Ships to sail & shores to lose sight of...

Let go of the shore and trust in the currents of life to take
you where you need to go ---Todd Delaune
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage
to lose sight of the shore ---Andre Gide

FLICKR PHOTOS I CAME ACROSS

I found this great Flickr group called The Center for Vernacular Typography. So inspiring if one is as interested in letterforms as I am...such variety! One of the pool members has some great poloroids and the other photographs on his site such as these holgas are awesome. He goes by OnPaperWings.

Nude Models Protest

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/12/16/bittermann.france.nude.protest.cnn

Clifton Burt

I love this.
I think I have shared his wife's work before as well. Kate Bingaman-Burt has a site called Obsessive Consumption and she draws what she buys everyday...This concept is interesting to me. I love the dedication. Just revisited today and makes me smile to find out that there is going to be a book published of her work in 2010.

Amazing book art

Georgia Russell transforms books, maps, and music scores into these fantastic sculptures with her scalpel. I am so drawn to these objects because of the amount of work and detail that they contain. I love work that immediately conveys dedication to craft and work that is so tedious that that quality -amount of concentration and time working- is palpable. Oooooh, this just makes my palate water it's so delicate and interesting! It reminds me of a book jacket graphic designer I once met who cut out all the lines from the book, My Antonia, and contructed a box or some sort of paper house...I had the same feelings about that piece...it was the tedious, delicate and intricate nature that struck me. And another artist that comes to mind (I'm so terrible with names. They are written down somewhere in one of my notebooks) did a piece where they cut out all the masculine words, pronouns, possessives and all the feminine ones and quantified them in mason jars. It would be more telling if I could remember what book/document/manuscript they were dissecting and commenting on. There is also something about book arts, art made from books, the printed word that engages me, yet I am personally reluctant to tear/cut apart a book. A book is somewhat sacred...I know how to make one, fix one, not take one apart. I have been recently contemplating using my journals and letters and receipts in artwork but the fear that once the objects/paper/books are used, the content, the words on the page will be lost for good! It is what my memory relies on, these saved and horded relics as informing me of my past selves, reminding me of things I need to remember (or do I?). I suppose someone would say to me if I did use them as actual material, that the material, that is the content, would be immortilized in the piece created.
And I ramble...I'm having such an inspired thoughtful morning!!!

A few things to note on this rainy day...

1. I have some wonderful quotes floating around my studio and I am happily surprised to run across them now and again:

We take the position that art is not a luxury. Art making is not frivolous. It is critical to sustain one's soul. It's essential to our lives. It informs us about ourselves in ways that words alone can't. -Bay-Nimoy

I believe in this because my struggle as an artist always comes down to the question of this need I feel to express myself and its validity and significance on the grander scale of life. I have to insist that there is not a better use of my time. I think your first blog posting was on this subject of "is art a basic need?" and you presented an interesting anecdote that I am recalling today...

for example, i went up to my boss yesterday and we were talking about how art is or isn't important. he was telling me that after the concentration camps were "ended," when people got to go home, a lot of little notes were found stuck in the walls, in between bricks, with letters and poems and thoughts on them. he was pondering over what courage it took these people, in the middle of concetration camp hell, to scrape a pencil and paper. to risk ur life for something like that, for expressing urself, for art, in a way...

2. Today, Greg was featured in Communication Arts' Fresh Online and there was something he said that made me think...when asked about his cultural influences he said:

Public radio and the New York Times Magazine. I really love the real people stories I hear on public radio: “StoryCorps,” “This American Life” and “Radio Lab” are remarkable. They underscore how necessary it is to see the commonalities of our lives and not get lost in the details.

I read this and felt immediately that I have lost sight of this - the commonalities of our lives - and I have been lost in the details. So I am back where I always am trying to figure out how to stay grounded, more rational, less emotional...because right now I am somewhere above my head and the sky and I feel I keep floating further and further away from reality. I just read some of your old posts I had missed and realized you have so much wisdom in your almost 30-years. I will take heed because I feel like it's time to come up for air and observe my own life from a bird's eye perspective as sometimes I do in my dreams. Somehow I feel I have become so narrow minded and obsessive-compulsive in attaching myself to some idea of who I want to be and what I want to do that in doing so have forgotten some essential facts. I know this is really vague.

But there it is. My two cents today.

Alabama Chanin

I had to share! I'm so excited. My mom finally taught me how to use my grandmother's sewing machine!

I have been asking her to teach me for months and I was truly inspired to learn after I went to a holiday bazaar where Natalie Chanin had a booth with her book Alabama Stitch on sale.
She had these handmade quilts hanging up with embroideries of the stories behind them sewn onto them. Her story about her work and how it comes out of such a history and craft and love of handmade things...so good. I have always wanted to make a quilt and already have the fabrics for one. So voila, my first attempt at the machine with a combo of hand stitching and this is what I made...


I think I'll be squirreled away with my new toy for days!

EYE ADORE: handmade edition of 31

Happy vacation to you. Can't wait for your correspondence. I'm not sure if these were the photos I sent you already. I am trying to get the pdf of the spreads up on www.page31.net. Soon when I'm not so frustrated at the computer I'll figure it out. I am really happy with how it turned out for such a short design time. I folded them and painstakingly perfect bound every single one of them. I hope you will do some drawings for the next one when there is a next one. Talk soon.

Completely Random

PHOTO SERIES 3: 'COLOR STORY'

'color story' 2009

PHOTO SERIES 2: 'SQUARECIRCLERECTANGLE'

'squarecirclerectangle' 2009

PHOTO SERIES 1: 'NIGHT FALLS FAST'

'night falls fast' 2009

Confession

Thank you for the letter, especially the watercolor postcard paper.
I will draw you something while in New York! Did you get the box
of goodies?!? I wanted to share because it has been awhile. Tonight
I went to Greencup for an event called Open Mic Confessional.
I decided to read a poem I have had memorized since high school.

When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high - piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And feel that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think,
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

---John Keats

Confession: I wish I could have read something I had written.

And more soon on notes from the Leonardo da Vinci symposium and
my experience being blind for an hour through the exhibit,
Dialog in the Dark. Both incredibly insightful experiences and much
stimulus for thought. Then after that, adventures in bookmaking!

Simple illustrations. Simple humor.

I love this! Marc John post-its.



And this zine I found at Greencup!

Why yes we are!

I wondered if you knew I was posting. The thing with blogging is that it is always there. Not like a lost letter or words in one ear and out the other. Ironically, I just had a debate last night with my friend Dustin about techonologies' insistence on becoming part of our "humanness". I'm not even sure I know what I'm talking about but I like trying to work that idea out.

I love Miranda July's site. Bold and brazen. Love it. I will add it to our favorites list. I have been told her most recent book is a fantastic read. Speaking of good reading. I found the greatest book at a co-op bookstore here in Birmingham called the Greencup. It is letters between Georgia O'Keefe and her artist friend Anita Pollitzer. It was such a great find as O'Keefe has been on my mind. My photo of my legs below was an homage to her in a loose intuitive sense - the abstraction of form and femaleness. I relate to what O'Keefe thought about and how they shared their ideas with each other. Much as we do and write - I will share the book when I am done. It delves into her relationship with photographer, Alfred Stieglitz and their influencing of each others work. I've been thinking about that lately. Where do I find inspiration? Who influences me? Obvious, that I would try to surround myself with people who are creatively sensitive, see life as art and art as life, people who challenge themselves to think differently, and people who are engaged to the world and really alive.

Another book I am reading is by art critic/theorist Lucy Lippard. It is called Overlay. I just figured out she is the co-founder of Printed Matter! I did not know that. And I bought a book by her there when I was in NY in July. More spheres completing their circles. Anyhow, Overlay is so interesting. I don't know if I'll be very good at explaining why. She basically studies the correlation between art in prehistory involving the land and natural forms and the overlap of some recent contemporary art with ancient imagery. She believes we are drawn to this because

in much art about elementary systems there is a certain longing for precision that is simultaneously anti-technological and anti-romantic

There are so many quotes I want to call out. Maybe in a real letter. My creative spirit is rearing its pretty head and Time is such a luxury. I can't wait for you to come back and share your sights seen in Rio!

we're back!

ms jackie! i didn't realize u were posting! hi back! how r u?
well, here's a link or two worth sharing: www.mirandajuly.com
today i'm off to www.paratyemfoco.com.br - international photo festival in a town near rio. other than that, i'll post some pix when i get back. there's a ton of art going around here, check out beatriz milhazes (google her), she's a big one.
oh and ur napkins r on their way!! u'll get a package soon since i sent it priority/express.
and also, kavalier and clay is good so far. i just started it so i can't tell yet if i love, but so far, good. (it's my 2nd try reading it) beijo ms jackie, have a nice weekend!
i'll come back soon!

More Bham Artwalk Stuff

It is amazing to me that I have not started collecting artwork until this summer. I guess I just thought that the upkeep - space and framing - let alone the cost of artwork was just over my head. I now realize that I am willing to spend money on art that speaks to me and well, as for space and money for framing, I'm more committed to the idea of being a collector. I am so thrilled to be framing. So this weekend I purchased a linocut print of the great Majestic Diner in Atlanta.


It's a small print and I just realized she had a larger one on her site of the whole side of the building. Oh well, probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway.


The drawings are so precise and technical. Alot of work. Julie, any new rubberstamps? Can't wait to get the napkins...they will get framed ofcourse!

Bridget just reminded me of a project/website called 20x200
where the artists sell small prints for $20, medium prints for $200, and large limited edition prints for $2000. Such an amazing idea. Props to Jen Beckman. I am pretty sure there is a print I want to purchase on that site so I will save for it. Better not sell out. I'll tell you once I get it. I like the idea of The Hand Project by Jason Polan. And I love these sold out prints by Ken Rogowski!


That's it for now. I'm exhausted.

Hi!

Emily wants to post but we can't figure out how to post it. She said she wrote an essay!
Emily and I went to the ArtWalk in downtown Birmingham this weekend. Interesting to see Birmingham artists' work and all the new development downtown. I am happy to see the revitalization of downtown Birmingham - new lofts and galleries and restaurants!
Will post more with photos.

Bella!

Oh, and some other things you have to see...a movie called Bella. It was emotionally rich and visually stunning. I cried. Watch that and Factory Girl. Okay! Goodnight.

Labor Day @ Lake Martin

I should be asleep but I wanted to share some of my creative energy from a good weekend spent at the lake with Kim and Emily doing yoga by the water, bookbinding and of all things, breaking a pinata (my surprise for the weekend ofcourse)!

Mariebelle!

You would love Mariebelle Chocolates. There are so many unique flavors from cardamom to earl grey, even buckwheat (that's the one with the yogi's - ofcourse). They are so beautiful to eat. Such a treat. I was eating two, sometimes three a day for a month and photographed a few of my daily tea/coffee and chocolates. I was eating from a box I had bought my mom for her birthday (back in December!). She had kept them in the freezer. She said every now and then she would open the box and just look at them because they were so precious! Cute huh? Well, then the power went out after a storm one day and they started to melt, hence my excuse to gobble them up!

DAVID BYRNE ORGAN

One of the most memorable experiences I had while I was visiting new york was a performance on David Byrne's Organ installed in the Maritime Building, an old south ferry station. It was captivating and meditative as we listened to the building sing, literally. The building was connected to the organ by wires so as keys were pressed sounds were made elsewhere in the building- clacking inside walls, whistling through columns, noise from the ceiling...a orchestra of noise! It was one of those moments where I felt I was in the right place at the right time- and time stood still- though above the sun was setting over the city into nightfall. So special. If you want to read more about it, click here for an article from the NYTimes.

I took those photos above during the performance as well as a few other artsy shots I was inspired to take in the space...the first I call "footsies" and a couple of abstract photos of my legs...homage to georgia o'keefe.




My legs are so marred. You can see a scratch and a giant welt of a spider bite!

Dearest Julie,

After a long hiatus away from our blog, I am coming back to it...I can say I have followed your napkin project a bit on your blog. Share some more pictures will ya? My summer summed up has been spent in a car (driving back and forth between Birmingham and Atlanta) and in yoga poses (various locations) and in New York (twice) and mostly in my head (in the interstices of being full of ideas and then being emptied whilst meditating) and I will have to post all the missed opportunities for interesting entries and food for thought on art and life and the intersection of the two. Ah, life. It has been an interesting journey. Love from Alabama. Jackie

Inspiring sketches...

very worth visiting: http://jamesjean.com , click under SKETCHES (i'm not particularly in love with the paintings)

Diaries make their way into my artwork

this started out as a comment but turned out longer therefore, it's a post.

i think about what i call "one liners" quite frequently. they are not necessarily quotes. in a whole text, there's always one line, sentence, or phrase, that sums up the whole concept of what the person is trying to say. those, to me, are "one liners."

i used to grab "one liners" from my old diaries and use them in my artwork. i once replaced fortunes from cookies with one liners from my diaries. the concept was, basically, that history repeats itself in a small scale and also, that whatever is very specific is also very general. whatever i wrote in those diaries, the viewer has also felt or experienced.

i still have interest in working with old diaries and one liners and i wanted to go into "accessories" as well. i'm always very interested in extremely short pieces of information that convey a lot. i wanted to embroider the one liners from diaries on satin, baby color, ribbons and use them as bracelets. i wonder if people would have any interest, in buying or reading, them as well... (i never found anyone who would embroider such a variety of things on ribbon. i don't want to print 1000 of the same phrase. i'd like variety. if you do know of anyone, definitely let me know because i'll do it!)

do you know these brazilian "fitas do senhor do bonfim"? you tie them on your wrist and make 3 knots. for every knot, you make a wish and we say that your wishes will come true when the bracelet wears out/comes undone/tears. i love the thought that i can wish for things with such an ease and i think it's beautifully brazilian to think that these wishes really will come true and that is why so many people wear them. hm... maybe i should put one back on...

TEETERING BULB

Kurt and Zelda are amazing illustrators! Again, talented artists I went to school with and I wanted to share their work...

love the style, coloring & line work...I think Kurt sketches and Zelda colors the drawing in the computer...awesome.

QUOTE

"Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it and his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it "creative observation". Creative viewing." William S. Burroughs

FINALLY, SOMETHING WITH TAPE

I'm beginning to work on tape art....

closeup.
And another one below with cool tape Emily just sent me.

Quoted Jewelry

I found a necklace as I perused Comfort Station's online store that was simply a quote typed on the shape of a banner. I thought the quote quite beautiful...
"COVER me over in dusk and dust and dreams."
Beautiful. I would like to know what this feels like.

Jeanine Payer is another jeweler whose work utilizes inspirational quotes.

I want to dig up some other quotes I go back to time and time again. For a later post...
Good night m'dear.

Escalators

Hey Juls,
I pulled up some photos I had taken of escalators at the airport that look like the ad...
I spent one Saturday in the main terminal of the Columbus airport writing and observing people hustling to their gates. I love airports! (Which is why I never mind delays or giving up my seat.) It is a great place to people watch and a good creative writing exercise making up stories about who they are and where they are going. All this talk of airports and I am antsy to travel again soon.
jax

Funny ad

have u seen this ad by any chance? it's a young & rubicam ad for some hair product. very funny...

More on photography

browsing through the web i found felicia nitzsche's site. beautiful projects. under the column entitled "works", i especially like the "dove" and "confetti".

Greg Miller Photography

I went to school with this wonderful photographer! I remember to check out Greg's site every once in awhile and am reminded again and again of how amazing his work is. See for yourself - http://www.seemoreglass.com/ His photos are exquisite, especially the portraits. Interesting angles and perspectives. I love how emotive and moody they are. He makes me care about the subject and the story behind the photo. I wonder what these subjects are thinking about?

I asked Greg if I could pull some of these pictures off of his blog
NEW EQUATION of his daughter, Illiana, and his new son, Finn, to share. Too precious!



I also found a series of photos he had taken of things he found at the bottom of a dried up lake... love the grit...



for more click on dumbo.

This makes me wish to be a better photographer.