Xemme: Art + Images

From the Vault 2003: ladder encore

2008-11-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

I have been posting images of work that I've done within the last few days as well as work from anywhere up to 6 years ago. It is interesting (to me, at least) that some of the drawings and sculptures are very relevant to each other despite their respective ages. I have begun archiving some of my older work and will post some of it here alongside the new stuff.

The image that has stuck with me over all the years I have made art is this red ladder. Sometimes it's white and looks like monkey bars. Sometimes it's is a true vertical ladder. Here is a permutation of it with a girl's form. This was drawn on one of those blank pages before the colophon in an old book. I used red carbon paper to draw/transfer the lines- it was a fun way to draw because it was a little bit blind. This dates back to 2003 or so. Detail here:

October 2008: Embroidered ladder

2008-11-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

An attempt at embroidery drawing... I need to improve my embroidered writing. This quote {"A gibbon possessing a marked, if crude, sense of music; She has her own forest song, drums on the bark of hollow trees and, in captivity, delights to clang metal."} is from an old science book. The original said "he". The fabric is old linen from an antique nightgown bought in the markets of Aix-en-Provence. I will take a photograph to show the size and depth of the piece.

Detail:

November 2008: My new homepage for xemme.com

2008-11-25T11:08:00.001-05:00

See it here at xemme.com

I'm working on my Flash skills. I'd like the heads and arrow to "float" down to the next page.

Fall 2008: The Weather up Here

2008-10-31T11:53:00.000-04:00

Check out my latest web design for my talented artist friend Adrienne Heath-Stiefel:

Visit her site, theweatheruphere.com

Check back soon for an update on the site and a new e-commerce design section!

Spring 2008: Modified Sweaters for SALE!

2008-03-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

I modify vintage wool and cashmere sweaters by adding tiny silk flowers and vintage appliques. So far, they have been gifts for friends but I am going to take a stab at selling them on Etsy: more info to come. Here's an image of a blue cashmere sweater that's living in the house of Taylor!

Photography courtesy of Lady Julia Taylor. Modeling courtesy of Emily Brochin. Thanks, girls.

From the Vault 2006: Girl laugh

2007-12-28T15:43:00.001-05:00

Little painting of a big laugh.

4"x6", acrylic on masonite

Found Image of the Day Part 1: Cat Boy

2007-12-28T15:40:00.001-05:00

This is a photo of a photo that I've had forever- some distant relative as a pudgy baby boy burying his face in a big ole orange cat.

From the Vault 2002: olden times

2007-12-28T15:38:00.001-05:00

This is an old drawing I just rediscovered- makes me want to go buy some fresh pens and put it all down on paper.

8"x12" Rotring in a sketchbook

baltamour: la chemise

2007-06-25T16:50:00.001-04:00

If you, too, love the smell of hot raw sugar (c/o Domino) on a summer's day on a water taxi ride in Baltimore's waterfront, or the vision that is Angry Air Punch Guy, or the sign on the side of Route 40 that advertises "deziner sunglasses", or Fells Point, Locust Point, Dundalk, Ellicott City, HAMPDEN, the Mt. Royal Tavern, AVAM or Honfest, join me!

Buy a shirt to show your love. Don't worry- these shirts are in no danger of becoming part of the tourist's bouquet. They are handmade by a local screenprinter and are not found in any harbor shop. It's just art kids and Charm City lovers that wear these shirts till they fall apart. Then they buy a new one! Shirts are only $20 - that includes s/h.

Check it: www.baltamour.com

Photography courtesy of Mr. K. Van Horn (http://www.kylevanhorn.com/)

From the Vault: Summer 2003.

2007-06-25T16:27:00.000-04:00

Summer-2003.

From the Vault 2003: The Stoop.

2007-06-25T16:05:00.000-04:00

After kissing American asphalt, happy to be home, I made Baltamour shirts to join my love of Baltimore and my part-French thinking. I also made Baltimore-inspired art. This is hands-down my favorite thing I ever made.

The Stoop.

Construction details: Pink construction foam carved and covered with Hydrocal + fiberglass sheeting. Underneath is a removable platform on casters. That thing is on wheels! Finally, the top surface is 4 layers Polyurethane.
Notice the carved seat grooves.

I parked this thing outside my studio building for folks to stoop on:

From the Vault 2002: Xemme's art, edition Francaise

2007-06-25T14:40:00.000-04:00

After studying abroad in France, I came home with a large body of work that I was pleased with. Here are a few images.

You can click on any of these images for a larger view.I apologize for the quality of the images- film and halogen lights are much different in France.

Here is the studio, in process of being hung for Le Vernissage:

I made a lot of small drawings, most were pen on found or Czech paper, and some were made out of non-drawing materials like blue fuzzy paper and hot red vinyl. Good for touching:

Here are two large red vinyl drawings.
"Curtain Guy" with shoe untied, is about 7 feet tall.

"Playground" is about 4 feet tall and about 8 or 9 feet long. It's shiny red vinyl on paper.

Here's the sketch for the Playground:

Here is the first French sculpture- it's about 15" tall. It lives in France under the care of a woman named Grace.

From the Vault: 2001 at MICA

2007-06-25T14:32:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Ernesto Neto's work, I wanted to make totally desirable and interactive sculpture. This one, really a materials test, turned into a sculpture that lived in the back of my car for a year, taken out on special occasions (usually involving beer.) People loved it. It probably worked more successfully as an IKEA prototype than an actual art piece, but it got me hooked on interactivity for sculpture.

This is my largest sculpture to date. Though the concept was sophomoric, the craftsmanship was decent. With the help of stellar-teacher-D. Mydlack, I welded the legs and welded out 3/4" steel weights for the base of the legs. The red body is carved out of pink insulation foam glued together (it's a hard solid body) and coated with orange then red flocking. The legs are red- and teal-dyed China silk, stuffed with Polyfil. The sculpture sways when you hug the legs. A big hit with kids, this sculpture was interactively just right.

That sculpture was loosely based on a series of drawings, one of which is here along with a detail: 24"x36", graphite and pencil on Rives BFK

detail:

Hero

2007-05-03T13:44:00.000-04:00

If you know who this is, you know what I'm talking about. Word to the B-Town sailors!

Photo taken Summer 2003 (I think- crab feast + beer=forgetting)

Laura and the big pants.

2007-02-06T16:41:00.000-05:00

Them's some big pants! A surprise find at H&M circa spring 2007.