WOW. I found Quan’s jewelry while looking at all the new things in the Stand Up Comedy shop, which is always a favorite, and am totally in awe of her work. I haven’t been this in love with a jewelry line for a while. She has made me reconsider using semiprecious stones in my work again.
Just discovered McDonald’s work and was really excited about it. He is on staff at The San Francisco Art Institute, which makes me seriously want to take a class there! I am especially fond of the Wearing exhibit that was at the Rena Bransten gallery, perhaps because it appeals to the side of me that relates most things to adornment, something I am passionate about- these pieces definitely speak to that. The title of the exhibit is no coincidence. I genuinely find all of his archived work quite beautiful and well-crafted.
(via here)
I know that I’m by no means the first to discover it, but I watched the Criterion copy of Obayashi’s 1977 cult classic horror movie House several weeks ago, and took some screengrabs which I forgot about. This movie is hard to describe- it is funny, suggestive, cheesy, campy, surreal, a little creepy, and beautiful in many ways. It combines optical printing with animation, live action, stop motion, and so many editing gems I can’t even describe here. It seems self-aware but is so over-the-top crazy. House is not really horror (if you, like me, are leery of horror flicks) and is worth a watch for it’s sheer artistic value and absurdity. With characters named Gorgeous, Fantasy, Prof, Mac, Melody, and Kung Fu, how can you go wrong?
If you’re not convinced by the screengrabs, then I have two words for you: WITCH CAT.
This Memorial Day weekend was also The Smiths/Morrissey weekend for me. Just thought I’d share some choice songs and videos with y’all.
Arm in Arm
a collection of connections
endless tales
reiterations
and other echolalia
by Remy Charlip
…..
An absurd, beautiful, free-form, and frequently psychedelic children’s book I found at a thrift store the other day. Remy Charlip is a very interesting and talented jack-of-all-trades: a teacher, theater director, choreographer, costume and set designer, the head of the Children’s Literature and Theater department at Sarah Lawrence College, and founder of the New York Children’s Theater (to name a few). I took some photos of the crazy layouts in this book but none of them turned out that great, so here are some cover and detail shots.
So I finally found a hand-engraver. Most of you don’t know that I’ve been looking for one, but remember this vintage signet ring that I got for Christmas in 2009? Well I’ve been wearing it everyday for two years, blank, until this week! I decided it was time to complete this incomplete ring. The difference between hand and machine engraving is quite significant, in my opinion. Machine engraving has absolutely no grace to it- the lines are too heavy, too perfect, and you are limited to a few boring styles. I’d worked with hand engravers at a previous job with a designer, and there I developed a real admiration and appreciation for their precise art. I have such a love and respect for this old-world craft, which to me, is still relevant. Hopefully it doesn’t fade into oblivion like so many other skilled trades.
I found a fellow who is a very sweet, talented, older gentleman who’s been in the same location for 31 years, and has lovely old hand-engraving booklets that must date back to at least the 1920’s. He also has a case full of more complex pieces that he has made for people in the past and is very proud of- wax impressions of super complex carved signet images, carvings and cut-outs of faces, and much more.
Most monograms are too florid for me, and the square signet called for something more delicate and simple, especially because of all the subtle exisiting engraved filigree. I found a deco style that seemed to suit the era of the ring, was not too masculine or feminine, and had a small amount of shading. I am very pleased with the outcome.
Romano Gabriel was folk artist in Eureka, CA who once said Eureka was a bad place for flowers and crafted a fantastical wooden garden out of fruit and vegetable crates over the span of thirty years. I only just found out about him, and look forward to seeing the garden some day. His devotion to the creation of this garden (that is now recognized as a substantial, inspiring folk art project) reminds me a bit of Salvation Mountain.
