The South's Next Wave at MODA

The South: home to numerous design talents, both emerging and seasoned.  The

Museum of Design Atlanta

thinks it's time to prove it.

This fall, the museum will present 

The South's Next Wave: Design Challenge

, part exhibition, part competition.

Set/interior designers will be paired with object designers to showcase objects in unique environments.  "We envision each vignette as a distinct environment with many layers," says curator Tim Hobby. Each vignette will be technologically enabled in such a way as to allow the viewer to access facts and video about the designers and the collaborative vignette design.

During the run of the exhibition, MODA visitors will be asked to choose their favorite vignette and object. Winners get more than bragging rights - there is a cash prize!

Visit MODA.

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MOMA NY

New York is known for its fashion BUT its also a force to be reckoned within the art community. Its home to some of the greatest, most respected museums in the world. The Museum of Modern Art, simply referred to as

MOMA

is one of my favorites. I had about 90 minutes to stroll through the building, which is nowhere near enough time to absorb the environment... nonetheless, I was excited to walk around and enjoy the art.... 

Famous for it's conceptual art and installations, the next group of images leave the viewer to make their own decisions/conclusions about what they are seeing based on their personal experiences and interpretation. The installation above consisted of thousands of mylar-wrapped candies perfectly positioned on the floor. Museums goers were encouraged to pick them up. Many did and ate the candy. I felt it was disgusting to pick up random candy off the floor and place in your mouth, even if the piece were wrapped! So whether you were an active participant or not (like me) the artist forced you to make a decision thus making the installation interactive with the viewer. Simple but effective.

This piece was slightly disturbing. It was the video of a woman with a hood over her head. She repeatedly bumped into the wall behind her until she fell. The song playing in the background spoke about how love is so blind, causing one to fall down. The video was only a few minutes in length but looped over and over again.

Shit!

Andy Warhol.

This impressive mural by James Rosenquist covered all four walls of the space.

A great tip: MOMA is

free

to the public on Friday nights!

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ART: Judson Guerard Hot Glass

I own a couple of these beautiful handblown goblets. Over the years I have given plenty of them as gifts. In 1988, when I moved to Penland, North Carolina, I met Judson Guerard, the hot glass artist who creates these magnificent pieces. Judson, his wife Sally and I have remained good friends for more than two decades! After numerous visits to their home and studio in Bakersville, NC I thought it was time to feature Judson's art work.

How did you get introduced to hot glass?

Well, the simple cute answer was that I didn't have a focus and [hot glass] it appealed to me. I liked the process and the work that you can make. This particular way just appealed to me. I took a weekend class at Blake Street Glass in Denver and I found the process was likable.

At what point did you make that transition from student to artist?

When I made those goblets. That's when I first felt that I had some potential. And even though I never took any art classes, I did have a background in aesthetics from grad school.

How do you describe your design aesthetics?

There are times I wonder what the hell they are (joking)! The underlying thing for me is there's a luminescence glass can have that I find very appealing. Its always elusive to find the form that it works together with so for me its the quality of light. The way it gets diffused and becomes mysterious and ethereal. Luminesce keeps me fascinated and engaged.

Tell me about the "Chaos" series.

They have a sculptural element. It was a way for me to do several different processes through glass than just making a vessel.

Why Chaos?

Is the universe ordered or chaotic? On one extreme, God manages everything. That's one extreme of understanding the world and the other extreme is that all the universe is random and that these are just a happen chance of molecules that create the world. I'm somewhere in between. Life is intelligible but there's also a randomness to how things occur. And so the vessels tend to have a round symmetrical shape while the surface tends to be more random and weathered looking with different textures. Chaos is my way of visually presenting the orderliness and randomness that's in the world.

Your current works, titled "River Rocks" go in a different direction than the Chaos series. Can you talk about them?

They're more emotive than thought driven. A French philosopher named

Bachelard

who said something to the effect that the challenge was to make new metaphors out of old metaphors. In a sense that's what these [glass] river rocks are... taking something as simple and primal as a worn river rock and in a sense making it precious by creating the image out of glass, giving it the desire to touch it. I also keep coming back to luminosity, the quality of light. Translating the meditative quality of watching, in a way, and abstracting the rocks themselves to light in form as they are when they are in the river.

Tell me one specific aspect about hot glass that appeals to you?

Fluidity... things that are liquid are fairly hard and frustrating [to work with]. The fluidity of glass appeals to me. When you can trap that fluidity and catch it spontaneously you get a real representation that transcends the simplicity of the action you're describing.

Visit Judson Guerard hot glass on line at

Guerard Glass

. If you're traveling, these galleries carry Judson's work:

Pismo Glass Gallery

in Colorado, Twisted Laurel in Spruce Pine, NC and Bella Vista Gallery, Asheville, NC.

Judson designs a beautiful collection of ornaments. I've got mine on display year round!

The man behind the art, Judson Guerard at work. I gained a higher level of respect for the process after trying to blow glass during my visit. Anything but easy!

When I need to escape the "speed" of the city, this is where I go, Judson and Sally's home in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Feeding the llamas! Not something I get to do everyday in Atlanta! They also have a dog, cats and reportedly, a mountain lion that prowls around the area!

If you're ever in the Western North Carolina region, think about visiting Guerard Glass. Judson is always working in the studio so chances are you'll catch him in action, blowing glass.

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Bonjour Montmartre

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There are seven hills in Paris, the tallest being Montmartre. The town is known for its nightlife [Moulin Rouge] and for its rich artistic history. Picasso, Dali,  Modigliani, Monet & van Gogh all kept studios nearby. Montmarte is one of my favorite places in Paris. Its away enough from the city but still busy enough to keep me engaged.

What the Tim Hotel lacks in chic it more than makes up in charm. If the Ritz is your style, then don't stay here, but if you prefer to immerse yourself in the Parisian culture, the Tim Hotel is nestled in a beautiful old neighborhood and is a quick 60 second walk up the hill to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, souvenir shops, restaurants and night life.

This cafe is quiet right now but come 5pm and there is an available seat. It gets filled with a young, hip, pretty crowd, daily. The cafe is located directly across from the Tim Hotel.

Imagine buying your fruit and produce here. I wish you could smell the aroma of sweet freshness. A feast for the senses.

There's a square at the top of the hill that is filled with street artists eager to make your portrait or sell you a painting. [Some of them accept credit cards!]

At night, Montmartre takes on a whole new energy. Its spectacular, romantic and bustling with movement.

An all to fabulous fashion shoot... I was sitting across the way and glance over to see this. So French.

And finally, I ended my days in Paris with a

vin rouge

every night at this cafe. I never wanted to leave.

Au revoir

Montmartre.

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David K. Chatt

I met wonderful people and many talented artists while at the Penland School of Crafts this past June. Artist in Residence, David Chatt, was one of the most intriguing.

I was touring the Penland Resident Artist studios when some of my students came to tell me about this incredible glass artist. They were so enthusiastic about his work and wanted me to meet him.

Oh-em-gee! That was my first thought/feeling.

I was blown away upon entering David Chatt's studio because I had never seen anything this quite extraordinary.



David is an artist who covers the entire surface of objects with tiny glass beads which he sews on individually, one at a time. Brilliantly insane!

David talks about the early work: When I started with the beads, I, like many had a somewhat limited concept of what one can do with beads.  I started out by making jewelry, pursuing a degree in fashion design and working with local clothing designers. It wasn’t long though before I felt limited by the whole fashion thing and by the time I had finished my degree, I had already moved on in my head.  The first non-wearable pieces that I did were beaded vessels.

The most impactful body of work were the pieces featuring utilitarian objects transformed into works of art through the beading process.

David's latest body of work - cast glass vessels.

David has been stitching glass beads for more than two decades. His work has been featured in numerous publications and can be found in the permanent collections at the prestigious Corning Museum of Glass and the Museum of Arts and Design in NY - to name a few.

David shares insight about his artwork through his artist statement. This is a portion:

"As incongruous as it may seem, beads and thread are the tools that feel right in my hands.  The painstaking process of sewing thousands of tiny glass beads one to the next is one that cannot be hurried. There is something at the core of me that finds this laborious bringing together compelling beyond reason. These tiny glass beads provide a magnet for the eye and hand.  The thread that connects them offers a visual cue as to the time that has been invested in each piece.  The combination of these elements with a particular issue, idea or object allows my voice to be heard."

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Gardenias for Grandmother Tattoos

It was only fitting that my first tattoo be in honor of my beloved grandmother. Though she past away more than fifteen years ago, her spirit, love, energy and memory are with me everyday. I knew a tattoo of "our" favorite flower would be the perfect homage for someone I adored. After all, tattoos are for life, so they better be meaningful.

Enter, Malia Reynolds. Amazing and talented.

After graduating from college with a degree in graphic design, Malia made the (wise) choice not to compete in that crazy job market. Instead, she listened to her friends who urged her to become a tattoo artist.

This tattoo started it all for me...  A gardenia on my shoulder for my Grandmother. We consulted on the design and it's placement. And though it hurt like a bitch, Malia was gentle, tender and very pleasant. The devil's music (Metal - not Malia's choice) played in the background and kept me somewhat distracted. 

When consulting with a tattooer, it is important to remember they are artists, and even though  you are "commissioning" art on your body, its bests to allow the tattooer's style and vision to be present in the work. Malia and I have a great professional relationship that respects this idea. I'll come up with the subject matter for a design and Malia develops the concept through her artistic interpretation. After a final consultation, we're ready to start. This has always been a quick an easy process for me because I love Malia's work so much.

The sleeve we've been working on all summer. This was my third visit since June. Malia started on the color this time. My next visit, in two weeks, will continue with color, followed by more outlining, in later sessions. You can find Malia at Memorial Tattoo on Moreland Avenue. You'll love Memorial Tattoo as well. From the welcoming smile of Lee Yarbrough at the front desk to the friendly visits from owner and gifted artist, Phil Colvin, Memorial offers you an inviting environment.

Find them on Facebook: Memorial Tattoo

Find Malia on Facebook: Malia Reynolds Artist

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