Re-Making the Everyday

Livia Marin, Ficciones de un uso, 2004. 2,214 lipsticks, each one sculpted to a unique shape.

I finally had a chance to see Manuf®actured: The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects. Locals, be sure and get to this show – it’s amazing. Non-locals, you can experience some of it via the excellent show website.

The whole concept involves makers who take manufactured materials (like zippers, lipsticks, and printed tins) and transform them into art. Call me odd, but this kind of work excites me way more than any pristine Fine Craft glass vase or wooden bowl.

Harriete Estel Berman, Consuming Conversation, 2001–04. Printed tins, cut and shaped.

. . . Not that I’m dissing traditional craft. I just love the surprises inherent in looking at everyday things differently. When I look at a beautiful handmade vase, it’s lovely, but leaves me a bit cold. Seeing these teacups made of metal tins, however, makes my fingers itch to deconstruct and reconstruct stuff around me.

Laura Splan, Trousseau (Negligee #1), 2007. Machine embroidery on cosmetic facial peel.

It struck me that quite a few of these creators have been featured in CRAFT Magazine, so it was super cool to see their work in person – like Laura Splan’s meticulous Trousseau, made from her own peeled skin.

So again, take a look at the show website, and be inspired.