Ah, the past and present beautifully brought together in these colorful, narrative, large-scale oil paintings are the work of Vancouver-born, New York based artist Delphine Hennelly. Earlier this year she did an interview with Two Coats of Paint, and talked about this body of work:

“For these paintings, I was looking at a lot of work from the French pre-revolution period. With the ubiquitous image of couple and dog I have been eager to pin down a certain feeling of unrest and sociopolitical anxiety. The costume would be a nod to the notion or warning, whichever way you want to look at it, “History here repeating itself” in a domestic scene in its most benign form.” 

And the stories – I have questions! Who are those people and, um, is that blue/yellow sheep okay?

“I’m not trying to tell a story about my life, and there’s no real person that this represents in my mind. But then they also become weirdly real because it does enter my thinking. It’s unavoidable. I feel you can’t get away from yourself or your histories. This might sound silly, but I saw all of a sudden the guy in Country Matters kind of looks like my son Leo. He has the look of a grown-up toddler. In a way, this was my son growing bigger than me, and that would be me, and I’m mourning the loss of his childhood. Also in the same painting, I didn’t realize the sheep appeared dead until the painting was up on the wall, out of the studio and everyone was talking about it being dead. Meanwhile, the dog in the other paintings is not the same as the sheep. It’s about fidelity, partnership, companionship. The sheep is something else, and I am OK with it appearing as though it’s on its way out, so to speak. I think Country Matters is ultimately about loss of innocence. There is a bit of a sadness in that painting. The sheep is the harbinger of that feeling. More importantly, the fact that the sheep’s “death” is ambiguous, lends a kind of farcical bend to the narrative. And that would be where my intentionality would lie.”

{Thanks to Rachel Faucett of ‘Handmade Charlotte’, for pointing me to Delphine’s work}

Pneuhaus is a Rhode Island based design collective {Matt Muller, Augie Lehrecke, Levi Bedall} that focuses on “the mastery of all things inflatable”. Yep, clearly! Their most recent, totally breathtaking project is titled Pnit:

“Pnit magnifies the most basic knit stitch pattern so that this elegant and simple strength can be seen and the mechanics of it understood. Knit fabrics are a part of our daily lives, they cloth us and keep our beds warm; and yet as many of us lose track of the way the objects we interact with are made it can be easy to overlook the intrinsic structural beauty of fabrics.”

Pnit was created for PVDFest, Providence’s signature art festival, and will be illuminated in all its knitted glory throughout the summer of 2019. Happy Monday.

A cardboard car … CARdboard. Okay, sorry. This is the work of American artist Shannon Goff. She does fabulous things with clay as well, but this car – the 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V, to be specific – stopped me in my tracks. That dashboard? The wheels? That trunk!? Detail and craftsmanship that would make her grandfather proud. You see when Shannon was little, her grandfather bought one of these American beauties (in metallic turquoise no less), and she remembers “the Mark V’s smooth ride conjuring up the sensation of floating on a cloud.” Here is a little more info about this project:

“‘Miles To Empty‘ (2015) explores the car as a metaphor for the complexities of American life in general, and for my own experiences as a native of the city of Detroit specifically.” … and an extract from the exhibition text … “In ‘Miles to Empty’, Goff reflects on how our increasing reliance on adaptive technologies has diminished the routines of human industry, and is changing our aesthetic sensibilities. Dauntingly laborious, challenging in concept and ambitious in scope, this monumental sculpture embodies Goff’s immense energy and her love of making. Goff demonstrates a high level of skill and ingenuity, which used to be present in all manufacturing before the production line eradicated first the hand, then the whole individual. Each part of the car is uniquely made, and in making it, she has imagined the many hands that collectively fabricated the vehicles on the Lincoln company assembly line.”

Gold! … or metallic turquoise.

Mmmmm, yummy! From ceramics to collages, dumplings to beer… these are just a few of the pieces included in “Potluck”, a totally stacked group show opening at Hashimoto Gallery in San Francisco {804 Sutter St} this Saturday, June 29th from 6 to 9pm. I’ll give you one guess to figure out the theme:

“Inspired by community and connections created around food, this dynamic group show brings together artists working in ceramics, drawing, painting and beyond for a delicious exploration in our relationships with food.

Featuring 28 artists from the San Francisco Bay Area, nationally and internationally, [Potluck] includes a diverse range of experiences culturally, emotionally and conceptually. Drawing inspiration from the community created around gathering for a meal and the preparation of food, each artist brings unique memories and histories embedded in what we eat. Each piece offers the viewer a personal perspective of food, ranging from favorite dishes and places, intimate domestic scenes, celebratory occasions and nostalgic recollections.”

Featuring new works by: Laura Berger | Sarah Carolan | Jeffrey Cheung | Lauren Corden | Brian de Graft (1st shown above) | Amanda Dunham | Nicole Dyer | Dan Gluibizzi | Casey Gray | Liz Hernandez | Celia Jacobs | Sam Keller (3rd shown above)| Katie Kimmel | Ness Lee | Quentin Monge | Rebecca Ness | Kellie Orr | Hilda Palafox | Pedro Pedro | Petites Luxures | Joel Daniel Phillips | Stephanie H. Shih (4th shown above) | Jessica So Ren Tang | Lorien Stern (2nd shown above) | Anna Valdez (5th shown above) | Chelsea Wong | Joey Yu

ps. “Potluck”, curated by Dasha Matsuura, runs until July 20th, 2019.

Oh. My. Word. This ceramic sculpture – yes, I said CERAMIC – is titled “C’est ne pas de la tarte”, and is the latest work of UK based artist Anna Barlow. I wrote about her drippy ceramic ice cream cones five years ago, but as you can see, things have gotten a little more decadent. Here are Anna’s words about this bowl full of indulgent goodness:

“This piece was made especially for the Bernaudaud Foundation in Limoges for an exhibition called “Miam!” It was a chance to look at 19^th century Limoges porcelain and consider the change in the culture of eating dessert.

I feel that confections today are a testament to how international food culture has become, with takaki cones, matcha flavours and Pocky sticks from Japan; bubble cones and super- size portions from USA; macaroons from France and the English cupcakes and roses.

I believe there is a macho, relaxed “more is more” trend in eating at the moment – very different from the elaborate, formal dining of the 19^th century where only the well-off could partake. By filling a Limoges style bowl with a collection of contemporary confections, I hope to create a conversation between the past and present, cracks appear in the elaborate bowl from the weight of the dominating contents, which is, although tempting; large, chaotic and grotesque.”

Chaotic and grotesque, yes, but I’m not gonna lie… I kinda want to lick it. Also, follow her on Instagram, because THIS:

Ceramic fish tail waffle cones. Mic drop.

Colorful, whimsical, with twists and turns that make my heart race … yes, all of these pieces make me want to ride imaginary rollercoasters while eating fruity candy. This is the most recent work of Australian artist Lynda Draper. I wrote about her way back in 2010. Her ceramic pieces were fabulous then, but the way she has pushed her work in the past nine years is even more fabulous … and others agree. This past Friday, June 21st, Lynda was awarded the very prestigious Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award, which “celebrates and promotes contemporary Australian artists working in the ceramic medium, with $50,000 in prize money.” Amazing! Here is a description of her work found on Gallerysmith {Melbourne}:

[Lynda Draper’s] work explores psychological scenarios often representing a journey within the dualities of life and death, reality and fantasy, past and present. She is interested in the relationship between the mind and material world and the related phenomenon of the metaphysical. Creating art is her way of attempting to bridge the gap between these worlds.

{Thanks to Kylie Gusset of @noticingceramics for letting me know about this exciting news! Congratulations, Lynda!}

I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. This is an ongoing project created by Canadian {US based} artist Diana Weymar, titled “Tiny Pricks”. It began in January 2018 when Diana embroidered the “stable genius” piece at the top of the post… and then it spread like wild fire! Diana continued to document the tweets and quotes that tend to spill out of Trump on a daily basis, but she also started “Tiny Pricks”, inviting people from around the world to harness their frustration through a creative outlet. Here is a snippet from Diana’s site:

“desperate times, creative measures : Like so many others, I am trying to process this presidency in a way that doesn’t involve withdrawing from following politics. This project is about witnessing, recording, taking notes in thread, and paying attention. Paying attention to his words.

This series holds a creative space in a tumultuous political climate. Tiny Pricks Project counterbalances the impermanence of Twitter and other social media, and Trump’s statements by using textiles that embody warmth, craft, permanence, civility, and a shared history. The daintiness and strength of each piece stands in a stark contrast to his presidency. You can make a tiny prick (please do).”

Sadly, there are an insane number of ridiculous quotes to choose from, but the silver lining… zillions of these embroidered statements are currently covering the walls – from floor to ceiling – at Lingua Franca in New York from now until September 3rd! “Desperate times, creative measures”, indeed.

{Pieces above by: (1, 2, 3) Diana Weymar, (4) Justine Twina, (5) Mary Loria, (6) Diana again, (7) Betsy Nix}

Wow. In one month from today I will be in Venice… and I just found my first stop at the biennale! This is the Icelandic Pavilion, and the magical work of Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, aka Shoplifter. She has transformed a warehouse {Spazio Punch, on the island of Giudecca} into a soft, colorful, bizarre world titled “Chromo Sapiens”.

“Working with both synthetic and natural hair her sculptures, wall murals and site-specific installations explore themes of vanity, self-image, fashion, beauty and popular myth. For Shoplifter hair is the ultimate thread that grows from our body. Hair is an original, creative fiber, a way for people to distinguish themselves as individuals, and often an art form. Humor plays a large role in her life and work, sometimes subtly, but at other times taking over.”

I will go there, I will sit in there, I may not come out of there. {Yes, that’s Hrafnhildur in the shot above, and I’m planning on striking the same pose when I’m in there … how could I not!?} Happy Friday.

Images by Elisabet Davidsdottir

Ahhh, Los Angeles. Sunny skies, palm trees, and freeways. These oil paintings are the work of British painter John Tierney. He lives and works in the UK, but his muse is LA… clearly.

“John Tierney lives in Durham City in the north east of England. He is a regular visitor to Los Angeles and most of his work takes as its subject matter the urban landscape of the city – the light in LA being of particular importance. Furthermore, the architecture of LA is, to put it mildly, seductively eclectic, taking in old and new iconic buildings and a whole range of small-scale, quirky establishments. 

Working in oils, the basic aim is quite straightforward: to create paintings that provide a strong sense of place, a feeling of what it is like to be there. He visits these various locations as, in a sense, an ‘outside’ observer, one who is fascinated by the differences between them and the urban and rural landscapes of the UK.”

John’s latest show, titled “Postcards from LA”, will be opening in – you guessed it – LA! Stop by Maddox Gallery {8811 Beverly Boulevard West Hollywood} one week from tomorrow: FRIDAY June 28th.

First of all … a Monchichi!? Oh my word, so many 1980s childhood flashbacks. Okay, let’s talk about these beautifully bizarre portraits by Los Angeles based painter Tasha Kusama, shall we? That perfectly painted hair, those dreamy sky-scapes, not to mention titles like “sometimes ima baby, sometimes ima tiger”… GOLD! Tasha’s work is part of a group show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in LA, titled CANNED HEAT, that opens on July 5th {8-11pm} and runs until July 28th, 2019.