Beatrice Wood had an incredible gift, was an artist by heart, a potter at 40.
With a natural organic feel, an often pitted luster glaze, her pottery seems to emerge from ancient times.
Her whimsical figural work, Beatrice called her ‘sophisticated primitives’.
A dynamic charming artist with a bohemian lifestyle, captivating in her colorful saris, lived a long impressive life. She died at 105.
THE MODERN TWIST ON TIE-DYE
Tie-dye has grown up and resurfaced as one of today’s most inspired looks. Whether dip-dye, shibori, ombré, or the traditional circle pattern,
the new take on tie-dye is amazingly fresh, fashionable, and fun.
In Tie-Dye: Dye It, Wear It, Share It, acclaimed fashion designer and artist Shabd Simon-Alexander
shares her techniques for creating the innovative styles that make her own hand-dyed collection so popular.
Japanese shibori, plangi from Indonesia and ancient India bandhani are shape resist dyed textiles.
When manipulating cloth by gathering and binding before dying, it creates a texture throughout the cloth with a sculptural distinctive pattern and appeal.
You can find great diversity in the contorted forms of tie dyed cloth with much relevance to its history.
Different forms of tie-dye have been practiced in India, Japan, and Africa for centuries. The earliest surviving examples, include pre-Columbian alpaca,
found in Peru, and silk from fourth century Chinese tombs.
Carlo Bugatti, Italy’s most important and innovative designer famous for his distinctive art nouveau furniture at the end of the 1800s and early 1900s. Blending Moorish details with a Japanese influence, Bugatti used inlays of exotic wood, copper and parchment in his designs.
“I use my face like a blank canvas.” Cindy Sherman
For a unique view of the artist photographer Cindy Sherman, you only have to consider her provocative portraits.
As her own model, the artist manipulates her image into a multitude of compelling characters, often evoking another era and always challenging the stereotype.
“Her work is challenging, funny, witty, smart. It is incredibly original. I think she will have a great place in art history.”
John Waters, Film Director
Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist/architect, known for his brilliantly bold colored paintings and unusual
flowing rhythmic architecture was fascinated by spirals, he called straight lines ‘the devils tools’.
“The colourful, the abundant, the manifold, is always better than mediocre grey and uniformity.”
“The work of the artist is very difficult, because it cannot be done by force, diligence or intelligence.”
William Spratling was a modern, forward looking artist and designer of silver jewelry, influenced by Mexican culture and pre-Columbian design.
He is known as ‘the father of contemporary Mexican silver’ and the developer of Taxco as a silver jewelry mecca.
It was the 1930s and Taxco, a prosperous silver mining town in the 1700s, was now a reduced, destitute pueblo. Spratling had an idea and a plan.
With his adventurous spirit and creative designs, Spratling put Mexico silver jewelry on the international map.
His sought after jewelry stands strong in style, incorporating native materials such as amethyst and rosewood into his designs.
