Sunday, May 18, 2014

Some inspirational things.....

A couple of recent Instagram shots. The black table is a recent find at the RL home sample sale. I couldn't resist it, it's perfect. Not sure how I'm going to fit it in but still.....




This guy was also at the sale. Way too expensive but a really nice piece. Loved the tweed seat and then the mismatched old stripped fabric on the arms and then the raw linen back. Would be great to do this on a cheaper piece.....


Some recent crafted wrist bands...do you want one? 


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Brassy bits, Indonesia edition...



So after 16 hrs, ( having watched a medley of meryl Streep films and finally watching frozen so I don't feel so out of touch) then another 5 hrs to get to Indonesia's surabaya then a stomach clenching 3 hr Mario cart style drive, I arrived at the factory in probolinggo. I know I make it sound like a grueling journey but in reality I was lucky enough to be in business class and basically luxuriating in bed drinking tea most of the time...



I chose to shoot the atmospheric images of the the farmer and surrounding building as opposed the family of cockroaches that welcomed me at the hotel (read hostel). It was just one night and it's the closest to the factory. 




This factory is really great. Everybody has a smile on there face and seems at ease. This is partly the Indonesians themselves who always have a smile on their face. After Reviewing samples, making changes, looking at wash techniques and all that. A lot of the prototypes I'm working on here have a lot of hand work too them such has mendings and hand embroidery techniques inspired by quilting and such. They do a really authentic job even though they do think it's wierd that we take a perfectly good short, stone wash it to within an inch of its life, cut holes in it and then patch and repair it as in the photo.  That's my scribbles all over it as well. I prefer the high tech approach of masking tape and a sharpie. I loved what they achieved for a first prototype and can wait to resee this in a week! You can see it spring :-) After all this I was in need of some local market action!

This is always a challenge to explan that I would like to go to a local market as opposed to some tourist thing, luckily where we were there isn't anything for a tourist to do. Picture me saying old things and stone bowls and get a quizzical look in return. Basically I need the term Home Depot in all languages. 


got told of for touching the flowers....


The food at the market was great but I wasn't sure how much I needed a bunch of dead fish or unusual fruit. So instead here I am feeling smug after finding some great stone bowls, whilst internally talking myself out of buying all of them and generally feeling frantic about trying to find an amazing object ! 




Loved this stool, so simple just angle iron cut into legs but so cute. I should have just brought it back with me but I have more places to go and im not that dedicated to traving around with a stool strapped to me...I know not dedicated. Also I need another stool in my apt like I need another set of antlers....


I would however have ripped this cabinet off the wall if i got the chance....


...whilst riding away on this rusty bike....


....whilst taking this cute little girl along too.... 


...and a pretty song bird for good measure....but that would just be insane.....


This is now back in surabaya where we flew into 2 days earlier. We needed to stay an extra night as I needed to resee some prototypes before going into china. So with the power of google I found the antique market and thus the following artsy shots follow.....


The local tailor, I wish mine looked like this. 


My personal heaven, rusty things, big heavy furnature and stuff everywhere ! 


Loved the wooden table in the back and I was dying for this black scale but it was too big.  So much great stuff, and pretty reasonable if you get over the fact your not going to be buying things for a dollar. There was a lot of brassy things which have currently been my obsession but I remained focused on something unusual and not too expensive. So the light below on the left was my obvious choice....

....I'm joking, it was the light on the right ....

...I'm such a kidder it was neither but I was taken with these chunky brass candlesticks.....


Love me a rusty bike shot...


I ended up with this scale. Such a great scale, small and foldable, black iron with brass foot and weight. Needs a little work but so perfect. Then we see the stone bowls for all the grains I like to grind in manhattan (?). And a wierd little dish whic I just loved the little feet on, so was obviously essential to have. After a little haggling I got it

This city of surabaya is really beautiful. Lots of rundown buildings with sun faded colors with plant life vying to take over at any moment. Repair ontop of repair on so many things make for layers interst and ingenuity. What's the saying, necessity is the mother of invention. I love to see a door patched and re patched with layers of paint falling off. You know what gets me going .....Then juxtaposed with a modern (ish) structure of the downtown financial area, a few high rises and some wierd apartment buildings. It almost reminds me of a dirty unorginized Tokyo with the traffic situation of Vietnam.  So happy I got to explore it a little but wishing I bought more at the market ! 
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