w o n d e r c a b i n e t

Specimen 11 is born!

From the Beastiarium series: Number 11 of 12 Specimen designs is now available at wondercabinet.
Printed on gorgeous book pages from the 1800's: botany, anatomy, even some pages on the production of beet sugars in Indiana. This one is a cross between an Indian Antelope, sometimes known as a Blackbuck, and a pitcher plant.

Tonight I printed these, and also Specimen Number 12, which I will list on Etsy tomorrow..so I did it. The whole series. It's done.

I am really feeling good about Numbers 10,11 and 12 - like I completed this series with a fresh take on these images and some good inspiration. Now that they are all done I am thinking about whether or not these beasts want a new life in some other form. I've ruled out most ideas about it for various reasons mostly having to do with wanting these images on the book pages to be special and not just part of a big morass of products.

BUT. Wouldn't a few of these look lovely integrated into a pattern and silkscreened onto fabric? We shall see. Tell me what you think.

Artists and Instructions Part 1.

Images: 1.Janine Antoni, Crumple. 2. Chris Ware, Peepshow. 3. Amy Earles, Delicate Heart. 4. Keri Smith, "I like what you're doing."

I have been researching the very diverse range of art in which the viewer is offered instructions of some kind, whether in the form of a kit or pattern that the viewer/participant can use to construct or alter something the artist has designed, or simply a list or collection of instructions. I'm interested in the way these place the "viewer" in the role of collaborator and/or co-creator. They can range from the  extremely concrete to the just-as-extremely conceptual. As viewers we are no longer passive recipients and we are asked to respond through action. The works allow the intelligence/process/skill of the artist to shine in a way that includes, not excludes us. Its a welcoming art. It is also relevant to some of the new plans I am cooking up in my own studio.

Here's a list in no rational order of some artists I love who work with their audience in this way, either in a consistent way or just once or twice:

• Image #2 is a little peepshow diorama I put together designed by the amazing comic artist Chris Ware. It came printed on the inside cover of one of his Acme Novelty Library Comic books, complete with amazing instructions which I will scan and post here in a few moments.
• Yoko Ono. Her instruction paintings. An example from 1961: "Cut a hole in a bag filled with seeds of any kind and place the bag where there is wind."
• Keri Smith. I just found her online the other day and she is rocking my world. Among MANY other things she has a whole page of kits, instructions, and lists for us to play with, among my favorite being this one.
• Janine Antoni. the image above (the one that looks like a map of a maintain range) is a do-it-yourself pattern for the viewer to recreate a piece of paper that Antoni crumpled into a ball. The solid lines are peaks, the dotted lines are valleys, and in total there are 585 folds. I have this pattern and I'm totally going to do it some night when I am feeling crazy.

Stay tuned for Artists and Instructions Part 2! And pssst...guess what? I am doing a wondercabinet shop update tonight, with Specimen #11 unveiled!

The Specimens!

The Specimens!, originally uploaded by awalsh09.

Today I finished the final two drawings that will become the final two prints of my Beastiarium: a series of twelve "specimen" prints on antique book pages. Six of them are above. Two of them are the new designs, Specimens 11 and 12! Do you know which ones?

Once all the final prints are made and listed in my shop, I want to do something with the different 12 images as a group. I like them side by side in a grid as these six are. I had imagined making a 2008 calendar of them but alas, its 2008 already. I could wait and do it for 2009. Or I could make a rad poster with all 12 on them. What else could I do? You tell me.

A new drawing and 2 artists who make me happy.

Daily Drawing, Jan 28, originally uploaded by awalsh09.

Another daily drawing, made last night in the light of my birdcage lamp (which I will post a picture of soon). I made a couple others too, all at my Flickr HQ.

Another thing I am excited about today is that girlscantell, aka saraselepouchin, is soon launching a new design in her etsy shop: this time, diagrams of cameras silkscreened onto kitchen linens and oven mitts. Isn't she the best?

Also, I love the artwork of   Amy Ross.

Specimen No. 10 sneak peek.

Here is a detail of Specimen No. 10, which will be released in my wondercabinet shop later today! I spent a lot of time drawing this one, and I love her. I'll have many versions of her visible on Flickr soon.

New Drawings on Flickr

Daily Drawing - jan26, originally uploaded by awalsh09.

I've begun a series of drawings to generate new ideas for work. The starting point is IRRATIONAL ARCHITECTURE, or vagabond architecture, or architecture that is not interested in making sense. Its fun to draw a bunch again and find out whats been going down in my subconscious in the last few months. Its like being hypnotized and remembering dreams. Not that I know what being hypnotized feels like...the idea terrifies me. Anyhoo, you can see a few more of these at my Flickr Headquarters.

snuggy and thankful.

here i am at my wonderful parent's house in the snow dunes of new hampshire. blogging with a dialup connection, because thats how these new hampshire folks roll. i spent the evening assembling a miniature paper peepshow designed by chris ware.  it came printed on the inside cover of one of his Acme Novelty Library comic books, and I've wanted to cut it out an assemble it forever, but I have always been afraid to ruin the pretty book. but i was inspired to do it now as kind of...research, for a project i am thinking about. pictures and analysis to follow, when i am home and DSL-enabled again!

the moon is so bright and full, its making sharp amazing shadows all over the place in the blue blue snow. the water here tastes like water thats travelled a long way through earth and stone to get to your mouth. its so, so, so quiet up here on this mountain.

A 3-post day! And a new Specimen Print.

'Twas a good day. I completed and listed Specimen No.9 which took a long-ass time, I did laundry, got a bday gift for my niece, spent some of the evening sewing arms on giant dust-mite costumes for Beth's upcoming show, came up with new ideas for my shop, and I even almost got around to paying the bills. Tomorrow, I Chinatown-bus it all the way to Boston to see Ellen/Dave/Whits (sister, bro-in-law, niece), and then on to NH to be with my parents, sleep in front of a fire, and track porcupines in the woods with Mom. Life is good.

Oh yeah: go to these.

March 19 Performance Exhibition:
Cardboard, Shadows, Sheets and Suitcases
A roster of  performances to accompany the ICA exhibit "The Puppet Show"
       
With LIVE puppet shows by  Anthony Heard, Clare Dolan, Erik Ruin, Fence Kitchen and Shoddy Puppet Company. Institute for Contemporary Art, 35th & Sansom Streets, Admission: $6. Curated by Beth Nixon.
_____________________________________________

April 20 at the International House:
HANDMADE PUPPET DREAMS
A program of short puppet films curated by Heather Henson with a live music and video set by Maple Rabbit!
   

Sunday, April 20th, 7pm at I-House, 3701 Chestnut.
Special family-friendly program at 2pm!

Up at 5am, making art

I am working on some new ideas for my wondercabinet shop.

My last sculpture project ("The Ministry of Tiny Catastrophes Presents a Kaiserpanorama for Freeman's Auctioneers," a collaboration between myself and Blaine Siegel, who is a great friend and a very wonderful artist. I need to get that documentation online already, Geez) involved introducing elements of pre-cinematic optical toys and entertainment devices to my previously quite still and silent work. I'm still not sure how I feel about breaking that silence...because actually, your eyes could do a lot of tricky things in those still spaces, and I kind of like leaving it to your eyes to do that work in the slow time that it takes. But, I am so drawn to these old devices! And, I am kind of obsessed with puppetry right now as well, and yes, I was obsessed with it before this show hit the ICA in Philly this week. The obsession is more the fault of these people, Puppet Uprising.

My return to the sculpture studio may possibly involve a collaboration with a one Mr. Erik Ruin, an artist who makes shadow puppet shows among many other things. It remains to be seen what will happen in my long neglected studio next.

But back to 5am this morning, and my wondercabinet shop. I'm not telling, but it has something to do with hand-painted and then reproduced kits for making your very own optical entertainment devices. It may start with something diorama-like. Toy theater-like. Zoetrope-like. That's all I'm sayin.'

P.S. It has been a pretty sunrise, and I am enjoying my Irish Breakfast tea, and my slow-cooked oats with apples, cloves, pecans and raisins. Korben is holding down the sleepy fort, making sure the dreamworld doesn't miss me.