emiko-o rewarejewelry from LEGO and recycled materialsSome rapid-fire catching up to do, and can’t believe I haven’t posted this awesome article from California Home + Design magazine Nov/Dec 2009 issue. Writer Mikhail Romain picked my to feature in his Building Blocks article. Much thanks to Raymond McKenzie, buyer at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design and my roomie Christine Dhein for getting my image to the magazine while I was in Europe!
Well in an earlier post I wondered where my circuit boxers would end up, and who knew it would hit Europe so fast, but I’m super stoked that I finally got some screen time on engadget (the German version, but I’m not going to be picky). Even better, engadget picked up more of the Critique Collective’s images from our Jewelry_cycle show!
Here are some screen shots from engadget and Novinky, followed by their Google translations which are pretty amusing. I just learned tonight that Google can translate foreign languages listed on web pages; pretty cool.
Last week I took down the Cher the Love tribute ensemble installation that was showcased at SCRAP’s 3rd Annual Art Exhibition. This was only the 2nd time that the entire ensemble has been shown (off the body anyway), and the lovely Exhibition Director, Jenny Morningstar gave me the honors of having it show in the gallery window at the Green Zebra/reMake Lounge venue (SCRAP also had a concurrent show at the Eco Center, where my Snow White collar was shown).
The boa is made from found soda can holders (mostly picked off my street) sewn together with monofilament and capped off with sequins and sterling silver crimp beads. The halter is made from found foam (from SCRAP), sushi trays which Harriete had saved over the years and kindly donated to my cause, and fine and sterling silver scraps.
Cher the Love Strong Enough Thong was the first piece of the set, made back in 2005 from recycled Plexiglas and fine and sterling silver. My intent was to get into the SNAG exhibition at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but instead I got the fine opportunity to model the entire ensemble in a fashion show at the museum and to Cher’s “Strong Enough” song at that!
Admittedly, these aren’t my best photos, but the best I could do onsite dealing with window glare and a busy background. Essentially I made a plexiglas, half-round rod neck hanger from which the halter and boa were attached and hung from the ceiling. Could have definitely used an accent light to really show it off, but the venue is not really an art gallery, so oh well.
Can’t complain, cause after all, to my delight, I was selected for a Juror’s Choice Award by juror JD Beltran, conceptual artist and professor at the San Francisco Art Institute! A little birdy told me that my Cher ensemble was one of the few pieces that scored 10s by all 3 jurors! SWEET!
Here’s a little early V-day love to y’all!
photo by Raymond King
Yep, next week I head back to the motherland Ohio for a special art-filled, emiko-o day at Miami University Art Museum in Oxford. A few weeks ago was the opening for the exhibition Adornment and Excess curated by Lena Vigna. The show runs through July 10 and is part of Luxury, Consumption & Excess, a larger suite of exhibitions comprised of both historical and contemporary objects that investigates the socio-cultural relationship between material goods, wealth and class. Some of My First Royal Jewels will be on display, as well as work by Harriete Estel Berman, Francesca Vitali, Kathy Buszkiewicz, Gabriel Craig, Anya Kivarkis, just to name a few.
exhibition announcement
Earlier last year, Lena co-authored with Namita Gupta Wiggers the article Mining History: Ornamentalism Revisited for Metalsmith Magazine, in which my Queen Margherita was the title image. I caught up with Lena at the recent American Craft Conference in Minneapolis last fall in the midst of my blogging for SNAG, and offered to visit during the run of the show.
Lo and behold she invited me to participate in a special round table discussion on Creativity and Sustainability that she is moderating Feb 10th, 6:00-7:30pm. Professors Mary Benedict Bonham (Dept Architecture) and Rodney Northcutt (Dept Art) will be speaking as well as Graduate Student Lisa Wilson. I’m excited to bring my experiences to the table! The event is open to the public, so please come if you’re in town.
Check out this article by Deniz Nural in Feb 2nd issue of The Miami Student (online and print) about the exhibition – my necklaces are in the accompanying photo. Can’t wait to see the show!
Well, not literally, but man, I haven’t seen such excitement in the bloggisphere for men’s underwear until now. Population Control 2.0 is on fire! All it takes is one good blog (and something tech related like circuit boards) and the rest follow suit (or manties, I should say). Ecouterre.com broke the story Jan 27th (featuring many of the Metal Art Critique Collective members work from our Jewelry_cycle show!).
Population Control 2.0 was originally created as part of a collaborative project by the Metal Arts Critique Collective to bring public awareness to the issue of e-waste and the benefits of recycling. Each member of the group was given access to small, pre-cut circuit board rejects to make a piece of “green” jewelry. The works were showcased in the exhibition Jewelry_cycle at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design in fall 2008. An accompanying catalog documented the artists’ process in making.
GreenMuze.com
While the circuit board pieces used for Jewelry_cycle were mostly from cellular technology, I tend to associate circuit boards with computers and guys and all that is geekery, this being the impetus for my Population Control 2.0 boxer briefs. Having a boyfriend who uses laptops for endless hours daily led me to revisit medical studies on continual laptop use linked to male infertility. Could it be a male form of birth control? My process in making the briefs became a public crafting event in which I brought all my tools, parts, and male dress form “Julian” to a 3-day chill music festival/campout and constructed the piece right out on the lawns. Working on “Julian” became the perfect icebreaker to engage the public in a dialogue about recycling, circuit boards, and art.
It gives one pause to think how technology will affect our generation’s health 10-20 years from now. Not only is the production and conspicuous consumption of computers toxic to our environment, it may possible hinder our ability to repopulate future generations.
Greendump.net
Shortly after Ecouterre posted the circuit boxers, then followed Apartment Therapy Unplggd, GreenMuze, Green Dump, Tree Hugger, Techtv101, Earth Blips, tweetmeme, Eco Friendly Mag, the Find Buzz, etc etc. Who knows where it will end (perhaps in traditional print?), but in the meantime I’m coming across some great eco blogs. Click on the links and see what I mean.
Treehugger.com
EcoFriendlyMag.com
EarthBlips.dailyradar.com
Just got my work back from the Minimal Bling exhibition that was at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston last month. I was extremely pleased that they used my Maharajah’s 6th LEGO necklace in the promotional materials, including the gorgeous postcard. While I was at SNAG Philly last May I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the Director, Beth Ann Gerstein, and Exhibitions Director, Fabio Fernandez. SAC had first shown my work way back in 2003 when I was doing the Truth tiara series.
For Minimal Bling I made 2 new mid-range pieces to accompany this neckpiece and the Duchess neckpiece (these latter 2 are now at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft‘s Transmutations show).
Pas de trois is a necklace that riffs off my recent Cygne Noir reinterpretation of Lalique’s Women with Black Swans enamel necklace. The pendant has 3 components, the bottom 2 of which are interchangeable.
Twilight is my latest Limited Edition bracelet, which I was compelled to make way before I got sucked into the black hole obsession of a series that obliterated my month of January (hence the lack of posts since early december; I’m 10 pages away from finishing the last book, thank god!). I must say it does justice to books; what would Stephenie Meyer say?
Most of the non-CA shows that my work is in I don’t get the chance to see, but my pal Shana swung by and shot these pics of the gallery entrance, where lo and behold, my Luke and Darth Vader earrings are HUGE on the banner! No wonder those earrings sold!
Well, well, I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake for jumping into the new year; all that sleep during Christmas and New Years is quite addictive and hard to give up so quickly. How did a month go by already (answer: many rainy nights cozy in bed ravishing the Twilight series….)?! Time to get back on the art train before laziness slips in. So many shows this past fall/winter, I’ve missed a few in these posts; catch-up time.
So, one of the most recent exhibitions happening now is Transmutations: Material Reborn at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (image above is from HCCC website). Curated by Susan Sloan, the artists were selected from the book she juried, 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs which was published this past fall by Lark Books. Lovely book and I only wish I could see the show in Houston. Luckily many other metalsmiths will get the chance to see it during the SNAG “going to Extremes” conference in March.
UPDATE: the Houston Press posted this on Feb 5, 2010
eventful houston Transmutations
In the meantime, I’m enjoying seeing my LEGO necklaces images used as PR for the show. Too bad the red and white Cartier Blanc is not in the show after all (it sold during Sienna Gallery’s show So Fake They’ll Think It’s Real).
HCCC website
Here is the blurb about the show from HCCC’s site:
“Curated by celebrated jeweler, Susan Sloan, TRANSMUTATIONS: Material Reborn showcases 28 international jewelry artists who transform materials, such as resin, latex, rubber, vinyl, and thermoplastics, into outrageous jewelry and wearable art. The exhibition includes pieces meant for everyday adornment as well as those that make a larger-than-life statement—some of which are created in combination with more conventional materials, such as gold, silver, pearls, and gemstones. Stop by the Artist Hall at HCCC to see this stunning array of wearables made from plastic Lego toy parts, precious materials, and found objects!”
Modern Luxury Houston
violette femme pendant and earrings
I’ve been cranking jewelery at the bench this last month to get ready for the holiday season, in particular for the SFMOMA Holidaze Craft Fairs that I’ll be selling at these next 2 Saturdays before Christmas, Dec 12 & 19, from 11:30-5:30. All proceeds go directly to the artists which is fantastic, but means that I can only accept cash or checks, not credit cards, boo hoo. ANYWAY, I’m excited to show my new KIDS line of bracelets ($15-$35) and new Pendants (shown in the photos here, $45-$55) that have a more feminine flair with a tiny silver chain and just a hint of lego and bling. Come on out to Fort Mason Building A, SFMOMA Artists Gallery, would love to see you!
tire pendant & Mod earrings
Can I tell you again how much I LOVE S.C.R.A.P.! Not only are they doing another annual recycled art exhibition but TWO Exhibitions at the same time! Crazy people but spreads the love out I suppose. Titled Revisions: New Creations from scrap both shows run Dec 11, 2009 – Jan 29, 2010 at reMake Lounge and The SF Eco-Center. Each show has its own opening reception, the first is THIS Friday, December 11 from 6-8pm at the reMake Lounge/Green Zebra space at the Crocker Galleria 50 Post St. Located in downtown SF the Galleria is right outside of the Montgomery Station, and walk on the bottom level towards Sutter St. The Eco-Center’s opening is Jan 14, 5:30-7:30pm at 11 Grove St (across from the SF Main Library).
At the reMake Lounge show you’ll see Cher the Love: Strong Enough Thong in her full ensemble of Soda holder & Sequin Boa and Silver/Sushi tray Halter. She’s proudly displayed in the window against a lovely recycled red cup ceiling sculpture installation. Can’t wait to take a photo and share with you all, it’s super cool and works so well together. A closeup shot of the thong is also on the postcard! SCRAP uses my images every year, bless em!
SCRAP exhibition postcard
It’s December and Viking Angels are ready for Holiday Action! New LEGO minifig earrings for the holidays to suit the viking, raver, and santa lover in everyone. Just posted them up on Etsy, only for the holidays.
EXCITING NEWSFLASH: Announcing 2 new locations for emiko-o reware jewelry:
Phoenix Museum of Art Museum Store in Phoenix Arizonia (love the museum stores!)
Localpatron Holiday Store on Grant St (@ Green) in SF, CA (double love their selection of local Bay Area artists and designers; I can’t help but drop serious dough when I go in there to bring new work…). Localpatron is only around for the holidays, so shop before Jan 15.
Want to choose from a huge selection of my latest work in person? You’re in luck; I’ll be selling at the first ever SFMOMA Holidaze Craft Fairs at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery in Fort Mason, Building A on Dec 12 & 19, 11am-5:30pm.
