Hey Suzan!

I am thinking of you with envy today, knowing you're probably sitting out in the Mexican sunshine right this minute, eating tropical fruit and probably getting drunk with your parents. Here in Stockholm it is an unacceptable -5C with snow on the ground. Gruesome!

Anyway, take a look at this Japanese artist, Hiroaki Ohya. I first saw his T-shirt alphabet and was intrigued, as although we come across people doing alphabets out of all sorts of objects on a regular basis, I think this is the first time I've seen one done out of clothing, quite like this. So of course I checked out some of his other stuff and found out that he's a protege of Issey Miyake, doing interesting conceptual fashion-art type projects. Like  his Wizard of Jeans collection – a series of 21 books that transform into clothing when unfolded, title inspired by the Wizard of Oz, of course. Apparently he is "not really interested in the people who wear his clothes" - which isn't that surprising!

Looking forward to having you back next week!

E xx

Hey Suzan!

First of all, gotta say I loved your last post, so brilliant!  So as Harpreet always sends you inspiring knitting links, she always sends me food ones. The latest link she sent me was about japanese artist Shoko Masunaga, who uses butter as an art form. Using toast as his canvas and only edible ingredients and colorings, he makes colorful little abstract paintings with... well, fat. We always knew butter was tasty, but here it's made rather pretty, too. By way of this discovery, I think it's also worth mentioning the bookstore that sells the butter book, artbookstand.com. Interesting little online shop based in LA, that is "inspired by the quirky personal libraries of imaginative individuals". Lots of very nice publications and films.

I'm off to Gränna for the holidays as of tomorrow! I'm feeling very lucky, because if there ever was a place that resembled a real Christmas village, this would be it. Talk soon!!

xx E.

 

Happy Sunday Suzan! Check out this installation – an artwork titled "Bouquet finale" by Michel Blazy. He's put giant foam-producing machines inside a 13th century monastery in Paris, which pump out huge bubbly clouds. It's like Ibiza foam party-meets-classical architecture, a clash of unexpected pairs: hard stone and soft foam, indoor "dry" space and outdoor wet substance.... with a dreamy, quite beautiful result. Let's go to Paris!

xx E

Suzan,

Speaking of old friends, now seems a good time to share an image from Terence's latest show, which I managed to catch at the Mary Boone gallery last week. The show is an installation and performance involving only a bare white room with a massive cone of coarse rock salt in the centre, and Terence – who circles the salt mountain on his knees - for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 5 weeks. Occasionally he has a lie-down. But that is essentially it. Carrying on his signature monochromatic aesthetic, it's an all-white ritual, which is both sort of calming and sort of unsettling to watch. It was tempting to go over and shout "Hey terence! Remember me from the old ECIAD days?".... but ah, no. The silence and the general gallery environment was way too overpowering. The attendant told me afterward that he has apparently taken a vow of silence for the entire duration of the show, so while it would have been perfectly ok to try to interact with him, he wouldn't have responded. That Terence! He never did anything half-way, even back in school, and I'm happy to see that he still doesn't. Was cool to see our old friend-turned-art-darling.... doing his thing.

Hi Suzan!

Just back from NYC, and have lots of stuff to share! The first is a show we saw at the David Zwirner gallery in Chelsea, of one of my favourite illustrators - Marcel Dzama, who happens to be a fellow Canadian from Winnipeg. His drawings are both whimsical and dark at the same time - creating this whole universe populated with a mix of humans, animals, and fantasy creatures. And a whole lotta masks, which of course always reminds me of the performance art piece that you and I did in Times Square all those years ago! This exhibit featured a mix of drawings, large sculptures and incredibly detailed dioramas, all related to a short film also on view, which mixes ballet and war in a surreal game of chess.