I love when the uniform repetition of diamonds or squares of fishing nets has been torn and darned. The more haphazardly the net is repaired the better, especially if a garish color has been used to sew two nets together.
I have been using half hitches and looping in my work for years to build cordage. Recently I have been wondering what would happen if I start to use my own cordage to make my own nets?
Thanks to YouTube University, I am get a little inspiration as part of my virtual “sketching” and learning process…
I have been interacting with Ann Hamilton’s white marble raised text installation at World Trade Center 1 train stop, to and from Governors Island all year long, before I even realized it was her work.
Before I was aware of the vast scope of Ann’s work, I was fascinated by images of her installation work circling the interwebs for years, which make this opportunity to watch an interview with her even most precious.
In a time where consumerism only seems to be growing, it is inspiring to observe how these artists make discarded, everyday materials the centre of their work.
In the course of a single day, each of us breathes in and out around 24,000 times. With each breath, irresistible signals are sent straight to the brain—including smells, which in a matter of nanoseconds trigger emotions and memories, stirring up the subconscious in turn.
For Norwegian-born Sissel Tolaas, smell is a vital yet often overlooked tool for communication, and one she has been exploring through her work for more than three decades. She has devoted her research-based artistic practice to the olfactory rather than the visual or the auditory, thereby appealing to a different type of sensory experience with her projects. As Tolaas has noted, “My nose is more advanced than my eyes.”
One of the best things about Surface Design is their TEXTILE TALK series.
Textile Talks features weekly presentations and panel discussions from the International Quilt Museum, Quilt Alliance, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, Studio Art Quilt Associates, and Surface Design Association.
This episode highlights the themes, objects, and extravagant style of the exhibition Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle currently on view at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.
The exhibition is a solo presentation of the genre-defying artist Matthew Flower, better known as Machine Dazzle. A provocateur commanding an expanded repertoire of costume design, stagecraft, performance, and music, he is also a virtuoso practitioner of the visual language of queer maximalism.
Elissa Auther, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and the William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design, examine the ways in which Machine Dazzle counters the prejudices of high culture and transforms bodies through sculptural materials and ornamentation. SDA board member, Michael Sylvan Robinson moderates.
Fabulous Surfaces: Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle (MAD Museum and SDA)
I was recently asked if Meret Oppenheim’s fur-lined teacup, inspired Blackty Black Blanket.
According to the MOMA, Object was inspired by a conversation between Oppenheim, Pablo Picasso, and photographer Dora Maar at a Paris café. Admiring Oppenheim’s fur-trimmed bracelets, Picasso remarked that one could cover just about anything with fur. “Even this cup and saucer,” Oppenheim replied.
Blackty Black Blanket came about by completely by happenstance. I tossed a partially finished zip tie blanket onto the white chaise in my studio and turned around to work on the computer. Later when i got up to leave the room and saw the blanket draped on the chaise, I did a double take and knew the Chaise and blanket belonged together.
I lost a comfortable place in my studio to lounge but gained a subtle yet powerful way to communicate how discomforting microaggressions feel.
I grew up watching reruns of The French Chef, with my mom and tasting her culinary experiments. We use to spin the global and learn the recipes from wherever we landed. HBO Max’s series Julia Child has me reminiscing about the delicious aromas coming from my mom’s kitchen.
When the film, Julia and Julia came out, I bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol 1 and Vol 2 and have been working my way through both cookbooks ever since. Now McCarty has discovered the cookbooks and is trying a few recipes himself. Lucky me. `
I buy retired authentic nylon commercial fishing nets for my work. Most nets get approximately 2 years of use before they lose integrity from being torn and repaired too many times.
I find the flexibility of the grid, fascinating. Everytime I look, i see something different in the lines.
