It is a great story. My friend John Petzinger emailed me to say he saw an ad on craigslist looking for artists. I replied to the ad and heard back, almost immediately, from Sense Nail Spa in the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. The salon had looked at images of work from Sweetie Boutique and B of A and asked if I would like to show some work in their space and of course I said yes. This happened so fast from the time John sent me the ad to the time I was showing them my work was only about 24 hours. I took in a couple Swarm Containers. When I got there Robert, the manager asked me if I could do an installation on their main wall behind the front desk. He told me there was a neurological conference arriving the next day and that over the next week about 10,000 neurological professionals from around the world would be coming through and hoped I could install it the next day: Friday.
Zanne was in China. I frantically inquired with Izzy’s main play date friends and all of them came back and said “sorry…..” It was too short notice. I called John. “Hey remember that ad you sent me…” It turned out John came to help me on Friday and Izzy went to run errands with his wife. Thank you so much you two. John took great shots of The Swarm going up and was a great help in prepping pieces for me. I ran out of steam just about the time the salon was closing and all parties involved decided I should finish on Saturday. Izzy would spend the afternoon with John and I would finish.
The Swarm wrapped its way through a corner and another and then around to the other side of the wall. It is not decorative, it does not blend in, it does command the space and grab attention both inside The Salon and through the glass windows. If you live in Seattle you should try to see one of the four installs that are currently up. They are all listed in this post.
Art can change your world.
It has been a while since I worked on this project, the Sporozoan Swarm is running me ragged. Before I began The Swarm I was working on a project in which I asked people to send me an item of clothing and I would modify it with The Sporozoan. I started out just screen printing the image on t-shirts and the like but then I started getting excited about sewing and began embroidering articles of clothing.
Katrina was very daring in sending me a dress and telling to me to go for it. I cut into it and added bits and pieces and did a lot of hand as well as machine embroidery to the dress. Now that I have finally seen the dress on her I am excited to breath some life back into this project. We shall see what the next few days bring in the life of The Sporozoan Embroidery project.
I decided that the sporozoan embroidery project needed to change a little so I started making a dress to embroider onto. It was a combination of a lot of things that brought me to this point. My new love of fashion was one one of them but even more so was just the feel of fabric. When I started to cut it and sew I felt passionate about it the same way I have felt about painting and printmaking. Now that I have cut the first pieces and begun to put it together I am more excited about it. I have made several drawings of articles of clothing I want to make and am working every night on constructing the dress.
Art changed my world.
Bjork’s new song “Declare Independence” declares we should make our own flag. This is a great song with a grinding and accelerating pace. Bjork has always intrigued me with her strong voice and flawless visual sense. I believe making your own flag is a statement of individuality in a culture where almost everyone wears someone else’s flag. Sporozoan is my flag. The symbol and the act of making it envelope me in my art and allows me to express points of views in subtle ways. Asking people to send me articles of clothing for me to embroider allows the sporozoan to spread in a fluid way.
Art can change our world.
This is my second custom embroidery. Katrina sent me this dress quite some time ago. I am not sure why it took so long. Maybe it was the 27 feet of snow that has fallen on this winter, or the renovation I am doing on the house, or the whatever. Those are all excuses. Art should always come first. I think it always does in my head but things like my basement flooding like it is right now get in the way. I guess you just have to say screw it I am making art instead of trying to build a dike.
The dress is hand and machine embroidered with a pink satin taffeta sewn into the back. I pinned the taffeta onto the inside of the dress and then cut pieces of the dress away as I finished embroidering in areas. For a long time while I was making it I didn’t like it but I guess that just reinforces that I should always trust my passion. The end result is really hot and more interesting than my shirt.
The sporozoan on my shirt is really big and I think that gives it more impact but Katrina’s dress is subtle and far more suggestive.
Whether it’s my mark or yours.
As long as it’s individual or is sui generis
Mass market is boring and predictable.
Corporate deadens the senses.
Matthew received his hankie yesterday and can’t decide if he should blow snot in it or not! Come on man its a hankie. Katrina sent me a dress this is a much larger challenge. Everyone get off your asses and make something.
Like the parasite it is, spreading 3000 miles to the unsuspecting. Matthew you think you can guilt me into doing work? Well it sort of worked I was embroidering the day you made the comment.
Matthew and I have remained friends through being three thousand miles away for the last six years and continue to chat art and encourage one another when needed. I am excited to receive the hanky and to embroider a sporozoan on it and even more excited to get a picture of Matthew blowing his nose with it.
