I cannot resist. People need to know about this.
Documentation of Food Songs Collected by Matt Bua
This is an online collection of 224 mp3's of songs about food. Hours of entertainment.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Inspiration: William Morris
I went to the IU Fine Arts Library last week with Doug and although I really don't have time to read right now, I couldn't help myself -- I checked out 5 books. I figure if they're about art, it's ok. I've been devouring The Ideal Book, a collection of William Morris's essays and lectures on the arts of the book, in bits and pieces over the weekend.
I have always been a fan of William Morris. I am not alone in this. As a bookworker and letterpress printing aficionado, I don't think you can really avoid going through a Morris/Kelmscott Press phase. I remember when we first began to learn about Morris, there were days that Jerry and I would just pore and pore over images of William Morris prints and books and embroideries, reading and absorbing every bit of information we could find.
One thing I really find despicable about Ye Dayes of Nowe is the fact that everyone is so concerned about not hurting anyone's feelings that very little real criticism occurs. I don't know if most people care about the respect of their peers -- it seems like people tend to be more interested in Having People Like Them. One thing I really appreciate about Morris is his intelligent arrogance and willingness to not just buck the contemporary established norm, but also basically every established norm from the Renaissance onward.
(from The Ideal Book)
... The Renaissance, with its emphasis on classical models, and modern technology, with its destruction of the crafts, had between them -- according to Morris -- disrupted the natural growth of Western art, and he believed the only solution was to return to the fountainhead: the medieval arts and crafts. By going back to their true source, the arts could once again begin to develop normally and organically.
(Summary)
Art is crap. When did it become crap? The Renaissance. No problem. I'll just revive medieval craftsmanship (clearly the pinnacle of art thus far) and then art can go ahead and re-develop as it should under my careful supervision. OK WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU NEED ME TO SOLVE NOW GUYS
Obviously this is a little overly simplistic, but I believe that for the most part it is exactly that kind of informed/naive optimism combined with unerring faith in one's position that is the seed of great things (like the Kelmscott Press).
This is something I think a lot about, lately. The notion of fear and bravado, what causes people to take chances, what inspires people to work toward change -- whether it be in book design or totally unrelated to art. I think I could stand to be more brave, maybe even more rash. Do you consider yourself to be brave?
I have always been a fan of William Morris. I am not alone in this. As a bookworker and letterpress printing aficionado, I don't think you can really avoid going through a Morris/Kelmscott Press phase. I remember when we first began to learn about Morris, there were days that Jerry and I would just pore and pore over images of William Morris prints and books and embroideries, reading and absorbing every bit of information we could find.
One thing I really find despicable about Ye Dayes of Nowe is the fact that everyone is so concerned about not hurting anyone's feelings that very little real criticism occurs. I don't know if most people care about the respect of their peers -- it seems like people tend to be more interested in Having People Like Them. One thing I really appreciate about Morris is his intelligent arrogance and willingness to not just buck the contemporary established norm, but also basically every established norm from the Renaissance onward.
(from The Ideal Book)
... The Renaissance, with its emphasis on classical models, and modern technology, with its destruction of the crafts, had between them -- according to Morris -- disrupted the natural growth of Western art, and he believed the only solution was to return to the fountainhead: the medieval arts and crafts. By going back to their true source, the arts could once again begin to develop normally and organically.
(Summary)
Art is crap. When did it become crap? The Renaissance. No problem. I'll just revive medieval craftsmanship (clearly the pinnacle of art thus far) and then art can go ahead and re-develop as it should under my careful supervision. OK WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU NEED ME TO SOLVE NOW GUYS
Obviously this is a little overly simplistic, but I believe that for the most part it is exactly that kind of informed/naive optimism combined with unerring faith in one's position that is the seed of great things (like the Kelmscott Press).
This is something I think a lot about, lately. The notion of fear and bravado, what causes people to take chances, what inspires people to work toward change -- whether it be in book design or totally unrelated to art. I think I could stand to be more brave, maybe even more rash. Do you consider yourself to be brave?
upcoming stuff and news
So, I was telling my dear friend the other day that I'm pretty sure my mind is atrophying. I'm spending SO MUCH time on artwork right now that all other aspects of my mind are deteriorating. My ability to read and comprehend? Positively flaccid. Expressing complex ideas verbally? Virtually nil.
But, intense focus can breed good things as well, so I am just going to continue to push through until June and then take a much-deserved break. I've mentioned the events I'm preparing for, but just so it's all in one place:
Kristen, the hard-working lady behind Schmancy, interviewed me recently for this show. You can read it on her blog.
I'm also participating in the Indieana Handicraft Exchange the very same weekend as Fiber Arctic opens -- June 13. If you're within driving distance of Indianapolis, it should be a fun day of art & music and I would encourage you to attend.
Other projects are in the works but I only have enough space in my brain to think about those two right now!
But, intense focus can breed good things as well, so I am just going to continue to push through until June and then take a much-deserved break. I've mentioned the events I'm preparing for, but just so it's all in one place:
Kristen, the hard-working lady behind Schmancy, interviewed me recently for this show. You can read it on her blog.
I'm also participating in the Indieana Handicraft Exchange the very same weekend as Fiber Arctic opens -- June 13. If you're within driving distance of Indianapolis, it should be a fun day of art & music and I would encourage you to attend.
Other projects are in the works but I only have enough space in my brain to think about those two right now!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
More absurdity from moi
Madonna toilet lid cover
Originally uploaded by thirdpersonpossessive
I'm the kind of person that takes jokes to a level that goes far beyond funny. Naturally this spills over into other areas of my life as well. Ridiculous fan art is just one of my obsessions. Fan art that is faux functional (are toilet lid covers REALLY serving any purpose? That's a matter for another, more cerebral blog methinks) ... even better.
I actually owe the genius of this idea to my roommate. One day I was trying to figure out what I could make for the Indieana Handicraft Exchange (in which I'm participating this year with my good friend Erin Drew!) that was like a rug, but smaller and less expensive, and this was her suggestion.
Choosing the image was difficult. It needed to be something simple and iconic enough to be recognized even when highly pixellated. I simplified it to two colors both to speed up the hooking and to make the image more striking.
On to the next one! I have a lot of work to do and a month in which to do it! If you have any good ideas for other subjects (either for a small rug or one of these beauties) feel free to email me or leave it in the comments!
Friday, May 8, 2009
busy, busy, busy
Guys, I have been so busy, it is not even funny.
I'm working two jobs, preparing for two shows, trying to move, and oh yeah -- have a life on top of that.
Not that I'm complaining. Just saying -- I need some sleep!
First of all: I'm participating in the Fiber Arctic show at Schmancy. The list of artists participating looks awesome and I am really excited to be included in this show. I only wish I could attend the opening!
Second: I've gotten some questions about the construction of the Bryan Ferry rug, so I'll go ahead and elaborate on my process with that.
The rug was made using an old speed tufting tool. I bought it on Ebay for about $5. My internet-friend and awesome artist Andy told me about this tool after we bonded over latch-hook rugs.
The BF rug was the first project I ever made with this tool. This tends to be how I operate: make something really huge and complicated using a technique I've never tried before. Get really frustrated and make lots of mistakes because I didn't bother to do something smaller first.
So, for starters: the tool is not really that speedy. It SEEMS speedy. But in order to actually fill in the canvas enough that you can't see the fabric through the tufts, you really need to make a LOT of stitches. I had to go over certain areas again and again, long after I was certain they were filled in sufficiently. It's also pretty hard on your hands and arms. In the future I'll do this with a better frame and more ergonomic set up (as opposed to kneeling on my hardwood floor with a pillow beneath my knees).
One thing that's nice is you really don't waste very much yarn at all, and if you screw up you can rip out a section and re-do it pretty easily. For future tufting projects I'll probably either go smaller or invest in a real tufting gun for large items. These are pretty expensive, however, so I'll probably have to take up a collection to do it. Potential benefactors: please email me at the address in my profile. :)
People ask me how I make my patterns all the time, and the honest answer is: I really don't. The reason for this is: I know how I work. I view making art as a sort of puzzle, one that I really enjoy solving. If I feel I've solved the puzzle, I don't want to complete the piece. For this reason, I tend to do very little sketching before I begin a piece. This isn't to say I don't plan -- I spend hours agonizing over the colors, calculating how much yarn I'll need, tweaking the design, but when it comes to actually putting the image on the cloth, I do very little. I prefer to look at an image I've drawn on paper and then attempt to transfer that to the cloth with very little assistance from a projector or pattern. The reasons for this include: I am crazy; I like things to be really tedious and difficult; and most importantly: I really feel that I want to have as few steps as possible between the idea in my head, and what comes from my hand. The more messing with and transfers of the image that I do, the more I feel the image deviates from the original idea.
Back to work with me! I have a new latch hook project on the way and another embroidery too. Pics will come as they are completed! As always works in progress can be seen on my flickr.
I'm working two jobs, preparing for two shows, trying to move, and oh yeah -- have a life on top of that.
Not that I'm complaining. Just saying -- I need some sleep!
First of all: I'm participating in the Fiber Arctic show at Schmancy. The list of artists participating looks awesome and I am really excited to be included in this show. I only wish I could attend the opening!
Second: I've gotten some questions about the construction of the Bryan Ferry rug, so I'll go ahead and elaborate on my process with that.
The rug was made using an old speed tufting tool. I bought it on Ebay for about $5. My internet-friend and awesome artist Andy told me about this tool after we bonded over latch-hook rugs.
The BF rug was the first project I ever made with this tool. This tends to be how I operate: make something really huge and complicated using a technique I've never tried before. Get really frustrated and make lots of mistakes because I didn't bother to do something smaller first.
So, for starters: the tool is not really that speedy. It SEEMS speedy. But in order to actually fill in the canvas enough that you can't see the fabric through the tufts, you really need to make a LOT of stitches. I had to go over certain areas again and again, long after I was certain they were filled in sufficiently. It's also pretty hard on your hands and arms. In the future I'll do this with a better frame and more ergonomic set up (as opposed to kneeling on my hardwood floor with a pillow beneath my knees).
One thing that's nice is you really don't waste very much yarn at all, and if you screw up you can rip out a section and re-do it pretty easily. For future tufting projects I'll probably either go smaller or invest in a real tufting gun for large items. These are pretty expensive, however, so I'll probably have to take up a collection to do it. Potential benefactors: please email me at the address in my profile. :)
People ask me how I make my patterns all the time, and the honest answer is: I really don't. The reason for this is: I know how I work. I view making art as a sort of puzzle, one that I really enjoy solving. If I feel I've solved the puzzle, I don't want to complete the piece. For this reason, I tend to do very little sketching before I begin a piece. This isn't to say I don't plan -- I spend hours agonizing over the colors, calculating how much yarn I'll need, tweaking the design, but when it comes to actually putting the image on the cloth, I do very little. I prefer to look at an image I've drawn on paper and then attempt to transfer that to the cloth with very little assistance from a projector or pattern. The reasons for this include: I am crazy; I like things to be really tedious and difficult; and most importantly: I really feel that I want to have as few steps as possible between the idea in my head, and what comes from my hand. The more messing with and transfers of the image that I do, the more I feel the image deviates from the original idea.
Back to work with me! I have a new latch hook project on the way and another embroidery too. Pics will come as they are completed! As always works in progress can be seen on my flickr.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bryan Ferry Tufted Rug
Bryan Ferry Tufted Rug
Originally uploaded by thirdpersonpossessive
So, this is what's been eating most of my life for the past oh, year or so. This is a slightly-larger-than-life sized portrait of Bryan Ferry in wool.
I have no explanation to offer. I was listening to Roxy Music's first album and thought wow, that would make a great rug. End of story. I have no plans as of yet to make any follow-up rugs featuring other members of Roxy, though I will seriously consider it, particularly if cash advances are involved.
Wow, now I can work on something else! But what ... ?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sleipnir, 8 Footed Horse / Embroidery
Sleipnir, 8 Footed Horse / Embroidery
Originally uploaded by thirdpersonpossessive
A new embroidery - completed! Some other recent works in progress on my flickr.
I've been pretty busy these days between moving and working and trying to make art. Later tonight I'll have time to photograph another finished project and talk a bit more about what I'm up to.
As far as this piece is concerned ... I really like it, but I think this technique was somehow really suited to the automaton embroidery and not so much this image. I'll just have to keep experimenting, I guess.
In the meantime, anyone have any good tips about building a rug frame? I built one for the rug I just finished, and I know what's wrong with it, but not sure how to make it RIGHT. I found a website that shows a giant frame attached to both the ceiling and the floor, with sharp tacks or nails around the perimeter that you attach the fabric to. If I had the room I'd try this for sure. Until then I guess I will have to improvise ...
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