Function Follows Form
You Should Own Art, Edition 31
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Welp. And thus ends an accidental, unintentional, yet sort of on-purpose interlude. I’ve found myself having to make some choices amongst my many many projects. YSOA has been losing out in favor of other art and design projects. But, we’re back, and it does feel lovely to commune with you over humanity’s better angel.
A couple of notes:
We’re having a party! Yup, on January 20 (2024) we’re hosting a number of artists, their artwork, and all our friends here at YSOA Global HQ. We did this last year, and it was a ton of fun. This year we’re doing it again, but this time with some actual planning. More on this later, but if you’re in Austin, or plan to be, kindly pencil in the date.
Let there be hats! I thought it would be fun to make some YSOA hats for the aforementioned party. There’s been a surprising amount of interest expressed as I’ve showed the design around. So, if you’re interested reply to this email or comment in the app and I’ll do a bigger run. The design is inspired by the amazing hats at IDEA. Here’s a screenshot from the hat vendor’s website (ignore the weird rectangle, it’s there for placing the embroidery):
In a previous edition, I asked if anyone would be willing to submit themselves to a short interview about art they own. I’ll be sharing the results over the next few editions. We’ll see if it becomes a regular feature. I’m happy to share the first (which is really the second, and possibly the third) now. Ian Ingram (Instagram, website) is a good friend, an occasional collaborator, and a constant inspiration:
Who are you and what do you do? I am Ian Ingram and I do ART
Where are you in the world? Right on the tip top.
What is the work you want to share? And who is the artist? The work I am sharing is work I gathered from travels. I think this deserves its own file, or genre, or sub reddit, or category. Travel often forces new perspectives and the changes open new neural slopes for new mental toboggans. I love when I find a THING that crystallizes those fresh "ah-ha's" and I can keep them and pass by them every day
Where did you find it? I found the propaganda posters in Hanoi, Vietnam in a store close to the Museum of American Atrocities.
I found the Huichol yarn paintings in Sayulita, Mexico.
What does it mean to you? The posters are hand painted- originals from which posters were made to inspire Vietnamese to join the military. I met the artist who made them and he sold them to me from that low squat position that we never access in this culture. I can see and feel the brush strokes and it just keeps the "other" side alive and humane to me. As well as a choking serving of humble pie.
The yarn paintings are remarkable to me in the simplicity of material, and the complexity of knowledge. I know of no other art that speaks so fluently the vibrational language of nature. I see the rhythms of cellular growth and seasonal change, tides, breath, skins.
Has your relationship to it changed over time? I got these when I was 25 years old (now 25 years ago), so yes, the changes are many. The artist was an old man when I got them and I imagine he has since passed away. As time goes by, I feel like they hold an increasingly rare human connection to something so many people are trying to forget.
Time is the secret ingredient of ART. It is all of the magic. It pretends to hold still through time, but actually emits radiation all the while!
What other art do you have in your home? Since I also make ART, I have some of it surrounding our daily lives to make sure my kids soak up things I think are important without having to endure the eye rolls.
Is there a dream artwork that you’d love to have? I'd love to have the Sistine Chapel. Fall asleep under the most potent negative space in ART history; the inch and half between the finger of Adam and Gawd.
Why do you own art? Probably because I'm human and cling desperately to the illusion of "meaning"
Two editions ago, I focused on sculpture. Which is not a form I know much about. Fumbling around in unfamiliar terrain turned out to be really rewarding. In this edition, we’ll be looking at ceramics which is also not something I’m terribly familiar with. A great jumping off point into this world are two books by the artist and writer Edmund de Waal. The Hare With The Amber Eyes and The White Road tell very different stories but are both meditations on the intimate relationship between things, their makers, and their possessors.
Stacked Saucers
Corinna Cowles
USD$400
I immediately responded to the graphic and painterly affect of this work. Which makes sense given that Corinna is a painter by training. I really appreciate both the character and craft in her work. I encourage you to check out other works on her site - really intriguing and special.
You can buy this work here
Corinna’s Instagram
Corinna’s website
“Little Vessel”
Yvette Glaze
Contact artist for price
I couldn’t find if this work has a title or not, but it’s representative of Yvette’s process which is really beautiful in of itself. She doesn’t have any work for sale on her site. Instead she prefers contact through Instagram.
Yvette’s Instagram
Porcelain Dish
Philip M. Soucy
USD$400
I think this is so elegant. It gives me the sense that this is just on the edge of the physically possible.
You can buy this work here
Philip’s Instagram
Philip’s website
Title unknown
Nico Conti
Price unknown
I’m in love. I have no idea where to buy Nico’s work, or how much it costs, but I’m entranced. He’s developing some unique techniques that use 3D printing and other contemporary tools, and the result is so compelling. Take a look at his site and his Instagram has current updates.
Nico’s Instagram
Nico’s website
Grey Cat
Vladimir Mudrenko
USD$100
Awww!
You can buy this work here.
Vladimir’s Etsy shop
Polka Dot Vase
Patrick Arnold
USD$60
I like Patrick’s style quite a bit. He works across a number of mediums and everything he produces is super engaging and full of character.
You can buy this work here.
Patrick’s Instagram
Patrick’s website
Wall Shelf
Christine Tenenholtz
Currently unavailable
So, why did I show you something that you can’t buy? First, I think this is delightful. I love a wee shelf that you can put tiny treasures on. Second, I think you’ll dig the rest of Christine’s work - it all reverberates with the same exuberance and delight. She periodically opens her shop with new work for sale. The best thing to do to keep on top is to sign up for her newsletter.
See this on Christine’s website
Christine’s Instagram
That’s it for this month. Thanks so much for subscribing and supporting the artists featured here. Follow them on instagram, bookmark their websites, sign up for their newsletters. And tell your friends.
Chat at you soon.