Monday, November 26, 2007

Alice Was a Punk Rocker





World meet Alice. Photos I took yesterday of my friend (and curious contributor) Tara for my Alice in Wonderland series. Yes, Tara rocks and having quit smoking last year, she only agreed to smoke in the photo in the interest of art.

L





curiousroom.com

Monday, November 19, 2007

Eduardo Recife



The guys work is excellent. I love the "Design Destruction" as I call it. (more on this later) He blurs the line between art and design and it makes me wonder if there is any difference.
Crowned a Larry favorite indeed.

Check it out
misprintedtype.com


curiousroom.com

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Mark Bradford



I saw this artists work tonight on a tv show. I love collage and this work rocks!
Some of his work is here: http://sikkemajenkinsco.com/markbradford_works.html

What to write?

Hello All!
I've had a few people ask me what they should write about for this blog. Anything having to do with style, design, art, music or culture that you find interesting we would like to read about!
Ok, now you can write guilt free.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Rehab



The queen is dead drunk. #2 in a series for a show at Wallyworkman gallery in December. The theme is Alice in Wonderland.

L




curiousroom.com

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Pay yer Guitar Now.




Yesterday I played my guitar. I dragged my amp out of the garage, and my dusty guitar out of the closet, and I hammered on it with my blocky hands with the amp on 10 with the intent of pissing off the neighbors. They didn't complain so I failed in that regard, but I did something that I hadn't done in a long time, I had fun. I used to play guitar all the time, in fact, I was obsessed with it. Then somewhere along the line I just stopped playing. I felt too old and was always busy with business affairs and money worries. I was crusty inside. Stiff and hard and tired. Not a good thing. I had forgotten how important it is to do things you love. I think that people who are always pissed off, worn out, and fed up haven't done what they love in a long time. In some cases since they were kids. But sometimes it works in reverse. I was painting the other day and nothing was working and every stroke I put on the page was crap. In frustration I gave up and symbolically put all my paints away. I sat on the porch and though about it. Had I forgotten how to have fun when I paint? I was trying to paint for everyone else except myself. Trying to satisfy the gallery and everyone else was killing me. So I stopped. Once again no fun equals a crusty, unhappy Larry.

My mother told me about a friend who has terminal cancer. He is my age. As you know time goes fast and you never know what's going to happen. Do what you've always wanted to do now. I'll tell you a secret, no matter how much money you have it will always be a problem. The definition of money is problems. Go to Italy, eat ice cream, write a novel or whatever. Just do it.

So go play yer guitar–now.
The photo above is me playing my guitar (on the left, and looking silly) in 1993.
Luck for you there are no photos of me playing guitar now. (and there won't be)
till next time....

curiousroom.com

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Lost in Tokyo with an Italian!




I find Japanese design wonderfully whimsical yet a bit confusing. The jamming together of old world ethstetic and the hyper-new design of the 21st century makes for some strange creations. Does the normal Japanese person feel the same? I wonder if they have the same visual sense of history about their cultural past as us westerners (probably somewhat distorted) perception of Asian culture? Or are they, for the most part, caught up in the modern visual vernacular, unaware of any blending of styles? Having never been to Japan I can only surmise from photos and movies the design truth of the Japanese environment. I usually find beautiful and unique images better than real life. That said, I think that well designed environments can trigger the same feeling that beautiful film, photos, paintings and style can evoke. Have you ever thought, "wow, I feel like I'm in a film". Possibly this is because you're responding to a visceral response to your current environment and a longing to be somewhere else beautiful and interesting. When I watch a modern Japanese film I notice that I'm as drawn to watching the cities in the background as I am in the story. It's facinating to see all the crazy buildings and signs. In the film, "Lost in Translation", I enjoyed the two nightclub scenes. Indeed the two scenes made the film for me. One was very organic, in a modern sense, with lots of blue crazy light flashing from wonderful globes of light. The other club was a stark fetish club, very stylish and clean. In both cases the club goer, because of the environment, knows exactly what kind of experience they are in for. The design was of the highest focus and clairity. In our world we suffer greatly from lack of design focus in our everyday life. How are we suppose to feel good about the environment we are in if the design is unfocused. It makes us uncomfortable and breeds a subtle discontent in our daily life.

Enter Claudio Colucci. A Italian designer working in Japan merging Italian style with Japanese culture resulting in interesting work. I put a couple of photos of his work above.

His site: www.colucci-design.com

Monday, November 12, 2007

Lin Swanner


Hey All,
you should check out my friend Lin Swanners paintings. Very cool work. Wonderful semi-abstract figurative work.You can view her work at swannerart.com.

Contribute!

Damn if my fat fingers didn't hit the return key and post - nothing!
Anyway, you guys listed as contributors please contribute something about cool art, style and whatever .... or not is ok to, as you will.

Contribute Please!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Kuba retro design rocks








I found this great site for a defunct German TV company. Talk about amazing retro design! I really love retro design and I think it's interesting how design that seems "dated" can eventually become "hip" again. The site also got me thinking about a design "factory". Notice the advertisements featuring pictures of the Kuba factory. A large building filled with people creating ideas and turning the ideas into physical products is appealing. In today's world where everything is digital I have a romanticised (and totally unrealistic) longing for the days when people sketched on tracing paper and built things by hand. Early in my design career, my first year working in an ad agency, we didn't have computers yet and I had to layout every thing by hand, and that was a bitch. In any event check out the pics from the Kuba museum, very interesting.
www.kuba-museum.de

What kind of art would you buy?


Hello all,
Since this is a blog for Curiousroom.com (among other art related things) and curiousroom.com sells art (mostly hi-end prints) I wanted to ask your opinion.
1. Would you buy signed prints?
if so,
2. What is the price you would be comfortable paying for say a Terrell Powell print? Currently Terry's prints are priced around $500, is this too expensive? He sells them for more than that at shows.
3. If the price was cheaper would you be more inclined to purchase a piece?
4. Would you like to see works by other artists on the site? Such as custom clocks, furniture, original paintings, ect...?
5. What do you think could improve the curiousroom.com site? (I am considering a redesign)

Thank you very much for your feedback!
Larry

Monday, November 5, 2007

New Terrell Powell Book


I'm designing a book of Terrell's new work featuring his animal theme. It will be available on the curiousroom.com site in a couple of weeks. Books will be signed by Terry with a small hand drawn illustration unique to each book. Enjoy.

Some images from the book.

The Queen is Dead (drunk)



Here are some of the photo I took yesterday for my "queen of hearts" piece. I'm planning on making a collage out of them. My tiny digital camera rocks!

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Alice in Wonderland



Damn it's been along time since I've posted! Where does the time go?

I've been working on a series for a show at Wally Workman Gallery here in Austin, the theme of the show is "Alice in Wonderland". I really like box construction so I took some photos and built a collage. I'm feeling pretty good about how it turned out. Next I'm working on Alice, The Catapiller and the Queen of Hearts.

Whenever I think of Alice in Wonderland I get a creepy feeling. Maybe it has to do with Louis Carroll's preoccupation with little girls - ick.

As you probably see if you're reading this blog I am having a home show with Terrell Powell on Nov. 17th. We'll be selling originals and some prints. If you need a Christmas present then this might be the place for ya.

Terrell Powell Home Show Nov. 17th

Hello Everyone!
Were having a home show featuring the exquisite and wonderfully raw work of Terrell Powell and myself on Saturday, November 17, 10am - 6pm. 2016 Brentwood St, Austin, Texas 78757. Many original works for sale.

Hope to see all you art lovers and don't forget to check the curiousroom.com site for new work and prints.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

New Mexico Light (and space)

I went to New Mexico a couple of weeks ago. The light is different in New Mexico. It's bright and dry and very hot and feels like it will burn all the bad living out of me. All the alcohol and bad food and evil thoughts just melted away. The light strikes the ground at an odd angle that makes the shadows longer than usual. The light in Austin, where I live, is flatter, wet and heavy and feels a bit moldy and sticky. Does the environment affect the act of creating? I believe so. A couple of years ago I spent a few weeks in Florence, Italy working in an amazing printmaking workshop. It was a shop that Picasso had done some work in - there were artists proofs of his on the walls. I was inspired and amazed at how different the art I created was compared to the work I do in Austin. The experience was, how do I put it, magical. When I got home I tried to create the same sort of work, I have a small press at the house, but it was impossible. All the work came out with an "Austin" feel. I would love to work in Berlin for a while to see what I come up with.

Anyone else have the experience of your work being affected by place?

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Go West

I'm going to New Mexico tomorrow for a week for some inspiration (and persperation). I love New Mexico. It has a special creative energy and I always feel energized when I come back AND I love road trips. There is something freeing about just getting in the car and driving. No one bothers you, no one calls and complains about whatever (turn off your cell), and no one, and I mean no one, can find you if you don't want to be found. That's what seedy western motels are for. New Mexico is a strange place. I've found that people either love it or the energy freaks them out. I'll be taking my camera and sketchbook of course. I hope to get some good freaky photos of ghost towns and desert and falling down gas stations. All that stuff that is creepy and fascinating at the same time. The ephemra of towns past their prime and worn down by the desert sun.
I'll write more from the road.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Go Deep

I've been thinking about the process of making good art. I have come to the belief that you have to "go deep", as I call it, to really become a master at your art. One must become so good at what you do that people may not like it but they certainly will respects what you're doing. That said, there will always be people, especially where art is concerned, who don't get it - or won't try to get what you're doing. Forget about these people. They will just bring you down. They are the ones who like misery and want you to partake at the misery feast. When you've stuffed yourself with that warm misery pie you can't do great work.

What does "going deep" entail exactly? My belief is that it's doing your work every day, even if you don't feel like it and would rather be at the movies or playing video games. I once read in an excellent book called "The War of Art", that you have to become a professional at your craft. A professional gets up everyday and works. He (or she) doesn't think about working, he just gets on with it and works – even on days where you're sick and don't feel like it.

What is the thing in life that you're best at? I've been trying to figure that out and I realized that I wasn't sure. And not being sure is a sign that I haven't gone deep enough in my painting yet. I've done graphic design and illustration for many years but only recently have been really working on my painting. I can tell that I am making progress "going deep" because I keep making small discoveries and reaching what I call "seeing" plateaus. "Seeing", is where I work on a painting or series for a while then put them away where I can't accidentally see them. After a week or so I will look at them and almost always will see them differently and will add something or paint over them or whatever. It is my quality meter. I think you cannot be a great artist until you learn to see what is good, or what you want to accomplish.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Hello

Hello all,
This is my first post for my Curious Room site. What is Curious Room? It is a fine art site where one can buy prints of my work and Terrell Powell's work.