art. I love the neutral palette with limited color. The dark textures almost seem to relate to the construction origins of the material, whereas the dots of color (and the title) relate to textiles/femininity.
Go see the show, as it’s up until March 21. Please feel free to buy one of my drawings too, as I know that you’d love to have a picture of me on your wall!!!! I go with most decor, especially Chinoiserie.
Actually, I just need more funds for my craft addiction…and maybe some groceries too.
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., textile forms | Tags: art, artist, groundhog, quilt, seasonal affected disorder, snow, winter
If this post seems grumpy, it’s just S.A.D. Those of us in the Northeast embrace this seasonal grumpiness by complaining about the temperature, the snow, the temperature of the snow, shoveling, lack of parking, lack of daylight, lack of warmth, and the general fatigue and malaise induced by constantly having to spend half an hour putting on layers of clothes to go outside, and another half an hour taking them off when we come inside. There’s also hat head and/or static electricity.
Can we ship some of our snow to drought-ridden California? I’d be more than happy to stuff some into a Tyvek envelope and send it over.
This is what our deck furniture looked like during the blizzard on Wednesday. Hmm. I guess the cursed groundhog saw his shadow the day before. Evil creature! Vile vermin! (Maybe a groundhog can’t be vermin? Too big???) Speaking of groundhogs…LOOK WHAT MY SON MADE THIS WEEK AT SCHOOL:
I might have to keep this FOREVER. I assumed that this was a popsicle. I was told that this was not the case, and that this is obviously a groundhog.
Oh. That clears everything up. I think that the background paper should have been white, not green, just for the sake of accuracy. (Actually, I should think that at the current temperature outside, all groundhogs are kind of like popsicles, right?) Please excuse my blurry image, but THERE ISN’T ENOUGH LIGHT in the dead of winter to take an indoor photo.
Tonight, I am going to the opening reception of a group show that I’m in. It’s being held at the Motherbrook Arts Center in Dedham. I’m looking forward to seeing the work of the other artists!
I may have to gear up my team of sled dogs to get over there. I wonder if I can go through EZ Pass lane on the Mass Pike with sled dogs? Stopping to pick up a ticket will really slow me down.
Can I at least go in the carpool lane? No?
Besides complaining about the snow and doing rainbow loom nonsense with my son, ad infinitum…I also finished up that little quilt that I was working on:
Kind of cute, right? The back:
Now that I look at it again…those scallop shapes are starting to look like groundhogs to me.
Hmm. Maybe I need some fresh air? I may have to put myself in a Tyvek envelope to be mailed to California…it’s warm there, right? I’ll say “hi” to the California raisins for you…
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., Sewing, textile forms | Tags: art, boston, Bromfield Gallery, Color, drawing, quilt, quilting
Where have I been??? What have I been doing??? Honestly…I have no idea. I was SUPPOSED to post last week, but my beloved child was home with a fever. We were all pretty much sick, and my husband is still on the mend. DRAMA.
You know that it has been cold when 14 degrees Fahrenheit feels not so bad. I’ve been wearing the same, over-sized wool sweater for what is likely a month. I didn’t wear it today, as I had to meet with a museum curator…and I didn’t want to potentially offend her high aesthetic standards with my Sasquatch-like appearance. How cold does it have to get for all standards of appearance to be eliminated in favor of comfort? Clearly, that bar is never very high in my world. I’m always wearing some kind of sad, D.I.Y. project. It’s funny that after YEARS of being an architect, where we are trained (brainwashed?) to avoid color in favor of black, gray and white…my D.I.Y. projects are always crazy colorful. I often think that my aesthetic sensibilities actually haven’t changed since I was seven years old, which is kind of sad…as I dressed kind of weird as a kid. Things haven’t changed, I guess…
I finished up a knitting project recently:
That’s the front…here is the back:
Kind of neat, right? I can’t take credit for the pattern…even though I changed the neckline…the cuffs…the length, etc. This is not the sweater that I’ve been wearing for the past month. The sweater that I’ve had on is more like a wool mu-mu. This week, I realized why I can’t move somewhere warm…I’d have no reason to knit.
I’m totally serious.
You’re likely wondering when I’ll stop yammering about my technicolor craft projects, and move onto something more interesting. Well, your wait is over!
My friend, Helen, has her work up at one of the well-known Boston galleries…
Helen Payne, detail of installation “Here I Sit, Brokenhearted” at Bromfield Gallery, Boston
Here is the description of the installation:
An installation on bathroom tiles where drawings make visceral vignettes, showing moments ranging from giving birth to getting booked. A shape-shifting protagonist emerges from the tiles. She morphs in time and race and limps along at odds with expectations but at one with viscera.
“Here I Sit, Brokenhearted” is about the ill fit of the body and how our most private moments can play out in the public sphere.
Helen beautifully elucidates aspects of humanity (primarily vices and viscera) that are typically hidden. Her work is both sensitive and bold. Helen’s drawing fluency is as compelling as her chosen subjects. Please check out her installation at Bromfield. It will be up for a few months…but don’t procrastinate! Go see it! If you see something that looks kind of like Sasquatch at the gallery, come over and say, “hi.” It’s probably me.
I’ve been sidetracked on a quilt project that I’ve been meaning to do for AGES. Yes, I said “a quilt.” Yes, I know that I’m supposed to be focusing on art, but as I just said…I’ve been getting a bit sidetracked as of late…
Sewing curves is challenging…so I decided to put myself in circle boot-camp by doing this koo koo quilt. So far, it has been super fun…albeit a royal pain in the tush. This is a mini-quilt…so the width is around 32″ or so. Each of those little scallop shapes is probably 4″ wide. In doing this quilt, I learned why people don’t normally use linen-type fabric for quilts (which I did.) The weave of linen is so wide that it’s like trying to sew a piece of friggin’ GAUZE.
Okay, well not quite THAT bad…but almost that bad. I fear that this quilt can never set foot in a washing machine, lest I want the thing to turn into a huge blob of colorful thread. Kind of like this, but made out of thread:
Do you know that’s actually a creature called a “blob fish?” I kid you not.
Sigh. I always have to learn things the hard way. At least I can sew a half-decent circle now, in spite of the fact that I look like Sasquatch.
Speaking of blobs, did you read about that recent study that says that sitting too much will pretty much kill you??? WHA? HOW? WHO? I have pretty much sat through my entire adult life. Besides pulling all nighters at school and at work, where I was SUPPOSED to be sleeping but was just deliriously SITTING instead…all of my favorite hobbies and activities involve SITTING. Can I possibly knit whilst hopping around? Can I somehow read AND do jumping jacks? How about sewing and yoga? Quilting and Tae Bo? No?
Upon hearing the bad news about sitting, I promptly slid down within my enormous wool sweater and pouted like that hideous blob fish.
Boo.
I’m waiting for the study to come out that says sedentary craft activities are actually good for everyone’s health because they keep mommy happy. And we know what a maelstrom of discontent mommy can be when she’s NOT HAPPY…
Be thankful that you don’t live with me.
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting | Tags: Amy Sillman, art, boston, drawing, ICA Boston, Kindergarten, painting
I’ve managed to make it through this holiday season with most of my sanity intact. The snow day today and tomorrow, however, has REALLY made me borderline cray-cray. If it hadn’t been 15 degrees outside, I might have just bundled up my son and shoved him out to get him some FRESH AIR, and me some SANITY. Alas…I was fearful that his cherubic cheeks would ice over, so we’ve been inside all day. ALL DAAAAY.
I may have to go for a walk/trudge to Trader Joe’s tomorrow…just to get out. I’ll just hang out there all day, eating samples and commenting on what people are buying, until I am asked to leave. There’s a Starbucks next door, so I’ll just move my insanity show over there. I suppose I’ll return home when I’m no longer welcome there either.
This has been a particularly busy time. Not only was it Christmas…but my son’s birthday IS Christmas day, which adds complication and hysteria. Not only that…just a few days before, I drove out to Cohoes, NY for the opening of a two-person show that I am in at The Foundry. The show is titled, “The Human Condition + Communication Technologies,” and my series titled, “Are You Still There?” is on display.
Elizabeth Kostojohn at The Foundry
The work of the other artist, Nancy Daly, was SO interesting…
Nancy Daly, Status Update, at The Foundry
Nancy Daly, Looking for Love, at The Foundry
Her work comments on social media, its simultaneously transient yet permanent nature, and the vastness of it. It’s just a coincidence that her work is as monochromatic as mine. The pieces looked good together!
My best Christmas gift this year was not a nap or a box of chocolates, but an amazingly funny poster that my son’s teacher had him fill out. I guess this poster is supposed to be an “about me” type of thing. I love the fact that my son didn’t even ask for help in any way…he just grabbed a marker and set out working on it. Here are some of the things that I learned about him:
He is six years old and his favorite animal is a “pekok.” REALLY???? Since when does he like peacocks??? Look at his crazy self portrait….I love his arms. He’s kind of “groovin'” along like he’s on Soul Train, or something.
Yes, that’s our happy family. I’m just glad that we’re all smiling. Let’s hope that he remembers his childhood this way. Mommy looks so relaxed and happy! Look how wiggly I am! Please also notice that his favorite color is white (wht?), and that his favorite food is “hot dog.” So true.
Here is his favorite place…no surprise here. I notice that he omitted including the lyme disease infested deer ticks in the long grass, which he so lovingly drew. Good call. He also doesn’t show mommy yelling, “AAAAA!! GET OUT OF THE GRASS!!!!!” Nice.
Make the treehouse? WHAT??? I think that he and his dad must have come up with some idea about this. I’m staying out of it so that I can’t be blamed when he falls out of the tree and DSS arrives.
Oh, joy. He wants to be a demolisher when her grows up. Greaaaat. Well, judging by the looks of our living room, I’d say that he’s going to be a natural.
Okay, how friggin’ cute is that???? He’s wishing for Christmas. Notice that all that’s needed is himself, a present, and a tree. Notice also the enormous grin on his face. Mommy is probably still asleep upstairs in this image. I know…I know…he didn’t wish for “peace on earth” or anything thoughtful like that. We’re working on peaceful at home before we move onto the whole dang planet.
Besides this fantastically funny poster from my son, my other treat this holiday vacation was to get myself to the ICA to see Amy Sillman‘s show, “One Lump or Two,” JUST before the show closes on January 5. I LOVED IT. Sillman is a wry, master of color, and supremely talented. I bask in her artistic brilliance. Here are just a few of the highlights…
Any Sillman, Ocean 1, 1977, Oil on Canvas
So gorgeous. I love the use of primary colors…the contrast between the saturated background and the bold, graphic waves…the layering and transparency…ahhh.
Amy Sillman, The Umbrian Line, 1999-2000, Gouache on paper
This series of drawings is so beautiful. Sillman’s colors and her mix of almost collage-like flatness with delicate linework in these works is amazing. I felt like I could have stared at each one for an eternity.
This series of portraits was fantastic. I love the distortions in the figures…they seem more real, as a result.
Amy Sillman, Psychology Today, 2006, Oil on Canvas
She has many large, bold paintings with a combination of discernible figures and loose abstraction. I think that one of the things that I really love about what she does is that she is always mixing unexpected colors, images, shapes, and ideas. She can create both minimal drawings of great humor and enormous paintings with visceral intensity. This show feels as if it gives a very rich view into this artist and her world. Perhaps that is more a result of her willingness or desire to have herself revealed in these works? Not sure…
Amy Sillman, A Bird In the Hand, 2006, Oil on Canvas
Amy Sillman, Shade, 2010, Oil on Canvas
Amy Sillman, Drawer, 2010, Oil on Canvas
This is a MUST SEE show. I’m sorry that I’m writing about it so late! Sigh. Now, I’m getting panicky that it’s closing soon…it would take a small miracle for me to be able to see it again. Best not push my luck…but YOU should see it. I know that there is a blizzard outside, but if you head out now with your team of sled dogs…you’ll probably make it to the ICA in time to see this before it closes. Hey…while you’re at it, pick me up along the way! I’m lovely company, and I’ll bring you a bunch of extra samples from Trader Joe’s. I PROMISE.
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., painting, Photography, Sewing | Tags: art, Christmas, Fashion, John Singer Sargent, Peabody Essex Museum, Watercolor painting
Okay, just kidding. Sort of. I seem to be the only member of the family who is interested in making a wide variety of Christmas cookies and eating them. Meanwhile, my son is still sloooowly making his way through his Halloween candy. I kid you not. He gets to have 2 pieces per day. Is that bad? Probably. Anyway…his memory for what candy is in his plastic pumpkin is like a steel trap…I don’t dare throw out the candy or eat some, lest I be willing to bear the tsunami of vitriol that I’ll receive from him. He’s definitely my kid.
What are those, you may ask? Well, I’m the over-achiever mommy who had to lovingly hand craft with a glue-gun these delightful gifts for my son’s kindergarten class. Not only am I up to my eyeballs in Christmas nonsense…my son’s birthday is Christmas day, so I’m also managing birthday nonsense. BTW…craft fur is pure evil…I may have a sort of mild case of “craft fur mesothelioma”, as a result.
In the true holiday spirit of giving, I bought myself this book recently:
LOVE IT! Not only are the Gee’s Bend quilts amazing…but the architectural photos and references are beautiful enough to satisfy this lapsed architect. These quilts seriously put to shame all of the boring, traditional quilts and fabrics that are today’s norm. I bask in their artistic and crafty glory.
So, I did manage to shovel my way out of the house to see some gorgeous art & fashion. (No, I wasn’t looking at what’s stuck on our kitchen refrigerator or at my son’s mismatched/backwards outfits.) I went to the MFA and the Peabody Essex Museum!!!
First…the Sargent show at the MFA:
John S. Sargent, Alice Runnells James, 1921, watercolor
Oh. My. God. Sargent’s watercolors are STUNNING. Look at her hand! Look at her face! Look at the smushed pillow! INCREDIBLE. (Please remember that this photo looks like complete garbage in comparison to the actual painting.) His watercolors are phenomenal. Watercolor painting, for those of you who have never attempted to tame that wild beast, is VERY difficult. It’s difficult because you’re trying to control pigmented water over the surface of paper…the pigment can settle in weird ways (if you’re incompetent, like me)…the colors are translucent, and thus every mark is indelible. There is so much that is so amazing about these works. With the most minimal of marks, he creates images that are luminous and, at a distance, appear nearly photographic. In a way, his painting are simultaneously abstract and realistic.
John S. Sargent, Venice: I Gesuati, 1909, watercolor
Can’t you just get a sense of the cloudy day in Venice? Look at that doorway!
John S. Sargent, Magnolias, 1908, watercolor
The shadows and dappled light on the water are gorgeous. You can practically see this bough, weighed down with its enormous blooms, bobbing in the breeze. MUST SEE.
Be warned…it might be crowded. It was when I went. I feel that when you are at a crowded exhibit, you need to be hyper-vigilant about your gallery etiquette. For example…please don’t stand directly in front of a painting chit chatting with your friend about what so-and-so said the other day. Go stand in the middle of the room and do that. Better yet, go get a coffee. Please don’t stand in front of a painting for more than, literally, sixty seconds. Come back to it if you need more time…there are thirty other people who’d also like to see it before the museum closes. Need I say more?
There was also an amazing photography exhibit: She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World. These images were gorgeous, albeit often disturbing.
Rula Halawani, Untitled I from Negative Incusions Series, 2002, pigment print
This negative image is so frightening and intense. These is something so eerie about the tone reversal…it does make it look like an electrified night scene. I also can’t imagine how Halawani felt standing right there to take the picture.
Rula Halawani, Untitled XIII from Negative Incusions Series, 2002, pigment print
Again…look how horrendous the subject matter is. She looks in danger of being crushed by a falling chunk of concrete. Was this her home? Did she know the people who lived there? So unbelievably sad.
SIGH. And now…to lighten the mood…besides making myself a cup of tea and eating my 27th holiday cookie of the day, I’ll show you the exhibit: Future Beauty: Avant-Garde Japanese Fashion at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Issey Miake, Dress & Coat from Spring/Summer 1995
As a complete addict to Project Runway, I was GIDDY at the sight of all of this STUNNING couture. I have also dabbled in sewing (i.e. struggling to sew a straight line), so my jaw dropped with so many of these fashions.
Junya Wantanabe, Comme des Garcons, Autumn/Winter 2000
For some reason, I wish that they had chosen mannequins that were more “abstracted.” Maybe that’s too “Sears” of me? Who knows. Look at that collar!!! Even the skirt, so plain in comparison, is gorgeous.
Tao Kurihara, Comme des Garcons, Spring/Summer 2010
Luckily, they did have some videos showing runway shows. This was good, as you miss how the clothing moves if you only see it on a mannequin. This dress would probably be pretty fantastic worn by some moody model stomping along. It becomes less so when I imagine myself in it (especially after my 27th holiday cookie for the day…) DRAMATIC SIGH.
Happy holidays to everyone! I hope to make it to 2014 with my sanity intact…albeit in a larger clothing size…
Oh well.
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, boston, Carnivorous plant, drawing, parenting, printmaking, Venus flytrap
We would! No joke…I bought a VENUS FLYTRAP!!!
Eww…right????? You’ll notice that some of the little “mouths” are closed. Why, you may ask? Well, because we were told to feed it little balls of HAMBURGER. I’m not kidding. So, it’s digesting hamburger blobs. I love how my husband is vegan, yet we have a carnivorous plant. I’m not sure how happy it is with the burger bits. I mean, are they going to dissolve? Or, does it spit it out when it’s done with it, like “plant poop?” No idea. It was kind of disturbing to watch it clamp down on the hamburger bit. It looks so coy, with it’s sassy green “lashes.” But don’t be fooled…it’s looking for MEAT. If you’re a product of the 80s, this is likely the first thing that came to mind…
If this starts to happen, I’m stopping the hamburger balls (aka a mini-meatball) STAT.
Does anyone else out there completely ignore their landline when it rings? I do. 99.9% of the time, it isn’t someone that I want to speak to. Considering that I rarely check our voicemail, it’s a bit of a black hole, really. Why do we have it? Well, it’s kind of like a technological pacifier…it makes me feel “safe” that we can always make a phone call, even if our cellphones are lost/not charged/left in the car. Does that make sense? No? Well keep reading, if you find making sense boring…
So, I’ve managed to tear myself away from staring suspiciously at the Venus flytrap in order to go out and see some art! (Or, “aht,” as this is a Boston ‘burb.) My advisor, Adria Arch, recently had a show at Bromfield Gallery:
The show was fabulous and ran from October 27 – November 30. I was hoping to post about it earlier, but something awful happened recently (see my last post), so I got a bit sidetracked. Arch’s work explores the innocent, yet sometimes revealing, doodles or marks that people make. She magnifies these marks so that they command attention in a way that is unusual for something typically done without conscious thought. She captures every nuance of the mark, both in paintings…and now in plexiglass sculptural works. Arch has a great deal of experience in installations, so these newer plexiglass elements allow her pieces to be unfettered from their typical painted fields. Beautiful!
Nancy Diessner was also showing at the Bromfield. She is a printmaker who’s subject is often animals, both domestic and wild.
Nancy Diessner, Bromfield Gallery
Nancy Diessner, Bromfield Gallery
Nancy Diessner, Bromfield Gallery
I love this new series with pairings of delicate images. I think that’s a nose on the right…amazing!
While I was wandering around the other galleries, look what I found at Carroll & Sons:
Boston Drawing Project, Carroll & Sons
WOO HOO!!! You’ll notice my drawing folder featured on the middle shelf, second one from the right. I was SUPER EXCITED to see it on display like that. Having anything up at Carroll & Sons would pretty much be the apex of my career, so I think that this is as close as I’m going to get, realistically. Anyway, I’m happy.
I also went to the Boston Printmaker’s Biennial at 808 Gallery at B.U. I LOVE THIS SHOW. So much variety and so much talent. I love that gallery space, but it is kind of a pain if you are looking at works behind glass. The glare is pretty distracting:
Cate Francis, Around The Tree
Now, that’s an amazing print. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see. I love the graphic quality of this paired with the warm, Japanese paper. So cool.
Because the glare was so difficult, I’ve selected images to show you of prints that didn’t have much of a glare problem. There were lots of beautiful prints, but I won’t bother with the ones that have too much of my silhouette ruining the image.
Raluca Iancu, Corroded Mammoth
This is an enormous, and simply gorgeous print. It’s beautiful. I love the limited palette. She’s a virtuoso.
Naya Bricher, Mini Fridge
This is so amazing. I think it’s an aquatint. Doesn’t she capture the light and feel of the ubiquitous mini fridge? Look at the Pur water pitcher! Look at the Glad storage containers! Brilliant.
Julia Talcott, Portable Color Trap
I am especially fond of this print, as we have one as well! I’m not sure how many she printed, but isn’t it amazing? The image looks tipped because it was above me when I took the photo. I love the bold, mechanized quality of it. It simultaneously has both flatness and depth. Fascinating.
Louise Kohrman, …Forever on the Mind
Louise Kohrman, …Forever on the Mind (detail)
Isn’t that so delicate and amazing? Kohrman’s work always seems to have a kind of etherial quality to it…lovely.
Catherine Kernan, The Heart of the Matter
This is an incredible and enormous print. I’ve actually taken classes with Kernan. She is very skilled and knowledgeable. Her prints are obviously gorgeous.
David Mazure, Defeated/Amputees (WAR)
What you can’t see is that there is actually recycled rubber tire flocking on the black areas. Amazing! It looks like ornate wallpaper, yet there is something very dark about it.
Christiane Corcelle, Boundless
I’m sorry that this photo isn’t great. Both the glare and the height which it was hung make it a challenge to see this well. This is the work of a printmaking teacher that I had for several months. She’s super talented, and works a lot with carborundum collagraphs. I believe that there are actually strips of paper collaged on, which you can sort of see here. I like the contrast between the delicate paper strips and the heavy inked area near the top. Lovely!
Dan Welden, Fairly Squarely
Dan Welden actually invented solarplate printing (I believe.) This looks is a solarplate intaglio. I love the heavy black area with the gray, scribbly zones…it’s kind of crackling with energy…
Ibrahim Maranda, Mapas
Oh. My. GOD. His works were GORGEOUS. I wanted to own all of them. ALL.
Ibrahim Maranda, Mapas (detail)
His works are crazy, multicolored, multilayered smashups of marks and images with a “graffiti” sensibility. STUNNING. I could have put a chair down in front of these works and looked at them all day. I didn’t do that, as I had to get back to the Venus flytrap to be sure that it wasn’t eating the house. You know how it goes…
This is kind of a long post, so I’m feeling a bit worn out. I’ll finish with a hilarious drawing/installation by my son:
He stuck this on the front panel of a wood bookcase. LOOK AT SPIDERMAN! DON’T YOU LOVE IT??? WordPress actually provides a way to set up a “poll.” Part of me is tempted to set up a poll with the question, “Isn’t this AWESOME????” Of course, the only right answer would be “yes.” Those who answer “no” will get the stinkeye from me, his adoring yet slightly unstable mother.
I hear scratching sounds in the living room. Gotta go…it might be the Venus flytrap (soon to be…the Venus mommytrap.) At least I have a landline so that I can call for help from the depths of its jaws, right? The cord will come in handy as something for me to anchor myself to when the plant decides that I’m next on the menu. See? Landlines DO serve a purpose! Told ya so.
slightly wonky 