31/01/09 Kings and Queens
It's almost like a fairy tale, the story of the Pearly Kings and Queens of London. In 1875 a young orphan road sweeper, Henry Croft, decided that there were folks in and around Somers Town who needed help. The young lad, realising that he had no ability to give them anything, grasped hold of all he had, and used it to set up a charity that still to this day stands alone. Being a road sweeper Henry came across buttons, white, mother of pearl buttons, which had fallen off jackets, coats and ladies dresses. A collection began, and Henry soon had enough buttons to sew some onto his own clothing. His premise was that if he could stand out in the crowd, with a dazzling pearly white jacket, then maybe some people would drop money in his little box. He was right, and so the Pearly Kings and Queens of London still collect, jackets adorned with mother of pearl, smiles as wide as the Thames and hearts that know not of what they lack, but only of what they can give. The picture above would only serve to illustrate the opposite. Look at the scowls, but trust me, they are happy folks, wearing their pearls day after day. Here is a great website, and here is an animation regarding the origins of the Kings and Queens thanks to Dudley Wild and Toby Triumph.
30/01/09 It's ok to look
I do a great deal of window shopping. It just so happens that the windows are not made of glass, but rather they float betwix my itunes window and my gmail. I came across DesignSponge yesterday, a site which, by all accounts, is very popular. I can see why. The SneekPeeks are a great insight into a creative household or three, and the Guides offer not only some words of advise on cities around the globe from a design and art perspective, but have a fabulous list of letterpress studios just waiting to be discovered. It was in said list that I came across design house, and general letterpress somebodies 'Studio on Fire'. Take a glance through their stuff, the 2009 Calendar 'Hair & Fur' is great. They have a blog too, but if that doesn't tickle your fancy I managed, somehow, probably out of curiosity, to make my way to the CuriosityShoppe. It was here that my window shopping pace increased somewhat, yet so would yours if you caught site of a wooden yoyo.
29/01/09 Greasy hands in a Greasy till
The Irish economy is falling apart, as most are. I didn't want to talk of it here, but reading Yeats' September 1913 it suddenly dawned on me the enormity of change that has occurred. The celtic tiger is licking his wounds, and the spend spend spend is dying a death. The romance of money, for those who believed it, is over. It's sad, yet I have no sympathy. When Yeats wrote September 1913 he was scoffing at the Irish mentality over money. "What need you being come to sense, But fumble in a greasy till, And add the halfpence to the pence And prayer to shivering prayer, until You have dried the marrow from the bone?" Oh how that mentality has changed. No longer sucking the marrow from the bone, but throwing the bones out, meat attached, and look where it has got us? Too many have found love only in the bills lining their wallets and the change rattling in their pockets. Times are changing, and people will have to change. Before long Yeats' words will be a manifesto for survival.Read them in full here. Sorry for a lack of links these days, to rectify here is a site of linkage perfection.
28/01/09 Like water off his back
Growing up, right around Easter, a tribe of locals would gather at the bridge which lay about 100 yards from our house. Cars would be parked on verges, kids would be running around in wellies. They were waiting, everyone was waiting. They were waiting for the start of a tradition that, for years, has captured even the hardest of hearts. The Duck Derby. The premise is that everyone buys a duck, yellow plastic, with a specific number on it, then, and all at the same time, the ducks are thrown into the river, from the bridge. A finish line is created some distance down the river, and you guessed it, the first duck across the line wins, and subsequently the owner of the duck collects, not only the prize, but the title, Duck Derby Winner [INSERT YEAR]. Seeing pictures of the 'Duck Fever' exhibition conjured up this memory in my mind. My personal favourite is this beautiful thing. I'd not throw it into the icey waters below. No sir. That one is a keeper.
Australian art puzzles me. Apparently John Olsen is 'Australia's greatest living artist. I don't agree. I'd throw some of the folks from 'The Jacky Winter Group' up on a pedestal long before Olsen. One of the group is Biddy Maroney from fantazmagloria. I have been taking a flick and a click through her site. It's dark and brooding, but great. Also over at Jacky Winter's I came across Oslo Davis, who is well worth you risking life and limb to view...am I exaggerating, perhaps, but decide for yourself.
Ray Yoshida died this week. He was 78. Apart from producing great work throughout his years, he was a teacher, who was, by the sounds of it, an inspiration to a vast majority of his students. I have been reading what many of them have had to say of him. Robert Storr, a former student, who is now the dean of Yale University School of Art had this to say, “He was mysterious and witty. The mystery would draw you in, and then he would say something funny but with an edge that would make you think—kind of like his paintings.” {NYT} Another student in the mid-70's was Laurie Fendrich, now a New York painter. She has written a moving piece here. I didn't really know much about Ray before I read about his death, and his work never really did much for me, yet now his once regimented comic cuttings jump out of the page a little bit more, and his collages, once mundane, offer a clear example of his character, the character his students fell in love with.
25/01/09 Source of inspiration
The square at the centre of Galway City was known as John F. Kennedy Square for so long, yet now it's called Eyre Square. Strange. I am sitting looking out at it, the sun shimmering down on icey branches and frozen noses. Yesterdays post on Dylan Thomas, coupled with my precense here in Galway has me thinking. While writers are given glory, it is often the case that the love in their life requires the credit. Nora Barnacle is a perfect example. A nobody on her own, yet the inspiration for characters such as Molly Bloom, Gretta Conroy and Anna Livia Plurabelle. I am of course talking of James Joyce's wife. She left Galway behind in 1904, after getting a beating from her Uncle, who was unhappy at her mingling with a Protestant fellow. Soon enough she ran into Joyce, and the rest is history. Visit Galway, read Joyce, write about your love.
It was Dylan Thomas who said “He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest.” I'm finding a great deal of rest these days, I'm not complaining. Thomas died far too young. Thirty nine. Shame. I've been reading his work recently, and discovering some beautiful pieces. "I know we're not saints or virgins or lunatics; we know all the lust and lavatory jokes, and most of the dirty people; we can catch buses and count our change and cross the roads and talk real sentences. But our innocence goes awfully deep, and our discreditable secret is that we don't know anything at all, and our horrid inner secret is that we don't care that we don't." I don't always stand on the same side of the river as him, he had quite a lot to say, not all of which I agree with. Yet I can be caught, at times, peering over at him, on his bank, enveloped by his words, and wondering what he was really like. There is such an air of mystery with Thomas. I am determined to read his short stories. If you have a few minutes read his piece entitled 'A Child's Christmas in Wales', also if you can get hold of it, you should try and watch 'The Edge of Love'. The cinematography is splendid throughout. The above picture is of his writing shed.
What is better then an old photograph? I've been looking through this set of Irish stories today, and the above photo caught my eye. Warm, aged colours, and no doubt a story of two within its white border. Where is our chap with the dark rimmed glasses now? If you don't mind some speculation, i'd hazard a guess that he's not standing on Moore Street any more, yet after some delving it seems Moore Street hasn't changed too much. Maybe he's still there, shouting about his fruit and veg, still in his tatty suit, his glasses now held together with tape. Vesolt.com doesn't change to often either, but when it does, it's usually a perfectly perfect post. Take a look.
I'd talked earlier in the week about Pio Abad, and at the time I had promised to get you some more of his work, so here is a collection of three I like. If you want to read an article on this fine Filipino fellow, there is one here, in the first issue of Borne. Sticking with the Filipino theme, I have been won over by Stella Kalaw and her most recent project, 'Family Spaces'. She is now living and working in San Fransisco but this project will be shown in her Hometown Manila, at the Silverlens Gallery. Check out her blogger profile, she's one cool cat.
21/01/09 Makes my head explode
I know nothing about Saskatoon. What do you know about Saskatoon? I like the word Saskatoon. Matthew Feyld is from Saskatoon. He draws when he is in Saskatoon. Ok, i'll stop. According to his bio he suffers from this rare condition where his head swells when he gets stressed. He hasn't let this stop him, and I guess in a way it's allowed him to work more and more on his art, as it's his drawing etc which keeps him calm. It's rather funny how creating amazing work keeps his head small, not swollen, whereas for so many, it's the polar opposite. Here is his blog, which is a must, and here is his flickr. Oh and he takes sublime shots too, one of which I have picked for todays picture.
20/01/09 Glasvegas
You know when you forget? I forgot. I forgot how much time it takes to make a zine. So, rather then wait until the end of the week, then inform you that it isn't ready, i'll keep blogging and then one day surprise you with a new shiny mini-zine. If you've ever spent any time in Scotland you'll know that Edinburgh is for the oldies, and Glasgow is all hip and cool. The School of Art there has produced some fantastic graduates, Ragnar Jonasson, Pio Abad and this great set of shots being used for their profiles. I hope to get more on Pio Abad for you, his work is a sight to behold. If you're bored google him, if not, just wait.
Things are likely to be quite quiet this week, but be excited, if at all possible on this Monday morning, for it's because i'm going to concentrate some efforts on putting together a mini online zine. Keep checking back, i'll post updates on how i'm getting on, and at the end of the week you'll have a little pdf to grace your desktop or special folder. It will be the first of many I hope. Now I just need a name. Suggestions below. Today I've got the Baker Artist Awards for you, particularly Kathleen McLane, with her Colour Portraits. I'm sure there is plenty to be seen over there, I just haven't had the time to look.
Keith Shore caught my eye today. His paintings are at times childlike in their simplicity and form, but his colours and subject matter make it all ok. Take a glance through his work here, and if you're as taken by it as I am $40 will get you a hum dinger of a print. Bargain I hear you cry. Speaking of cheap prints, the Peepshop have a great selection. I first saw Shore's work over on saidthegramophone. A wonderous blog stocked full of music and lyrics, thoughtful words and heartfelt prose. I forgot how much I loved The Strokes (Killing Lies mp3). What a band. I don't care that every Tom Dick and Harry adore them. This poster was on my wall for years. I know that I have posted this video before, here, but I don't care. Just watch it again.
Be it a bottom drawer, a cubby hole, or a shelf hidden out in the garage, everyone has a place for things that have no other place. A miscellaneous minefield, stocked full of rubber bands, crayons and oddly enough all those little toys you get in your Christmas crackers. If you're lucky enough to find an old camera in there please dig it out, find a film and get snapping. What's the worst that could happen? Something like this perhaps. I found this group on flickr today, full of flakey film, offset edges and mind bending double exposures. Speaking of broken things,the kids over at the 'little bag of cocaine' blog have broken into two. They like to strut about and take snaps. I guess they are being serious, but I cling to the hope that they are not.
Another day, another battle against the office pc. Oh Mac I have never missed you so much. I've always chuckled at people who strive for perfection on their desk, mine starts simply with my screen and mac within reaching distance from my chair. For some it's not just about ergonomics, it's an art. Here, you can either druel or laugh at these 'best of the best' Mac home setups. While you do think of me and my frozen 'start' menu, as you glide through programmes with your hot corners i'll be gently navigating through internet explorer. You have to be nice to these pc's. Or so i'm told
14/01/09 - Offline for a while
I'm finding it rather difficult to update at the moment. That would be due to my lack of an internet connection. Bah humbug. Soon and very soon I'll be back daily. In the interim try this.
Goodbye America. Goodbye highways. Goodbye sun and farewell snow. I will miss you, you and your folks. Your beautiful mountains and wide open plains. Your neon signs and roaring trucks. Cheap Coffee and cards, quarter eating meters and power hungry cops. I'll be back, if you'll have me. We are still, from Jacob Koestler is my choice for today, but I will not lie, I have other things on my mind. His blog The Daily Camera shows just what he does everyday, thanks to 24 images, so take a snoop, if you're that way inclined. Me, i'm off to Ireland.
This morning I was reading one of my favourite blogs, this treasure trove, from artist James Gulliver Hancock when I noticed that he had produced quite a bit of work for "Design for Mankind", an online magazine dedicated to showcasing the art and design community. I like it. Erin Loechner got it up and running back in 2007, and after taking a look through the back issues, right up to those floating aroud now it's great to see how it has progressed. The latest issue has in fact had a re-brand - which is, in my opinion, another giant leap in the right direction. Now if online magazines just aren't your thing head on over anyway, because the blog has always got something to tickle your fancy. We, and that's not the Royal we, really like Hope Gangloff's work.
"Three miles along Old Canyon Pass you'll see a fork in the road. Take a left, watch out for the fallen Birch. About 500 yards past the stone bridge you will come across an old barn. Park up. On foot follow the well worn path across the Barley field. Keep your eyes peeled for a fast flowing brook. You'll hear the water. Glance upwards to see a rope swing, once the scene of manys a summer party, but now tangled in a tree. Stand directly beneath and face East. You'll be walking up hill. Take twelve good strides and stop. Start digging." Oh to be a treasure hunter. I thought that such skills had been lost in this world of googlemaps and GPS, but then I heard about Letterboxing. The art is as old as a treasure chest, but as common as a pirates wife. In England, where it all began, thousands of boxes are hidden, waiting to be found, and for several decades North America has been trying to get things going. For more info try this site, or if you're just looking for some pretty pictures this collection will do the trick.
They say that a dog is a man's best friend, but check out these bear cubs, and that pipe! "They" are not always right. Who said family trees had to be boring? Was it "them" again? Anna Rusakova doesn't think so . She loves to doodle. Jars, PSP's, Buttons? Her Moleskine project deserves yor full attention, as does this pool of images on flickr. Simply entitled "The Best" it has managed to pull at my heart strings, tickle my ribs and mystify me, and all without leaving my desk. See how you fair.
Now, who doesn't love a hypothetical question? Let's give it a go. So, a stranger stops their bike outside your window and shouts up to you, saying "I want a tattoo." You peer out and give them your full attention. They say, "I have decided that I want you to pick my tattoo." Got it? Now, what would you pick for them? Of course there are lots of variables. Male or Female? Budget? Colour? Let's just say you've got freedom to do anything. You think about it over a coffee. Now, what I love about hypothetical questions over the internet is that rather then having to explain with copious amounts of hand gestures, and pointing to colours saying "like that blue for the eyes" you can just find the image you want and post a link, like I am about to do. When I thought of this idea my mind jumped straight to Merdanchik's work, and this little number on a bicep. Perfect.
It has been too long since I wrote a proper article, but one of the last pieces I did was on Jason Travis and his Daily Persona Diptych's. I was reminded of his work today after coming across Face your Pockets. Founders Timur Akhmetov and Yulia Yakushova are on the hunt for all the things that are living in the pockets of your bag, jeans or jacket: pay checks, old cigarette packs, sugar lumps and all the stuff that has found a home on your person. I think it originated in Russia, which got me thinking about how much I have always wanted to go to Moscow. Take a look at this group pool on Flickr, then go check flight prices.
I've been in D.C all weekend. No time. The city eats away at you. Not much love here. Only impatience. I like this series by Roland Iselin. It's keeping me smiling despite the hustle and bustle. Andrea Crews has some interesting images and art walls on her site. If you have some time check her out. The 'Cool Kids' in D.C. are in fact not from D.C. at all, it's the out of towners who hold this City together. Molly Colleen O'Connell is a prime example. She's part of the Closed Caption Comics crew. Speaking of comics reminds me, to remind you, that Andrew Neyer is terrific. His Space Junk Zine might just be the coolest cereal gift ever. Lookie.
They say that good New Years resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account, yet if you have no qualms about writing such cheques I would love to hear some of your resolutions. T.S. Eliot once wrote; "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make and end is to make a beginning." So pick what you will today. A look back at 2008, or a pondering over the possibilities of 2009. Either way be sure not to spend too long doing so. Spread your websnapper wings, for we've got lots of links to share. Crafty folks, Lena's blog is an inspiration. She's a perfectionist with beautiful taste. For those of you who like to sit back and enjoy a youtube classic, try this book for size, and if you've got a soft spot for a homemade publication or two Je suis une bande de Jeunes is a treat. Speaking of treats I've added an rss feed to the blog.