Hasta La Ideas

Better known as Ramblin Worker, San Francisco-based artist Steve MacDonald combines sewing and embroidery with tech-savvy techniques to come up with his colorful illustrations, currently showing at NYC’s Fuse Gallery.

“The Last Dragon” skews towards MacDonald’s interest in pop culture, layering colors and images to play off CMYK printing processes. The graphics, comprised of cut-outs and thread, show off how MacDonald uses a sewing machine as others might wield a spray can or a paint brush.

MacDonald explains, the show “is a little of everything, from simple clean sewn lines to crazy cityscapes.” But, skateboarding makes a strong thematic statement, taking up a wall in the exhibit with pieces like the artist’s skate-ramp alphabet, as well as several other works featuring the curving form of a ramp.

Previously featured on CH for his Modest Mouse concert tees, his involvement with the annual Bike Film Festival, and his embroidered cuckoo clocks, who knows what MacDonald will come up with next.

“The Last Dragon” runs through 15 May 2010.