Le designer Terri Chiao nous propose cet excellent projet de cabane à l’intérieur d’un loft, avec “cette maison au sein d’une maison”. Tout en bois et au design simple et efficace, le rendu de cette installation réalisée à Brooklyn est à découvrir dans la suite en images.
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Aspiring collectors find emerging artists in a new gallery storefront
Sensitive to the cash-strapped culture lovers of the world, Recession Art began with the simple premise of uniting aspiring collectors with emerging artists. After three years of shows at Brooklyn’s Invisible Dog, they have now opened RAC on New York’s Lower East Side. Seated atop Culturefix, an artsy watering hole with adjoining event space, RAC combines a storefront shop with a permanent gallery.
“We wanted to bring together two groups of people we knew personally,” says founder Emma Katz. “Artists who were making work but had no way to get it out into the world, and young art lovers who were maybe furnishing their first apartment and wanted access to original artwork.” True to their mission, Katz and curator Melanie Kress stocked the storefront with prints and books by emerging artists, along with affordable original works.
The space has played home to a number of pop-ups over the years, but both Culturefix and Recession Art saw the benefit of a shared venue. “We get people to come into the gallery that might not usually visit an art gallery. Our goal is for anyone to feel welcome here—if you come for a beer or a concert you might end up buying a handmade pop-up book or a photograph. It allows us to work with many kinds of artists including musicians, performers and poets.”
Kicking off things at RAC is an exhibition by veteran Recession Art artist Megan Berk. “Weird Party on the Other Side of the Hedge” shows scenes of Berk’s native Los Angeles, the nostalgic dreamscapes tinged with an air of outsider skepticism. A friend of Recession Art, Berk also designed a totebag and limited edition print for the store.
Recession Art plans to continue shows at the Invisible Dog, and are currently taking submissions online for “Everything is Index, Nothing is History,” curated by Melanie Kress. In an effort to build relationships with collectors, Recession Art also runs a Collector Club to keep the community abreast of artist activities, studio visits and private previews.
RAC
9 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
Two simple ingredients drive a fledgling Brooklyn-based baker
When it comes to a satisfying treat, simple is almost always best. Alison Walla’s small Brooklyn-based baking outfit Butter + Love exemplifies that ideal with her line of shortbread and gingerbread fruit- and herb-infused cookies made from spruced-up family recipes.
Taking its name from a Norwegian proverb, Butter + Love was born from Walla’s morning coffee runs to the Green Grape in Fort Greene. The discerning staff urged her to capitalize on her neighborly generosity and start selling the sweets she was bringing to them each day.
In six months, Walla has baked her way into six local stockists, and opened her own stall at the Brooklyn Flea in November 2011. This week, she opens an Etsy shop to share the cookie bounty with those outside the neighborhood.
We got to try a variety of flavors at CH HQ and were most impressed by the salted honey lavender shortbread—a classic, well-executed iteration based on the namesake ingredient. The rich cookie was a perfect balance of soft and crispy with a sprinkling of salt and sugar on top. The sandwich cookies—a heart-shaped raspberry lemon and blackberry lime stars—offered a flavorful update on the traditional Linzer tart, and pleased the crowd a bit more than the more unconventional savory-sweet marionberry rosemary sea salt flavor. The gingerbread moustaches offered just enough spice, and were pleasantly chewier than a typical snap.
Find Butter + Love at select Brooklyn purveyors or, starting this week, online at Etsy. Prices start around $5 for a box of four.
Intense coffee knowledge in a casual environment at a new cafe in Brooklyn
The Third Wave Coffee movement is all about taking the bean and beverage to new levels of consideration, placing huge importance on sourcing, roasting and then brewing. As we could see on a tour of their soon-to-open Brooklyn location, Australian outfit Toby’s Estate Coffee seems to be fully on board, but founder Toby Smith is serious about keeping pure enjoyment at the forefront.
Smith’s laid-back attitude may feel slightly out of place in an industry cranking out caffeine-fueled drinks, but his casual approach allows customers to truly relax, and learn about the blend or bean origin. The teachers are professional baristas who might be pouring hot water into a ceramic double dripper from a Hario kettle, or pulling a carefully calibrated shot of espresso from one of only two La Marzocco Strada machines found stateside. Smith and head roaster Deaton Pigot aim to create a comfortable atmosphere, encouraging guests to remain at the bar and chat with the skilled barista while their drink of choice is being made.
A man who originally got into the craft by roasting beans in his parents’ garage over a decade ago—and who subsequently offered tastings in their garden—Smith keeps this art form alive with a massive Probat roaster and cupping room (equipped with a La Marzocco GB/5) on-site. This is not only where serious consumers can take one of Toby Estate’s highly in-depth courses, but it also serves as a place where Pigot and the team can taste each batch for quality assurance and make adjustments to the roasting and brewing processes.
Besides the extremely high-tech and relatively exclusive espresso machine, one of the other aspects that sets Toby’s Estate apart from other Williamsburg cafes is Smith’s fervent interest in sourcing the beans. Whether stalking small batches online until they’re up for auction, scouring the globe himself or keeping in close contact with his men on the ground in countries known for harvesting beans, Smith adamantly ensures that Toby Estate locations have some of the world’s most distinctive beans on tap.
Toby’s Estate marks a refreshing addition to the Williamsburg cafe scene with its enlightened staff and sun-drenched space, inviting customers to loosen up while learning about a complex beverage at the same time. The Brooklyn shop and roastery open to the public 9 January 2012, where you can expect an exciting menu of seasonal offerings to enjoy there or brew at home.
A new show curated by Sarah Schmerler sheds light on the luster of four artists’ work
In the forthcoming group show “Gʉilty / (NOT) Guilty,” art critic and curator Sarah Schmerler brings together four talented artists for a cohesive display of works surrounding the play on words that the title implies. Turning guilt instead into a word synonymous with a gold surface, the exhibition explores the luster of an artist’s work in economic downtime and questions what makes a piece of art attractive in the eyes of society. Or, as Schmerler explains in her curatorial statement for the show, “I think of this show as my own kind of illustrated ‘Fuck U’.”
Originally debuting in May 2011 on Schmerler’s virtual exhibition space 45projects (which she curates with the industrious design director Paulius Nosokas), the physical manifestation of “Gʉilty” on view at Brooklyn’s Norte Maar will keep the same foursome on roster, a group of established yet emerging artists Schmerler says have been “hiding in plain sight.” The lineup includes Ellen Letcher, Francesco Masci, Alfred Steiner and Pablo Tauler, who will each show the works included in the online version as well as new pieces.
In his spare time, copyright lawyer Alfred Steiner creates works that Schmerler considers “visually arresting” in their own right, but at the same time reflect a fascinating narrative. Steiner beautifully entwines various body parts like eyeballs, noses and even muscle tissue to create impeccably rendered silhouettes that transform the sum of its parts into an incredible whole.
NYC-based Chilean artist Pablo Tauler uses just a ballpoint pen for his meticulously drawn illustrations on display at Norte Maar, which turn ethereal scenes and abstract forms into bold, large-scale works of art. The airy depictions he presents for Gʉilty / (NOT) Guilty are only a small facet of his work, which spans painting, digital photography and video.
Schmerler describes Francesco Masci as a classic Renaissance artist who can really paint, but one with no misgivings about crossing boundaries. In addition to his Twitter-inspired portraiture, Masci will show his 2009 “Totem” series, comprised of images created from hundreds of digital files procured through Google searches and stacked to make a wildly emblematic statement on modern obsessions. Masci’s formal training allows him to move seamlessly between subjects and styles, executing his work with a fresh perspective for his medium.
Ellen Letcher cuts and pastes in the physical realm, arranging images pulled from periodicals and magazines into perceptive collages adhered together with paint. The slightly ominous subject matter only backs up already engrossing compositions that toe the line between fact and fiction.
Gʉilty / (NOT) Guilty opens 1st January 2012 at Norte Maar with a Champagne brunch to celebrate, and will run through the end of the month. Check out the online catalog—created by Nosokas, who will also have a few works on display concurrently at Norte Maar—for more on the show and the four New York-based artists it champions.
Norte Maar
83 Wyckoff Avenue, #1B
Brooklyn, NY
11237
+1.646.361.8512
A featured artist talks music, food, fashion and skateboarding
by Frank Galland
Founded by Aaron Broudo, Brooklyn Night Bazaar brings the inspirational energy and madness of Southeast Asian night markets to a 40,000 square foot former carpet warehouse on the Williamsburg waterfront 15-17 December 2011. Broudo partnered with Ken Farmer, creative director of Nuit Blanche New York, to bring their Brooklyn audience a few evenings of beer, music, artists’ wares and skateboarding with the holiday season in full swing.
We caught up with one of the bazaar’s featured artists, Brooklyn-based Canyon Castator, whose work spans oil on canvas to human tattoos. At the bazaar he will be showcasing his selection of DIY tattoos in his new zine “Ink on Skin.”
It’s a 64-page book, conceived and designed in a collaborative effort, documenting my un-surveyed works. The images presented come from four years of tattoos by my group of friends and me. The book at once exposes a clandestine culture of DIY tattooing, and the evolution of technique and subject matter.
I bought the original tattoo machine back in Boulder, Colorado. I lived with five dudes at the time in the quintessential skate house. I think we all threw in like $12 or something. No one knew what to do with the thing. We just kinda went for it. The first couple were really rough. The machine would break down and you would be left with a half way done Bart Simpson or a banner reading “skate and des”. Really good stuff. The brief stories in the zine touch on that original uncertainty. I’ve always drawn, and these silly tattoos were just another medium to experiment in.
When I was invited to participate as a vendor in the Bazaar, I wanted to display the recently completed zine, but I also wanted to set the tone for the person passing by. I’m not a tattoo artist, I’ve never worked in a shop or gone through the proper channels to apprentice or study tattoo arts. The environment I was most accustomed to during this time was the essential dingy basement, full of trash, half eaten pizzas, beer cans etc. I’m using my vendor space as an installation that pays homage to that original aesthetic. Come in, have a drink, watch me give Stick and Pokes to willing friends and pick up a zine.
There was a Bazaar in October earlier this year at the DeKalb Market . I wasn’t involved, but it was crazy. Amazing turnout. I’ve never seen that many people in downtown Brooklyn.
Essentially, it is extending the forum for growth and marks a confluence of Brooklyn’s cultural vitality. The use of Williamsburg’s fleeting waterfront warehouse space is the perfect setting for this cultural collaboration.
I recently participated in the Carsten Höller installation at the New Museum, an unbelievable and ambitious project which came together due to the hard work of some incredibly talented people. Afterwards I was put in touch with Ken Farmer, the creative director of Nuit Blanche New York. He was interested in getting some of Brooklyn’s finest to skate the half pipe each night before it was transformed into the performance space. I’m more or less organizing who will be skating.
There’s a wide array of participating artist and vendors, anyone can apply for a space, but the majority of the participants were pulled from the organizing teams creative network. You’ve got design from Windowfarms, curated classics from Kill Devil Hill and original works from local artists like Anton Zolotov and Colin Snapp.
I’ve always recognized skating as a form of artistic expression. It’s rad that the Bazaar is utilizing an art piece, as a shared space for skateboarding and music. Its always been unclear to me where the line is drawn between the three genres anyway.
Part of the motivation for the night market is the desire to make room in the city’s nighttime cultural landscape for a little innovation. The Bazaar runs from 5 p.m. to midnight, giving you time to head to the bar afterwards.
Each night of the Brooklyn Night Bazaar will feature a different live act including James Murphy, Fucked Up and The Hold Steady. For tickets visit the event page.
A seasonal gastronomic event celebrates delicious art and beautiful food
The cliché of the artist so wrapped up in his work that he routinely forgets to eat is a familiar one. Even those fiercely dedicated to their creativity can go beyond the practicality of eating to reap the true benefits of enjoying a meal. “Something I Ate,” a seasonal event series based in NYC, brings together a diverse group of artists to explore the purpose of food as more than just fuel. “From food, we derive pleasure and inspiration,” says co-founder Kat Popiel. “And these elements ignite our creative fires.”
Now in its third iteration, Something I Ate was founded by Popiel—who also launched the food magazine On Plate, Still Hungry—and Sam Kim of SkimKim Foods. The two set out to facilitate artists’ interpretations of the connections that exist between food and art, while also fostering a sense of community around the shared experience of food, drink and creative work. In the weeks prior to the event, participating artists are asked to keep a food diary and track the meals they consume over the course of seven days. These food diaries become the foundation for both the menu that is served at the event and the creative work unveiled, with each artist displaying a piece inspired by their documented eating habits.
“We refer to Something I Ate as a ‘happening’, we’re not art curators. We’ve simply approached creative folks from our community to become involved with the project,” says Popiel. Past works have included a video installation by Duffy Higgins, a wall of lollipops by Gastronomista and a sculpture inspired by Brian Hubble‘s weight gain after the completion of his food diary. “We want this to be an unusual playground for artists to explore their creativity outside their usual mediums,” she adds.
The latest edition of Something I Ate takes over Acme Studios in Williamsburg for a feast loosely themed around the atmosphere of a fall carnival. Cool Hunting favorite Kristen Wentrcek of Wintercheck Factory will present her Turkey Leg Pretzelbread Sammies with an updated ball-toss game and photographer Sidney Lo debuts his new series entitled “Sometimes When We Eat, We Eat Alone,” along with plentiful servings of deconstructed Orange-Ginger Pork Dumpling.
Something I Ate Fall 2011 takes place on 18 November 2011 in NYC. Tickets are available online for $30 ($15 for past Something I ate artists).
New American classics from the Brooklyn-based menswear brand’s “Pompous Circumstance” collection
Going strong in its third year of production, Brooklyn-based fashion label Feltraiger makes what they call “New American Classic” menswear with a healthy sense of irreverence. With each collection the label takes on a different subculture—for Spring/Summer 2012 founder and creative director Daniel Feldman was inspired by the way high society spends their leisure time. The “Pompous Circumstance” collection offers a clean, well-trimmed look reminiscent of days spent quail hunting at the country home.
After a quick look at the line we were most intrigued by the label’s outerwear, which includes key pieces—a trim-fit, anorak-style pullover; a slim camouflage bomber and a lightweight classic hunting vest—blending classic and contemporary design. The vest in particular goes easily from the country to the city, with an urban-appropriate aesthetic and all the essential technical features a hunter may need, down to a detachable rear game pouch.
Run by Feldman, along with his brother Jon, Feltraiger—named for the family’s original Russian surname prior to emigration—is made entirely in America to ensure control of the highest standard of material and craftsmanship. For the time being Feltraiger is sold exclusively through their online shop; come Spring 2012 the duo will expand by opening a brick-and-mortar flagship in New York City.
Photography by Gregory Stefano
North American roasters get crafty with South American and African beans
Thanks coffee culture spreading far and wide—from Portland’s Stumptown to Chicago’s Intelligentsia—the appeal of independent micro-roasters over corporate coffee houses is starting to catch on not just among connoisseurs but mainstream America as well. To survey the latest, we’ve dedicated our morning—and afternoon and evening—cups of coffee to finding the best artisinal purveyors in the States. Below is a selection of seven cups of black gold that will not only keep you moving, but taste good too.
Earning the coveted title of coffee partners with the cycling gurus at Rapha, San Francisco’s own Four Barrel serves up one of the best cups of Joe around. We imported a beautiful bag of their Kenyan Muranga Theri and fell in love. This sweet coffee has a delicate citric acidity with a bold bitter end—available for $20 per 12-ounce bag at their Valencia Street shop and on their website.
A Northeastern favorite, Gorilla Coffee hails “from a little town called Brooklyn.” The coffee is bold and strong, just as one would expect from the city that never sleeps. We found the Kenyan Fairview Estate to be nothing fancy, just a good solid coffee perfect for every day drinking. The buttery brew sells at Gorilla’s webshop for $15 per 12-ounce bag.
Operating from their lone shop in Topeka, KS since 1993, PT’s Coffee Roasting roasts over 100 tons of specialty coffee a year. We got our hands on a half pound of the Organic Guatemala Finca Santa Isabel blend. Shortly after the first sip we noticed a subtle—almost floral—flavor that lingered even after the cup was gone. This smooth coffee sells for $15 per 12-ounce bag through their website.
Founded by a former Starbucks exec, Roasting Plant roasts a wide variety of beans on site every single day to offer the absolute freshest coffee possible. We snagged a bag of the Roasting Plant Blend, described by one CH taster as “how you imagine coffee should be” and the aromatic blend quickly became one of our favorites. Look to either of their two NYC locations or their online store where $22 will get you 16-ounce bag of premium beans.
Located in the Hudson Valley just outside of NYC, Irving Farm roasts daily to achieve a “farm fresh” quality. As fans of their Flying Donkey espresso, we were eager to taste a few coffee bean selections, and found the Gotham Blend to have the most enticing full flavor. The dark smokiness really came through with each sip, resulting in a “luscious, powerful and strong” cup of coffee. Available at Irving Farm’s website for $14 per 12-ounce bag.
Portland‘s Heart Coffee Roasters roasts twice weekly in-store to ensure consistent quality from each batch of season-specific beans. We tried the Guatemala El Limonar, a soft-hitting coffee with a slight nutty flavor, accented by notes of citrus. Heart’s lightly roasted coffees sell from $14 to $20 per 12-ounce bag throughout the Rose City as well as online.
After fifteen years of research and experimentation, the brains behind Seattle’s Espresso Vivace think they’ve found just the right way to roast their espresso beans. After many rounds of voluntary sampling we agree. Described by Vivace as being ideal for drip coffee and French presses, the Espresso Vita is a delightful blend that we found to be light and flavorful with a “classic” and “lovely” disposition. Available through Vivace’s webshop for around $16 per 16-ounce bag.
Our behind-the-scenes video of Brooklyn’s animatronic master
For our latest video we trucked deep into Brooklyn, NY to explore Mechanical Displays, Lou Nasti’s fantastic studio. Nasti is the animatronic mastermind responsible for installations around the globe, most notably some of the most iconic Christmas displays on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Obsessed with robotics since childhood, he’s been doing it professionally for over 30 years, applying an uncanny mechanical skill reflected in his “can do” approach to modern technology. We were lucky enough to spend the day in Nasti’s studio learning some of his tricks and getting a sneak peek at some upcoming projects.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
