Hey Suzan!

First of all, gotta say I loved your last post, so brilliant!  So as Harpreet always sends you inspiring knitting links, she always sends me food ones. The latest link she sent me was about japanese artist Shoko Masunaga, who uses butter as an art form. Using toast as his canvas and only edible ingredients and colorings, he makes colorful little abstract paintings with... well, fat. We always knew butter was tasty, but here it's made rather pretty, too. By way of this discovery, I think it's also worth mentioning the bookstore that sells the butter book, artbookstand.com. Interesting little online shop based in LA, that is "inspired by the quirky personal libraries of imaginative individuals". Lots of very nice publications and films.

I'm off to Gränna for the holidays as of tomorrow! I'm feeling very lucky, because if there ever was a place that resembled a real Christmas village, this would be it. Talk soon!!

xx E.

 

Hey the MLE!

Ahh insanity with work, parties, preparing to go to America and then Sweden, blah, blah, blah, poor me.  I'm was supposed to be at the Clapton Hart for a friend's bday drinks like two hours ago now so gonna write FAST.

Harpreet sent me the link to this woman's work.  She is Norwegian living and working in Berlin, really interesting conceptual stuff.  You sent me a knitting clock a week ago, now I send you another knitting clock.  Instead of the knitting unravelling with time, the motion of the clock actually creates the knit piece, which is a great concept.

And even better, she makes this fabulous rug that not only looks amazing, but actually changes colour with the temperature of the floor.

Check out her site here.

Bye!

Suzan  xx

Happy Friday the MLE!

One more week till we are both off a few weeks for the holidays...  Really looking forward to working from the Stockholm studio with you at the beginning of January. Great way to start the new year right?

Thought I'd send over a screenshot of the Our Secrets banner we designed the other day in action, as I'm not sure you had a chance to see.

Have a great weekend!

Suzan xx

Hello MLE,

So, I was going for a run along the canal the other day, and a woman in front of me had one of these bags. I ran past. Then of course, I had to loop back and ask her where she got it from, cause as you know, I have no problem asking people where they got stuff.

Evidently the brand is from Amsterdam. A husband and wife team. The first series that came out in 2002 before they were actually a label was pretty rough - made of second-hand handbags with distinct silhouettes of handguns and kitchen knives. The amount of media coverage they received inspired them to launch their label Vlieger and Vandam in 2004.

Embossing on leather is their specialty.  A traditional hat makers machine was transformed for the purpose of embossing the leather panels for their Guardian Angel and Diamonds series. "Guardian Angel" is the brand's classic, a range of bags featuring the embossed silhouettes of weapons. In 2006 MoMA added a Guardian Angel bag to its permanent collection.

I need one. Maybe next time I am in Amsterdam I will go by their shop... I always thought that city was safe, as there are no good places to shop for clothes, but alas no longer (hope that doesn't offend anyone but it's just my opinion what do I know?)

Suzan  xx

Hey Suzan!

Have you heard of Norwegian scientist/artist Sissel Tolaas? Probably one of the most fascinating people I've ever read about. With a background in mathematics, chemistry and art – she is now known as one of the world's leading "scent experts" – essentially, studying the sense of smell and the power it has in our lives. Among the vast array of things she does, she "collects" scents in a huge library of over 7000 samples that she's been harvesting since 1990. She designs scents, as part of projects which investigate the relationship of smell and memory, which have been used as therapy for trauma patients. She's hired in the commercial world to help decide things like what scents work best in a hotel lobby. And she works with artists creating various scent-installations. I first learned about her in an issue of the journal mono-kultur - where she discusses amazing topics such as - what does fear smell like? Violence? Love? Smell is so deeply provocative, and we're constantly surrounded by an "invisible architecture "of scent. And that being the case, can we understand it better to see if it offers the potential for change? Fascinating, no? Now that's what I call an interesting day job!  Apparently she spoke at the Serpentine Gallery last month - saw this too late as usual - but you must keep an eye out in case she makes any other appearances around London - can't imagine it would be anything less than amazing...

E xox