COLOR CRUSH: PAINTINGS BY ANDREW FARIS

I am totally digging the graphic, chromatic paintings of Wyoming artist Andrew Faris. How cool is his decision to photograph them in contrast with the natural landscape? Major fan, all around.

Check out more of his work on his website here (and his instagram (swoon!) here). I particularly like these glass and spray paint works . . . .

(thanks to swissmiss for the tip!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (AND WEEKEND)!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Halloween! I meant to include the DIY project above—colorful Halloween candy garlands by The House That Lars Built—in the roundup on Wednesday but forgot. Making up for it here!

I have been accumulating lots of fun reading material for you and, on the off chance you are like me and planning to hibernate over the next several days, thought it would be fun to list it all below. Enjoy!

Vital info for insider (candy) trading.

I will not be wearing any of these (ridiculous!) costumes this year. (Pizza rat?!)

I may, however, be learning to draw a person. Adorable!

A Young Man's Follies. A touching glimpse into a stranger's life (and beautifully laid out, too!).

Made me smile: #notonappstore.

Galant, clever, polite ways to say no.

A fact every minute. Perfect to stock up on dinner party conversation starters.

Annie Leibovitz and 400 women. Inspiring.

Finally, for those in the New York area, some excellent shows closing after this weekend:

Robert Morris at Leo Castello Gallery*

Robert Indiana at Craig F. Starr Gallery*

Robert Overby at Andrew Kreps Gallery*

Pierre Huyghe at the Metropolitan Museum

The Xerox Show at Paula Cooper Gallery (my personal favorite!)

*apparently I like artists named Robert?!

BACK IN ACTION! PLUS AN UNCOMMON GOODS GIVEAWAY!

So I am somewhat ashamed to see that it has been weeks since I promised to get back into regular posting, all without much word from me. Whoops! My apologies. Turns out that there was a bit of a dip in energy after finishing the dissertation (shocking, I know) and that combined with re-adjusting to  working full time again (when do 9 to 5 people do errands again?) has meant that I am a little behind on my O. I. plans.

But, but, but! I am making up for it today with a super awesome post. Not even just a post, a giveaway! From none other than the super impressive company Uncommon Goods. Have you heard of Uncommon Goods? I just got on their trail last year when my Dad hooked me up with some awesome gifts at Christmas (Thanks, Dad!). Uncommon Goods is an online shop, headquartered in Brooklyn, that focuses on connecting shoppers with new, exciting craftsman who create decorative, practical and personality-filled products. Given my personal mantra—why buy boring when you can buy beautiful?—I thought a little giveaway from them would be right up our alley.

So one lucky reader will be getting a generous $125 gift certificate from Uncommon Goods to buy what they like—holiday gifts, thanksgiving decor or just a little treat or two for yourself.

Since there are about a million things to catch your eye in their shop, I thought I would narrow down some of my favorites for you to get your gears turning, specifically pointing you to top picks in my major categories of expertise: art and home goods. Read on to find out how you can use that dinero towards one of these (or many other) sweet items.

Not surprisingly, the shop already carries many artists and objects already featured on the blog in the past (or works that resemble them). Here are just a couple of highlights:

ONE | "All the Surfboards in CA" by James Gulliver Hancock (reminds me of Jason Polan!)

TWO | "A Grand Treasury of Shakespearean Insults" by Tim and Aurelia Saunders

THREE | "State by State Seasonal Food Guide" by Jessica Haas (chart art, my favorite!)

FOUR | "City Prints" by Carolyn Gavin (maps and vintage illustration, what's not to love?!)

Of course you can never have too many fun-cum-functional decor items in your home either. Here are some surefire conversation starters that would look great in any house (or gift box):

ONE | eye clock (perfect for a Halloween display!)

TWO | custom state pillows

THREE | suspension bridge shelf (what a cool idea)

FOUR | cork globe (great idea for a minimal study)

FIVE | giraffe family bookends (would be super cute in a baby's room)

SIX | handmade herringbone knitting basket (so pretty!)

SEVEN | caterpillar bud vase 

EIGHT | hand-embroidered central park pillow (a new take on a classic style, #wishlisted)


So by now you are probably itching to get in on the giveaway action, right? You can do so through any of the following manners (each method will get you one entry; multiple your chances of winning by entering in various ways!):

ONE | Like Uncommon Goods on Facebook

TWO | Like the obsessive imagist on Facebook

THREE | Sign up for the Uncommon Goods mailing list

FOUR | Follow the obsessive imagist on instagram

FIVE | Follow the obsessive imagist on twitter


Enter in one (or all!) of these ways and leave a note about your entry method in the comments section below. One winner will be granted a $125 gift certificate next Monday morning (October 26th). Good luck!



(top photo of little miss sunshine from here)

THE ARTIST SPEAKS

FOLLOW UP: TOMMY PEREZ'S INSTAGRAM

Whoa! Yesterday, after posting about the inspiring series A to Zöe created by adorable dad Tommy Perez, I fell down a Googling black hole and go lost in the magic and colorful wonder of Perez's instagram account. Seriously, this guy is incredible! Turns out Perez not only has major typography skills, but also is a master at logo design, paper cutting and illustration. If I had taken a different fork in the road and had decided to become a graphic designer instead of an art historian, I would want to become this guy's best friend, stat. As is, I kind of want to anyway!Check out Perez's instagram account and personal website here for a look into his beautiful, vivid work.

THE GREAT HALL EXHIBITIONS: FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES

This week something exciting happened. For the past nine months my colleague, Susanna Temkin, and I have been hard at work on the latest iteration of the Institute of Fine Art's Great Hall Exhibition series (this past fall we showcased the work of the fabulous Marta Chilindron). I am pleased to tell you that our work has come to fruition in a beautiful show—if I do say so myself—of the work of conceptual installation artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, which opened this past Monday. 

The exhibition takes place at the IFA's historic Duke Mansion is open to the public every day from 1-4pm until May 1. If you happen to be in Manhattan and like contemporary art—or even if you just want to see the inside of our fancy mansion—I highly recommend you stop by and see the show.

Learn more about the exhibition and the Great Hall Series here; read a press release here.

all installation photos above taken by yours truly

FLOATING FLOWER GARDEN BY TEAMLAB

Wow! Occasionally you stumble across an art installation that seems both astoundingly complicated and shockingly simple. The Floating Flower Garden, an immersive interactive piece created by Japanese art collective teamLab, is just one of those instances.

Remember the Rain Room? Well Floating Flower Garden draws on the same idea: thousands of flowers are suspended from the ceiling and when you walk into the space they move to dynamically accommodate you, basically allowing you to walk in a constantly fluctuating cocoon of flowers.

I am sure the result is something other-worldly, magical and delightful smelling! Too bad the installation is on view in Tokyo . . . . I think it would look spectacular in the Park Avenue Armory, don't you?

Learn more about the project here.


(Thanks to Colossal for the tip.)



p.s. Here's a similar (and also gorgeous!) DIY version, in case you have to try this yourself!

ENGINEER PRINT INSPIRATION

I got an email announcement from Photojojo recently (my favorite) announcing they are now offering limited edition engineer prints taken by professional artists. How gorgeous is this shot from Austin Rhee? (And only $35!) What are engineer prints you ask? Basically they are big, inexpensive prints created at copy centers with a streaky black and white effect. And they are all the rage right now!I started thinking about all the cool things people have done with engineer prints . . . 

 

You can get a custom print done at your local print shop or, of course, at Photojojo.

You can make a super cute faux newspaper print for a kid's room or birthday party.

You can blow up a vintage  illustration of a dinosaur and make your own frame for it.

You could make a serene landscape into a minimalist headboard.

You can use adorable photos of your children as larger than life decoration in your living room or nursery.

Tired of this lingering winter weather? How about a tropical wall mural?

Or, a personal favorite, how about some specialty wrapping paper?

The possibilities are endless! What would you do with an engineer print? 

DIANA BELTRAN HERRERA: BIRDS OF A (PAPER) FEATHER

How gorgeous are these sculptures by Colombian artist Diana Beltran Herrera?!! I have regularly been accused by my friends of being 'obsessive' (a descriptor I have eponymously embraced!) with a crazy dedication to all things paper. But Beltran Herrera takes this to a whole new level. She uses countless tiny, intricately cut pieces of paper to craft impressively lifelike and expressive sculptures of flora and fauna. She is a particular master of birds, pursuing a series of sculptures on British birds, hummingbirds, birds of paradise and more. And how cool are those 3D stamp scenes? I want to own one sooooo bad . . . . Check out more of her truly breathtaking work on her (beautiful!) website here.Thanks to Miss Moss for the tip. 
p.s. Beltran Herrera's work totally reminds me of this!

OSCARS 2015

So in the past, I have honored the Oscars by doing a round up my favorite red carpet looks (2009, 2012, for example). But this year—and don't kill me for this—I just wasn't blown away by many looks. Yes, of course, everyone looked very beautiful but none of the dresses really wowed me.

You know what did impress me? Neil Patrick Harris. I thought, like Ellen last year, he managed to hit just the right note between impish, friendly, and just downright adorable. I thought his opening number was clever and fun, not the least because it was written by one of my fellow Williams College alums! Hosting the Oscars is a thankless job, and I thought NPH pulled it off!

(Also, on a random note, who knew Lady Gaga could sing like that?! Even so, Julie Andrews is still the best (just hearing her say 'Lady Gaga' made me smile) and her award presentation was so spot on classy.)

Did anyone else notice a concerted effort to add a creative eye to the visuals of the award show this year? Many pre-recorded cutaways (the tribute portion, the reading of non-acting-related nominations) involved quite beautiful visualizations. A lot focused on watercolor layerings of portraits and drawings, but my hands down favorites were the screens dedicated to Production Design.* The table top view, styled with emblematic props from the films, was evocative and arresting all at the same time. Plus it reminded me of Todd McLellan's gorgeous work, which is always a good thing, don't you think? Kudos, Oscars Art Directors!

*Note that I had to photograph my television to get these images, so forgive me for a bit of parallax and pixelation.

PER YOUR SUGGESTION: SEW WANDERLUST

Talk about dedication! Designer Teresa Lim decided some time ago that she found taking snapshots too fleeting and superficial a way to experience the places she traveled to. Instead she began embroidering her favorite settings in situ on her travels. Lim says that by taking the time to make a small sewn piece in each place she goes she becomes endowed with an intimate knowledge of that place, and walks away with more than a facile photographic souvenir.I love the idea behind Lim's project, called Sew Wanderlust, so much! But am certain I wouldn't have the patience to do this any my own trips. Too many things to do, too many sweets to eat! Still,  we can all enjoy the fruits of her labor, right?See more of Lim's embroidered travel works here.
(Thanks to my dear friend Susie for the tip; originally posted on Bored Panda)