olive, gold, and wine.

NEW BLOG LOCATION

2012-01-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

Hello friendly faces!

I have decided to move the blog to Tumblr. You can see my most recent inspirations/projects at www.olivegoldwine.tumblr.com

Be inspired!
-Christina

Ai Weiwei SUNFLOWER SEEDS

2012-01-05T22:33:00.002-05:00

via myloveforyou

This is the most humbling and inspiring video I have seen in a while. Art making should be like this. He created something so impactful and wonderful while really nurturing his community by providing work. So many important layers.

Learn to love the process.

2012-01-03T22:23:00.001-05:00

via mymodernmet

Ian Coyle's work. These two resonate.

Maurice Sendak and Terry Gross on Fresh Air.

2012-01-02T20:53:00.000-05:00

via npr

Hands down the most heartbreaking and beautiful interview I have ever heard. This conversation between Maurice Sendak (author of many children's books, namely WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE) and Terry Gross for Fresh Air on NPR. Sendak is honest and vulnerable in his interview. He just breaks my heart, but somehow fills me with joy at the same time. Unbelievable.

Some highlights:

"I'm writing a poem right now about a nose. I've always wanted to write a poem about a nose. But it's a ludicrous subject. That's why, when I was younger, I was afraid of [writing] something that didn't make a lot of sense. But now I'm not. I have nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter."

"I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more. ... What I dread is the isolation. ... There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready."

Yayoi Kusama, children, and stickers.

2011-12-29T21:21:00.000-05:00

via thisiscolossal

Yayoi Kusama created a "blank slate" for the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, and called it The Obliteration Room. AMAZING. She made a room completely white and allowed children to participate in the overall creation of the piece by taking thousands of stickers and decorating the walls with them. Really really fun.

Lucas Maassen + Sons

2011-12-26T12:38:00.001-05:00

via designboom

Dutch designer, Lucas Maassen employs his three sons (two are 7, one is 9) to paint the furniture he builds. It is a pretty adorable agreement they have--the sons get 1 euro for each piece of painted furniture, and are only able to work three hours each week. The end result is this effortless, simplified furniture that captures the careful carelessness of a child's mind. The colors are joyful and easy to understand. I love this project.

Lucas Maassen & Sons from Lucas Maassen & Sons on Vimeo.

Quayola turns classical paintings into geometric wonder.

2011-12-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Strata #4 - Site-Specific Installation from Quayola on Vimeo.

Topologies (Excerpt) - Velazquez from Quayola on Vimeo.

via minimalexposition

SO. I am not usually that excited about digital anything these days--I find myself really moving towards traditional painting, etc. since it is so hard to find lately. Still, I think that this project "TOPOGRAPHIES" by Quayola is really something wonderful. They take these classical paintings and create sort of topographical maps about them, creating living digital paintings, installed site-specifically in older buildings. So cool. The imagery turns soft, fleshy curves into geometric bursts of color.

Whoa Manhattan ROYALTON.

2011-12-20T11:19:00.000-05:00

via mymodernmet

I am sort of floored by the installation-based design of the Royalton in Manhattan. They combine so many materials but still keep a cohesive design idea with simple execution.

Uncanny images of family.

2011-12-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

via mymodernmet

These images by Frauke Thielking really capture the simple beauty and amazing similarities between mother/daughter, father/son likenesses. They do look like older/younger versions of the same person.

A'shop nouveau mural.

2011-12-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

Must be nice to see art nouveau as you walk around the streets of Montreal. This would surely stop me in my tracks. By A'shop. Fun to hear the stories that they have on their site about the process:

“The main thing that struck us was the public’s reaction while we were painting the mural. Some people gave us the cold shoulder at first, thinking we were painting an ad. Then when they realized we were reviving an old wall with a mural, they were came back to see us everyday. That really fueled us. Within days we had the whole community involved. People invited us for lunch and the Jamaicans at the local barber shop were giving us high-fives!”

This is not art, but it made me so happy.

2011-12-13T17:57:00.002-05:00

Can't believe this little guy. Amazing. He totally feels it.

Totally blown away.

2011-12-10T14:28:00.001-05:00

United Visual Artists: Canopy + Connection from inkblot media on Vimeo.

These are the types of projects I cannot wait to do. United Visual Artists.

Triptychs of Strangers.

2011-12-08T17:57:00.000-05:00

This project is so vulnerable and lovely. It helps that the photographs are so well-composed and edited. All photos by Adde Adesokan. More of his work here.

LIFE: Picasso

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

via missmoss

These images of Pablo Picasso from LIFE magazine are really fantastic.

3.2 Million Dots Make a Father's Face.

2011-12-05T19:37:00.001-05:00

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

via thisiscolossal

THIS IS INSANE.

The Chromatic Typewriter

2011-12-05T07:58:00.000-05:00

via thisiscolossal

A great idea executed in a great way. Tyree Callahan modified an old typewriter to type in colors. I wonder how long the color would last in the setting?

DOOR WALL, my goodness!

2011-12-04T18:28:00.001-05:00

via Poppytalk via Azure Magazine

I am sort of blown away by this wall of doors by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek. Often times, the use of old doors can come across as crafty or overdone. By using a collection of doors as a texture, Eek creates something much more wonderful and not crafty in the least. Instead, the wall is mathematically sound---each door holding individual presence while still maintaining the overall image of a three-dimensional wallpaper. I have never seen anything like it!

This photo.

2011-12-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

via ignant

This is a pretty spectacular capture. Photo by Osma Harvilahti.

Bruce Monro does it again.

2011-12-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

via designboom

Bruce Monro's Field Of Light installations are just so captivating and magical. Here is his newest piece at the Holburne Museum. I posted about him before, but this piece is entirely different in the way that the ground drawing is used. The tendrils of light on the ground take the work to a new, greater level. They become systems, growing from specified areas in the ground. I love the work. I love it.

Soul Pancake Dance Break.

2011-12-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

SoulPancake: Dancewalk

SoulPancake gives people on the go an opportunity to inject a moment of spontaneity and fun into an everyday activity by turning a busy crosswalk into a dancewalk.

What a fun idea. SoulPancake

Googley eye art.

2011-11-30T18:59:00.000-05:00

via ignant

These make me laugh so hard. Project by Timm Schneiders.

2,000 leaves videos

2011-11-27T14:38:00.001-05:00

Here are three videos I took while hanging my latest installation 2,000 Leaves as a part of my solo show at Voltage in Cambridge, MA. The show will be up until December 10, 2011. Hope you can make it out!

Valeria Nascimento

2011-11-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

images via valerianascimeto

Valeria Nascimento is a ceramics artist who creates these really cool wall pieces. They feel as fragile as paper. Below is a video from her solo show in London.

Personifying toys never gets old.

2011-11-21T22:30:00.001-05:00

Address Is Approximate from The Theory on Vimeo.

via thisiscolossal

Patience, Persistence, and Process photos.

2011-11-18T18:19:00.001-05:00

photos copyright to olivegoldwine

Here are a few photos from my solo show, currently showing at Voltage in Cambridge, MA until December 10, 2011. Stay tune to see the short film by Eric Gulliver about the process between myself and musician, Andrew Halchak.

Reed Danziger wow wow.

2011-11-17T20:35:00.001-05:00

images from reeddanziger via arthound

I haven't felt this refreshed by 2D work in a long, long time. Mixed-media by Reed Danziger. So much energy! So much pushing and pulling!!

The Beauty of a Second.

2011-11-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Seconds Of Beauty - 1st round compilation from The Beauty Of A Second on Vimeo.

Some of the most striking images I have seen in a while.

2011-11-15T18:11:00.001-05:00

via theatlantic

So apparently, National Geographic has a photo contest every year. The deadline this year is approaching fast----November 30th. This is a very beautiful selection from the last years in the contest. Some of these make me feel so humbled.

Kristian Schuller photography.

2011-11-12T18:35:00.000-05:00

via trendland

I love the color in all of these fashion photos by Kristian Schuller. So dreamlike and whimsical. The girl cycling past us looks weightless. The girl pummeled by pigment is ungrounded, buoyant. Both images use the same color palette, but the most striking part about them is how the models feel so secondary to the composition. They both float in a sea of tan, their bodies revealed only by the clever use of beautiful peaches and pinks.

Time lapse video from space!

2011-11-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

via thisiscolossal

That color you see at the beginning? Aurora Borealis. Pretty stunning stuff.

Julien Salaud's intricacies.

2011-11-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

via thisiscolossal

images via juliensalaud

I cannot tell if I find these taxidermy manipulations by French artist Julien Salaud beautiful or horrifying. In some images, I notice the intricacies in the line-work of the string that somehow creates a sort of cocoon or fog around the animals. In other images, I can't get past the fact that thousands of pins and nails were pounded into what was once warm skin.

Vincent J. Stoker

2011-11-06T16:01:00.002-05:00

images via vincentjstocker

These photographs are all kinds of wonderful. Vincent J. Stoker has been working on this series called HETEROTOPIA where he focuses on places of "doubt and incompletion".

From his site:
The places photographed in this series are over-determined as heterotopias. They are fascinating for what they are: spaces of doubt and incompletion. I capture them in a moment of uncertainty, somewhere between life and death, growth and wasting, being and non-being, constantly on the edge of deletion. They are sedimentations of time, a time that accumulates and narrows in them. Past and future collide in a temporality that is losing its sense of linearity. Spaces let us see time, this eternal invisible.

These images are certainly filled with emotion. When I look at them, I feel, like he describes, pairs of things. Polar feelings. I feel like I'm being torn to either side of the image. I lose any sense of familiar direction or balance. They feel overwhelmingly large, and yet I see the end of them. I could look at them for ages.

Large wooden sculpture built to fall down.

2011-11-04T17:48:00.001-04:00

via mymodernmet

This sculpture by Aneas Wilder was built with the exact same material throughout: 10,000 uniform pieces of Iroko wood. It was built without screws or bolts. No nails. No wood glue. Wilder gave himself certain boundaries and rules for this structure, and admitted that however the structure was "seemingly" safe, it was "one that [was] loaded with the potential energy of collapse." Then, the Longside Gallery at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the UK had a sort of "break-down" party. See the video for this wonder. I love the idea of a piece being built to last until a certain deadline----if it fell before that, so be it. If it made it as far as the closing of the show, an audience filled with lucky ticket-holders was able to bear witness to the beauty of destruction.

The Wonder Object.

2011-11-03T17:25:00.000-04:00

Wonder Object from Mark & Angela Walley on Vimeo.

via junkculture

A great video about a really simple idea---making people feel good. By artist, Gary Schott.

Murmuration.

2011-11-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Probably one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a while. Reminds of me of that scene from Tree Of Life. What an amazing thing to come across.

Rachel Braidman's blog-play.

2011-11-01T22:28:00.002-04:00

If you are anywhere NEAR western Mass. next weekend, please do yourself a favor and see this. My dearest Rachel Braidman has turned her delightfully honest blog into a delightfully honest performance. She is sort of a Jack of all trades, so I know it will not disappoint. I have been ready to see this since before it existed.

You can purchase tickets here and see the shows at the following dates and times:

Friday, November 11 at 7:15
Saturday, November 12 at 8:30

It will be a doozie.

Kaalam: Light.

2011-10-29T15:40:00.002-04:00

via designboom

Kaalam creates these illuminated calligraphic drawings in space. They are so moving. He uses hand-held light with long exposure times to capture these outstanding images. Apparently, the entire process is so specific and rehearsed, that once he gets the image (sometimes it takes 10 minutes per image), he doesn't alter it or edit it.

Graffiti Machine.

2011-10-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

A device for "Graffiti" from yang02 on Vimeo.

via triangulationblog

Well. I like this graffiti a whole lot. By Takahiro Yamaguchi.

Trailer.

2011-10-26T19:11:00.000-04:00

The Light Can Tell Us When We Are Done - Trailer from Eric Gulliver on Vimeo.

The Light is a short film surrounding the exhibition of Christina Watka's work in a show entitled "Patience, Persistence and Process," being curated at the Voltage Cafe in Kendall Square. It documents her process along with the creative partnership with Andrew Halchak, a musician, and their collaboration around the installation pieces being put up for the show. The film explores the installation process, musical collaboration, and the mixing of media in a new space.

Patience, Persistence, and Process will open on October 28, 2011 at the Voltage Cafe, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.

Eric, Thank you. You are so full of talent.

Twelve Chairs post.

2011-10-25T22:32:00.004-04:00

Many thanks to my two loves, Miggy and Roisin of Twelve Chairs for this lovely shout out. These two are a positive force in Boston these days. Wonder women!

2000 Dandelions.

2011-10-24T18:01:00.000-04:00

via thisiscolossal

Having just finished a large scale piece with almost 2,000 leaves, I can really appreciate the TLC that goes into something this finely detailed. This piece by German artist Regine Ramseier as part of ArToll Summer Lab 2011 is so wonderful. A little spray adhesive goes a long way. She created such wonder with this.

Patience, Persistence, and Process

2011-10-22T09:26:00.003-04:00

The Light Can Tell Us When We Are Done - PreTease from Eric Gulliver on Vimeo.

Here is the high quality pre-teaser for the show that I am currently installing. Opening this Friday, October 28th at Voltage from 7-10. Don't miss it!

New teaser in a few days.....

Say it isn't so!

2011-10-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

Novum 11/11 – Making Of Cover from Paperlux on Vimeo.

Shut the front door! This is one of the coolest ideas I have seen.

Net Z33 by Numen

2011-10-19T18:35:00.000-04:00

via triangulationblog

I am all about the newest installation by Numen. It reinvents the gallery space using suspended netting to create a sort of community hammock. Also, go to their site here to see the amazing model they created first. It is almost as great as the real deal.

Also, see: Ernesto Neto. These two pieces remind me of each other.

Star in a jar.

2011-10-18T18:25:00.000-04:00

via thisiscolossal

What a surreal image. Sculpture by Matt Johnson.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

2011-10-17T18:27:00.002-04:00

The Company, Bring To Light NYC from Andrea Cuius on Vimeo.

I just came across this and I am astounded and in love. I don't have much time to write about it, so I will just let Triangulation blog do it for me.

From Triangulation:

The Company is a sound reactive light installation commissioned for the Bring To Light festival in Brooklyn NYC. A collaboration work between creative coder Andrea Cuius and designer Roland Ellis. The project consists in a suspended surface of 76 tungsten lamps form a catenary arch, playing host to live performances and revisiting the sounds of the 19th century East River industrial icons. Live adaptation of the soundscape reintroduces routine and mechanical process to the space. The piece intends to bring back an atmosphere informed by the architectural legacy, a machine being delivered to occupy the space that was once a bustling industrial environment. By either producing sounds or just reactive to the inputs from the environment, The Company is a sound reactive light installation.

The Present.

2011-10-14T17:21:00.000-04:00

Wow. This has got to be one of the single most beautiful ideas I have ever heard. Support the kickstarter here.

Mark Bothwick's Light-filled Studio.

2011-10-11T19:01:00.001-04:00

via missmoss

Yet another beautiful studio space for the week. This one belongs to photographer Mark Bothwick. What a dream it would be to wake up in this space everyday. Such light! It's hard to believe it is in Brooklyn...feels like San Francisco! I also love the little ceiling installation. Those colors remind me of the reflected light on a woman's cheek at dusk. See it? It's lovely. So simple, and yet it transforms the space and makes it all so calm.

A pair of photos.

2011-10-10T19:11:00.000-04:00

I want to get married here.

via allthemountains

via bouroullecbros

DeKooning's awesome studio.

2011-10-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

via anthologymag

Apparently, DeKooning's East Hampton studio was recently featured in Architectural Digest. I wonder if everyone would be as brilliantly creative if they had a space like THIS in which to ideate. It is a dream space. I love it. I mean, Look at that loft bedroom!!!! Awesome. So light and open.

Annie Vought Papercuts, MY GOODNESS.

2011-10-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

photos from annievought

What you see is intricately cut paper. Read her statement, I couldn't summarize it better than how she already does. The time spent on making her point is not wasted. Looking through all of her work, I think almost every single one has sold. She's going places, this one. Annie Vought.

"Email, text messages, instant messaging and Twitter are all examples of fun and immediate means of “written” communication. Through the computer I am in touch with people I may never have seen before and I can respond in real time to a loved one. But with the ubiquity of this access and convenience, we are losing the tangible handwritten letter. Handwritten records are fragments of individual histories. In the penmanship, word choice, and spelling the author is often revealed in spite of him/herself. A letter is physical confirmation of who we were at the moment it was written, or all we have left of a person or a time.
I have been working with cut out correspondence for the past four years. I meticulously recreate notes and letters that I have found, written, or received by enlarging the documents onto a new piece of paper and intricately dissecting the negative spaces with an Exact-o knife. The handwriting and the lines support the structure of the cut paper, keeping it strong and sculptural, despite its apparent fragility. In these paper cutouts, I focus on the text, structure, and emotion of the letter in an elaborate investigation into the properties of writing and expression. Penmanship, word choice, and spelling all contribute to possible narratives about who that person is and what they are like. My recreating the letters is an extended concentration on peoples’ inner lives and the ways they express their thoughts through writing."

Patience, Persistence, and Process INVITE

2011-10-04T17:20:00.001-04:00

This is a short teaser for my upcoming show, Patience, Persistence, and Process at Voltage in Kendall Square.

This is my first solo show, and I have been eagerly preparing since July of this year, with plans for it since February. The work features a musical collaboration with the extraordinary Andrew Halchak. I am so thrilled to tell you that he and three other talented musicians will play his original composition inside the space intermittently throughout the evening.

The show will be up for 7 weeks, but the music will only be performed the first night. Eric Gulliver is also filming the entire process (as well as the opening), and will be putting together a short documentary about the culmination of the work from its beginning to end. This will most likely be released a few weeks after the show opens.

I am so enthusiastic about this, I have to settle myself down to form these sentences of invite. Please. Please come and witness the wonder we all hope to create through this show. Everyone's presence will only add to the work. Accumulation is the name of the game.

The compositional process of this piece involved the diffusion of the organic to the abstract, and, after interpretation, the congregation of the abstract back to the organic. The colors, frequencies, hues, tones and shapes were dissected and studied. They were then pressed into molds of recognizable organic objects; the reeds, the leaves, the clay, the fingerprints, the winds.
-Andrew Halchak from the artist's statement

The opening will be open to the public, so please come to experience the culmination of art and music, created specifically for the same space at the same time.

Details for the opening:
Voltage Coffee and Art (a quick walk from the Kendall MIT stop on the red line)
Friday, October 28th
7 pm - 10 pm

The show comes down December 10th, so if you cannot make it to the opening, definitely stop by to see it before it is done!

Everynone: Laughs.

2011-10-03T20:43:00.002-04:00

Made my day.

LAUGHS! from Everynone on Vimeo.

Beili Liu beneath scissors. The Mending Project.

2011-10-03T18:17:00.001-04:00

via mymodernmet

This installation is daunting to say the least. Like a lot of Beili Liu's work (previously here), this piece echoes Chinese tradition and culture. The piece is performance-based, where Liu sits and stitches pieces of white fabric given to her by her audience after they are instructed to cut a piece upon entering the space. The 1,500 pairs of scissors that dangle above her are simple in their construction, but they are very sharp and can be used to cut and stab. The danger in the piece is obvious, and yet the beautiful softness on the fabric pieces that continually grow to carpet the floor is really astounding to me. I love the balance between sharp and soft. It carries nicely.

"Conceptually, I am interested in harnessing the threatening essence of these razor sharp scissors. They are not 'polite' like the ones we are used to. You can use them to cut or stab. Also, in Chinese culture, scissors should never be positioned pointing at anyone, for it will bring ill fortune. They can be sharpened when needed and last a lifetime. On the other hand, they are women's tools, just like sewing is, traditionally, a woman's task in domestic life. I am interested in investigating the power of the humble action of 'mending,' as a woman artist."

Cayce Zavaglia

2011-10-01T12:16:00.001-04:00

via colossal and designboom

These are unbelievable. When I researched Cayce Zavaglia, I realized that she calls herself a painter. It makes complete sense, even though her work is embroidered. That's right, embroidered. There are some people in this world that obviously have some sort of genius. I think it is fair to say that this girl has it.

Boston Home Magazine Fall 2011

2011-09-29T17:43:00.001-04:00

I am happy to report that an image of my work is featured in the Fall edition of Boston Home Magazine!

Nicola Lopez sketches at Guggenheim

2011-09-28T22:53:00.000-04:00

via mymodernmet

These images were just released by the Guggenheim in NYC as a sort of teaser for the upcoming installation by Nicola Lopez. Seems interesting, and very much like it will totally transform the space. I love to see the "mapping" created by the three dimensional sketching in the space. Judging by her other work, it looks like this could be pretty fantastic.

About Memories...

2011-09-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

via spoon&tamago

This piece is called "About Memories," and it is by Japanese artist, Hiroko Kono. It was hard to find her website, since the one I followed brought me to a bunch of gibberish without any internal links. I am astounded at the amount of detail and pain in this piece. That middle picture shows how much it aches. She carved pieces of wood remnants to take the place of books. Still, in so many piles and mounds, the piece does feel complete. This piece is on view now at the Nakanojo Biennale. I am sure it towers more than it looks like it does. About memories, huh? Powerful title. It silences me.

Norwegian Wild Reindeer Lookout.

2011-09-24T11:00:00.001-04:00

I have no words other than these: this is the most beautiful piece of architecture (designed by snøhetta) I think I have ever seen. Simple and elegant.

From designboom:

reminiscent of rock forms slowly eroded by wind and water processes, the undulating southern facade creates outdoor seating warmed by the sun's rays. constructed with norwegian shipbuilding techniques in conjunction with advanced fabrication processes and machines, individual 10 inch square wooden beams were milled and assembled with pegs to produce the waving effect. a rigid rectangular frame clad with rusted steel blends into the surrounding landscape while the saturated pine tar treatment of the exterior planks announces its presence to mountain hikers. the interior wall of the gathering space provides additional benches with unobstructed views of the reserve through a floor to ceiling glass enclosure.

Katrien Vermeire Photography

2011-09-24T10:44:00.000-04:00

via katrienvermeire

These images are a mystery to me. Are they fireflies? Are they photoshopped? I tend to sway towards the former, but who knows. Katrien Vermeire's photographic series, titled Godspeed, is sort of mind-boggingly beautiful.

Great Wood Boats.

2011-09-23T19:47:00.005-04:00

Great Wooden Boats: RED EPIC from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
via inspivids

Now this is a craft I admire. Great Lakes Boatbuilding.

Arnold Goron for Isabel Marant.

2011-09-22T15:16:00.000-04:00

arnold goron for isabel marant new york, broome street store from designboom on Vimeo.

via designboom

This would catch my eye and stop me in my tracks. Another way to show how seamlessly installation art and retail can work with each other. I love that these are MOVING installations, and yet they do not distract from what they are trying to highlight. They were designed by Arnold Goron for Isabel Marant stores.

50 people, one question.

2011-09-21T14:36:00.000-04:00

This is lovely. Made my day. Fifty People, One Question.

Diego Stocco music.

2011-09-20T14:07:00.000-04:00

Diego Stocco - Music From A Dry Cleaner from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

There is music in everything. Inventive, Diego Stocco.

Mobile Garden in Chicago

2011-09-19T13:44:00.000-04:00

via thisiscolossal

Look what's happening in Chicago! Apparently, the CTA had this special day last weekend where a bunch of subway cars were taken over by installation artists for the day. Really great idea. I would love walking into this garden car by The Mobile Garden (a noisivelvet project).

Kati Mennett photographs my work.

2011-09-18T15:25:00.000-04:00

all photos via katimennett

Kati Mennett recently asked me to have a photo session inside my installations at Twelve Chairs Boston. She is a wonderful photographer and friend. Check out her post on the visit. Too sweet! Thanks, Kati!

Textile Field: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

2011-09-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

via wallpaper

This wonderful installation is now "showing" in the Raphael Room at London's V&A Museum. I love the concept. After a day of strolling and stopping through London's museums, one craves something so soft to rest on......this installation is plush and comfortable, but it still encourages looking, even while lying down to rest! It was designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (they have LOTS of amazing work) in collaboration with Kvadrat.

Johan Rijpma's tape show.

2011-09-15T21:58:00.000-04:00

Tape Generations from johan rijpma on Vimeo.

via junkculture

Whoa. 2001 Space Odyssey meets audio manipulation meets Cheerios. This stop-motion video by Johan Rijpma blows my mind.

ROCKING BED.

2011-09-14T22:59:00.002-04:00

via anthologymag

Believe it. This looks like a dream (I never knew I had) come true! By Joe Manus for Shiner International. Amazing. Amazing!

Swoon ICA wall installation.

2011-09-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

ICA | The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston | Swoon
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

images and video via ICA

I have posted about Swoon before. I love her work. Luckily, she was recently in my neck of the woods installing this giant, beautiful, colorful (!!!) piece at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Can't wait to go see it!

Yellow Treehouse.

2011-09-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

photos via ignant via pacificenvironments

I cannot believe my eyes! This is the ultimate treehouse! Created by Pacific Environments Architects, the Yellow Treehouse is literally one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever seen.....certainly one of the most creative. I am sort of dumbfounded by the whole thing. My goodness.

From their site:

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT

The concept is driven by the ‘enchanted’ site which is raised above an open meadow and meandering stream on the edge of the woods.

The tree-house concept is reminiscent of childhood dreams and playtime, fairy stories of enchantment and imagination . It’s inspired through many forms found in nature -the chrysalis/cocoon protecting the emerging butterfly/moth, perhaps an onion/garlic clove form hung out to dry. It is also seen as a lantern, a beacon at night that simply glows yet during the day it might be a semi camouflaged growth, or a tree fort that provides an outlook and that offers refuge.The plan form also has loose similarities to a sea shell with the open ends spiraling to the center .

Nendo design.

2011-09-11T11:38:00.002-04:00

via designboom

This images from a show by Japanese studio, Nendo from their work with The National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute.

From designboom:

"'dancing squares' is based on the idea of 'active white', in which the studio wanted the exhibition gallery to express the notion of 'still black on white'. the walls and floors are covered in a room-sized sketch of a living space executed using a fish-eye lens-like effect, giving visitors the impression that they are looking through a tiny water drop."

Sylvian-Emmanuel .P Photography

2011-09-08T20:19:00.001-04:00

Whoa. Talk about magic. Sylvian-Emmanuel .P here and here via anthologymag.

Tim Walker again.

2011-09-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

via here

This is an image by Tim Walker for Hermes. I always go to him when I feel stuck. Gee wiz, he has some big ideas.

A place I would love to be.

2011-09-06T19:24:00.000-04:00

chris parker via missmoss

Sarah Ann Loreth image.

2011-09-05T20:14:00.000-04:00

For this Monday evening. Image by Sarah Ann Loreth...she has so many good ones.

Aaron Ruell Photography.

2011-09-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

via trendland

I love the color sensibility in these photos by Aaron Ruell. His photography is quirky and colorful. Apparently, he is the actor who played Kip in Napoleon Dynamite. Funny.

Ursus Wehrli organizes things.

2011-09-03T10:52:00.001-04:00

images via ursuswehrli

Titled, The Art of the Clean Up, I think this series of images is hilarious. This is one way to curb your OCD habits into something innovative. Ursus Wehrli is a funny guy.

via designboom

Weeping in my parents' kitchen.

2011-09-02T19:36:00.001-04:00

May 2011 - 120 Model Tableau Vivant - Skylight One Hanson from Sarah Small's Tableau Vivant on Vimeo.

I cannot describe how this video makes me feel. Similar to my last post about Tableau Vivant, this post is only different in it's enthusiasm. PLEASE watch this. Please. Sarah Small is doing something so spectacular, any words would be insufficient.

The location of each performance continues to grow. The fact that this one takes place with the most people yet tucked inside a cathedral is so.....so.....oh my goodness, I just cannot speak about it. It's too good.

My goodness. No words.

Octfalls by Ryoichi Kurokawa.

2011-09-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

Octfalls from RYOICHI KUROKAWA on Vimeo.

via triangulationblog

This multimedia installation by Ryoichi Kurokawa would be something to see (and hear) in person. Here it is shown on view at this year's Venice Biennale, wonderfully juxtaposed with the ancient walls of each room. I wonder how mesmerized you would feel watching the flowing water until you realized that you were not actually standing in front of it. This is such a great way to use modern technology to really discuss something.

Structure Design and Build

2011-09-01T18:29:00.000-04:00

My dear friend, Katrine Hildebrandt is like a goldmine. She has so much talent in her sweet heart, I can barely stand it. She and her equally as talented hubby are the masterminds behind Structure Design and Build. Today, N'East Style features them. The interview is as charming as they are. Take a peek....then check out their website AND Katrine's website. Blows me away every time.

Abstraks Magazine: September 2011

2011-09-01T18:01:00.003-04:00

I am happy to report that I have been featured in this month's issue of Abstraks magazine (a Boston based online Art magazine, focusing on artists and the art realm in Massachusetts). Check out the interview!

Maybe I will start spelling my name Watku.......

Alga Stefánsdóttir.

2011-08-27T11:05:00.000-04:00

Interview #001 | Agla Stefánsdóttir | Inter/section | Process from Iceland Design Centre on Vimeo.

Video by Glamour. I can't even comprehend some of Alga Stefánsdóttir's designs when I see them as finished garments. For someone whose work is so process-based, it's really interesting to get the inside look at her methods. Really cool.

via createmake

Petra Storrs.

2011-08-26T10:49:00.023-04:00

photos via petrastorrs

PHOEBE BEADON from Charlie on Vimeo.

Set by Petra Storrs. There is something so magical about this scattered light. Of course, sticking a beautiful woman in the middle of them, whimsically looking around the space as if she doesn't know where she is but doesn't care is always a good decision. Petra's other work is pretty cool, some things edgier than this.

via uponafold

Living Wall. Yes.

2011-08-25T17:01:00.000-04:00

photos from patrickblanc

I just came across this unbelievably stunning living wall in AnthologyMag. Can you imagine reading in that chair, surrounded by so much green?! I would read all day, everyday. Amazing.

The main man here is Patrick Blanc. I'm afraid his thumb is greener than the greenest out there.

Florentijn Hofman's BIG YELLOW RABBIT.

2011-08-23T15:34:00.000-04:00

via designboom

This is hilariously great. I love everything about it. Florentijn Hofman's Big Yellow Rabbit as a part of OpenART in Örebro, Sweden.

John Jay speaks.

2011-08-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

via createmake

Thanks to Fast Company for this incredibly inspiring video featuring John Jay, Creative Director of Wieden + Kennedy, recently voted one of the TOP 100 CREATIVE PEOPLE IN BUSINESS this year. His words of wisdom resonate deeper than most I have heard. Really moving.

Say Something Nice.

2011-08-22T17:19:00.000-04:00

Say Something Nice is a recent project by the folks at Improv Everywhere. Not much explaining to this one. For me, it was the best (unexpected) way to end a hectic Monday. I hope it is for you, too.

Interactive Robotic Painting Machine.

2011-08-21T14:11:00.000-04:00

Interactive Robotic Painting Machine (2011) from benjamin grosser on Vimeo.

images via designboom

This is something I have been thinking about for a long time, and now someone has come pretty close to making it. It's such an interesting idea----making sound directly relate to abstract paintings. Clearly, in our creative history, artists have tried to express sound in color (Kandinsky and Miles Davis come to mind). Artist Benjamin Grosser created this Interactive Robotic Painting Machine to do just that.

From designboom:
during a performance, sound is captured via a microphone and subjected to fourier analysis to be broken down into useful data for the machine. this information is fed into a genetic algorithm that makes decisions about the painting process, altering the robot's behaviour in real time. the functional building blocks of the project are painting 'gestures', broken down into data such as the amount of pressure to be used in a brush stroke to the amount of paint to add to the brush.

Bertil Nilsson Photography.

2011-08-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

all images via bertilnilsson

The human body is the most beatutiful thing. I just came across Bertil Nilsson's work on iGNANT today, and he is surely one of the photographers who really understands how to capture the most interesting forms of the body.

Lady Grey Jewelry.

2011-08-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

all images via themakersproject

The Makers Project posted something awesome again. Lady Grey Jewelry (I love this name more than I can say) is filled with sophistication and edge. All of this geometric design lately! These are delightfully-crafted and historically present.

Joeri Bosma photos.

2011-08-16T18:23:00.000-04:00

photos by joeribosma via colossal

I love these images (as well as most of the photostream) by Joeri Bosma (who is only 17). They speak volumes. In your face kind of stuff, but I still feel steady when I look at them.

Greta Alfaro.

2011-08-15T19:29:00.001-04:00

Untitled from greta alfaro on Vimeo.

In Ictu Oculi (In the Twinkling of an Eye) by Greta Alfaro via TriangulationBlog. I love how the vultures take on human characteristics in the video, timid at first until the cockiest bird jumps onto the table and starts to eat.

all photos via gretaalfaro

"I work about the hidden and the unexpected. We live our lives governed by rules created in order to control chaos and vulnerability, but I am interested in the facts we try to hide or repress, in the differences between the private and the public, in the visibility of our everyday life hypocrisy." - Greta Alfaro

Eno Henze.

2011-08-11T19:29:00.000-04:00

all images via enohenze

Picture this: I am perusing images for the most inspiration I can find for my solo show at the end of October. I am going to solidify sketches this weekend. So far, the process with Andrew Halchak has been more enjoyable than we both imagined. Also, Abstraks magazine is going to feature me in the September issue, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Anyway, I search and click and meander until I find Eno Henze's work. I am just stupefied. Dumbfounded. Enjoy it as much as I am.

Hollie Chastain's fun collage work.

2011-08-10T13:03:00.001-04:00

all images via holliechastain via ignant

Hollie Chastain's work is quirky. It seems like there is a lot of this type of work happening lately. Her use of color in her collages keeps them sophisticated, but elevates their level of expression so much! I imagine that in her process, she finds the perfect photos to use first, then creates the drawing/collage out of that movement. Still, you can see two separate expressions created from a similar body position in the last two images. Cool, huh?

Julia Hetta Photography

2011-08-09T19:37:00.000-04:00

all photos via juliahetta via trendland

Julia Hetta's work is reminiscent of older things. I see Dutch masters and patient paint. She chooses such simple color combinations that compliment for an unmistakable, subdued drama.

Dan Hillier portraits.

2011-08-08T20:11:00.000-04:00

via trendland

Dan Hillier's Victorian-inspired collaged pieces are insane. This is his "Feather and Claw" series. So cool.

The coolest chairs I have ever seen.

2011-08-08T19:40:00.000-04:00

These chairs are designed and created in Beirut, Lebanon by Bokja. I want to live in their studio just so soak up all that color!

all images via bokja

As far as the eye can see.

2011-08-07T13:13:00.000-04:00

This image is STRIKING. I love the lines, the folds, and the beautiful attention to detail. It's hard to get too much information from the website, but it seems like the reason for the As Far as the Eye Can See project is really great, too!

Comprised of over 500 hand-crocheted squares, the giant pixelated eye comes into focus at a distance; while up close the work of many hands is evident in the varying patterns and textures.
Born out of a desire to do something practical for the people of Christchurch after the February 2011 earthquake the eye bears witness to the devastation, while visualizing a better future.
Like the woolen threads it is crafted from, it brings together individuals, artists and communities – strengthening ties and supporting the work of Gap Filler, a creative urban regeneration initiative that is taking art and community to Christchurch’s vacant city spaces.

all images via asfarastheeyecansee

I can't wait to see what it turns out to be!

MOVE, LEARN, EAT

2011-08-05T07:13:00.003-04:00

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

I love these three shorts by Rick Mereki. They are simple, continuous, bright, handsome, and fun.

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

Rick Mereki : Director, producer, additional camera and editing
Tim White : DOP, producer, primary editing, sound
Andrew Lees : Actor, mover, groover