I mean, any post that starts and ends with giant cactus installations is a-okay by me! This is the jaw-dropping, sometimes inflatable, lose-yourself-inside-it work of Lyon based artist Cyril Lancelin. I love all of these crazy amazing pieces, but I think my favorite might be the first one… “Inverted Cactus”. Here’s Cyril’s description, found on his Instagram feed.

“‘Inverted Cactus’ : Installation with fake cactus. People can position themselves just under it. It feels like 2020… immersive at one point only, but feels more immersive than ever.”

You can say that again.

Paper. No, seriously … allllll of it is paper. Even the chair, table, etc. I know, it’s a little bit too much for my brain to handle on a Monday morning, but alas, it’s true. This is the installation work of Massachusetts based artist Elizabeth Alexander. Here’s her artist statement to help explain these wonders:

“Cast paper, [she casts paper!?] sculptural collage, and altered objects are my methods for deconstructing domestic vignettes of traditional success and beauty. Long hours of unmaking and rebuilding found materials provide space to record memories and observations as I reexamine supposed truths within the domestic sphere. Repetitive processes become internal centering elements as I work to carefully break down these concepts. 

The ubiquitous notion of the American home as a symbol for status, power, values, and security has led me to examine my own relationship with home and consider its untidy qualities.  Living with and loving others who battle mental illness and chronic pain has complicated my experience with private space. I aim to unearth the human presence within our material surroundings and explore home as a place that is shaped by our stories and bears witness to our secret lives.” 

Beautiful. ps. Elizabeth’s work was recently selected for “Paper Routes – Women to Watch 2020” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC… of course it was! The show runs until the end of January 2021.

Gasp! “Frozen Flowers” by Japanese artist Makoto Azuma. This breathtaking piece is from 2018, but as we head into winter here in the Northern hemisphere, it feels very appropriate! I’m sure you’ve seen this artist’s work before, perhaps his “Botanical Space Flight” {flowers in space… seriously}. This final icy installation is absolutely stunning, but wait, there’s more! His ‘in progress’ shots {captured by Shunsuke Shiinoki} are just as beautiful. If you ever feel like you don’t have enough energy to head into the studio for an afternoon, let this insanity be your inspiration:

Now that is commitment. To learn more about Makoto Azuma, Shunsuke Shiinoki and AMKK – their co-founded flower and plant institute – click here. Happy Monday.

This is Brisbane based artist and designer Rachel Burke aka @imakestagram. Can you guess what she desperately wanted to be when she grew up? A lawyer or a doctor? Nope. A fairy. Well, as you can see by the photo above, she nailed it! Rachel makes the craziest most wonderful work – from art you can wear {even if you’re a mermaid}, to art you can sit on … and in, for that matter! And you know what else is crazy and wonderful? Her story. Rachel’s path has been anything but conventional, which actually makes complete sense. You can listen right up there under Rachel in her fairy floss dress, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify.

First, let’s start with a few of the images I posted the other day:

Gasp! Remember all of that? Of course you do… how could you forget a tinsel cafe and those crazy dresses. Speaking of crazy dresses:

 

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A post shared by Rachel Burke (@imakestagram)

Ah yes, perfect for everyday wear. Clearly, I’m gonna need some of that bling for my next trip to the grocery store {watch the video!}

Okay, let’s take a look at all of the fabulous brand collaborations we covered:

Yes! Talk about only working with brands that fit your own aesthetic! Love, love, love.

Next, this is just a teeny tiny snippet of Rachel’s artwork currently showing at Saint Cloche Gallery in Sydney:

Okay, there is no way her mom would’ve allowed this much glitter in the house. NO. WAY. The show is open until Dec 6th, but if you’re not in Sydney, you can also buy the work online. Oh, ps. she’s doing an exclusive workshop at the gallery {Saturday December 5th @ 2 – 3:30pm}, and you can buy tickets HERE.

Alright, let’s take a look at Rachel’s super sweet family. Brace yourself for cuteness overload:

Oh. My. Word. Hugo {the baby}, Tom {the lawyer willing to wear tinsel), and Daisy {the wiener}. Seriously, the cutest family evah* … *that’s ‘ever’ in Australian. Also, now do you see why I need those sparkly coats for my full dozen ‘o dachshunds? Yeah, you get it.

And finally, since this is the last episode until after the holidays, I figured we should probably wrap things up with these:

“Merry Craftmas” … you are talking my language, lady! So. Much. Fun! And with that I will give a great big thanks to Rachel for hanging out with me for so long; even bigger thanks to Rachel’s mom for hanging out with Hugo for so long; and thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR in 2021. Stay happy & healthy ~ Danielle xo

Other links:

1. Rachel on Instagram
2. Rachel’s shop
3. Victoria College of Art
4. Universal Store, Australia
5. Frankie Magazine, Australia
6. Material Girl Magazine, Germany
7. ‘‘Apomogy’ Project
8. Alt Summit
9. Next In Fashion, Netflix
10. LEGO Collab.
11. Disney Collab.
12. Rachel’s art show at Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney
13. Danielle’s Skillshare classes {mentioned in the intro}
14. Danielle’s Liz + pompoms collage

Yep, I think we’re a bit of “a mess” at the moment. A self-described Punjabi Liverpudlian {ie., born in Liverpool, to parents from India}, UK based artist Chila Burman pays homage to both these backgrounds in all of her wonderful work. I could go on and on about the many things she creates {by pointing you to this great video from 2018}, but today I have to talk about “Remembering A Brave New World”. Stunning! This year marks the 4th annual Winter Commission at Tate Britain, and yes, Chila is this year’s artist… and oh my word, look what she did!? Here’s the description from the gallery:

TATE BRITAIN WINTER COMMISSION: “This magnificent installation, remembering a brave new world, combines Hindu mythology, Bollywood imagery, colonial history and personal memories. Inspired by the artist’s childhood visits to the Blackpool illuminations and her family’s ice-cream van, Burman covers the façade of Tate Britain with vinyl, bling and neon. She changes the figure of Britannia, a symbol of British imperialism, into Kali, the Hindu goddess of liberation and power. The many illuminated deities, shapes and words are joined by Lakshmibai, the Rani (queen) of Jhansi. Lakshmibai was a fierce female warrior in India’s resistance to British colonial rule in the 19th century.

Burman is celebrated internationally for her radical feminist practice, spanning printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film. Her Punjabi and Liverpudlian heritage enrich her self-expressive work. Burman mashes up stereotypes to create new identities, beyond the limitations imposed on South Asian women in a British cultural context.

The commission opened to coincide Diwali, the Festival of Light. It is a celebration of new beginnings, the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. remembering a brave new world takes inspiration from the luminous struggles and victories of the past to offer hope for a brighter future.”

Yes, yes, yesssss. Every detail in this piece has meaning, some of which are explained in this interview Chila did with dezeen last week. My favorite tidbit is the ice cream van, a nod to her father who drove one when first arriving in England. Love. Yet another fabulous thing about this installation? Even though the gallery is closed because of COVID, you can see this beauty without going in! Chila’s work will adorn the facade until January 31, 2021.

 

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I mean, what is even happening here!? Fabric caught in the wind, yet frozen in time? Yep. These jaw-dropping pieces are the work of Marela Zacarias, an artist currently based between Brooklyn, Seattle, and Mexico City. Okay, I already know you’re thinking… ‘but what? how did she?’… because that’s exactly what I was thinking! Here’s the answer:

“Working with a labor – and research- intensive process merging sculpture with painting, Marela Zacarías moulds window screen and plaster to fabricate undulating forms with the quality of fabric, bodies filled with movement and expressive quality. The sculptures’ surfaces are populated by socially committed geometric abstractions––shapes and patterns born from the artist’s study of the history and specificity of the site of work.”

Brilliant, thoughtful, and beautifully executed. If you want to see Marela in action, there’s a great video from a couple of years ago on Art21… watch it right here. Happy Monday.

{Thanks to @melaart for pointing me to this artist’s work. Images via Marela’s site, her Instagram, and Sapar Contemporary, NYC.}

From childhood stories of beached whales to having her work acquired by MoMA, New York based artist Petah Coyne and I cover it all! To say that this episode has been a game-changer for my own artwork would be a massive understatement. This amazing woman lit a fire under me, and I have a sneaking suspicion she’s going to do the same thing to you! Listen right up there underneath Petah installing her work at Galerie Lelong in New York, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify.

First up, here are the images I posted the first time I wrote about Petah a couple of months ago:

The peacocks! I mean, I am in awe. Again.

This is “Dante’s Daphne”. Petah and I didn’t talk about it, but she mentions it in the fabulous video she did with SFMoMA so I thought I’d pop in here for you to see:

Sigh. The detail she puts into each piece astounds me.

Oooh, and this… this is the piece MoMA acquired {that was one of my favorite stories from this episode!}:

I’d love to stand under this beauty so that I could just really, really LOOK.

So yes, Petah often works with found objects and wax, but just look at these absolutely stunning glass pieces:

Gasp! I saw these at “Glasstress” in Venice a few years ago, but didn’t realize who the artist was. When I started down the ‘Petah Coyne rabbit hole’ before I wrote about her last month, I came across these images and realized I actually have seen her work in person! They were breathtaking. Clearly.

Next, I had to include some of Petah’s photography. These are more recent than the photos she showed “at a bank in Dayton”… I believe these are from the late 1990’s – early 2000’s:

Aren’t they gorgeous? See, everything Petah does has a bit of magic to it!

And finally, let’s finish up with a whole bunch of birds:

Love, love, love! I cannot even begin to express how much this episode meant to me and the progression of my own artwork. Thank you so much to Petah for being so warm, generous, brilliant and wise; and of course, thank YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other Links:

1. Petah on Instagram
2. Galerie Lelong & Co, NYC
3. SVA (School of Visual Art, NYC)
4. Alice Aycock, Artist
5. Donna Dennis, Artist
6. Jodi Pinto, Artist
7. Kenji Fujita, Artist
8. Daisy Patton, Artist
9. SFMoMA video with Petah {so good!}
10. New York Times – Art section
11. Whitney Museum of American Art
12. The Brooklyn Museum
13. MoMA
14. Toby Lewis, Collector
15. Strand Book Store, NYC
16. Chanel
17. My latest work

Gasp! Sculptures for your wall… and your ceiling!? Okay, I almost posted the entire portfolio of Berlin based artist Brittany Gould, but managed to control myself. I found her “Illuminated” series first, so it only seemed fair to obsess over that. However, I would highly recommend that you go see everything else, too! Happy Friday.

She’s done it again… another immersive, jaw-dropping collage that I want to move into immediately. “Biodiversity” is the latest insane collage by Berlin based artist Clare Celeste Börsch. I’ve written about her several times, she was on the podcast in 2018, and so when I saw this installation, clearly, I had to share it too! Here are Clare’s words about her newest paper wonderland:

68% of biodiversity lost in just 50 years…

My latest artwork shares a message of love, urgency and hope. Love for our planet, our future selves, our children and future generations. Urgency, because climate change is upon us and the predictions of what to come are dire. And Hope, because there is still a narrow window of time to act and there is still so much we can save.

We are currently on track for 4 degrees of warming by the year 2100. This means a future marked by increasingly violent storms, droughts, wildfires, flooding, and crop shortages.

But we have the tools and technologies to respond to this crisis. We must now collectively and individually rise to this unprecedented challenge. In the video, I list concrete ways you can make a difference today. Please watch and share! It is available on YouTube.

Soooooo beautiful! Happy Friday.

*photos, video and editing by Patricia Schichl.

Oh my word. Okay, let’s begin by saying, absolutely everything in the portfolio of Portuguese textile artist Vanessa Barragão is mind-blowing. I wrote about her in 2018, and have been following closely ever since. She is constantly creating new underwater wonders out of wool “from the deadstock of the textile industry in Portugal”. This insane 2019 installation, titled “Coral Garden”, involved months of crocheting and latch-hooking in order to bring this magical, colorful world to life. Here are Vanessa’s words about why she does what she does:

Global warming and pollution are destroying one of the most vital environments – the coral reefs – which are the heart of marine life. “The Coral Garden”, focuses on this issue. Vanessa believes in an up-cycling effort and conscious production methods as an attempt to fight this negative mindset and improve our planet’s health, creating her artworks with recycled materials and handmade techniques.

Beautiful.