Periodic Table

The place where scientific pun meets typography meets furniture design is surprisingly lovely. A scientific toy company, Thames and Kosmos needed a conference table and put forward the clever idea that they clearly needed a Periodic Table, of the elements. The table was designed by Jackson Morley with type design and hand painting by Josie Morway. She writes, "It's 16 whopping feet long and features a large slice of the periodic table, each element hand painted (and jubilantly, by me) in a different typeface."

4/4" maple top with steel support structure. 192" x 42".
Fabricated by Jackson Morley using shop time at Keeseh Studio and the Steel Yard.

I want to know if the nature of the elements dictated the typeface designed.

Be sure to check out Josie's portfolio for beautifully painted animals and original type design. You can also find her at fruitful harm.

Maps and UnNatural History

The work of Vancouver-based Paul Morstad involves some of my favorite things, and I don't just mean the magpies (as in Magpie Bacchanal, above). His series of multimedia paintings on nautical charts and maps have a sort of chaotic and romantic welter of natural history (flora, fauna, gems and geology) and subtle, imaginative, visual puns.

Consider the ruby-throated hummingbird raising a ruby in her nest.



Humbolt's Acordion seems to allude to one of my favorite, heroic nineteenth century naturalist-explorers, the biologist-meterologist-earth scientist-freedom fighter Alexander von Humboldt, who, amongst many adventures, famously learned 40 words of the dead language of the lost Atures tribe of South America, from a parrot, the last surviving speaker. Though, it isn't impossible it may have just been inspired by accordion players in Humboldt, Saskatchewan (or any number of other places of the same name). It makes me imagine tucans passing on the lost accordion music of some imaginary people. I love how the natural lines of inlets and rivers become trees and branches. I wouldn't have thought forks in rivers were isomorphic to branching in trees, (and I happen to be the sort of person who has spent hours looking at the Canadian Hydrographic Service chart for Jervis Inlet) but the organic lines work so well.



There is something magical and menacing about the regal prairie chicken, over the sedimentary section with cut gem stones, grasshoppers and smoking black-eyed susans in Prospector.


I too am charmed by weather prognosticating rodents.



Paul writes that he is deeply influenced by the "landscapes, people, flora and fauna" of the Western provinces (Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia) where he was raised. Do yourself a favour and check out the rest of his portfolio. I stumbled upon it while looking at some of the animations of his immensely talented sister Julie Morstad; they created the animations together.

Euphoria

I found this inspiring. I am a fan of murals and graffiti. Who doesn't love variations on the theme of the matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll? Or braids and rainbows? Mostly, the film makes this collaboration between Supakitch and Koralie, working on their installation Euphorie for the Metroplastique boutique exhibit in Paris, seems natural, organic and spontaneous. (via HonestlyWTF and fubiz)

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE "Euphorie" Paris from Raphaël Hache on Vimeo.

Or, for that matter, I do love calligraphy, Japanese art, anthropomorphic animals and paper boats too (from CULTURE MUSEUM // GÖTEGORG+).

Background as Foreground

The unicorn in captivity, Coral Silverman, gouache on paper,
14" x 20", 2007

Here are a couple of artists who have taken recognizable, historic textiles (or whole textile forms), reinterpreted them, while playing with what is the background and what is the message.

Coral Silverman produced a whole series based on the well-known medieval Unicorn Tapestries - her 'Unicorn Travesties' to look at our disreguard for nature, comsumption, litering and disposable culture. To the left is her The Unicorn in Captivity,
gouache on paper (14" x 20") 2007 which you can compare with The Unicorn in Captivity, ca. 1495–1505, South Netherlandish, wool warp, wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts; 12 ft. 1 in. x 8 ft. 3 in. (368 x 252 cm), property of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.5).

"In my Unicorn Travesties series I seek to explore the disregard we currently hold for the environment in the context of historical European iconography. Taking the medieval Unicorn Tapestries as my source, I have re-imagined their scenes as set within the modern world. Visually, I am very interested in the flat floral patterning that makes up the backgrounds of some of the tapestries. In many of my pieces I extract floral elements from their “mille fleur” backgrounds, subtly inserting within the works various pieces of urban refuse, such as cigarette butts, soda cans, smashed televisions, etc. I am using it as an ironic metaphor for the American way of life— a comment on our consumption, our disposable way of living, and ultimately our implication in the destruction of the environment."

American Spirit Blue
gouache on paper (9" x 9"), 2008

Flora Pink I
gouache on paper (14" x 20") 2007

Flora Black I
gouache on paper (14" x 20") 2007

The Met site includes other tapestries in the series, a discussion of the symbolism in the flora (the medieval viewer would be able to read these signs as easily as we can see that carving on a tree, a chain link fence, litter and the cultural appropriation inherent in American Spirit are all critiques of our culture), and the making of the tapestries. Both it, and Coral Silverman's site are worth a visit.

{via Cabinet of Curiosities, including the Silverman quotation}

Beth Katleman has taken that ubiquitous, 18th century, monochromatic French textile, Toile de Jouy, both fabric and wallpaper, and reimagined it in full, three-dimensional, kitchy yet creepy present day ceramics.

Folly, (detail), 2010
Porcelain, wire, steel rods and heat-shrink tubing
69 x 96 x 11 inches

"Three-dimensional porcelain 'wallpaper' hovers just off the turquoise wall, as part of a site specific installation at the Jane Hartsook Gallery. The overall installation is 192 x 108 x 11 inches."

Folly, (detail, elf, snail, Sacre Couer), 2010
Porcelain, wire, heat-shrink tubing
15 x 10 x 9 inches

Folly, (detail, flower girl on rock), 2010
Porcelain, wire, heat-shrink tubing
17 x 11 x 7 inches

"Babies scale a rocky precipice with varying degrees of success. A flower girl communes with a nimble lamb."

Folly, (detail, lost duck), 2010
Porcelain, wire, heat-shrink tubing
16 x 16 x 11 inches

"A toothless boy struggles to keep his pants up, a bridesmaid enjoys the view of the Arc de Triomphe from a bridge, reindeer graze and a hapless duckling tumbles off a waterfall."

While you visit Katleman's site, be sure to look at her other work, called "doll-sized rococo theaters of murder and domestic mayhem," by the New York Times. I mean, who could resist?

{via Apartment Therapy}

Girl with Owl

Michael Shapcott
The Girl and the Owl
24” x 30”
Graphite / Acrylic / Oil on Canvas



Lauren Carney
Entangled
Artliner Pen and Watercolour on 300gsm Watercolour Card


Audrey Kawasaki
Owakare
Oil on canvas 30x22
'Ephemera' @ Nucleus Gallery
2007
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif


Dilka Bear
New Moon


Dilka Bear
Emily and the Owl

Wanderlust & Colour Shards

Yes, the crystalline shapes in bold colours are still definitely in. Can't go wrong with forest creatures, like foxes and owls, or fungi. Little houses go over well. We've seen these elements before, but there's something magic in LA artist Linda Kim's work. Check it out.


Wanderlust, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16"


The Fountain, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8"


Sleepy Town, gouache on rives bfk, 22 x 16.5"


In search of, drawing

Heads or Tails?

In time for Hallowe'en, I thought I'd bring you some illustrated mask-wearing personages, and dismembered body parts. Vancouver-based artist and illustrator Andrew Pommier draws and paints men who are ready for the worst. The may be wearing masks, or animal heads, dealing with ferocious pandas, or turning into trees, or be slouching through life carrying skulls.


"Hanging with the Gang" oil on wood 20" x 14" 2008


"Ready for the Worst" acrylic and graphite on wood 24" x 36" 2007


"Coming Upon a Scene of Carnage" acrylic and graphite on wood 20" x 24" 2008


"Fan Boy" oil on wood 20" x 24" December 2008


"Souvenirs from the Voyage" acrylic and graphite on wood 20" x 24" 2008


"Dinosaur Head" watercolour, ink, and graphite on paper 8.5" x 11" 2007


"Rabbit Head" watercolour, ink, and graphite on paper 8.5" x 11" 2006

Wind, Tea and Faraway Places

Anna Emilia Laitinen is an illustrator from in Leppävirta, a small town in Finland. Her work is full of nature, movement, contemplation and magic. You should check out her portfolio. I appreciate how she comments on each of her pieces.


Parlor, 2009, 22 x 20 cm.
"A tiger with two different eye colors reads in his parlor. An album illustration for Lars Ludvig Löfgren."



Brewing Tea, 2009, 36 x 34 cm.
"Making tea is a delicate process. It needs warmth, fresh water and the right timing. Today it is jasmine tea."


Spring Is Coming, 2009, 25 x 18 cm.
Ink on paper. "Spring comes always like it was first hiding somewhere."



Wolves Carry A Village, 2008, 27 x 58 cm.
"The landscape is changing at every wolve´s [sic] step. A poster illustration for Holmes."

There are some themes I've remarked upon in other contemporary illustration; nature, nostalgia, quilts, birch trees, wolves, tigers, villages and magic. She reminds me of Julie Morstad, but has her own unique style. I am particularly taken with the empty spaces, which seem to allow the view an entry to place the scenes in their own imagination.

{via creature comforts}

Girls in Gas Masks

Synchronicity? I'm not sure... but I couldn't help noticing that today I saw this photograph recently posted by Marieaunet:


gas mask by Louise Daddona
silver gelatin fine art prints
10"H x 8"W


and this 4" x 6" hand-pulled hand-colored linocut print by Mark Hill (markhillblockprints on etsy, and paperravenart on flickr) recently posted on the Printsy blog:



Both of them remind me of a painting I bought, Flora, from Just Mad Book Shop on etsy:



Just Mad Book Shop has a lot of girls in gas masks, in fact.

(If you are looking for ceramic men and bunnies wearing gas masks recall this recent magpie & whiskeyjack past).

wunderkammer hat

Over a year ago magpie & whiskeyjack commented on the animal-as-headgear trend. Where do you go from there? What's next after wearing animals as hats? Well, you need contemporary-psychedelic fungi-jellyfish-sea anemone ladybugs-cabinets of curiousity on your head. I'm telling you, expect it on the catwalks next.

Check out the portfolio of Chinese artists Zhou Fan.










{via but it does float}

suspended spiderwebs and feathers

Compare and contrast:

Dream Catch Me
acrylic, gouache and vinyl on canvas
198 x 198 cm


Dream Catch Me 2
acrylic and pen on canvas
170 x 150 cm

By Kirra Jamison. Check out her owls, foxes, and other good things. {She's been bouncing around the web recently - no pun intended - but I think I first saw her in the Lady Lavona's Cabinet of Curiosities}



Meanwhile, Victoria over at sfgirlbybay had a guest post by Kelly of Halcyon Days (and y. a. studios) which features the above lamp (and its vintage showgirl inspiration). If we follow the link to Halcyon Days, we find some more webs-with-feather light fixtures, by Dutch artist Jennifer Tee {via all the mountains}:


Falling Feathers
Complex Interiors, Trance-lucent Concrete

She's also got suspended crystals and birds in South of the Border (an allusion to Haruki Murakami's South of the Border, West of the Sun.

Of these, only Kirra Jamison explicitly cites the Ojibwe dreamcatcher, but that is what these say to me. Interestingly, that leads back to the God's Eye. These things seem to be wandering the collective unconscious.

These illustrations:


are by Yasmine Surovec of a print a day.

There are even dreamcatcher dresses in Ann-Sophie Back's autumn-winter '09 collection, 'Ann-Sofie Back burns in hell' (inspired by American stereotypes and horror flicks).