Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Folly: a folly?


MOCA at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood has only one exhibit on at the moment: FOLLY—THE VIEW FROM NOWHERE.  According to MOCA's website, "follies are autonomous structures that might serve as memorials, meeting points, or observation towers; typically, they serve no function at all."

In brief: an exhibit dedicated to architectural failures.  Hilarious?  Yes.  Entertaining?  Yes.  A failure in itself?  Well... I don't want to be rude...

Featured designs include a Texas replica of the Eiffel Tower (which boasts a ten-gallon hat at the top!), a huge building shaped like an elephant, and Iowa's version of the leaning tower of Pisa.  Buildings and designs from around the world and throughout history were photographed but left unframed along the wall, which seemed a bit half-hearted for such an esteemed establishment.

There was also a constructed folly in the center of the room--a large white staircase which led to a "lookout" of panoramic cityscape photographs.  A sign instructed us to enter the folly at our own risk.  Enjoyable but useless: I left feeling amused, albeit slightly confused. 



Monday, December 28, 2009

A Crumb-y Day


Yesterday I went to the Hammer museum in Westwood to see Robert Crumb's Book of Genesis.  It was really exciting, not because it was such a fantastic work of art--certainly, I don't think its his most interesting-- but because I got to see bits of his process in the final outcome.  They displayed each original page, framed chronologically on the wall.  What a thrill to see his drawings in real life--he made plenty of mistakes, used whiteout to erase and draw parts, hand lettered every frame beautifully but with inevitable flaws, and worked meticulously on one idea for years.  That's what blew me away.  He also did tons of visual research and collaborated and had other people compile and collect archives of visual research for him--he didn't go it alone.  He worked as neatly as possible, and created a system for the completion of this insanely ambitious project.  Very respectable, even if he's utterly and completely off his rocker. Watch this film about his life for learning purposes or pure entertainment.





Heat Waves in A Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burchfield were also at the Hammer.  My first impression was much less than satisfactory, but his work is so expansive, there's certainly something in his collection to tickle everyone's fancy.  Some of his massive watercolours are really breathtaking... his use of color is so unique and unexpected, and convey light in an inexplicable way.  Again, more than I liked his paintings though, I enjoyed discovering about how he worked and his life.  He chronicled his life and work meticulously on huge handbound journals, was mortified of death, thought of his work as a wallpaper artist as "hack" work, and doodled on every scrap of paper he ever touched.  I like how open he was to experimentation, and how loose he was in a lot of his work, allowing natural development and not constraining himself to strict depictions of his subjects.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Tao Te Ching

Speaking of speakers


I may have found a use for part of my ever-growing jar collection.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

World Beard & Moustache Championships



I am so thankful for the existence of these. By photographer Luke Stephenson. http://www.lukestephenson.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukestephenson/

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

I bought myself a present.

And it cost only 1 pound, which makes me almost as happy as gently turning its pages and smelling its rich, old book smell. But not as happy as finding another present inside it.


Saturday, March 28, 2009

Unzipped

I miss meat


Hmm, not sure why the colours seem to be off on most things I upload here...

Clouds









I can never get enough of them.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Reel Big Fish














At the Leeds Academy (02 Arena) on February 17, 2009.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Clowning around

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Cemetary

Doodle from sketchbook--conte crayon, charcoal, sumi ink.

Eat me!



Two excerpts from a 15-page children's dinnerware design project.

Blobs Part 2

Still need a name for the little guys. Scanned/digitally coloured version of ink drawing which I printed and is on sale at the gallery.

Patience



Time estimation: 12 hours

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Articulate






Inverse


September 2007: first print.