Check out these people being all like "YEAH!" about color. It's pretty... groovy, I guess, would be a fair description.
So how crazy is it that right after I watched this video, I saw this lamp in a totally unrelated catalog? I think the people who made the poured paint pedestals should immediately turn them into lamp posts. That would be the coolest.
You know what's also the coolest?
Obviously I love everything about this frog ring, except the $5,500 price tag. That's totally offensive, Lucifer Vir Honestus. Go suck an egg. Your name is quite fitting, for you are the ring devil. Is that seriously a giant block of real turquoise? I'm going to go to Toys 'R' Us, where they have little rubber animal figurines -- no, scratch that, I'm going to find an ERASER in the shape of a frog and superglue it to a plastic ring. Boom, same effect. Plus, I can totes do a crossword. How does that egg taste now, Luce?
This message has been brought to you by the end of the day after a long weekend.
I said maybe, alright? We don't know. The state refuses to give this man a DNA test. You can read about it on Gawker, with words from death row inmate Brett Hartmann himself.
But what Gawker missed out on is that this guy's "art" is actually a bunch of horrible, embarrassing tchotchke craftwork. Too bad he's not selling on Etsy, because you know Regretsy would be all over his case. (Also, please don't tell Brett Hartmann I said any of this, in case he is exonerated and then comes over to my house to chop off all my toes and stab needles into my eyes.)
Some art:
Some disturbingly shank-like art:
Some art that scares me because oh my god I totally painted a seal just like this in 4th grade and holy shit does that mean that some day I'm going to snap and go on a violent rampage?:
Officially creeped out. Go see the rest for yourselves.
This first one kind of creeps me out a little? It's definitely not supposed to. It's really cool, especially when she starts "swimming."
Here's another, reminding us all how insanely annoying it is to watch someone else play Tetris. Idiot!
I'm pretty sure this beard growing one is going around, but man, I need to harp on it. All stop motion videos are outrageously tedious to make, but this one took an entire year of dedication. And how did he line himself up so well day by day? I'm impressed.
Alright, is all of this getting a little dull? Let's end it on awesome:
Seeing as the last Clam Jam was kind of a cop-out, what with there being no video and all, I thought I'd roll out with the next one, stat.
It is bright and crisp and breezy and beautiful today, and so is this song. If you don't love it, we can't be friends. I mean it.
Plus the video is so tiiight!!
The band is Hjaltalín, showing us once again that Iceland is where it's AT. Want proof? Check out the Iceland Music Export. Plus they have hot springs and shit, so beat that.
Update: I literally emailed the band about 5 minutes ago, and they already got back to me. Seriously, Iceland, why are you so awesome? The artist who did the video is Hermann Karlsson .
This is me with a Werra 1 35 mm with a Tessar 2,8/50 lens:
This camera is so badass. Made in 1950s, communist-controlled East Germany, it came out remarkably well made and attractive, and it probably overheard at least three people talk about the Gulag while it was still in the factory! And guys, you should hear the sounds it makes when you snap a shot and wind the film. It's like going back in time, without having to become a repressed house wife.
The best thing is, the camera takes straight up 35mm. It is just standing the test of time so well. It makes me a proud German. überproud.
Perhaps you're wondering how I could be so lucky as to get my paws on this little sex-machine of a gadget. It is all thanks to the seriously, mind-blowingly cool Levi's Photo Workshop. I don't understand how they make everything so free, accessible and awesome, but they do it. Let me give you a run down of the kind of Funland production they have going on down on Wooster Street:
There are about 40 vintage cameras like my beloved Werra, spanning several decades and a world wide range of manufacturers. For a $100 or $200 deposit, you can take the camera of your choice out on the town for 24 hours and take all the pictures your heart desires. Return it, and get the full deposit back. It is so deliciously f-r-e-e, free. Bonus: put down your deposit on Sunday, like I did, and get the camera for 48 hours, because the workshop is closed on Mondays. Huzzah! (what's with that?)
They also have GIANT photo printers, also for free. Just burn your digital pictures on to a CD and get on the queue. (Warning: it's usually about an hour wait, and they tend to run out of larger paper, so get in early!) You can print pictures on paper up to 30 x 40 inches. That's an honest-to-god poster of your artsy fartsy photos, for free. And that's just down right incredible.
You can also go in and have an artsy fartsy photo shoot. You guessed it -- for free. They have all these wild cameras and lighting and back drops, for which I know absolutely zero terminology, and you can just go to town with your inner model/designer/Andy Warhol self. When I popped in, there were chicks dressed as goth bunnies with peacock tails strutting around for the camera. So, yeah, do what you want.
There's a cute little photo booth (see pictures above) that you can hop in front of for free as well. And if you're not so selfish like me, you can leave your pictures there, and they'll go in a "yearbook" which will be produced when the work shop ends.
So... duh, you're going, right? The workshop is going on until December 18th. Basically, it will be taking over my life until then. Also, look what I found on eBay that I am about to blow a bunch of money on:
God, Werra, I love you so, so much. Update clearly coming when I get my film developed.
As some of you may know, September 26 to October 9 was a whirlwind of birthday celebrations. Most importantly, it was Gary Busey's very first birthday! And he hated his cake so, so much.
Thankfully, Sarah Tosh is a master of scissors and glue, and is the craftiest craft queen I have ever seen. Someone should probably hire her over at Kate's Paperie (because then I could get a bunch of cool free stuff and be the craftiest craft queen in training).
Look at this card she made for a cat!
It even folded from the top like a real card, and was filled with giant neon bubble letters -- Gary's favorite.
Now, as you also may know, Gary is much, much more popular than me, and had a lot more guests at his birthday than I did. But don't worry! Sarah and her paper skillz came to the rescue and made sure I was not to be outdone. First she brought me 70 glowsticks and a tiara. And THEN, she brought me this:
It's a real live card rendition of me, wearing the tiara she brought! It even has green glitter eyeshadow on, just like me!
This is nothing less than incredible. And that's that.
This Saturday, Redu had a pop-up art show in NYC to raise awareness about how god awful the school system is in the U.S. It was called Re:form School, and it was pretty damn great.
Over 150 artists participated, and I didn't take the time to learn a single one of their names. This was partially because it was my birthday, a time when my brain totally shuts down to all information aside from the names of exotic new shots I can get people to buy me, and partially because I went to a god awful U.S. school, and therefore don't learn too good.
At least I managed to take pictures...
First of all, there was this giant clam painting. It's a clam using a computer. I like to think he's working on this blog.
There was also a pretty sweet bus made from reclaimed materials taken out of an old school. You can also watch a video of it being made, and hear the artist get all deep and shit. (Oh, hey, his name's Eric Otto! Education system win!)
For those of you who like infographics, this one is a littel surprising. California and New York have only 50-66 percent of high school students graduating? Maybe we should stop talking so much smack about the south...
Um, this next one was neon shapes. That's about all I got. (Neon shapes followed by two more pictures I have nothing to say about except a plebeian, "cool.")
This amazing 15-foot plus mural was made of kids' cut up school work. You can see some unused pages on the floor.
This was pretty crazy too, especially considering it was part of a 30 second time stop animation made entirely of moving thumb tacks. This is only two panels of a board that spanned the room. It also defines "tedious."
After all the daytime shenanigans, we were pretty pooped. Realizing the show must go on, or that we must go on with the never ending show, it was back on the streetz for some more crazy art fun time. Bonus points -- there's a playground at the end.
Wait, wait, wait holy shit I just remembered an amazing part of phase one that can not go unrecognized!! You're psyched, right? Check it:
That is bona fide baby scented air freshener. I bet it smells like pampers and wide-eyed wonder. I also bet at least 18 babies had to die to make this one can. The guy behind the counter wouldn't sell it to me -- too precious, to be sure -- but he did spray it on his finger and smell it for me, which is clearly the best of all awkward consolations possible.
Ok, onto the night!
Seeing as Nuit Blanche is a giant, international homage to the night and things that glow in it, we clearly had to wear blinking necklaces and party rats. This in and of itself is a highlight. A highlight that happens constantly throughout life. So get used to it.
While Greenpoint's (and NYC's) first foray into the celebration wasn't as intense as what the kids are doing over there in Europe, it was still a pretty good time, and I got all googly-eyed at least twice. Like when I saw Light Harvest's giant projection wall. I have a video, but it kind of sucks, because I couldn't whip out my camera in time to catch the amazing optical illusion of a bird trapped in a cage. I guess you'll just have to spend the next 4 seconds wondering and wishing you were there. Here's what I did catch:
Also of note is the fact that this whole thing was put together in three days, according to the guy manning the projector that I spent at least eight minutes tracking down. It was about twenty minutes of looped footage, all perfectly aligned to make the building fuck with your mind.
We also found these giant poky things! Made by Norman Mooney:
And another optical illusion!
Another huge highlight here was when Ian tried to be as awesome as me, like this:
But then got told by some random Asian dude that his fly was actually down. Then he looked like this:
And the one thing I don't have any pictures of, because no shoes or bags were allowed inside (special thanks to Ian for holding all our stuff): A giant bouncy, gymnastics gym for adults! Yes! I played on a trampoline, balance beam and parallel bars with about 40 other wide-eyed big kids whose minds were collectively blown. And it turns out this place throws monthly parties, so it's time to mark your calendar and find a sweet new set of neon sweatbands.
Finally, I'm not quite sure what this is, but I definitely know it's a highlight.
Oh and I also found a few holes,
That second one is pretty incredible, no? I was tempted to go to the open house just to pay my compliments.
Is it ok to have an after glow from a low-key, daytime art event? This weekend was great on so many levels.
I would not hesitate to call yesterday's weather the best Brooklyn has seen in at least a year. There were several points throughout the day where I literally walked down the street with arms outstretched, face tilted toward the sun and eyes closed. I didn't even trip, or walk into moving traffic. Wait, that second thing almost happened, but then it was like the city was my guide dog. New York saves the day again!
Some highlights from phase one of our romp, which began at Oslo, consistent maker of the best iced mocha latte I have ever had, and ended at the northernmost tip of Brooklyn, where we bumped into Janusz, standing outside of an old factory-turned-studio space, next to a James Bond-style mini-plane, which it turns out is owned by his father. It was at the end of phase one that our jaws literally hit the floor. Janusz has access to a plane like this! For realz! And I am getting a ride no matter what it takes. I'm also kind of confused (offended?) it took me so long to figure this out. Whatevs. Grudges don't get you rides in planes.
Anyway, back to the highlights:
Jackie Hoving, whose studio is in the Pencil Factory, made these really hilarious/badass collage paintings. Basically my new life goal is to save up enough money to put a bid on these two. (Couldn't decide which was cooler: kaleidescope bear, or owl vs wolf laser eye stare down.)
Rossa Cole, also at the Pencil Factory, had a lot going on, from photography to model airplanes made out of sticks, but it all tied together with a clear perspective on social and environmental responsibility, lightened up with a healthy dose of wit and whimsy. Plus he's super nice and has the cutest daughter -- bonus points!
Allison Read Smith, at the GMDG Building (where Janusz's dad keeps his fancy shmancy flying machine), also had a wide range of work, with a whimsical take. Plus she gave us a beer, so we love her. Some standouts were her stop motion films, and this amazing new project where she's collaging the heads of people from vintage stamps onto butterflies, and hanging them in frames with magnifying glasses that dangle from the bottom, so you can interact with the details of each one. Also I'm an idiot and didn't take pictures of any of this. I did snag a shot of her "Thugs," of which there were a trail around the massive GMDG Building leading to her studio space. See a bunch more here.
Oh, and I found the greatest combination lamp-table on the planet at Kill Devil Hill.
Do I have to mention the Christmas List?
At the end of all this, we got freeee pizzas at Lulu's, (and a really sweet vintage map calendar on the street!) followed by the most heavenly of futon naps. Phase two to come later, when we trekked it all the way back to Greenpoint for the light show. Pretty thrilling, right?
I love Brooklyn. I love it so, so much, the way a mother loves her baby even when it's one of the ugly ones, with a weird birthmark and poorly proportioned nose, and maybe one of those laughs that go in instead of out. Because that baby is going to grow up with so much personality. And probably a sweet neck tattoo! Uh, and a PBR habit.
Yeah, so Brooklyn is my fucked up baby. And on weekends like this, it shines. Check out all the awesome things going on right outside my door!
I am going to be bar hopping and studio hopping and probably literally hopping with joy out on the streetz all day tomorrow. And there's going to be such a huge hipster parade, I won't even know what to do with myself. (Probably wear silly sunglasses and take pictures. Whatevs.) But then.... THEN... there's this:
Are you crapping? Because I'm crapping. This is everything I ever wanted in an event. Plus, I have a 50% chance of snagging some LED shoelaces, which are, by the way, the new number one item on my Christmas List.
Henry Darger was the kind of crazy that inspires curiosity and fascination, the kind that is gentle and reclusive--and only slightly reminiscent of people who wear other people as jackets. He escaped from an insane asylum at the age of 16; he was uncomfortable talking to people, but argued with himself in wild dialects and voices; and he produced over 35,000 pages of written works and art.
Henry Darger is arguably the most famous, if not at least the most prolific, outsider artist in history. Unable to relate to the world around him, and wrapped up alone in the world inside his mind, Darger spent 47 years creating the work he is most known for: a 15,145-page, single-spaced epic titled The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. (Should we all just take a moment to imagine producing 15,145 pages of fiction? How about an eight volume, 5,000 page autobiography? Because Darger did that too.)
He also produced hundreds of paintings to illustrate his tale, some of which were created on ten or twelve foot scrolls of butcher paper. With no training or money for supplies, Darger had to develop his own artistic techniques. He used a heavy collage style incorporating watercolor, clippings from print media, tracing techniques, and photo enlargement.
Warning: The more you look into the life Henry Darger, the more depressing the facts become, though digging deep is highly recommended. There's a documentary about him on Netflix you can play instantly, so three cheers for that, but don't be prepared to go put on your dancing shoes when you're done watching it or anything.
Darger's Workspace and Self-made Art Collection
Darger often used stamps as makeshift picture frames for his work.
Illustration of the Vivian Girls, about whom In the Realms of the Unreal was written.
Darger also depicted the Vivian Girls in collage.
Depiction of a Glandelinnian/Vivian Girl/Blengin battle. Darger had a natural talent for composition and color.
On a totally different note, we discovered there are excellent masks to be found at the American Folk Art Museum shop!
This guy (girl?) makes us feel bad about 90% of our life skillz. We'll just never live up...
The big question, though, is Who's making these? Sadly (and on some levels pathetically) this little gem came to me in a forwarded email chain from my mother. 'Cause, you know, that's what moms do. If anyone in the world knows who this is, speak up! And let them get the credit they deserve. (also maybe get them a hand wipe.)
