The Smallest Art Gallery In The World (August '07)

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I have a room in my house that I affectionately call The Smallest Art Gallery in the World. It's not fancy, and the art isn't groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it makes me happy, and that's good enough for me.

For the past four months, I've had the "Morocco" exhibit up, composed of photos from my January trip, along with a few Moroccan-themed paintings, a pair of hand-embroidered slippers, Moroccan candlesticks, and a few other odds and ends. The only blogger who took me up on my offer to stop by for a look was the lovely Tea, who arrived with a packet of delectable peach tea as her "entrance fee." I was charmed, and the tea was wonderful; I'm still enjoying it.

For the past few weeks, I've been meaning to pull everything off of the walls and hang a fresh "exhibit" but things have been rather hectic. Last week, I finally got around to it.

This time, the theme is Type. Words. Letters. Numbers.

As someone who loves books and words, I've gradually become entranced with the building blocks - the beauty of the alphabet, in all of its renderings. I love good type.

This "exhibit" is a celebration of words and type treatments - I didn't buy anything for this exhibit; I rummaged around in the garage and through old boxes, pulling things out... and this is what I found.  Funny enough, most of these items cost next to nothing.

I'm posting these pictures for Matt, who asked for photos last time... they aren't the greatest pictures, as my camera seems to be delivering grainy shots much of the time now (grr!), but now you can say that you've seen the Smallest Gallery in the World.

This "typewriter" piece is by Steve Keene, a Brooklyn-based artist who paints like a maniac to produce a high volume of pieces. In Steve's words: “Painting should be part of people's lives and not separate from the world like a precious object. I feel like a baker making cakes, making a good quality object that's affordable to everyone from college professors to high school kids. I want buying my paintings to be like buying a CD: it's art, it's cheap and it changes your life, but the object has no status." I bought this at a live Steve Keene show in 2001; he was furiously painting away, his entire person splashed with paint, and the finished pieces were stacked all around. This piece cost $8.00.

One of my favorite graphic designers is Chip Kidd. He is famous for his book covers, and this book is a collection of his best work. I love, love, love this book.

Speaking of books: here a few of my favorite modern covers that make great use of type. Yes, that's a library sticker on the Michael Chabon book to the left - I didn't pinch it, don't worry. I bought it at a library sale at Fort Mason, and couldn't bear to remove it. The sticker is part of the charm.

I got the Tazo tea posters from a Starbucks in San Jose in 1998; I loved them the moment I saw them, and the manager promised to save them for me when the campaign was through. I still adore the photos and the phrasing and the pretty type. Mmm.

And speaking of tea - this is a collection of tins from Mariage Freres; they created a line of teas celebrating the tea heritage of a dozen different countries. Each tin has that country's word for tea on it... I thought it fit perfectly into my theme. (Thé des Maharajahs from India was my favorite of the bunch. That tin has long since been empty.)

Enough pictures already! I'm still not quite through with the project - have to rifle through a few more boxes to find some things I know I've got somewhere... but you get the idea.

If you love type too, you'll might enjoy some of these links:

Typophile? Right this way.

Richard Neutra fan? (trust me, you adore his work, even if you don't know it)

Did you know that Pablo Neruda wrote a poem titled "Ode to Typography"? Swoon.

Maryam in Marrakech has a gorgeous collection of letters and numbers. Love the table!

A collection of fabulous typography quotes.

And finally, from e.e. cummings:

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you

Comments

[sam]

Jennifer - this is incredible. You are an inspiration. I think I missed reading about the first exhibition. All fool me.

[Tiffany]

Could I love it more? No. No, I could not. It's fabulous.

[Maryam in Marrakesh]

I came here by accident and found this! I LOVE your smallest gallery in the world. I LOVE the fact that you had a Morocco exhibit. I LOVE the tea canisters. Eeek, I can barely stand it - it's all SO good.

PS Unfortunately, although I do have a nice collection of letters and numbers, that pics was from the ad for that ostrich table that I have been coveting. I hope they don't sue me - it's some French company and I forgot the name:-(

[Tana]

Jennifer: you should go to Readerville and read the "Judging a Book" thread.

DG Strong and Karen Templer are both INCREDIBLE designers, and he is honestly one of the funniest people I've ever read in my life.

http://www.readerville.com/WebX?14@@.f414b7b/2665

I won't be surprised if you go back to the beginning.

(You have to register to browse. I am a dues paying member: $8/month, and I think you would like it. There is also the Food Thread.)

http://www.readerville.com/WebX?14@@.ee6b58e/76340

I'm all about word graphics. My business card used to read "Ampersand Graphics." As a former calligrapher, one of my favorite quotes is "Type gives voice to the written word."

[Kal Barteski]

Very cool! Everyone should have a small art gallery in their house. I love that you love the gallery enough to change it up. Very cool.

[Tea]

WOW, wow, wowie! This is great (though I now feel the need to send you an ampersand--it's my favorite piece of type).

And I'm feeling very lucky to have been your only gallery visitor! Those poor folks stuck in the city don't know what they are missing:-)

Thanks so much for sharing the new exhibit, I love it.

[barbara]

The tea collection is my favourite piece. I'd visit if you weren't across the ocean.

[alison]

Brilliant!

[Jennifer Jeffrey]

Sam - thanks. It's very simple, but I like it.

Tiffany - aw, shucks!

Maryam - oops, I guess should have read your post more closely. Great picture, anyway... and that ostrich table is fabulous.

Tana - I'm going there as soon as I post this comment! Thanks for the tip...

Kal - I try not to collect "stuff" but it happens anyway- the gallery is my way of making use of it instead of having it sit somewhere forever, gathering dust.

Tea - ooh, I do love the idea of an ampersand. I'm looking everywhere for a number "9" as well. My favorite number, and for some reason, I don't have one!

Barbara - an ocean apart... sob...

Alison - thanks! It's fun.

[Steamy Kitchen]

What a great idea to change up my "art exhibit" above my couch. I have 6 black frames with b/w prints of Stephen Meyers' x-ray flowers. I can replace with some of my food photography. DUH! Why didn't I ever think of this?

[matt]

YAY! I've always wanted to see this and I'm so glad you're finally sharing this incredible view with us!

thank you thank you thank you thank you!

p.s. I soooooooooooo absolutely *heart* Chip Kidd too :)

[The Purloined Letter]

How wonderful! If anyone deserves a space that displays the connection between text and art so beautifully, it is you.

Now if only I could get all the text off the floor and all desk surfaces, perhaps I could do a little bit of imitation in my study....

[Garrett]

I need you to design my place (Ya know, once I can afford to design it. :P )

[Jennifer Jeffrey]

Steamy - you take such beautiful pictures, and that's a great idea! Do it!

Matt - you're ever-so welcome. Glad to know other people love CK as much as I do!

Purloined - I've got quite a pile on my desk at the moment as well. It gets overwhelming at times.

Garrett - I could charge you in cupcakes...

[susanna]

I like your display! I was wondering what that poster of the laughing grandma with the cup of tea was about in the first photo. Well, if I lived in your area of the West Coast, I would definitely take you up on an offer to visit the smallest art gallery in the world. Maybe I could pay my entrance fee with two little wooden blocks with J stamped on the front? And two m's for your Moroccan Man?

You and I share a similar love for typography. I have a big old black typewriter in my living room and I'm drawn to books with great typography on the covers. I noticed the cover of Everything Is Illuminated just yesterday at the library. It's on my booklist. And Pablo Neruda wrote a poem about typography and love?! Sigh...his words never cease to amaze me...

I like Steve Keene's idea that art should be affordable and his typewriter painting is good, simple. It's interesting what objects we are drawn to in paintings and photography...they often are reflections of ourselves.