Today is split into two themes: Things that hang and things that dance.
1. Okay so turns out I can't find anything on the history of baby mobiles...so I will dissect it myself.
If they are to hang on top of your baby it only makes sense that it would protect your baby and its dreams. Its almost like the baby's companion while you aren't there. Then, I mean if you take into account the developmental benefits, then its about colors, shapes, movements, etc. And at that point the function could turn into helping the baby sleep/comfort-type toy.
So what would I want my children to have above them as a protector and companion?
2. There was this art piece in the Met that was made by a formerly incarcerated artist. A series of rocks wrapped in prison-issued needle and thread are suck on a pinboard at different heights.
Subject matter aside, I loved how human it was. I could tell how it was made and it feels so fragile. The pinned rocks were
3. I went to see the George Balanchine version of the nutcracker at the New York City Ballet. It was nothing less than magical. I think it was the combination of the music that I am so emotionally attached to, my love of ballet, and the overwhelming showmanship of it all.
But I must admit that despite my love of the art, I found myself nit picking their lines, how synched or on beat they were, or if their formations were off. I tried to let it go and enjoy it, and I learned that I was watching at the wrong scale. When I was watching two or three dancers at a time it was easy to see the mistakes, but if I watched the stage as a whole, I was much more likely to get the affect of the entire performance. I started seeing the movement of the dancers as a whole and the scenery and the accumulation of their movements...which was a million times more powerful and beautiful.
SIDENOTE: I didn't realize there were multiple types of nutcracker stories. Apppparrrrentlyyyyy there is a version (Gorsky) where Clara and the Prince are adults, and Clara and the Sugar plum fairy's roles are combined. In the original/Balanchine version, Marie is a kid and the ending pas de deux is done by the sugar plum fairy's cavalier.
4. I went to the Met on Saturday, and I was of course pulled into the degas dancers room. I felt bad for Gün because its not really his thing, but I just love them too much. I've decided a third of the appeal is the subject matter, a third is the impressionist style (bc I'm a sucker for the colors), and a third is the GLOW. His handle of stage light gives it warmth and a human quality that I love. Upon further reflection I don't think its simply the subject matter, because if they were perfectly drawn elongated figures i would like it less. Degas' ballerinas are not tall and skinny and in the perfect pose...they are weirdly human. We find them either stretching, between dance moves, or even if they are in the perfect pose we see a couple of them yapping in the background.
NOV 25 - DEC 1, 2024
1. Brothers going home from school. Matching scooters, matching backpacks.
Okay do I have done my research on backpacks, rucksacks, knapsacks, and book belts. I have been reminded that where a design comes from and its evolution says a lot about the user of the design.
The schulranzen shape (the german bag the kids were wearing) came from the original design that was made with wood and stretched leather. BTW I find it funny that men really be designing soft goods with hard materials first and replicating the shape even though its a soft material. The issue with this shape that stretches horizontally is that its horribly non-ergonomic because the weight is on the shoulders and not hips (like a hiking bag). I think its also undeniable that the shape looks exactly like the belt straps on books, so again hilarious that the soft design was just trying to replicate the shape of something so rigid.
Its telling that designers really didn't care about ergonomics of the bag because kids were the users. The designers aren't the ones lugging books everyday so they wouldn't know the design errors...classic
Side-note that its CRAZY how contemporary a backpack as we know it is. Like they were for hikers...forget kids that need it everyday, lets design for the once-in-a-while hiker.
2. I saw this little bunny and I just couldn't help but think of rabbity being dragged everywhere. The thing is the backpack looks rather big, so I wouldn't think its an adult, but the helmet looks small...so maybe its the parent carrying the kids things. But then why would it be out? I would've wanted it to be safe and secure. It all just seemed like a beautiful little scene that I I could relate to so emotionally.
3. I was a little afraid the beauty of the german nativity pyramid would get lost once I came back to the US...not at all. They are so lovely and christmas-y. I think I like them so much because I don't think of light wood when I think of Christmas decoration, but it fits so well.
4. These little wooden toys were just soooooo cute. I got my own little set of animals and I saw the people next to me doing the same. Their grouping is much less farm-y and more winter-y but they were still assembling their set with the same love and care I was.
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NOV 18- 24, 2024
1. Dear Inspo journal, I have cheated. I found a way to include more than one image and I am really trying my best...I just wanted all the pictures. So the first grid is of Tia Cibani's instagram where you find the most marvelous assortment of children's clothes, colors, textures, and patterns. This brand is all my favorite things put together because the form of the clothing is very classic and sad little medieval toddler-esque, BUT When you add colors and fun prints it changes everything. I love a knit, I love a quilt, I love a fun pattern. Whats not to like?
2. Karel Martens. I totally recognized one of his prints in Dashwood books and I had to find him. I am officially a fan. As previously mentioned I love a bold colorful print, but I think what makes his so special is the process. He is experimenting with shape: through process by using things like stencils and standardized shapes he finds to print with. He is Experimenting with concept: using systems as his guiding tool for exploration and visualizing theory. And then there is the documents he prints on...I think I love them so much because ironically the words and obect-made-for-process makes it feel more human, which can very quickly fade away with his kind of visual language.
3. Bricks. I love them and had no clue that the process was this complex and artful, but I guess thats why masons have a union.
4. Crazing! I had no clue what it was called when the glaze gets into the cracks like that, but now I do!
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NOV 11- 17, 2024
1. On a very terrible date at printed matter. Didn't like him but Loooooveeddddd some books. This one was all logos and symbols and fonts, and I'm a sucker for an ethnic floral motif. I will have to sketch these later in my brand new sketchbook :)
2. Also from printed matter. I loved the nonchalant-ness of the drawing-as-list. No context, has a use, several levels of detail, color when wanted. The carrots and the face got me initially but the more I look at it the more I like the lettuce. Its almost as if the terrible drawing by itself wasn't enough, he need to add the descriptor "iceberg," so that it would be understandable.
3. At this lovely little book store in the lower east side filled to the brim with only cookbooks, i saw this bookmark on the wall. At first i just liked the little piggie drawing, but then it had a nice little poem. It kinda reminds me of the Amelie intro where she says things she likes. i liked that all the things she likes are because of societal/things in relation to other people, but books...just make her happy. And she just likes to be happy. Sofia likes: riding an eBike down the west side highway, eating at a restaurant bar all alone, sketching things around her when there is paraphernalia about the place that can be placed in her sketchbook.
4. cool candles. I think they are dipped in various layers, cut into, and then folder the layers onto itself in artful ways.
5. This is what I wish my sketchbook looked like when I test out pens. Kinda feels like what I was writing about last week with organized strokes. Except I have no clue what the middle part is. I wonder why this became the motif.
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NOV 4 - 10, 2024
1. I went to the loveliest little Italian bistrôt full of Italian staff and Italian children's books. It was, in sum, the perfect thing for me to do all alone. So while eating my uova in purgatorio, I read this book about worms. Using the form of an encyclopedic children's book that dives deep into a specific topic, it started to make stuff up. Like haircuts, vampire worms, their daily whereabouts and why they make oddly shaped houses. It almost reminded me of the Codex Seraphinianus with its whimsical drawings and made up worlds.
2. Truth is I was probably extrapolating a little too much inspo from this one. But I do think it would be interesting to see what kinds of marks people make in an orderly way. Usually we see them mixed up and on top of each other, but we aren't really creating a composition...So what would it look like if you remove the dis-orderliness and make it into a grid???
3. SCHLÜMPFE.
4. A guy was selling these in the subway tunnels. I wonder if he used all the original wiring. I wonder if they sell.
5. I stumbled upon this enormous wall with post it notes on each subway tile with the prompt, "what's on your mind?". I cried. It was so lovely, especially post election, to see people come together and talk about things at all scales and emotions....SIDENOTE: I've been trying to create a back story for the cake story all week. ANOTHER SIDENOTE: the subway tiles really make this what it is. If it were done anywhere else, it wouldn't have the same effect #grid.