Ga Ga for Givenchy

Just look at her.

Self Construction

This is an excerpt from Today's New Name May Be Tomorrow's Old by Sassafrass Lowrey

   "This was performance art. My body the only prop I needed, the streets and punk houses of Portland my stage. North Portland still haunts me. Killingsworth to Lombard, I walked those streets cloaked in darkness, a soundtrack of riot grrrl and folk recorded in Alberta basement studios. Making stages from propped up pallets, learning to silkscreen with weak Oregon sunshine, and stealing double sided copies. On the edge of genesis I created, loved, and fucked, as bodies shifted and savings accounts ebbed and flowed with the seasons. Surgery funds traded for rent, dinner out when food stamps were low. Art was everywhere. Walls and skin covered with layer upon layer of color, image and meaning bleeding together. My cuticles crusted with spray paint, glue, copy-toner and cum."

Everyone should experience, play with and own their self creation. If my transgender studies class has taught me anything it is that ultimately no matter our gender or sexual orientation as queer or as predictable as possible, we are all self made and should cherish that process and result. You and only you can dictate yourself. Of course cultural standards, family pressures blah blah yeah contribute but ultimately it is down to only you. You are fully responsible for your proudest and most fucked up moments. They are equally legitimate and equally yours. Own them, make them, love them all.

In a Timely Fashion

Sewing machine turned time piece turned necklace. How could one go wrong? 

It's a new favorite, I wanted a "go to" necklace and needless to say I have found something unique and charming. 

A Touch of Springtime

Shirt: Thrifted, Hat: H&M, Bag: Target, Jeans: American Eagle, Shoes: Steve Madden, Sweater: J Crew

      

      It's beginning to feel a lot like spring time this February. Good thing we are expected to have snow for the rest of the week. I took this rare opportunity to don some sandals and barricade myself to the library to start my research paper. 

   This earring is one of my favorites, multiple feathers and a snail shell. I like to pair it with a smaller earring that picks up the green string towards the top. 

     My research project is on the transgender community and its participation in post modern art, and based on that participation and the benefits gained from post modern activities how we can anticipate that community to act in alter modern art (what we are currently in). Juicy stuff. 

Midnight Art Building Adventure

   Late the other night I left my paint brushes in my painting locker in the art building and I needed them for homework. I grabbed Stephanie and Chelsea Garmon and made them come with me, little did we know it would be a little adventure. The art building is great with huge windows and filled with the strangest things. We went to the painting studio first.

My favorite shoes. If you haven't caught on by now, I'm real short. 

This is Chelsea. What a cool cat she is. See that pocket? She sewed it herself. 

Stephanie in her new Sherlock shirt. 

There's this weird new section in the art building which is a hallway painted with weird circus types. But we loved it. 

        Then I took them down to the print lab. Printmaking is my focus for my art major. I started this project a few weeks ago which has been a great experience. Printmaking is so much about the process, so many things are permanent or stubborn and everything takes a very long time. In this project though I had a very different sort of process all together which required me to work quickly but with great care. 

         I found a dead robin on campus (good thing the purse contents glamour shot wasn't that day). I knew it needed to be in a project. Initially I thought about giving it to a friend in the ceramics department to make a mold of it. But then looking at the feathers I knew I wanted to print off of it. Directly off of the carcass. So that night I took it to the print lab and tried it. 

       I would daub ink onto the body and then hand press it onto sekishu paper. It required me manipulating the body in a slightly forceful manner, daubing with pressure to apply enough ink, stretching wings, adjusting the head and neck, pressing firmly. I had to work quickly for the body would only stay flexible and (relatively) non smelly for a number of hours. It was a difficult process, I tried to be ginger with my actions but when I heard the first bones snap I stopped, teared up, and pressed on. After that I let bones and tendons snap with less mourning but was teary all the same. I would fold his wings over his body, under his body. Tilt the head at extreme angles, push hard on the skull to get the impressions of the eye socket. Pull the feet at full length to get solid linear shapes next to the ephemeral looking feathers.  By the end of the process his wings and head were sadly limp and mangled. Eventually his feathers were pulled out by ink and I could not use him any more. I wasn't sure If I was exploiting this body or if I did the best I could. But the thought of being responsible for the mangling of a body was not a good one. However the results were quite beautiful. So my morality and my art-hungry self battled that night. Ultimately I think the pieces are lovely. I buried the bird the next morning and felt right. 

Spotlight on the Masters

And finally a sunny day worth celebrating with hiking, home working, and of course enjoying the Super Bowl. Katie Masters had the right idea with this little number. Stylish, fresh and fun. There's nothing more inspiring as a blogger to walk around and see your friends look so stinkin' stylish. 

A Turn Inward

   I have drawn more pictures of this rabbit than any other singular subject. Neville is my garden friend, he is charming and friendly. All of the pictures are gesture drawings, not a single one finished but all of them capture a piece of him. But I keep at it because I love the process.
   A friend recently asked me why I blog and I found myself instantly embarrassed "I dunno, narcissism of course" was my reflexive response. But I blog because I love the communities I have found online. Fashionistas, crafty moms, and broke-ass kids a like have turned to the internet for ideas on how to dress, make, and adventure on the cheap. Friends like Stephanie and Sarah have shown me how to get started and helped me with my own networking. Amy and Rookie Mag have shown me what a blog can be "when it's all grown up". Projects like THIS are more artful and important than we know. Blogs like THIS have shown me the beautiful in the ordinary, and THIS has inspired entire internal conversations with pictures alone. Blogs like Zines before them have ultimately united ambitious people and given them a network to share ideas with unprecedented abilities.
   I do this because I want to see, share and be shared. This process has been challenging even in the first month. I can't wait to see what Wildish and I become when we grow up.

Sink or Swim

Upon opening my closet recently, a friend exclaimed "So many neutrals". She's right. I haven't decided if I should expand my wardrobe to include the occasional focal color. To me a risky sweater would be say teal blue instead of navy. Not terribly striking. However I have come to love my land of neutrals, maybe it's a manifestation of Oregonian overcast but hey. I went for all black today, sitting on the ground writing on my blog Stephanie says "Look at you little beat-nick you". 

Had a great "duty date night" with my friend Sam. Watched "He Died with a Felafel in his Hand" (unsure of opinion of it), then "Zach Galifanakis: Live at the Purple Onion" and video chatted with my younger sister for nearly an hour. We explained to her that tape wars are appropriate and only expected on a slow evening in college. Shenanigans and hilarity all around. 

While I admittedly indulge in hipster items (clothing, reading, home decor and entere life) my favorite hipster item is this Toronto cup from Goodwill. I've never been to Toronto but for $.99 who can say no?