Banksy Art Attack

Found another great Banksy piece on the web... the caption alone might just make it one of my favorites.

New York's "Sidewalk Catwalk", Mannequin Street Art on Broadway

Stumbling around the hot and humid garment district in New York City, I ran into some great mannequin art. Delightful to find this street art plopped down amidst the hordes of tourists and NY walkers.
The "Sidewalk Catwalk" project asked  25-30 designers to create a mannequin in their style, but using materials that will hold up to the elements. The materials also had to be found and produced locally. The mannequins will remain lined up on the pedestrian mall from Herald Square to Times Square through Sept. 3, like a really long runway show frozen in place. They will be sold through an auction at sidewalk-catwalk.com to benefit Materials for the Arts. Part of the idea was to showcase the design work that still happens within the garment district, which has been hurt, since its historic core of manufacturing jobs largely disappeared. Most companies now produce their clothes elsewhere, like China, taking much needed funds and jobs from the local area. 
I really loved the dress made out of a real parachute by Victor Alfaro, as well as the pink Betsy Johnson with the fresh flower belt.

For more pics and videos:
http://www.sidewalk-catwalk.com/index.htm
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2010/06/21/2010-06-21_diane_von_furstenberg_betsey_johnson_and_tommy_hilfiger_descend_on_broadways_sid.html

Interview With Artist Ewelina Ferruso

Peace in the Garden

An Eclectix interview with another fabulous artist - the beautiful and dreamy Ewelina.

Check out the whole enchilada here.

Pete Glover's "Junk Pirate" at Compound Gallery

Dropped into Pete's show's opening night and was so glad I did. The exhibit is a collection of collections, of thrift store and found objects. Originally, I was pretty skeptical about seeing the show; although I love vintage memorabilia and "junk" as much as the next gurl, I thought it might just be a let down.
Boy, was I wrong. Pete's editing, eye, sense of aesthetic and juxtaposition were top notch. The presentation and placement of the pieces were really well thought out, not to mention the actual "junk" itself. An overall symbiotic sense of America and it's surreal waste pervaded the exhibit. Each selection made sense and flowed nicely from one to another.  Some were bunches of the same thing, like old chess pieces and some were single items, spotlighted for their unusual (or just usual) specialness. Cast out photos, bizarre in their flavor, spoke loudly to my own personal sense of the strange and beautiful. The arrangement of multiple items was artistically perfect, unique to itself. Old View-Master disks were sensibly displayed on top of a wall mounted light box.

Next to a collection of plastic ray guns and then an vintage ad, the eclectic choices were all engrossing. In one piece, he took those crusty frosting cake letters you can buy and mounted them in a phrase- "The Romance of the Fungus World". How perfect is that?

Off the wall, symbolic, fun, nostalgic, beautiful and weird - this exhibit is a must see. Words and pictures cannot begin to touch on the wondrous variety of the presentation, no way can you judge this book by it's cover! Pete has a sympatico mindset to the unreal reality of consumption, a sarcastic wit, a sensitivity to the frailty of human mortality and a keen eye. All of which enable new visions of art and commentary, where once before it was just a bunch of old dice. Don't miss this show!

Pete, caught triple fisted!

Exhibit dates: (May 29-July 4, 2010)

Compound Gallery

Pete Glover's Website 

Laurie Hassold's "Bone Hut" Art

Just posted a question and answer with wonder woman Laurie on her newest art for the upcoming Art Shack show in Laguna. She also supplied some great in-progress shots of the bony abode.

For it all go here.

Paper House Art

Check out this fun house made out of paper and cardboard by Don Lucho.
At Flavorwire.

Modern Eden Grand Opening This Saturday

Date:	Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time:	6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	Modern Eden
Street:	403 Francisco Street
City/Town:	San Francisco, CA

Crystal Morey's Wounded and Wonderful Clay World

Crystal Morey's ceramic work is delicately moving, graceful yet forceful; artwork that makes a statement without hitting you over the head with it. Subtle, sensuous curves that make you want to caress the dusty clay, combine to form a message about losses to our environment and/or hearts. Eclectix visited her studio at the last First Fridays in Oakland's Compound Gallery. Poked the camera around once again to capture the great Morey vibe, art supplies and personal touch. Very happy to spot a number of beautiful new sculptures, inspired by flora and fauna. The next issue of Eclectix is concentrating on this theme and will feature some of her works in it - but for now, just enjoy a little look at her porcelain world, inspired, completed and in-progress.

Crystal's Site

Open Studios With Katie McCann

Stopped in to see Katie's little studio space crammed full of her intriguing collage menagerie. It was quite crowded with interested folks all taking a look around. Her works are very reasonable, a steal in fact, and the Victorian flavor is wonderful.

She has a few walls of her "bug ladies" available and has quite a few more up at a show in Emeryville at Asia Art Now. Our camera poked around and came up with these personal details to share.

Katie is having her open studio this week-end and next week-end as well. June 5th & 6th, 11am-6pm and June 12th & 13th, 11am-6pm

Related Eclectix posts: Entomology

"The Dark Between A Double Rainbow" Exhibit, Alternative Cafe

Visited the Alternative Cafe down in Seaside (by Monterey)- finally! Been wanting to trek down there ever since noticing the newbrow art shows they have been having. Josh, at CreepMachine, turned me onto AC by curating some killer shows there. It is a nice space, not real big, but with a cafe and some definite sound equipment for events. The owner- Scott, was friendly and forth coming, chatting about his artful endeavors including the construction and design of the deco style coffee bar. 

The current exhibit is The Dark Between A Double Rainbow, with art by Jon Carling, Chloe Wilson, and Kai Peter Martin. The inked works by Jon Carling were very special. Fun little escapades of people and animals, drawn and painted on found vintage papers. He has an affinity for bird imagery, which is an added bonus. A nice body of work reminding me a little of Edward Gorey.

Also liked some of the works by Chloe Wilson, a series based on the obituaries, portraits of the recently departed. She seemed to have given them life again, whether adding her own projected personality to them or trying to depict their real lives. Great little idea for a series.

In the cafe area was a mini-exhibit of mailed-in art, including an actual clothespin with the postage and address squeezed on it. A collage postcard (above), was the stand out piece.

Next time you are in the area, stop in to support this gallery, the Bay Area needs newbrow venues! And this seems to be the only space in the area, that isn't over-flowing with the same old Carmel seascapes.

Alternative Cafe Link