However mean their origin, some things achieve lovability at the height of their decline.
Handstone Family
Over the years I’ve been collecting stones of a particular shape on local beaches, particularly during winter months when storms pull away the blanket of sand. Stones of this shape are rare but seem to represent an ideal, one that most beach stones tend towards, given local conditions. The stones fit snugly in the hand and their blunted points and textured surfaces soothe fatigued muscles when squeezed into a closed fist. ???? ??? ??? ???? They also fit nicely in a pocket, where they can be kept warm and ready. The best stone I’ve found is in the lower left hand corner, pictured above. I kept this one in my pocket for years, and recently made a cast of it in aluminum when it began to develop a crack. I’m considering offering the cast aluminum Hand Stone as a Deep Craft product, but am not sure of its appeal. I’d love to hear any thoughts before I proceed, having never seen anything like this before, but eager to share my discovery. ???? ???? ??????
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Tripod Stool Prototype
I’ve been asked to make more seating and tables for the Dining Commons at Martin Luther King Jr Middle School in Berkeley. Since I designed and made the original 32 tables and seating for up to 300 students a few years ago, the program has increased in capacity with the success of the School Lunch Initiative. In anticipation of this request, I redesigned my new stacking stool to streamline production/cost without sacrificing functionality or aesthetics. ???? ???? ??? ???? The prototype pictured above uses 40% less material and labor than my original design (see below), and stacks 8 high instead of 7 high, making for more efficient storage and shipping. ????? ???? ???? ????? The three legs also solve the problem of uneven floors. I made this Tripod Stool prototype out of bamboo and left it to weather outdoors over two years to test its durability, and it has proven itself worthy of further development. If the school accepts the new design I will offer a version for sale on the GOODS pages of this site.
Meanwhile, the original stools have stood up admirably to daily use by middle school students. Only about 4 % have received any damage, and I have been repairing them as required. ????? ?????? This models at least two tenets from my manifesto:
– Maintenance = Improvement (The stools are stronger after repair), and
– Market = Material Provenance (the knowledge required for repair being a natural byproduct)
I made this ‘jig’ to add pins to the new legs of damaged stools.
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Mildred’s Lane
Drawing by Mark Dion, from the Mildred’s Lane website
 I’m beginning to prepare for a residency at Mildred’s Lane this summer, described below on the Mildred’s Lane website:
Session 2.09
June 23- July 9, 2009
THE LAND
Artists-in-Residence to date:
Scott Constable, Mark Dion, Jeffrey Jenkins, Athena Kokoronis, J. Morgan Puett,
James Prosek, Boris Richter, Mike Spittel, Caroline Woolard, Denise Markonish
and many others pending.
The Session titled “THE LAND” will use the Mildred’s Land one hundred acres as
a laboratory for a far-reaching exploration of issues in landscape, earth art and
progressive sustainable technologies. The goal will to imbue the site with
a number of projects, which will have long-term benefits to future residents. This
session with utilize techniques and methodologies of mapping, plant and
animal identification, camping, sustainable harvesting and processing of wild
foods, and traditional and experimental dwelling construction. We will
eventfully collaborate through wild entanglements with the site, which includes
streams, a stone quarry, woodland, fields and gardens and bee yards. New
resident artists will attempt to expand the “workstyles” model to the great
outdoors far beyond the white wall of the gallery. This extensive program will
include a diverse gathering of cultural professionals: Architects, Artists, Farmers,
Builders, Naturalists, Writers and Environmental Professionals, each of which
will lead workshops or lectures or demonstrations. One possible result of the
session’s activities will be production of an illustrated field guide to Mildred’s
Lane which would be collectively authored. This is a program primarily for
fellows of a slightly more energetic and rugged sensibility, who do not shy from
spending a few nights in the woods.
I’m looking forward to putting into practice in a contemporary art context ideas I’ve developed on these pages, and am now actively recruiting participants to join us for the session described above. Please stay tuned as the project develops and Mildred’s Lane makes enrollment available.
Meanwhile, you can learn more about my past involvement with Mildred’s Lane here, here and here.
The Week in Bloom
Steady rains this week brought silvery skies and an new burst of blossoms, including:
Pacific Coast Practical
Gems like this fence abound along this stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe it was made by a frugal rancher short on time but long on material, making a higher fence from salvaged short boards to keep the deer out. Or maybe it’s a remnant of the sixties, a hippy-chic statement of ‘togetherness’ favoring the mighty hammer over the dividing saw. ???? ??? The contributing factors of a relatively mild, maritime climate and generally relaxed standards of public comportment aside, I love this fence for three reasons:
1. Its repair adds to its character.
2. Its maintenance requires no explanation, special knowledge, material or tool. ???? ????? ?? ???????
3. The structure is inherently adaptable to changing circumstances. ???? ???? ???? ?????
(it’s also pretty cool how the uneven top mimics the contour of the land beyond)
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Plow Chair Morphology
Eze Chair
Point Load, Crotch Rocket
My friend Donald Fortescue commented on one of my recent posts, making the connection between my story of the Market Stool and Hella Jongerius’ Kasese Chair. I wanted to share some of my own explorations with the form, pictured above, which have been evolving since I lived in West Africa almost twenty years ago.