couchprojects

Top: Architects Thierry W. Despont and Richard Meier discuss the pros and cons of carpet in art galleries. Clip taken from Concert of Wills–Making the Getty Center.

Bottom: Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Gerrard in Talladega Nights.

As my boyfriend noted, Talladega Nights–The Ballad of Ricky Bobby has become my family’s It’s a Wonderful Life at the holidays. Over the past three Christmases, we have seen the Will Ferrell Nascar movie five times, and my parents own two copies. Our familiarity with the material had us cracking up during the recent MoMA screening of Concert of Wills. Perhaps you have to experience the tension of the movie to find the humor in the above comparison.

For anyone who has struggled with design-by-committee and/or control freaks, I highly recommend this documentary about the making of the Getty Center, which is available here: http://www.getty.edu/bookstore/titles/concert.html.

I have been offline for a week as I began my residency at the Center for Book Arts. Instead of being in my studio and sitting at my computer day after day editing and “researching,” I learned to handset type and use the press. It was fun and exhausting.

Influenced by my medium, my source materials and subject matter became historical, “dead” things- quite literally. I chose to research séances at the White House, which happens to be a subject matter rich with material.

I discovered a New York Times archive where Harry Houdini was the key “prosecutor” in a hearing to regulate clairvoyants. Houdini’s assistant testified in court that a spiritualist by the name of Mrs. Jane Coates had told her privately that she held séances with President Coolidge’s family as well as four senators on Capitol Hill.

I decided to letterpress the headline in a style as close to the original format as my beginner stages would take me.

I have found many more leads to the séance subject matter including the Lincolns, the Reagans, the Clintons. Ironically, after he proclaimed in court that all séances were gimmicks, Houdini’s wife held séances at his grave, confirming my suspicions he was jealous of their market share.

• Paul Chan will have his dvd “Sade for Fonts Sake” available as well as some of his new designer baby onesies.
• Angie Waller will be selling her books, dvds, digital paintings, candy-filled mugs and Hip-Hop Snowmen Designer Christmas sweaters.
• Ben Coonley will feature his Adorable Stocking Stuffers for all ages and levels of intelligence.
• Marianna Ellenberg’s will present her customized American Apparel T-shirts give STDs a cool retro style.
• Matthew Mottel and Blanka Amezkua will be presenting ephemera of multiple mediums.

and just announced… Arthur Jones will be drawing personalized caricatures throughout the event. Want to see yourself on a tandem bike with Sylvester Stallone? – he can do it! Bring photos of your loved ones for caricature gifts.