The Canyon Table -- Part 1

A quick peek into some of the inspirations for the next work:

Trevor Southey

I had the good fortune to meet Trevor Southey and hear a few of his thoughts on art at the Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery  in Park City.  For those unfamiliar with Southey’s work, take a look at his website here .

A couple of his thoughts really struck me.  The first:

“A work of art is a conversation between the artist and the viewer, each confessing their sins to the other”

That approach certainly helps me when exploring themes that are emotional and possibly divisive (see a review of the Ammo Table here, which made me realize I missed some very enlightening conversation(s) with people who were frustrated by my work).

Another:

“I have found it very rare that honesty needs to be cruel . . . ”

Art is honest if it is nothing else, and perhaps while cruelty is effective (see Francis Bacon’s portraits of the pope), there may be other approaches that invite conversation.

Trevor’s work will be on exhibit through Dec 13, 2011.

http://trevorsouthey-studio.blogspot.com/

http://www.trevorsouthey.com/biography.html

http://www.mccartheygallery.net/

http://www.artistsofutah.org/15bytes/10nov/page7.html

Traveling Benches, part 2

The benches have a fresh coat of paint and I’ve decided on a set of stencils to re-create some of the visual imagery of the original lettering, but with a theme that fits their new purpose.

Next stop: fabric and upholstering.

Design Manifestos

At some point in their careers, most artists and designers acknowledge a set of values they find paramount to doing their work well.


Compiled here, by our friends at the Social Design Notes Blog, is 100 years of design manifestos.


A few examples:


"Courage, audacity, and revolt will be essential elements of our poetry."


"Death to everything stuffy!"

Traveling Benches, part 1

While (partially) stymied on other projects, I decided to begin a set of benches that has been sitting in the back of my mind (and in the back of my shop . . .).  I have two very industrial military metal transportation cases originally used for transporting explosives that are a perfect starting point.

They got me to thinking about the separation that happens within families when military service members are deployed far from home, and what it means to be ‘home’ or ‘away’.  I suppose in a larger sense it also involves when any of us leave our loved ones, either to go get milk down the street or to move cities or countries.

Doorways and entry (or exit) hallways seem to be where these disconnection and re-connections happen often.  We greet folks into our home there and bid them adieu in the same context.  

These benches will be designed for the entryway of a home, specifically as a place for people to pause during the entry and exit of visitors and family members.   Shoes will be taken off and put on here, leftovers handed over, and goodbyes and hellos exchanged.  I’ll use big casters on the benches to emphasize that they are Travelling Benches and that they are involved with the movement of people.

The original paintwork on the cases had lots of interesting stenciled codes and stern instructions (‘CERTIFIED EMPTY’, ‘DO NOT DROP’, etc).  Visually they made the cases seem a little more industrial than I wanted -- perhaps I’d leave them if they weren’t in a home.  I am also repainting the cases a dark grey in place of the military olive green; hopefully this will provoke more of the visual language of ‘travelling suitcase’ than ‘explosive warhead’.

This project has also got me thinking how amazing would it be to design waiting rooms in hospitals.  Where else do we welcome new people into the world and say goodbye to others?

The 'Greenest' Companies in America

The following was submitted as a response to Newsweek's recent article on the '100 Greenest Companies in America':





I was surprised to open the recent issue of Newsweek (Oct 25, 2010) and find Coca-Cola, Raytheon, and McDonald’s listed in the top 100 ‘Greenest Companies in America’ (ranked 54th, 75th, and 79th respectively).  I understand that your ranking system used many experts, numerical metrics, and number-crunching algorithms, but what about common sense?  How is it that a company substantially involved in promoting obesity, a weapons manufacturer, and a fast food chain are ranked so highly?


When promoting environmental stewardship we cannot loose sight of what these companies do, regardless of how they do it.  Otherwise, we could pat ourselves on the back for clubbing baby seals with sustainably harvested  trees.


Sincerely,


Joe Norman

Recent Press

Blue Boat Home has been in a good amount of press recently.

The 2010 City Weekly Arty Awards were a few weeks back, and we got one for ‘Best Recycled Works’.  Keep in mind that we were somewhere in between ‘Best Zombie Podcast’ and ‘Best use of Chocolate’.  Still, it was a fun night and a good chance for the Pallet Bench and Ammo Table to be on display and get some use.

I also started showing in the Sugarhouse Gallery.  Stop by and you can see the Bomb Planter, Crankshaft Table, Tractor Table, and Pallet Table on display.  Also at the Sugarhouse Gallery is the work of Julie Lucas, an incredibly talented and insightful sculptor that also works with found objects and three-dimensional mosaics.  We took a field trip together to find new material and both had a blast trading ideas and thoughts on art.

The Ammo Table is currently showing at the Rio Gallery for the Utah Statewide Mixed Media show, and got a Juror’s Award.  The show will be through Nov.

I was also recently interviewed by Shelterpop and Design Milk’s Jamie Derringer about Zero Waste design.  The article focuses on designers’ attempts to reduce their ecological impact and make fantastic stuff with purpose.

Blue Boat Home is now also listed with the Nine Dot Arts, a corporate art consultancy based out of Denver.

In addition, I’m represented at Gallery MAR in Park City.  Stop by and enjoy their fantastic location and wonderful collection on Main Street.