Robocut x Printemps Numérique

Recently I was asked to document a two-day Rube Goldberg machine making-a-thon at Robocut Studios, a multidisciplinary one-stop-make-it-all shop.  From conception to digital fabrication, to CNC milling, to laser cutting, 3D printing, prototyping and electronics, Robocut covers the gamut of design needs.  To show off these skills in a kooky and fun way, the studio participated in Printemps Numérique, a three-month long initiative to unite and showcase Montréal's digital creatives.  A group of participants (with and without previous experience) signed up to conceptualize, design and realize a Rube Goldberg machine using electronics and good old mechanics.
A text message was sent to the omnipresent Cloud asking "Hey girl, would you like a gin and tonic?" triggered a circuit and began the chain reaction which resulted in the mixing of the aforementioned drink. Success!

Environmental Graphics

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a teacher at Quebec High School in Quebec City with a proposed project for their arts wing that was in desperate need of a makeover.
Ready for the "before" images?
The murals on the walls were created by students over ten years ago when the school had thought the whole wing would be demolished.  So the kids se sont lâchés loose or let loose as we say in proper Quebecois français.
Brace yourself.

The school was ready to breathe some fresh air into the space and have it be of interest on its own while being able to support the students' art work when it would be displayed on the walls.  Gallons and gallons of primer and paint were laid down to bid adieu to the chaotic artwork and then we stepped in.
"We" was myself and talented friend, artist and make-up sfx guru Mark Unterberger- who has recently launched himself into the world of industrial and graphic design, so naturally I thought he'd be down with this gig.

With lots of tape, a couple of gallons of a taupey/warm grey and a handful of very enthusiastic students we said goodbye to Tinkerbell and laid down simple graphics to create a calm and open new space for the art wing.

Two of the dedicated students getting into the details.

Object Art

I checked out the multi-disciplinary show Objects Are larger Than They Appear at un un huit un galerie/Off The Hook Gallery to take in some sculptures, installations and a painting or two.  The above work by Sam Ries beckoned me, with its minimalist study of scale, texture and material.  The large ball was about three feet tall, and despite all my years of gallery-going and knowing one does not "touch the art", all I really wanted to do was drape myself on it.

VSCO Grid PT.2

Almost a year ago I got a sweet surprise in my inbox from the super rad awesome photographic processing peeps VSCO.

...and now lo and behold yet another pleasant email:

Pretty stoked that another image snuck its way into the curated VSCO Grid and as always is in good company! 

The above image was taken at the same time I popped in to take in Papier15, an art fair devoted to works on paper. The fair took place on the upper floors of the newly gutted de Gaspé buildings, which ironically used to host a slew of artist studios before the renovations took place.  But happy endings may come true: the intent now is to maintain several floors for artists and their work spaces at a fixed rate for the next thirty years!

The ground floor has now become the stunning new home to several of the city's contemporary galleries.  Also in a ground floor was an exhibit space dedicated to Cas de Figure, a group show featuring some of UQAM's fine arts graduates.  This is where the above stairs beckoned me.

Latest images from my VSCO Library-I've been surprisingly consistent lately.

Live Through This

Live Through This by Anwen Crawford is one of the latest explorations from the awesome pocket-sized series of books 33 1/3 that focus on seminal albums of music history.  As a Hole fan during the albums era, this book was an insightful revisit to the past.  Crawford explores the themes of motherhood, pageantry, vulnerability, feminism-and what it means to be a woman in the male dominated rock n' roll arena.  The rumours of Kurt writing Courtney's music are put to rest by interviews with the album's producers.  While my CD copy of Live Through This is long gone, the memories of the album, its b-sides and bootlegged rare tracks all came flowing back to me.  Did I mention I LOVED reading this book?

My orchid dies a second time.

Judith & Charles FW15

Many moons ago, I got to know the French label Teenflo as a fashion assistant for their look books and campaigns for the Canadian market. The founders who brought Teenflo across the Atlantic embarked onto their own design adventure transitioning to their namesake made-in-Canada contemporary brand: Judith & Charles.  Clean lines, impeccable tailoring, and a magical shift dress that somehow looks good on anybody are some of the characteristics of this refined line.

The airy and light space of Galerie Samuel Lallouz provided a crisp setting to Judith & Charles' FW15 preview that was fresh and familiar at the same time.  A wall lined with Ralph Gibson's black and white photography was a perfect backdrop for that very covetable jumpsuit which cycles through the collection in different incarnations every few seasons.

A little internet sleuthing led me to find that the gallery had been designed by Architem Architectes who were also responsible for the design of an early Teenflo locale and Judith & Charles' retail space in Vancouver.  I emailed my PR contact at the company asking her if she had known of the connection, but it was indeed a coincidence.
It was just meant to be.

Esquire.com x Ford x WRG

I'm super pleased to share some collages that I contributed to Esquire.com x Ford spring style advertorial that was produced by WRG Magazine.  The themes focused on performance, tech and design for menswear trends.  It's been a loooooong time since I had done any digital collages (at least five years!!) and it felt so familiar, fun, and obsessive. Digital collage-for me-utilizes such a different work flow and approach than more traditional paper and glue collage. One has way less anxiety!  I have commitment phobia! Glue issues as well-maybe...  So this revisit to digital has been very liberating in a way. I am ready for more!

Check out the editorial here: Spring Forward With Style