Wednesday, August 13, 2008

INSPIRATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN FINE ARTIST: THIS SPIRIT QUEST POST IS DEDICATED TO MY SISTER ADRIENNE BAILEY'S SPEEDY RECOVERY (STRONG MEDICINE)

THESE POWERFUL NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST WERE PART OF A EXHIBIT IN NEW YORK THAT I MISSED,.. TITLED "OFF THE MAP": LANDSCAPE IN THE NATIVE IMAGINATION....VERY INSPIRING WORK.

CARLOS JACANAMIJOY
The large-scale expressionistic paintings of Carlos Jacanamijoy (Inga, b. 1964) offer a surrealistic vision of his interior landscape. His work is informed as much by his memories of the colors, light, and sound of the tropical rainforest of southwestern Colombia as by the urban cityscape of his new home in Brooklyn, New York.

“In Brooklyn, I see from the window of my studio the front of an old brick building bathed by the light of the sun, and a few formless shadows which, in an endless movement, creep in a row like animals on a thick horizontal line. Here, the roar of the subway or the incessant traffic of cars and pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge, projected by the sun, is right in front of me, through my window. In the same way, I remember listening, among lights and shadows, to the cacophony of animals during an overwhelming night in the middle of the jungle. My inspiration is, on one side, my experiences in my studio, on the other, a succession of memories of the jungle in Putumayo. It is this constant trail of memory and dreams passing by in my mind when I am in front of that other window: the empty canvas.”

—Carlos Jacanamijoy, 2006

Dibujo, 2005, Oil on canvas, 160 x 201 cm. Collection of the artist

Arbol Rojo, 2004, Oil on canvas, 150 x 170 cm. Collection of Ernesto Khoutari

Luz, 2006, Oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm. Collection of the artist

Bordear, 2005, Oil on canvas, Each panel: 230 x 160 cm. Collection of the artist

JEFFREY GIBSON

In 2004, painter and installation artist Jeffrey Gibson (Choctaw/Cherokee, b. 1972) began creating fantastical landscapes using layers of intensely colored marks, glossy and transparent pours, and his signature pigmented silicone. The environment he has created and explored with his work in the last few years reveals a narrative of emergence into a utopian state, which will lead, inevitably, to corruption and collapse.

“Utopia was important for me to envision and relates to my being Native American and having grown up solely in a Western consumer culture. My desire to act out the role of an explorer depicting an inviting landscape, via painting and specimen retrieval, was a reaction to Native tribes’ being consistently described as part of a nostalgic and romantic vision of pre-colonized Indian life. The aesthetic of these paintings and sculptures came from turn-of-the-century Iroquois whimsies, contemporary and historic powwow regalia, cultural adornment of non-Western cultures, techno rave and club culture, and earlier utopian models.”

—Jeffrey Gibson, 2006

Camouflage, 2004, Oil and pigmented silicone on wood, 79 x 76 cm., Collection of Camilio Alvarez and Alexandra Cherubini

The First Principle, 2004, Oil and pigmented silicone on wood, 117 x 142 cm. Collection of the artist

Unconscious Potencies, 2005, Oil and pigmented silicone on wood, 150 x 122 cm. Collection of the artist

Natura Non Facit Saltum, 2005, Oil and pigmented silicone on wood, 150 x 122 cm. Collection of the artist

Though self-taught artist James Lavadour (Walla Walla, b. 1951) is known primarily as a landscape painter, in the 1970s he also began to work extensively on a series of monochromatic abstract paintings, which he refers to as his Interiors. In 2000 he merged this parallel series with his landscapes; his recent paintings, such as Wall (2006), exemplify this complex, nuanced work.

“I am acutely aware of the surface of the canvas and every detail of what is happening in the paint. The images that I see in the paint are memories of my living life, a vision of the minutiae of experiences stimulated by looking into paint. I know that it is a hair’s breadth of difference, but it is important to me as I am only now beginning to understand how a painting functions. A painting is a footprint of a great informative event. It is concrete evidence of unseen processes, that stuff that exists beyond our limited perceptions of time and space. A painting seems to connect into the circuitry of the world both geologically and perceptually.”

—James Lavadour, 2006

Up Draft, 2006, Oil on board, 122 x 152 x 5 cm., Collection of Ernest C. Swigert and Nate Overmeyer

Wall, 2006, Oil on board, 122 x 152 x 5 cm. Collection of Ernest C. Swigert and Nate Overmeyer

Looking Back, 2005, Oil on board, 91 x 122 x 5 cm., Collection of Atwater Place,, Portland, OR

INTRODUCTION TO "OFF THE MAP: LANDSCAPE IN THE NATIVE IMAGINATION
The relationship of Native people to place, historically and metaphysically, is well-documented by scholars and expressed at length in the visual and literary arts. Indeed, this relationship to “the land” is often cited as the very root of our indigeneity. Geography has shaped and defined Native cultures, literally and conceptually, over countless generations. Many of our origin stories and understanding of the universe relate to geographical features in the landscape, and the material culture of each community is based on the natural environment of our homelands. For more than 500 years, land has also been a site and source of conflict and struggle with outsiders—be they non-Indian settlers seeking farmland, or commercial enterprises eager to exploit natural resources. As a subject for Native artists, then, the land/landscape is laden with history and expectation. Land is home, culture, and identity, but it also represents violence, isolation, and loss.

The artists in Off the Map all use the landscape as both muse and subject, but none seek to represent a specific place you can locate in a guidebook or on a map. All landscapes, despite their intentions, are imaginary constructs, and these artists make no attempt to literally depict a specific place and time. For Emmi Whitehorse landscape is an ethereal place of memory, suffused with impressions of land and water through smell, touch, and light. James Lavadour equates walking over the hills and mountains of his home community on the Umatilla Indian Reservation with the movement of his hand across the surface of his paintings. Carlos Jacanamijoy’s vivid landscapes embody creation and the transformative Putamayo jungle of Colombia through abstractions of color and light. Jeffrey Gibson creates his landscapes as an anti-colonialist act that defines his Native identity, warts and all. Erica Lord explores the liminal space that exists between her identities and homes, a world not fixed in time or place. Together, their work embodies the longing and emotion, connection to and detachment from the land that are universal to contemporary Native experience.

—Kathleen Ash-Milby (Navajo), Curator


OFF THE MAP: LANDSCAPE IN THE NATIVE IMAGINATION

As a subject for Native artists, the landscape is laden with history and expectation. Land is home, culture, and identity, but it also represents violence, isolation, and loss. In strikingly beautiful images and insightful essays, Off the Map: Landscape in the Native Imagination explores the complex relationship between Native art and the representation of landscape, seen through the art of James Lavadour, Jeffrey Gibson, Carlos Jacanamijoy, Emmi Whitehorse, and Erica Lord. Together, their work embodies the longing and emotion, connection to and detachment from the land that are universal to contemporary Native experience.
Specifications
88 pp; 92 color images; 8 ½ x 11 in.
ISBN-13: 978-1-933565-08-8

Pricing
$15.96 (NMAI Members)
$17.96 (Smithsonian Members)
$19.95 (Non-Members)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

MARSHALL E. PURNELL, FAIA: INAUGURATED 84th PRESIDENT & 1st AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHETECTS IN 2008


Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA, a principal at Devrouax + Purnell Architects and Planners PC in Washington, D.C., was inaugurated as the 84th president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during ceremonies held on December 15th 2007. He succeeds RK Stewart, FAIA, and will represent the more than 83,000 AIA members in the coming year. Purnell was elected at the AIA 2006 annual convention in Los Angeles, and has served as AIA first vice president this past year.

His inaugural speech highlighted the need for collaboration among design professionals, developers and politicians to best address challenges such as urban sprawl, deteriorating schools, affordable housing, transportation infrastructure and public health, safety and welfare with a sustainable perspective. He also called for forging stronger alliances with professional organizations, community leaders and product manufacturers to further common causes.

Purnell added, “We have to take a serious look at who we are as well as the rising generations of young women and men in this country who would and could and should consider architecture as a profession. We must be more representative of the society we seek to serve. We must actively, creatively and with an unshakable commitment to succeed, pursue this diverse representation. We must pursue it not simply as a moral, but a professional imperative.”

Noteworthy projects that his firm has designed include the Washington Nationals baseball team Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. Convention Center, Martin Luther King Memorial, MCI Center (now Verizon Center) and PEPCO headquarters.

Purnell's leadership within the AIA has spanned several years having served as Mid-Atlantic Regional Director from 2003-2006, as well as serving as president of AIA / Washington, D.C. in 2003. His contributions to the architectural profession were recognized with his investiture in the American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows in 1991.

About The American Institute of Architects
For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge, and tools to create better design, and through such resources and access, they help clients and communities make their visions real. www.aia.org

Monday, August 11, 2008

PIONEER AFRICAN AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER: CHARLES HARRISON, WINNER OF COOPER HEWITT'S 2008 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

"I HAVE DISCOVERED, IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO FIND A NEW INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE.... THIS BOOK ABOUT CHARLES HARRISON,.. A PIONEER AFRICAN AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER, IS A MUST READ,... A HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION OF A AFRICAN-AMERICANS CONTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

THIS BOOK "A LIFE'S DESIGN" SHOULD BE IN EVERY HOUSEHOLDS LIBRARY IN AMERICA... I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS STUDYING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AT PRATT INSTITUTE."

XENOBIA BAILEY: FIBER ARTIST/CULTURAL ACTIVIST


Charles Harrison, an industrial designer at Sears, Roebuck & Company for more than three decades, improved the quality of life of millions of Americans through the extraordinary breadth and innovation of his product designs. One of the first African Americans to enter the design field, Harrison began working for Sears in 1961 and eventually became the company’s Chief Designer. During his distinguished career, Harrison maintained an unwavering commitment to the needs of the average consumer, creating an astonishing 750 products—from radios and sewing machines to hair dryers—for nearly every area of the home. Among his most iconic designs are the first-of-its-kind plastic garbage can, a lighter, more durable alternative to its metal counterpart; and a redesign of the now classic View-Master. Harrison currently teaches design at Columbia College in Chicago.

The View-Master is one good reason the American product designer, Charles 'Chuck' Harrison [b 1931] won the Cooper Hewitt's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Harrison, an industrial designer at Sears, Roebuck and Company for more than 30 years, produced at least 750 designs for pretty much any gadget you might care for or need in the home from radios and hairdryers to sewing machines, power tools, toasters and – his favourite – the first plastic rubbish bins. 'No more clang-clang of metal before breakfast', he says. He currently teaches design at Columbia College, Chicago.

Charles Harrison. Garbage Can. 1963. Manufacturer: GaTX, Michigan City, IN. Designed for Sears Roebuck & Company, Chicago, IL. Photo: Charles Harrison

Hard Bonnet Tabletop Hair Dryer (before (l) and after). Sears Roebuck & Company. 1977. Photo: Charles Harrison.

Compact Sewing Machine and Carrying Case. Charles Harrision (USA), Ted Nishigami (Japan) and Kenneth Grange (UK). Manufactured for Sears Roebuck &

Harrison's ascent from his birthplace in Shreveport, Louisiana to his becoming the first African American executive at Sears, Roebuck and Co, was a long but not altogether slow one. Talent will out, and he was in an executive position by the age of 30. His story is told, with plenty of enjoyable illustrations, in his biography A Life's Design.

About A Life's Design
Designs by Chuck Harrison not only reflected our changing lives, they often drove the transformation itself that took place in the American home and workplace during the era following World War II through the mid-1980s.
Retired from both professional design and teaching, Harrison is currently speaking on his life's work and passion as captured in this insightful memoir.

A Life's Design chronicles the life, career and the emergent philosophy of Charles "Chuck" Harrison, one the most prolific and respected industrial designers of his time, an influencer on style and design today, and a pioneer as the first African American executive ever hired by Sears Roebuck & Company.
"The range of design projects that Harrison completed in his career was quite remarkable," writes Professor Noel Mayo, Department of Design at Ohio State University. "This book will be very helpful to designers, historians, design educators and students around the world."

Harrison's inspirational life, his timeless approach to design and his passion for inspiring others with humor, insight and humility provide a story worth hearing.

"In this inspiring story of adversity and achievement, Harrison blends heart-warming personal detail with a straightforward description of his work as an industrial designer," comments Victoria Matranga, Design Programs coordinator for the International Housewares Association.

Life Changing Design
MY LIFE’S WORK
Over the course of my career, I’ve been involved with the creation of almost all areas of household products. Below is just a short listing of the many products I’ve designed.


• 35mm cameras
• AM-FM radios
• baby cribs
• back massagers
• barber chairs
• bicycles
• binoculars
• blenders
• calculators
• can openers
• cassette recorders
• circulating heaters
• clothes hampers
• compact whirlpools
• cordless shavers
• dinette sets
• electric portable mixers
• electric scissors
• electric toothbrushes
• electric wall clocks
• fishing equipment
• fondue pots
• hearing aids
• hedge clippers
• insoles for shoes
• kitchen appliances
• kitchen ranges
• makeup mirrors
• manicure tools
• paint brushes
• coffee percolators
• phonographs
• portable bars
• portable hair dryers
• riding lawn mowers
• shoe buffers
• sleds
• soda fountains
• sprinklers
• storm doors
• telephones
• television sets
• toasters
• tractors
• waffle irons
• wall unit shelving
• wet mops
• window guards
• wooden desks

Sunday, August 10, 2008

PORTIONS OF THE (RE) POSSESSED EXHIBIT: PUBLIC OPENING, FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM, BROCKTON MASS. AUGUST 10, 2008-MARCH 8, 2009


THE MOST AMAZING FORMATION OF STORM CLOUDS WERE IN THE BOSTON SKY AS MARY FROM THE FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM AND I WERE RIDING FROM THE AMTRAK TRAIN STATION IN BOSTON, ON OUR WAY TO THE OPENING MY THE EXHIBIT PORTIONS OF THE (RE) POSSESSED.

I WISH I COULD HAVE WATCH HOW THESE BEAUTIFUL FLUFFY WHITE CLOUDS SLOWLY CHANGED INTO DARK RAIN CLOUDS WITH THUNDER AND LIGHTNING... WHAT I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE WAS MAJESTIC.




















AFTER I WAS PICKED UP BY MARY AT THE TRAIN STATION, ON THE WAY TO THE FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM, MARY WAS SO VERY KIND TO TAKE ME TO THE WALMART SUPER STORE TO GET SOME YARN TO CROCHET ON MY WAY BACK TO NEW YORK, AND TO LOOK AT WHAT BLACK BARBIE DOLLS THEY HAD IN THE STORE.


THEN MARY DROVE ME OVER TO A WONDERFUL THRIFT STORE, AND THIS IS WERE I FOUND A CARDBOARD BOX FULL OF SECONDHAND NAKED BARBIE DOLLS. THIS WAS A VERY INSPIRING FIND,... I DID NOT FIND VERY MANY BLACK BARBIES,... BUT NOW I'M ON THE LOOK OUT FOR THEM IN THE THRIFT STORES ACROSS AMERICA.... YES,... YOU WILL BE SEEING SOME FUNKY SECONDHAND BROWN SKIN BARBIE DOLLS WITH CHIC COLORFUL CROCHET OUTFITS, SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE,... MARK MY WORD ON THIS ONE.... THANKS MARY!!!

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE MUSEUM FOR THE PUBLIC OPENING OF PORTIONS OF THE (RE) POSSESSED


THIS IS MRS KAUFMAN... WE MEET ON THE AMTRAK TRAIN COMING INTO BOSTON, SHE'S A RETIRED HISTORY TEACHER, WE HAD A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION ON OUR WAY INTO BOSTON... HER AND HER HUSBAND CAME TO THE EXHIBIT OPENING, I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE THEM....

THE MOON SIDE OT THE EXHIBIT

THE SUN SIDE OF THE EXHIBIT