digitaldeities

check out my new KICKSTARTER project page - just posted!

IGNITE NYC (this Friday Oct 9, 2009)

I will be speaking at this event tomorrow evening - about my agave armor, haute couture sculpture series!

Ignite NYC this Friday, October 9th. 

We are hosting the event as part of the Yahoo!'s Open Hack festivities!

Ignite will take place at the historic Hudson Theater (145 West 44th Street) from 8 PM - 9:30 PM. 

RSVP on Eventbrite or Facebook to reserve your seat!

Speakers:

Jay Rosen (NYU School of Journalism), 

Michael Malice (Overheard in New York), 

Bre Pettis (Makerbot Industries), 

Dan Patterson (ABC News), 

Fred Benenson (Creative Commons),

Spaceman From Outer Space (Space),

Evan Sandhaus (The New York Times), 

Tania Dudina (Surprise Industries),

Micah Laaker (Yahoo!), 

Ben Woosley (OurMTA.org), 

Jared Klett (Blip.TV), 

Carrie Mae Kreyche (Parsons), 

Ben Moskowitz (Open Video Alliance), 

Kunal Kandekar (Concert Technology), 

Jonah Brucker-Cohen (ITP, Scrapyard Challenge), 

Cynthia Lawson Jaramillo (ITP, Parsons).

birdcage fashion

This has to be the ultimate Fancy Dress Costume that I have seen yet!  Kasey McMahon of Southern California has created a 'Birdcage Dress' that really works!  She even has a link on her Websight on how to create your own Birdcage Dress in 25 steps!  Don't miss some of her other clever projects to be found Here!   Gives a whole new meaning to having songs at your feet!!!

re-blog from: http://ullam.typepad.com/ullabenulla/

Chiharu Shiota

I am unending inspired by the website spacecollective.org and their online gallery of image with links under every image.  ((thanks Joe Mauriello - who showed me the site)) I have spent HOURS clicking and browsing. 

tonight I saw this image from a Japanese artist  Chiharu Shiota

http://www.chiharu-shiota.com

“In Silence” by Chiharu Shiota.

BEAUTY of DEVASTATING proportions

Today, I expand on this quote

BEAUTY WILL SAVE THE WORLD -dostoevsky

I saved this business card below from a wonderful clothing boutique in Prescott, AZ called the Llama House.  I have hung it on my fridge and in my sight for a few years and now it is specially placed in my sketch book.   I have long been inspired by beauty, symmetry, body decoration and outrageous (haute couture) fashion. 

 

In the last few weeks I have received layers of this same message from various sources - resonance with me and this notion of devastating beauty.

A quote from this book

The Gods Are Wise (Atlantean Secrets)     by Samuel Sagan

(15.1 page 257)

More than beauty - perfection.
Perfection shakes the depths of your being.
. . . . .
But why did it hurt so much?
Infinite nostalgia versus infinite unity.  The sorrows of the kingdom like an abyss under my feet.
Past a certain degree, there is something devastating about beauty.
Such a fine line between opening and being ripped open.

A quote from this cd - Grief and Praise by Martin Prechtel, which you can order from www.floweringmountain.com  

In this talk Martin says:

Praise is a skill.  It is not just saying a lot of florid words.  The idea of eloquence is to hit the mark.  To devastate the other persons hatred with beauty.

A quote from the Tibetan sand painting website, www.namgyal.org/mandalas

Simply viewing a mandala is believed by Buddhists to be enough to change one's mind stream by creating a strong imprint of the beauty of perfection of the Buddha's mind, as is represented in the mandala itself. As a result of this imprint, one may be able to find greater compassion, awareness, and a better sense of well-being.

I personally believe that seeing any great work of art, costume, dress or mandala can create an imprint of the beauty of perfection and create a sense of well-being.  This is my goal with my artwork!!  Here are s few pictures of dresses, costumes and artwork that I have made over the years.

   

Ripe Dress
Spring 2008

-seed pods, wire, juju fruit candy, acrylic paint

Armor de Amor
Spring 2007

-agave stalks, gold leafing, silk ribbon, wire, pins, thistle heads, leaves

Sexy Fruit and Vegetable party costume.
Banana (unpeelable)
Fall 2000

-plastic vinyl, beads, snaps

 

This is a top I hand-sewed out of glass seed beads and peacock feathers.  I wore it to a millenium party to celebrate the new century.

Here are images that inspire me from other artists and wearable designers

Latifa Medjdoub www.latifadesign.com

Ron Isaacs 'painted birch construction' life-size
Photo/ Katie Gingrass Gallery Milwaukee, WI

Björk bell dress from her music video "Who Is It"

more desert delight by carolyn schmitz www.desertdada.com

Here are a few images I have saved for years from fashion magazine .. I don't remember which one.