Below I mentioned some of the artists who also had studios in the Vox Populi building in Philadelphia when I was there. One of them was Josh Shaffner. His studio was down the hall from mine, the one I probably visited most often, and I miss my daily encounters with him the most. For much of the day his door would be closed, so I longed for the times when it was cracked open and I could knock to come inside and see what he was working on, or just to talk. He's a very nice person, and really quite humble toward his stuff, which is unbelievable to me. Considering how badass it is.
It's strange. I can't really bring myself to comment on his work because it's always affected me so strongly. Even now, a year and a half since the last time I saw any of it up close, anything I could say about it would seem cheap. I remember fumbling for words when he asked my opinion of it, or even when he didn't. He kind of baffled me. But his work, it is beautiful, isn't it?
Here, read this interview.
I think of Josh from time to time because of a quiet little role he once played. Not long after I met Andrew (we met doing a show in Pittsburgh that summer,) I'd started feeling the "pull of mother nature" like crazy. One afternoon I sat on the stairwell of the warehouse having a cigarette and Josh came out to share one. I remember telling him, through some turn in the conversation or another, that I really wanted to have a baby. I don't remember the rest of our conversation, or much of his response, other than he listened quietly and seemed to be indifferent but curious all the same. I think I probably got a little too intimate at that moment, started going into why I wished I was pregnant, how the only thing stopping me from having a baby was money. And to be honest I'm not sure how many conversations Josh and I had after that, but there weren't many because a few weeks later I left my studio. How funny that something like a month later Andrew and I were pregnant. Aside from Andrew, he'd been the only person I'd told about my thoughts on having a kid, and sometimes I like to think he went back to his studio after that conversation and just hoped really hard for me that it would happen someday. I mean, I doubt that's what he did, but it's nice to pretend.
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A couple of years ago I rented a studio in center city Philly. In this fantastic warehouse that overlooked Chinatown were a couple floors of artist collectives, the Vox Populi art gallery, as well as freelance artists a few others smaller galleries. On my floor was, at the time, the Tiger Strikes Asteroid and AHN/VHS galleries, the studios of Girls Can Tell, and Josh Shaffner (featured in the post above). I felt really lucky to be among them.
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But the guy who leased our floor (the 4th floor) is a photographer named Jeffrey Stockbridge. His studio is the first you come across when getting off the elevator, is filled with enormous printers, tacked up prints of his work, a couple of couches, a pool table and a lot of desk space. He was there most weekdays working all day, when he wasn't in New York or someplace putting up a show.
I respect Jeff's work very much. Not long after I started my lease he lent me a book of his photographs of run down Philly homes. It was thick and the pages glossy and perfect, with his work coupled with images of notes and other personal artifacts he'd found in the mess of wherever the pictures were taken. I really loved that book.
He was a great guy to lease a studio from, and was super enthusiastic about hosting First Friday parties on our floor to showcase the work of the others as well as his own. When I was there I didn't produce any work that I was proud of, but I'm not ashamed of it because I spent my time happily looking at the work of everyone else. Like Jeff's:
I'm not sure what it's like on that floor now, who has left their studios, who has opened them, but I hope it's turned out to be a stellar supportive community of artists like he'd hoped. Check him and them out on First Friday gallery hops in Philadelphia at 319A N. 11th Street, just above Vox. Just prepare yourself for a sea of hipsters.
All images by Jeff Stockbridge
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my brother / me / my grandmother / my mother / don't know / don't know, but isn't it lovely?
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My neighbor runs this awesome traveling photo booth.
While she was out of town last week I ran it for her at a St. Patrick's Day party.
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[via]
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Jane Antoni, Butterfly Kisses, mascara on paper
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Identical Eye
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These are spreading across the Internet faster than fire. I'm so glad for it. They're stunning.
Not to cheapen it, but wouldn't these make a great inspiration for a new HBO series?
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Remember when you'd do well at school and get a sticker on your paper?
I remember we used to get these cards for spelling tests, and each time
you got a terrific score you'd get a sticker added to a row for that month -
at the end of the month, whoever had more than 5 stickers got an extra few
minutes of recess, or something like that. Then what? Eventually the card
got full, I'm sure, and then thrown away. Who ever saw those stickers again?
Well. Payton Turner made me so happy.
"Each wallpaper pattern is made up of thousands of hand-applied stickers, and can be removed and re-applied in any space."
Speaking of wallpaper...
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someone knows their child is cute, and I'm really glad they do.
photos by kotori kawashima
via Miss Moss
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by artquirk
And may we talk about how affordable these prints are? If you recall this was supposed to be a blog all about living on the cheap, and lately I've grown a bit fanciful with my posting -- sharing things much grander than my means (living in dreams I suppose) Well here you go, some artwork that even people like myself can buy on impulse without feeling like complete selfish shit for it. Boy, I love these.
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Do these not remind you a bit of Madeline ? If Madeline were a globe trotter.
A bit more romantic as well. Goodness, so pretty.
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oh, I just mentioned him below, but...
Photographer Zach Hyman on the road again for adventure hunt. I'm not sure, but I think 3rd Ward in Brooklyn will be tracking their progress a bit.
This is who he is with:
Photo from Glitterous, by Zach Hyman and Carrie Shaltz
This interview with him in May 2010 is actually nice. I like it.
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Can I re-choose my wedding ring?
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is actually and old friend of mine from my 17-year-old days. We were both small beans back then, and now he's ballooned into something New York Huge. He was even declared one of the New York Fashion Scene's Most Eligible Bachelors for 2010. You might also recognize him from MTVs The City. Or, if you're really, really cool, you'll recognize his work first.
Better article to follow regarding his natural climb to fame and his incredible project ideas.
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these amazing drawings are by Tali
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Joel Sternfeld__________
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1/17/11
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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ One of our goals for the upcoming year is to start collecting original pieces of art. Obviously this is nearly impossible when you're living paycheck to paycheck, but sometimes it's possible when you start small with prints of original work. Thank goodness for prints. That's as close as we're going to get for a long, long time. I'm going to start posting some pieces and featuring some artists that make dreams like this possible due to their unreasonably LOW prices. Anyway, for a start, these are some really lovely images. I'd like to have them. They were all done by Shira Sela, from Montreal in Quebec, Canada     via Shira's shop   |
| Tiny- Bird Print by Amber Alexander, Figs by Raceytay |
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| By Camilla Engman; 1. Hotelroom Traces; 2. The Karaoke Singers, visit her shop here, her site here, her blog here. |
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| via 1. Martha Stewart , 2. automatism |
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| via Desire to Inspire |
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| via Desire to Inspire |
