Posts Tagged ‘art’

When you think about balls of yarn it usually brings up images of grannies crocheting by the fire. This is exactly the type of stereotyping Nathan Vincent is commenting on with his work. Vincent uses crochet to construct objects that are traditionally seen as masculine; from guns to cigars and even urinals.

“My work explores gender permissions and the challenges that arise from straying from the prescribed norms. It questions the qualities of gender by considering what constitutes masculine and feminine. It critiques stereotypical gender mediums by creating “masculine objects” using “feminine processes” such as crochet, sewing, and applique.”

Vincent is currently working on a locker room installation sponsored by Lion Brand.There’s tons of buzz about this guy, so keep your ear to the ground and I’m sure you’ll hear more. Even Martha Stewart digs it!

Shopgirls is super-excited about this stunning limited-edition calendar, produced by Kid Icarus! Formerly a Studio Number Nineteen project, The Handprinted Calendar idea has been resurrected and features an all-star cast of local talent. There are some new faces for the 2011 roster of artists, along with a few artists from the calendar’s past.

The 2011 Calendar roster includes:
Lisa Vanin
Samantha Chiusolo
Kellen Hatanaka
Vicki Nerino
Britt Wilson
Steve Manale
Steve Wilson
Roben Nieuwland
Keith Jones
Aaron Leighton
Jim Mezei
Ryan Snook

If you are unfamiliar with the project, the concept is to take 12 artists and produce a calendar with each artist choosing one month to illustrate and only two colours to pull it off. There are no guidelines on layout or how the information is presented, the artist has full control. The entire calendar is screen printed by hand from the cover, right through to the backing.

The Calendar will be available for purchase on Tuesday, December 7th 2010 at the shop. Pre-order yours now, for this amazing limited edition piece.

Here’s your sneak peak!

Ever since we showed up at my cousins high school graduation wearing a version of the same outfit, Marley Blair Wilson and I have been BFF’s. She has been inspiring me for years through her artwork, fashion, and hairstyles. When she made the choice to follow up her fine arts education with a stint in the makeup program at the Blanche Macdonald Centre in Vancouver we bid her farewell, anticipating what was to come.

Last weekend I was blessed with a visit from Marley and her sister Leigha who flew in from Edmonton to compete in the Toronto’s IMATs. (For those of you who don’t know the International Makeup Artist Tradeshow is the only trade show for makeup artists around the globe. Once a year in London, Sydney, LA, New York, Toronto, and Vancouver, “thousands of make-up artists, vendors and enthusiasts discuss, display and collect the best the industry has to offer.”)

Sponsored by Makeup Artist Magazine one of the highlights of the event is the student competition. Eight finalist are chosen from around the world to compete for cash, prizes, and a profile in the international magazine. This years theme for the beauty/fantasy competition was Tim Burton’s rendition of Alice in Wonderland in which Marley transformed her sister into her own version of the white rabbit:

Mucho congrats to Marley Blair for winning second place & inspiring us all!! For more info and photos of the other finalists check out the IMATs Toronto photo gallery. And ‘like’ Marley’s online portfolio here.

We’re very excited to be putting up Beth’s show today! I just wanted to post some images of Beth’s work and her artist statement for the curious ones. For even more about this Toronto artist, see her website.

Artist Statement:
As somebody drawn to narrative, I am fascinated by human actions and how they tell a story. I like portraying gesture in my work: ritualistic movements that can represent meaningful events, but at the same time, may be interpreted as commonplace actions. The figures are often faceless, thus removing information for the viewer and reducing the characters to their physical actions rather than their emotional reactions. The stories become ambiguous: what is sombre may also be joyful; what is light-hearted and whimsical may also be deeply morbid.

I primarily work with pen and ink, accented with coloured marker to build layers of fine details on paper. My subjects are small and childlike (although not necessarily children themselves), and display a naïveté in their interactions with the physical world and with each other. The landscape I borrow from fairy tales and popular children’s literature to create a familiar yet fantastical set. The references to children’s worlds intend to mimic the first time seeing or experiencing an event, to build a world where that initial sense of wonder is mixed in with intense feelings of sadness, celebration, or desire.

I’m often inspired by religious art and mythology and the depiction of its subjects as vulnerable and sensitive beings in their relationship with the divine. What is striking to me in these works is the approach in which the artist transforms an abstract spiritual belief into physical actions where the subjects become physical embodiments of the artist’s understanding of the metaphysical. I am interested in art that is a vessel for exploring questions of existence and the relationship to everyday life. I also like to relate Biblical stories and fairy tales in that share a common thread in giving moral lessons and explaining the world amidst a backdrop of the supernatural or the unknown.

Beth Frey, September 2010

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Now some images to entice you!

What kinds of materials do you use in your work?
To create the dioramas, I use anything and everything – sticks, papier mache, paint, moss, yarn, ribbon, cardboard etc. If the size or texture of something I have lying around the studio fits with the current creation, it will get used. To make the pieces that are inspired by the dioramas, I use vinyl and microsuede.

What makes your work unique?
My work is unique because I rely very strongly on memories of my own experiences for inspiration rather than trying to take inspiration from external trends. By doing this I feel like I am communicating who I am to the people who see my work.

Who or what are your influences?
My grandparents taught me how to create things and all of the time they spent with me as a child had a strong influence on my direction as a designer. They taught me to appreciate nature, to be resourceful, and to connect with the people around you in a sincere way.

What is your current creative obsession?
Diorama Rama!! It’s all about creating small worlds that replicate some memory that I have rattling around inside my crazy brain.

Who’s your favourite Canadian artist or designer?
I will always love Comrags. Their clothes are timeless, well made, practical, with just a touch of whimsy so they aren’t too serious.

Check. this. out. Installation by Viennese/Croatian design collective For Use/Numen.
I kinda wish this could be permanent.

I love work that uses unexpected materials, and packing tape is a perfect one for play. I used to use it as a cheap and easy way to laminate collages and other projects, but to work at this scale and create something strong enough and big enough to be interactive – so you can invite visitors inside the structure itself – is so bloody amazing. I also love that the inspiration for the idea comes from dance. More on that here:

[...] Inside Odeon, a former stock exchange building in Vienna, the group used nearly 117,000 feet and 100 pounds of tape. “The installation is based on an idea for a dance performance in which the form evolves from the movement of the dancers between the pillars,” explains For Use’s Christoph Katzler. “The dancers are stretching the tape while they move, so the resulting shape is a recording of the choreography.”

Here is a video showing how the piece was installed:

Catch some more amazing photos of the exhibit on industrial design site DesignBoom.