Future Retrieval

In the Studio

2012-02-19T14:31:00.001-05:00

It sure is getting dense in the studio. All of the walls and tables are covered with finished work, molds, and work in progress. There's a ton to talk about when we get studio visits, and by the way, the last guests presented us with a new and important collaboration. I cannot say anymore but along with our exhibition coming up in Kansas City there are some very interesting projects around the corner.

a lot of starts

2012-02-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

While Guy has been busy carving plaster like mad, I have started a new "flower ball" form. (photo from day 3). Although, I am thinking of making a giant flower blob instead, which is harder than I thought it would be initially. This will be getting much bigger.

new work - step one

2012-01-28T12:28:00.001-05:00

Step 1. Make a mold.

Guy Michael has been carving away into the long hours of the night, setting up a form for a new body of work. I am constantly amazed at his ability to sculpt a square block of plaster.

lithophane, round 2

2012-01-13T18:08:00.000-05:00

Lithophanes, round 2. The piece on the left is from our first test with CNC milling a lithophane, and it worked like mad. I am currently teaching a special studio on tile making at UC, so I am going to have my students make lithophanes this winter. Piece 2 and 3 (middle and right) are more affordable options - less time in the mill, and a 3D powder print version. I can't wait to see how these look illuminated. (and a giant thank you to Aaron Rucker)

the internet

2011-12-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

My holiday break project... To revamp our website - and create a central place online for not only Future Retrieval, but for our personal blogs as well. (see here and here). Coming SOON!

More from the Still(ed)Life show

2011-12-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of the 3-D still life's from the installation at the Taft Museum of Art. I thought I should get documentation of the what we have left as some of these pieces are finding new homes including the parrot above leaving the studio to become part of the Cincinnati Art Museum's collection.

BYOB Cincinnati

2011-11-18T19:48:00.005-05:00

Our lithophane at BYOB (bring your own beamer) at the CAC in Cincinnati. Our low tech approach to high tech, using a slide projector as a light source... The show was curated by Jordan Tate and Aaron Walker, in conjunction with Is This Thing On, which explores the history and future of video art. More images from the opening below.

Hy-Que Monkey in Captivity @ The Pennsylvania Acadamy of Fine Arts Museum

2011-11-06T15:36:00.002-05:00

Here, an install shot from the show HERE, at PAFA. Seeing it all finally put together was a great surprise and relief. The other artists in the show are really impressive and the show is so diverse. We are fortunate enough to be displayed in the main corridor of the museum where there is a ton of traffic. Five oddly grotesque porcelain monkeys are posed within the screen printed backdrop drawn from the Medieval Unicorn Tapestries, specifically The Unicorn in Captivity. Installed much like the Wunderkammer, the monkey is working for us, presenting and chained to curious porcelain painted artifacts that serve as iconographic signifiers to material and process, design, kitsch, labor, and the history of decorative arts.

lithophane, round 1

2011-10-27T16:52:00.005-04:00

We are working on turning this image into a lithophane. A lithophane is a thin porcelain plaque that when back lit shows a perfect exacting image, "light in stone". So far we have cheated the process a little, and cnc milled an image into high density foam, rather than carving one from beeswax. I hope this works.

postcard

2011-10-15T20:41:00.004-04:00

Less than one week until our show opens in Philly! I can't wait to see the space, install, and then relax and enjoy the city.

We are taking a few Taft busts along as well, to show Alphonso the sites...

Still[ed] Life - installation images

2011-10-09T17:27:00.006-04:00

Installation images of our show "Still[ed] Life", at the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati Ohio. Our show consists of ten porcelain busts of Alphonso Taft, 3d scanned from the museum's bust of Alphonso Taft, sculpted by Hiram Powers. Each bust is hand china painted with patterns from the museum's collection of paintings, Chinese porcelains, and their amazing Federalist era carpets. Porcelain still lives overflowing with exotic fruits and animals were inspired by the Taft's only recent acquisition, a Balthasar van der Ast painting. A huge thank you goes out to the Taft, the curators, and everyone involved in making this show a possibility.

Photos courtesy of Jordan Tate.

From the Taft's website:

"Inspired by the Taft's permanent collection, Parker and Davis' fanciful and ironic porcelains combine the idealized beauty of historical decorative arts with the realism of the naturalist's eye"

home away from home, away from home

2011-10-01T11:17:00.003-04:00

We have a new studio! A lovely warehouse downtown, with a ton of floor space. I can't wait to work somewhere where I can spread out, print and cut paper at a larger scale, and run around in. Sometimes living in the midwest pays off.

very planet of the apes

2011-09-20T21:52:00.003-04:00

Things are coming together, and we are in full china painting mode. This is layer only one, but I love how the lapels look like futuristic ape robes...

frames

2011-09-08T18:49:00.001-04:00

Here are the frames we cnc milled to hold the prints for our Philly monkey project. There are five that will have silk our screened graphics inspired by the unicorn tapestries. In the center, a porcelain monkey, mounted on a sconce presenting some curious artifacts on a plate that he will be chained to.

The incredible shrinking monkey

2011-08-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

Progress on the PAFA project. Shown here is monkey, mini monkey and mini mini maker bot monkey. All of the digital work is being fabricated, most molds made, and the screen printing is done, but there is still a lot of china painting to do.

working

2011-08-15T19:28:00.003-04:00

We have been busy busy in the studio, working towards a show at PAFA this October. We are putting together a large wall piece, consisting of handprinted wallpaper, porcelain monkeys, and a few other finishing touches. A couple shots from our studio - the wallpaper getting close to completion... (with the help of our amazing studio assistant Audrey!)

And our monkey getting ready to be sliced, diced, and molded.

Still[ed] Life

2011-08-05T21:00:00.005-04:00

Our show "Still[ed] Life" opens today at the Taft Museum of Art! The Cincinnati Enquirer did a nice write up about the show today, which you can read here. We will be posting pictures of our installation over the next few weeks, but if you are in town definitely go check it out. The show runs from August 5th through October 16th, with an opening reception on September 18th. More details to come...

(Alphonso Taft with chinoiserie patterns from the Taft's collection, 12" x 7" x 5.5", porcelain and china paint)

coming soon

2011-07-25T23:32:00.002-04:00

We have been in the studio constantly, working towards our big show at the Taft Museum of Art here in Cincinnati. Installation starts next Monday morning at 10am sharp, and we could not be more excited. So, until then, here is a tiny peek from the studio...

Working class monkey

2011-07-12T23:26:00.002-04:00

Yes, the monkey is digital! Almost squared away with Taft Museum show we are already getting busy for the exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art Museum.

to be glazed

2011-07-06T20:51:00.002-04:00

Guy has carved and cast these amazing sconces, and now we are finally ready to glaze them. They seem very Emile Galle to me, with their lovely flowing lines and edges. Here goes nothing...

the jell-o mold competition

2011-06-25T22:12:00.006-04:00

We have just received video back from my brother Ben, taken at the Jell-O Mold Competition at the Gowanus Studio Space in Brooklyn tonight. It is hilarious! I have no idea what song this is, but the jiggling goes along perfectly. Ben is our newest collaborator, making our jell-o creation and plopping out the lion head on site, and we could not be happier with the result. Thank you Ben for all the hard work!!

the monkey

2011-06-15T18:35:00.001-04:00

oh monkey, do we have big plans for you this summer...

awesome

2011-05-29T14:41:00.003-04:00

Myself and Guy have been working closely with Jordan Tate to build a space in the photo department at UC loosely named "the awesome room". We are filling it with a MakerBot, 3-d scanner, decal printer, thermofax, glow in the dark printer, maybe a letterpress, and any other crazy equipment we can find. The idea is to have an experimental space that functions as both a studio and a lab, supporting the use of alternative processes and equipment. This is only the begininning.

Model Citizens NYC 2011

2011-05-17T20:41:00.007-04:00

"Force of Hound" die cut paper, screen printed wallpaper, and porcelain with china paint and luster. 5' x 18' x 4.5'.

Our piece for the Model Citizens 2011 show at the Chelsea Art Museum during New York's Design Week. This is a combination of a lot of ideas happening in both Guy's and my own studio - taxidermy, porcelain figurines, hunting scenes, and topiaries.

Opening night - Saturday May 14th. The place was packed - and we met some amazing designers from all across the country. We also spent a day at the Cloisters admiring the Unicorn tapestries (one of the major influences for this piece), and were thisclose to getting standby seats at SNL. A giant thank you to Mika and Kris for including us once again!

FRESH figurines

2011-05-01T20:14:00.003-04:00

"Beasts of the Chase" 12" x 7.5" x 8" each. Porcelain with china paint and decals.

This piece will be part of the FRESH Figurines exhibit at the Fuller Craft Museum this October.

pink noise - the record

2011-04-23T13:32:00.004-04:00

Pink Noise is a collaboration between myself, Guy, and sound artist Ken Montgomery. It started as a simple tour of the ceramics studio at UC, and quickly turned into an amazing sonic experience. Ken has played the piece for audiences across the country, and the three of us have performed live sonic (blindfolded) tours of the initial recording to a select audience. We are now finally getting a record together, that will be released in a limited edition coming soon.

My wonderful studio assistant Jamie helping out on the letterpress. We started printing the album covers yesterday on the old C&P.

in the studio

2011-04-17T18:42:00.002-04:00

Currently working on a giant still life. Giant is a relative term, especially when talking about porcelain, but we are aiming for something that can really stand on its own. So, this is a start.

obsessive

2011-04-01T20:32:00.003-04:00

a sneak peek of how we spent our spring break. who needs a vacation, when you can china paint and cut decals until your eyes bleed?

head sandwich

2011-03-23T20:13:00.003-04:00

Mike has been working all week, making the master mold of Taft. This is the first thing that caught my eye in the studio this morning.

in progress

2011-03-15T12:21:00.003-04:00

Attorney General, Secretary of War, Father of US president William Howard Taft. Our favorite thing about him is his stately pose and the mean carbuncle on his forehead.

still life

2011-03-01T13:45:00.002-05:00

Still life - the first one. Inspired by Dutch still life paintings, we are working on a ceramic version for our show at the Taft Museum of Art this summer. Stranger fruits are currently be molded, as well new takes on older ideas we have been tossing around.

unleashed

2011-02-14T17:43:00.008-05:00

We are working on a pack of hunting hounds for upcoming exhibitions. The porcelain heads are in production and the armatures are close to the final design. The finish is the next exciting part!

Alfred NY

2011-02-05T19:09:00.003-05:00

We were recently invited by the ACC to give a visiting artist talk and demos at the New York State College of Ceramics, and had one of the best weekends in long time. We stayed with Amy and Max, ate a ton of good food, saw some amazing work, and met the kindest group of ceramic artists I have ever come across.
On our way out, we sampled the Rochester, NY antique scene which did not disappoint. This smoking monkey automaton was a little tricky to get through the airport (along with all the plaster molds and china paint) but totally worth it.

studio play

2011-01-30T23:29:00.003-05:00

We come up with a lot of crazy ideas in the studio - but I really like this one. Hanging Dead Project part 3. We will see...

Alphonso Taft

2011-01-13T15:41:00.005-05:00

We have been offered the opportunity to show at the Taft Museum of Art next summer. The work for the exhibition will be in response to the museum and its very special collection. First off we needed to to take a 3-D scan of the marble bust of Alphonso Taft, sculpted by the great Hiram Powers; which we are very excited to have the chance to work with. Above you can get a peek at the scanning process happening in the museum. Believe me there will be much more coming in the next few months regarding this unique encounter and the development of this project.

2011

2011-01-01T15:55:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

studio shots

2010-12-19T11:58:00.005-05:00

working on it...

(didn't even notice the picture Mike posted of me below - too funny)

So, just a little more of a step by step, in case you are interested.

working

2010-12-18T17:22:00.009-05:00

Katie has been breaking her back while working on the mold of this hunting dog head that is bound for an upcoming exhibition. This is a large 3-d print that came from a scan of an old German porcelain figurine of a hunter and his hounds. The original dog head was less that an inch long. His ears and lower jaw are molded separately. I think this form is one of our best yet and there are several large projects already coming from it.

High Street install

2010-12-01T10:20:00.002-05:00

Last week, we installed our squirrel chandelier "PVR's Garden" at High Street in Cincinnati. We love the way it looks in the window, especially driving by late at night. Makes us think that this might look even better installed in our new house.... Hmmmm.

thinking about...

2010-11-21T20:39:00.004-05:00

Dutch Still Lifes and how to bring some of their goodness into our work...

The top piece is from the Taft Museum in Cincinnati, the bottom two from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Just giving you a heads up.

final photo

2010-11-14T17:34:00.005-05:00

Finally, I am uploading the finished photos from our Window Display in the Short Vine area of Cincinnati. This was a collaboration with Future Blooms, who put up multiple displays in the windows of vacant buildings in the area. We were going for an over the top, mash up of our work - branches and squirrels with flowers and patterns. The back panel is my favorite part - and gives the whole piece a fantastical feel.
12' x 4' x 1.5'

the studio

2010-11-01T18:09:00.003-04:00

Halloween is the perfect day to get work done in the studio - no one is around at all...

This is the latest batch of work, heading out to High Street to round off an earlier shipment this September for their store and new ecommerce site. After this - we have some big BIG projects coming up that we are so excited to start working on. Coming SOON!

More fron the Slow Service Line

2010-10-17T20:49:00.009-04:00

These bowls fit in to our Slow Service project that has taken form to reference, in a way, the concepts of slow food, slow design etc. Inspired by European porcelain patterns, the imagery is hand printed, painted, and been through multiple firings. On the left is a construction worker monkey who has trapped his own tail in a board, complete with a harlequin pattern background, and on the right fancy birds with Sevre inspired pattern and lustre. These pieces are being shipped to The Clay Studio ,in Philadelphia, for their gifted exhibition.Click on the image to see the fine detail.

back to normal

2010-10-10T16:15:00.003-04:00

Mike came home from Poland to a hero's welcome in last week,

which cheered Chewy up tremendously.

A small example of the work Mike made in the factory.... For more images, click here.

finally

2010-09-16T21:48:00.002-04:00

Slow Service is here! Took a quick shot of the tumblers so far - hand thrown, printed, glazed, and painted. (slow might be an understatement) Inspired by Sevres and Meissen patterning, but loosened up a bit. I like the way this is going.

install

2010-09-04T19:32:00.005-04:00

A couple pictures of the window display install in progress. Sudsy Malones is not as square and true as it looks from the outside. So, we built a box on the inside to frame in our windows...

Then started hanging up the work.... Will post the finished pictures soon once we get the lighting in place. So far so good. The guys who run the shops in the neighborhood found it all highly entertaining.

backdrop

2010-08-30T17:55:00.004-04:00

We are busy working on our window display, and set up shop in our new (to us) basement. Mike is taking off for a residency in Poland in less than a week, and our idea is a little intense to say the least. So, for now a snapshot of our backdrop in progress.

snarling head

2010-08-12T10:07:00.004-04:00

Coming soon will be this snarling dog head in porcelain. It is HUGE and I am so excited to get started. The dog was scanned from this Nymphenburg figurine. But, Mike and I do have a couple other things on our plate. One, we moved into a new house which will be our most expensive and labor intensive art project to date. And second, we both have huge trips planned in the next month, so our studio time will be a little hit or miss.

spotted!

2010-07-31T11:04:00.002-04:00

Apartment Therapy yesterday featured the "black hole home office" - which features our wolf light front and center! Very very cool. The light was purchased from SHOW, one of our favorite LA shops, with a wonderful owner.

Spotted by a friend who is curating some amazing new projects in NYC right now. Check it out.
(thanks!!)

next...

2010-07-21T15:06:00.003-04:00

We are currently hashing out ideas for an upcoming window display project. I can't wait.
Just not sure which window is ours yet... will keep you posted.

slow service

2010-07-08T14:59:00.003-04:00

Finally, we are starting up our slow service line. Each piece is hand thrown, printed, glazed, and then painted. Turns out throwing is not as slow as I thought. It is the painting that will do me in. More images soon.

parade

2010-07-02T14:41:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow morning we are meeting at Prairie to make die cut/cut silhouette paper flags to carry in the Northside 4th of July parade. This should be hilarious.

The Prairie banner to lead the group...(look out Martha Stewart)

summer

2010-06-16T13:06:00.002-04:00

Summer Reading List, part 1. Currently, we are taking a break from the studio, to catch up on reading, enjoy the pool, bbq, drink, and stay up too late. We have some new ideas in the works, just need to let them brew for a while...

the squirrel chandelier!

2010-06-02T16:37:00.004-04:00

We could not be happier! This has been in the workings for a while, with a lot of back and forth about how all the parts come together. Mike did an amazing job with the squirrels, giving them little collars for the ringed pieces of cut paper. For the ceiling, we had a die made, so cutting and sewing the long strands was a breeze. The neon worked perfectly, illuminating the space in an eerie light, especially if you drive by the gallery late at night. We love how the neon is bright without being distracting - you can actually look into it to see the squirrels close up.

Hanging Dead Project II

2010-05-26T17:33:00.006-04:00

Hanging Dead Project II, from our show at Prairie. After making the navy squirrels, we went back to our old stand by - white. Mike also made the branches a little more streamlined, so they read as brackets rather than trees.. Although, a lot of people asked about the "rats", so who knows? Same varmint family. Details shots below.

Porcelain, china paint, luster, with die cut paper tails.

Close up

2010-05-23T21:21:00.002-04:00

A close up of Mike's china painting skills - this harlequin pattern squirrel is pretty amazing! I love the way the image stretches across the back and arms....

opening night at Model Citizens NYC

2010-05-17T20:09:00.005-04:00

We have been crazy busy setting up for our solo show that opens this Friday in Cincinnati, so we were unable to attend Design Week this year. Luckily my brother was able to stop by the Model Citizens opening party on Saturday night and snap some pictures of our work and the giant crowds of people! Core 77 did a nice write up here.

"Hanging Dead Project I" made its official debut and we could not be happier with the result.

We are busy installing all this week, but stay tuned for "Hanging Dead Project II" plus a new chandelier that really takes the cake.

Model Citizens NYC 2010

2010-05-12T11:05:00.005-04:00

Future Retrieval is a Model Citizen!! We just sent 5 boxes of brand new work to the Model Citizens' pop up exhibition in conjunction with ICFF and NYC Design Week. The opening is this Saturday night, from 5-8pm. (show location and hours listed above) Installation pictures coming soon.

We spent all day Sunday packing up the work. Our dining room before and after (day to night).

Art Chicago

2010-05-05T08:59:00.003-04:00

Future Retrieval at Art Chicago!! We had several pieces in the Iconoclast booth, part of the MCA pop up shop. Photo taken with the world's oldest camera phone.

Working with Interior Designers

2010-04-27T19:04:00.005-04:00

We have been working with Mark Christofi Interiors for a showroom at W Hotel in Boston. Our aesthetic and Marks vision make for a handsome collaboration as the Wolf Lights are looking pretty sweet in this condo. More images coming soon.

2010-04-15T11:39:00.002-04:00

We have a couple exciting ventures happening in the next month, so we will keep you posted once they get a tiny bit closer. Right now they are far enough away to keep us in the studio, but not freaking out just yet...
A preview of the squirrel in progress - Sevre patterning across the body with a full tail made from die cut paper. (studio shot) Mike has been putting in serious hours getting this form just right, and has a few more ideas up his sleeve.

musicnow

2010-03-31T10:31:00.004-04:00

A close up view of our installation at MUSICNOW, in collaboration with Country Club. The show is located in the Gold Room of Memorial Hall, so we cast everything in various shades of yellow porcelain.
The tops of the pianos (two facing each other) seemed to be the perfect place for "Composite Composition I and II" - very springtime, with canetoads and rats emerging from flower clusters large and small.
Finally, our "Figurine" and "Bust" are displayed in the front entryway case, with rats on gold dollies. A nod to the permanent display on the opposing side of the hall.... And tonight - St. Vincent!!

spring break

2010-03-20T11:23:00.003-04:00

A quick peek at the interior of our next show space - we are creating a couple new pieces that will blend in perfectly. Some sort of scenario on top of the pianos and set up in the entryway cases... install in 9 days.

Hunting dogs on the loose

2010-03-16T13:21:00.004-04:00

Yes!!! More snarling dogs and we are so excited to get cracking on these bad boys. This 3-d scan data was taken from a German porcelain figurine made in the mid 18th century. We love bringing stuff back.

making molds

2010-03-03T15:38:00.004-05:00

(above) Cane toad - negative (in the works)
(below) giant flower - actually working

We have been in mold making mode for the last month, and are finally starting to reap the benefits. Mike's squirrel is looking AMAZING and the giant flower is working like mad. Finally, something is happening... Off to NYC tonight to see the Whitney, Armory Show, and some oldies at the Met this weekend.

the next step

2010-02-16T18:12:00.004-05:00

Mike and I spent all day yesterday carving lino blocks - trapped by another fresh foot of snow. Today we made it up to the studio and printed off the first round. Pretty, pretty good. Now, we need to make a jig and set this whole thing up on the big letterpress... I can't wait.

lino block - part two

2010-02-10T20:07:00.005-05:00

I finally finished carving my block, part one of a print series currently in the works. It might be a while on part two... We are going to use this for some cut paper backgrounds in our upcoming show this May, so I went ahead and letterpressed over 200 sheets today. While they are drying all over our studio - we will take this opportunity to cut out early and go sledding!

squirrel

2010-02-03T21:37:00.004-05:00

Drawn and quartered, ready to be cast. These are some tasty cuts that are ready for seasoning.
It is great after all the hype to get into the next step with this project. Rather than a hairy varmint heating up in a block of plaster we had him? 3-d scanned. Tail coming soon.

working towards something

2010-01-23T15:11:00.002-05:00

Currently hard at work on the giant flower. First thing was making the mold of the rapid prototyped flower to be able to make a plaster version to be able to make the "real" mold. Whew. I have cast four plaster flowers so far, and currently am hacking and chiseling them into workable pieces. Sadly, when making the rubber mold I had to destroy the original printed flower... This totally ruined the (in my head perfect dream world) vision I had of all our prototypes on display at MOMA.

the beginning of a lot of new stuff

2010-01-12T21:57:00.003-05:00

We have a lot of new projects emerging this year. So far so good - since Mike managed to track down this bear head (that I sadly didn't buy a year and a half ago and have NOT shut up about since) at the antique mall where we bought "wolfie". Not five minutes before he gave me this, I was saying how we had to hunt it down while we were in Oklahoma - the best gift ever. And, it looks like Chewy loves it too...

working

2010-01-04T19:39:00.003-05:00

Today we picked up our lion head 3-d print from the lab - and it looks amazing!! Mike covered the entire piece in superglue at a record speed, getting the head ready for molding.

I covered an earlier printout (a giant flower) in foil to begin making mold number 2 - might as well strike while the iron is hot. So, day one back in the studio = goodness.

Nymphenburg!

2009-12-17T18:31:00.003-05:00

Oh man were we THRILLED to find this Nymphenburg figurine at our local antique mall! It fits our style perfectly - hunting with ferocious beasts, jaunty caps (kidding) and a little bit of floral detailing. We plan on magnifying some of these details using both analog and digital methods- so watch out for these bloodthirsty hounds. But first, we break.

snake cups

2009-12-12T19:40:00.004-05:00

Our newest tumbler design. From our taxidermy how-to manual, this snake has a liberty or death look to it. We just sent a super nice batch of them to Spartan in Austin TX this week. The owner, Currie, also wrote great post about our work on her blog Arrow & Arrow. And we want to say thank you!!
(see below)

pug slug

2009-12-09T11:21:00.004-05:00

Our pug slug - the final version (top) and the first prototype (bottom). This piece is inspired from a smaller version made in Germany two summers ago. Another way to play with the notion of grotesque and beauty - combining the ornate flower ball with a mutant type object. That meaty neck doubled up... totally strange.

lino block

2009-12-03T19:51:00.005-05:00

The first step towards a series of prints that look SO good in my head. I am going to use some of the patterns from the tumbler series, and combine them with other animals and images that have started popping up around the studio. This will be one of the first (carefully) planned pieces using the letterpress I bought this summer... now just need to power through the carving.

Iconoclast

2009-11-21T10:29:00.004-05:00

We are featured this month on Iconoclast, alongside some of our personal favorites like Charley Harper and Harmony Korine. Crazy! Our Illuminated Porcelain tumblers are a super limited edition: 5 copies of 6 designs. Never to be made again...

letterpress mess

2009-11-16T17:38:00.002-05:00

So, yesterday I thought I would spend a few relaxing hours letterpressing a poster for the school ceramics sale. Seven and a half hours later, I printed over 75 legible posters - and basically destroyed the studio. Somehow in the process I managed to rope Mike in as well - and this is what we left behind...

hanging dead II

2009-11-06T13:16:00.003-05:00

Hooray - the hanging dead squirrel (see here) is 3-d scanned and almost ready for printing. The tail is a little tricky, so we - and by we I mean Mike - might have to sculpt it by hand. But, after tackling the real dead squirrel, it shouldn't be an issue. We both have some great ideas in store for this guy...

Country Club

2009-10-30T10:58:00.008-04:00

We were given some space at Country Club alongside the Aaron Morse exhibition, taking up a few walls with our shelved and hanging porcelain work. Christian Strike, let us borrow the Saarinen table on the right that he had refinished with bright orange automotive paint.
We hung our giant wolf chandelier above the table with the little Wolfie sconces on the back wall. The arrangement in this center space made for a fancy domestic showroom setting.
The Illuminated Manuscript style cups are intermingled with some sculptures throughout the space. These limited cups can also be found in detail with the iconoclast editions, just look for Future Retrieval. You will probably find more images on our other blogs. Katie & GMD

Installation (week)

2009-10-21T18:41:00.003-04:00

Hilarious photo of Mike today installing our work at Country Club. Two days until the opening, and we are almost ready. Will post pictures of the final installation and space - can't wait.

King of Beasts

2009-10-14T12:22:00.004-04:00

This Lion is no coward and a nice addition to our collection of grotesque animal faces. This was 3-D scanned from a tiny piece of antique chalkware. We will be sending this file upstairs to the rapid prototyping lab for maximum build ASAP.

License to Illuminate

2009-10-08T13:20:00.006-04:00

Finally finished with our latest edition, cups with hand painted and lustered patterns inspired by the illuminated manuscripts of Medieval hunting scenes. Our animals were drawn from taxidermy lessons of the old school and some of our own dabbles. These beastly boys are ill.

Carnivorous Cluster

2009-10-03T18:26:00.005-04:00

hooray! Our chandelier is almost ready for installation. Gold grills and globe lights make for lovely finishing touches - now the only thing left is the chain. What to choose?

FB's Lounge, Cincinnati

2009-09-30T20:11:00.008-04:00

I guess we can tell you, because everybody knows about it now anyway. Our installation at FB, a snazzy lounge, in Cincinnati works like icing on cake. The boys at FB were working on some Alice in Wonderland styles, so we went for our grotesque porcelain critters mounted on baroque and leafy plaques. The loyal pug takes stage center guarded by rattlesnakes, while shrunken versions sit with the white rats in this antique case. Click images for a close up.

drink from this

2009-09-27T22:43:00.004-04:00

How's this for a tall drink? A peek at a new graphic, inspired by this and a dogmatic sign on the way to Krogers. (our local cincy grocery chain) Why does it say fakes are bootleg - because you know they are.

FR Now showing in New York

2009-09-23T16:37:00.007-04:00

Objective Affection is an exhibition concerned with the influence of objects in contemporary culture. We are a global community self defined by the possessions and considerations given to the objects we value. Through these objects we establish identity and express our beliefs and guiding ideologies. Check out BOFFO, and see Object Affection if you are in the area!

this is for real

2009-09-22T00:04:00.004-04:00

This is from a real product. Rubber disks for jars - AMAZING. We are using it a new couple ways. Seriously.

figurine

2009-09-19T11:55:00.003-04:00

We found this broken figurine at an antique mall in KY and have been tweaking it over the last week. First, I repainted their fancy clothes a darker shade of blue and covered all the gold, and then put the piece into the kiln to see what would happen. What happened is all the dirt fired off and the whole thing is nice and clean! We are now working on patterning the clothes and adding a background to complete the scene - a branch filled with tiny rats seems like it will do the trick. (sort of like the Pied Piper of Hamelin) Will keep you posted.

Installation and a preview through the looking glass

2009-09-14T12:18:00.006-04:00

This week opens a new destination for the nation, right here in Cincinnati. We were invited to do our thing at a new club that is already turning talking heads. Porcelain dogs and snarling wolves on baroque and leafy plaques are linked together by wiggly scrolls and rattlesnakes. The finishing touch caps both ends with wolves that salivate rats . This is quite a sight, and wait until you see how the rest of this funky wonderland will turn out to be.

part two

2009-09-09T22:57:00.002-04:00

Our new wolf chandelier - part two. This huge piece made it perfectly through the firing (although it actually is the third one - a little tricker than originally thought) and is now ready for leafing and lights. We switched it up a bit from the first one and added the two different styles of heads, which are working nicely. A couple more steps until the piece is complete and ready to hang, but so far we love it.
Mike had to take this photo fast because my arm was shaking...

hilarious

2009-09-06T17:20:00.004-04:00

Fresh from the kiln - Mike is responsible for the one on the left - I did the right. Punk rock/outer space? (good band name) these two actually make for a nice pair. They are off to pretty crazy place, will share more later this week. We start installing at 1:00pm tomorrow - can't wait.

our second home

2009-09-01T10:48:00.004-04:00

Our studio space - where we spend A LOT of time. It is an amazing space though, so I can't complain. And if I were to complain, it would be that I wish that window actually opened...

a little bit more

2009-08-27T15:43:00.002-04:00

I want to tell you more - but I still can't. So, I will show you a little more of what we have been up to. We usually are not so cryptic - but then again, we have never done a project like this. In the next few weeks we can reveal the whole shabang - and it should be amazing!!

Glazing

2009-08-24T22:36:00.004-04:00

Glazing heads to make more Wolf lights. I love watching the glaze fall out of the mouth - an event almost as good as their future illumination. Ha!
-no matter where you go, all ceramic studios look like this (buckets everywhere)

kiln is loaded

2009-08-20T18:31:00.003-04:00

Just a shot of the kiln - fully loaded and firing as we speak (or as I type, whatever). Exciting...

top secret

2009-08-17T19:17:00.002-04:00

We have a top secret project in the works - so we can't even tell you what goes on this lovely plaque. What can be said is that this is the centerpiece for the ideas we have been working on. Stay tuned for more information, location, and images. But not just yet.

round one

2009-08-13T22:23:00.002-04:00

Business cards - round 1. This was our first (okay, second because the first was not so hot) go around at the letterpress. And it is crazy fast. Mike was pulling out the prints as I was putting in paper - I felt like we were walking a fine line between total chaos and complete control. The pile on the left represents about 2 minutes of printing. It eats one sheet of paper every 2 seconds - I have no idea how one person can keep up... Good thing our skills are growing at a tremendous rate.

Limited Illuminated cups!!!

2009-08-08T20:39:00.012-04:00

We have been working on these new porcelain tumblers inspired by our taxidermy lessons/ experience's, as well as hunting scenes from illuminated manuscripts. They have been screen printed with our own drawings in underglaze, then enhanced with with overglaze enamels. These cups are sure to take the cake! Listen folks these are very special and limited so don't get too excited. "Amazing, I have never seen anything like it!"
For similar work click here.

illuminated - part two

2009-08-05T20:00:00.004-04:00

So far so good. Pretty exciting actually. The pain in my hands from the death grip I had on it while painting all of a sudden seems worth it. (although at the moment, it feels better to keep my hand closed rather than open. ouch.)

This time it's for REAL

2009-08-03T21:35:00.003-04:00

Good news for you. We received a grant - and you are up next. Scanning, printing, the works.
Guess you can't just hang dead there forever, collecting dust. Sorry.