Interviews

Male artist series day 2: Dan Funderburgh

Dan Funderburgh 1
Dan Funderburgh 2

I’m super excited to feature Dan Funderburgh as a part of my series on male artists. I was lucky to have him participate in my Love book. His sister is amazing too. Dan is a multi-talented artist specializing in wallpaper design. He’s resides in Brooklyn. His patterns, prints and installations are varied in content but all demonstrate an unabashed love for decorative arts. With influences ranging from 14th century Moorish mosaic to 60’s American op art, the work is a repudiation of the fabricated schism between art and decoration. Some of Dan’s work can be found in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum and the Miami Museum of Modern Art.

Here’s my little interview with the man himself:
When you were a kid what were your artistic inspirations?
Tintin

What are your main inspirations now?
Everything. But lately especially science.

What has been your favorite project to date?
Wallpapering my soccer team’s club house in Vienna.

What would your dream project be?

Oval office.

Besides paper what other surface would you most like to see your work printed on?

Not printed, but woven into massive tapestries.

Favorite artist of all time?

Stevie Wonder

………………..

Thanks so much for stopping by Maquette, Dan. I think you are tremendous. Plus I adore Stevie Wonder. Music Aquarium and Talking Book are the best. Stay tuned this week dear readers for some other male artists I adore.

50 People, One Question “If you could wake up anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?”


Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.
I love this video series. 50 people in one place are asked the same question “If you could wake up anywhere tomorrow where would it be?”.

Here’s what the makers say:

“Once upon a time, we awoke with a new question on our mind. We didn’t quite know what the buzz and bustle of a Brooklyn afternoon would bring. In search of nothing more than some fresh answers, we found a few dreams instead.

It’s a simple question and the answers can lead us anywhere. So go ahead, ask yourself…”

So what about you dear readers? Where would it be? My husband and I both thought of answers and then told each other. We had the same one, anywhere the other was…then Paris.

Want to see what folks in London said?

Eva Funderburgh

Eva Funderburgh

This week I’ll be featuring women artists. They’re all working on fabulous new things and I’ll show you some of their work and tell you a little bit about them. So check back each day for a feature on different woman artist whose work will surely inspire and intrigue.

Let’s start with Eva Funderburgh:
You may recognize the last name “Funderburgh” from the incredible Dan Funderburgh. I love his work. I was thrilled to have him contribute to the love book. Apparently art is in the blood in the Funderburgh family. His sister Eva makes incredible sculptures. I asked her to tell me about them and here’s what she said:

I’m not completely sure where my creatures come from. Most likely from a childhood with healthy doses of science fiction and video games. I try to use my creatures as a lenses to see other things, ranging from human movements and emotions, to larger and more dramatic views of the world and myth.

I use a medium that is pretty uncommon in the present day art world. Not only do I choose to work with porcelain for my sculptures, something a bit unusual, I also use a thousand year old Japanese firing technique to finish it. All of my work is “wood fired” in an anagama style kiln. Basically, we heat the kiln entirely with wood. The wood ash, in turn, actually melts onto the pieces, creating a beautiful, natural, and unpredictable glaze. It’s an incredible process, taking nine people and 5 cords (10 pickup truck loads) of wood. We go nonstop for five days, getting the kiln up to 2400F in temperature. I fire three times a year at “Santatsugama”, or “Three Dragon Kiln”. (This why there was some confusion earlier with my pieces mistakenly being called “santatsugama”s). It’s a whole heck of a lot of work, but results in an incredible, unreproducible result.

Here are some photos from that amazing kiln. Here’re more of her amazing sculptures for you to peruse. I can’t look away.

Check out her blog and shop!

**She and Dan are working on a collaboration. I can’t wait to see how it’ll turn out. I’ll be sure to post it here when it’s complete.

Time Lapse of baby playing, Tim Walker kisses + sharing the Love (book)


adorable photo by Tim Walker via <a href=

My husband sent me This video by a French-Canadian photo journalist, it’s making the rounds on the web this week. I love OPB, or “other people’s babies” as he likes to call them. We’re excited to have our own someday. I can’t get the song out of my head, it’s “Ensemble” by French Canadian band “Coeur de Pirate“.

Also check out this adorable photo by my fav fashion photographer Tim Walker via Fifi Lapin

*In other news, the Love book already got some lovely press this week after launching on Wednesday. Give it to your “honey, or yourself, or your bestie, or your mom. they will all enjoy it.” as Lisa says. Even after laying it out, I’m not bored of looking through it. I look at it everyday.

Here ‘s what other bloggers are saying about it so far and if you’re not familiar with these blogs do check them out over the weekend, they’re written by amazing people:

  1. sub-studio
  2. Poppytalk
  3. for me-for you
  4. Treasuring
  5. Decor8
  6. Treatzone
  7. Hot Child in the City
  8. Design is Mine
  9. Jezze blog
  10. Heartfish
  11. Creative Thursday
  12. Kate Neckel

Have such a lovely weekend. XO.

Peachy pinks, sorbet oranges, cherry reds… my favorite colors!

sorbet orange

I’m getting everything printed up for the trade-show. Next week I’ll post my experience there. I’m going to get to meet a bunch of other bloggers/designers so that should be fun.

The economy is a wreck though. I hope I’m not sitting in my little colorful booth, with an eager face, surrounded by all of my prints waiting for clients who aren’t going to come. This new year I resolved to be more positive so this will be a good opportunity to attempt a big feat.

The prints above are a small sample of new work. I went for a warm and delicious palette for spring/summer 2010. These colors just feel so dreamy to me.  Actually my Love themed prints with the same color-ways for Valentine’s day were just posted about by the fabulous Holly Becker of Decor8 on her ‘mistress’ blog over at Real Simple called Simply Stated. Wish you all the most lovely weekend dear readers.

**Here are some fabulous links to my fav new or updated sites keep you busy this weekend:

  1. Makool Loves You
  2. Treatzone
  3. Hello Lucky
  4. One of my surface pattern pals, Yasmine has an amazing new shop!
  5. Handmade Nation (just finished the documentary and is on a book tour)

XO,

Sam

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