I've been thinking of Bjork lately. Vanessa The Wonderful and I were sharing some old favorite 'back in the day' tunes, and of course The Bjork came up.
I'm actually not a huge fan of this particular song, but I love the video. I used to do a lot of theater (acting/set & costume design, choreography, etc.) and I really like the "play within a play" aspect of the video. The train is a fun set piece, and I enjoy the walls rolling up to reveal luggage and whatnot. I think the faux-dress over jeans is really clever, and I like that the book keeps growing and growing.
I've had books on the brain lately. Not particular books, just books as objects.
I'm quite enamoured of this giant book Anthropologie offered for Christmas this year.
And there's always the beautiful work of Su Blackwell:
They're so intricate.
So delicate. It's like walking into a fragile fairy tale.
And my latest exciting project.....a Journal Swap with my friend Sally from Chicago.
We're going to send this blank book back and forth to each other. Each time one of the 'twin books' is in our possession, we fill up two pages. We draw, write, paint, collage, whatever we feel like doing.
One of Sally's many talents is book making. Isn't this GREAT??? She MAKES books. Cuts the paper by hand, glues and tapes the bindings, sews the pages in. I know someone who MAKES books. That's amazing to me.
Sally and I had talked about different creative collaborations, and this one was her idea. I'm excited to see how it unfolds. I may or may not share the pages with you guys. It might be a little too personal for us....we're trying to let it be a 'safe place to create'. And sometimes that means too many prying eyes might make us self-conscious. Or might make ME feel that way, anyway.
We'll see what Sally says.
Have I mentioned my obsession with Barrango? They specialize in carousel horses (how much fun would THAT be for a job????) but they make all kinds of huge-scaled things. Like these ginormous books for a Christmas photo set.
OK, now I have to do an entire post on Barrango in the future. They're too spectacular for words. I must share many, many images. Here's one to whet your appetite:
Isn't that magical? It's like my best dream of a what a carousel should look like! If I were super crazy rich, I'd have a carousel in my backyard. Or maybe I'd build a special pavilion just to house it.
WOW, I am so jealous of the journal swapping idea! I am going to suggest that to my friend Dana. She said something was "basically cooler than dookie balls" in a comment the other day. You know that's going to be good...
I love the paper silhouette set thing. So delicate and dainty, completely unlike my work. I need to lighten my media up some.
All this stuff is cooler than dookie balls.
~D
Posted by: Dusti Pearson | January 26, 2010 at 09:59 PM
I'm so happy you wanted to do it. I was so afraid you'd open the package and be all, "God! No! Not interested at ALL. Now how do I tell Sally that?"
I've started working on yours, but I'm letting it come slowly. The idea has been in my head for some time, but of course things change when they actually come out of your brain, so I'm taking baby steps with it.
Posted by: Sally | January 27, 2010 at 01:08 PM
Love the swap idea Laura! And remember the book you posted years ago about the people who both photographed something at the same time each day>..or something like that..from their lives? We should try that too...like all nature shots or something...or some them...everyday life..or domestic scenes..or even art...heck I don't know. LOVE all the art this post too! Dusti took a book binding/making class once and was really into it. Go Sally!!
Posted by: brandi | January 28, 2010 at 10:20 AM
Su Blackwell is RIDICULOUSLY gifted. And "walking into a fragile fairy tale" is a perfect description. A safe place to create book swapping is enchanting. And Bjork is...Bjork.
Love me some carousels too. Even the one in "Something Wicked This Way Comes". And of course, American Gods...
And that brings us to books.
Books are wonderful incredible works of art unto themselves, gigantalated or teency. To look at them and be inspired, to open them and dream.....
Bliss.
XOXOXOXO
Posted by: Rhonda Roo | January 28, 2010 at 10:28 AM
I've wondered how these art swaps work. There are 2 books? And you mail them back and forth to make your entries? Then eventually you each keep a book? I don't know why this concept has been hard for me to grasp. It sounds simple! Because we all love you, it would be nice to get a flavor of these books, while not prying into private areas. We can keep a secret!
Posted by: Charlotte | January 28, 2010 at 02:18 PM
I have a prewritten blog post with that HUGE book from anthropolgie in it!! Did you see that every page is delicately decorated? I almsot fainted! I also almost bought it, but then I though, I could use the $1200 bucks to like, live and eat ;)
BUT I WANT IT!!! WE are so kindred it is painful (in a good way of course)! Love you, V
Posted by: a fanciful twist | January 30, 2010 at 07:28 PM
@Charlotte: Yes, I made two books. I sent one to Laura. Every month or so, we'll mail them to each other and decorate the next set of pages. It took me a while to figure out the logistics of it as well.
Posted by: Sally | January 31, 2010 at 10:30 AM