Category: Uncategorized

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One Man, Five Designers

I am just getting round to posting about Guy Trebay’s interesting article in the NYT on January 8. You can access it here:

One Man, Five Designers

In it, in the service of “intensive” investigative reporting, he subjected himself to wearing 5 “outfits” (my term) by 5 very different designers over what appears to be a period of a few weeks. What results is, from what I gather, the psychological equivalent of whiplash, as he dons “notice me but not too much” Ralph Lauren togs that are intended to bespeak a quiet and very expensive elegance, and then goes to “11” by veering toward the pee-wee herman-esque ridiculousness of Duckie Brown and Thom Browne.

In his article, he talked about the phenomena that psychologists refer to as “enclothed cognition,” wherein, upon enveloping oneself in a certain bit of cloth, one can “become” a person who that person believes personifies a certain gestalt, or, to put it less pedantically, or more accessibly, ” Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak,” as Rachel Zoe says. Based on my own experience, I would paraphrase that to say, “style is a way to say who you want to be to others without having to speak.”

How many of us have purchased a perfect coat or shoes, expecting them to somehow transform our lives, get a better job, a raise, recognition. . .laid?

As I am building my brand and crafting pieces, this is something I am trying to bear in mind, and harness. When someone buys a piece of my art, what emotional triggers are driving the purchase? A memory of a particularly meaningful exhibition? A walk on the beach? A walk in the English Countryside with Isabella Blow on some bizarre “hunting” party?

Will he/she become bolder? More beautiful? More serene?

When they put my piece on, will they be transported? I certainly do hope so. . . .

more. . .

to come. . . .I hope

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10% happier and Rothko

rothko_no_14

Anyone who knows me knows I love serendipity—little connections between disparate things that somehow make sense. I am going to propose a new connection—meditation and Mark Rothko.

On Sunday I started to use an app, suggested by my mate, called “10% Happier.” It’s developed and supported by a local company, the Change Collective, based in Cambridge, which always makes me happy to shop local.

As I was practicing my meditation this morning, I started to think about the strange but lovely sensation of vibrations like I was flying on a magic carpet. This being meditation, my mind wandered a little bit, until, of course, a soft voice reminded me to focus on breathing (thank you, Joseph!). In that short time, however, I experienced a vibration between my eyes—and no, I was completely straight—and I realized that it reminded me a day, about 22 years in my past, when, visiting dear friends in London, I went to the newly completed Sainsbury wing at the Tate. It’s hard to describe using language what I felt when I walked into this darkened chamber, lit lowly, but enough to help my eyes differentiate the amazing, 1-story tall Rothko paintings. The colors on the dark fields seemed beyond pigment, and to vibrate intensely as if aliens from space were trying to communicate through them. It was a transcendent experience. I stood for a period of time that I cannot recall. I could not look away, and yet, when I finally did, I sobbed quietly, collected my bag, crumpled on the floor, turned, and silently floated away back into the maw of the Tate.

So, no, this is not a sales pitch for 10% happier, or even meditation, but maybe next time you are in front of a Rothko, you may consider meditating. I am sure Joseph would approve.

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Nek Chand’s vision

nek chand rock garden monkeysI must admit I am a bit obsessed with reading obituaries. Of course, I would prefer to learn about amazing people or the occasional talking parrot while they are still alive, but many times I only learn about them in the carefully crafted obituaries that many periodicals take great pride in. It’s funny because there is definitely an art to obituaries, and many authors take some license to reveal something heretofore unknown about very famous people (who knew Lux Interior has a voice over role on Sponge Bob Square pants?!), or lift a person like Nek Chand from relative obscurity—at least in the western canon—to the great delight of folks like me.

Nek Chand, for the uninitiated, is similar in some respects to Hundertwasser and Sisyphus. Left parentless at an early age after the creation of modern-day India, he assumed the role of a civil servant, yet had a vision of art, which he acted upon by creating an entire city of sculpture made from pot shards and other everyday waste, cemented together. His art has a look not unlike Nikki St Phalle, with sinuous lines and a bric-a-brac embroidered look that somehow looks harmonious. Apparently he laboured for years on his city in the middle the jungle, until the city expanded out to him. Threatened with destruction by civilizing forces, his vision was saved, and ultimately celebrated. The Economist obituary claims only the Taj Mahal gets more visitors each day.

Nek Chand was untrained (a primitive, I guess), yet the beauty and sheer magnitude of his “city” can only be described as art. Hundertwasser built a toilet in a remote village in New Zealand and made it a tourist attraction. Nek Chand built a visionary city in a jungle. I am glad I have discovered him and his gentle and humble art.

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I’m not religious

IMG_0062But I love Church. Established in 1873 in Northampton, England, they are apparently still making brogues the old-fashioned way. I love the timeless, yet chic style, and the pragmatism. Of course, they are owned by the Prada group, which makes perfect sense, as Muiccia and her team make whimsical, yet somehow practical stuff that is always super-comfy and long-lasting.

Women in particular—when was the last time you purchased shoes that you expected to wear until they fell off your feet, and that came with meticulous instructions on care? In today’s fast fashion culture it’s great to see that great making by hand is still appreciated and people invest in their belongings and are not hamstrung by mode or convention—regardless of the proselytizing of high street.

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(not) Fast Art

IMG_5927

I often think about value for money and ponder how it all goes so fast and the feelings (if any) invoked by the act of spending or enjoying are generally brief. 100$ for a meal seems cheap to some, and expensive to others. I love fast fashion as much as the next fashionable gal, but wonder about the impact on the environment when items are intended to be disposable, and the impact on communities when hard working people can’t make enough to live a satisfying and fairly stable life, so I am consciously trying to ween myself off the immediate and transient thrill and commit to the hand made with integrity and enduring artifacts and experiences that can be passed on to my child.

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If You Can’t Find It, Design It, Part Deux

Super 8
Super 8

Last week, I made a post about Lella and Massimo Vignelli and the great documentary about them, “Design is One.” I have always been inspired by Massimo’s designs, but hadn’t been aware of Lella’s significant contributions to our cultural milieu. What particularly struck me was their no-holds-barred attitude about what they were allowed to do and the role that design, function, and aesthetics play in every item we encounter in our lives. They have so much joy and their belief that they cod have an opinion or valued perception about ANYTHING really underscored and focused my own belief that we all possess untapped skills that are only limited by our beliefs–not our ability.

So, behold some of my latest “stuff” on etsy.

Enjoy!

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If You Can’t Find It, Design It

My friend Andrea suggested this documentary (Design is one) about the Vignelli’s, and I watched it this weekend. I am so glad I did because it summed up why I started making my own wearable art several years ago. I had no idea that Lella Vignelli made so much of her own jewelry, and that her style, in many ways, evokes what I aspire to, and also what I reject–the over-commodification and mass-marketing of style and taste–where everyone wants to dress like the airbrushed mannequins they see in fashion magazines, and accessories are a sign of status instead of a signifier of individuality. I started making my own wearable art (ok, jewelry) because I couldn’t find what I wanted in the market, and I also wanted to wear things that were unique, and were art. Art does more than decorate our lives–it humanizes us and, if done well, transports us beyond the mundane. If this post resonates with you, I strongly recommend you check out this beautiful documentary. Thank you, Andrea!

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What a difference a pen makes

micron08

I had lunch with a friend in Harvard Square today and we had a lovely conversation about what stimulates us and makes us happy. For me, it’s great tools. I love the heft and feel of a good sharp knife when I am chiffonading some veg or using an old-school 1-click mouse on my mac (steve was right). I was in the market for a great, simple black pen that would draw a great, strong line without fault. It’s been a while since I had been in the square, and I wandered about looking for Bob Slate, who seems to pop up in a different place every time I go there, reminding me of a great Angela Carter book I once read about a city that rearranged itself each night, with streets and alleys recombining under the influence of a realty-distorting machine. (I have my dear friend C to blame for the fascination with Ms Carter). At last I found Bob Slate in it’s latest perch, squatting where the beloved WordsWorth bookshop used to dwell. The selection has dissipated a bit, I suspect, due to less interest in actually writing, but I found my trusty Micron pen and now I suddenly feel like Flaubert.

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Recognition from Sugru

ResInRing
ResInRing

I am delighted to report that Sugru has taken an interest in my art and I have been posted to their online gallery.

For those of you who don’t know, Sugru is a silicon-based putty (they call it Formerol), developed by Jane. It hardens in 24 hours, and, while pliable, is pretty much resistant to most exposure and general wear and tear.

The first time I encountered it was when reading one of my favourite magazines, Monocle.

I love that Jane fought hard for her product and held to her values. Sugru helps users hack items, fix items, and, yes, create art. Buy some and support a woman-founded and run company, and help save the planet.

anne

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For Rachel

I read the news this morning that a friend and colleague, Rachel Jacobs, lost her life in the Amtrak train crash in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening. I am shocked and saddened at the passing of such a bright and kind spirit. I was lucky enough to work with Rachel on a few products she was (trying to) incubate at our last company. I had been with the organization for a number of years and sometimes felt like Radar to her Hawkeye. I helped her source what she needed in an organization that was becoming increasingly siloed. She came with a fresh perspective and a deep need to make the world a better place. Her vision excited me–the first time in a long time–and yet–for one reason or another–not uncommon in business–nothing happened. It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. The last time I saw her earlier this spring, just before we both left the company we worked for, we met for coffee. We discussed what really made us happy, and how to affect change when there was apathy, or downright antipathy, to what you were trying to do within an organization. We talked about what made us stay, or why we might leave. She left for what appears to have been her dream job. I can only hope that she was immeasurably happy as she rode that Amtrak train home to her husband and young son. The world has lost a brilliant and kind soul.

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