CURATING IN SPACE

The BODY in FRAGMENTS

greendragonladyvintage — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:54:39 +0000

In one way or another, we know the world through our bodies. They are complex machines–contained chaos, if you will–and infinitely fascinating. It is no surprise to me that artists, philosophers and sociologists (among many) return to the body as a site of investigation and exploration. The artists below offer an especially intriguing framework for considering the human body–they offer up adornment that fragments it and turns it into an object to be worn. A represented body could refer to someone specific or no one in particular–either way, when it is turned into jewelry and worn by someone it becomes a part of that body, the wearer’s body, and a cycle of meaning is created that consistently refers one to the other.

Jessica Calderwood, Blink (enamel, copper and sterling silver)

Heather White, Chrysanthemums (brooches, 2004, sterling silver and cast resin teeth)

Julia Harrison, A Dozen Rose Buds (brooches of wood, lacquer, gouache, epoxy + more)

Margaux Lange, The Kiss (sterling silver, plastic and epoxy resin)

Sarah J.G. Wauzynski, Small Demands (brooch in sterling silver, egg tempera pigment and 18kt gold)

Ineke Heerkens, Ring (leather)

Stacy Rodgers, Breasts

Melanie Bilenker, Feet (2007; brooch of gold, sterling silver, ebony, resin, pigment and hair, 1 x 7/8 x 3/8 in.)

LUSCIOUS

greendragonladyvintage — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:39:45 +0000

So, when my best friend sees something she really likes–something she desires in a visceral way–she says she wants to put it in her mouth. This could be anything but it is usually something inanimate, something that you would not really eat, but that you want to “devour” in some way. I love that this is her reaction and I know exactly what she means. For me, the qualities of lusciousness also call into question ideas of decadence, the baroque, luxury, consumption, preciousness and many other concepts that seem related but are not necessarily so. The following address these topics in one way or another while creating objects that I would describe as exquisite (and, maybe…, edible).

Lauren Fensterstock, Grey Garden (2003; quilled paper; 20 x 25 in.)

Caroline Gore, Sugarcoat from the Beauty: Poison series (1 ounce of 24K gold, coated with sugar, arranged in a hanging installation)

Green Planks (2007, cast sugar, polyurethane, 78 x 3/4″ x varying widths)

Rebcecca Holland, Glaze (2003; 800 square feet of poured candy)

Jolynn Krystosek, detail (two above) and Verdure Series, Untitled 7 (2007; wax; 13 x 19 in.)

Roberley Bell, Flower Blob #64. (2005; cast foam with dyed plastic and flocking; 16 1/2 x 18 x 7 in.)

Tara Strickstein (detail of installation)

Shary Boyle Snowball (2006; porcelain and china paint; Collection of the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal)

BY A THREAD

greendragonladyvintage — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:34:04 +0000

I like the action suggested by the statement “by a thread.” Of course, without a verb, it also suggests something surreal–as if the thread itself was animate. And in a way, thread is active for a time–put in motion as it is drawn through the fibers. Thread always feels “alive” to me and I think this is partly due to the way it reflects a certain kind of labor and human presence. Embroidery and stitching, similar to other handcrafts, have been readdressed in recent years, with a coterie of artists reinvigorating the conversation and using the technique not only for its tactile or visual appeal but also as a way to touch on issues of labor, gender, handcraft, consumerism, notions of the decorative, time, individual and collective memory and personal history. This has happened all the while those who may have embroidered as a “pastime” continue to do so, creating an interesting dialogue across groups of people who have not always been engaged. Whether or not an artist learned how to embroider or stitch in their youth is always an interesting question–personal experience through several exhibitions would suggest that many (but not all) are indeed drawing on earlier memories or techniques learned (whether specifically embroidery or not). The following are just a few of those working the needle in some interesting and thought-provoking directions…(sorry there are not details for all, trust that these are as luscious as you think they might be.)

Anna Lorich, Embroidered Pillow Rings (Cloth, thread and cotton)

Recyled Ring’s Edith Cameo Brooch on Etsy

Angelo Filomeno, My Love Sings When the Flower is Near (The Philosopher and the Woman), (2007, Embroidery on silk shantung stretched over linen with crystals; 150 x 90 in.)

Stacey Lee Webber, Fancywork (one dollar bills and thread)

Yu-Chun Chen

Xiang Yang, Here and There

Reddish Studio, X-table (wood and thread)

BIRDS OF PARADISE

greendragonladyvintage — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:31:41 +0000

I am intrigued by the persistent human inclination to connect with the broader natural world, especially when we model ourselves after other creatures/living things. This might be most obvious in the realm of clothes and adornment. This goes well beyond wearing representations of animals or other creatures (although those are the kinds of vintage garments that inspire this post). This is an echoing, in our human way, of the colors, patterns and arrangements of the feathers, fur, and design of other animals. And here we find only the beginning of the multiple and complex avenues this could lead us down. Where admiration could be predatory (killing leopards for the profit of their fur, crocodiles for their skin, birds for their feathers) or disruptive (when closed ecosystems become tourist destinations for the curious as well as the sincere) or benevolent (raising awareness of the existence and circumstances of species). This is the serious side of this conversation, what I want to draw attention to here is the celebratory side of this issue–with contemporary artists who, quoting nature, create something theatrical, something joyful, something of a spectacle. These gestures are reverential, analytical, often loving and, absolutely breath-taking.

Jesse Mathes, Partlet (Copper and Prismacolor, 36 x 26 x 17 in.)

Jullie Heffernan Self Portrait as Quarry, 2000, oil on canvas, 70 x 68 in. (A tiny bit different than the other works shown here but I am sure you will forgive me).

Molly Carter, Attirement for the Bride, 20 ft. train of dyed turkey feathers

Alexander McQueen, Spring 2008

Thea Tolsma, Rubber Neckpiece

Alexander McQueen, Spring 2008

A doubling up of the conversation in a modern representation of historical theatricality with the The “Ms. Oiseau Brooch” from Etsy’s paraphernalia

PATTERN AND DECORATION

greendragonladyvintage — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:57:58 +0000

In a way this is an indirect homage to anyone who has revelled in pattern as a combination of shapes, lines, colors, forms and textures (including those ca. 1970s who made the words “Pattern and Decoration” into a so-called movement). But this is also thinking about pattern as a “device” that can be both beautiful and a little sinister (a la Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her yellow wallpaper). Pattern that is enchanting yet, perhaps, also, claustrophobic. Invigorating yet unhealthy. Appealing yet constricting. Pattern (as both abstract concept and physical construction) can be flexible, covering anything–a body, a wall, a floor, a vase, a piece of paper–and playing tricks with the eyes and mind. It can both define and obliterate, emphasize or belittle. The following do not just explore the idea of pattern or the history and significance behind certain designs but they use pattern as something fluid, something that crosses boundaries metaphorical and actual and that establishes unexpected relationships.

Stephanie Liner, Gibbosity, 2006, fabric, wood, paint and live model

Andy Jordan, Polymer Girl, 2004, upholstery fabric and PVC

Andy Jordan, Pica with Stella, 2003

Claire Coles, Wallpaper/Room Scene

Claire Coles, Wallpaper Brooches

Astrid Bowlby, ink on paper installation, 2006

Megan Auman, Living Room, 2006, powder-coated steel, 60 x 80 x 80 in.

Susan Lee-Chun, Facade (The Figurative Kind), 2006, fabric and polyfill, dimensions variable

Anne Polashenski, Lowry Faux Pas Obliteration (Little Boy’s Suit of 1860), 2006, C-print and gouache on paper, 18 x 18 in.

HEADS UP

greendragonladyvintage — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:45:56 +0000

In contemporary “Western” society, personal choice dictates what individuals wear–while there are some institutions that mandate a particular kind of dress (the military, other occupations, “uniform” schools), it is obvious that we no longer live under the same kinds of demands (or even laws*) about dress that once structured lives (*sumptuary laws they were called, and some of them dictated different colors for different social classes or barred the wearing of lace and certain textiles). This is true for what we wear on our head and/or how we arrange our hair as well as the other ways in which we adorn our bodies.

Through a contemporary lens certain types of hats would seem a little “dressed up.” Clearly those living in Western society today do think about what they put on their heads or how they wear their hair but, as with other elements of fashion, the form and use is a little different now than it once was.

Whether considered high fashion, special occasion, or sculptural, these contemporary headpieces from designers on Etsy both channel the vintage vibe and create a dramatic profile. They call attention to why and how we wear hats and set the stage for a transformation of sorts.

Piperewan’s ”Feathery Flower Brooch”

TopsyTurvyDesign’s “Sabrina”

Emphasizing the head and hair but creating work that is slightly less “traditional,” the following draw on the social and cultural context of hair and hairstyling as they explore history, identity, fashion, ornamentation, value, luxury, adornment, design, the fantastical, spectacle, and the body.

Hair Sculpture by Hrafnhildur Arnardottir (check out her super fantastic “Shoplifter” graphic!). Arnardottir is drawn to hair as a “primal medium” (described as such because it grows on the body) and relishes hair as a material that can be so easily used to explore vanity, identity, and power.

Mother Nature’s Hood by Trudee Hill in collaboration with Mikko Seppa (aluminum, sterling silver, and viscous thread). Hill (and Seppa’s) hood is gloriously both ancient and sci-fi, simultaneously suggesting the decadence of past civilizations and the possibilities of future ones.

Afro Abe II by Sonya Clark . While it is not exactly a hat or adornment for the hair, this work poignantly sums up hair’s social significance. Over the years, Clark has explored the dynamic between hair and self, hair and others, hair and history, hair and identity.

Tiffany Wigs by Kate Cusack. Using plastic (saran) wrap, Cusack created these wigs for a Tiffany & Co. window display. While they playfully mock the ludicrousness of the extreme hairstyles of 18th century aristocrats, they are also a tribute to such pageantry and are just, immeasurably, lovely.

Cobra by Candace Kling (From the collection of Alex and Camille Cook). This headpiece is made of ribbon (folded, pressed, pleated, sewn, molded). Oh, yes. It is breath-taking. Kling, exploring the transformative power of garments, believes that headwear can be empowering and has created magnificent headpieces that combine historical precedent and fanciful conjecture.

[On a personal note, I am a hat wearer/head adorner. Pictures from my childhood indicate that this has always been so. And, um, I would proudly wear anything from this post.]

LACED WITH HISTORY

greendragonladyvintage — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:59:00 +0000

In the 18th century, an aristocratic gentleman compared the yards of lace around his neck to the land and fields he owned, suggesting that his sartorial finery was worth as much as his geographic property (both being worth a lot of money and functioning, basically, as inventory). Unlike this man, lace is not something I thought a lot about until about 5 years ago. Lace making was not something anyone in my family spent time doing and lace itself was something that I had to avoid wearing. Then I began to see lace (and the utilization of other handcraft techniques–a whole other exhibition and topic I pondered and which will appear in later posts) in brand new work that looked to it as something vital, energizing, fascinating. To be sure, lace never went anywhere. Its heyday as an industry was long over but there are still those who carry on the tradition–updating it, embracing it. And what lace “means” today both in practice and in content is not the same as lace of the past but the history has become an energy that fuels its continuation and adaptation. Lace is about labor and the work of the hand and mind–regardless of materials or ultimate endpoint, the exploration of lace itself is a demanding endeavor. And, even with all of these comments about what lace “is”, it also holds a mysterious, romantic power that cannot be adequately discussed–a power that is respected and explored but, for those truly enamored, not something that can be reasoned.

Anya Kivarkis, DOUBLE CUP BROOCH (Sterling silver and enamel). See more of her work at the awesome Sienna Gallery website

The vintage black lace cover-up/lingerie jacket from the 1950s is lace at its most intimate–originally only meant to be worn indoors as a “cover” to something else. But, and a point taken up later by others, it reveals as much as it conceals. And, black lace was naugh-tay back in the day–a reality that might still be connected with lace (and black lingerie) depending on the context. Anya Kivarkis’ brooch plays specifically with the 1950s camisole kind of “sexy” lace–evoking earlier fibrous lace but complicating it even more, and, in the form of jewelry, questioning its luxury, its ornamental status its relationship to the personal, to the feminine, to the domestic, to the old-fashioned, and the the racy.

Betsy Brandt, WHIRL (Hot glue and pigment, 14 ft. diameter)

Betsy Brandt picks up on lace as signifier of the feminine and domestic but immediately renegotiates the conversation by creating a 14 ft. doily of hot glue and pigment that becomes simultaneously a “carpet” and a swirling mass of form, color and meaning. No longer lace in its familiar form, Brandt’s doily demands we consider the processes of making (first for this piece then for all lace), the significance of questions about gender and gender roles, and notions about what constitutes pretty.

Anna Lindsay MacDonald

And, the wearable lace “maps” of Anna Lindsay MacDonald bring lace back to the body but cement its presence within a larger realm. MacDonald was not first inspired by lace–she has been interested in the interweaving of city streets and the mapping of urban spaces, but has since realized the formal connection between the street networks and the patterning of lace. The concepts of pattern and ornamentation link jewelry, lace, and the maps she was making. With her jewelry, lace has come full circle, in a way, linking the land back to the fiber network back to the body (just like that earlier aristocrat).

For full disclosure, this posting’s title is the same as that of an exhibition I curated (publication pending) that included both historical lace and contemporary objects that were inspired by or utilized lace (generated by those trained within the “art world” and by those who have addressed lace as a pastime and a passion.) While this posting emphasizes jewelry, that exhibition included cut and quilled paper, painting, mylar drawings, 5 ft. cedar lace “collars” and more.) Extraordinary artists and extraordinary work.