Artist Watch: Yayoi Kusama

I wish I could have gone to Australia to see this exhibition (and maybe even partake in it!).  Yayoi Kusama (born 1929) created in installation at the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia that was a couple of "domestic-syle rooms" like a living room and kitchen.  But everything was painted white.  And once the exhibition opened, the children who visited the museum were given colored dot stickers to decorate the rooms!  How amazing is that?  Here are a few photos from the 'Obliteration Room' installation:

~Jess

Artist Watch: Vanishing Cultures Project

The Vanishing Cultures Project is a documentary project that is helping to create awareness of native tribes and preserve their way of life.  Taylor Weidman and Nina Wegner team up for half the year and go out to document indigenous tribes.  They have already finished their first project about Tibet in the Upper Mustang region.  You can purchase prints and a book about Tibet.  Right now they are working on documenting the pastoral herders in Mongolia.  Check out more about their project here: http://www.vcproject.org

What I really love about the project is not only the preservation aspect, but the photographs.  They are truly stunning.

~Jess

Artist Watch: Julie VonDerVellen

The internet is a brilliant thing, connecting all of visually.  I came across Julie VonDerVellen's work last year.  It really is amazing what one can do with paper.  VonDerVellen creates garments out of handmade paper (which is made out of recycled cotton clothing).  She says that "garments evoke memories; memories evoke garments" and she's right.  Her pieces are intricately woven and painstakingly put together to re-create garments.  The paper also has the story of the specific memory printed on it thus binding the memory and the garment together.  Check out more of her work here.

~ Jess