Spottieottiedopaliscious Dishes

new collection:
MerkelWare ceramics









I just spent the afternoon researching California 1970's craft at the downtown Los Angeles library for a project. I was devouring the old catalogs from the Pasadena Art Museum, ones like these, and I was quietly wondering to myself about the current state of craft here in Los Angeles. Is it alive? How does it compare to the 1970's? These books were filled with textiles, ceramics, furniture, dishes, sculpture, smiling faces & everything else under the California sun.

Skip to 2 hours later, I receive an email from Kristin and Shin at IKO IKO about their latest show, and it reminds me how craft is definitely alive and (hopefully) prospering here in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles artist Matt Merkel-Hess is launching his new line of functional everyday pottery called MerkelWare at IKO IKO. The last piece I bought from him is one of my favorite ceramic works in my home. Matt's work continues to be show all over Los Angeles, at ACME Gallery, MEIER FERRER, and IKO IKO. Saturday, June 18 7-10 pm.




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"IKO IKO is pleased to present Spottieottiedopaliscious Dishes, a new collection of stoneware from MerkelWare. The collection marks the official launch of MerkelWare; a line of functional, everyday pottery made by LA-based artist Matt Merkel-Hess. This grouping of domestic vessels devoted to eating and drinking is an extension of the first MerkelWare offering, a stoneware whiskey jug.

The MerkelWare whiskey jug serves as a point of departure for this larger collection and demonstrates Merkel-Hess interest in classic ceramic forms and techniques, pointing specifically to 19th-century American stoneware forms combined with glazes and finishes particular to West Coast ceramics (a style noted for its sampling and remixing of East Asian pottery).

Spottieottiedopaliscious Dishes includes a grouping of wheel-thrown bowls, vases, and jugs with a repetitive dot-patterned surface treatment and is available in a limited selection of colors exclusively at IKO IKO."








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3 shows.
"the los angeles weekend"

Zachary Leener: New California Pieces
at IKO IKO!

3 shows.
"the los angeles weekend"



1. Zachary Leener: "New California Pieces" Saturday april 2, 7 - 10 pm Unveiling of a new collection of ceramic sculptures, planters, ephemera, etcetera by artist Zachary Leener with a special furniture pairing by WAKA WAKA at IKO IKO.

I saw this show being installed today, and it left me speechless. Kristin and Zachary were so kind to give me a quick tour of these works! Zachary's ceramic sculptures were being installed inside WAKA WAKA's new furniture pieces. Zachary's work combines elements of play, ideas of the ridiculous, and clay formations in a manner that seems super familiar, and at the same time completely new to the mind. Two artists that come to mind are Richard Tuttle & Guido Gambone, but not really. Just go see this work! The colors alone are spectacular. Perhaps I can convince Zachary to have a conversation with YHBHS about some of these works.


2. Group show at Marc Foxx. This group show is only up for one more day, so this weekend, is it. Roger Hiorns' work in the back room is worth driving to see. (His work has been at Marc Foxx before, and he has shown at the Hammer awhile ago) Hiorns' work continues to confuse me...mystify me.... In the front gallery works by Jason Meadows and a soft pink painting by Hiroshi Sugito that make me feel wonderful.


3. Steve Roden at Susanne Vielmetter in Culver City, Los Angeles. His show, "stone's throw" is up until April 23, 2011 and not to be missed. This is on my agenda this weekend. Take a trip to his studio via Notes on Looking..... and peak at some of the works.












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"Personal Zig Zag"
by WAKA WAKA at IKO IKO

"When my best friend's sheets were a mash up of Memphis prints, it was just an 80's thing, but now it all makes sense...a real mind liberator. "









Who doesn't want their own personal zig zag?
I wrote to WAKA WAKA & IKO IKO, and asked them
about their Sottsass inspired zig zags!



"The MEMPHIS movement and especially Ettore Sottsass' works are undoubtedly on our list of influences--especially this particular lamp It always gets a WOW and serves as a good reminder to show how to bring the "unexpected" into a space, how to add a(n) exclamation point(s), how to appreciate the exaggerated shapes/angles/patterns/colors as a recognizable but turned vocabulary.

When my best friend's sheets were a mash up of Memphis prints, it was just an 80's thing, but now it all makes sense...a real mind liberator.

We made the "PERSONAL ZIG ZAG" as the first shape in what we envision as an ongoing 3D wall drawing, with scallops, dashes, and dots as part of the "full wall package." Soon you can buy it as a grouping with install instructions and suggested layout."



- IKO IKO and WAKA WAKA




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IKO IKO
1298 sunset blvd. los angeles, ca
ikoikospace.blogspot.com








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Y H B H S (card catalog) selection 30

IKO IKO & WAKA WAKA, Echo Park
"There are so many examples of the tension in positive - negative space as well as the limitlessness of brush, ink, gesture and accident."













IKO IKO
IKEBANA by Sofu Teshigahara
with photos by Ken Domon, 1952.


"This book was given to me by a friend when I was taking ikebana classes. It's a diverse sampling of the art of Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. It's all about the range of self expression with flowers as the medium and is my personal inspiration bible. So many incredible combinations of texture, palette, geometry, and feeling. I like that you can designate a kind of personality to the flowers in his arrangements."





















WAKA WAKA
Shohaku Show, Kyoto National Museum, 2005.


"This is the publication from the exhibition which I happened upon during a visit to Kyoto. There are so many examples of the tension in positive - negative space as well as the limitlessness of brush, ink, gesture and accident. It's inspiring to see the technical maturity of an artist in this way."















"The Shohaku Show explores the life and works of the iconoclastic Edo-period painter Soga Shohaku (1730-1781), who has long been believed to come from the province of Ise. His many works in this area even today appear to confirm this. However, records indicate that from his father's generation the family lived in Kyoto, where many eminent painters, including Yosa Buson, Ike no Taiga, Maruyama Okyo, Nagasawa Rosetsu, and Ito Jakuchu, were active. Ranking in line with such figures, Shohaku developed his own distinctive style by deviating from the contemporary art scene and professing to the then outdated style of the Muromachi (1392-1572) painter Soga Jasoku (d. 1483), undoubtedly in an attempt to undermine the overwhelming popularity of the realist painter Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795)."

(taken from here.)







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IKO IKO is Kristin Dickson's fantastic store located in the heart of Echo Park, Los Angeles. It's chock-full of art, ceramics, textiles, fashion, photography, and items she has sourced from the U.S and Japan. I'd suggest getting on her email list so that you are informed of the events at IKO IKO! Go to her blog here if you aren't local...


WAKA WAKA is Shin Okuda. He has been designing and building custom furniture under the WAKA WAKA name for the past few years in Los Angeles. WAKA WAKA is also sold at IKO IKO. YHBHS interviewed Shin about his work last year, his inspiration, and future plans for his work. Read the full interview here..










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welcome to the neighborhood

wagon no. 1
edition of 10

keeping it local.

ed. of 10

Welcome's Wagon No 1. is completed and ready for wherever you want to take it. The Farmer's market, the beach, or just walking the dinosaur. (here)

Laurel Broughton of WELCOME, (read the YHBHS interview here) is selling the first edition of these wagons at IKO IKO. Kristin's store, IKO IKO is one of my favorite places in my neighborhood. Kelly Breslin's ceramics, crystals, vintage design/ weaving books, magazines, clothes, sulfur, and WAKA WAKA's furniture are all there.


Welcome's design studio is right down the street from me, and IKO IKO is a few blocks away on the other side...

It's good to have creative neighbors like these....


















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B O X E S

modular wood
record boxes
by WAKA WAKA

WAKA WAKA's wood creations,
made in Echo Park.

IKO IKO
1298 sunset blvd.
los angeles, ca 90026

To the west!

IKO IKO
at
Royal T

A favorite east side shop, IKO IKO,
is opening on the west side for three weeks.
Opens this friday nite from 6-9.

Thanks Kristin!

IKO IKO meets ROYAL/T

"Please join us to celebrate the start of our 3-week residency space at ROYAL/T .

April 23, 6-9 pm

We will be introducing a mini IKO IKO shop with a specially curated selection of custom furniture, useful life objects, clothing, accessories, vintage books, ceramics, plantlife, rocks and some of our favorite IKO IKO curiosities".




ROYAL/T
8910 washington blvd culver city, ca
90232 323.559.6300







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S PR I N G

feels like spring in los angeles.
wonderful.

plants
and
pots
and
planters.

marlo pascual

sadly, this photo is unknown. i want 20 of these for my front porch.

michael wells photography
here

marlo pascual

waka waka
c/o iko iko in los angeles!

go to iko iko here...

get cooking!
if there is any space left.

feels like spring in los angeles.
wonderful.

plants
and
pots
and
planters.

......

puppets, apartments, and sculpture!

everyone
needs
neighbors
like
iko iko...
(los angeles)









IKO IKO
presents

YELENA ZHELEZOV


performing an evening of experiments in puppetry, video projection, and live sound, that contemplate the notion of self-improvement .



Three situations are presented to the distinguished audience:
1. A multistory apartment building changes into a mountain over a surprisingly short period of time. 2. A bear attempts to study architecture, and is arrested For Fashion Faux Pas (4 paws). 3. A short course in learning to appreciate monumental sculpture.




This SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 7:30 pm
(please be timely as the show will begin at 7:30 sharp!)



Yelena Zhelezov is a Belarusian-Israeli artist based in Los Angeles. Yelena’s work is highly interdisciplinary, and as such takes form of installation, objects, texts, film, and puppetry performance. Yelena’s materials are evidentiary of the world, often sourced in science, art history, and her yard. She uses strategies of research, classification and the archive in her practice. She is currently an MFA candidate at CalArts.








go to iko iko here...
thanks kristin, this looks amazing!

lazy
afternoon
at
iko iko.
los angeles, ca.

current, and back issues of casa brutus, available at iko iko.
go to casa brutus here.

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IKO IKO 1298 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
Tues-Sat 1-7, Sun 1-5
fantastic selection of ceramics, vintage books, and clothes...
Angelino Heights. go to IKO IKO space and blog here.

Looking forward to Self Improvement, at IKO IKO in Feb!