Hmm, Very Interesting…My Favorites 2013

David Choi

Here it is: my list of 2013 favorites! This year it's exclusive to the internet and it's a long list. I must say, 2013 was the year I completely fell in love with the internet. I liked it a whole, whole lot before, but this year, wow, I saw and read so many interesting things every single day. This post covers only a fraction...

Jewelry

David Choi's work (top image) is my absolute favorite jewelry of the year. Those fabricated forms are pretty wonderful. I also love the work of Begoña Prats and Helena Lehtinen.

Art

The Topography of Tears by Rose-Lynn Fisher, a collection of photographs that examine different kinds of tears, took my breath away.

Berndnaut Smilde creates cloud installations in beautiful spaces…while Share Your Sun, a project by Ólafur Elíasson, gives everyone a chance to participate by posting images of the sun where they live. Light Echoes (video below) by Aaron Koblin and Ben Tricklebank is a fantastic video of digital imagery projected by a moving train on the ground below. After watching the video I became very interested in the work of Aaron Koblin, too.



I also love this video of the first encounter after years of separation of once partners/artistic collaborators, Marina Abramovic and Ulay. It happens at her MOMA retrospective and it moves me every time I see it.

Street Art and Graffiti

Ian Strange (above image) has roots in street art and graffiti and also creates incredible installations, photography and video.  I am especially drawn to his "Suburban" project. I also discovered the graphic, large-scale installations and paintings of L'Atlas (below image) and the graphic yet fluid illustration and wall work of Cannon Dill.

Abandoned Spaces

I became interested in ghost buildings when I was living in Antwerp, Belgium and since then have been collecting images of them. I was really happy to see this post on Hyperallergic that features the phenomena that "remain as an unintentional texture of memory..."

I saw two posts on abandoned buildings that I revisited throughout the year...haunting images from "Creedmoor State Hospital," (above image) and others that focus on "Family Life Frozen in Time" by Niki Feijen. 

Music

Zola Jesus, whose music is intelligent and emotional, has an incredible voice and really knows how to use it. (I was also lucky to see her live this past fall and it was a thrilling show.) And, I'm always happy to read about my absolute favorite musician ever, Björk. This post in particular describes a concise "History and Style of a Music Maverick." 

Maps and Information

"Where You Are" is a collection of maps by a variety of artists, writers and thinkers, each inspired by personal experience. I've not seen the book in person but I've spent lots of time on the website where you can examine each map. 

I became a little obsessed with the US Wind Map (above image) which shows live wind patterns. I was also a little obsessed with all the wonderful diagrams and charts on Information is Beautiful, a website that features information in all sorts of beautiful ways. Finally, I was impressed with "The Beauty of Mathematics" which shows lovely depictions of math as found in our every day lives. 

Writing

How to Write: A Year in Advice from Franzen, King, Hosseini, and More is an inspiring article about process and creation from different writers' points of view, but the information can be applied to any discipline, in my opinion. I've been taking notice of poetry recently and really enjoyed "What is Poem?", an article that explains poetry and how to appreciate it better in simple terms. My favorite part comes right at the end and centers on a one-word poem. 

I can't remember if I've shared this on the blog before because I've talked about it with so many friends...it feels like maybe I wrote about it here, too. I read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (above image) when I was in Iceland. I spent a lovely morning in the library in Skagaströnd reading these letters and as soon as I was done, I read them again. Then I read them a few more times over the course of my residency and since returning to the US. They don't take long to read and are simply beautiful and inspiring.

Interesting Articles

"When the Conscious Listens to the Unconscious" and "Haruki Murakami: Talent is Nothing Without Focus and Endurance" are two articles that got me excited about what I do while also giving me a tremendous sense of calm, an "I'm-on-the-right-path feeling." The first one is all about intuition and theory, while the second one talks about the importance of working hard and being tenacious. 

Podcasts and Videos

The above video is a mesmerizing time-lapse of a container ship delivering cargo in Rotterdam. I saw it on NOTCOT at the beginning of the year and was transfixed. The accompanying music is also really good.

I don't remember how I found Brene Brown's "The Power of Vulnerability" TED talk, but I am so happy I did. I've listened to it several times and find it inspiring every time. Vulnerability is always the right choice… "You Are Here", "The Soul Patch" and "Letting Go" are all Radiolab podcasts I listened to while I was embroidering my "Island." They are fascinating and brought tears to my eyes. 

Nature

Last, but certainly not least, I really hope to see total cloud inversion one day as shown in "A Sea of Clouds Fills the Grand Cayon." (above image)

That's a long list and I see I've used the word "inspiring" a lot. These links were truly inspiring for me and continue to be. I hope you visit each one and enjoy them as much as I do. Tomorrow I will post my Icelandic favorites!

...and here are the lists for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2012 Belgium.

Thanks for reading.

Guest Star #129…Filippo Minelli

Silence/Shapes

Today's Guest Star is Filippo Minelli and I'm pretty much in love with everything he creates, from ephemeral clouds of colorful smoke to macro-style, site-specific pieces to gallery installations. I like the simplicity of his work and how each piece is bold and subtle at the same time. I like his use of text in either singular words or short sentences. I like the unusual spaces and places he chooses to create these works in, some urban, some rural. I like that he uses a variety of methods and materials: spray paint, fire, smoke, stickers, light, neon, video...The impermanence and vulnerability to the elements and their environments is fascinating as well. I have always been interested in the moment-marking aspect of street art and graffiti, how the presence of the artist is captured right there and how that moment can last for a long time or be covered up or removed almost immediately. Filippo's pieces resonate in this way with me, and in many other ways...

Sound

Art is the new television go back to your life

Silence/Lines

NonPlace Branding-NoWhere Forever

See more of my favorite pieces by Filippo Minelli on Pinterest.

Thanks for reading.

Graffiti RVK

Afi (Grandfather) by Guido van Helten on Vesturgata

I spend my down time in a new place just wandering street after street. Since arriving in Reykjavik that is exactly what I've been doing and as I walk I collect more images of graffiti and street art. There is a lot of great work here and it's been so fun discovering it. These are a few favorites I've seen just in the last few days, including my friend and fellow Nes artist, Guido van Helten's lastest wall:

More on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

The Get Away

The first time I visited Reykjavik I went on a little hunt to find all the street art pieces mentioned in a post on Hyperallergic by Ben Valentine...this elephant means I have one more to go! 

I went to Reykjavik on Thursday and Friday of last week and got my fix of art and culture, graffiti and street art, and of course, jewelry. Throw in the Icelandic Tattoo Convention, really good food, and some excellent city hi-jinx with friends and you have one amazing get-away. Here are some highlights:

Olafur Eliasson exhibition "Tiltru" at i8

This was my first time seeing Olafur's work in person and I loved it. The series of photos of Icelandic huts was my favorite--the intimacy of each hut paired with the rather scientific documentation and the grid arrangement...very appealing to me.

Clive Murphy exhibition "Neo Proto Demo" at Kling and Bang

Another artist who's work I had not seen in person before...The specific arrangement or presentation of the objects peeked my interest first. Then Clive's use of found materials "as is" and also made into new things caused me to consider the materials' original intent and invented forms.

display at Hringa and a fishbone bracelet

The window display drew me into this little shop and the fishbone jewelry pulled me in closer.

lace pendant and facade of Aurum

I had read about this shop when doing my pre-trip jewelry research and it was great to visit--lots of variety with the common thread of simplicity and exquisite craftsmanship. I especially liked the lace pieces.

lava fields on the way back to Skagaströnd

I haven't been able to stop thinking about the lava fields since the first time I saw them from the bus all those weeks ago. On this trip I was able to climb around a bit and experience opposites at work--jagged and rough volcanic rock covered in soft and spongy moss. Amazing.

I will be staying an extra week in Reykjavik before I return to the US and I am looking forward to spending more time there. 

It really is a wonderful little city.

More images on Facebook and Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Lost in Venice, Part 2

On one of my wandering days in Venice I did make a special trip to "Oh My Blue," a contemporary jewelry, accessories, and objects gallery owned by Elena Rizzi. It is a gorgeous space - minimal and modern with great displays set in an old building with huge original beams in the low ceiling. I had a lovely time talking with Elena and looking at all the great work. She will even start carrying my jewelry soon!

Then I continued my wandering and found some interesting graffiti with much of it in the form of stencils. Here are a few favorites:

More graffiti photos on Facebook and Flickr.

Tomorrow...my final Venice post on the island of Burano.

Thanks for reading.

Home...Part 1

I went to upstate NY to spend a several weeks with my family for Christmas and had a wonderful visit. In addition to all the family time, I did venture out on a few occasions, despite the snow and cold, to take pictures of things I like. I even found a bit of graffiti. It's not terribly exciting compared to things I've seen in Antwerp, London, and Paris, but graffiti none the less...someone was there with a can at some point and left behind a mark.

I created a set on Flickr so you can see more images there.

Thanks for reading.

London! Graffiti

Swoon

I spent a day walking around Shoreditch and Spitalfields where there is a lot of graffiti, especially along Brick Lane. It was so fun to weave my way through the streets and alleys discovering all kinds of incredible work, including pieces by Banksy, Roa, Stik, Swoon, Space Invader, and Broken Fingaz Crew. 

The Horror Crew

 Roa

 Banksy

So many more pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.         

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 5

yellow extension cords in Oakland

My trip was incredibly inspiring! It was refreshing and energizing and really made me feel excited to get back to my studio. I saw so many cool things, like these:

 

Seafoam at the beach in the Richmond

A metal "patch" covering a hole in the walkway at Muir Woods. These were everywhere! I spent more time looking down at the walkway then up at the redwoods.

 

My first Banksy...meaning the first Banksy I've seen in person. Awesome, even if from the front seat of the rental car. I've never been more grateful for a red light.

More on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.