April, 2010

Ikebana — No Comments
26
Apr 10

Tetsunori Kawana

Tetsunori Kawana‘s work in redefining ikebana is nothing short of ambitious, and often requires large teams of people and weeks of production. Here are some photos of his work — these and more stunning images can be found on his website.

Kawana has also been commissioned by the Mint Museum to produce a new bamboo installation for Project Ten Ten Ten, which celebrates the museum’s grand opening in October.

New York Botanical Garden, 2007

New York Botanical Garden, 2007

Five Elements - Water, New Zealand, 2009

Five Elements - Water, New Zealand, 2009

Ikebana Arrangement

Airplant, succulent + lily arrangement

Sunflowers and driftwood ikebana arrangement

Sunflower + driftwood ikebana arrangement

Design — No Comments
20
Apr 10

Bouquets to Art

Bouquets to Art | De Young Museum

Tulips, sculpted plaster and draped fabric | De Young Museum

One of my favorite annual shows, Bouquets to Art, opens this week at the De Young. In a dramatic interplay of the museum’s strong architectural lines, its diverse art collection, and otherworldly floristry, this exhibition offers the public a fresh take on contemporary design principles.

Members of the Fine Arts Museums can enjoy a preview evening tomorrow from 6-8 pm. I can’t wait! Here are some pictures taken from last year (above and below):

Bouquets to Art | De Young Museum

Main lobby installation | De Young Museum

Bouquets to Art | De Young Museum

Hanging glass pendants | De Young Museum

Bouquets to Art | De Young Museum

Feather wings, heliconia and daffodils | De Young Museum

Music — No Comments
17
Apr 10

National Record Store Day

Pantha du Prince - Black Noise

Pantha du Prince - Black Noise

Hooray for National Record Store Day! I went by Aquarius Records and picked up the new Pantha du Prince album, Black Noise, on vinyl. It’s every bit as good as This Bliss (2007), and includes pop-infused tracks produced with Panda Bear (Animal Collective) and Tyler Pope (!!!, LCD Soundsystem). There’s even a nod toward the Durutti Column’s “Hilary.” It was nice to see the store bustling with people who enjoyed free beer and snacks as they shopped.

The folks at AQ were also nice to order two albums which had sold out earlier: Etienne Jaumet’s Night Music and Jan Jelinek + Masayoshi Fujita’s Bird, Lake, Objects. If you haven’t supported your local record shop in some time, go and refresh your ears by picking up some new music!  It’s good for the economy and your soul.

Music — No Comments
6
Apr 10

An Evening with Thomas Fehlmann

Thomas Fehlmann

Thomas Fehlmann

I can’t wait to catch Thomas Fehlmann‘s live ambient set this Thursday evening! Come out and experience him and the super chill vibes of the Ambi-Sonic crew. Live visuals will be provided by Ty Humphrey of the Los Angeles Video Artists.

Thomas Fehlmann (The Orb/Kompakt)
8 pm – 2 am
Sanctuary for the Arts (Map)
38th Street
Oakland, CA

Travel — No Comments
4
Apr 10

Muir Woods

Here are some pix from a recent trip up to Muir Woods. It’s just a little way past the Golden Gate Bridge, near Mill Valley. With plenty of recent rain, the entire park exploded with new redwood growth, sorrel and wildflowers in a multitude of colors!

Redwood Sorrel

Redwood Sorrel

Muir Woods

Bridge Over Stream

White Iris

White Iris

Wildflowers

Wildflowers