June 2007

extreme craft

by kath_red on June 30, 2007

Extreme Crafts 25 05 – 12 08 2007 at Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius Lithuania ::
the exhibition will completely embrace the spirit of the DIY movement–with major artworks, crackpot projects, and hands-on workshops (via Garth Johnson who I believe wrote the catalogue essay).

excerpt from introduction essay: (read the rest here)

Handicrafts are increasingly being used by artists and designers as a source of inspiration and method of manufacture. … Punk knitting, origami with an agenda and epic cross-stitch have surged in numbers. … Customisation is also experiencing a renaissance. Technology, perceived to be removed and sophisticated, is being re-attached to the user by the democratic ‘anyone-can-make-and-do‘ … self organised groups of artists and makers are creating forums for people to do it for themselves. … Crucial to Extreme Crafts is not only the product of craft, but the process of crafting: the gallery spaces will be activated by different groups invited to demonstrate their activities and importantly, visitors will be encouraged to participate.

Some of the participating artists include:

Sonya Schonberger is spending a week in the gallery space sewing an entire newspaper. The many hours of labour as the intensive sewing allows Schönberger to study the usually swiftly consumed media image.

Claudia Borgna’s accumulation of tightly folded plastic bags represents her relationship with discarded materials and the environment. Her installations are part of an ongoing observation and questioning of how ‘plastic’ and the natural realms interact with one another.

Catherine Bertola creates site-specific works with dust, skin cells, hair and dirt to recreate patterns and elements from times gone by. For this exhibition she has painted a pattern from a Lithuanian domestic interior with dust and has revived the endeavours of a previous artisan, in the stark Modernist halls of the exhibition space, acknowledging the history of the site which was once home to bustling shops and domiciles.

Tyre printing with Refunc and Garbage Architecture by Refunc / Jan Korbes

Jan Körbes from the Netherlands takes disused objects to create interiors, research projects and workshops based on recovered waste materials. The curators of this exhibition challenged him to find furniture solutions for the exhibition spaces. Employing the help of a team of local people, Körbes set about creating strange amalgams from objects which would ordinarily be discarded and considered useless such as bald car tyres, old sofas and bits of metal and wood.

The exhibition also includes community events and workshops (see timetable for more details) such as a knitting marathon, the second hand clothes remix and the refunc garbage challenge,

See more images at flickr and see the exhibition timetable here – if anyone is going to this – would love to hear about it.

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whiplash – introduce your craft #1

by kath_red on June 29, 2007

in Whiplash

Thanks all for introducing your craft at the whiplash page. Lots of time left for anyone else to introduce yourself and meet some like minded folk. You can upload a link for a tutorial or showcase – but remember please don’t upload links to items that are for sale. I will be featuring more entries next week.

Abmatic is making baby rugs/blankets/playmats and has a simple how-to do it if are interested in making these yourself.

crafty ginger is doing some perfunctional crafting – her word, it means taking an item that might be a little bland, and making it perfect for her (or your) needs. Love it!

Hey lucy has a neat little tutorial for making a simple booklet.

Ruby crowned kinglet has a video tutorial – with music – on how to make some gorgeous covered buttons. – pics too if the video is not working for you.

U-handbag has one of her fab tutes on making a bag – this time with piping.

Hanne has been doing up deck chairs – love the results

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cut out + keep: online mag

by kath_red on June 28, 2007

in Resources

Check out website/online mag Cut out and keep – the fabric ball necklace tutorial is cool, sock gloves and magazine sushi.

The site is run by Cat Morley – she says: This is a website that teaches anyone, of any skill or age, how to craft and live creatively. All of the DIY projects are made from common household items and the step by step photo tutorials will teach anyone how to be a skilled crafter in no time.

Love this great way to organise your fabric stash

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Book recommendations: beads, paints and scrapbooking

by kath_red on June 27, 2007

in Books

The adventurous scrapbooker: creating wonderful scrapbooks from almost anything, by Katherine Duncan Aimone. 2006 Lark Books.

I like this scrapbooking book because it is about using what you have or can find, not about purchasing expensive papers and accessories (although there are some cute products out there I will admit), however this book is really about using your creative side to make your own designs and using unusual materials, to step outside the traditional scrapbooking box and be an adventurous scrapbooker. There are lots of great projects in the book that utilise interesting materials, such as using a children’s board book as a base with vintage ephemera, maps and fabric swatches. Using an old book as a base and embellishments like index tabs and photocopied photos. Using mail order catalogues with lace and torn papers and maps. Another great idea is to bind vintage postcards together to make an album to use as a starting point. There are heaps of other great projects that will really get your creative energies going.

Acrylic revolution: new tricks & techniques for working with the world’s most versatile medium, by Nancy Reyner. 2007 North Light Books.

A wonderful resource for the budding artist, student or anyone wishing to experiment with acrylic paint. Chapters on what to paint onto, and with, various base treatments and effects and textures to incorporate as well as mixed media and stenciling. Chapter one for example – ‘you can paint on anything’ shows the more traditional materials such as wood, canvas and paper together with fabric, metal and glass with advice on how to treat the materials before using them. Each chapter is similarly explained all with excellent and really I mean excellent pictures and examples of the techniques in use and finished examples too. A great resource for classes, artists and families.

The art of beaded beads: Exploring design, color and technique, edited by Jean Campbell. 2006 Lark Books.

Creative designs and techniques from top beadwork artists. A tribute to the art of beading, this book is both a technical guide and a project based book with designs by various artists who show the reader how to achieve and make their designs. Some gorgeous examples include the crisscross bead by Sharon Bateman, which is shaped like a cross. The lava lamp bead, designed by Wendy Ellsworth has a really unusual tube shape that slightly flares out. This book is totally for the beading enthusiast with a pretty good skill level.

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