Crafting.

The other day I was clumsy enough to elbow and Ikea mug full of hot coffee onto the floor. After the mess was assessed and dealt with, I was left with three large pieces of mug that I normally would have tossed into the trash. Those were the old days. In the new days I am reduced to a material-starved art student, and thus, the pieces sat on my window sill for days until I realized what I would do with them. 


All I knew was that I was in need of a bedside lamp. So to same myself a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond (aka hell), I decide to take a page out of Jeff Carter's book and use Ikea products in sculpture. 


Here is some of his work:

This table is hooked up to a motor that makes it undulate like waves in the ocean. Brilliant.

Here's mine:

Miike Snow

Kills it. Check his rcrdlbl page for some tasty (free) tidbits.

Bahaha

Stuff Hipsters Hate.

One hell of a dame

Djuna Barnes.

Excerpt from "View From The 'L'"

The frail mosaic on her window

Facing starkly toward the street

Is scribbled there by tipsy sparrows—

Etched there with their rocking feet.

Is fashioned too, by every beat

       Of shirt and sheet.

Sill her clothing is less risky

Than her body in its prime,

They are chain-stitched and so is she

Chain-stitched to her soul for time.

Ravelling grandly into vice

Dropping crooked into rhyme.

Slipping through the stitch of virtue,

       Into crime.

Film?

Ellen Rogers, a London based fashion photographer is one of the few remnants of the analogue world. Her photos are manipulated exclusively in darkroom process and remain untouched by digital means. Yeah. I know.

Kate Gibb

Knows how to screen print. Oh, and she has a blog  too.

Occurences

Unicorn Kid. This 17 year old scottish techno phenom made for an interesting time at the Metro. He has a great fuzzy lion hat though.

One of my favorite stops.

Sewing fun.

Francoise Nielly

I want to eat her paintings. Check her out.

Dig this.

Siggi Eggertsson

When I'm in desperate need of a little illustrative inspiration, I always like to check out Big Active. They are an illustration and design firm with a really talented group of people, their blog is always full of tidbits including this flash video of recent works by Siggi Eggertsson -- amazing illustrator extraordinaire. So great. Enjoy.

A Growing Pile of Work from Siggi Eggertsson on Vimeo.

Get your print on.

I don't care what digital ways you preach, nothing can replace a great screen print. Here are a few people who do it right.

White Rabbit

Alison Rose

Beetnik Aesthetic

Urban Posture

Photosynthesis

Sonnenzimmer

Vahalla

Anne Arden McDonald

Especially in today's multilayered, multitasked environment, even artists no longer dwell in singular disciplines. Especially here at SAIC it's not about what you specialize in, it's how much you specialize in. We've become a world of dabblers. A prime example of this is Anne Arden McDonald. I was first blown away by her jewelry -- natural and organic forms I found very unique. But then went I went to her site, I realized that she was not a jeweler or a photographer or a sculptor or a talented eye in the world of contemporary installation. She is all these things. And you should see it for herself. There's a reason she'd an out of business cards by the time I stumbled into her booth.

Notebookers unite

For those known for their incessant need to record in their Moleskine, good news is here. Randl / Chikabird, a handmade clothing and accessory company creates wallets, refillable notebook covers, and screen-printed clothing for everyone. And they have an Etsy store, so geography is no longer an excuse.

About time

In hopes of remedying my ghost-town of a blog, I am now back on the post train. Finally settled in the city (after what three weeks?) I find it is time to share some of the experiences I've been having and some of the things I've seen.

The highlight of my day today was the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago's Wicker Park. For those who missed, I'll give a short summary (and some great links) to enjoy.