Does the future of art and design actually lie in the past? It’s the subject we are exploring in our current issue the ‘Gone but not Forgotten Issue!
In this issue we explore arts and crafts from the more obscure traditional crafts such as macrame and automata to other traditional crafts (such as embroidery, papercuts and, of course, letterpress) and show how contemporary artists are using these crafts and their skills to create and influence modern art and design.
Surprisingly many of the skills have been self-taught by people who have a real passion and love for their craft. And it’s passionate people like them who will ensure that these traditional crafts are protected and preserved for generations to come. I hope you will enjoy this issue and will enjoy hearing the personal stories from some very passionate artist and designers. I even hope it may inspire you to learn a new skill of your own!
Bec
Scroll down to see what we have for you in this issue!
Blanket’s Cover Art
This issues Blanket cover took artist
Katherine Beefheart a staggering 50 hours to embroider! It’s difficult to pick up all of the exquisite details on the cover image so I wanted to show you a closeup – just look at that gold embroidery – amazing! And Katherine’s original words {or word play I should say} is exactly the right theme we wanted to reflect with this issue – it certainly is the ‘Revival of the Fittest’!
Blankets Featured Font {FREE with this issue!}
One of Blanket’s favourite type designers,
Vanessa Zoydberg, is back with another beautiful typeface for us to enjoy! Her ‘
Redis‘ typeface was actually inspired by the lettering found on an old, metal sugar box – it couldn’t be more perfect for our theme!
We Are Willow {FREE Song Download!}
Remember the song download ‘Save it for Someone Else’ from
Butler Williams in Blanket Issue 9 {The Holiday Issue}? Well lucky for us Chris Butler, one-half of the duo from Butler Williams, is back again with another beautiful song especially for us. Chris has embarked on an exciting collaboration project called
We Are Willow and for Part 1 of the series Chris has teamed up with the ever so talented musician {and artist}
Kathryn Edwards. Together they bring us
‘Saving Grace’ taken from the EP
‘We Are Willow – Part One’.
Letterpress {Feature article}
Australian designer,
Alischa Herrmann, from
Bespoke Press turned her back on the corporate world and decided to follow her dream of setting up a small letterpress studio. We talk to Alischa about the ups and downs of starting out and how 77 year old retired printer
Robert {Bob} Read became her mentor. We also chat to Bob – just how does he feel about passing on 62 years of experience and knowledge to a younger generation?
We also interview Chicago-based designer,
Chad Kouri, from the Post Family about his love of type, letterpress and his involvement with the
Hamilton Woodtype Museum.
Linocut {DIY Tutorial}
Learn how to linocut this beautiful – but simple – tea towel with the help of our
DIY tutorial compiled by
Richard Brittain and
Rebekah Nathan – the crafty duo behind
Bliss In A Teacup.
Also inside this issue you will find:
• Have you ever wanted to change history? Blanket writer,
Jonathan Hulme, has {let’s just say in 1995 Billy Ray Cyrus has a terrible mullet accident and can never have children, particularly one’s called Miley}. See how his world would have looked…
• Blanket writer,
Gwendoline Watson, teaches us how to embrace our inner child! Who’s for colouring in purple flower stems?
• If you were a child of the 70′s you will already be familiar with the craft of
macrame. But if not we are going to introduce it to you with a little help from craft extraodinaire
Tamara Maynes.
• The art of
Papercutting has been around for centuries but we look at how contemporary artists are influencing a new generation of graduates. We speak to
Jonathan Chapman {aka mrYen} about his papercut work.
• Ever heard of the name
automata? No? In more laymans terms they are
mechanical toys and we see how
Tory Fiterre has turned his hobby into a side-business.
• Blanket writer,
Melinda Woledge, discovers how an old, tatty cookbook is a direct connection to her grandmothers memory. She also passes on a unique recipe for a
Bible Cake!
• Re_action!
Artists featured inside this issue: Abi Daker, Álvaro Cabeza a.k.a. CAP·388, Anna Cornell, Carla Rak, Diana Santisteban, Emily Chappell, Emma Kidd, Fee Harding, Jason Watson, Jess Racklyeft , Kim Triebsee, Kyle Jorgensen, Laurelin Matulis, Lauren Holmes, Lloyd Stubber, macn (aka Martín Cocchi Nan), Marek Haiduk, Marie Larkin, Michael Barolet, Orlagh Murphy, Sarah Holmes, Stephanie Kubo, Yung Tsai.
• Here’s my work… I hope you like it!
Artists featured inside this issue: Alvaro Sanchez, Anne Cobai, Ashwin Patel, Brandan Gomez, Carla Rak, Christopher M Brock, Claudia Forsbrey aka Claud Forsb, Davi Augusto, Emma Brown, Forrest Elliott, Jon Hannan, Rachel Caldwell, Sarah Lowicki, Stanislav Olehno, Tim Galpern.
