Blank Space » installation

Manifold Motion’s Under—Immersive Art Inspired by Lichens, Fungi, Moss and Mold.

Mindi — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:09:37 +0000

Descend into a dark and beguiling re-imagination of natural growth, decay, disease, and perseverance. Spanning three rooms of Inscape, Under combines interactive installation, video, dance, sculptural costuming, and original music. Journey through this mysterious world, explore, and engage with the environment, and witness performances by Under’s unusual inhabitants.

Under is collaboratively conceived of and created by Bridget Gunning, Chaya Eastood Jones, Mike McCracken, Leo Mayberry, Keely Isaak Meehan, Luara Moore, and Nicole Sasala Lobuzzetta.

Opens Friday! November 12 – 28, 2010
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Learn more at ManifoldMotion.com
Tickets: Sliding scale $18 suggeted

The Incredible Crocheted World of Olek

Mindi — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:53 +0000

olimpius nr 1, © olek

I recently discovered the Polish Artist Olek and I love her colorful, thought-provoking installations.

Olek herself says about her work:”I think crochet, the way I create it, is a metaphor for the complexity and interconnectedness of our body and its systems and psychology. The connections are stronger as one fabric as opposed to separate strands, but, if you cut one, the whole thing will fall apart.”

good fences make good neighbors

Riley — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:12:20 +0000

My dad makes cool random art sometimes. His big yard on the busy Airport Hwy is his gallery. I particularly enjoy this white picket patriotism piece he made to celebrate independence. The structure is 50′ long and 15′ high, pretty wild for citizens of Delta, OH (The Heart of it All). His blog, The Aristocrats, is not for the faint of heart.

SJCS Tz’dakah Caterpillar

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:45:36 +0000

The Seattle Jewish Community School brought new life to its way of validating community service projects with this fun and unique living sculpture. Growing with each benevolent deed, this quaint embodiment of the center’s mission grabs the attention and cleverly reminds students, teachers, and visitors of the vital importance of charity. Infinitely more eye-catching than brass plates stuck to mundane wooden plaques, the interactive nature of the caterpillar ensures that any generosity will never go unnoticed or uncelebrated.

Woodworking created by John Belli

Giant Whale Sculptures in the City!

Mindi — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:41:58 +0000

I was walking down Broad Street in Philadelphia when I turned and saw these life size gray whales. Amazing. The artist Shay Church thinks about the long daunting migrations gray whales must survive each year. He describes his wet clay installations as migrations interrupted.

Just when you think you have seen everything you come across several beached whales on the gritty streets of Philly. Loved it! See more of Shay Church’s work here.

Fun Appraochable Art for All—Shape Lab

Mindi — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:08:54 +0000

Photo courtesy Michael Nagle. From Shape Lab on Flickr.

Shape Lab is an innovative, interactive space at the MoMA. At Blank Space we highly value the creation of artful installations for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Shape Lab is one of those places where I can see my version of the universe aligning. The Lab features magnetic walls, geometric shapes, organic shapes, and 3-d shapes of all sizes. It challenges people to experiment, build, and create with shapes. The Lab stimulates new ways of seeing and thinking about form and composition. We need more spaces like Shape Lab.

How different would our world be if Shape Labs were in public schools, libraries, hospitals, and doctor’s offices? I would love to see more interactive spaces in our communities. Graphic design for physical spaces, such as the Tz’dakah Caterpillar created for the Seattle Jewish Community School, is our most inspiring design work. It is encouraging to see the emergence and success of Shape Lab and the importance it places on motivating creativity at all ages.

Read more about The Shape of Things on the MoMA’s blog. If you are in NYC, stop by the Lab before or after visiting MoMA’s galleries. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Free with Museum admission

If anyone is interested in creating your own version of a Shape Lab we would love to collaborate.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Riley — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:40:17 +0000

Eastern State Penitentiary, an imposing castle, was built to watch over the citizens of Philadelphia. It held prisoners for 141 years, from 1829 to 1971. It was initially designed to hold prisoners in complete isolation. The Quakers of Pennsylvania thought that undisturbed reflection would turn scoundrels into a citizens. To achieve this isolation the building employed cutting-edge technology such as indoor plumbing. This was a big deal. In 1829 the President of the United States still pooped in a bucket. Eventually, the idealistic system of isolation was abandoned in favor of packing more people behind bars. This approach still prevails.

If you are in Philadelphia, ESP is a must see. I didn’t even begin to describe the great art installations scattered throughout the complex. And guess who narrates the audio tour, come on guess. He is the perfect person to narrate a prison ruin. Here is a hint, he’s out of his element and better shut the f*ck up.

If you want to learn more about Eastern State listen to Radiolab’s Morality episode.

Stay Fresh Spring Signage

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:37:18 +0000

Sure, they’re on the list. But tonight they want to look good enough to walk right in and start dancing. She may know it yet, but the dress she’s looking for is at Marqsmen. And those new sneakers he wants? Yeah, they’re at Marqsmen too. Commence operation Quirky Window Display. Look, ten thousand Facebook friends does not a thriving small business make. The retail jungle eats fashion boutiques for breakfast. OMG! . . . Suddenly, a common kitchen item is brought forward to strut its stuff before the unforgiving Gods of hip. In all its iconic glory, the homely yet dignified aluminum foil turned heads. Texts were sent, cards were maxed, and they all lived happily ever after.

Shoefly ‘Elevate the Spirit’

Mindi — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:34:23 +0000

When the economy took a nosedive in 2008, the Shoefly boutique pulled up its bootstraps and forged into the holiday season with renewed vigor and a revamped image. The Elevate the Spirit campaign offered subtle encouragement to shoppers with playful window displays in Seattle and Portland, matching Web enhancement, and print ads. Construction cranes signify a growing economy while flying shoes and Origami create a visual pun that crystallizes the indie ethos of this thriving shoe shop.

Seattle’s Tzedakah Caterpillar

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:56:00 +0000

This caterpillar was created for the Seattle Jewish Community School. It will house information about the students work of loving kindness (G’milut Hasadim) and charity (Tzedakah) throughout the year. Each body segment represents a month, and will grow each month throughout the year. The tail houses two Tzedakah boxes for the students to use each week.

Look at that beautiful eyeball—our partner John Belli is super talented!

Detail of the removable Tzedakah boxes in the tail.