Nova Clutch

Make Time for a Green Cause at Spring Gallery

We mentioned earlier that we were taking part in a new project set by Spring Gallery in DUMBO, with judging by those from Treehugger, Core 77, Apartment Therapy and Good Magazine.

Pictured is our outcome for the brief – create a clock conscious of recycling that incorporates a green element. Our thought with these pieces was that we didn't want to make a clock out of recycled materials for the sake of it. Because that would just be a clock made out of garbage, wouldn't it?

Our solution was to make three clocks, all made out of the packaging that a clock came in, illustrating that the packaging itself is enough to perform the function of the product inside. Luckily for us, we won a prize for the polystyrene clock and the paper bag clock sold for a nice sum, with proceeds going to benefit Trees of the Future. We won the very unusual prize of playing ping pong with Ron Gilad, and will certainly post photos of our game!

Grandfather clock by Rob Price for Spring

To make the present better, we need to learn from the past. Obvious statement, right? Knowing what's come before means that you can learn from the mistakes of others, from the things in history that were good and the things that were bad.

However, the resurgence of a nod to the past, to an era where objects were made properly by craftsmen and artisans, has been rife in the design world. Chandeliers abound, and the details of the old-fashioned have taken on not an artistry but have been relegated to merely a wink, a detail for the sake of detail.

Someone breaking out of the swampy territory of trend is Rob Price and his design for our local, Spring. Rob's piece is not merely a nod to the past, but quite literally a chunk of it. Taking the impracticality of having a huge grandfather clock in one's tiny New York studio, Rob has created a slice of one, complete with walnut and glass, the hands breaking free of their traditional home. The outcome is a poetic and beautiful piece, steeped in history yet relevant today.

Rob's piece has led to a green clock project set by Spring and Core 77 to a number of artists and designers, of which Michael and I are two of. The opening is this Friday at Spring Gallery on Front Street in DUMBO. Hope you can make it!

Photograph by Spring

New York Times Style: Taste for T Living Event, "An Introduction to the Four Ms"

Last Thursday evening, thanks to my good friend Walter at Paris Ceramics, I had the opportunity to feast my eyes and palate on some of the finest foods that New York has to offer. Hosted by 25 showrooms at the Architects & Designers Building and sponsored by the New York Times Style Magazine, I spent the evening moving from showroom to showroom, and floor to floor to sampling post Halloween treats from the likes of Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Dan Barber from Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit.

However, being the simple, yet complex upstate boy that I am, I found myself starting and ending the evening with the Four Ms; Mahon, Majorero, Manchego and Max. As you can guess, the Mahon, Majorero, Manchego are the cheeses, and the Max is Artisanal's very own, Max McCalman. Surprisingly and refreshingly, this world-renowned legend of curd humbly called himself the "Cheese Guy" when introduced. And although his appearance was set to help support his new book "Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best", he seemed more comfortable talking about the salty seaside grasses eaten by the Menorca cows to create the sharp, tangy and salty Mahon. Or point out that the Majoreo Pimenton goat cheese was originally coated in a spicy paprika-like spice to keep the flies away (bacteria, etc.). His down-to-earth approach even took the ubiquitous Manchego to new levels by calling out the details that made this El Toboso-sourced offering special and noteworthy.

Max made me look at cheese differently that night, and therefore when I went to shoot the mother load of cheese that I brought home to Natasha, I shot it differently. In the details I found simplicity, architectural structure and shape that captured the multi-leveled intensity of the Mahon, the tangy angles of the Manchego and the monolithic strength of the Majoreo Pimenton.

After speaking at length with Max I started to understand that one doesn't learn about cheese while studying or tasting it, one learns about life. Like cheese, human kind is basically made up of the same stuff, but it is the details that make us unique and wonderful (even when runny and stinky). Our land or region of origin, be it near an ocean, plain or a mountain. The process by which we interact with our surroundings to grow and mature. The tradition and process that make up culture and community that make us who we are, the form in which we are seen by the world. Traveling, seeking out and discovering "new" cheeses not only gives us insight and perspective into other people's lives, it stays with us as we come back home to better appreciate our own homes and whey of life. Sorry, that was a bit cheesy. I hope Max will still allow us to take the Cheese & Wine 101.

Surface Magazine's Avant Guardian Project: Perfect 10 Show and Party

There is nothing like a New York fashion/lifestyle magazine party. Especially at a fancy pants photo studio like Splashlight . Long lines of wannabes or assistants to those that "are somebody" standing outside striking their best devil-may-care pose as they wait to have their name checked off a list for the privilege of standing in even longer line where incompetent bar tenders throw together drinks made with the sponsor's very special vodka. By grace of God (not the same God that is currently backing the Colorado Rockies), we were special enough to bypass the crowds outside and go straight to waiting 30 minutes for a Mojito that contained no alcohol and tasted like a citrus counter cleaner.

That aside, our intentions for attending last night's Surface Magazine's 10th Annual Avant Guardian Photography Project were of a higher calling, art. Or was that commerce?

Natasha and I were very excited about seeing this year's winners as chosen by all-star lineup of judges such as photographer Rankin and GQ design director Fred Woodward. And as Surface warned us "Brace yourself: you're about to travel through time". But where in time? It wasn't the distant past were style, originality, emotion, provocation, connection and artistry defined the day. Was it back to yesterday? I hope it wasn't the future, gracious no.

Regardless, we did find some gems amongst the uninspired, competent and effect-driven photography that seemed to drive the show. Breaking from the the humdrum and haven't-I-seen-this-all-before, still life offerings by Massimo Gammacurta were not only technically superior, their composition and simple story line were refreshing step away from the meaningless fashion staging of Luke Duval and GL Wood. This can also be said for the still life compositions by Jamie Chung whose "better mouse trap" styling and exquisite lighting defy gravity and create a rich, dark scientific stage.

Where was the sense of style, originality, emotion, provocation, connection or artistry? Or the imagination and "impish" inclinations that I was promised by Surface? The closest thing I found was Jing Quek's uneasy Andreas Gursky-like montages whose flatness, staging, forced composition and silly posturing made me look time and time again to find something that I had missed before. The only other photos that even attempted to take a chance was Reed + Rader's submissions, although I fail to understand the point of the story.

Although all of these young photographers have captured images, only a few have captured my imagination, or found a place in my memory. From what I have seen, I don't think I like the future.

Bedat & Co. and Tourneau party

The only reason we went to the Bedat & Co./Tourneau party last night was because Gilles was playing. And I think the only reason he was playing was because he was in town for the Cielo gig the previous night.

We walked into the large building on 57th Street, a large ominous ticking sound surrounded us. No, we weren't dying, this is Tourneau's go at sound branding, because the ticking reminds you that they are a timepiece behemoth. Or something like that.

Walking into a massive corporate atrium with 40+ feet ceilings, I noticed that the tiny sound coming from the corner of the space was none other than Gilles Peterson "spinning". A thin crowd (any crowd would seem thin in this kind of space) resplendent with jewels and cocktail wear ignored him as we tried to devise ways of introducing ourselves.

Soon a little speech was made and the entertainment started, none other than the brilliant Raven O Master of Ceremonies from The Box. I didn't know that Raven O and his gang ventured out of their lair, but apparently they do for a price. The burlesque and cabaret so brilliant at The Box was out of place and strange in this large atrium and low stage, and the suited crowd looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes and shifted uncomfortably in their shiny shoes. Peep shows, stripping and expletives were apparently not what they were expecting. Where as the vaudeville delights have the perfect milieu in the one hundred year old theater on Chrystie Street, in this situation it was just inappropriate and embarassing. You can take all that is cool but reappropriating it for your brand takes some thought and consideration. And sometimes, that reappropriation just doesn't work. Tourneau should consider hiring these guys next time.

Ingo Maurer recent work in SoHo

The first sign that a design opening is not bowling the crowd over is when you find 95% of the guests huddling around the free drinks table. This was the case a few weeks ago at the introduction of Ingo Maurer's new work at his SoHo gallery. However, seeing that the room was cleared to one side I had the perfect opportunity to investigate what was seemingly less interesting than the acidic warm white wine being poured.

And what I found on the gallery's two floors was an answer, no, actually a question. What the hell happened to the prince of lightness?

As I walked with Natasha, a twinge of sadness hit me. It was that same sinking feeling you get when you see your favorite footballer loses a step he will never gain back, or the day you realize Eddie Murphy can't squeeze another joke out of a fat suit.

Ah, that might be it. Maybe the wittiest man in illumination has lost his delivery, his timing, the punch line. After all, he is 75 and German. Seriously now, how many Germans have made you laugh? How long did you think he could keep us smiling and dreaming?

Frankly I was disappointed with many of the recent undergraduate-like concepts and executions of his new pieces, however, it is not time for this man to hang up his thinking cap. Although men and mice in stacked metal cages and exploded porcelain doll head chandeliers did not have had the succinct voice or impact of his past work, he continues to joyfully experiment with new technology by making it human and approachable, and he keeps on breaking the perceived rules of functional lighting, sometimes literally.

Beyond that ratty ponytail, the man is looking good, healthy and strong. Ingo has no off switch. In fact, he and his team are currently showing at the Cooper-Hewitt that features numerous site-specific installations for the museum's daunting and serious spaces.

So raise your glasses and toast Ingo, just don't do it with a plastic cup, he deserves better than that.

Ingo Maurer is now showing at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum with his show "Provoking Magic: Lighting". It will run through January 27, 2008. I'm not going to miss it.

Ellis's shadow art, DUMBO

Thankfully we're not the only ones doing street art around DUMBO, Brooklyn. We're always on the look out for new street art, and one of our favorites popped up during the Art Festival the other week.

Ellis is an undercover shadow artist; he traces the shadows of objects on the street such as a bicycle propped against a fence, a tree, a lamp post. The next morning the shadow has moved, but the trace is still there, a reminder of the shadow that once was. If you're lucky enough, you'll pass by at the right time, and see the shadow fit perfectly into the tracing.

We've taken a few pictures of the work around DUMBO, which unfortunately is no longer, my favorite being the writing captured outside Bo Concept, mirrored and shadowed, non-sensical both in its reality and its shadow.

Illegal Art at the DUMBO Art festival

Amongst the open studios and performances, some small white stickers garnered a little attention plastered onto the sides of walls around DUMBO this week. And the people responsible were Nova Clutch's own Michael and our friend Otis, the Illegal Art duo.

The stickers simply said on them "I spy with my little eye" left blank and unassuming to be filled out by passers by. Here are some of the results.

Clifford Shikler at Art Under the Bridge Festival

I have to be honest and say that although I love DUMBO, open studios around the neighborhood can mean that finding art gems is a bit of the old needle in a haystack. But when you find some it's certainly very gratifying. Walking around DUMBO, slightly disgruntled because the few food establishments are inundated and overwhelmed and because you have to spend long stints of uncomfortable silences in elevators with other people searching for good artwork, you can get, well, a little moody. Well I can anyway.

Then I found two fantastic painters in one space. A nook of a studio in 55 Washington is where Clifford Shikler, part owner of the local organic food market Foragers, paints and draws. His work is technically good, mainly portraiture, with uncanny observations of people's quirks and personalities. Not pictured here, but on his website, Shikler's beach paintings have a stange nostalgia about them. With the language of family snapshots, mostly with a vacational feel, the pieces give your a voyeuristic sense of unease, as you are witness to at once familiar but private moment. I for one am looking forward to looking in on more of those moments in the future.

Jane's Carousel opens in DUMBO

Friday night signalled the opening of of this year's DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival . We began it with the opening of Jane's Carousel on Water Street. Dating back to 1922, Jane Walentas purchased the carousel in 1984 and has had it painstakingly restored and brought it up to an amazing condition.

Although I have seen the carousel spinning slowly and quietly within the old and stuningly beautiful old Smack Mellon site, this was the first time I have ever seen anyone ride it. The effect of such a huge, beautiful carousel spinning in such a magnificent building, with old merry-go-round music playing is quite stunning. It made even me hop on it for a spin.

Jane's Carousel is located at 65 Water Street, yes, right near Jacques Torres.