Spotlight: Beauty in Motion

I admit it. I'm a bit of Olympics junkie. Sitting in front of the television while sketching out my fall collection has been a bit of an evening ritual these past couple of weeks. And, of course, I always pay attention to the team uniforms. I was so distracted by team Netherlands' beautiful bobsled and speed skating uniforms, that it didn't matter to me who had won both their events that evening. To me, they just looked like winners. Great colors, clean, streamlined graphics. Timeless appeal. Hand them a gold medal!

Curiosities: Perfumed Bubbles

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately for Girl Of All Work, and while skimming through an inflight magazine, I came across this fun curiosity: perfumed bubbles by acclaimed Parisian perfumer, Francis Kurkdijan. Kurkdijan is known for his "fragrance installation" at Versailles— a display of light, sound, and fragrance. Now, you can experience a bit of his magic with Les Bulles d'Agathe, pocket-sized vials of perfume/bubble solution. Released by his fragrance house (Maison Francis Kurkdijan) and sold at Neiman Marcus, these amazing creations come in three scents: pear, cold mint, and cut herbs.  Available here for $18.

Found Objects: Cyberoptix Tie Lab

There's nothing like a guy in a tie. I'm not talking about those stuffy, business meeting ties that populate boardrooms and cubicles, either. It's been a bit of a challenge finding the right tie for my guy these past couple of years. Luckily, I stumbled across Cyberoptix Tie Lab. Each tie, silkscreened to order, is a hip but understated statement. You can also get these in different widths: regular, narrow, and skinny. 

Found Objects: Vintage Phones

Who wouldn't love using one of these to spice up a drab home office or add a bit of quirk to their living room? I especially love the orange and the olive. Available here (for a pretty penny).

Spotlight: Frank Macchia

Last night my significant other and I spent a fantastic evening at Studio City listening to Frank Macchia and an incredible array of top-notch, Los Angeles musicians playing highlights from his newly released CD Folk Songs for Jazzers. Familiar folk songs like "Oh, Susanna" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" were re-visioned and given such new life and complexity that I was completely awestruck by the results. It was just such a treat to listen and watch the musicians play with such masterful enthusiasm, and I was blown away by guest vocalist Ellis Hall, who generously gifted everyone in that audience with a superb performance. What a wonderful way to end a Monday...

Found Objects: Designer Babies

Being a new mom these days means you have a whole lot of options when it comes to baby ware. Diaper bags, bibs, even baby bottles have gotten a modern facelift. Check out Karim Rashid's "Iiamo Go" bottle which heats up milk to body temperature using special cartridges. Oioi's diaper bag features clean lines and gender-neutral colors so your better half won't shirk his pack mule duties from time to time. And while this Egg Bib and Burp set isn't exactly revolutionary in terms of form, its playful yet sophisticated palette lets everyone know how discerning your baby's tastes really are when s/he spits up that pea puree.

Gallery: Artist Adam Belt

I've had the pleasure of knowing Adam Belt and his graphic designer wife, Wendy since my days in design school. This uber-talented couple now lives in picturesque Carlsbad (a stone's throw away from San Diego), where they live with their colorful keep (daughter: Ruby, dog:Violet).  I've been amazed by Adam's work and its evolution throughout the years and have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase it (you can currently find it displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego). Adam was kind enough the take the time to answer a few questions about him, his work, and art in general.

(above: Pari Radio Telescopes, 2008 © Adam Belt )

Girl Of All Work: Your work seems to juxtapose both natural and man-made materials. We see concrete blocks and melted ice, organic swirls of blue watercolor with satellites as the negative shape. What is it about the natural vs. unnatural forms that attract you?


Adam Belt: I think what draws me in is the point of meeting and contact. When you look at the expansive landscape of the desert southwest, for example, the topographical features meander and flow into each other stretching far into the horizon. Points of contrast highlight the expanse giving you a tangible sense of the scale and a heightened awareness of the dynamic natural forms. Dams for instance, are an abrupt intervention; graceful arch dams like Hoover or Glen Canyon punctuate the landscape. The engineered forms contrast the rugged terrain and the resulting barrier becomes point of focus, interest, and tension


G: How has your approach changed as you've matured as an artist?
A:Through the process of failure and success I have had to reassert my focus on what my work means to me and why I create art. In terms of approach specifically I work on those projects, which are particularly poignant, the ones I need to make as well as works I know I would regret not making. These may seem like obvious criteria, but like all professions art can quickly pull you away from why you became an artist leaving you with nothing but careerism and empty strategies to get to the next level. I do not want the sum of my artistic production to be a bunch of contemporary art looking stuff.

(above: Glen Canyon Dam Detail, 2004 © Adam Belt )


G: I know that your wife, Wendy, is a graphic designer. Does what she do influence your work, if at all?
A: Her process of creating through the computer has opened that up for me as a meaningful tool of production. Also, the persistence of her work ethic is something that I have admired and learned from.


G: A lot of people don't "get" fine art. What would you have to say to them?
A: I believe the main difficulty is the disparity in expectations. If you are looking for beauty and a display of skill and an extensive amount of time to complete the work you are looking at, you may be disappointed in the contemporary art context where those elements are not cherished in relationship to the gauge of a works success. What I recommend to people, and this is from my own experience as a person who was not raised in an art background, is that you experience the work as it is rather than what you perceive it to be lacking. Also, the experience many people have is of seeing particular works that resonate with them on a profound level.  This experience opens the possibility of and desire for further investigation and discovery. And finally, it is important to remember that contemporary art, most often, is not a passive experience, it requires some commitment from the viewer and that is why the experience can be that much more enriching.

(above: Drift, 2008 © Adam Belt)


G: Where would your dream artist's retreat be located?
A: Maybe on a house boat in Lake Powell. Although the lake is man-made and has flooded a spectacular environment, the lake affords the visitor endless opportunities for exploration and the blue water amidst the sandstone cliffs is as beautiful a location as I have ever seen. Not to mention the silence in the evening and the stargazing.