Naomi Pelletier's blog

Caleb Charland

I love these experiments by Portland photographer Caleb Charland. Looking for alternative ways to power his lights, he makes use of some odd and unexpected sources to generate electricity. Such as coins, vinegar and fruit. Colossal explains his passionate work ethic on the apples photograph.

"The apple photograph above involved a nearly 11-hour setup as he carefully hammered 300 zinc-coated galvanized nails into apples (zinc reacts with acid in the apples creating electricity, science!) and used copper wiring to transfer the current to a standard living room lamp. Even then, the light was so dim it required a 4-hour exposure during which Charland fended off ravenous deer through the night with an impromptu shaker made from a tin can and wire nuts."

www.colossal.com

So a little more complicated than Benjamin Franklin standing with a kite on a stormy night but like Ben Franklin they do raise questions about electricity. Maybe there's a little environmental message snuck in there about alternative energy. All I need is an orchard in my backyard and I'd be sweet.  

Yayoi Kusama- The Obliteration Room

 

I would have loved to have seen this exhibition at GOMA by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Starting with a white room that John Lennon would be proud to call his own. Over a series of weeks, little people were given the opportunity to stick brightly coloured dots over the perfectly white room. I would have loved to be there when the first dot was stuck. Thousands of dots were given out resulting in a piece that Kusama has called The Obliteration Room. To read more about the exhibition pop over here.

 

Ian Burns

I love the simplicity and complexity of this work by  Ian Burns. The light creating the letters is transformed through magnifying glasses. Sometimes the quietest moments take a lot of work.

Images from www.fecalface.com

Regine Ramseier

 

When you say the word dandelion I'm instatnly transported to my childhood self. Laying in the soft grass of my school oval and watching the delicate little seeds be swept up by a summer breeze. Whether this actually happened is hard to tell, that idealized image though makes me very fond of the dandelion and I think almost every child's first experience with blowing the delicate little fluffy seeds must be a magical one. Regine Ramseier has taken that feeling and times it by 2000. Her installation suspended 2000 dandelions from the roof of a gallery, as part of ArToll Summer Lab 2011. The images themselves are beautiful but it is amazing to imagine picking 2000 dandelions. I think walking through a field of dandelions would be pretty awesome in itself. After viewing this work and reminscining I was intrigue how Dandelions got their name, so I looked it up.

"The English name, dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion^[14] meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. "

 

The images below walk through her process of collection the delicate little lions tooth's.

Images are via www.thejealouscurator.com

Cinemagraph

 

I've written before about cinemagraph's and recently stumbled upon a few lovely photography's with tiny moving moments. They feel like little stories waiting for endings. I've been a fan of the gif in it's many forms for sometime have a look at my tumblr site. 

Thanks to Happiness is for these images.

 

I love an outdoor cinema at the best of times but a floating cinema has tipped me over the edge and it is all I can do to not abandon my family and fly to Thailand immediately! It's just too great. Ole Scheeren's cinema was originally designed for for the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Film Festival. It's floating in Nai Pi Lae Lagoon near Kudu Island.

I couldn't think of a better night out, except maybe some of Ole Scheeren previous projects. Such as, the Marfa Drive-In, which was a drive-in cinema in the desert of Texas. Being whisked away on a speed boat and arriving on a glowing platform, has many layers a magic.

It reminds me of my travels in Thailand and makes me homesick for my time living in Bangkok. The first time I travelled to Thailand in my early 20's, I stayed in a little hut on the island of  Koh Lanta at a place called 'The Sanctuary'. It had an honor system and when you arrived you got a little book with your name and room number on it. Anything you helped yourself to at the bar, you wrote in your book and at the end of your stay you payed your balance. I spent a lot of time laying in hammocks and drinking cold beer on low tables and woven mats. One night seemingly out of the blue, some of the guests brought out instruments and started playing. It was one of those perfect moments. The weather was soft, the world was quiet and the sounds of strings were slipping over my youthful soul. Something was said about them being from the Berlin Orchestra. I wonder about these little stories that slip back into my mind. I think about travelling back to these places but I don't want to spoil what is a perfect memory.

I think we need to keep an eye out for Ole Scheeren's  next project and create another little story to tuck in the memory box.

EYE-LIKEY

via eye-likey.blogspot.com.au

Casey Roberts a painter from Indianapolis discusses his work with Eye Likey. Very cool and unusual process, check it out here.

Salt Water Cure Art Print by Tina Crespo | Society6

via society6.com

My Father would wholeheartedly agree with this little quote. We grew up swimming and surfing on hot summer afternoons after the school bell had rung. It wouldn't matter what your ailment, his answer would always be, 'You need to swim in the ocean'. Usually this was true, although often it was the last thing you felt like doing. Diving into saltwater does seem to clear the mind. Water and it's healing properties is not new. Throughout literature there are references to the healing properties of water, the famous cathartic scene of King Lear in the storm, for example.

We are 60% water so it stands to reason that we have a connection with it. Appparently you can even make your drinking water 'Hado' by wrapping positive messages around your water bottle. Talking to it also has a positive effect. Saying things such as 'you rock' and 'your freakin' awesome' can make your water,well, happy. Who doesn't want happy water? According to Mindbridge:

'... water is capable of understanding, assimilating and adjusting to the language of feelings. Our bodies are largely water, so it stands to reason that if our feelings affect a glass or jar of water nearby, they certainly have an effect on the water within us and thus our own health.'

I'm not sure chatting to my water over breakfast is for me but I do think a swim in the ocean can go a step towards working out what ail's you. If you'd like this print on your wall go to Society 6 or if your after delving further into water conversations check out MindBridge.

 

 

Book by it's Cover

Book by it's Cover is a lovely website that loves lovely books. Above is a little taste of their comic book section. 

Book Buys: The Exquisite Book and Drawn in

 

I'm always on the look out for new books to adorn my shelves. I have been building my little library since I was a teenager. Two books that I would like to slide into my bookshelf, are 'The Exquisite book' and 'Drawn in'. Although these days most of my books end up being pulled out and thrown on the floor by my curious 10 month old, I'm willing to risk it.

The first is based on the Exquisite Corpse drawing game. One hundred indie artists having only seen the page of the artist immediately prior and using a single horizon line to connect the two, draws a page of the book.

The second is a exploration through various artists journals and how they use them. As a teacher the process of making stuff, fascinates me. Each of us finds our road to get to where we need to go. This is tricky in teaching as we often have to end up at the same place but need to get there on our own.