Terry Border Bends Objects…

Tags

Bent Objects, Blog, Blog Stalking, culture, Humour, Photography, Really Bent, Sculpture, Terry Border

‘Bananas in Bed’ – a Bent Object by Terry Border
(Image © Terry Border)

I’m blog stalking Terry Border’s blog, Bent Objects. It’s very clever and it makes me smile.

With some well-placed wire, creative lighting and some very canny visual puns, sculptor and photographer Terry Border gives life to everything from bananas to marshmallows.

‘Martyr-mallow – a Bent Object by Terry Border
(Image © Terry Border)

‘The Cheesey Kiss’ (after Rodin) – a Bent Object by Terry Border
(Image © Terry Border)

‘Coffee Rings’ – a Bent Object by Terry Border
(Image © Terry Border)

‘Exhibition’ – a Bent Object by Terry Border
(Image © Terry Border)

And, if you’re feeling a bit saucy, he has an x-rated version over at Really Bent, the more graphic, black sheep cousin of Bent Objects.

‘Reclining Produce’ by Terry Border of Really Bent
This is one of the tamer images!
(Image © Terry Border)

What do you think…?

Patrick Blanc’s Greenwall at Musée du quai Branly

Tags

culture, Design, Eiffel Tower, Francophile, Garden, Green wall, Landscape Design, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, Patrick Blanc, Travel

A very good and special friend came for lunch today. She is a Francophile, so of course I asked for her all-time favourite spots to visit in Paris.  In her top five was Patrick Blanc‘s vertical garden at the Musée du quai Branly, nicknamed MQB and located close to the Eiffel Tower.

The building was designed by architect Jean Nouvel,
and the façade measures approximately 1,200 m. Yet its most
noticeable feature is the stunning 200 m long by 12 m tall living wall covering
the entire northwest façade.

Designed and planted by Patrick Blanc, the Musée du quai Branly greenwall is one of Blanc’s most famous vertical gardens, and one of the most highly photographed in the world. Facing the River Seine with a park and small streets in between, the micro-climate creates a good environment for a large variety of plants.

Patrick Blanc’s hydroponic Vertical Garden System, known as Le Mur Vegetal in French, allows both plants and buildings to live in harmony with one another, and can be implemented both inside and out.

Now, I make no claims to having a green thumb. Quite the opposite in fact, but this I am definitely checking out when we visit Paris… Wow!

The Musée du quai Branly is located at 37, quai Branly 75007, Paris. You can check out their website here.

Oh, and I’m still in New Zealand so this is a shorter post today. My communication and response times will also still be a little more intermittent than usual. Back to normal transmission tomorrow.

Eddie – the ever amazing – Izzard

Tags

Arts and Entertainment, Comedians, Comedy, culture, Eddie, Eddie Izzard, France, Humour, Performing Arts, Stand-Up Comedian, YouTube

The incomparable Eddie Izzard
(Image from here)

I think Eddie Izzard is my all-time favourite comedian. If you are unfamiliar with his work, he is well worth a look. He is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. In France, he performs in fluent French.  He is working towards performing in German (while in Germany). In 2009 he completed 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief in spite of having no prior history of long distance running. He is prone to cross-dressing. His stand-up shows have been described as “stream-of-conscious banter and predilection for nonsensical detours and frequent tangents.”

I have seen him perform live twice. It was not enough.

His Death Star Canteen skit – arguably his most famous – which was animated with Lego characters back in 2007, has been watched on You Tube 17,930,920 times.

If you would like to be number 17,930,921, even if you have seen it before, here’s a reminder of just how brilliantly funny he is.

(Warning: for those unfamiliar with Eddie’s work, there is some strong language!

By the way – I’m in New Zealand for the next few days, so my communication and response times may be a little more intermittent than usual.

Native Agent from Aotearoa

Tags

Bedding, Blankets, culture, Cushions, Interior design, Madeleine Albright, Maori, Māori language, Native Agent, New Zealand, Russell Crowe, Shopping, Surface Design, Textile Design

Cushions by Native Agent
(Image from Native Agent)

God bless America. God save the Queen. God defend New Zealand and thank Christ for Australia. (Russell Crowe)

For a wee blogger who originates from the land of the long white cloud, I really don’t feature nearly enough New Zealand artisans. And, there is so much talent to choose from.

Given the Olympics are currently on, and I’m feeling just a touch patriotic, I thought it might be appropriate to introduce you to the beautiful textiles from Native Agent that are so very Kiwi.

I’ve never been to New Zealand before. But one of my role models, Xena, the warrior princess, comes from there. (Madeleine Albright)

Dan Mace Intaglio Etching
35 x 25cm, edition of 10
NZ$125 unframed
(Image from Native Agent)

In 2004, artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne, graphic designer Dan Mace, and business manager extraordinaire Lindsay Mace joined forces and launched the Native Agent brand.

During 2010 Lindsay became very ill and the trio closed the doors on their Kingsland store to focus on her care. They continued to sell Native Agent products through selected retail partners, and began to develop the online side of the business. Sadly, in 2011 Lindsay passed away but the Native Agent brand continues.

Rona’s creative handiwork is central to the Native Agent aesthetic. Inspired by the meeting of Māori and Pakeha cultures in New Zealand’s colonial past, she creates woolen blankets (my favourites), cushions, linen and clothing that have earned a place in many hearts, and many homes.

In 19th century New Zealand, Native Agents were representatives of the crown. They were fluent in the Māori language and therefore able to advocate for, and assist Māori, with land transactions and other matters of law. Dan is a descendant of a Native Agent, so this title seemed an appropriate name for their venture, an agency where the best ‘native’ New Zealand design could be showcased to the world.

Rona’s work is rich in symbolism, weaving together stories that reflect her family’s history, stories of the blending of blood lines and the coming together of people and culture. Woolen blankets were common items of trade between European settlers and Māori, so it is fitting that they form the foundation for many of her works. She adorns them with layers of shape, colour and iconography representative of New Zealand’s cultural history and symbols of the natural world.

Many of the defining themes in the work that Rona creates as Native Agent make historical references to land struggles that led to conflict and war, the trading of muskets and blankets for land, and the extinction of native flora and fauna. These struggles are as relevant today as they were at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Pair of Native Agent ‘Aroha’ Pillowslips
Aroha is the Māori word for love
NZ$115.00 p/pair
(Image from Native Agent)

Native Agent Aotearoa Tiki Trade Cushion
Aotearoa is the Māori word for New Zealand (Land of the long white cloud)
Standard size 40x 40cm
Made from new wool, with hemp wool or cotton applique and embroidery. The images depicted in this collection are icons from Aotearoa’s colonial and tribal history, our natural history and treasures.
NZ$190.00
(Image from Native Agent)

Native Agent Whare Taonga Blanket – ‘Te Ringa’
Whare Taonga is Māori for treasure-house
Created for ‘Whare Taonga’ at the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui. This show is on display until the end of June – Available for delivery after the exhibition comes down.
Made from recycled woollen blankets and new wool, machine embroidery, and hand applique using silk, cotton and wool. Backed with a hard wearing black cotton canvas.
NZ$1,200.00
(Image from Native Agent)

The Native Agent website is lovely – go check it out (here) even if you don’t want to purchase.

Mel and Max: Galerie Maximilian’s New Mel Bochner Works

Tags

Anish Kapoor, Art, Art Gallery, Art Institute of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, Colour, Conceptual Art, Contemporary art, culture, Damien Hirst, Language, Mel Bochner, Murakami, Travel, Words

Head Honcho by Mel Bochner
(Image © Galerie Maximillian)

There is a seriously, jaw-droppingly, fab’ art gallery in Aspen (as in Colorado) that goes by the name of Galerie Maximillian. The team there prides itself on being passionate about art and wanting the experience of collecting fine art to be fun as well as informative.

I happen to be on the gallery’s mailing list and recently received word of some new Mel Bochner arrivals. I don’t know very much about American art, but I know that I love Mel Bochner’s recent works AND I love to dream…

Amazing by Mel Bochner
(Image © Galerie Maximillian)

Blah, Blah, Blah by Mel Bochner
(Image © Galerie Maximillian)

Obscene by Mel Bochner
(Image © Galerie Maximillian)

For the uninitiated, Mel Bochner is one of the pioneers of Conceptual Art. He has helped to develop many of the techniques used by the Conceptual and Installation artists who followed him into the art world. In 1962, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in New York, where he had studied Art. Bochner went on to study Philosophy for a short time at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

In Bochner’s own words, “Whether in the public or the private domain, my recent work attempts to confront the ideologies and hidden agendas of language. Because as recent history has painfully taught us, all abuses of power begin with the abuse of language.” 

The works in this particular show contains groups of words, synonyms – starting with the simplest related words, and eventually de-evolving to vulgar phrases and colloquialisms. The path from a single word to a roll-call of the vernacular reflects the discrepancy between ‘objective’, lexical meaning and the perception of a ‘subjective’ individual. The chalky, all-cap lettering “speaks” the text while the wet-on-wet ground threatens to drown it out, further contributing to an overall sense of a communication breakdown.

Bochner lives and works in New York.

If you’d like to check out more of Mel Bochner’s work, or see more of Galerie Maximillian’s stockroom (which includes works by Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor and Murakami), you can check it out here.

Galerie Maximillian can be found at 602 East Cooper Avenue, Aspen, Colorado 81611. If you happen to be visiting Aspen, I recommend a visit.

Diem Chau Embroiders Porcelain!

Tags

culture, Design, Diem Chau, Embroidery, Haberdashery, Illustration, porcelain, Seattle, Stitch, Storytelling, Vietnam

Women by Diem Chau
Porcelain cup, silk, thread
(Image © Diem Chau)

Diem Chau does amazing things with embroidery and porcelain. The result is both understated and quite beautiful.

Vietnam-born Chau is now a Seattle-based artist. She uses ordinary found objects as the base for her embroidery. According to Chau, her work creates “delicate vignettes of fleeting memory, gesture and form, resulting in works that combine egalitarian sensibility and minimalist restraint.”

Her work is often about memories, real or imagined, which she uses to tell her story. She often works from photos of distant family members she’s never met, which appear as faint embroidered figures floating on white porcelain dishes. But it’s in the unexpected details of her work that she uses to draw the viewer into her narrative. A red thread emerging from the subjects relates back to the process of storytelling.

Long Braid by Diem Chau
Porcelain plate, silk, thread
(Image © Diem Chau)

Diem Chau Untitled
Porcelain bowl, silk, thread
(Image © Diem Chau)

Untitled by Diem Chau
Porcelain plate, silk, thread
(Image © Diem Chau)

Sisters by Diem Chau
Porcelain bowl, silk, thread
(Image © Diem Chau)

Totally intrigued by how she achieves her porcelain embroidery, I was so pleased to discover that Chau herself has written a couple of posts on her process in her blog, The Pleasure of Tiny Things. 

Sharing the ‘Fifty Shades’ Love…

Tags

Bible, Books, culture, Damson Dene Hotel, England, Erotica, Fifty Shades of Grey, Hotel, Lake District, Lifestyle, News, Travel

Wayne Bartholomew, Hotel Manager & the book in question
(Image © The Westmorland Gazette)

I gasp, and I’m Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he’s the serpent, and I cannot resist. (Anastasia from ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’)

I quite like this wee story that is currently doing the rounds…

Guests staying at the Damson Dene Hotel in England’s Lake District are in for a shock if they reach for the ubiquitous Bible for solace. The hotel has replaced the Good Book in the bedside tables of its 40 guest rooms with E.L. James’ erotic blockbuster ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’.

How titillating!

Lauren DiCioccio Makes Money

Tags

Art, craft, culture, Currency, Embroidery, Fibre Art, Lauren DiCioccio, Marilyn Monroe, Money, Stitch, Surface Design

US$100 by Lauren DiCioccio
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

US$100 by Lauren DiCioccio (Detail)
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

Yesterday, the fab’ blog StitchPunk ran a post on ‘Extraordinary Stitches & Everyday Things’ featuring some of the work by Lauren DiCioccio. I thought it was just beautiful so I went and checked out Lauren’s website. WOW! The woman is prolific in her stitching – and her work is wonderful.

I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful. (Marilyn Monroe)

One of the projects that particularly appealed to me was her currency series. The attention to detail is unbelievable…

US$1 by Lauren DiCioccio (Back)
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

1000 Yen by Lauren DiCioccio
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

Hong Kong $20 by Lauren DiCioccio
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

5000 Colombian Pesos by Lauren DiCioccio
(Image © Lauren DiCioccio)

Lauren says her “work investigates the physical/tangible beauty of commonplace mass-produced media-objects (that) are becoming obsolete, replaced by the invisible efficiency of various technologies. In some cases, this transition is a good thing-faster transmission and distribution of information, streamlined systems, openness to user input, less waste. But a hole is left behind by the disappearance of these everyday objects. What will happen when we no longer touch information?”

If you have five minutes to spare today, go and have a look at some of Lauren DiCioccio’s wonderful fibre art here. It is stunning. Truly.

I really want to go to Deyrolle…

Tags

culture, Curiosities, Design, Deyrolle, Eddie Izzard, Entomology, France, Paris, Retail, Shopping, Taxidermy

Deyrolle Shop Front
(Image sourced from here)

Picasso, he should have been a taxidermist!

“I’ve done your dog. It’s got nine eyes down the side, I made his head all square, 15 legs. What do you think of that?”

“Fido looks a bit weird”. Eddie Izzard

I’m going to Paris. I’M GOING TO PARIS!!! In September. Yeah, baby!

So, in addition to soaking up all the sights and sounds and tastes and smells, what I really want to do is visit Deyrolle.

Animaux naturalisés – Taxidermie – Deyrolle
(images from Deyrolle)

According to Vanity Fair’s ‘Animal House’ article, “Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle, a renowned entomologist, founded his taxidermy business in 1831. He passed on the store and his passion for the natural sciences to his son Achille, who became famous for mounting a Ceylonese elephant. (For reasons that are not hard to imagine, pachyderm taxidermy is among the most difficult and intricate kinds.) Achille’s son Émile moved Deyrolle to its fabled premises, at 46 Rue du Bac, in 1888. By then, the enterprise included not only taxidermy but also scientific equipment and furniture, along with printing and publishing, and employed more than 300 people. The Deyrolles were especially famous for their educational posters, which were translated into numerous languages and sold throughout the world. Deyrolle continued as a family business until 1978, when it was sold and fell into a period of slow decline.”

Entomologie, vente d’insectes et de papillons – Deyrolle
(images from Deyrolle)

Le cabinet de curiosités Deyrolle
(images from Deyrolle)

Planche pedagogique ancienne – Deyrolle
(images from Deyrolle)

“Then Prince Louis Albert de Broglie took charge. Among Parisians, who regard the shop as their own and who are, by definition, opposed to change, there were the usual nervous mutterings. No one expected Louis Albert to bring Deyrolle back to its former glory—or more. But that is exactly what he did. He completely overhauled the establishment, refurbishing the ground floor, removing all the small offices on the second, and bringing the wood paneling back to its original 18th-century condition. Meanwhile, he immersed himself in the far-flung affairs of Deyrolle, convincing collectors and suppliers alike of his serious commitment to entomology and taxidermy. In time, the great collections were restored to their haunting magnificence.”

Doesn’t it just make you itch to visit?

Deyrolle can be found at 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris. The photographs are incredible but I, for one, can’t wait to see it in person!

Stonewater Makes it by Faking it…

Tags

culture, Design Classic, England, Fake Shaker, Furniture Design, Interior design, Jaebeom Jeong, Kit-set Furniture, Korea, Shaker, Shopping, Urban Farming, Wood

‘Fake Shaker’ Chair by Jaebeom Jeong for Stonewater
(Image © Stonewater)

How cool are these DIY ‘Fake Shaker’ chairs by Korean designer, Jaebeom Jeong for Stonewater? They come as an individual assembly kit that, when complete, is shaped like an original Shaker chair, only these chairs consist of various pieces of wood randomly selected – walnut, beech, rose and ash, with either a natural canvas or hemp seat. Each piece of the kit is carefully handcrafted for easy assembly and durability applying a traditional joint technique. Customers can complete their own Shaker chair by using different combinations of various pieces. I think it’s fantastic!

‘Fake Shaker’ by Stonewater at ‘An Urban Farmer’s Atelier’ exhibition
(Image © Stonewater)

‘Fake Shakers’ by Stonewater at ‘An Urban Farmer’s Atelier’ exhibition
(Image © Stonewater)

Jaebeom Jeong was inspired to create his ‘Fake Shakers’ with the recent growth in urban farming and the renewed interest in producing safe and healthy foods. The urban farmer’s self-sufficient life-style reminded him of the original Shaker community.

The Shakers were one of a few religious groups that formed in eighteenth-century England. Their community was totally self-sufficient in both food and goods production, in line with their religious beliefs. They created pieces of furniture that were simple in beauty but highly durable.

I love the modern twist Jaebeom Jeong has given this design classic.

If you’d like to learn more about Stonewater’s designs, you can access their site here.