artists, designers and their atelier's - Germany
Alexander Wolff, Untitled, 2009
the stray thread
What a day! I spent my morning with German artist Alexander Wolff for a quick bite and a visit to his West Berlin studio. There is something special about slipping behind the curtain to see where the act/production of new ideas happen. Alexander took time while preparing for his upcoming show at the Ben Kaufmann Galerie to walk me through his most recent work.
This series of paintings, rendered in a blend of raw materials such as paint, thread, wood chip wallpaper, curtains from his childhood home and unprimed canvas, build upon a theme concerning the transition of memories and the reality of public and private spaces between the divided Germany of recent past and the present.
A little more from curator Chris Sharp, "Although he works in a conceptual tradition Alexander Wolff is not exactly a ‘conceptual painter,’ as the work is not exclusively idea driven. He reserves the right to be as idiosyncratic as he pleases, working in a linear mode that not only incorporates, but depends upon experiments, mistakes and failures in order to fluidly, as opposed to fitfully, proceed (it should be stated that Alexander Wolff has also been known to collaborate on more purely conceptual projects, far removed from painting, in addition to making sculptures and also co-publishing an art-magazine as, if not more, protean than his picture making.)"
Here a few examples of Wolff's wall paintings, as well as reviews and articles about Alexander's work. art magazine~~ art forum~~ the selection~~galerie ben kaufmann~~federico bianchi gallery
Mitzi Pederson
Mitzi Pederson, an American artist sharing the studio space with Alexander, and myself enjoying a quiet morning and chatting about her work and travels. Check out a few of these links to learn more about her work- ratio 3 ~~ whitney.org~~ hammer.ucla~~ frieze magazine
Melinda Stokes - Stokx Shop
If you have been waiting to hear about my trip to Stokx in the Mitte area of Berlin you can rest easy. I am here to dish because girlfriend got lucky, so lucky. Not only did I make contact with Aussie expat designer Melinda Stokes (through an Aussie mate -thank you very much) but she gave me tons of her time in her showroom and workshop. Lindy, as she is known to everyone, filled me in on her work history and walked me through her entire collection. You can only imagine that as an young designer how appreciative I am to Lindy for taking time to introduce me to her line and reveal her work process.
Having worked for fashion's big players like H&M, Lindy eventually started her own line and settled into one of the most interesting buildings in Berlin at 2 Haus Schwarzenberg, adjacent to Hackesche Markt. Since the old squatter's building, home to Tacheles art collective, is threatened with re-development and popularity many artist have moved on to new locations away from the tourists and crack heads to buildings like the one Stokx's calls home. One group due a mention is the Dead Chickens as you can see by their large metal and menacing sculptures found throughout the courtyard.
Piece by piece Lindy walked me through the evolution of her line. Her work is well considered and highly designed. Take for instance a pair of trousers she so generously handed off to me. The seams are cut in such a way that I can high kick my way to the stars. Using the rotation of the human thumb as the source of inspiration she cut a fine pair of trousers that you can wear to work or the dojo.
Problem solving and improving on her designs is one way she makes super stylish and practical clothes and accessories. Cutting on the bias to allow for more stretch across the chest or building aprons that hit all the right curves are just a few of the details that make her clothes special. FYI I regret not snagging this apron but I did invest in a great hip bag that never left my side for the remainder of my trip... literally! Her men's line, had me wishing I had my husbands measurements on hand.
Never idle fingers here....this is how transparent the production and distribution of art and design is here in Berlin. Real estate is one of the best things Berlin has going for itself. There is enough affordable space in this city to both show and work allowing the public to invest in not just a product but the designer/artist too.
Lindy took a shine to me and my work so she invited me for drinks and a quick walking tour to designers she thought I shouldn't miss.
Claudia Skoda
Here we are checking out Claudia Skoda, a remarkable knitwear designer.
After drinks with my new Aussie expat mates they sent me on my way with plans to catch up for some brain storming and skiing sessions. Of course the venue is still undecided...hmmm Berlin or Dubai?
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