Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Late to the Party

Monday and Tuesday I was laid up on our gray sofa, wrapped in an old comforter, gulping gallons of wonton soup, nursing a terrible sore throat. I guess weeks of running to the finish line at work towards the end of term and racing to complete as much work as I could before open studios this weekend had finally caught up with me. I spent those long hours of forced relaxation watching documentaries and movies that I'd been meaning to see for awhile, many that I'd read about again and again, and had just never had the time. Here I share with you a two-line review of each, from the comforts of my now sweaty couch.


Party Girl, 1995
A colorful portrait of the 90s downtown club scene in NYC that follows 24-year-old Mary (played by Parker Posey), a Holly Golightly character who works as a librarian-by-day/party-promoter-by-night, trying to balance the task of finding love and herself all while wearing one fabulous outfit after another (all of those printed tights!).


Bill Cunningham New York, 2010
Of course I'd read about this one on tons of blogs before, and am so happy I finally got to see for myself how absolutely adorable Bill Cunningham is. His complete devotion to his work and his spartan lifestyle—literally sleeping on a cot surrounded by walls and walls of filing cabinets filled with every single negative he's ever shot—was astounding and inspiring. 


Eames: The Architect and the Painter, 2011
A decent overview of the designer couple's lives together showed me that I actually knew pretty much nothing about them beyond The Chair. Narrated by James Franco (though I tried not to hold that against it), it begins with their meeting at Cranbrook (when Charles was already married to someone else with a daughter!) and ends with Ray dying on the 10th anniversary of Charles' death. 


About Jenny Holzer, 2011 
The work that she is most known for are her text pieces, quick one liners she calls "truisms" streamed across electronic billboards like stock tickers. It was interesting to find out the origins of her work, to see that what can come across initially as a cold stream of words actually comes from a personal place, that there is something much deeper under the surface. 

Netflix has all of these streaming online. I suggest you get yourself sick and spend all day watching them immediately. 

- Cathleen

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Non-Purchasing Regrets

Do you ever have regrets of things you should've but didn't purchase?



It happened to me with the above flatware set. 

This is the Loop flateware set that was sold at Crate & Barrel in the early 2000s. They no longer carry it and it is pretty much impossible to find. 

When I worked at C&B this set was super UN-popular. Like I think I sold one set in the 3 years I worked there. 

I wish I had purchased it when I had the chance. 
It is so compact, convenient, and different. 

If you ever see it for sale somewhere buy it for me. I swear I'll pay you back.

- Grace

Monday, May 7, 2012

Artist of the Week: Sarah Kay


I've been neck deep in preparations for open studios this weekend, spending as much time in here making as much work as I can before inviting any curious art lookers into my space. Whiling away the hours drawing, painting, gluing, doing, I  have discovered an amazing tool for keeping my mind stimulated when I really need to buckle down and put my hands to some mindless work: talk radio. I've listened to countless episodes of All Songs Considered, as well as The Moth podcasts, and I swear, I think I've thoroughly exhausted This American Life's entire catalog. TED Talks are a new addition to the line-up that have completely transformed my listening experience. Not only are they compelling and often entertaining, but I'm learning all of these great and interesting things at the same time! The talk above, given by spoken word poet Sarah Kay, was one that truly moved me yesterday, enough so that it was hard to keep my eyes locked on the pen I was dragging across the paper, because I couldn't stop watching her poised performance. Lately I have been really excited by reading about/watching young ladies who are grabbing life by the ass and squeezing it for all it's worth. Have a listen.

- Cathleen

Friday, May 4, 2012

Design Always Repeats Itself: Tiered Edition


Paper Art by Mark from Present & Correct


Set of four "Flavia" columns- totems. Designed by Ettore Sottsass.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! The husband has to work while I will be digging us out of the rubble from moving. 

- Grace

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Drawing Parallels: Cartoon Edition

My favorite thing about my iPad is that I get the New Yorker digitally now. With the new digital edition the magazine includes a section called Cartoon Gallery and they include a few cartoons from years' earlier  issues. 

Although cartooning can be looked down upon in the art world as trite or commercial I think these two selections from this week's New Yorker are about as topical as it can get with art. 


The one above, from the most current issue of the New Yorker reads:
Nice, but as long as there are readers there will be scrolls. 


And this cartoon from November 11, 1939 reads:
"I'm terribly worried about Steve. His car came back without him."

I like these two cartoons because they both signal a change in technology and poke fun at nostalgia for nostalgia's sake.

- Grace


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Golden Ponies


I bought a pair of the shiny beauties above from Golden Ponies last November and I have loved them every day since. They really add the perfect amount of pop and pizzazz to any outfit. And they are handmade to boot! By designer Erandi GutiĆ©rrez in Mexico. The new collection of accessories and shoes this season is full of pretty pastels punctuated by exclamations of electric pink and green, totally taking things to the next level. Just look!

Leather Doctor Bag, $80 

Pupa leather bag, $50

Chloe leather triple strap flats, $48

Bag number 3 vegan satchel, $55


Visit www.goldenponies.net to treat yo'self to a little something special. I insist!


- Cathleen 


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

House of Cardboard


Grace is busy moving into HER NEW HOME right now, so I'm filling in for her until her internet gets hooked up. Speaking of new homes, isn't this one so so cute? I definitely want to build this cardboard playhouse for my future children. I will probably have more fun playing in it than they will. 



- Cathleen 

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