alphonso (sevres)

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

The Taft's Sevres tureen that inspired the piece.

still[ed] life

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

punk rock

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

pink noise

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

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

alphonso

Busy working on my upcoming show at the Taft Museum of Art with Guy Michael Davis, which opens in early August. Shown here is Mr. Taft, currently in the middle of a deluxe Sevres treatment (top) and chinoiserie face and neck tats (bottom).

a sneak peek

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

Check out Future Retrieval for the rest...

hand printing

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

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

bouquet

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

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

done

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

dog (topiary)

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

overall pattern

Work in progress. China paint on porcelain.

coming along

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

new die

I have big plans for this die.

install

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

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

Topiary II

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

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

boxers

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

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

next in line

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

topiary

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

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

window

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

flower ball

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

lion (part 2)

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

Dresdener Print Flower

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

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

carnival chalk lions

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

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

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

silhouette scrim

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

setting up

a quick shot of the installation going up at Prairie last week. Good pictures of the entire show coming shortly...

Small Favors V

"Boxers Illuminated" porcelain and china paint, 4" x 4" x 4" at Small Favors V. Love this pattern.

show card

The postcard for my upcoming show at Prairie. The show is in collaboration with Guy Michael Davis, and is possible through a City of Cincinnati Arts Grant that we received this September. I will have several new paper and porcelain pieces, and then together Guy and I have something crazy up our sleeves. Stay tuned - it should be grand.

faculty show

UC Faculty Show 2010. A combination of a couple ideas from this year, combining the die cuts I just had made with a wolf head using similar patterning. The gold leaf back plate is from an earlier show this year, but looks really striking combined with the blue and white.
"Wolfie Illuminated" paper, porcelain, china paint, gold leaf, 28" x 30"x 7.5", 2010.

die cut

I finally had some of the images I have been hand cutting turned into dies. And they are amazing. I love how the edges are so round and precise - and the fact that my name is metal etched on each die. Very cool. Starting to feel like everything is coming together for May...

casting (studio shot)

Casting like crazy. I have some ideas for how these will be displayed and hung - and at this point just need to get them all in and out of the kiln in one piece. And now. The individual flowers are slowly turning into swarms with smaller flowers and crystals engulfing them....

massive (part two)

The first round of giant flowers are out of the kiln, and I am super pleased with the results. This is exactly what I needed - to motivate me to start casting like crazy. Right now.

studio work

Studio shot of the lion head in the works... Not sure where this is going, but I think the color palette - which at this point is completely accidental - is really nice. Now, I just need to make the mold of the head and keep casting.

progress

Layer two and layer one respectively, of a hanging scrim paper piece I have been working on. The background has gone through a couple changes, (see here) but after I ruined my sewing machine I decided on stapling the paper together. Actually works very well. Still messing with layer two - I really want it to hover away from the background. More to come...
Hand cut paper pinned and stapled, 6.5' x 7'.

scientific structure

One more porcelain tile that appears to be from the bottom of an old scale. Both tiles are off to State of the Art 2010, a National Biennial Ceramics Invitational in Indiana that opens next month. "Scientific Structure" found porcelain slab, china paint, 13" x 9" x 1.5", 2009

the lion

New three-d printout from a found piece of antique chalkware. I was drawn to this lion head because of the strange, flat but rounded face. With the help of collaborator Guy Davis and a City of Cincinnati Artist Grant, I was able to have the object scanned, enlarged and printed. And, I love how the some of the lines are raised and looked combed through (I hope that shows in the end) Next step - a LOT of mold making.

installation

(street view)
Photos of a wallpaper piece I just installed at High Street, Cincinnati. Recession style art - this is actually a combination of two earlier works (see here and here) and they look surprisingly good together for being so different in color and line. And, I love the black wall - really makes the colors pop.