Mark Bradford

I recently watched Season Four of PBS's ART 21 (Art in the 21st century) and I can not stop thinking about the artist Mark Bradford. He is a charming, excitable, and well versed but easy to understand artist from California. Language is a common theme in his work, and the variety of ways in which he understands language, through painting, collage/de-collage and performance are all very interesting to me. I really enjoy the simple yet really complicated way in which he discusses his affliction with language. Perhaps this is why he is included on the paradox section of the show. I also really enjoy how he talks about how being a maker is such a big part of what he does. I think I am going to show my class this segment and get them excited this week. Last full week of classes for the semester! Wahoo!

You can watch the full length segment here. Its only about 20 minutes and he is the first to go. Well worth the time! Check him out! Make sure you watch his video at the end. I think that is my favorite part.

Lesley Dill at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Leslie Dill
Word Queen of Poetry
wire, steel
74 x 59 x 22

I just heard about an amazing show at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center called American Story. The show brings together artists who attempt to define the American Identity. Fifteen artists from all backgrounds fill the center with work that ranges from a Navajo Medicine Man to a Cuban artist whose work is banned even from his own country, this show looks to be an insightful critic on claim of identity. Considering the potency of immigration, globalization and cultural identity in contemporary art, this show looks to be a nice comment in the conversation.

I was made aware of this show because of the work of Lesley Dill, who is a New York artist who makes work that deals specifically with language and the metaphoric possibilities of language. Also considered in Dill's work is emotion, the body, clothing, adornment, poetry and communication all together. This sounds like an amazing show. I think I will have to go on Friday, it seems I just can't miss this one.

Jigs

I have just about finished my first 5 pieces for my jewelry line for Frankie's class. I have a few rings and a set of earrings and I really wanted to make a chain of molars but didn't want to fabricate them individually so I made a jig! It works really well too. My first jig! I'm so excited.

After making my jig I started to wonder, is working with a jig considered an industrial process? I feel like it is but I've only seen it on a handmade scale, with artists like Arthur Ganson who has this great jig to construct the gears he uses in his kinetic sculptures, which you can see here.




After looking for images of industrial jigs I found this great image from a company that specializes in making industrial jigs. And I realized... Of course jigs are an industrial process! So many industrial processes that I love watching on shows like Mr. Rodgers (waaaay back in the day) and How it's made, are nothing but a series of jigs working together! Yeah Industrial Processes!

Check out this fun how its made on how balloons are made. I love this balloon jig.

Tobias Alm

I have been looking at jewelry again, and I've found Swedish Jeweler, Tobias Alm. I really love the freedom of his work. I also feel like the neckpieces would sit very well on the body. Looking at work from Jeweler's in Europe makes me wonder about the differences between an American and European Jeweler. Especially after working with Ruudt Peters in a workshop a few weeks ago, I feel like European jewelry is more about material exploration. It seems there are many many more artists who create compilations of material discoveries in one piece of work, which are completely toxic and captivating, but it makes me think about concept. Is that their concept? What role does concept play in the work of European artists and if they have the coveted work, why does concept play such a key role in American work?






I also went to SOFA Chicago this weekend and I got to see the new series, Pink Years Later, from German Artist, Iris Eichenberg. OH EM GEE!! I love love LOVE her work so much, so to see her new series in person first was so striking, considering the image is where I would normally see it first. She's working with pantyhose, satin, clumpings of little pink beads, and other seductive textures, yum! The work is so new that I can't even find images of it online anywhere, but it is so lovely. I have a postcard which I wont let out of my grubby hands anytime soon, so I will try to scan it and add it later, but hopefully she will put up images on her website soon. Its possible that images will pop up on her gallery site, Ornamentum Gallery soon as well.

Mud Stencils

Jesse Graves, an undergraduate Jewelry and Metalsmithing student at UWM has been working with mud stencils for quite some time now. He creates graffiti messages, which often have a socially conscious and potentially political agenda, with mud instead of paint. Its a great idea, and I'm excited to see it appear on one of my favorite blog, Free People. He has instructions on exactly how to create your own mud stencils, and video of past projects he has done with the just seeds organization and artist Nicolas Lampert. Great Job Jesse! I'm dying to know what's next.

Smart Upcycle

I really loved this article from Sustainabrew about a completely appropriate reuse of materials. In 2006 when the Blatz Brewery building was busily being converted into condos they found bunches of Blatz bottles in the basement, and instead of just chucking them, they designed them into the building. I haven't been to see this, but its in Milwaukee, so I'd love to go check it out sometime. The bottles have been crafted into dividers between rooms and window accents which transform them into the most chic beer bottles I think I've ever seen. I love that the bottles were found there, and they found a beautiful way to present them, honoring the past of the building.