Chile Celebrate Bicentennial with Craft

I am spending a month in Chile, where I spent the first six years of my life. It just so happens that I decided to come, with my mother and sister, during Chile’s celebration of their 200^thanniversary of their independence from Spain. To celebrate, we went to a fonda (a Chilean party which celebrates the day of their independence). There were a few fondas happening at the same time around Santiago but the one I went to was at Parque Ines de Suarez in Providencia (located in the north-east section of the capital). Through out the park were booths featuring Chilean artisans from different parts of the country with their specialized crafts. One was able to find jewelry, clothing, woodcraft, toys, leatherwork, etc. The party also had traditional Chilean food, sweets, dancing and everything you want for a celebration!

Refurb-chic

I just finished a chair that I reupholstered for a friend. It’s a french bergere chair that she inherited from her grandmother. She picked a fabric the is similar to an ikat design, but the design is printed rather than woven to the pattern. I kept the finishing detail the same as the original one, double piping with the same ikat-like print. It’s not your typical design for a bergere but it gives it a contemporary look for a traditional piece of furniture.

Here's another version of the same idea on decor pad.

It's All About The Way You L.H.O.O.Q.

I went to the new MoMA for the first time this weekend since it relocated in 2004. Despite the mass of people at the museum, which emulate America's obsession with assemblage, I was able to view Gabriel Orozco's exhibition before closing March 1st. Gabriel Orozco is a Mexican artist who finds beauty in the normality of our surroundings. The show gave you a retrospect of his work since he first emerged into the art world in the early 1990s. Orozco resists from confining himself to one medium, instead he uses his eye as an apparatus to discover beautiful composition and abandoning common conceptions of “what is art”. Much like Duchamp pushed the limits of what is considered art by altering the composition of an everyday object (Fountain, 1917), so does Orozco with a poetic and less abrasive approach. Like a photographer he discovers the art in something by manipulating the way you look at it discovering a beautiful composition rather than making it.

In his series, First Was The Spitting I-IV, 1993, Orozco experiment with chance and restricted control of mark-making to create beautiful compositions. And other pieces such as, My Hands Are My Heart really show the honesty of his work where these pieces resemble a sophisticated version of what a child might create.

Fairy Takes It to the Grammys

Are we really taking it this far with mainstream exposure. It is true that Shepard Fairey's work was always inspired by music, even as a student. In a sense, designing the official artwork for the Grammys could be considered coming full circle - but I'm not convinced.

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed...

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091202006384&newsLang=en

Table Fights!

This year was my first time seeing Table Fights during ICFF weekend in Manhattan. Table fights is artists and designers who make fully automated, remote controlled tables and fight each other. The table designs are fully characterized like cage fighter and are given names such as Mean Maniac, Deer America and Punch-a-matic. This table fight event was developed by the creative minds of Shaun Bullens and Annie Adams who graduated from the furniture design master program at RISD. Below are some images of the event!

2 Legit 2 Quit

The young artist collaborative Bonic Tonic that is based in Springs, NY had their show this weekend “2 Legit 2 Quit” in Ashawague Hall. This show featured artists who grew up in Springs and have now returned to their hometown and have built their own art community in the town where the most influential painters (Jackson Pollock and Willam de Kooning) of the century settled in the 1950s. The Bonic Tonic consists of refreshing artist such as: Grant Haffner, Carly Haffner (above), Elizabeth Karsch; and first timers with art collective, Christian Little and Charles Ley.

The two pieces pictured above are by Grant Haffner. His painting resemble visuals of the road and wires as they appear while riding in a car. The Calder-like sculptures in the show are a new addition to his body of work as he is primarily a painter.

New comer, Christian Little's work has a Edward Gowery illustrations, which I was particularly drawn to.

I OBEY Giant

I first came to find out about Shepard Fairey during my freshman year at RISD when I saw the OBEY sticker that had placed him on the map on graffiti art. I was educated by a friend on the brief history of this artist and the massive attention this one sticker that displayed Andre the Giant. He pioneered graffiti art and introduced guerilla art to a larger audience. I’ve always been interested in art where the subject matter is a commentary on pop culture.

There is a current show in the ICA (The Institute of Contemporary Art) that I was able to visit this weekend while I was in Boston. The show exhibits a range of work from the contemporary and sometimes controversial graphic artist, Shepard Fairey. Fairey has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, which seemed to have come overnight with the image of the century, the iconic “Hope” portrait which pictures our current president, Barack Obama (image above). It displays Obama looking out into the distance with a look of optimism, the image has become such a strong statement for our historic year of change. The image also exhibited Fairey to the mainstream audience, although Fairey has been making work since the early 1990s. His first piece which gained mass recognition in the art world was a campaign sticker her designed while he was studying at RISD.

Pieces also featured in the show…