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Oh. Where do I begin? I love this work by Chinese artist Xu Ying. The square pieces are pencil & acrylic on canvas, and the circles are pencil & acrylic on cotton fabric. Pencil and acrylic? Clearly I need new pencils because mine don’t do that. ps. Those legs. I’m dying over those fabulous floating legs. Happy Monday.
I’ve had this post in my drafts folder for weeks. This isn’t the kind of post I usually write, but I feel beyond compelled to put this out into the world as loudly as I possibly can…
The word WORTH has been coming up for me over and over and over again in the last few years. When that happens, I know it’s time to listen. Now, this wasn’t my original plan, but the idea of “worth” has become the cornerstone of the latest talk I’ve been giving as I travel around to promote my new book, “A BIG IMPORTANT ART BOOK – Now With Women”. Here’s why:
In late 2016 I started thinking about this new book, and I had a flashback to being a first year art student in the early 1990s. I remember, very clearly, asking my art history professor why we weren’t learning about any female artists. Surely Frida and Georgia weren’t the only women who had ever made art? He assured me that there were thousands of women who had been creating for centuries, however, “they weren’t considered worthy enough to be documented”. Not worthy? Well, thank goodness that was in the past… right?
The next time worth, or lack thereof, raised its head was probably later that year as a freshman in art school. I’d been playing with humor-based work, and was told by my painting professor {I’m paraphrasing, but it went a little something like this}… “It’s already bad enough that you’re a woman, but if you use humor too? Well, you’ll never be taken seriously as an artist.” Not worthy?
There were so many more experiences through my twenties, both in my personal life and as an artist, that fed into doubts about my self-worth… but those crappy stories of abuse are for another day. Let’s jump ahead to early 2017. I was ready to pitch this new book… my fourth book. I’d already had success with my books on creative blocks and inner critics, and now I wanted to write a big important art book that focused on women. I own so many big important art books but, when you flip through them, there are rarely more than a handful of female artists … if any. How is that possible in this day and age? Well, never mind, I was about to do my part to change that. So I pitched the book. It was rejected. Apparently “it was too niche… people won’t buy a book about women artists.” So I pitched it to four more publishers. I heard exactly the same thing. “It’s too niche… people won’t buy a book about women artists.” Was I seriously being told that female artists still weren’t considered worthy enough to be documented? IN 2017? I was furious and frustrated… and did I mention furious? Thankfully, it only takes one publisher to say yes, and Running Press was that publisher. Oh yes, it was finally time to write a big important art book!
So, shortly after I began writing in 2017, a little something called the #METOO movement began. There were marches all over the world, led by women, demanding to be heard. Our voices have worth. Our ideas have worth. Our bodies have worth. We have worth. I could hear them on the TV in the background as I wrote. They flashed by me in news stories on Facebook and Instagram. The spotlight was being shone brightly on issues of unequal pay, unequal representation from Hollywood to Wall Street – and, of course, horrible stories of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior in every industry, in every corner of the world. Literally every woman I know has at least one story, if not more {unfortunately, I have several of my own} … hence #METOO. I was furious again.
Early October 2018 – the week the book was to be released – the world held its breath to see if Brett Kavanaugh would be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Only days before, millions of people watched as Dr. Christine Blasey Ford gave her testimony about narrowly escaping being raped by him at a party in high school. Surely she was worthy of being believed? Apparently not. F U R I O U S.
Here’s the thing. As women, we’ve been taught to be polite. “Don’t speak up, don’t rock the boat, don’t be a nag, be a good girl”. Add being a creative person to that – male or female – and self-worth can take another hit. Is my work good enough? Does my work matter? Are my ideas important? Can I charge money for [insert anything here]? {…have you ever had someone ask to buy your work, and you either just give it to them for free, or cut them an insane deal? Yeah, me too. Don’t do that anymore.}
The answer to all of the questions above is a resounding “HELL, YES.” What you do has worth. Your ideas have worth. The experiences that have brought you to this point in your life have worth. And yes, creativity is an absolutely worthy use of your time. When we get busy, why does our creative practice fall to the bottom of our priority list? It falls below picking up the dry cleaning, for crying out loud! That said, you’d think the first step would be making time for your artwork, but there’s one very important thing you have to do first. You have to believe that there’s WORTH in making time. Once you truly believe that, you will make the time – no excuses. You will show up to the studio – no excuses. You will answer “yes” when someone asks if you’re an artist – no excuses.
You have worth. We all do. In the studio, at home, and in the world.
OWN IT.
Powerful. That word always come up when I write about the work of Iraqi born, US based artist Hayv Kahraman. I had the honor of writing her whole story in my latest book, A BIG IMPORTANT ART BOOK – Now with Women … which just so happens to be hitting shelves, worldwide, today! It is big, important, and filled with stories of unstoppable women – both contemporary and historical. Hayv’s bio and paintings are in Chapter 12 : Look To The Past {p.232 – 237}, as her work is directly influenced by her past personal experiences – fleeing Iraq with her family at the tender age of eleven, for example. Hayv is an extraordinary person and insanely talented artist. In fact, she has an absolutely stunning show hanging right now {install shown above} at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects in Culver City. Here is a taste of what this show explores:
“Silence is Gold” powerfully reveals the important role played by sexuality and violence in claims to asylum and to humanitarian aid; but it also demonstrates that this works differently for different people. Women fleeing from the global South largely need to sexualize and sell themselves to cross borders, or to sell the very real violence they may have experienced [Note 3]. Trafficking victims must be at once innocent and ravaged; they must leverage their violation even as they must be ashamed of it. These women are required to provide the graphic details of their sexual exploitation, in ways that can end up being both horrifying and titillating for those who serve as legal or political adjudicators. ~Dr. Miriam Ticktin on Havy Kahraman’s exhibition “Silence Is Gold” at Susanne Vielmetter, Los Angeles.
Powerful. “Silence is Gold” will be up until October 27th at Susanne Vielmetter, Los Angeles.
I am so, so, so incredibly proud of this book … if you see it in a shop, snap a photo for me {and you know, buy it too!}
I can already feel this post being ‘flagged’, but that’s kind of the whole point. Why should breasts be flagged as upsetting or scandalous? Anywho, I digress. This is the work of Berlin based photographer Annique Delphine from her series titled, “Objectify Me”. I absolutely love this work, and the artist statement that goes along with it:
“As women we are conditioned from an early age that what’s most important about us is the way we look and the way our body feels in someone else’s hands. We are nothing if we aren’t aesthetically pleasing and act humble about it.
Breasts are the most objectified and sexualized part of women’s bodies. You can literally buy breasts as objects in novelty stores, on amazon, in sex toy stores, etc.. When I came across these rubber balls made to look and feel like the real thing (only perfected in an eery unattainable way) I knew I had to photograph them. It is a playful way for me to explore my own internalized sexism, and how it has shaped my relationship with my own body. Because even though I know all images of women’s bodies I see in the media have been tampered with I’m still trying to look like those images. I know they aren’t the real thing but that doesn’t stop me from hating my body for being “just“ that. Media constantly dismembers, packages and displays women’s bodies for the purpose of selling really anything: cars, burgers, beer, weapons, … body issues, self-hate, insecurity …
We have been objectified to such an extent that we are no longer seen as human beings but as sexual gadgets. We have been separated from our whole. Turned into a commodity. Femininity has been so far removed from our nature that it has become alien to people. Something they are afraid of. Something that needs to be controlled, censored or concealed as if it were a looming threat. But I believe the real threat is the imbalance that has been cultivated from this patriarchal society.”
Bravo!
{Found via ‘The Other Art Fair”... btw, deadline for “The Other Art Fair” coming up in both LA and Brooklyn, is July 30th!}
CALLING ALL ARTISTS & ART LOVERS… I’m going back to Venice, wanna come with me?! Yes, the European Cultural Academy has invited me back to be one of several instructors during their “Contemporary Art Week” course, which runs the week of June 11 – 17th, 2018. Being there last year still feels like a bit of a dream… so much watermelon gelato. I’ve rounded up a bunch of the photos I took in August so you can see what your week in this unbelievable city will look like. First, the ECA classrooms are not just classrooms, they are centuries-old palazzos in the heart of Venice:
Insane, no? Also insane… ALL. OF. THE. ART. One of my favorite shows was “Glasstress”. Here’s a peek:
Well, this year the class will be going on a little field trip. We will be taking a “taxi” … aka gorgeous boat, to Murano, the island home of glass art. We’ll meet the curator of Glasstress, and visit the studios of working glass artists. See, there are a lot of “pinch me” moments that happen here! Oooh, and another one? We’ll be visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It is fabulous, as was she:
Right? Peggy knew how to collect art, AND how to live in Venice. Sigh.
Now, if you’re going to come with me, you should know that there will be a lot of coffee {ps. I found out the hard way that one must NEVER order a latte after 12pm. I was called a “barbarian’}:
… yes, I drank macchiatos {acceptable after 12pm} and I even tried painting with them. Worked like a charm, although also barbaric I’m quite sure.
Now, not only will we soul search, push ourselves in our creative pursuits, learn about art, see Venice, drink coffee … there will also be a lot of ridiculously picturesque photo ops:
Just trying to keep up with Peggy Guggenheim in that last shot! When in Venice, right? Hope to see you in June… there are only 20 spots in total {some of which have already been filled}, so if you want to attend the ECA’s contemporary art week {June 11 – 17, 2018}, visit their site to read all of the ins and outs, and APPLY SOON!
ps. Here is a little instagram video I took on one of our boat rides that helps sum up the magic that is Venice:
Bellissima!
It’s rare for fibre arts to make you feel slightly {or very} uncomfortable, but that’s exactly what these beautifully woven tapestries do. I wrote about her for the first time in 2011, and five years later I finally get to talk to Brooklyn based artist Erin M. Riley… I had A LOT of questions for this very thoughtful, smart, and ridiculously talented woman. The combination of her chosen medium, and her subject matter is truly brilliant! Now, before we get started, I thought this description from her site was an excellent way to explain her work:
Riley has referenced found images online as well as her own photographs that address sex, social media and feminism. Influenced by the Instagram generation, her subjects have varied from iPhone nude selfies, screenshots of sexual positions and objects of womanhood or sexuality.
Yep, that sets up our conversation perfectly. You can listen right up there under Erin at the loom, or you can subscribe on iTunes. First up, a few of my favorites from her found photo weavings:
Oh girls… don’t do it! Risky behavior and bad decisions captured forever in woven fibre. Amazing. Next up, we touched on some of Erin’s earlier work that revolved around drunk driving:
It’s heartbreaking to think about the stories behind these found images.
Next, all of these pieces are from her “Daddy Issues” series. They’re beautiful, but make you cringe for these girls at the same time:
I love this series so much. I think it’s incredibly powerful and a really interesting way to slow down {literally in Erin’s case} and take a closer look at the fast-paced world of social media. Erin said she’d had some negative feedback on this work – granted, those were faceless comments from the internet – saying that she was “exploiting these women”. That was not her intention at all, so she switched from using found images, to self portraits. Talk about taking control … while being totally vulnerable at the same time. I think these pieces are absolutely stunning, and yes, these are her tattoos:
Gorgeous – even the shaving and tweezing. I absolutely love that she captures those very real moments too, instead of only choosing to document her body when perfect/posed. Again, brilliant and, oh, so vulnerable. I certainly couldn’t take those photos of myself… and then WEAVE them for the next month or two! Yeah, no. Speaking of which, I found these photos of Erin and her loom in action on her Instagram feed:
That final photo was captioned “nipple day” … and yes, it made me LOL as the kids say. And last, a close up of her truck tattoo that came up in the speed round:
We didn’t talk about gum, but how could I not include this photo!? Apparently this was late at night in the studio, the coffee was gone and all she had left was bubble tape. You do what you have to do, am I right?
Thank you so much to Erin for answering all of my questions and for being so open {and for admitting that she too cries like a baby during Grey’s Anatomy}. As always, thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting this episode, and big high fives to you for listening! There will be more art for your ear next weekend.
Other links:
Today I’m talking to Tiffanie Turner… now, normally I’d be calling her in San Francisco, but today she’s in a beautiful barn in New Hampshire. Yep, she’s in the middle of a wonderful, creative, soul-restoring residency where she’s knee-deep in paper flowers. When we met in 2012, Tiffanie was an at-home-mom who had put her architecture career on hold (indefinitely) and was, well, in flux. Clearly, she has found her way! Book deals, workshops, shows, residencies… and from time to time, she takes her clothes off in front of a crowd. Seriously. Listen right up there, or subscribe on iTunes. As you’re listening, take a look at the things we talked about in the order that we talked about them. First up, a few of her stunning, handmade, often large-scale, paper flowers:
Sigh. Gorgeous. And now, to the barn! This is where she is right now… working away in complete, wonderful, creative solitude:
That’s the mess she was able to leave all over the place… a luxury when you’re used to a studio that also doubles as your family dining table! Oh, and that is the shot of her glue covered fingers that I was concerned about. Next up, a couple of shots from her workshops:
Lovely. Speaking of lovely, here’s Tiffanie in all her burlesque/paper flower beauty:
… gorgeous! Man oh man, I’d be terrified! Tiffanie learned the ropes from Bombshell Betty in San Francisco. Also in San Francisco, a beautiful shop & gallery called Rare Device. This was the location for the “Dead of Winter” show that Tiffanie curated last year. Here she is in action, followed by my collage (that I was thrilled to have included), and her stunning/huge decaying paper flower:
Love. So from a residency in a barn, to a month-long residency at the de Young. Look at this insane space that she’ll call her own next May:
Whoa. Crazy. And I could have stopped there, but I had to include this photo from her gorgeous Instagram feed:
Sexy lady. Maker of beautiful handmade flowers. Exhausted mother. Yep, Tiffanie in a nutshell! Thank you so much for talking to me, Tiffanie! Thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode, and thank you for listening… there will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend!
………
Other links mentioned:
Our friend Katharine Daugherty’s residency in Hudson, NY: Drop Forge & Tool
Arts funding groups: Fractured Atlas, NY & Intersection for the Arts, SF
Yes. A podcast! After quietly writing daily art posts for years, in the spring of 2015 I thought it was time to add a little audio to the visual.
Here’s the idea behind ART FOR YOUR EAR: When I studied art history in university, my favorite part was, well, basically the gossip. I loved hearing why artists did certain things. What was going on in their personal life, stories about other artists they knew and worked with. Up until the rumors, the cat was taking Viagra. ART FOR YOUR EAR is exactly that… inside-scoop stories from amazingly talented contemporary artists. Each episode is just long enough for you to listen while drinking your morning coffee, or during a weekend run, or while working in the studio. Ultimately it’s a chance for all of us to get to know these successful artists, who also happen to be regular people with hilarious stories, before they’re in the art history books. I post episodes every Saturday so that you can start your weekend with a bit of art… for your ear.
TO SUBSCRIBE: CLICK HERE
TO SPONSOR: If you’re interested in sponsoring ART FOR YOUR EAR, we’d be happy to rate information. Please email: contact@thejealouscurator.com
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EPISODES
226. ANDY J PIZZA : kindred spirits
225. GEMMA GENE : artsy AF
224. MARY ELLEN MATTHEWS : live from new york
223. PETAH COYNE : a third, a third, a third
222. Talk Easy featuring Marina Abramović
221. PETAH COYNE : broken but beautiful
220. LEAH ROSENBERG : everywhere a color
219. GIO SWABY : love letters
218. SANDY SKOGLUND : believe you HAVE to do it
217. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : there’s no place like home
216. ANDREA LOVE : cooking with wool
215. JACQUELINE TSE : hey, sugar
214. SIRLI RAITMA : getting on with it
213. SANDEEP JOHAL : me in another form
212. CELINE GABRIELLE : fear is a theme
211. ANONG BEAM : tasting chartreuse
210. ELYSE DODGE : mountain ranges and valley girls
209. ANDY J PIZZA : breadcrumbs and allies
208. GIO SWABY : labor and learning
207. EMILY COUNTS : choose your own adventure
206. CARISSA POTTER CARLSON : people i’ve loved
205. KENESHA SNEED : many shapes of clay
204. ANTHONY SONNENBERG : don’t lose the joy
203. JUDI CUMMING : girls like farkles
202. LYDIA RICCI : using glue like a hammer ‘n nail
201. PAINT CHIPS : pennylane shen
200. PETAH COYNE : fifteen seconds
199. NNEKA JONES : the best work comes from experimenting
198. BEVERLY FISHMAN : never let the world define you
197. TREY SPEEGLE : NFT WTF
196. DANIELLE KRYSA : deep thoughts
195. PAINT CHIPS : martha rich
194. FABIOLA JEAN-LOUIS : create your own magic
193. ANN CARRINGTON : bending spoons (and medieval laws)
192. REBECCA HUTCHINSON : authenticity will never do you wrong
191. ANGELA GOBBENS : mermaid on ice
190. DEBORAH ROBERTS : i’m
189. SARAH DETWEILER : hidden mothers
188. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : re-finding joy
187. RACHEL BURKE : jealous of a spider
186. PETAH COYNE : just be wonderful
185. BISA BUTLER : children of the rainbow
184. DIANA WEYMAR : time capsule within a time capsule
183. NATALIE CICCORICCO : nesting
182. RONALD JACKSON : it’s about time
181. MIMI POND : mimi and the mitfords
180. CALIDA RAWLES : water, light, and infinite galaxies
179. DEBRA BAXTER : the fortress of solitude
178. AMBER VITTORIA : femininity. her way.
177. SARA SHAKEEL : from pearly whites to sparkly delights
176. WAYNE WHITE : fishin’ with santa claus in heaven
175. MEGAN KRZMARZICK : rituals and running away
174. ELISA VALENTI : people love tush
173. ESTHER PEARL WATSON : puff salad and the great pause
172. MARTHA RICH : microwave cooking for one
171. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : brush your fangs
170. THE KRYSA FAMILY : team quarantine
169. TARA LEWIS : trophies ‘n tiaras
168. DANIELLE KRYSA : numbers on a calendar
167. PENNYLANE SHEN : pennylane made me cry
166. ANDY J PIZZA : busting creative myths 2.0
165. PHIL HANSEN : silver linings and canned peaches
164. TERRENCE PAYNE : social media ‘n ketchup chips
163. NATALIE BAXTER : clearly confused about her role as a woman
162. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : muses ‘n more
161. ART FOR YOUR EAR : putting a bow on 2019
160. ESTHER PEARL WATSON : storytime with epw
159. MARTHA RICH : ask martha
158. PENNYLANE SHEN : too old, too young, too busy
157. ANDY J PIZZA : creative myth busters
156. KATE BINGAMAN-BURT : a little bit wonky
155. SMoCA : the universe is unfolding as it should
154. TERRENCE PAYNE : payne points
153. SAMANTHA FIELDS : sam gets schooled
152. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : optimistic as f*ck
151. HEATHER LENZ : infinite passion
150. SEONNA HONG : peeling paint
149. RICHARD HOLLAND : the tea boy sees mermaids
148. KELSIE GRAZIER : white noise
147. TREY SPEEGLE : warhol ephemera
146. OLA VOLO : there’s no time to be shy
145. ANNIE KEVANS : the recording of art history
144. CHARLES WILKIN : a mental list of dangerous things
143. CAYCE ZAVAGLIA : petrified and totally excited
142. SHANNON D TAYLOR : everything shiny
141. SARA KHAN : mythology and mounds of soil
140. CJ HENDRY : petrol. rent. snacks.
139. ESTHER PEARL WATSON AND MARK TODD : playing jenga under a fool moon
138. EKATERINA POPOVA : from pancakes to painting
137. DOUG MEYER : mowing lawns and making art
136. CLARE CELESTE BÖRSCH : dreaming of tigers
135. ASHLEY LONGSHORE : an artrepreneur’s fempire
134. KAYLEE DALTON : mixing magic
133. JANNA WATSON : finding wildness
132. TERRENCE PAYNE : stuff like that and quilts, ya know
131. SUSANNAH MONTAGUE : enjoy the now
130. STINA PERSSON : buckling can be beautiful
129. ROBERT TOWNSEND : my indiana muse
128. MICHELLE KINGDOM : where our happiness lives
127. AMY SHERALD : use it or lose it
126. AIMÉE HENNY BROWN : foxes ‘n’ hedgehogs
125. PIPPA YOUNG : free to be
124. EUGENIA LOLI : a gift
123. WENDY KAWABATA : paintings, pinholes, and pina coladas
122. LISA WRIGHT : really looking
121. SETH CLARK : on the brink
120. FAYTHE LEVINE : never say never
119. DAN LAM : ugly beautiful
118. ANDY J PIZZA : make waves instead of going with the flow
117. RACHEL DENNY : yak friends
116. VICTORIA VILLASANA : restless curiosity
115. AMBER COWAN : crashing the kiln
114. LEE BOYD : falling off the pencil
113. MONIKA FORSBERG : no one ever wants ducks
112. DAISY PATTON : nostalgia, lots of research … and a ghost
111. LINDSAY ARNOLD : what’s the why
110. SEAN WILLIAM RANDALL : balance, brushstrokes, burning cars
109. MARIKO PATERSON : the hustle is real
108. HEATHER DAY : inconvenient spots along rivers
107. CHARLOTTE KEATES : nothing in nature clashes
106. ANNE SIEMS : showers and shamanism
105. SUMMER CAMP 5 : bad art ’n good snacks
104. SUMMER CAMP 4 : captured through collage
103. SUMMER CAMP 3 : unconventional and absurd
102. SUMMER CAMP 2 : the first mark
101. SUMMER CAMP 1 : au naturel
100. MANDO MARIE : see you through it
099. ZEMER PELED : suitcase full of shards
098. NETTIE WAKEFIELD : bit of a pencil snob
097. MEGHAN HILDEBRAND : m is for mysterious
096. BRIAN DONNELLY : fire, failure, and fatty snacks
095. ANNA HOYLE : humor, how-tos, and hindsight
094. MOLLY HATCH : an opportunistic optimist
093. CAT SETO : a cat in paris
092. JENNY BROWN : starting from square one. again.
091. SAMANTHA FIELDS : if i’m in the zone, leave me alone.
090. AARON SMITH : no excuses, no regrets … lots of beards
089. LORI LARUSSO : cucumber shamu
088. NAOMI VONA : a fearless act
087. ELISE MORRIS : inevitably, it changes
086. JAY DART : greetings from yawnder
085. NATALIE BAXTER : warm guns ’n bloated flags
084. CLAIRE BREWSTER : more love, less fear
083. JANE DENTON : simply complex
082. JUDI CUMMING : hey, mama
081. SHANNON RANKIN : not enough hours in the day
080. TREY SPEEGLE : changing the rules
079. ESZTER BURGHARDT : lands of wool and cake
078. BUNNIE REISS : a disciplined free spirit
077. LISA CONGDON : imposters, egos, inner critics … LIVE in portland
076. KRISTEN MARTINCIC : a passion for process
075. TONYA CORKEY : experiments, risks … and dryer lint
074. ASHLEY GOLDBERG : patterns ’n positive passwords
073. MARTA SPENDOWSKA : starting in the background
072. MARTHA RICH : arma-dino
071. TERRENCE PAYNE : pastels, perfection, and prince
070. JIM BACHOR : ancient art … and potholes
069. RYAN HESHKA : pinups, pulp, comics, and canadiana
068. TINA BERNING : step-by-step. every day.
067. KATE ROHDE : don’t discount small opportunities
066. SANDRA ETEROVIC : i guess i better be an artist now
065. CATHERINE GRAFFAM : cheesiness aside, art gave me purpose
064. AMANDA BRAZIER : red bank red is from my yard
063. ALI CAVANAUGH : modern frescoes and micro evolutions
062. REBECCA LOUISE LAW : painting with flowers
061. EMILY BARLETTA : art. therapy.
060. KATHARINE MORLING : drawing with porcelain
059. REBECCA CHAPERON : magical portals and secret painting parties
058. ERIN M RILEY : comfortable in my skin
057. JAIME ROVENSTINE : jellyfish in a trifle
056. GUNJAN AYLAWADI : take your pleasure seriously
055. SALLY TAYLOR : a giant game of telephone … with art
054. KIRSTIN LAMB : cute and poisonous
053. RACHEL CASTLE : castle in the car
052. SCOTT LISTFIELD : astronauts and dinosaurs
051. ZOË PAWLAK : chance favors those in motion
050. LOLA DONOGHUE : lola, don’t be precious
049. ARIS MOORE : big mouths, ukuleles … but no chins
048. AMANDA HAPPÉ : defiance is my favorite motivator
047. BROOKS SALZWEDEL : who doesn’t like a dinosaur
046. SARAH GEE MILLER : organizing the fray
045. JOËL PENKMAN : it began with biscuits
044. NIKE SCHROEDER : nothing is a mistake
043. ANDREA D’AQUINO : discipline … and a bit of chance
042. CAMILLA ENGMAN : distant friends
041. STEPHANIE K CLARK : painting with thread
040. SUSANNA BAUER : i’m a bit impatient
039. XOCHI SOLIS : paper nerds unite
038. SAMANTHA FRENCH : ebb and flow
037. HAGAR VARDIMON : hunting for paper
036. CASEY ROBERTS : nature nerd
035. KIANA MOSLEY : late one night …
034. LEAH GIBERSON : hello, me?
033. AUTUMN REESER : soul of a rose, skin of a rhino
032. MARYANNE MOODIE : textiles, treasures, and a new tribe
031. HAPPY HOLIDAYS : the best gift ever …
030. WAYNE WHITE : hoozy thinky iz
029. BOBBIE BURGERS : welcome to boburg
028. ESTHER PEARL WATSON : ufos, diaries, and underdogs
027. SIDNEY PINK : what charms you
026. JESSICA BRILLI : big salad
025. ASHLEY MISTRIEL : fill the whole ream
024. JESSICA BELL : you can’t make art in the cracks
023. MICHELLE KOHANZO : a nod to creativity
022. KATE BINGAMAN-BURT : make piles of crap
021. DEBRA BROZ : a really slow magician
020. KELLY PUISSEGUR : almost happy
019. JAIME DERRINGER : design milk by day & sketchbooks by night
018. TIFFANIE TURNER : blossoms & burlesque
017. KATE WOODROW : a pitch on a silver platter
016. MAX WANGER : photography was not in the picture
015. HOLLIE CHASTAIN : i sandwich everything in that stuff
014. RACHEL RYLE : latte foam, goop, and gumption
013. LISA GOLIGHTLY : if it scares you, do it
012. MARK BRADLEY-SHOUP : walk the walk
011. ROBERT NOVOGRATZ : how much for the tape measure?
010. LISA CONGDON : push through the messiness
009. VINCENT SERRITELLA : painted into a corner
008. MARY KATE MCDEVITT : you’re in cider town
007. BEN SKINNER : equal or lesser value
006. AMANDA SMITH : girls are my vocabulary
005. PEREGRINE HONIG : on the other side of pop culture
004. TREY SPEEGLE : good luck with that
003. STEPHANIE VOVAS : comfort zones and lack thereof
002. ANTHONY ZINONOS : if it buckles, it buckles
001. MARTHA RICH : meat and cake and lobsters and wigs
Oh my. I love this series by Jordan Sullivan so, so, so much… and then I read his artist statement and I loved it even more, because yes, I’m a total sucker for a good story:
“The Young Earth is a photo series and accompanying photonovel set in Iceland. The [fictional] story follows two Americans in the last days of their twenties, one them terminally ill, as they explore one of the youngest bodies of land in the world. The young men attempt to reconnect with the natural world while confronting their own mortality and a past love triangle that briefly dissolved their friendship. The Young Earth is a meditation on death, the end of youth, and the beauty and complications that come with love and friendship.”
Death, love triangles, and dreamy photography? Yes, please. And, if you happen to be in New York tomorrow night, you can meet him and have a copy of The Young Earth signed. You should go!
I’m not jealous of these sad little pageant queens… well, I’m a bit jealous of their fancy hair. Gretchen Ryan does such an amazing job capturing the ridiculous sexualization / adultification (Ok, I know that’s not a real word, but you know what I mean) of these young girls. But what I find even more intriguing is that they’re sad, well, maybe even angry. Usually when you see tiara tots they’re smiling til it hurts, and you can almost hear their mothers saying ‘We only do this because she loves it so much.’ I love that these girls don’t love it… at all.
{Gretchen is also part of the group show, ‘True Self’, currently on at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York.}
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