Friday, July 31, 2009
Happy Weekend!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Swank Lighting Artist Joe Cariati!
Joe Cariati started out in glassblowing quite by accident. While studying at the San Francisco State University in 1992, he saw someone blowing glass, and thought he should try it! According to Cariati, he picked up the art quickly and has been working with glass for over 17 years now. A good fit from the start, he says his personality and glassblowing go together well, describing the art as “a cross between calculated control, with an element of risk (in relation to making it or breaking it) topped off with a physical engagement (sweating).”
So when did his hobbies of glass blowing and urban art translate into a career? Cariati confesses he didn’t quite start trying to make money until he was already a bit in debt (characterizing himself as a typical “idealistic young adult”), but after 9/11, he had his first solo painting exhibition (though he didn’t quite sell anything). After a review in ArtWeek, his work began to get noticed, but still no sales. He took a chance with glassblowing soon after, debuting a line of wine bottles in opaque colors. As he calls it: “This was about the time the new modern 'look' was running rampant, and I saw a void in the market and filled it. I snagged ten accounts in the Bay Area and LA and started making some money.” He says he now has over 50 accounts that carry his work, from major stores like Barney's to smaller boutique stores like OK in Los Angeles.
“This type of research into Cubism was born out of a residency I had in the Bay Area, I think it was the first time that I was looking at another medium entirely (paint) for influencing my glass work. It was exciting and carried over into a lot of work I made during that time. Lately, I've referenced the look and flavor of American Glass in the 1960's, the decanters are born out of an interest to uphold and improve upon a legacy of American Glass designs...back to basics.”
As for the future, Cariati is looking forward to meeting with Swank Lighting in April to talk about a new line of lamps that will be more similar to his new line of glass. He’s also working on another, more “low-tech” lighting project: he’s developing a line of candle holders that are reminiscent of wine and liquor bottles used as candle holders. He also continues to teach the art of glass making, stressing the hand skills, experimentation and material exploration, research, drawing, writing, and professional practices that have characterized his 17 years of successful glass work. You can learn more about Cariati on his website, joecariati.com.
Pretty Little Vessels- more glass upcycling
Ideally, I would have put flowers in these, but all are drenched from our rainstorms.
By no means is this a novel concept, but I hope these images bring a bit of loveliness and inspiration to your day! And perhaps they're pictures you've not seen before?
via Shelterrific A little fussier, but nice nonetheless.
And we'll end with more bright fun!
Enjoy!
- Emmie
Bond and Bowery, An Online Marketplace for Antiques, Art and Accessories!
Launched in July 2007, Bondandbowery.com was established to “provide a web-based global marketplace for the highest quality antiques, fine art and design”. By pairing up dealers, designers, artists and buyers, Bond and Bowery is taking out the guesswork on whether or not you are purchasing the right piece for your home. The name Bond and Bowery refers to the intersection of two important roads in an antiques district of New York, and owners Ben Spaisman and George Evans thought to themselves: why not offer online showrooms at one of the best addresses in New York City, letting every qualified dealer have an exclusive New York online address at a very nominal cost? Not satisfied with the sites that were out there, Evans and Spaisman felt the industry needed a clean, all business antiques website.
“Were committed to being an exclusive website dedicated to representing the finest antique and fine arts dealers in the world. My main goals are to introduce the buyer and seller with an easy no hassle transaction so that one doesn’t have to spend countless hours searching for what they want! Bond & Bowery is a clean and non-cluttered site, one that is merchandise focused and not loaded with annoying ads and overwhelming content that distracts a client from making a purchase. We encourage our dealers to offer their best merchandise at the lowest price—so we don’t need to have sales; our items are already priced very reasonably. Bond and Bowery’s focus is customer and dealer centric, always continuing to build strong relationships. We know that our visitors come to buy goods as opposed to reading articles on the site.”
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Mixed and Inspiring Glass of Caleb Siemon
Caleb Siemon’s work doesn’t look futuristic or alien, but there is something so simple and postmodern about his hand blown glass pieces, that it’s clear Siemon is working on a new mix of old and new in his designs. Officially established as a glass blowing studio in 1999, Siemon’s talent has quickly propelled him to an international stage, gaining him attention from artists of all media.
After graduating he got the opportunity to apprentice with world famous master glass sculptor Pino Signoretto in Italy, and there began not only learning about the old ways of glass blowing, but genuinely appreciating and being inspired by them. With that love of the old art techniques he opened up his studio United Glass Blowing in 1999, to be an Italian inspired glass blowing studio that revered and learned from the old methods while continually working on discovering new ones. Famed artisans like Loris Zanon and others continually visit his studio, sharing their techniques of the old art and inspiring Siemon to translate them into new ideas.
Looking at Siemon’s 2009 line, it’s obvious he’s taken a note or two from the past. You can see in his work the influences of past glass artisans like perhaps even Anzolo Fuga, who he shares a love of color and patten with. There’s a familiarity to characteristics like the curves of his vases and bowls. But looking at the colors he imbeds into his pieces, there’s a deep layering that could remind you of perhaps geological strata in rocks. And just like geologists look at the layers of the earth to view our past and consider our future, so too can one view Siemon’s work to see both the past and the future of glass blowing and glass art.
This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Dynamic Shelves!
Price: $18,000
Dealer: Full House
Price: $5,600
Dealer: Andrew Spindler Antiques
Price: $4,250
Dealer: Wirthmore Antiques
Price: $4,800
Dealer: Assemblage
Price: $5,850
Dealer: Pieces
Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!
"Wino" Home Decor
Here's the "French" version of it from FCL Style, $995.
Eudora Welty collection (another Welty reference!), Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Felder Rushing offers the most complete history I've seen. Most references suggest bottle trees began in the African Congo around the 9th Century AD as a means of capturing bad spirits and protecting the home. Felding's research suggests that bottle trees actually originated much earlier and farther North. African Slaves, "imported" to this country, brought this idea with them and the superstitious Southerners (I think mostly Southerners) adopted it. And he features a fabulous passage from Euroa Welty's Livvie short story on bottle trees.
Here is a nice example from At West End, a lovely catalog/website I recently discovered, for $29.
Napa Style has a few options that make use of one's own bottles. First, the plant nanny.
$20 at Napa Style
Not sure how I feel about those.
If you *must* do the whole wine bottle candle thing, this is a better option-
Vino Luminoso from Napa Style, $28.
If perhaps you have just that one special bottle, enlist the help of the Flat Bottle Co.
I'm still not sure I'm entirely convinced. What do you think?
-Emmie