3-D Art is All the Rage at (CTRL)(P) – Objects on Demand

Tags

3D printing, Art, Art exhibition, Art Museums, COTA, Courtesy of the Artist, Digital art, Marc Newson, Modern art, Museum of Art & Design, New York, Object Gallery, Printing, Sydney, Visual Arts

Opening Night at the (CTRL)(P) – Objects on Demand Design Lab and Pop Up
(Image by TSL)

The technology allows you to design an object in virtual space and transmit the data to another machine to ‘grow’ or ‘print’ that object in 3-D. (Marc Newson)

It seems that 3-D art is all the rage…

‘Them’ by Richard Dupont, Group of eight figures
Cast pigmented polyurethane
(Image from Galerie Maximillian)

In a recent NYTimes article, ‘Artists Take Up Digital Tools’, there was much talk of  the current ‘Out of Hand: Materializing the Post Digital‘ exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Apparently, in one section of the exhibition, devoted to demonstrations of 3-D printing and scanning, people can get full body scans and purchase miniatures of themselves in three sizes.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

Well, what if I told you you could get a 3-D miniature bust of yourself right here in little ol’ Sydney-town?

(CTRL)(P) 3-D Man
(Image from Object)

It’s true. You can.

In a collaboration with the very talented peeps from COTA (Courtesy of the Artist),  Object Gallery is currently fitted out with 9 3-D printers.

And, we are all invited to drop in and use the equipment, attend a workshop to learn how to print our own designs, listen to a talk, shop, or come along to one of the many events and take a 3-D photo of ourselves.

I went along to the opening on Tuesday night. And, I have to say, even a technologically challenged almost-Luddite like me was fascinated. IT IS SERIOUSLY COOL!

If you aren’t into having a wee bust of yourself, you can check out the jewellery by Cinnamon Lee, Cesar Cueva, Nancy Malik, Bin Dixon-Ward and more. These incredibly complex pieces are made out of a single piece of material and so light to wear.

3D Brooch by Bin Dixon-Ward on sale at (CTRL)(P)*
(Image by TSL)

3D Ring by Bin Dixon-Ward on sale at (CTRL)(P)*
(Image by TSL)

The exhibition runs at Object Gallery until 25 January, 2014. The gallery is located at 417 Bourke St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. If you’d like to check out the workshops on offer, you can do that through the (CTRL)(P) website.

And, if you aren’t already familiar with the very talented peeps at COTA, they are well worth a visit. They run two galleries – one in Surry Hills and one in the Strand Arcade, featuring new works in contemporary art and design.

Incredibly knowledgable and helpful if you are searching for just the right contemporary piece, too. One of my favourite places to visit, especially if the lovely Nina is around.

* Images taken on my iPhone and really don’t do the pieces justice.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup – TSL Style…

Tags

Bone Broth, Butternut squash, Cook, Graham Kerr, New York, Pumpkin, pumpkin soup, Pumpkin Soup Recipe, Soup, Soups and Stews, Spalding Gray, Vegetable, Winter warmers

Pumpkin Soup
(Image from here)

I think of New York as a purée and the rest of the United States as vegetable soup.(Spalding Gray)

Sorry about the silence at this end. It’s been a dreary old-time of getting over this nasty bug that I picked up in NZ. I’ve definitely been well off my game but hopefully that’s all changed as I move out of my cold-fueled funk and into a period of being more ‘windswept and interesting’… Fingers crossed, anyway!

The weather has turned here in Syders. It’s cold and wet. There’s a definite feeling that winter has now truly arrived. So, really it should come as no surprise – to me, anyway! – that yesterday, I woke up thinking about my favourite soup from when I was a child. This is a seriously good, old-fashioned soup that is hearty and thick and full of flavour and makes you feel all those warm things that good soup makes you feel…

This particular Graham Kerr version, from my childhood that I love so much, is a roasted vegetable soup and I don’t have the recipe. I had a wee look-see online on the off-chance that I’d get lucky. Nope. My Mum is travelling at the moment, so no joy to be had there either. Only one thing for it – shelve Graham’s recipe for another day (I promise to share it with you when I do get it!) and get creative.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.

At this point I should explain, for the uninitiated, LM refers to the two of us as ‘the modern day Jack Sprat and his wife’ because our diets have become a little more challenging in the past year or two. LM can’t eat shellfish or dairy. I have a gluten problem. Fortunately, I have become reasonably adept at managing this (we consume quite a bit of coconut milk!) but it does influence my ingredient choices when I’m getting creative in the kitchen. Just so you know…

So, back to getting creative. I’ve been getting into my bone broths lately, so good chicken stock was to hand. I also had a large butternut staring at me every time I opened the fridge. Someone was trying to tell me something…

Traditionally, I’m a bit of a recipe follower. While I don’t mind substituting the odd ingredient, I like to be reasonably assured my time in the kitchen will result in something tasty and appealing. But, this time, I decided to wing it. (See – getting ‘windswept and interesting’ already!) And, I gotta say’, the result was pretty damn good! So much so, I had to share it with you.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup – TSL Style

Olive oil
Salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
1 x brown onion, chopped
1 x leek, white only, sliced finely
1 x garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
Fresh ginger, about a thumb nail sized knob, grated
1 x butternut pumpkin, skin on, halved lengthways
1 x carrot, peeled (I would have thrown in more if I had them)
1 x kumara, peeled and roughly chopped (that’s sweet potato to you northern hemisphere lot!)
1 litre chicken stock (vegetable would work just as well, I suspect)
Coconut milk, about half a cup (cream would be yummy if you can eat dairy)

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F. Place halved butternut, kumara and carrot into a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season – generously, in my case – with salt. Roast for approximately 50 – 60 minutes, or until cooked. When the butternut has cooled sufficiently, scoop out all the lovely flesh and discard the skin.

2. Heat a couple of decent glugs* of olive oil in a large pot over a low heat. Throw in onion and leek. Cook gently, stirring often, until the veggies soften. While the leeks and onions are working their magic, throw the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, nutmeg, and turmeric into a mortar and pestle for a good pound. Add the garlic and ginger. Pound into a paste.

3. Add the spice paste to the pot. Cook, stirring all the while, until the spices start to do their magic. This will take less than a minute.

4. Add the roasted butternut, kumara and carrot. Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat back down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. If you have one, get out your trusty stick blender and whizz until pureed. If you don’t have a stick blender, aside from seriously considering one for your next birthday present, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending it in batches.

4. Once the soup is blended, stir in the coconut milk and check for seasoning. Reheat and serve.

Voila!

…And, if you do try this soup, please let me know. It would make me feel good!

*technical term meaning ‘use your judgment’

Kumi Yamashita’s Deceptive Origami Profiles

Tags

Art, Clever Art, Colour, Kumi Yamashita, Master of Fine Arts, New York, New York City, Origami, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle City Light, Tokyo

Origami Series by Kumi Yamashita
(Image © Kumi Yamashita)

I sculpt shadow with light or sometimes light with shadow, but both function in essentially the same manner. I take objects and carve and place them in relation to a single light source. (Kumi Yamashita)

I am fascinated by the works of Kumi Yamashita – at first glance her Origami installation seems so simple, yet look again. Very clever…

Orange Origami from Origami Series by Kumi Yamashita
(Image © Kumi Yamashita)

Green Origami from Origami Series by Kumi Yamashita
(Image © Kumi Yamashita)

Blue Origami from Origami Series by Kumi Yamashita
(Image © Kumi Yamashita)

In her Origami installation from 2005, Yamashita has pinched and pleated square sheets of aluminium so that they cast shadows of human profiles when they are hung on the wall and lit from the side. Brilliant, yes?

Kumi Yamashita received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Glasgow School of Art. Her solo shows include: the Seattle Art Museum, Boise Art Museum, Yerba Buena Centre, San Francisco, the Esplanade in Singapore, Hillside Gallery in Tokyo and the Kent Gallery in New York, the Sato Museum, Tokyo and the Dillon Gallery, New York.

Her work is in the collections of the New Mexico History Museum, Seattle City Light, Microsoft Collection, Boise Art Museum, the Hamada Art Museum and others. But not in the TSL collection in Sydney, more’s the pity.

If you’d like to learn more about Kumi Yamashita, this is just the tip of the iceberg. You can check out her website here.

Hybrid Chairs – They’re Cool!

Tags

Design, Furniture, Industrial Design, Interior design, Istanbul, Kelly Clarkson, London, Merve Kahraman, New York, style

Hybrid Chairs by Merve Kahraman
(Image from here)

I’m cute – and God I hate that. Because that’s not cool. I’m like your niece, and nobody wants to date their niece. It’s the chubby cheeks. The whole reason people voted for me on American Idol is because I’m an everyday, normal girl. (Kelly Clarkson)

Well, Kelly – I reckon you’d definitely be considered cool if you got yourself one of Merve Kahraman’s Hybrid chairs. They are seriously cool…

Hybrid No1 by Merve Kahraman
Materials: Dark chocolate lacquered finish and leather upholstery
(Images from Merve Kahraman)

The Hybrid collection was inspired by the mythologies of parahumans. The anthro chairs apparently unite with each owner, merging them into one.  They are entirely handmade, special leathers were selected and a textured paint finish applied on wood to mimic the appearance of a deer or rabbit and create an animalistic feeling for the user.

Hybrid No2 by Merve Kahraman
Materials: Ecru lacquered finish and leather upholstery
(Images from Merve Kahraman)

Merve Kahraman was born in 1987. She studied Interior Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design (Milan/Italy) before moving to London. Since graduating, she has worked in several architecture and design studios in Istanbul, New York and London. Her decision to specialise in industrial design stems from her desire to include furniture and products as an integral part of her designs for spaces.

Currently, she is continuing her masters education in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (London/UK) and working on her own industrial design projects.

Have I mentioned I think her work is seriously cool?

You can check out Merve Kahraman’s website here.

Twig – Not so Easily Contained in Brooklyn

Tags

Antique, Blog, Brooklyn, Diner, Garden, Glass, Katy Maslow, Marina Chetner, Michelle Inciarrano, New York, Online Shopping, Photographs, Shopping, Travel Blog, Travel journal, Twig, Twig Terrarium, Wythe Hotel

‘Sunbather’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

Since I started blogging back in February, I have come across a few cool ‘n’ groovy things in Brooklyn that I’m keen to see in real life. Not least of these is my blogging bud’ from the very cool travel blog, MarinaChetner.com. Go check it out*. She’s a fab’ travel writer and her blog always features wonderful images, too. (just in case you’re wondering, Marina currently lives in Brooklyn).

Anyhoo, in addition to the lovely Marina, and the Wythe Hotel, and the Diner restaurant, and the Brooklyn Flea market, and, and, and so much more, there is now Twig, as well!

I know, I know – for all you hip ‘n’ happening types out there saying, “Duh! So yesterday!”. This post isn’t pitched at you. This is for the rest of us. The ones at the bottom of the world where it sometimes takes a while for cool stuff to find us.

Twig Terrariums is the Brooklyn based venture, sprung from the minds of two old friends, Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow. They create moss terrariums and other small worlds in antique, vintage, and new glass containers, apothecary jars, science glass, kitchen ware, and any odd glass objects they find on our travels. And, despite the fact that there is no green thumb on my person, I think they are just the bees knees. Do bees have a sense of humour…?

Each Twig Terrarium contains a very special scene using miniature figurines to complete your little green landscape – from idyllic pastoral scenes with cows and horses to angry punk rockers and Central Park muggings.

Have a look…

‘Boobies’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

‘Picture That’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

‘Bike Break’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

‘Basking’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

‘Lightbulb Moment’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

‘Full Moon’ by Twig
(Image © Twig Terrariums)

Twig Terrariums can be purchased at their studio in Brooklyn, selected stores in New York and online (here). They even offer custom orders.

All this is fantabulous if you happen to live in the States.  If, like me you don’t. The girls at Twig have helpfully arranged for you to be able to design your own terrarium by following the instruction in their book!

I’ve checked. You can buy it through Amazon here.

*Marina, I do recognise that you are a person, not a thing. Promise.

‘Street Seats’ by Bade Stageberg Cox Rock!

Tags

Architects, Armory Show, Bade Stageberg Cox, Colour, community, culture, Design, Furniture Design, Interior design, New York, Taxi Cab Yellow

Street Seats in DUMBO
(Image sourced from Bade Stageberg Cox)

How cool is this? ‘Street Seats’ is a furniture project developed by Bade Stageberg Cox for the Pier 94 Coffee Bar at The Armory Show, a leading contemporary and modern art fair in New York which takes place every March on Piers 92 & 94 in central Manhattan.

The 50 chairs, all found abandoned on the streets of New York, were repaired and given a new lease on life with a coat of taxi cab yellow paint. Like the city’s residents, the chairs are an eclectic mix. They migrated throughout the fair during its five-day run. The bottom of each chair is stamped and documented with the date and location it was recovered.

I just love both the idea AND the bright sunshine colour they chose:

#34 The Ice Chair
Found 17 February 2012 at Paul’s Pond, Upstate New York (SOLD)
(Image sourced from Bade Stageberg Cox)

Sadly, the Ice Chair has already sold. I can see this one on a porch looking out onto the street somewhere in Upstate New York…

#8 The River Chair
Found 3 February 2012, East River near Adams and John Street, DUMBO
(Image sourced from Bade Stageberg Cox)

#17 The Walnut Chair
Found 14 February 2012, Columbia Heights and Pineapple Street, Brooklyn Heights
(Image sourced from Bade Stageberg Cox)

I can imagine the Walnut Chair with a fab’ cushion in some crazy print…

#1 The Jimi Chair
Found 15 December 2011, Front Street, DUMBO
(Image sourced from Bade Stageberg Cox)

Unless already sold, all chairs are available for purchase. There are lots more to see on the Bade Stageberg Cox website here. If you are interested in purchasing, contact Bade Stageberg Cox at streetseats@bscarchitecture.com.

Which one would you choose?

I Have a Wee Crush on John Derian

Tags

Adriano Zumbo, Art, Astier de Villatte, Ceramics, craft, Decoupage, East Village, Homewares, John Derian, New York, Paper, Shopping, Tableware, Travel

I wasn’t going to say anything, but it’s true. Don’t get too excited, though. I met him (briefly) last year, expressed my love for his beautiful work, and when it was clear he didn’t feel the same way about me, I picked myself up and under the guise of ‘retail therapy’ proceeded to spend a small fortune in his two, to-die-for shops in the East Village (and then tried to work out how to get my loot home to Sydney). I could have gone back every day of our visit to New York.

Are you getting the picture? I am a h u g e fan of John Derian’s work. HUGE.*

Here’s my favourite John Derian purchase (so far)…

John Derian’s ‘Frogs’ Cache Pot 
(Image © John Derian)

If you are not yet familiar with John Derian’s work, it is absolutely gorgeous. Truly. John (and his wonderful team) have been making découpage homewares since 1989. His production studio is neatly tucked away on 2nd street in New York’s East Village. He collects 18th century imagery, which he then lovingly transforms into beautiful découpage pieces. When you visit his gorgeous découpage shop, the sheer number of options suggests that this old craft is easy to create. It isn’t. Trust me, I have tried it!

Now that we’ve determined that John Derian is a legend in his own lunch-box, I feel I need to let you know that découpage does have one major down-side. Because it’s a paper-based craft, water is the enemy of any découpaged piece. So, pretty to look at, but at times, not the most practical…

Now I’m learning that John Derian has teamed up with the almost-as-fabulous people at Astier de Villatte, the French company known for their beautifully imperfect white ceramic tableware. Together, they have created a 29-piece range of tableware with illustrations drawn from antique book-plates and ephemera.

Have a look at these (it’s ok to drool. I did)…

John Derian ‘Knife & Fork Saucer’ for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

John Derian ‘Blue Butterfly’ Dinner Plate for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

John Derian ‘Ladybird Soup Plate’ for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

John Derian ‘Round Chair Platter’ for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

John Derian ‘Large Flower Plate’ for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

John Derian Mug for Astier de Villatte
(Image © Astier de Villatte)

I think if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would buy myself a whole dinner set of these. [swoon]

John Derian’s original (découpage & imported goods) shop is located at 6 East Second Street in New York. Bookmark it for next time you visit. It is so gorgeous. Alternatively, check out the beautiful and comprehensive website here. It is frightfully expensive to ship his work to Australia, but it can be done.

Astier de Villatte also have a seriously impressive website here.

*Just in case you’re wondering, LM has a man-crush on Adriano Zumbo. That’s why I get away with having a crush on John Derian. If you don’t know who Adriano Zumbo is, please check him out here before you plan any trips to Sydney!

The Very Graphic Style of Thomas Paul

Tags

Accessories, Animal print, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Colour, cotton voile, Design, DKNY, Fashion, fashion institute of technology, Homewares, Interior design, Neckwear, New York, New York City, Scarf, style, Textile Design, Thomas Paul

Have you met the oh-so-talented Thomas Paul yet?  If not, go pop your head in to his gorgeous emporium of pillows, bedding, kitchen & dining accessories, and – my favourite, which will come as no surprise to those who know me – scarves.

I’m seriously lusting after one of Mr Paul’s animal print numbers.  Which one would you choose…?

There are these divine cotton voile scarves (with dimensions of 20″ X 75″):

or, there are these more monochromatic numbers (with a more generous 40″ X 80″ size):

Thomas Paul is a born ‘n’ bred New Yorker. He kicked off his fashion career in the mid-nineties after graduating from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Textile Design. He started as an intern at DKNY. Then, while working as a colorist and designer for a silk mill specialising in neckwear and scarves, he worked on neckwear collections for designers like Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, and DKNY. This eventually led to the creation of his own neckwear collection, digities, in the late 90′s. All of this created the foundation for his current range of home accessories.

He continues to expand his ideas, so I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next…

You can check out more of Thomas Paul’s designs here.

(All images sourced from here).

Hannah Haworth Knits Up a Whale of a Storm

Tags

animals, Asia, craft, Design, Hannah Haworth, Knitting, New York, Scotland, Storytelling

I fist saw an example of Hannah Haworth’s work on a post by polarfox.  Her life-size (10ft!) knitted beluga whale had me utterly fascinated.  Imagine coming up with the concept, let alone the logistics and effort required to complete it?  I thought it was incredible (and clearly, I am not alone in this).

Currently living in New York, Haworth was born in Scotland and spent much of her childhood in Asia.  She’s a nature-lover who loves storytelling and craft.

Check out some of her earlier installations…

How amazing is her work?  I just love that last image (it’s titled ‘Nest’!)

(All images sourced from Hannah Haworth here)

Dana Tanamachi Chalks One Up….

Tags

Ace Hotel, advertising, Art, Brooklyn, Chalk, Dana Tanamachi, Design, Graphic Design, Graphic designer, Letterer, New York, O: The Oprah Magazine, Oprah, Photography, Ralph Lauren, Shopping, style, West Elm

Dana Tanamachi is a New York-based graphic designer who works as a custom chalk letterer.  How cool to be SO good you can work as a full-time chalk letterer, of all things.  How cool to be SO good (and SO successful) you don’t do personal or wedding related commissions!  I think she’s awesome!

I want to stay in room 1021 at the Ace Hotel

For Ralph Lauren on Bleecker St, NYC

AND – Oprah thinks she’s awesome, too.  Dana Tanamachi was commissioned to design the February 2012 cover of O Magazine.

Dana Tanamachi with Oprah

There is a girl who embodies ‘living your best life’.

(All images sourced from Dana Tanamachi’s website here)