Tag Archives: string

The Silk Vortices of Akiko Ikeuchi

(click images for detail)

I am thrilled to share with you the work of Japanese artist Akiko Ikeuchi. Born in Tokyo in 1964, Akiko received a doctorate in painting from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. For over two decades she has been hanging her delicately crafted string sculptures in galleries around Japan, Korea, and New York. The installations are constructed from extremely delicate silk threads, and despite the chaotic appearance of the knotted webs Akiko plans each work as an architect would plan a building with precision blueprints that involve a complex internal framework. The resulting works evoke powerful forces of nature: tornadoes, whirlpools, and perhaps even galaxies themselves.

See an extensive archive of Akiko’s work at her web site, and if you want to see it in person visit the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo where she has work on display through May 8.

Paper Mt. Hood

This paper installation of Mt. Hood by Marisa Green and Peter Bogart was on display at Portland Paper City last month, held at Disjecta Gallery. Beautiful. And they didn’t even have to put a bird on it. See also Jed Heuer’s Paper Pendleton from the same show. Photos by Laura Jennings.

By Christopher on April 7, 2011 • chromatic colors geometric installation paper sculpture string

Jo Hamilton’s Crochet Portraits

Jo Hamiltons Crochet Portraits string portraits crochet

Artist Jo Hamilton crochets elaborate portraits using layers of colored yarn. (via beautiful decay)

By Christopher on April 5, 2011 • crochet portraits string

Computer effects without the computer

Computer effects without the computer string light computers

A new video from Denmark-based Lasse Andersen and Rune Brink of Dark Matters uses lights, string, and other tricks to simulate computer special effects. I absolutely love this.

By Christopher on April 4, 2011 • computers light string

Clark Goolsby

New work from artist Clark Goolsby for his solo show Strange/Love, at POVevolving Gallery in Los Angeles last month. Here’s a short video showing how he installed the larger piece, Dead Man.

By Christopher on March 15, 2011 • body sculpture string

HOT TEA

HOT TEA yarn bombing string street art graffiti

Work from Minneapolis street art duo HOTTEA, who decided to explore alternate avenues of guerilla art after being arrested for spray-paint graffiti. Via mplsart.com:

The HOTTEA project developed after a trip to jail, but it was also heavily inspired by past experiences: A grandmother teaching the skill of knitting, anti-gay bullying from kids at school, and, most importantly, the relationships that that were developed along the way — negative, or positive. HOTTEA explains, “The HOTTEA project embodies the similarities and differences in all of us. I wanted to base the project off an idea that had room for growth. We are always growing as people and the dynamic between people gives endless possibilities.”

See more of their yarn bombing work on Flickr. (via unurth)

By Christopher on March 10, 2011 • graffiti street art string yarn bombing

Martin Pyper: Pins and Needles

Martin Pyper: Pins and Needles typography string process multiples

I’m thrilled to share the work of graphic designer Martin Pyper with you. Martin runs a small, award-winning design studio in Amsterdam called mestudio where design, craft, and time-consuming repetition converge to create incredible typographic layouts. I couldn’t imagine how much time these projects consume so I shot a quick email to Martin. As it turns out some work like the “Frontiers of Reality” stop motion clip can take up to a week to complete (though he had to repeat it at a larger scale), while he was able to do the “Boring” type using hundreds of steel pins in just two days.

The fact that it is all so time consuming is precisely the point; it is a perfect antidote to the crazy deadlines and usual design work I do sitting behind the Mac, this stuff slows me down, makes me think about materials, the structure, feeling and way type works in the real physical world, back to the roots of typography before the digital age, but also combined with the digital age.

Pyper’s work isn’t limited to kite string and steel pins though. He has also chosen as a medium sugar cubes, playing cards, and laser-cut paper. Thanks for sharing Martin!

By Christopher on February 21, 2011 • multiples process string typography

Curvestitch Typography

Curvestitch Typography typography string fonts abecedarian

A great typography experiment by Thom Isom as part of his last university project at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Curve-stitch typography created for my final major university project entitled Ludd in April 2010. A range of installations and experiments based around the materials and techniques of arts and crafts. The typeface has been created in both digital and crafted formats with each letter nailed and threaded through 26 separate A4 boards.

(via typography served)