Texture is the feel or appearance of a surface or a substance. It may be the soft fur on your cat, the rough feel of a carpet, or the slimy liver you’re having for dinner. Everything has a texture, and just about anything can be used to create it. This project is all about stretching children’s imaginations by allowing them to explore different textures, using a variety of materials.
Of course this is all Jason Kronenwald’s fault, an artist who uses gum as his medium of choice. He had a show in Toronto a few years ago, exhibiting his series of Gum Blonde portraits of famous blonde starlets. The idea seemed unique and impressive at the time. So much so that I gathered my kids, drove to the nearest Walmart, and bought a crap load of gum for all of us. For a brief moment, I was the coolest mother on the planet. For the sake of art, I was asking my children to chew gum, as much as they wanted, with or without sugar, as long as we had a decent palette to work with. Then the ick factor set in. It’s one thing to chew the stuff, it’s quite another to store saliva laden globs of gum for weeks on end. We became so grossed out by the process, we gave up and joyfully tossed our chewed bits away. Upon reflection and sad to have been defeated by a bit of saliva, I realized scale was the problem. This guy’s work is done on huge pieces of plywood which inspired us to aim big as well, instead of doing the opposite. So this project aims small. Miniature canvasses are used, which means commitment to chewing and storing is shorter, and the ickiness becomes acceptable. Plus it was fun.
Filed under gum art
The morning after Halloween is much anticipated by the squirrels in this hood, but the pumpkins are terrorized. Just a reminder to hang on to all those candy wrappers your kids will be generating. They can be used to make a Candy Wrapper Collage coming up this month.
Vanitas by Jana Sterback, 2007. Photo: http://www.rue89.com
A perfect costume for Halloween which requires some planning ahead and some investment. I actually saw this dress in the flesh (ha!) at the Pompidou Centre in 2009 and it was definitely a powerful image. The photo above shows the artist wearing her freshly butchered flank steak (option #1), which obviously served as inspiration to Lady Gaga and her designer. Below is the dried version (option #2) which looked fabulous. This lovely form fitting number had interesting seams and layers, and with a little organza wrap you’d be all set for a smelly evening out. In the end, option #2 isn’t quite as unsettling and disgusting as option #1. Your choice, but you will have to spring a fair bit for all that meat.
Vanitas all dried up. 2009.
Here’s another option, which I’d recommend only doing with someone rather close to you since your pas de deux will involve gnawing on a piece of pickled herring all evening. Any hairy hat will do, and pickled herring is easy to come by. Your investment will be minimal.
Skeletons Fighting Over A Pickled Herring by James Ensor. Image:www.popculture.soup.io/tag/belgia
This is Bosch’s vision of hell and would require a brave group willing to romp around semi-naked, looking punished and petrified all evening, seeking solace from the odd donation of candy. A really economical choice.
Christ In Limbo by Hieronymus Bosch, 1575. Image: http://www.imamuseum.org/art/collections/artwork/christ-limbo-bosch-hieronymus
Finally, we have Goya’s offering where you can get back to basics and tap into your primitive urges. Once again, you would be semi-naked, looking rather hairy and unkept, but you’ll have your little friend to keep you company throughout the evening. Costs would obviously be minimal.
Saturn Devouring One Of His Sons by Francisco de Goya,1821. Image: http://www.museodelprado.es
Good luck, hope these options help. Feel free to send photos.
Filed under Halloween
For all of you who can’t bear those rubbishy cracker toys and are equally unimpressed by the flimsy hats that never fit properly, I encourage you to elevate the status of the cracker! It’s been with us since Victorian times and appears to need a little help. Why not have kids make their own fabulous polymer clay minis to put inside, along with an assortment of yummy, quality candy, and some printed words for inspiration or a few laughs. These crackers won’t pop when you open them, but there’s still that satisfying feeling of destruction that comes with pulling them apart.
Filed under Halloween
These miniatures aren’t really macabre at all but it sounded good, and they are perfect to scatter around your home, or to decorate your table for Halloween. They’re also great to put in home made crackers, which I will cover in my next post.
Filed under Halloween, polymer clay
How wonderfully disturbing to greet your guests with these odd little creatures lurking in your entrance. They were inspired by a exhibition I saw, pictured below, by Annette Messager, where she explored the idea of covered things which are half hidden and half revealed. Perfect for Halloween.
Les Piques by Annette Messager. Centre Pompidou, 2009.
Filed under Halloween
This creepy little garden was inspired by Tim Burton, whose wonderful characters and swirly landscapes have always been part of a Halloweenesque world. A terrific exhibition just wrapped up at MoMA and will be coming to the Tiff Bell Lightbox in Toronto in November, offering a selection of paintings, drawings, shortfilms and so on, spanning his career. While it won’t be on time for Halloween, it’s still a great idea to take your kids so they can enjoy his work, and the many activities that will be offered.
Filed under Halloween
Halloween legitimizes all sorts of bizarre ideas and takes them mainstream. So the next time you silently chew on your chicken, don’t be afraid of recycling the bones. At this time of year, you will not be considered a crackpot, and you’ll be helping your children think beyond the typical costume offerings at the local Walmart. It’s always good to encourage originality.
Bats have always lived in dark and mysterious environments, and long been associated with witches and vampires. This legendary creature remains a popular symbol of Halloween, and therefore an essential part of this month’s fun. The spooky little bat pictured above can easily be made and enjoyed by the youngest of merrymakers.
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