A round-up of awesome art in awesome spaces.
.
.
.
Ditte Isager via emmas design blogg
.
Ditte Isager via emmas design blogg
.
Art @ Home
August 14th, 2010
Art + Fashion
August 13th, 2010
Marrakesh beaded dress by Lauren Moffatt via AITMA and Mati Rose McDonough’s painting Feather Power in Violet.
Pepa’s World
August 12th, 2010
What Comes First – Art Or A Blank Wall?
August 11th, 2010
Source: Home & Decor via desire to inspire
This question comes up a lot when I’m working with clients. Is it OK to look for art for a particular empty space in your home? Or should you only seek out art that you love regardless of not having a spot for it?
Hardcore art aficionados definitely poo-poo the former strategy. They see the acquisition of art as a thing apart (and above) from trivial matters such as wall space and layouts. But the opinions of the art elite need not apply to the rest of us! I’d argue that both strategies are legitimate; both work for different people in different situations. And to illustrate the point I’ll share a recent purchase with you all.
If you saw our house tour on Apartment Therapy, you probably saw a large, white painting above the couch in our living room. My confession: I bought the painting specifically for that space! Kind of scandalous? Not really.
As you can see in the photo above (via Apartment Therapy), our living room has one very long, exposed brick wall. It brings lots of visual interest and texture to the space but it’s also very dark and kind of busy. We had hung a collection of artwork above the couch but it felt a bit messy, not clean and stream-lined like I had hoped. I ended up moving the artwork to the opposite wall (see below) which has turned out great! As a result the wall space above the couch sat empty like a big hole screaming out for some interesting art.
Artwork (clockwise from right): Charles Tersolo, Shane Neufeld, EMA, Jennifer Davis, Cate Woolner.
Then I thought about the beautiful work of artist Jaclyn Mednicov, which I wrote about back in May, and how well one of her pieces would go above our couch. Her work was the right size, had the right vibe (calming, ethereal) and would be a departure thematically from our other artwork. Lucky for me, one of my favorite paintings, Stacked Up, was still available and now looks great in our living room!
I’m sharing this story to prove the point that searching for art for a specific space (i.e. behind your couch) does not necessarily spell trouble. As long as you put in the effort to find something you love and remember to be patient, you’re going about it the right way.
See Kate & Cameron’s art collection here.
Seth Clark’s Painted Ladies
August 10th, 2010
I’m a sucker for art of houses and buildings (as is evident here and here) so naturally I’m digging Seth Clark’s paintings (via dear ada).
This is not complicated, cerebral art, and some might argue that it’s actually rather boring (there are no figures, no bold intellectual concepts, no hallucinogenic abstractions). Obviously there is the issue of talent: there’s plenty of bad art in every genre. But I would argue that the subject of the home is so emotionally rich, so memory-laden and provides such a close reflection of our lives that it is one of those eternally relevant subjects.
.
.
Do You Still Dream About Girls From High School?
August 10th, 2010
Yes! I dream that I run into the mean popular girls who, in my fantasy, look sad and worn while my handsome husband and I look straight out of The Sartorialist…
OK, but in seriousness I love everything about this – the song, lyrics and video.
“I am a marble the color of candy.
I’ll make you money whenever you’re gambling.
I am the dice that you roll in the alley.
I am the pennies that come in handy.”
The video, which is a remake of the 1960 Godard film “Breathless“, is spot-on. And dare I say that Eleni’s leading man is way more handsome than the original! Now excuse me while I go add some French New Wave to my Netflix queue.
Talking With My Crush, Esther Ramirez
August 9th, 2010
As far as artist crushes go, my crush on Esther Ramirez is closer to an obsession. Everything this lady does takes my breath away! And the genius of her work is how simple and humble it is at its core- using tissue paper, tape, string, her own walls and sometimes herself, Esther creates stunning beauty in the midst of everyday life. Color and form are woven throughout Esther’s entire body of work, which includes hand-made stationary and paper earrings.
It could be said that paper is your primary medium. How did this come about?
Being stimulated by lights, color and paper as a young girl, I was raised in a most colorful area in the Midwest. Connecting paper and color with my past to present- it’s remained the same.
Color is supreme in my work; it is the only constant. Other than that, I like to work outside of a given format. My pieces, no matter the medium, should tell a simple story through color and pattern–they cannot be explained outside of these elements, because who can explicate, without being boring or pretentious, color or pattern?
(If you’re obsessed with this wall color like I am, it’s Silver Dollar by Behr.).
.Installation and photography (and blogging) are important elements of your work. Sometimes you are even part of your own installations! Do you aspire to expand viewers’ perceptions of what art can be?
If my ESSIMAR expands people’s perception of what art can be, then I feel that is a great compliment. I am not trying to expand perceptions, I am just trying to tell stories through color and pattern. I place myself in these improvised installations simply to show the scale of the space, and I blog as a communication and documentation tool.
Unfortunately, I think artists who intentionally try to expand viewers perception of art intentionally make confrontational, controversial, explicit and provocative pieces. Their efforts are so typical, textbook, obvious, and lacking true personality and flavor.
.
One of my favorite themes in your work is the use of bits of hot pink tape. Instead of hiding the the tape, you highlight it. What inspired this?
Thank you, I’m glad you like my pink tape! Obviously I like pink, and it helps tell my story. It’s nothing special really, I’ve noticed that the pink tape enhances the cutouts on the wall. The tape is a great way to easily install and dismantle my installations, and just so happens to be a great accent to my process.
.
Just out of curiosity, did you attend art school?
Yes, gratefully I did- I have a BFA in interior design including two years of pottery specializing in porcelain, one semester of photography, and courses on printing, book-making arts, children’s book illustrations and sculptures. I’m now preparing for graduate school in sculptures and visual design.
.
Traditionalists might look at your prints and small paper goods and argue that they are not (high) art. What’s your reaction to this viewpoint? Is it at all relevant?
.
What do you think the art market will be like in five years?
Maybe more instant, Tweeted pop-up traveling art installations that last only a few hours…or maybe gardening.
Spartan Wish List
August 8th, 2010
I’m a little obsessed with the Austin-based shop Spartan. They just have the coolest collection of goods and accessories! I never would have thought I’d include a pocket knife on a wish-list but like everything else in the shop it’s just so beautiful and appealing.
Art + Fashion
August 6th, 2010
Shaina Mote’s Garden Print Dress (via Moxsie) immediately reminded me of Saelee Oh‘s sweet paintings of animals in the forest. This particular painting is from Oh’s group show, I Know What You’re Thinking, from back in March 2009.
Talking with Mixed-Media Artist Dolan Geiman
August 5th, 2010
Dolan Geiman is pretty hard to pin down… but in a good way. The Virginia-born, Chicago-based artist creates a staggering array of art that combines found materials, drawing, painting, collage and screenprinting. As a result much of his work is 3-D even if it’s meant to hang on the wall. I asked Geiman about his Southern roots and his perspective on the art world…
Could you explain your motto “contemporary art with a southern accent?”
Yes indeed! I was born in the hills of Ol’ Virginny or the Old Dominion as it’s known. Virginia has always been my first love and when I moved to Chicago, I was afraid of losing my southern accent. But it looks like I can still say y’all with the best of ‘em! Aside from the literal ‘accent’, my work is tinged with a southern, folk-inspired vernacular with a contemporary edge that makes it appealing to both Yankees and Rebels alike.
How do you balance design work and your personal art?
I’m a Libra, so balance comes naturally to me.
What’s your dream project (commissioned or personal)?
I’m very fortunate to be working on my dream project as we speak with the watch and accessories giant, FOSSIL. I’ve always wanted to collaborate with a larger entity, be it corporate or otherwise, to be able to share my creativity with a larger audience. It’s finally come true. For more information, check out updates on my blog and Fossil. My window displays for Fossil’s Dallas NorthPark Center and Fifth Avenue stores will be on display for the next two weeks.
What do you mean when you say that your goal is to “expand the notion of ‘fine art’”?
Many people have told me that they think of fine art as something that is stuffy and comes in a golden frame from a gallery, but to me, fine art is more about the personality of the creator and the dedication to his or her art that elevates it beyond the scope of ordinary into the realm of ‘fine.’
How do you see the art world changing?
There are more artists in the world now than ever before and with the rise of things like Etsy, I think more artists can share their work. This has a great impact on the world of art because you really have to have your act together to make it these days. There is more competition and people are more capricious about what they like. So it’s very challenging.
