Fiber Artist

I’m not necessarily a follower of fiber artists, I think few are, but ever since coming face to face with a huge off white piece by renowned artist Sheila Hicks at the Cooper Hewitt, I’ve becoming more and more intrigued by her work every day. So much inspiration can be taken from her use of color to her international influences (she studied and traveled to Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Chile, and back north to Mexico when she began her foray into textiles).

From her tiny and precious miniatures to the monumental installations, her work is as fresh and innovative today as it was when she began decades ago. I could easily see her oeuvre inspiring fashion today. Her work is almost primitive, whimsical and very handmade while still seeming very sophisticated and enlightened.

As a woman, Hicks has always been respected and admired. She is known as an encouraging and helpful mentor and really made her own way in a medium not yet fully recognized in the art world during a time where it was hard enough just to be a female artist in a male dominated field.

As I discovered in this 2006 article she is still working at the age of 72 and is still finding inspiration from the wide world- this time the island Ouessant. While her life has been spent traveling and she continues to split her time between Paris, New York and Tokyo, she began as a nice Midwestern girl who has since counted consultant, teacher, publisher, and artist among her professions.

While unfortunately the publication she edited for a short time: American Fabrics and Fashion is pretty difficult to find, a lot of her work is online for your viewing pleasure. Be prepared to want to find thick, makeshift, patch worked and beautifully colored scarves or jackets. Also be prepared to sadly not find anything quite like it to add to your wardrobe.

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Posted on December 28, 2008

Pop Artist

Life can be very unfair and very, very sad. I fist heard of the name Nagi Noda, a thirty five year old Japanese pop artist and all around amazing person, when I read an article about her death. Surgical complications after a car accident cut short a prolific, inventive, electrifying, and diverse career.

A well of imaginative and fun ideas, her works have included a collection of fantastic hair hats, bizarrely cool over-sized half panda/ half other animal costumes called Hanipanda, a collaborative fashion line with artist Mark Ryden called Broken Label, music videos for The Scissor Sisters and Yuki, this awesome poodle exercise video, this Coca Cola commercial, and a brilliant project called Horror Caf? – an actual caf? she opened that served funny, Halloween themed food and had customers sit in coffin chairs.

She was lovely and I am sad the world has lost such a unique artist and voice. Truly awesome to the end she passed away “in her Mark Ryden dress, Chanel boots, perfect make-up with Viktor & Rolf lace black eye lashes.”

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Posted on September 15, 2008

Poster Designer

I have been a huge fan of Leia Bell for years. Back when I was doing gig posters, I always looked forward to her additions to Gigposters.com. She has a unique, quirky style that is instantly recognizable and beautifully captures people in small mundane moments. Lately she seems to be focusing on animals in her bold illustrations rather than humans, but her snapshot like posters like this, this, and this are still my favorite.

Bell lives in Utah with her husband and three sons. There she runs a music venue and a print studio while continuing to inspire the world with her individualist vision. You can share that vision with the world by purchasing one of her lovely new t-shirts on her site.

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Posted on March 24, 2008