accidental mysteries

Charles Burns: On the Darker Side of Strange

2012-12-29T06:31:00.000-06:00

(Above) “Black Hole cover: Girl with Tail,” 1997, ink on paper, 21 x 14.5 inches
Be sure and click on the images for larger view.

(Above) “Black Hole back cover: Looking Down Hole,” 2002, ink on paper; 18 x 13 inches

(Above) “Black Hole back cover: Worm Creature,” 1997, ink on paper, 18 x 13 inches
Be sure and click on the images for larger view.

(Above) “SPX Illustration 1,” 2002, ink on paper, 16.5 x 15.5 inches

(Above) “Monica Lewinsky,” 1999, ink on paper, 15.5 x 14.5 inches

I FIRST MET CHARLES BURNS in 1982 or 1983 when he lived in St. Louis with his wife, the painter Susan Moore. He won’t remember me, I just ended up one evening at a party at their flat in University City. I was there following an art opening of Susan’s, but it was that night that I discovered something else, something amazing, something odd and wonderful... something on the darker side of strange. It was the black and white drawings of little baby-like figures drawn by her husband— Charles Burns. I became a fan—right then and there.

I asked Charles about purchasing one, and I don’t remember now the price, but it was cheap and still more money than I had. By the time I had saved the money, they had moved. Arrrgh-h-h-h!

I just finished Charles’ latest book, Black Hole. I loved it.

A few years ago, the Adam Baumgold Gallery presented an exhibition of drawings by Charles Burns. This was Charles Burns’ first New York solo exhibition and included fifty seminal drawings executed in the last 25 years. The work showcased Burns’ masterful pen and ink drawings for his award-winning comic books and other publications. Featured in the exhibition were covers and drawings for the serialized version of Charles Burns’ epic graphic novel “Black Hole,” as well as the drawings for the covers and pages of “Skin Deep,” “Big Baby,” and “El Borbah,” and a rare RAW era “Dog Boy” strip. The exhibition also had drawings and covers for The New Yorker, Esquire and numerous other magazines that included drawings of cult figures William S. Burroughs and Robert Crumb. Also included was the cover of “Permagel,” the new large scale book of Burns’ art.

Charles Burns’ drawings first became known in the legendary comics magazine “Raw” in the 1980s. His comic stories “Big Baby” and “Dog Boy” were serialized in alternative weekly papers throughout the United States. His drawings also appeared on the covers and in the pages of Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Believer and many other publications, as well as on the album covers of Iggy Pop and others. His drawings were the subject of a solo exhibition “Charles Burns” at the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts Museum in 1999. His work was included in the exhibition “Disparities and Deformations: Our Grotesque” at the SITE Santa Fe Biennial in 2004 curated by Robert Storr. Burns contributed to the animated feature “Fear(s) of the Dark” which will be released in October by AFC. Charles Burns and his family lives and works in Philadelphia.

To see more of Charles Burns’ work just click here: Adam Baumgold Gallery. Some of the factual information above about the exhibition history of Burns came from the Adam Baumgold Gallery.

An AM repost from 1/30/09.

The Stardust Drawings of Melvin Edward Nelson

2012-01-22T07:04:00.000-06:00

(Above) Planetary Land, 1964; mineral pigment, watercolor on paper; 11 x 17 inches
(Above) Planetscape #2, n/d; mineral pigment, watercolor on paper; 18 x 24 inches
(Above) The Universe, 1964; mineral pigment, watercolor on paper; 11 x 17 inches
(Above) Atom Belt, 1964; watercolor on paper; 11 x 17 inches
(Above) Atomic-Magnetic #3, n/d; mineral pigment, watercolor on paper; 11 x 16.5 inches

I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF MELVIN EDWARD NELSON. That’s OK. One of the reasons I attend the Outsider Art Fair is to get hip to new discoveries and reacquaint myself with the work of those artists I haven’t seen for a while. There’s nothing like it—most of the top dealers in the world for self-taught art are gathered under one roof.

Melvin Edward Nelson, aka M.E.N. also stands for Mighty Eternal Nation, was born in 1908 in Michigan. Nelson was an inventor; he was fascinated with the universe, planetary bodies and atoms. He built a “Planetron” — a device which allowed him to track UFO’s. Significant to his life is the story that on one night a UFO landed in a clearing near his home. When it left, he was able to gather the dust from the landing site and began to use it in his paintings. Cavin-Morris Gallery shows his work. They are located at 210 11th Avenue, 2nd Floor, NY, NY 10001. Their telephone number is 212.226.3768.

The biographical information above came from a review in NY Art Beat.

An AM repost from 1/6/09.

Elle Italia: Evolution of the Species

2012-01-15T07:07:00.000-06:00

Click on any image for larger view.

Magazine: Elle Italia, November 2008
Editorial: Evoluzione della specie
Model: Kemp Muhl
Photographer: Ruven Afanador

WHEN I CAME ACROSS THESE FASHION SPREADS FROM ELLE ITALIA, I was immediately drawn more to the props and setting than the fashions. The stylist did a wonderful job of creating a cross between a late 19th century medical office and that of a an alchemist’s shop. In terms of photography, I am seeing a close relationship to these spreads and that of the photographer Joel-Peter Witkin, though not nearly as graphic and dark.

Ruven Afanador is considered one of the leading photographers working in celebrity and fashion photography.

His work appears in most major fashion magazines in the world as well as in The New Yorker. His commercial clients include Arista, Cacharel, Christian Dior, Elektra et al. In the fall of 2001, a decade after his work first began attracting widespread attention, he published his first book, Torero. Within a year Torero sold out and became a collector’s item within the fashion world. Sombra, a collection of male nudes inspired by still life tableaus, was published by Merrell in 2004.

An AM repost from 3/22/09.

You’re Not Getting Older, You’re Getting Better

2012-01-08T07:42:00.000-06:00

(Above) Comfit jar, France, c. 1880 (click for larger views)
(Above) Vivid green berry tray, early 20th. c., Michigan
(Above) Cork beehive, early 20th c., France
(Above) Cheese mold with striking blue paint, early 20th c., American
(Above) Trade Sign, mid-20th c., fragment; American

HOW WONDERFUL IT IS to witness the beauty of things with age, history, or with a long and storied past. What stories can they tell? In this day of Pottery Barn knock-offs, pre-washed jeans and “antiqued” antiques, revel for a moment in some images of objects where time has worked it’s magic. Nicks, chips, scars and cracks—all tell stories of weather, work and time.

An AM repost from 1/19/09.

Vintage European Soap Packaging

2012-01-01T00:15:00.000-06:00

I FOUND THIS WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF EUROPEAN VINTAGE SOAP LABELS VIA MY FRIENDS at Coudal Partners. You can see more of them here. Many of these are really wonderful and very applicable to current day design styles.

The “Other” Santa Photos

2011-12-25T07:59:00.000-06:00

A child (above) wearing a Santa mask in what appears to be summer, turning her into a suburban gnome.

Above, one of my all-time favorite department store Santa Claus photos.

In this snapshot from wartime Germany (above left) check out the picture on the wall. Their tradition was Kris Kringle, a supposedly Santa-type fellow who came in the night bearing gifts. Yikes!

And this department store Santa (above), with the full mask on, next to the Samsonite luggage. Eeek!

Have a happy holiday 2011!

John

An AM repost from 12/25/08

Defaced

2011-12-18T06:12:00.000-06:00

If you haven’t been to the Web site Square America, you are missing something. This site is, hands down, the most complete, most extensive Web site on vernacular photography on the web today. The collector, Nicholas Osborn, is a devoted collector. He has thousands of images— and I am telling you, there are great pics to view. He has divided the site into multiple categories. There are photos categories on Sleep, Love, Orphans, Costume, Dance, Photobooth, and on and on. Plus, he has a great book available for purchase “Who We Were: A Snapshot History of America”—just $35.00. Seriously, for a book like this—it is a great price. I own it, and it’s great.

An AM repost from 1/08/09

Vogue Picture Records: Vinyl Romance

2011-12-11T05:50:00.000-06:00

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 771. If I Could Be With You (Henry Creamer and Jimmy Johnson) b/w Jeannine (L. Wolfe Gilbert, Nathaniel Shilkret). Performed by Art Kassel and his orchestra.

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 758. You’re Gonna Hate Yourself in the Mornin’ (Sammy Gallop, Larry Stock, Ira Schuster) b/w Long, Strong and Consecutive (Mac David, Duke Ellington). Performed by Marion Mann accompanied by Bob Haggart and his orchestra.

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 721. When I Gets to Where I’m Goin’ (Jack Edwards, Duke Leonard, and Sam Braverman) b/w You’re Only in My Arms (to cry on my shoulder) (Ed G. Nelson, Milton Leeds and Steve Nelson. Performed by Patsy Montana.

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 731: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen) b/w You Took Advantage of Me (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers). Performed by Marion Mann accompanied by Bob Haggart and his orchestra.

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2) Vogue R 734. Sweetheart (Benny Davis, Arnold Johnson) b/w A Little Consideration (Sunny Skylar). Performed by Art Kassel and his Orchestra.

VOGUE PICTURE RECORDS ARE PHONOGRAPH RECORDS on the “Vogue” label which have a picture (an artist’s illustration) embedded in the transparent vinyl of the record. The illustrations on each side of the record are usually related to the title of the song on that side. Many of the illustrations are mushy romantic themes. The most common Vogue picture records are 10-inch, 78 RPM records, although a few 12-inch, 78 RPM Vogue picture records were also produced.

Vogue picture records were produced by Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, Michigan. The first 10-inch Vogue picture record (catalog number R707) was released to the public in May 1946. Production ceased less than a year later in April 1947, with Sav-Way entering into receivership in August 1947. During this time, approximately seventy-four different 10-inch Vogue picture records were released.

Vogue picture records were of a very high quality, with little surface noise. The records were produced using a complicated process whereby a central core aluminum disc was sandwiched between the paper illustrations and vinyl. Perfecting this process took quite a while; Tom Saffady and his engineers spent several months working out the bugs that often resulted in torn or dislodged paper illustrations.

When Sav-Way entered into receivership all remaining stock was liquidated through distributors. This is the source of all those “Factory Reject” and “Vogue Second” records that are seen. It is reported that many of the left-over records were melted down to recycle the aluminum used in the core of the record.

Copy source above © AVPRC (The Association of Vogue Picture Record Collectors)

Images © Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library; University of California, Santa Barbara; Visit here.

An AM repost from 6-1-09

The Beautiful Obsession of Snowflake Bentley

2011-12-04T06:26:00.000-06:00

Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley (1865-1931)

Snow was a blessing for Bentley, who devoted his life to showing the beauty and individuality of snowflakes.

ANYONE WHO DEVOTES THEIR LIFE in the pursuit of a dream is my kind of person. The biologist who spent his entire life identifying rare species of frogs; the dedicated artist who pursues their work in spite of economic or other stresses; or the adventurer who has studied ship manifests and ancient maps in a search for a lost shipwreck. Even if ending in failure, courageous souls like these give the rest of us cause to reevaluate our own lives and to ask perhaps, at the end, did I do a single thing in my life worth being remembered for? Did I make a difference? Did I add to the beauty or enlightenment of the world—did I give something back?

To that end, today I want to bring to your attention the life-long work of Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931), who lived in the small country town of Jericho, Vermont. His life-long pursuit of photographing snowflakes earned him the affectionate nickname “Snowflake” Bentley. It was his passion and dedication to prove that “no two snowflakes are alike.” He did indeed leave something behind—something wonderful.

At first, Bentley tried drawing snowflakes, but when that didn’t work he turned to photography. Through much trial and error, he finally succeeded by adapting a microscope to a bellows camera, eventually becoming the first person to photograph a single snow crystal in 1885.

He would go on to capture more than 5000 snowflakes during his lifetime, not finding any two alike. His snow crystal photo-micrographs were acquired by colleges and universities throughout the world and he published many articles for magazines and journals including, Scientific American and National Geographic.

Today, original photographs by Bentley are worth several thousand dollars, if you can find one.

In 1931 his book “Snow Crystals,” containing more than 2400 snow crystal images, was published by McGraw-Hill but has long been out of print. A soft cover copy, identical in all respects, can be obtained today from Dover Publications, Inc. On December 23, 1931, Bentley died at the family farmhouse in Jericho.

An AM repost from 2/24/09

When a Dollar Really Meant Something

2011-11-27T06:43:00.000-06:00

VINTAGE RESTAURANT or coffee shop signs are great examples of pop culture, and an excellent insight into the economic times of the day. Lay down a buck, get a meal and get change back. How cool.

Here’s a few to enjoy.

An Am repost from 1/27/08

The Laurence Hutton Collection of Life & Death Masks

2011-11-20T05:17:00.002-06:00

(Above) Life mask of William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and death mask of Samuel Hayes Pennington (1806-1900).

(Above) Death mask of Henry Warner Slocum (1827-1894); and death mask of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745).

(Above) Death mask on decorated shield of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) and life mask of Robert E. Lee (1807-1870).

(Above) Life mask of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and life mask of John James Audubon (1785-1851).

(Above) Life mask of John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) and life mask of Abraham Lincoln (1808-1865).

I came across these life and death masks on the Laurence Hutton Collection of Life and Death Masks at Princeton University’s on-line rare books collection. Looking at one of these is as close to the real thing as you can get. I only wish Lincoln had eyes.

It’s a cool thing to think of someone agreeing to have their face wrapped in plaster of Paris gauze, then sit for it to dry, etc. It’s a very tedious thing to do. The dead ones are always easy. They don’t blink and never complain.

An AM Repost from 1/18/09.

Japanese Condom Packages

2011-11-13T06:13:00.000-06:00

Oooo-kay. We’re looking at 15 actual condom packages that I have assembled for you. It took me a couple of minutes of head scratching, but I’m leaning towards “why not?” So what’s wrong with a love glove named “Monkey” or even “Kit Sack,” in fruit candy colors? Whatever. While the design may look like kid’s packaging to western eyes, there is no doubt the Japanese just see the world differently. Go Speed Racer, GO!

An AM repost from 12/4/08.

A Scrapbook With a Focus

2011-11-06T06:22:00.000-06:00

GAL, GAMS, AND GARTERS is a large scrapbook patched together by an anonymous aficionado of the ankle, thigh and leg, an enormous scrapbook found in a dumpster by a Virginia student in the late 1960’s. Now owned by my friend Jim Linderman, this scrapbook is also the subject of a new blog by the same name. Most of the work inside was done in the late 1950s. Like most scrapbooks from the period, this one can be looked at as more than the contents of it’s pages but as a total object d’art in itself. The pieced together sections, the yellowing of the tape, the placements—all create new visual imagery to be recontextualized today. I find the haphazardly pasted images—crudely taped and cut—to be a fun exploration into a personal, highly focused (albeit naive) design project. For my taste, I like the full pages better than the individual images. There, we can see the personal choices the original owner made as he went about his fetish-like project—as in images 2 and 3 from the top.

All of these vintage, mildly erotic images will eventually be available online in this new blog by Linderman, who says: “our anonymous artist was a serious aficionado of the leg, ankle and above, but there is no nudity, no sex and nary a nipple. However, the man with the scissors and tape, like the magazine editors who provided him with product, managed to skirt good taste with plenty of inspired photos. His motivation? Who knows? For that matter, who is to judge? I intend to scan through the pages once a week or so.”

Jim says his new blog, GALS GAMS GARTERS is for those interested in “vintage erotica, fashion, vintage clothing and retro culture.” I say it’s also for designers, who may find a certain playfulness, fresh and direct-response style at work here.

If you would like to learn more about period American scrapbooks of various and mixed subject matter, check out Jessica Helfand’s new book, Scrapbooks: An American History, now available on Amazon. There is a short video about scrapbooks as personal narrative by Jessica at this link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mCM6ZVEA0LGE1

© Gals, Gams and Garters collection of Jim Linderman

An AM repost from 2/17/09

The Snake Handlers of Harlan, KY

2011-10-30T03:06:00.000-05:00

THIS IS an International News Photo from October 23, 1947 of snake handler W.H.Edmonds holding aloft a poisonous timber rattlesnake during a worship service in Harlan, KY. Though outlawed, the practice continues today in some remote regions of the United States.

Photo collection of John and Teenuh Foster

An AM repost from 11/28/08

My BFF Dick!

2011-10-23T01:04:00.000-05:00

Apparently, we baby boomers still managed to read despite the criticism heaped upon the Dick and Jane readers back in the 1950s and 60s and later. I knew their world was perfect because it sure wasn’t anything close to my family when I started first grade in 1958. In Dick and Jane’s world, daddy always had a job, mom had no need to work, the Russians weren’t aiming their nukes at them and their houses were not being foreclosed on. The myths of the American way of life were continued when we went home at night to TV shows like Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best. At the time, I liked Dick and Jane and all the kids in their two-dimensional fantasy world. And to be truthful, I wanted to live in their world. The Dick and Jane books were one happy little neighborhood on Prozac and I wanted in.

One early critic to the series was Rudolf Flesch, a reading expert during the 50s and 60s. Flesch was the author of numerous books on literacy, but he is probably best known for his book: Why Johnny Can’t Read. It was there that he skewered the Dick and Jane series as “horrible, stupid, emasculated, pointless, tasteless little readers.”

The illustrator of the books was a woman named Eleanor Campbell (1898 - 1986). She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Today, original illustrations by her are rare, as most of the original art was thrown into the trash by Ms. Campbell herself. Oops.

Still, count me in amongst the legions of nostalgic fans of Dick and Jane. We don’t really care that we were being sold a dream back in grade school. We boomers have come to terms with the fact that Jane is on her third marriage, Dick is an alcoholic and did some time for tax evasion, and that Spot was run over long ago by the milk truck.

An AM repost from 12/9/08.

Plowshare of a Post-war Germany

2011-10-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

THERE IS SOMETHING MAGNIFICENT and poetic about this humble object. Only great words can describe it and there, I fall short with things of such raw beauty. I purchased this from my friend Joshua Lowenfels, who found it at a flea market in NYC. He purchased it from an old German fellow who was parting with a few things from his life. The handle is only about two feet long, so it appears to have been used as a sort of ladle for scooping and pouring wet concrete. I got weak-kneed when I saw it. If this isn’t the most perfect statement on the whole failed Nazi experiment, and of war in general, I don’t know of one. You can see more great things at in Josh’s online shop at: http://www.joshualowenfels.com

Peace.

George Widener: Calculations and Numbers in Art

2011-10-10T06:52:00.000-05:00

(Above) Megalapolis 21 - 2005, ink on paper, 26 x 40 inches
(Above) Census Ship - 2004, ink on paper, 26 x 24 inches
(Above) Month of Sundays -- 2004, ink on paper, 10 x 7.5 inches
(Above) Sunday’s Crash - 2005, ink on paper, 36 x 52 inches
(Above) Megalapolis 2077 - 2005, ink on paper, 26 x 38 inches

WHEN I FIRST MET GEORGE WIDENER at the Outsider Art Fair some years ago, it was by happen chance. I was immediately drawn to the magnificent drawings on the walls of the Henry Boxer Gallery, drawings unlike I had seen in some time… maybe ever. Complex, complicated and filled with numbers, lists, tables and calculations of all kinds, I knew that I was looking at something fresh and different. On one wall, facing one of the main corridors, was an incredible cut-away style drawing of the HMS Titanic, the White Star Line’s greatest ship and greatest tragedy. The ship, which was drawn in profile with it’s skin peeled away, showed all the many levels of the ship and revealed the inventory of it’s contents: 2411 lbs. of flour; 12.5 lbs. of black pepper; 161 lbs. of salt; 903 lbs. of cured beef; 2023 lbs. of swordfish; and on and on. [ For reference in this example, I used bogus numbers—but George could correct me with the actual numbers at first glance. ]

Standing nearby was Henry Boxer who said “It’s quite remarkable, isn’t it?” Still wide-eyed, I agreed. He went on to tell me that the artist was sitting nearby, that his name was George Widener and that George actually knew and had memorized ALL the facts, figures, and details of the Titanic contents after having read the information only ONCE at one time in his life. This was quite jaw-dropping, seeing as I cannot remember 5 grocery store items if not written down, and even then, I have a good chance of misplacing the list before I get to the store. I eventually learned that George was a high-functioning savant, diagnosed with Asperger’s. George could tell me the zip code of any city in the United States and he knew the day of the week that I was born when I gave him my birth month, day and year. And, he knew what the weather was like across the country for that single day in 1951!

I was convinced I was looking at something phenomenal without even having met George, who was a delightful man to talk to. I actually bought a piece, right then and there, the first year his work was shown to the Outsider Art Fair public. Widener’s work stands, in my opinion, as a singular creative style on the merit’s of it’s content and vision. There is nothing else like it. And THAT is what makes a great artist.

Contact The Henry Boxer Gallery to see more of George’s work.

Early Infographics: The Path of a Jaywalker

2011-10-02T01:06:00.001-05:00

I purchased this several years ago from photo dealer James Lampkin, who occasionally sells photographs on eBay. His store is called VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS, and he looks far and wide for great pictures. James has a deep understanding of the history of photography and puts each photo he lists into its historical context. This press photo, by photographer Ray Platnick, was taken in New York in 1946 for Picture Magazine. What I like about this photo is the added, painted-on arrows, showing “the path” a jaywalking woman took in her crazy path across the street. With the retouchers addition of the arrows, the photograph enters a more conceptual place—without the arrows we are looking at another busy street.

An AM repost from 11/27/08.

Stamps, Part Deux: Arranging the Page

2011-09-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

Click any image for larger view.

Click any image for larger view.

STAMP COLLECTIONS ARE SOMETHING AKIN to scrapbooks. How you arrange the stamps on a blank page can be an entirely personal design exercise. Some of the most beautiful arranged collections I have ever seen are arrowheads. Since they are pointed, displays usually end up with some unique, creative arranged designs. With the exception of the top image, these pages showcase unusual cancellation marks of stamps, which I think is a highly artistic collecting focus.

These stamps were part of the 2009 Heritage Auction Galleries Inaugural Signature Stamp Auction. Heritage Auction Galleries is the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. The auction is online, through Live Auctioneers.

An AM repost from 2/7/09.

The Bonus Side of Cabinet Cards

2011-09-18T06:08:00.000-05:00

All of us have seen cabinet cards, those 19th century portraits on heavy card stock you find for a buck in almost every antique shop in America. Did you ever consider the backs of these cards? Almost all have beautiful and graphic typographic or pictorial examples that advertised the photo studio or photographer. While many cabinet cards portraits (the fronts) can be relatively bland, you might want to flip the card over. Like a second chance lottery ticket—you just might have a second chance at something wonderful. These images are from Luminous Lint, the most comprehensive Web site on photography in the world. Luminous Lint is a labor of love by Alan Griffiths. (alan@luminous-lint.com)

These cabinet card backs are from the private collection of Anthony Davis, and were part of an online exhibition on Luminous Lint.
Antiq-photo Rainbow Creations
(www.19cphoto.com)

An AM repost from 2/11/09

Richard Serra at The Nasher Sculpture Center

2011-09-07T00:05:00.008-05:00

Photos by John Foster.

My Curves Are Not Mad, 1987 Cor-Ten Steel, Overall: 168 x 539 3/8 x 139 in. (426.7 x 1370 x 353.1 cm.) Each plate: 168 x 539 3/8 x 2 in. (426.7 x 1370 x 5.1 cm.) Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas

RECENTLY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to visit The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas. Besides being able to view the installation of a major exhibition of monumental works by British artist Tony Cragg—the building itself was a stunning piece of architecture by Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano.

Though The Nasher Sculpture Center provided plenty of art to discuss, I want to write about the incredible work I viewed by Richard Serra (born 1939), entitled “My Curves Are Not Mad.” Imagine the fabrication process of bending and twisting two, 44 feet long, 14 feet high pieces of Cor-Ten steel, metal that weighs over 50 thousand pounds. But this is just the mechanics, the behind-the-scenes part. What I really want to address is the art of Richard Serra.

Choose a vantage point. Pick a time of day. Open your mind and your eyes to the subtle shifts of color and light, in a massive, immovable object that is in no way static. Shape and form become organic, steel becomes inviting and warm, and rust and light speaks to change. My photographs were taken about 1:00 in the afternoon, and the sun was nearly directly overhead. Still, under the Texas sun, these “gently” twisted and flexed sheets of steel fit beautifully into the formal outdoor sculpture garden of the Nasher Sculpture Center.

The Nasher is a lovely place, inside and out. And on this beautiful day—Richard Serra—a man of steel, warmed my heart.

Note: St. Louis is home to two Richard Serra pieces, one of which, entitled “Joe,” is housed at the magnificent Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and the second, which is in a public space at Market Street and 11th, entitled “Twain”.

Who is Serge D.?

2011-09-04T06:14:00.000-05:00

(Above) DOUBLE PORTRAIT: Francis Bacon and His Art
Serge D.
Oil on Canvas
1975
24” x 16”

(Above) DOUBLE PORTRAIT: Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn
Serge D.
Oil on Canvas
1973
24” x 16”

(Above) DOUBLE PORTRAIT: Art Critics
Serge D.
Oil on Canvas
1975
24” x 16”

(Above) DOUBLE PORTRAIT: Angie Dickenson and Sammy Davis Jr.
Serge D.
Oil on Canvas
1970
24” x 16”

ANDREW FLAMM & MICHELLE HAUSER find incredible things and make them available to collectors like me. Their shop, Odd Fellows Art & Antiques, is located in Augusta, Maine, but you can find them at most of the higher-end antique shows. As dealers, they represent a new vision in collectible antiques and objects—they, and a few others, who have been redefining the “antiques” industry. If anyone is going to bring the younger generation into this collecting field, it will be collector/dealers like Andrew and Michelle.

I saw these paintings several years ago at Andrew and Michelle’s display at the Intuit show in Chicago. I loved them, and I was surprised when Andrew told me the paintings are basically anonymous, except for the signature “Serge D.” I have to tell you, I think they are great. These paintings have a Chicago Imagists kind of look, sort of a cross between really quirky thrift store art and a highly stylistic point of view. Andrew says the paintings surfaced in Connecticut some years back, and nothing—absolutely NOTHING—is known about the artist. For what it’s worth, and it is a considerable compliment to Serge D., Michelle told me that the Chicago artist Karl Wirsum saw the paintings and liked them very much. Andrew says they have about 12 or 15 paintings by this artist.

So, who was Serge D.? Was he a talented art school painter who gave up too early because no one bought his work? Or, was he a self-taught artist with great talent who has disappeared from our sights? Talk to me, Serge.

An AM repost from 2/2/09

Please Turn Off Headlights Upon Entering the Drive-In

2011-08-28T06:26:00.001-05:00

Early 1950s

Ads top and bottom from 1943 and 1944.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP in Winston-Salem, NC, the “Drive-In” was thought of as a bit sleazy. Parents didn’t take their kids there, at least not in my town. Plus, it was the place where the “adult” movies were shown, and obviously was where the teenagers went to neck. Add to that— the theatre I knew was in a “not-so-safe” part of town.

Another thing, the ads for drive-in’s were tiny, something a little larger than 2 ” square and of course, in one color. While the big, mainstream movies filled half pages of the week-end paper, the drive-in advertisements were seriously hard to find—sometimes found on the page following the regular movie ads!

When I spotted these ads for a drive-in in Wisconsin, it made me think what living hell it would have been to actually layout and design these things. But, everything comes back around, I guess. It has taken 60 years for these designs to be considered kind of “Art Chantry” hip.

An AM repost from 2/8/09.

The Great Depression in Color

2011-08-21T06:39:00.000-05:00

Most photos here are from 1939 - 1940. Click for larger view.

WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING PHOTOGRAPHS from the Great Depression in black and white that color images are almost unimaginable. From the 1950s back, our history is largely rooted in a monochromatic world, muted variables of black and gray—at least according to our history textbooks and newspapers. Look at the Depression era photos of Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein, John Vachon, Walker Evans, Gordon Parks and others—and what we are used to seeing is black and white. Even John Steinbeck’s Depression era novel “Grapes of Wrath” describe the land and situations as bleak. I guess what I am saying is, it’s hard to imagine the Dust Bowl and abject poverty in color. Until now, and the following images of Russell Lee. There is something about color images from that particular time period which brings their misery and plight a little closer to home.

Russell Lee (1903, Ottawa, Illinois - 1986, Austin, Texas) was an American photographer and photojournalist. His work was in both black and white and in color.

Some background on the FSA: Some years after the collapse of the stock market and America’s economic system in 1929, not unlike what we are going through today, The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was founded as a way to help struggling farmers rebuild. One of the offshoots of that was the photography program, which was started to document and record the poor plight of the farmer and, as they said, “to introduce America to Americans.”

Russell Lee had trained as a chemical engineer, and in the fall of 1936 became a member of the team of photographers assembled under Mr. Roy Stryker for this federally sponsored FSA documentation project. Lee is responsible for some of the iconic images produced during that period, including photographic studies of San Augustine, Texas in 1939, and Pie Town, New Mexico in 1940.

After the FSA was defunded in 1943, and after his own service in World War II, Lee continued to work under Stryker, producing public relations photographs for Standard Oil of New Jersey. Some 80,000 of those photographs have been donated by Exxon Corporation to the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Lee moved to Austin,Texas in 1947 and became the first instructor of photography at the University of Texas in 1965. He died in 1986.

An AM repost from 3/2/09.

A Beautiful Life

2011-08-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

Two and a half years ago, artist Lee Godie (1908 - 2008) was the subject of a marvelous retrospective at Chicago’s Intuit Gallery, with the exhibition of her work closing January 3, 2009. The show was titled: Finding Beauty: The Art of Lee Godie (1908 -2008) and was curated by Jessica Moss and David Syrek. Godie called herself a “French Impressionist” and often could be found on the steps of The Chicago Art Institute or outside Neiman Marcus, where the homeless woman was once heard to say: “Would you like to buy some canvases? I’m much better than Cezanne.”

Her photographs, made in a photobooth at the Chicago Trailways Bus Station, were great examples of self-reinvention. Long before Cindy Sherman’s famous and groundbreaking photography, Ms. Godie was using the bus station photobooth to take and create her rare “transformative self-portraits.” There, she was incredibly inventive. She often used artist’s paint to darken or lighten her face; she would dress in costume, change her hair or complete persona. Afterwards, she would paint or draw on the actual photograph to transform it further, perhaps tinting her hair or giving herself ruby red lips.

The photobooth machine at the bus station (where she often slept) would give a sitter the option of receiving a single image of yourself (approx. 4” x 5” photo) or broken into four different smaller ones you had to cut apart to separate.

As an example, look at the one above, titled “Lee in a Camera.” Here, Ms. Godie thought ahead and had to remove herself from the photobooth twice in order to set up this shot. By doing this she was manipulating the photo even further—leaving calculated blank space from which to react later. In this picture, she chose to write on those rectangles. It was smart, inventive and showed that she had a keen knowledge of space.

Lee would have been 102 years old this year. Yes, she was homeless, but lived her life for her art. Given the difficulties of her life, just surviving was an amazing achievement. To make art that people still covet, exhibit and talk about, well, that is even more incredible.

An AM repost from 12/08/08.

French Criminals, c. 1930

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

THESE HIGHLY RETOUCHED FRENCH CRIMINALS from the late 1920s to 1930s, are available at Charles Schwartz, LTD., through the online gallery iPhoto Central. Printed in Le Petit Parisien, these montages are from a series of images of French criminals that were reproduced in the tabloid newspaper, where photos of wanted and condemned criminals appeared each day. Name of subject and printing date inscribed in pen verso. Société du Petit Parisien date stamp verso. Prints were hand painted in order to heighten contrast, so that they could be better reproduced in a newspaper. This retouching is attributed to two Italians. From the collection “Juges et Assasins.”

An AM repost from 1-31-09.

The Extraordinary COLORS of Stamps

2011-07-31T06:43:00.001-05:00

(Above) 1898 jet black $1 stamp. THIS stamp is one of the most beautiful stamps I have ever seen.

(Above) 1869 carmine and black 90¢ stamp. Add to an already beautiful stamp the cancellation mark, and if the gods of chance are working that day—you have something special.

(Above) 1940 ultramarine 5¢ stamp.

(Above) 1914 deep claret 50¢ stamp. These color names... they aren’t mine. These are stamp collector terms for describing color. Deep claret... love it. I may try to use that term today. Oh, what about the design of this one. Wow!

(Above) 1929 orange yellow 10¢ stamp.

(Above) 1919 apple green 13¢ stamp.

(Above) 1890 carmine red 2¢ stamp. Washington behind bars.

(Above) 1887 vermillion 3¢ stamp

(Above) 1873 yellow 2¢ stamp

(Above) 1923 brown violet 12¢ stamp

(Above) 1903 light blue 24¢ stamp. LOVE this!

I THINK ANY DESIGNER WILL APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY of these early U.S. postage stamps. While design is what many many in our field talk about when it comes to stamps, the unique colors are something else to consider. There is a rich beauty to these color palettes that I haven’t seen in a while. Of course, looking at stamps magnified to this scale creates entirely new ways of seeing. After all, stamps are tiny—the size of your thumbprint. I picked these out from hundreds being auctioned—just for the color. Enjoy the scale. Enjoy the color. Enjoy this day.

These stamps were part of the 2009 Heritage Auction Galleries Inaugural Signature Stamp Auction. Heritage Auction Galleries is the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer.

An AM repost from 2/06/09.

Antique Classroom Posters

2011-07-24T07:12:00.000-05:00

THESE COOL GRAPHICS ARE EARLY 20th CENTURY educational plates from Belgium, (actually stone lithographs) originally attached to two dowel rods as pull-down classroom posters. They're huge—about 4’ x 6’ and these (or others) can be found at Voila! Art for the Modern Eye at 518 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90003. Phone: 323-954-0418; E-mail: info@voilagallery.com

An AM repost from 1/1/09

Mark Ryden is a God

2011-07-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

The Birth

Stump Baby and Nurse Sue

Goodbye Bear and Grey Animal

Rosie’s Tea Party

The Ringmaster

So here I am, sitting here listening to the great Tom Waits sing “Chocolate Jesus” and I start thinking about the painter Mark Ryden. Ryden lives in California (natch!) and his imagery emerges and takes shape from his love of fables, deities, gods, fairy tales, innocence gone bad, truth and falsehoods, 1950s Dick and Jane, dead presidents, bees, dolls, candy, monkeys, big-eyed kids from hell, big-eyed kids from heaven, Tiki culture, Shoney’s Big Boy, puppies, prehistoric stuff, devils, angels, wood nymphs, blood, meat (a whole story in itself) dreams, nightmares, numerology, pop culture, rock stars, religions and other alternate realities. See why Ryden is a god: http://www.markryden.com; http://kohngallery.com

Ryden’s work is represented by Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles and Porterhouse Fine Art Editions in Denver. All work is © Mark Ryden.

An AM repost from 12/04/08

David Butler: Self-Taught Master

2011-07-10T07:15:00.000-05:00

(Above) Seven Headed Dragon with Green Spots - 36” x 26”
(Above) Mermaid - 10” x 23.75”
(Above) Flying Elephant Whirligig - 18.75” x 32”
(Above) Fanciful Animal - 32” x 27”
(Above) Man, Fish, Rooster - 20” x 15.5”

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, there has never been a full-scale museum retrospective of self-taught artist David Butler (1898-1997). Perhaps someone will correct me if I am wrong. His work is great. An entire room of Butler’s work would bring much needed scholarship and understanding to this man’s artistic life. Butler’s understanding of form, his keen knowledge of spatial relationships, color, and sheer visual inventiveness is comparable to Matisse and his cut-outs. His repertoire of whimsical imagery, such as dragons, mermaids, people and animals of all kinds, not to mention the fact that much of his work was kinetic (dependent 0m wind), or designed to play with light (as with his window coverings)—only added to his original, inventive nature as an artist.

Mr. Butler lived in St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana and was an environmental art builder. He would often work sitting on the ground with the tin between his legs, cutting the shapes with a modified ax head and hammer. His modest home and yard was covered in decorative tin cutouts, done as a way to bring beauty to his yard when the flowers died in the winter time.

Butler's work can be found at Gilley’s Gallery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana— 225.922.9225. Some of the the biographical facts above is from Gilley’s web site.

An AM repost from 1-3-09.

Demonic Tots in Advertising

2011-07-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

(Above) Official caption: Bread's better ’cause it’s fresher in cellophane (1954)

My caption: “…and after we eat this Darlene, we’ll go kill your father!”

(Above) Pillsbury Cake Mixes, 1954

My caption: “…we eat this, in remembrance of the father, the son, and the Pillsbury dough boy.”

(Above) Baked Ham; National Restaurant Association Magazine, 1957

My caption: “Remember Pippi, we only look at the food. We NE-VER touch it.”

(Above) Post-Toasties, 1958

My caption: “Watch his little expression change when he finds out there’s NO prize at the bottom of the box.”

(Above) Stokely Van Kamp, 1953

My caption: [announcer VO ] “Hey Kids! When Chucky’s not killing grown-ups, he eats Van Kamp’s TENDERONI!”

I came across some very ODD 1950s ads on a website called Plan 59. Plan 59 is a group with a web site out of Fairfax, VA that sells hi-res images from the 1940s and 50s for varied, re-purposed advertising, editorial or personal uses today. So, here are a few key selections for you to enjoy.

Reposted from December 28, 2008.

Karen Caldicott: An Illustrator in Plasticine Clay

2011-06-26T06:55:00.001-05:00

(click on any set of images for a larger view)

BACK IN THE DAY WHEN CORPORATIONS went all out to impress their shareholders with full-color, perfect bound annual report extravaganzas, I remember the big dollars that were spent sending a photographer out to shoot the CEO and Board of Directors. Individual portraits, group pictures. We’d spend all day getting everything just right so everything was perfect. Oh, and when the CEO came in—you’d better have your shit together because Mr. G.T. Gotrocks (that’s what my dad called any rich guy) was only going to give you 5 minutes. How cool would it have been to have had artist Karen Caldicott create their likenesses out of plasticine clay! It would have been waay cool—for the right client. Those were the days, huh? Now, Darlene in accounting is doing the AR because she has Pagemaker on her computer.

Today, I am sure the Board of Directors of GM and CitiMortgage will be lining up at the local 50¢ photo booth... which actually... might in itself be kind of fun! Now there’s an idea.....

FROM HER WEB SITE: “Although capable of working in a multitude of styles, Karen Caldicott has found a niche rendering celebrities in plasticine. The unique portraiture won her a year-long commission from New York magazine creating weekly likenesses of the rich and famous for its listings pages. Born in England, the 47-year-old moved to the US in 1987 and lives in New York state. Fancy a plasticine bust of yourself? Caldicott also accepts private commissions.”

Tel: 1.518.329.9011

EMAIL: karen@karencaldicott.com

An AM repost from 2/22/09

Todd Webb: Capturing the Ephemeral

2011-06-19T06:09:00.000-05:00

(Above) Silver print, 1946
(Above) Silver print, 1946
(Above) Silver print, 1945
(Above) silver print, 1963
(Above) Silver print, 1945

TODD WEBB (1905-2000) WAS A FRIEND OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER HARRY CALLAHAN, and together they studied with Ansel Adams. Later Webb was befriended by Alfred Stieglitz, who introduced him to Georgia O’Keeffe. Webb photographed extensively in New York City in the mid-1940s. He worked for Roy Stryker after WWII, and received a Guggenheim in 1955 and 1956, where he walked across America with his camera. From 1955 to 1981, he made numerous photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe and her Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch houses, including the rugged Northern New Mexico landscapes that surround them.

Webb, who came to be a photographer late in life (he did not start taking pictures until 1939) was a great photographer, though not as well known (or appreciated) as his counterparts. One of my favorite Todd Webb series were these images of grafitti and torn billboards. Additionally, he did an amazing series of photographs of storefronts converted into churches. More on Todd Webb at a later date.

His wife just passed away in January of 2008. She was 101.

Webb’s work is available through Carl Mautz Gallery and at the web site which handles his estate: Evans Gallery.

An AM repost from 1/27/09.

Rooftop of Leather Trades Building, St. Louis

2011-06-12T01:11:00.000-05:00

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I found myself on the roof of the old Leather Trades Building, at 16th and Locust Streets in downtown St. Louis, doing a walk-through for a development company that bought it with the intentions of turning it into Lofts. The design firm I was with was to design a new graphic identity for the place. The inside was a wreck, but finally we got to tour the roof. When I got there, a new world opened up to me. The client thought I was taking pictures for the project (which I was), but in my head I was seeing something much more personal and beautiful—images that had nothing to do with the assignment.

An AM repost from 11/27/08.

Ex-Votos: Fervent Prayers From the Heart

2011-06-05T07:31:00.000-05:00

(Above) Ex-voto: 1852, Size: 7” x 10”
This is definitely a very old piece. The spelling and writing is old style but apparently traced over during restoration.

Translation:
“In the year of 1852 it happened to Niconor Ruiz that having burned the powder in the Palmillas Mine, he was enveloped in the flames. He sent up a prayer to the Señor de las Agonîas who favored his plea and he offers this (retablo), for perpetual memory of the faithful.”
(Above) Ex-voto: 1857, Size: 10” x 14”
Most of the writing survives on this very old ex-voto. It is painted on a very large, thick piece of tin. The kneeling figure is wearing the chinaco style pants of the period. The artist had beautiful penmanship.

Translation:
“It happened on 8 December 1857 that a band of thieves, with the intention of killing him so he found out later, entered in the village. Even after robbing and injuring him the bandits did not recognize him. Being so close to God at that moment, he was persuaded that in the midst of his suffering, God heard his supplications. Then he commended so fervently to the Señor Santo Entierro and the Divine Señor de Sacromente that he was free from all his enemies. In gratitude for such a singular favor, he dedicates this retablo so that everyone can give thanks to God for his wonders.”

(Above) Ex-voto: 1890, Size: 10” x 14”
This is a relatively well-preserved ex-voto. Not much furniture except a colorful bed and importantly, the bedpan.

Translation:
“On the 31st day of March, 1890, finding herself at the doors of the grave, Doña Jesus Coronel for reason of giving birth to a child and not finding any remedy, her husband Juan Piñeda, with a true heart, prayed to the Most Holy Virgin of Sorrows that is venerated in the Santuario de Paila, and (thus) healed and in an act of thanks dedicates this retablo.”

(Above) Ex-voto, 1916. Size: 6” x 8”
The captors were faking an execution to scare the daylight out of the man who is kneeling. You can see the red fire coming out of the rifles.

Translation:

“The 4th of October of 1916, Francisco Maravillo accused with the crime of robbery and threatened with death by the law with several simulations of being executed. (He) at that moment prayed for the help of the Lord of Clemencia who is worshipped in his temple at Tamayo. Our Lord Jesus Christ attended him, returning him to his grieving mother, safe and sound, (and) she being very grateful, dedicates this retablo in testimony of such a singular favor.”

(Above) Ex-voto: 1969 (1968 incident): 8- 1/4” x 11-1/2”
This fairly recent ex-voto tells how a group of people were tragically ambushed. It was composed approximately five months after the incident which accounts for the two different dates.

Translation:
“On the 10th of November of 1968 it happened that while going to the Rancho de Arreguin nearly all of our family were victims of an ambush by many bad people from that same ranch. Being injured I, Victoria Ramirez with a shot to the foot and another in the arm, and being injured as I could to relate this to Saúz. In view of so much gunfire in which my daughter fell dead, my husband received 10 shots but remained alive by a miracle, and Señores Aniceto and Santos Santa Rosa whom also fell badly wounded and finding ourselves in this conflict, the Señora Isabel Ramirez de Saúz implored from the heart to the Santa Cruz de la Gavia, praying that the rest not die. And having performed for us this miracle we declare it in this retablo for its maximum veneration.
Rancho de Arreguin Arriba
April 1969”

----------

Ex-votos and retablos are devotional paintings (or carvings) that are illustrated to tell a story of a particular accident or dangerous, harmful event to a person or family. There are certain requirements that must take place: it must thank the gods or saints for a miracle or act of kindness; it must explain the event that occurred and it must portray divine imagery, like Jesus Christ, The Virgin Mary or other saints or gods.

I can’t claim to know a lot about this area of religious folk art as it’s an area that I have not studied deeply. I do know that there are a lot of fakes like this on Ebay and in shops you may come across. Of course, there are a number of reputable dealers of this material, so do your homework before buying. The ones above range in price from $300 to $2,000. These are part of the inventory of Vernon Kostohryz, who has an online gallery from his home in San Miguel de Allende, Gto.; Mexico. His phone number is (from the USA): 011-52 (415) 152-3482. You can learn more and see more Mexican and Latin American art at Vernon’s “Border Antiques.” (The hyperlink to his site is not working, so just google his store— you’ll find it at the top). The comments and translations above are from Vernon’s web site.

An AM repost from Dec 29, 2008.

The Beauty of Peach Labels: Sweet!

2011-05-29T06:55:00.000-05:00

The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has a very cool, graphic collection of southeastern peach labels from peach crates. Here are 15 nice ones for your viewing pleasure. My fav is “RED WING.”

An Accidental Mysteries repost from December 24, 2008.

NYC Destination Subway Scrolls, c. 1940s

2011-05-15T06:31:00.000-05:00

These incredibly graphic New York City destination subway scrolls were used to direct subway commuters in the early 1940s. I love the way the fonts are condensed and expanded to fill the space— from the school of “make it fit!”

These were found at Winter Works on Paper in Brooklyn, NY. (www.winterworksonpaper)

An AM repost from 11/17/08

Bottle Caps: One Inch of Design

2011-05-08T11:51:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid back in Winston-Salem, NC, the local movie theater held Saturday morning screenings for children called “The Kiddie Show.” There they showed movies for kids—even the old black and white cliff-hanging serials. I remember seeing “The Blob” starring Steve McQueen in one of his first movies (1958). Of course, the Tom and Jerry and Roadrunner cartoons were shown as well. What's all this got to do with bottle caps? Well, usually one of the soft drink companies sponsored the event and admission was free if you brought in 10 bottle caps. So, during the week, kids in my neighborhood would rummage through the used bottle cap bucket directly under the refrigerated soft drink dispenser at the corner grocery, looking for the special cap that we needed to get into the upcoming Saturday movie. If you didn't have the right number of caps, you had to come up with a whopping 25¢ or so to get in.

Bottle caps are beautiful, if you take an extra minute to look. Here’s a few for you to peruse.

An AM repost from 11/29/08.

Hank Janson: Pulp Fiction Writer Extraordinaire

2011-05-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

“It was just another Thursday, the kind that comes around, oh, about once every week. I was working the graveyard shift for Max, a private dick I owed a favor to. I had an hour left to go and it had just started to rain. As I pulled my black, Auburn V-8 onto Dempsey Street, I saw her. There, under the street lamp, she was lighting a cigarette—wearing red stiletto heels and a Burberry trench coat. This was a dame with an eye for trouble, I thought. I stopped the car just feet from her. She paid no attention.”

“Get in!” I said.

Now what happens? Hank Janson would know (real name: Stephen D. Frances). Hank was the pulp fiction writer extraordinaire back in the 50s and early 60s. He lived and wrote in Britain and was revered in the paperback novel world. However, Hank was the victim of severe censorship by Britain’s “Home Office” when, in January of 1954, twelve jurors found him and his publisher/distributor guilty of obscenity. Janson was incredibly popular, having sold five million copies of his books in six years. Yet, the Home Office in Britain managed to burn or destroy over 350,000 books and novels, of which Janson’s paperbacks were prime examples. Respected researcher and pulp fiction historian Steve Holland gives a remarkable account of Janson’s life in his book: The Trials of Hank Janson. Available on Amazon. [ Janson novels now © Telos Publishing. ]

Reposted from 2008.

The Button Suit of Ruby Ann Kittner, c.1935

2011-04-24T06:51:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Ruby Ann Kittner and her husband Jake lived in Clinton, Iowa during the 1930s and 1940s. It looks as if Ruby was a button collector and seamstress, and poor Mr. Kittner was her display model. What a sweetie she must have been! This suit of clothes was in our personal collection for several years, and I must say, it was probably one of the most memorable and unique folk art pieces I have ever had the privilege to own. It was THE thing people commented on the most. The suit was too small for me to ever try on, but I will tell you, it was extremely heavy. It is very rare to find a folk art object of such quality with photo documentation like this. The story goes that this was first found in a thrift store in Iowa about 10 years ago. It changed hands twice before I acquired it.

Recently, this incredible button suit was exhibited at The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI. I no longer own this, it is now in another private collection.

An AM repost from 12/22/2008.

ROCATERRANIA: The Imaginary Nation by Renaldo Kuhler

2011-04-17T06:02:00.001-05:00

(Above) This is a hand drawn map of the fictional country of Rocaterrania, on the border of Canada and just north of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Click for larger view.

THIS IS THE STORY ABOUT A TEENAGER named Renaldo Kuhler, who in 1948, first fantasied about a fictional country he called Rocaterrania. This imaginary place, born of unhappiness and boredom, was to consume his life. Here’s the story, and it begins with his father Otto.

Otto Kuhler, a German immigrant who came to this country with seven dollars in his pocket, achieved some success as an industrial designer and landscape painter. After his success, Otto moved his wife and only son from upstate New York to a remote Colorado ranch—his version of the American dream. His son, Renaldo, was a teenager at the time, and Renaldo found the isolation and remote location of his new life unbearable. He retreated to a private fantasy world by drawing in his notebooks—creating his own imaginary country called “Rocaterrania.” It became his lifelong obsession, and the notebooks revealed his secretly coded desire to escape the boredom of his life.

The short video you are about to see is the movie trailer for a full-length documentary by filmmaker Brett Ingram about Renaldo Kuhler’s imaginary country. Renaldo Kuhler envisioned a tiny nation of eastern European immigrants who purchased a tract of land along the Canadian border - just north of the Adirondack Mountains in New York - after growing restless with America’s notions of “democracy.” Over the next six decades, Rocaterrania saw two revolutions and the rise and fall of a succession of czars, dictators, and presidents among a cast of characters vaguely resembling Russian historical figures. But, as the film reveals, each change in government reflects a deeper meaning for Renaldo, an outsider who struggled to escape an emotionally abusive family and searched for freedom within a real nation threatened by forces of conformity.

About the Filmmaker Brett Ingram:

Formerly a journalist, physics teacher, and electrical engineer on the Space Shuttle Main Engine Program, Brett Ingram has been making films since 1990. His short documentaries and animated films have screened at more than 150 festivals, winning thirty awards collectively.

Ingram’s first documentary feature, Monster Road, won sixteen awards (including “Best Documentary” at the 2004 Slamdance Film Festival) and screened at more than ninety festivals and cinema venues internationally before premiering on Sundance Channel in 2005. Ingram has been awarded a Visual Artist Fellowship (1995) and a Film and Video Artist Fellowship (2002) from the North Carolina Arts Council. In 2007 he was awarded a Fellowship in Filmmaking from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Ingram teaches filmmaking in the Department of Broadcasting and Cinema at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has also taught filmmaking at Wake Forest University and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. His current project is Rocaterrania, a documentary feature about the secret world of visionary artist Renaldo Kuhler.

Brett Ingram is the sole founder, owner, and operator of Bright Eye Pictures.

Reposted from 2/20/09

Colonial Currency: Beautiful Chaos

2011-04-10T07:54:00.000-05:00

(Above) In 1724 Connecticut, if you wanted to make change, you just tore off a piece of the bill. This is the front and back of a torn note.
(Above) Counterfeiting was rampant in the colonies, and the punishment was death. Printers who were authorized to print money designed as many things as possible to frustrate the counterfeiter. It was quite common for mica chips and/or blue threads to be put into the paper as additional security devices.
(Above) Front and back of a 1775 Pennsylvania 50 Shilling note. Check out the complicated engraving and overprinting.
(Above) This entire line of Pennsylvania currency was recalled due to counterfeiting. In this case, a large “X” was drawn on the face of the note when it was redeemed. Here you see the front and back of the note.
(Above) I’m including these North Carolina notes because I am digging the typography—especially the calligraphic swooshes of the words “North Carolina” in the top piece. Occasionally, printers would intentionally misspell—or slightly change the spelling of the state—from the front to the back of the note—just to mess with the heads of counterfeiters.

Every state was trying to figure it all out—attempting to standardize some method of a money system in a totally decentralized government. Each state did their own thing. Problem was, any colonist with a tiny bit of skill and a printing press would try making his own money.

There is a site on “Coloniel Currency,” put together by Robert H. Gore, Jr., Numismatic Endowment, University of Notre Dame, Department of Special Collections. Check it out to see some beautiful notes.

An AM repost from 12/31/08

In Touch With a Shaman: Charlie Logan

2011-04-03T07:31:00.000-05:00

(Above) Charlie Logan’s beaded hat (turned upside down) which is very similar to an African Kuba hat. Notice the red cross on the back inside wall.
(Above left) The “Diamond Sis” coat—and a detail of the intricate sewing, embroidery and obsessive patterning.
(Above left) Charlie’s bow-tie with the letters “H” and “N,” which, according to Charlie, stood for “Heaven.” Also, rings and a watch fob, which did not hold a watch but various charm-like items.

(Above right) Close up view of two of Charlie’s many canes.
(Above) The “SAVED” jacket, with the words “Prety K” just to the upper left of the word “SAVED.” The upper portion of the jacket has the embroidered words “I never lost the sun… shine an(d) roses.”
(Above) Photograph of Charlie Logan, near his home in Alton, IL in 1979. All photographs © by Kate and Ken Anderson.

Almost 8 years ago, as the 10-year editor of ENVISION Folk Art of Missouri, I published an exciting in-depth article about what I feel was one of the most important discoveries in African American culture and studies in the last 50 years. The discovery was made by Kate and Ken Anderson, St. Louis artists who were early collectors of folk, self-taught and outsider art. The discovery occurred in 1979, when a chance encounter with an elderly man set forth a 5-year friendship and ultimately, the documentation and preservation of the clothes, canes and accoutrements of what can only be described as a modern day shaman. Charlie Logan was an enigma, a wise man who held secrets that he rarely spoke of. According to the renowned Maude Southwell Waldman, who was the author of the ENVISION article, “Logan was a conjureman, a healer and a maker of protective charms.”

At that time, the ENVISION publication (Vol. 9, Issue 1, January 2004) was published on a shoestring budget and consequently, in black and white. When I discovered (just last night) the original scans of these rare images in COLOR, I realized that I had to get them out for people to see. The entire set of clothes (28 pieces in all) were acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where they are today.

Ms. Waldman wrote that Charlie’s clothes “were similar to embroidered and sequined Haitian Ra Ra garments; Mardi Gras costumes and Kongo and Kuba colorful, patchworked, appliquéd, and often beaded costumes.” Charlie often sewed coins and other money into his jacket, giving the reason for doing so as: “so that it would not be stolen.”

Waldman concluded her extensive and very complete article with this: “I conclude that Charlie Logan was probably a conjureman who came up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. I think he was a very knowledgeable man who knew many African religious traditions and encoded at least some of them in his arts.”

Reposted from 12/30/08

The King of Dead Shopping Malls

2011-03-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

DIXIE SQUARE MALL IN HARVEY, IL has been abandoned since 1979, coming up on 30 years now. Take a look at how nature reclaims the folly of man. I discovered this incredible story thanks to my friend Howard, who introduced me to the web site of The Center for Land Use Interpretation. There, I discovered this place, the oldest abandoned shopping mall in the United States. One year after it closed, the mall was used as a location for “The Blues Brothers” film, perfect for the scenes of police cars driving through the stores and walkways. It’s odd that the buildings have not been demolished or even an attempt at reuse since that time. New growth forest is overtaking the site, and the buildings are surrendering to the harsh midwestern winters, vandalism and neglect.

To visit the abandoned site, drive onto or take photographs, you must get permission from the Harvey Police Department. They can be reached at: 708.210.5200

Harvey, IL is 20 miles south of Chicago.

More information: Dead Mall

Reposted from December 15, 2008

Altered States

2011-03-20T06:59:00.000-05:00

(Above) Untitled (Wild purple face with Bible and rosary), 2004-05; 7 x 5 inches
(Above) Untitled (Baby in woman's arms looking at 2 funny looking women), 2004-05;
3-1/2 x 4 inches
(Above) Untitled (Dangerous boy with soccer ball), 2004-05; 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches
(Above) Untitled (The unexpected meal), 2004-05; 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches
(Above) Untitled (A scary playmate), 2004-05; 3 x 4 inches

PHILIPPE JUSFORGUES is a 40-year old French artist represented by several galleries in the United States, including the Stephen Daiter Gallery in Chicago and the Morehouse Gallery in Brookline, MA. Philippe is a master at transforming found photographs into something surreal, sometimes bizarre, or comical. His work extends deeper than this series of 5, so if you are interested, more can be found on his website by clicking here. Brush up on your French!

The images above from The Morehouse Gallery, are one of a kind and range in price from $800 to $1,000 dollars each (as available).

Reposted from 2009.

Loretta Lux: It’s the EYES!

2011-03-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

I LOVE the photographs of Loretta Lux. Born in 1969 in Dresden, Loretta is red hot in the photo world. Six years ago (2005) she received the International Center of Photography’s very prestigious Infinity Award for Art. Her carefully composed photographs are unsettling, perfectly arranged with nothing left to chance. Her use of Photoshop is widely discussed, yet when asked, she (and her dealer) say that the technique is not open for discussion. That’s OK with me. The photographs in person are incredible. Children are by far her favorite subject, except her children exist as emotionless automatons you just don’t feel a desire to hug.

Learn more at: (www.lorettalux.de) or at Yossi Milo Gallery (www.yossimilo.com) in New York.

Spirit Photography: “Granny, Are You Here?”

2011-03-06T15:06:00.000-06:00

The late 19th century saw a rise in spiritualism in the United States and the world. Indeed, even Mrs. Abraham Lincoln was convinced that ghosts and spirits existed and this, in part, fueled others in similar beliefs. Photography at the time was still rather unaccessible and misunderstood by the ordinary citizen, their images usually taken by photographers in studios. Enter the dishonest photographer to the popular spiritual seance scene, and an opportunity for a past buck appeared. These unscrupulous photographers would bring a person into their "spiritual studio" and a "mock" seance was performed. Of course, when the photo was taken, the victim paid the money and instructed to come back the next day to see "what may have materialized." What seems almost comical today was believed by many as revealing of long lost ancestors, or other ghosts that happened to be around them. With a simple dodge and burn technique coupled with the merging of another portrait or two to the sitters original—and voila! an industry was born. Today, these fake spirit photos are quite rare, and, if you can find one, often sell for hundreds of dollars. See an exhibition here.

BOTTOM: ANON: 19th century; c. 1870; Private Collection of Andrew Daneman; © Andrew Daneman Collection of American Tintypes

For more information on this subject, see the online exhibition Ghosts, Apparitions, Angels, Spiritual Visitations and Views of the Future on: www.luminous-lint.com

Or, check out this book: The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult by Clemont Cheroux, Pierre Apraxine, Andreas Fischer, Denis Canguilhem and Sophie Schmit, (Yale University Press, 2004)

Reposted from November 2008

Franz Reichelt and His Flying Overcoat

2011-02-27T08:43:00.000-06:00

(Above) Photo of Franz Reichelt, c. 1911-12. He was sure this bizarre set of clothes would allow him to fly safely to earth after jumping from the Eiffel Tower. It didn’t work. (I have no idea why, sure looks aerodynamic to me!)
(Above) A more modern day attempt at defying gravity. Using wings supplied by ACME, the attempts by Wile E Coyote always resulted in failure.

THIS FILM, MADE IN 1912 IN PARIS, depicts the first (and last) attempt to fly by a Frenchman named Franz Reichelt. Reichelt (c. 1870s - February 4, 1912), was known by the locals as the flying tailor. He used his skills as a tailor to create an overcoat that he was sure would allow him to fly, glide or float to the ground without harm. He demonstrated his invention with his infamous first and only jump of 60 meters from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower—at that time (1912) the tallest man-made structure in the world. The “flying coat” was a complete disaster, and Reichelt fell like a sack of rocks to his death. Fortunately, the jump was captured on film of the day— showing his death and the hole his body made in the ground upon impact. In the film, you can see him standing on the edge of the tower... contemplating and building up his nerve to jump. Then, he goes for it.

Only Wile E Coyote did similar things and lived to try again another day.

Homeland Security, c. 1942

2011-02-20T10:19:00.001-06:00

THE SECOND WORLD WAR, and the years leading up to it, was a time not unlike ours today. Just as our government today does it’s best to assure our safety from terrorists, the U.S. government 75 years ago was ever vigilant against Communist and German spies, or terrorist infiltrators trying to weasel their way into defense related businesses. So, they created these “100% foolproof” ID badges, for surely anyone with a camera, pair of scissors and glue could not have faked one of these babies. And, I am not going to even mention the overwhelming pride and individuality an employee would feel wearing one. ;-)

Actually, you can still find these on eBay and at flea markets and estate sales, but once they make it to those little locked cases you see at the antique stores, you can bet they are going to be pretty pricey. My friend Mark Michaelson, author of the book Least Wanted, has a fabulous photostream on Flickr with tons of vernacular photos—mugshots, ID badges, and other cool pics, so just click here to see it. These badges make a great, very visual and affordable collection if you want to start looking for them.

Mark’s book, Least Wanted, is available on Amazon. Check it out!

Melvin Way: Cryptic Messenger

2011-02-13T08:27:00.000-06:00

An Accidental Mysteries Blast from the Past, from November 30, 2008.

MELVIN WAY, an African American man born in 1954 now living in NYC, began making drawings like these in the 1980s. Where these cryptic images come from is something of a mystery. Way did take music classes in high school, but soon after was diagnosed as schizophrenic. I have always loved his work. Each piece is small, obsessively drawn in ball point pen and covered in clear tape as if to hermetically seal the information inside. His work appears to be part musical score, part chemical equations, geometric shapes and a compilation of nonsensical doodles which create a wonderfully mysterious equational art form. His work is rare. To me, owning a piece is like holding a contemporary artifact—something I know is a manifestation of that thin boundary between madness and genius. I like to believe I am just not privy to the code.

His work, if available, can be found with an exceptional art dealer named Norman Brosterman (www.brosterman.com), or at Hospital Audiences, Inc. (HAI) in NYC.

The Private Obsession of Miroslav Tichy

2011-02-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

(Above) Tichy was known to sit for hours in wait of his unknowing subjects. The photo is in a handmade paper frame.
(Above) Two girls caught in conversation.
(Above) Two “secret” photos by Tichy, who often ran afoul of the law for taking photographs of women on the street.
(Above) A rare photograph, where the subject has actually posed for her photograph (or, at least it seems).
(Above) Processing the photos was also done by extremely primitive means—the result often having bad spots in the development.
(Above) An unknowing female subject gives subject matter for a beautiful picture.
(Above) Tichy, with his hand sewn clothes and his camera... which was made with sewing spools, a lens from found eyeglasses, rubber bands, toilet paper tubes and found cardboard/glue. The result: the oddest working camera you will ever see— something you might see in the movie Mad Max, or WaterWorld—where technology is lost and has to be re-invented.
(Above) A spooky photo of another female. This image is so odd it looks almost like a pre-natal sonogram.

An Accidental Mysteries “Blast from the Past” from January 17, 2009.

MIROSLAV TICHY HAS BECOME FAMOUS in spite of his need for privacy. Born in 1926 in what is now the Czech Republic, Tichy studied painting at the Academy of Art in Prague until the Communist takeover in April 1945. Arrested for being “odd,” therefor subversive, Tichy spent many years in jails and prisons, until he was released in the 1970s. Upon his release, he wandered his small town in rags, pursuing his occupation as an artist photographing the female form in the streets. He made his cameras from tin cans, childrens spectacle lens and other junk he found on the street. He would return home each day to make prints on equally primitive equipment, making only one print from the negative he selected. He stole intimate glimpses of his subjects through windows and the fences of swimming pools as well as in the streets, sometimes finding himself in trouble with the police.

The work, which might appear to the casual viewer to be intrusive voyeurism, takes on a melancholy and poetic quality. They are exquisitely produced small objects of obsession, which have no equal. He produced work, not for others, but for himself, with no regard for selling or exhibiting his pictures. Tichey’s photographs were known only to a few until July 2004, when he won the “New Discovery Award” at Arles. An exhibition of his work was also shown at Kunsthaus in Zurich in September 2005, and was one of the most curious and controversial photographic events of 2005.

Tichy’s work is now red hot. I first saw his work at the Outsider Art Fair in 2007, when it was exhibited by Galerie Susanne Zander, from Antwerp. His work is also exhibited by the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London.

One of the best Web sites on Tichy is the Foundation set up on his behalf: Tichy Ocean.

Some of the above text about Tichy is from the Michael Hoppen Gallery. Top two photos, from Galerie Susanne Zander.

Signs and Symbols

2011-01-30T09:55:00.000-06:00

(Above) This “King Jesus” sign is super cool.

(Above) The white glow behind these heads make this sign pretty special, not to mention the hairstyles, which look almost like metal rods.

(Above) These mugshot style paintings above are quite nice. The colors, patterns and unique faces make this as funky as something one might find in a magazine like Juxtapoz.

(An Accidental Mysteries Blast from the Past January 11, 2009)

AFRICAN BARBER SIGNS, often painted by the shop owners themselves, have long been considered a form of folk art. What I like is the idiosyncratic nature of the signs, and the way they often use symbols as a way to communicate. For customers, one just walks up, points to a hairstyle and sits down. These signs, all in various sizes, are from Indigo Arts Gallery in Philadelphia, PA and originate from places like the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and others. Sometimes these signs are found hanging in a marketplace stall, or simply hanging from a tree—with the barber standing next to a chair underneath. These signs not only advertise hair styles but other services as well (like shoe repair, as in the “King Jesus” sign above, one of my favorites).

The Museum of African Art in NY had an exhibition of these style of signs in the year 2000, as did the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA in 1995.

Dried Citrus Sculptures by Daniel Watson

2011-01-23T14:06:00.001-06:00

Click any image for larger view.
An Accidental Mysteries “Blast from the Past,” December 2008.

HERE ARE THREE PIECES OF TRUE OUTSIDER ART by a man named Daniel Watson, who is serving a life sentence in a California federal prison. In solitary confinement, Watson creates these strange items out of citrus skins. These 3 examples were done 10 years ago, in 1998. Described as “hovering somewhere between Pre-Columbian and alien,” these are good examples of his work. They were described by the past auction as being about 6 inches tall. Strange, skin-like and beautifully creepy, this just goes to show what one can do with a little time on his hands. I think they look a lot like Maiori designs for tattoos.

Take Another Look at Cigar Box Lids

2011-01-16T09:27:00.001-06:00

An Accidental Mysteries “Blast from the Past,” December 16, 2008.

THANK GOD FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S COLLECTIONS, because I don’t have the money, space or time to collect it all. I do have the desire to collect it all, but left brain (and wife) says stop. I found a collector, Robert Madison, who apparently loves the beauty, variety and history of cigar box lids. His collection is enormous.

I am reminded of the cigar box that Tatum O’Neal (as “Addie”) carried in the movie Paper Moon. It was Cremo brand. It was the perfect metaphor for those few things she held dear to her life. She carried it—held it tight everywhere she went. As a kid, I loved cigar boxes. I guess I still do. Cigar boxes are the perfect size for kid stuff—baseball cards, crayons, coins, secrets—whatever. Cigar boxes are kid-sized—the way they open is lovely and inviting. And as far as design, they always look so regal and important. On the lid was usually an illustration or name of some mysterious, important person, almost always with a strange non-Anglo name. And, because the boxes were so substantial, people saved them more so than not. How many garages or workshops in the United States still have a cigar box to hold nails, screws and other flotsam from their projects? Cigar boxes last.

The examples I was drawn to from Robert’s substantial collection are the ones that have the tax labels applied along the side and over the lid. Is there anything sexier than breaking an official seal? I mean really! The samples I share with you today remind me of early 20th century collage. The labels, haphazardly applied compared to the perfection and order of the lid, interfere with and force themselves into the carefully planned cigar box “landscape.” That is what I love the most. The tax labels were never designed to work with the cigar box. They were there to serve an official function—like a price sticker or a bar code on a product today. Besides that, I am reminded of something else—the whole role that cigar bands and box labels did throughout the 20th century to inspire artists. One has only to look at the early collage art of Kurt Schwitters, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Joseph Cornell and others to see the influences. And most recently, the discovery of the work of Felipe Jesus Consalvos, a self-taught artist who worked in the first half of the 20th century.

Consalvos worked in a cigar factory and apparently had plenty of raw material from his work to use (cigar band papers). Influenced by the boxes themselves, he utilized a similar visual “framing and border” devices he saw everyday at his job. Of course, all of these artists, trained or self-taught, pushed their “cigar box and cigar band” influences much farther. Consalvos used real cut-up dollar bills, magazine photographs, old wedding photos and all kinds of ephemera to create his surreal, fantastic work.

Also, be sure and check out the faux wood grain on some of examples above— a device the surrealists used often.

Using a high quality cigar humidor will help you maintain the rich flavor and freshness of your finest cigars.

The Conceptual Photograph: The Art of Mole & Thomas

2011-01-09T10:03:00.000-06:00

An Accidental Mysteries blast from the past (12/12/08).

ARTHUR MOLE AND HIS ASSOCIATE JOHN THOMAS would spend a week or more planning and assembling these fantastic photographs in the years during and after WWI. As a patriotic gesture to show American strength and to boost morale here at home, the team would first draw the outline they needed on their 11 x 14 inch view camera from a constructed tower some 70 feet high. By taking test photos of men standing shoulder-to-shoulder, say 10 or 20 men across and deep at various points, they could then calculate how many people were needed to complete a line. Then, they had to calculate whether the men were to wear dark or light shirts to complete the arduous task of making the tonalities of the picture correct. Look at the back part of any image (click on image). Obviously, it took many more people to fill a row there than towards the front. Published reports of their projects say soldiers endured full days in wool uniforms standing in heat and other conditions for the pictures—probably a better task than fighting in the trenches of France, where a good portion of them ended up. The images were later sold to raise funds for the troops and care of the wounded when they returned.

Just to give you an idea of the number of people it took to make a few of these pictures, on the top row is the famous portrait of Woodrow Wilson, taken in 1918. This picture was composed of 21,000 officers and men at Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio.

On the bottom row, the photograph of the Statue of Liberty (1917) was composed of 18,000 officers and men from Camp Dodge in Des Moines, Iowa.

Next to that, is the Human Shield. It contained approximately 30,000 officers and men from Camp Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan.

I am doubtful a photo of this magnitude could be accomplished today. Originals sell in galleries for well over a thousand bucks. Like any photograph, condition of the picture is important.

Skate Board Culture Moves to Furniture

2011-01-02T19:08:00.000-06:00

(Above) The Comet Coffee Table crosses skate decks together to give strength and a unique look. The sleek design of the glass with the decks makes it perfect for a living room. The Comet Coffee Table is made of a round glass top and 8 decks for legs. Diameter: 40” x High: 15.” Available in maple, walnut and colors.

(Above) The Astro Clock created with 12 skateboard wheels and bearings. Diameter: 17”, 1.5” depth.

(Above) The Hang Up coat hanger is made of coated metal wires with 8 skateboard wheels and bearings. Dimensions: 23.5 ”x 14” x 6.5”

(Above) The LKJ Bench: Hailing from the California lifestyle of longboard skate decks, this bench is not only practical, but it truly is a piece of art. This functional piece can be used as a low table or bench for a living room, bedroom or office. The LKJ Bench is a die-cut longboard deck with metal legs. Dimension: 55” x 14” x 11.”

(Above) The Jet Set Lounge Chair: Wrapped by neoprene which is the wetsuit material for surfers, this piece is created to the indoor/outdoor lifestyle and fits perfectly on a patio or waterfront deck. The Jet Set Lounge Chair is made of 8 decks with neoprene cushions on a metal frame. Dimensions: 33” x 29.5” x 60”

(Above) The Skate Bookshelves crosses skate decks together to give strength and a unique look on the wall. Perfect for a living room or bedroom. The Skate Bookshelves is made of 3 longboard decks horizontal and 3 decks vertical. Dimensions: 45” x 32” x 10.”

(Above) The Skate Wall features a pattern of a real size deck and will add a statement of clean style in any bedroom, office or lounge. Folding Dimensions: 96” x 30.”

(Above) The Stax Chair is made of 3 decks and bended pieces of plywood. Dimensions: 30” x 25” x 20.”

(Above) The Stax Loveseat is made of 3 longboard decks and bended pieces of plywood. Dimensions: 45” x 25” x 22.”

(Above) The Tokyo Lounge Table is made of a glass top and 4 decks that are re-shaped for legs. Dimensions: 44” x 34” x 10.1/2”, 3/4” glass. Please Note: The template of the deck is from the Jim Gray Pro Model (G&S Team Rider, 80’s era).

(an Accidental Mysteries replay from June 2009)

SKATE STUDY HOUSE MAKES FURNITURE BASED ON A PASSION for mid-century design, skateboard culture and California lifestyle.

From their website, “SSH specializes in recreating popular furniture through the vision of a skateboarder. The movement of a skateboarder constantly changes — it recreates itself by transcending boundaries and inventing ways to conquer obstacles. It’s constantly about anticipation and adaptation to one’s environment. The same is true for living design. The combination of the two produces a mixture of contemporary lifestyle, art and action sports culture, which is all found in this unique collection.”

Tower of Barrels in 1924

2010-12-27T22:47:00.003-06:00

This is an AM blast from the past from November 15, 2008.

OK, THIS is totally bizarre... and wonderful. Long before Burning Man was this... a tower of barrels that must be more than 10 stories tall. It's dated 1924, but its the only clue I have. The group of people must be mighty proud of this, how they actually constructed it, is beyond me. This is an art environment or heroic past-time that I can find nothing on, so if anyone has any clues, please let me know.

UPDATE: Thanks to my readers there are several possible reasons for this amazing tower. While I would like to think this nothing more than the whimsical efforts of the gentlemen seated below the picture, this appears to be the case of a “bonfire-to-be.” Perhaps because of alcohol prohibition (1920-1933) these beer barrels were slated to be set ablaze. Read on in the “reader comments” for more information, although, most have to do with the impending torching of the barrels.

Japanese Boro Textiles

2010-12-19T00:15:00.000-06:00

(Above) 19th c. Japanese cotton futon cover called “Boro” made from recycled indigo dyed cloth in patches joined together. Click image for larger view.

(Above) 19th c. Japanese Boro. Click image for larger view.

(Above) Detail of above. Click image for larger view.

(Above) 19th century Boro textile. Click for larger view.

(Above) Detail. Click for larger view.

(Above) 19th century Boro textile. Click for larger view.

(Above) Detail. Click for larger view.

(Above) Boro Cotton Kimono, Yamagata Prefecture (Northern Japan) c. 1900

I OWN A SINGLE JAPANESE BORO. IT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS IN MY COLLECTION. Boro textiles were made in the late 19th and early 20th century by impoverished Japanese people from reused and recycled indigo-dyed, cotton rags. What we see in these examples are typical—patched and sewn, piece-by-piece, and handed down from generation-to-generation, where the tradition continued. These textiles are generational storybooks, lovingly repaired and patched with what fabric was available. Never intended to be viewed as a thing of beauty, these textiles today take on qualities of collage, objects of history, and objects with life and soul.

Objects found at kimonoboy.com, and 1stdibs.

The Woman Behind Société Anonyme

2010-12-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

(Above) Photograph of Jean Arp with one eye covered, white paint encircling his head, 1926. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Photograph of P.Mondrian, undated. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Check out this beautifully illustrated and signed letter from “Matta” Echaurren, addressed to “Miss Dreier, N.Y.C.” Note the expressive and creative use of color, circled areas of emphasis and signature. This is letter worthy of framing. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Typewritten letter from El Lissitzky, Nov 7, 1926, Moscow, [to] Katherine Dreier, New York. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Painted and postmarked postcard, to Katherine Dreier, Paris, from Paul Klee, no date. (1879-1940). Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Stella. New York, Published by Societe Anonyme, 1923. Click for larger view.
© Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) International Exhibition of Modern Art (1926-1927: Brooklyn Museum, catalog cover, pencil and paint drawing. New York, 1926. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Flyer for New York 1927, Machine-Age Exposition Architecture, Engineering, Industrial Arts, Modern Art. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(Above) Photograph of Katherine Dreier standing in the middle of exhibition hall at Yale University Art Gallery, c. 1930. Click for larger view. © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

(You are reading an Accidental Mysteries blast from the past)

ARTIST AND COLLECTOR KATHERINE DREIER JOINED MARCEL DUCHAMP and Man Ray in 1920 to found the Société Anonyme, an organization designed to support and generate awareness of modernist art; the group’s name, a French phrase meaning “incorporated,” highlighted the fact that the organization was not allied with any particular artistic school. The Société Anonyme promoted new artists by arranging exhibitions to introduce audiences to their work and develop their reputations among galleries and collectors. Critics praised the Société Anonyme for its commitment to new artists and its inclusion of their work in exhibits and catalogs. Between 1920 and 1940 they held 80 exhibitions showing mostly abstract art.

Katherine Dreier played an essential role in generating American interest in and acceptance of modern art. She ran the Société Anonyme’s small gallery, curated exhibitions, and wrote essays and gave lectures in support of modern art. Dreier was also an accomplished painter—two of her paintings hung in the legendary Armory Show of 1913. The Katherine S. Dreier Papers / Société Anonyme Archive documents the life of Katherine S. Dreier and the activities of the Société Anonyme. The collection is part of the amazing Beinecke Library at Yale University. The collection consists of correspondence; manuscripts and notes for articles, books, fiction, and lectures; clippings; brochures; programs; press releases; advertisements; tax records; photographs and artwork; meeting minutes; and ephemera and printed material. The papers span the years 1818 to 1952, but the bulk of the material is from 1920 to 1951. Currently, only a portion of the Katherine S. Dreier Papers / Société Anonyme Archive is available in digital form.

All images copyright © Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

The Immortal Bettie Page

2010-12-06T15:35:00.001-06:00

(The original “grrrrl.”)

(you’re reading a December 2008 replay)

BETTIE PAGE (1923 - 2008): There are a few people I wish I could have met in my lifetime. One was the great Bettie Page. She probably did as much to usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s than anyone. Bettie died in Los Angeles Thursday, December 11, 2008 from complications due to pneumonia. In our local paper that day was a single paragraph article. I have to admit—I was sad.

The photos I was lucky enough to see when growing up showed this unabashed beauty who loved to frolic as the top cheesecake “calendar girl” of the 1950s. She was every man’s fantasy. Since she retired (actually was driven out of work by anti-porn legislation) Bettie has lived a quiet, anonymous life in California. She was eventually located, but stayed away from the limelight. Though her legions her fans loved her regardless of her age, Bettie felt it best to stay out of the camera’s eye. A movie was made about her in 2005, The Notorious Bettie Page, (starring Gretchen Mol, as Bettie)—and she has been the dream girl of illustrators and underground comics for years. RIP Bettie Page—you are still an icon to millions.