A new year, and a great video of Ann Hamilton Event of Thread installation

It's been so long since I've last posted here, but it is one of my resolutions for this year to start blogging again, at least a couple times a month. I've been pinning a lot, but there is something numbing about the mass of images you find on Pinterest and I feel that I need to take the time to isolate what truly inspires me, and that is what this blog was supposed to be about. So here I am again.. And now that I've put it out there, there is no going back :)
You might have already seen this video of Ann Hamilton's installation at the Armory in NY last month, but it's so beautiful it's still worth posting.

You can read Hamilton's beautifully done statement here.

New Sheila Hicks Exhibition at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. - Apr 20 - May 25, 2012

Another trip to New York seems to be de rigueur for this newly opened exhibition of Sheila Hicks at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. in Chelsea, on view through May 25, 2012. It seems there will be some of her newer pieces that were not included in her retrospective last year, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what she's been up to.

You can read more about the show here and let me know if you get to see it before I do!

Pina by Wim Wenders

I absolutely LOVED the Pina movie by Wim Wenders; I was in total awe of Pina Baush's and her dancers' talent, their love and admiration for her, the impact she obviously had on all of them, the beauty and power of every scene which surely was  emphasized by Wim Wenders' own genius, the dresses, the humor, EVERYTHING...  Here are a couple of extracts but really, everything in the movie is so beautiful and moving, you must try to see it:

I couldn't think of a better tribute to her work. Loved, loved, loved..

Simon Shubert: Folded Paper

I have been into whites lately - not that I want to see any snow though...

German artist Simon Schubert made an edition of 100 views of a historic villa (in Germany? not sure as I can't read German but see here), folding paper:

all photos (c) Simon Schubert
found via the French Etsy blog here

Now that I think about it, may be he didn't fold the paper - could it be pressure from the back? Anybody speaks German out there? Help... Anyhow, pretty impressive no matter what.

Snapshots from London

Just got back to London late last night. We had a great time overthere, despite having very limited time to walk around the city, taking care of/ keeping company to some elderly relatives. So we stayed mainly in beautiful Islington where we still encountered a few treasures such as these bird houses:

Also went to the recently opened sewing store / cafe Ray Stitch, ran by some ex Selvedge employees:

Couldn't resist these strips of woven fabric which are in fact selvedges from the weaving shop Wallace + Sewell:

I'll probably turn them into pillow covers at some point.

Also got this postcard to post in my studio:

Voila... on these words, heading back to the studio!

November already?

It seems this fall is just flying by and I haven't had much time to post or follow what's going on out there.

Since I last wrote, my sister came to visit from France for 10 days, we had our first snow storm while trees still have leaves, I went to a great opening at the ICA where my friend Niho Kozuru  had a piece included in their  75th anniversary show,

(note: the piece shown is actually not the one shown in the show but I don't have a good picutre of her work there but that should vouch for the quality of her work..)

 I moved my studio to a slightly larger one & one floor up (photos to follow as soon as I can move around..), and I added a few new items to the shop such as those:

I'm looking forward to be settled in my new space to focus on new groupings.

Oh, and here's some eye candy from yesterday's NY Times:

17th Century Tantric drawings

The book looks amazing -you can order it or see more drawings there.

Ok, gotta to go unpack my boxes.. have a good week everyone!

Sati Zech (German, b. 1958)

I have my mind on Berlin because we decided to go around Thanksgiving (yippeee..), so what better time to post about artist Sati Zech, who I found somehow in blogland (via the Visual Influence blog?)..

“The thick, viscous red-hued paint shaped and scrapped upon strips of naked cloth emanates feelings of femaleness: her power and passion, her cycles and repetitions. The layering, the gluing, tearing and sewing all gives rise to the idea of labor specifically woman’s labor, a kind of thoughtful, painstaking never-ending work that manifests itself in tactile visions of strength, beauty, necessity, serendipity.

The objects are very much themselves, independent and unbeholden to any specific tradition, yet they contain the emotional dynamism of Louis Burgeois, the semantic materiality of Joseph Beuys, the subtle tactility of Eva Hesse and the symbolic charge of African art. "

Source: Howard Scott Gallery

I unfortunately can't read (or speak) German so I can't share much more, but the Howard Scott Gallery is representing her in New York and has some beautiful works on paper:

I find her work so lose and powerful. I've been so focused on making things for the Stich and Tickle store, I don't think I realized how much I miss making art. How beautiful they are..

See more of her work on her website here or at Howard Scott's gallery website there... Way too beautiful for words.


And if you can recommend anything good to see in Berlin or London in November, let me know!

Miscellaneous treats..

As I started toying with Tumblr and Pinterest in the past few weeks, I've barely had the time to check the my usual favorites, and boy did it feel refreshing to find so much good stuff out there! I am still debating if Tumbler & Pinterest are for me, since it has you browse through millions of images to find a few good ones, and time is so limited...

Anyhow, here are a few of my recent finds from some of the blogs I check regularly:

A beautiful blanket or textile photographed by Carline van Oel via the always inspiring blog Jokemijn

Which led me to discover Carline's blog, Pompoon, where I found pics of the new Mina Perhonen  collection which I wish I was wearing right now:

Via Alabama Chanin, I found this beautiful movie on the making of linen, which I have yet to finish watching...


BE LINEN MOVIE from Benoit MILLOT on Vimeo.

Natalie wants to make one on cotton and I have no doubt she will.. because who wouldn't want her to make one when she can do this with cotton t-shirt material:

And by the way, on top of designing new collections, being a mom, making a third book, she's going through a serious detox to make her look even more fabulous.. (so what's a little film about cotton...)

Ok, that's really only a few but I have to get into the studio and do some work so have a good week end everyone

Lari Washburn: Daily Drawing - The Gallery at Spencer Lofts, Chelsea, MA

I'm delighted & very excited to have Lari Washburn's first solo show here at the Gallery at Spencer Lofts. Over a year ago, Lari started planning for this show setting out to make a drawing a day. This exhibition shows  a selection of the body of work she produced during this past year, adhering to that routine.  Her work evolved significantly from sketchbook doodles, whimsical monkey drawings to large abstact paintings.  You can read more about her process on her blog here, under Drawing Project.

The show  looks amazing: come see it, it opens this Saturday, September 10, 2011, from 6-8pm.
Directions here. 

Caroline Swift Ceramic and Glass Work

I have a soft spot for bone china because it looks so delicate, often almost translucent, yet quite resistant. I particularly love it when it's unadorned like the pieces Caroline Swift makes:

(c) Caroline Swift - Bone china spoons

(c) Caroline Swift - Bone china bowls

I want them all! And what better way to present them.. love the simlicity of it all. So pure. She also makes these beautiful installation in glass:

(c) Caroline Swift - Hanging Sculpture - Glass

(c) Caroline Swift - Hanging glass sculpture

(c) Caroline Swift - Hand painted glass bauble

See more on her website here (you can even buy them there :)

Oooooooooohhh - and.. the thing about Tumblr..

Just found that picture of this amazing installation on Tumblr at Design is for Living. I love the airiness / bubbliness of it all.. BUT was totally unable to find who it's by... That's the thing about Tumblr... I started using it (see the Stitch and Tickle Tumblr page here) because it's an amazing (mindblowing?) database of images that allows you to re-post so easily BUT (again), it's so easy that often you can't find where it's coming from - and two hours later, you've lost two perfectly good hours in Tumblrland... instead of making / creating  something...

Anyhow, check it out (click here to scroll down or there for the archive) and let me know what you think. Where do you look for inspiration? Do you prefer Pinterest? Wishpot? What do you use the most? Would love to hear from you. I also need to plan some advertising for the store on various blogs and websites this fall - which do you like the most or think would be the best fit?  I could really use your input!

Ann Weber Cardboard Sculptures

Every time I walk past a pile of cardboard on the sidewalk I think I've got to figure out something to do with that waste... California based sculptor Ann Weber makes these gigantic sculptures out of cardboard boxes:

All photographs (c) Ann Weber

Love the scale...

Weber has a ceramic background but started working in cardboard to avoid the "cumbersome process of clay" and after seeing Frank Gehry's cardboard furniture. 

She is featured in Hand/Eye Magazine online this week:  

"In building her sculptures, Weber uses three simple tools: a stapler, box cutter and shellac. Most of the cardboard she uses have been found in dumpsters and when asked about the size of her pieces she simply replies, “I'm interested in how big you can make something before it collapses.” Her process is simple: Weber cuts the cardboard into strips and then weaves them into podlike shapes. To hold them together she staples the strips, adds a coat of shellac or polyurethane. For heavier and sturdier pieces she forgoes the shellac and bronzes the structures". Piece of cake :)

Read more on Hand/Eye online here or visit her webiste there.  And think twice next time you put those boxes in the recycle bin..

In love with Jellyfish..

From the Aquarium in Boston today - just stunning...

And these:

remind me of those (hair installation by Nance Davies)