Devorah Sperber

Stuck home while the family is in the middle of a bout of gastro. Meh! But did that ever stop one accessing the world wide web? I think not!

So... I present to you, Devorah Sperber:

"... a New York-based artist whose sculptures, composed of thousands of ordinary objects, negotiate a terrain between low and high tech. Her labor-intensive works explore repetition and the effects of digital technology on perception, scale, and subjective reality."
Patricia Phillips, Executive Editor, Art Journal

These are upside-down, low resolution images constructed from coloured cotton reels (good thing she has "partial funding" by Coats & Clark). When viewed through an optical viewing sphere, a recognisable image of the original artwork is revealed. Clev. Ver.

Now, call me an art heretic, but usually the Mona Lisa does little for me. Until now. Do you think that's perhaps because she's blurry???

Anyone for van Gogh?

Then there are her "chenille stem works"- that translates 'pipe cleaners' for the simple souls out there. However, now that I think about it, what a stupid name. Whoever actually cleaned a pipe with a pipe cleaner?

(detail)

And look at this amazingly complicated example below. Sperber has produced an anamorphic design of an Hans Holbein painting (all from pipe cleaners, remember), then used a cylindrical mirror to reflect the perfect image.


Now just to side-track a little bit... The original Holbien painting is titled 'The Ambassadors', a well known example of the use of anamorphosis in art. It was painted in 1533 and is housed in the National Gallery, London. The distorted shape lying diagonally across the bottom of the composition - when viewed from an acute angle - is in actual fact, the image of a skull. I for one, am completely taken with this technique. However, what is most astounding to me is that this technique dates back to the 15th century, yet that skull looks to me like it has been super-imposed using a computer. We're really not so clever and modern after all!


And therein lies today's art lesson.

For more of Devorah Sperber's art, check out her website here.

Everything is not as it seems

'Snurk'. It's Dutch for snore.

It's also the name of a bedding manufacturer who use digital technology to produce very unique designs.

Case in point:
Snurk's Le-Clochard range touts the catch phrase "Sleep under a cardboard box so a homeless youngster doesn't have to". Forty percent of the proceeds from Le-Clochard are donated to SZN, a foundation for homeless young people in the Netherlands.


More information about the Le-Clochard Project here, and it's worth checking out the rest of Snurk's range too. Very clever.

Exhibition

The graduating students from Box Hill Institute Diploma of Textile Art course are currently exhibiting at Whitehorse Art Space in the the Box Hill Town Hall. If this is your thing and you're in the vicinity, it's certainly worth a visit. One week to go.

Current Favourite

Click on the image to visit leililaloo's blog.

Dana Komjaty is an Amsterdam based designer. She has two shops on Etsy - one for her textile based products, and another selling her original drawings, paintings and prints. I was playing with Etsy's shop by colour feature the other night and quite randomly clicked on one of Dana's products. Upon arriving at her shop I realised that I was already quite familiar with her work as I have been eying off her art for a year or so. At least I'm consistent!

Shop By Colour

If you've never shopped Etsy by colour, give it a go. Just playing with the coloured bubbles is fun.

Paul - Inspirational - Klee

Something I put together as part of a presentation on the artist Paul Klee. Can't decide what I like more... Klee's art, or the music?

Back On the Blogging Train

All aboard!

image source

Phew, what a month.

My school year wrapped up last Friday (one down, two to go) and the last couple of weeks have been particularly busy completing work for presentation and assessment. Overall, it has been a fabulous school year. Looking back over all that I have learnt and at the work I produced, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. At the start of the year I would never have believed it was possible to generate the volume - or quality - of work that we as a class produced. Staggering. I have met many wonderful, like-minded, mature women who encourage and inspire me - for that, I am truly grateful. I heard someone say on Friday “art opens up your world”, and I could not agree more. It has changed the way I look at life. My world has expanded beyond my own backyard and my country's borders, as I find myself newly intrigued by history and other cultures. A simple trip to the supermarket can even inspire... A colour palate, a shape to sketch. Yep, my world is a great deal larger than it was twelve months ago.

On a sad note, my dear friend departed this earth during the week. Thirty-six years, seven of them fighting a brain tumour, her husband now solo dad to an 8 & 11 year old. Watching someone die never gets any easier, no matter how many times you do it. I'm pretty much an expert- professionally and personally, however, the frailty of life always smacks me in the face - as though I am realizing it for the first time again. And that nagging, unanswerable question that never seems to go away. Why?

Why not?

RIP Clare XXOO

Break in Transmission

Taking a break. Okay, I've been on one for a while, so I'm taking a longer break. Up to my eyeballs with family, school work, my first little commission job (yay me!), and a friend not long for this world. Something's gotta give eh?

I shall return when the dust settles. (Anyone looking for a PA job???)

I love school holidays...

image source

People Pleasing

Easy to say, much harder to really mean.
If it's genuine, it's liberating.
I try...
Gets easier as I get older.

More secrets here.

Go the Granny!

link

"...the Oscar winner, who wore a colourful one-shouldered dress apparently made of crocheted squares..."

APPARENTLY! :D

My Creative Space

You might well wonder how I could do anything in this space...

 

And that would be a fair question.

My little studio is wearing the title of 'storage cupboard' this week, so it was off to the kitchen bench for all things felt, and to continue with the 3D theme:

Thanks for visiting.

Right, I'm off to tidy the cupboard. Happy creative spacing!

PS.  Has anyone used the updated post editor in Blogger yet?  I'm not convinced myself . Bugger inserting jump breaks, strikethrough, and colouring the text background - I just want a spill spell check!  (Please don't tell me it is actually there and I just need glasses.)  I'm usually all for something new and improved, but not sure that improved it is! 

Playing around with Polyvore

Like I have time for this.  Well, it was three months ago.  Does that count? :P

Life Drawing

We had our first life drawing class last week. Intense. Kudos to our model... Not only did she hold her poses with precision, but she allowed us to depict her with a myriad of unintentional deformities. Guess that goes with the territory!

I didn't really enjoy the class, although I think that had more to do with the fact I had no idea what I was doing. It would probably be a skill worth pursuing, however, this little black duck is already over-committed.

Hands up anyone who demands more hours in a day!

Secrets

Love this one:


Think this one is funny (and I applaud her honesty!):

More secrets here.