Textile Tuesdays: Texprint 2011

I've always been amazed by those at the forefront of design. Especially in mediums that have been around for centuries, like textiles. Yesterday I checked out the Texprint 2011 designers. Texprint features 24 recently graduated textile designers with the hope of exposing them to the industry and, well, showing the world how phenomenal they are. Visit their site and their Flickr photostream to see more images of all these truly talented designers.

If you are looking for bling in a new way, then you will like Abigail Gardiner's work. Visit her site here for more of her beautiful work.

Winner of the Texprint 2011 Color Prize, Chloe Hamblin is another favorite of mine. I am blown away by the intricacy of weaving in her work. Visit the Chelsea Degree Show site for more amazing work.

 The fantastic imagination of Emma Shipley is evident in these textiles, all from original sketches of her own. So maybe Gorilla rib cages aren't your thing. Boy are you missing out! Emma has a fantastic site where she sells these designs on Pashminas, silk Georgette scarves, and silk twill scarves. She has won several awards for her work.

Lauren Bowker has developed a way to make clothes that change and live. For her recent project, PHNX, she used a technique she developed, where she uses thermal chromatic dyes. In her own words:

 "I have embarked upon a journey to visualize, control and construct a piece that constantly evolves, lives and dies in front of our eyes. Through the expansion of many types of ink, I have developed an original take on dynamic chromic imaging. using focused thermal beams, sequentially controlled through computer software to allow my pieces to take on lives of their own. "

To see this technique in real time, check out the video on her site, PHNX.

Finally, I loved the tribal designs of Marie Parsons. I cannot seem to find a site for her, but thank you to Amelia's Magazine, for the photo of her fantastic trunk. Again, Texprint is the best source for these images and more of her work.

Happy Textile Tuesday!

Art Basel 2011

Hi creatives! Did you have a wonderful weekend? I spent mine visiting Art Basel, a huge art festival that takes Miami Beach by storm each year. Art Basel consists of "more than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa...showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries." It's an overwhelming and incredible experience, and this was the third year I was lucky enough to go.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Untitled by Barry McGee, 2011, paint on panel in 20 parts, Cheim & Reid Gallery

2. Girl, Girl on a Globe by Yinka Shonibare, 2009, dutch wax printed cotton textile and globe, James Cohan Gallery

3. Empty Voices by Octavio Schipper, 2011, acoustic foam and cast bronze shapes, Anita Schwartz Gallery

4. Seal Box by Alan Shields, 1984-85, watercolor, thread on handmade paper, Greenberg Van Doren Gallery

I was so excited to finally see a piece by Yinka Shonibare. I've been a major fan for years. There were so many others that they all sort of blur together. I am hoping at some point this subterfuge in my head will steady and stop, and then I can sift through all I saw and show you more. This year was truly fantastic!

Creative Candy: Crochet Coral Reefs

I had to take a quick moment to feature the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: a project started by twin sisters Christine and Margaret Wertheim. Not only have they crocheted their own coral reef that travels the globe, but they've inspired several satellite projects in various communities.

Link: Cal Arts, photograph by Dagnija Griezne of the Latvian Coral Reef

I first discovered the project in the July issue of Australian Vogue Living, where they were highlighting a community of people at RiAus in Adelaide, that had done just that.

Link: Institute for Figuring, Latvian Coral Reef

The sisters are co-founders of the Institute for Figuring, and their project began, as they would put it, "as an experiment in modeling hyperbolic mathematical space." How could you not love that?

Link: Cal Arts, photograph of Hyperbolic Coral Reef at the Smithsonian Institute

See the terrific video on TED to hear straight from the source this terrific idea that has become a global phenomenon.

To my fellow readers in the United States, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I am 30!  I believe this is the age when I start behaving like a serious grown-up! No thank you. I'd rather play and love and not take things too seriously (the brows must be told not to furrow so)! Here's a terrific idea by Jenny at The Sweetest Occasion for DIY Party Animal Candles:

I would swap out the spray paint and use an edible paint to be on the safer side...perhaps a metallic cake paint? But otherwise, I love how exotic these are!

Mobile Madness

I can't believe how many wonderful mobiles there are! They're not just for babies anymore. I love this new trend of using them as centerpieces for a dining table, especially for celebrations. It's nice for those of us who don't have a chandelier or an outlet nearby. You can place them anywhere you like! Here are my favorites from Pinterest:

1. Modern Mobile: himmeli no. 1 by AMradio on Etsy

2. DIY Yarn ball Mobile featured on spearmintbaby.com

3. Modern Mobile on marthastewart.com

4. Mobile from Lonny, featured on livelovesmall.com 

Here's a simple DIY mobile project using colored vellum by projectwedding.com:

And another great idea using embroidery hoops, found at Real Simple:

And one hip mobile for baby made of leather by thelittletiny:

It's got my head gently bobbing and spinning over how simple and beautiful mobiles are. 

Time to make my own!

Source: slownoodle.com via Amber on Pinterest

Creative Candy: Richard Saja

Happy Friday, Creatives! Today's creative candy is about Richard Saja, whose work I just saw featured in November's Elle Decor Magazine. 

I would describe Richard Saja's work as "thread graffiti": and I mean that in the best possible way. Saja stitches fantastic mohawks, clown faces, and burning homes over the angelic face of the picnicking bourgeoisie on classic french toile de Juoy. I've always loved the artist who can re-imagine a classic. Mr. X Stitch (so on the ball) interviewed him in 2010, and you can read that interview here. You can also follow Richard Saja's work on his blog, Historically Innacurate. Prepare to use the word "fabulous" a lot.

I am most impressed with his glow-in-the-dark projects and they have an interesting connection to his childhood: 

"My grandfather and I used to put together monster kits that came with two sets of faces, hands, and feet--one gray, the other glow-in-the-dark. The thread gives me my color fix, even when the lights go out."

And did I mention he paired with Opening Ceremony last year to create these limited editioin toile Keds?

My mind has been thoroughly delighted. Have a terrific weekend!

Creative Candy: Devorah Sperber

One of my aims with Don't Sew Angry is to highlight artists who are utilizing embroidery, yarn crafts, and needlework to create exceptional and intriguing pieces of modern art. I was stunned by these works by Devorah Sperber, who uses the actual spools of thread as her palette to recreate famous works of  art. She treats the spools as pixels. My favorite part might just be the "viewing ball", which accounts for why the images are installed upside down.

Before Warhol by Devorah Sperber, 701 spools of thread, 2010

After the Mona Lisa 8 by Devorah Sperber, 1482 larger spools of thread, 2010 

Sperber explains in her artist's statement:

"I am interested in the link between art, science, and technology, how the eyes and brain prioritize, and reality as a subjective experience vs. an absolute truth. As a visual artist, I cannot think of a topic more stimulating and yet so basic, than the act of seeing--how the human brain makes sense of the visual world...

After The Last Supper by Devorah Sperber, 20,736 spools of thread, 2007

When the top (or brain) is convinced it knows what it is seeing (in this case, initially fixating on what appears to be a random arrangement of thread spools), the bottom level of data (the recognizable portrait) is overruled. This may explain why my use of thread spools create such a jolt or 'WOW" experience when the viewer finally sees the representation imagery in the viewing sphere, as the brain abruptly shifts focus from the individual spools to the whole recognizable image."

After The Last Supper by Devorah Sperber, 20,736 spools of thread, 2007

I particularly love how she places the acrylic viewing balls on the eyes of her portraits, which makes them look like they are viewing you just as much as you are viewing them.

After Renoir by Devorah Sperber, 5,024 spools of thread, 2006

After van Eyck by Devorah Sperber, 5,024 spools of thread, 2006

After Vermeer 2 by Devorah Sperber, 5,024 spools of thread, 2006

viewing spheres from the eye-centered series

Creative Candy: Fine Cell Work

I first discovered Mr. X Stitch while floating about on Craftster, where he has been highlighting some fantastic needlework artists as a guest contributor. This led me to his own blog: a haven for all sorts of edgy needle artists. My favorite project highlighted on his blog is a charity named Fine Cell Work. Fine Cell Work sells tattoo-inspired pillows, handmade by prisoners in the UK. I love the way these look, but even more so, I appreciate the incredible meaning behind these works, which provide a small income to prisoners, as well as a much-needed creative outlet.

Fine Cell Work explains that participation in this program provides the following benefits to the prisoners:

    *Improved mental health and social skills

    *Promotion of a calm state of mind.

    *The passing of time productively

    *A strong sense of achievement, pride and self-confidence.

    *A more positive outlook on their future post-release.

What a beautiful solution.

Humble Material: Cardboard!

Trees from toilet paper rolls by Yuken Teruya

Now and then I revisit an old love, cardboard, to see where it's going and what people are doing with it now. Can I even begin to count the many ways I love this humble material? It's got structure, it's got malleability, it can crumple or hold a person, depending on it's configuration. It has purpose (we make boxes out of it), and then it can be re-purposed. That brown has been a symbol of gift-giving and fort-building since as long as cardboard boxes existed.

Needless to say, I fell in love with cardboard when I first saw this iconic chair by Frank Gehry:

Frank Gehry, Wiggle Chair, 1972

I'm very pleased to find the cardboard design world is still thriving and striving to save the world through recycling genius. There are vases, book cases, sofas, coffee tables, and yes, even beds made of cardboard! 

created from Eric Guiomar's cardboard creation program, 2009

Radiolarian Sofa designed by Richard Sweeney in collaboration with Lazerian

Most recently, however, I've noticed the use of tubing more and more. I found this pair of designers from Argentina, who make furniture for their brand, Pomada, from reclaimed industrial tubing.

The designers, Bruno Sala and Antonela Dada, have won several awards this year for their outstanding work:

Named Chupitos, or "Shots", these little stools are terrific! Love the Chevron.

Another favorite of mine is Anastasia Elias, whose toilet-paper rolls are brilliant. They really touch my heart in a simple way. The lighting behind them casts a terrific glow:

Grand Nord. Renne, Cutting by Anastasia Elias, 2010

 And finally, having made displays for retail, I have total appreciation for this store installation, designed by Suppose Design, in Japan:

It's terrific to see cardboard growing as a more widely accepted material in design. I hope it continues and someday we see cardboard furniture in all our homes!

Creative Candy: Camilo Rojas & David Garcia

While doing my usual searching and pinning through the interwebs, I came across this simple and powerful window installation for Macy's, created by designer and graphic artist Juan Camilo Rojas and David Garcia. Having done a few window displays where time was of the essence, I am always blown away by work that is so simple yet creates a huge impact. The pair decided this project was a terrific time to work with typography. As Juan writes about the project, "This year I have worked on a lot of typography projects, trying to take them out of a display or a sketch book into a 3D level using different materials."

The pair used 3,000 yards of yarn and pins. For more fantastic projects by Juan Camilo Rojas, visit his design site, Create. His work with cola-rusted nails was also one of my favorites.