model citizens 2012

A detail of our installation for Model Citizens, opening next weekend as part of New York's Design Week. The show runs May 19-21@ 52 Mercer in SoHo.

flowerblob

I have been slowly building this cascading floral blob over the last couple months - as part of a larger piece for an upcoming show at Red Star in Kansas City, MO. Guy and myself have some crazy ideas to fill this massive space - and it is so nice to see them working... This is simply a studio mock up - the objects and background will change.

so nice

One of the best weeks ever. Spring break in the good studio with perfect spring weather. I have been doing everything I can to spend as much time here as possible. And I love it.

surface

A new collaboration in the works... more images to come.
(studio shot)

Small Favor

My annual Small Favor, for The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. I think these pink polka dots will show up again in the near future.

"Nymphenburg Redo" porcelain, china paint, screenprinted wallpaper, 4" x 4" x 4"
(photo by The Clay Studio)

forever

After years of making and being inspired by wallpaper, I finally (and permanently) installed some in my front hallway. It was neither fast nor easy, but I LOVE the way it looks. Guy and myself hand printed this wallpaper for a show at the Chelsea Art Museum last May, and it has been banging around the studio ever since. We are in the process of making screens for batch #2 as we speak...

kcmo

After a recent trip back to Kansas City, and an exciting meeting with Red Star, I now have Tiffany lamps on the brain. I am not sure where this will end up going, but here is a small start. 

work in progress, china paint and porcelain 

Hy-Que Monkey

"Hy-Que Monkey(the start of the hunt)", 13.5" x 8" x 7", porcelain and china paint

"Hy-Que Monkey in Captivity" 28' x 4' x 7.5", porcelain, hand printed wallpaper, wood. 

My take on the Hy-Que Monkey, (top) following a recent series Guy and myself collaborated on for HERE currently at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts Museum. 

wallpaper trial

Hand printed wallpaper, round two. 6 layers - each separated by color or tone. This is so much better than the previous method, with was SUPER slow and complicated. I think I can actually print more than one panel this time.

lithophane

Test #1. YES. Milled from a photo I took of Guy and Chewy last year, snapped mid yawn. This piece will be Future Retrieval's contribution to BYOB (bring your own beamer) this Friday night at the CAC, curated by Jordan Tate. I am also teaching a tile class next quarter at UC, and want to incorporate lithophanes into the coursework, so this is officially a test.

porcelain, 4.5" x 6.5"

Installation, Still[ed] Life

An overall panorama shot of my installation with Guy Michael Davis, Still[ed] Life at the Taft Museum of Art. The show consists of ten busts of Alphonso Taft, father of William Howard Taft and founder of the Skull and Bones. We were drawn to his stoic pose and the mean carbuncle on his head.

There are also five porcelain still lives, inspired by Dutch painter Balthasar van der Ast. The Taft has one van der Ast painting, and it is the only new addition to their historic collection. For more images of the show and process photos, click here.

(photos above courtesy of Jordan Tate)

up next

The show at the Taft is up and running, and I will be posting more photos soon. Guy and myself are currently working (non-stop) on our next collaborative piece, "Hy-que Monkey in Captivity" a large installation for here. at the Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts Museum. I snapped a quick studio shot yesterday of one of the five oval backdrops, fresh from the cnc mill here at DAAP.

4' x 2' x 1.5", handprinted wallpaper and wood

alphonso (sevres)

One of ten Alphonso Taft busts that Guy and myself designed for "Still[ed] Life" currently on view at the Taft Museum of Art. I love the way the pattern camouflages his features, and how matte the pink china paint looks. (porcelain and china paint, 12" x 7" x 5.5")

The Taft's Sevres tureen that inspired the piece.

still[ed] life

The postcard for Still[ed] Life which officially opened last Friday morning at the Taft Museum. It is a collaborative effort between myself and Guy Michael Davis, the result of almost a year's worth of work . We will both be posting images from the show over the next few weeks, so be sure to check here and here. Also, a write up in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

punk rock

I was recently asked by a friend to print a backdrop for a comprehensive display of his UK punk 45s collection. Since I have been printing wallpaper for an upcoming project in Philly, I decided to take the imagery and go with Union Jack colors for the florals. (the amazing wallpaper on the left is by Terence Hammonds)

pink noise

Pink Noise is a sound/print/ceramic collaboration between myself, Guy Michael Davis, and Gen Ken Montgomery. Ken is a sound artist, founder of the Ministry of Lamination, and runs ATMOTW from his amazing digs in NYC. We worked together a couple years ago at UC to create a sonic tour of the ceramics department, which is now out on vinyl. Guy and myself printed the record covers, while Ken worked on the record. A little bit about Pink Noise:

1/f Noise was an immersive listening performance where people were led one by one, blindfolded, down eight flights of stairs, through corridors, in and out of room with firing kilns, clay mixers, buffering machines and ventilation ducts.

alphonso

Busy working on my upcoming show at the Taft Museum of Art with Guy Michael Davis, which opens in early August. Shown here is Mr. Taft, currently in the middle of a deluxe Sevres treatment.

a sneak peek

From the Model Citizens show at the Chelsea Art Museum last weekend.

Check out Future Retrieval for the rest...

hand printing

I have been screen printing a giant floral backdrop with Guy for an upcoming show during Design Week. Inspired by the unicorn tapestries, we have burned over 40 screens and are printing them layer by layer with our studio assistant. Our work will be installed at the Chelsea Art Museum - in a show organized by Model Citizens NYC so we will be in excellent company.

(a couple original drawings with each color separated) The show runs from Friday May 13th through Sunday May 15th. More photos and installation shots to come...

bouquet

My piece for Small Favors, an annual show at The Clay Studio in Philly.

"Bouquet" die cut paper and glue. 12.5" x 8"

done

"Beast(overall)" porcelain, china paint, and luster. 12" x 7.5" x 8"

dog (topiary)

the start to a pack of topiary hunting dogs... heads and tails are in the works.

overall pattern

Work in progress. China paint on porcelain.

coming along

The dog head is coming along very nicely. After getting the first few waste casts out, the mold is working like magic. I am getting ready to block out a nice long weekend to start patterning this sucker.

new die

I have big plans for this die.

install

Installation at High Street - round 2. To see the 3-d wallpaper from last year, click here.

This year - installing the giant porcelain print flowers across the wall, strategically placed to hide all the holes from the last piece (which actually makes for a nice composition). I really love this dark wall and having the work placed around a domestic setting.

Topiary II

This piece has another title, but I will save that for another time - it requires a long explanation... Installed at the UC New Faculty show in the Meyers Gallery.

Die cut paper and glue, 43" x 28" x 25"

boxers

Slipcast boxers, illuminated with historic china patterns. Originally started here last year, it is nice to add a few more to the pack.

5" x 4" each, porcelain, china paint, and luster.

next in line

I have been sitting on this snarling dog head all summer, putting off the inevitable. It is time to start making molds again. I have a couple ideas for this dog, some referring back to the figurine that it was scanned from - and others that are a little more out there. Must get to work.

topiary

"Table Top Topiary", inspired by a recent trip to Versailles last month. I have been obsessed ever since, trying to figure out ways to make my flower balls larger and give them a little more structure. This piece is for the CS13 fundraiser auction this weekend, click here for more info.

Die cut paper and glue, 33" x 18" x 20"

window

A sneak peek at the window display Mike and I are working on together. We are part of a project that is taking place across the short Vine area of Cincinnati, with groups of artists putting up window displays in vacant buildings. Our building is Sudsy Malones, a rock and roll venue and bar where you could also do laundry while catching a show.
(will post more pictures here once we finish up and add lighting)
12' x 5', porcelain, paper, wood.

flower ball

My first paper flower ball, made from a stockpile of paper scraps. Built just like a rubber band ball - adding paper around and around... with no interior structural support.
die cut paper and glue, 23" x 18".

lion (part 2)

I have been china painting the last few weeks, working on a series of tumblers for Future Retrieval inspired by old illustrations. Using the borders from one of the books, I decided to dress up the lion head by adding a band across the eyes. More to come.
porcelain and china paint.

Dresdener Print Flower

Dresdener Flower Print, 22' x 10' x 8". Porcelain and hand cut paper.

Gallery installation, Prairie.
"PVR's Garden" aka the squirrel chandelier, porcelain, cut paper, neon, yarn, and metal. Made in collaboration with Guy Michael Davis. To see more images from the show, click here.

carnival chalk lions

"mouthful", porcelain, 24" x 14", edition of two.

Carnival Chalk Lions, installation view (see here and here).

"spewing flowers" porcelain, 11" x 23".

silhouette scrim

Images of "silhouette scrim" installation at Prairie. Hand cut scrim pieces derived from morphed German cut paper silhouettes. The white cut paper overlay is pinned into and onto the background. I had no idea how much the white would erase the colors behind it, a very nice effect.
7' x 7' x 3", cut paper, pins, staples.