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Showing posts with label heart symbols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart symbols. Show all posts

A Different Kind of Valentine. Pop Culture Heart Art Collages by Paris Artist Eric Liot.




Paris based artist Éric Liot combines items archetypal of our consumer based society with objects and fragments from pop culture. Pieces of film, advertisements, toys, comics and anime are assembled or collaged to ultimately represent a colorful, decadent society, delusional in its mad self-celebration. These hearts are only a small portion of the artist's work.

Three Women and A Man, 2011:

































Catch Me, 2011:


Pink Lady, 2011:


Cupidon Is A Killer, 2010:


Le piège, 2010:



Liot initially mills out the forms he needs, like wooden puzzle pieces, then he pastes poster fragments onto them, creating from them actual objects in ready-made style or just painting them with acrylic colors. The results are Liot's characteristic collages, which, while somewhat critical of consumerism, first and foremost seduce the observer with their charm and amalgamation of interesting contemporary pictures. (source: Galerie Raphael 12)


A large heart-shaped piece for the December 2010 show at Laurent Strouk in progress:


Completed piece:


And as shown at Gallerie Laurent Strouk:




Artist's Bio :

above photo by Marie Laborde for Galerie Laurent Strouk

Éric Liot was born the 25th of April 1964 in Caen (France). After school, he begins to study architecture, first in the Normandy, then in Paris, at the "Université de la Villette". But he soon realizes that he feels no call at being an architect or even a student. He is weighed down by the narrowness of the academic education as well as by the cold and total anonymity of the Parisian big city jungle. He feels attracted by the faraway and undertakes important travels to Latin America, East and Central Africa as well as Asia. Each time when he comes back to Paris, the decision to be an artist seems clearer. He gives up university and works as a free lance designing posters and furniture. Little by little he realizes that his objects are more and more aesthetical and original, but less functional. The interiorization of this coincides with the real beginning of Liot?s artistic career. First exhibitions soon follow and so the public success. Many solo exhibitions, fair participations, catalogs and articles relate Liot's quick upcoming. Now he has won fame on the Parisian art scene and begins to make a name of himself also abroad, out of the French metropolis. (courtesy of Galerie Raphael 12)

Video of Liot in his studio by Director/ Cameraman Victor Lazaro



Buy Eric Liot Books and catalogues here

At present Liot is showing his work at the Fabien Castanier Gallery through March 4th, 2012 in Drill Baby Drill, a show with Michael Kalish.

Happy Valentine's Day

How The World's Best Selling Valentine's Day Candy, Conversation Hearts, Are Made.




Note: This is a partial reprint of a post from two years ago.

It's that time of year again. Valentine's Day. When happy shiny couples give one another cute warm fuzzies while the rest of the world either remains hopeful or bitterly dejected. Either way, one can't get away from the classic "Sweethearts" by Necco come mid-February. From the candy to Keds, iPhone apps to fragrances, talking hearts abound.

First, some Necco history of the candy:


Today's best-selling Valentine candy -- Sweethearts Conversation Hearts--the pastel sugar hearts with the quirky sayings, were as much a part of your childhood as they are for today's kids. New England Confectionery Company manufactures over 8 billion hearts each year to keep up with demand for this American icon.



Still it's hard to believe that the concept behind today's Conversation Hearts got its start when Abraham Lincoln was still President. Mottoes seemed to have come into prominence with cockles, a small crisp candy made of sugar and flour formed in the shape of a cockle or scallop shell. The early cockles contained mottoes, which were printed on thin colored paper and rolled up inside.

In the 1860's, when Daniel Chase, the brother of New England Confectionery Company's founder, Oliver Chase, began printing sayings on the candy. He experimented first with hand tools, and then devised a machine in which the cloth was replaced with a felt roller pad, moistened with vegetable coloring, usually red, which pressed against the die. The die printed the words on the lozenge paste and the double purpose machine cut the lozenges.

Below are images of the process today:





above: the making, baking and packaging process today

Grown-ups were entertained and passed the hearts around at parties. For weddings, there were wedding-day lozenges with humorously foreboding prophecies such as: "Married in satin, Love will not be lasting" "Married in Pink, He will take to drink" and "Married in white, You have chosen right."

The present day Sweethearts® Conversation Heart dates back to 1902. Back then, besides hearts, they also produced various shapes such as postcards, baseballs, horseshoes and watches.


above: Richard Krause, the President and CEO at the New England Confectionery Company, 2009 (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

In the early 1990's, New England Confectionery Company's Vice President Walter Marshall decided to update the sayings each year and retire some. His first --Fax Me--created a lot of attention from Sweetheart fans. As a result, each year we receive hundreds of suggestions from romantics, candy lovers and school kids for new sayings. From old tech, "Call Me" to new tech, "E-mail Me," Sweethearts® keep the pulse on the heartbeat of the nation.



Conversation Hearts have been used in various ingenious ways over the years-- to propose marriage, to teach children statistics and reading, to decorate cakes, and as borders for frames.


above: the anatomically correct human heart made of the candies by Lego brick artist Nathan Sawaya.

You can see many Conversation Heart inspired products, from iPhone covers to jewelry, at the following links.

Zazzle
Etsy
Red Bubble

Sweethearts and Conversation Hearts Candy and Items on Amazon

The Love & Heart Of Design. Literally. The Work Of Robert Indiana & Alexandar Girard.



Above: Robert Indiana's Love Sculpture in Philadelphia, 1976 (just one of several)

Some of the most recognizable and respected icons of 'love' are those of Robert Indiana and Alexander Girard . Initially designed decades ago, these eternally hip symbols have found their way onto many different products, all of which make excellent Valentine's gifts for any designer.

Robert Indiana (b. 1928)

Above: Painter, Sculptor and designer, Robert Indiana with his famous Love image. photo by Stephen O. Muskie.

Robert Indiana's LOVE image is arguably one of the most recognizable icons of the latter half of the 20th century. With giant sculptures in many major cities, Robert Indiana is one of the first artists many think of when asked to define "pop" art. His love image has appeared on postage stamps for multiple countries, in various color formations as art and rugs and has been knocked off in almost every language.

Robert Indiana Authentic Love Items available:

Love Welcome Mats:

From the Whitney Museum store, available in the small size only Coir, 20" x 20" x 1.5"
Available for purchase here.



Above: The LOVE Rug is an original work of Art by Robert Indiana. It is a hand signed, limited edition, produced by the Artist in conjunction with master rug maker John Gilbert. Based on the 1964 MOMA Christmas card. Hand made with archival New Zealand wool. Each piece comes with a "Certificate of Authenticity" signed by the publisher. Sizes: 2'x 2' $125 or 6'x 6' $3,500
Buy it here from Lost City Arts.



Bird Fine Art gallery carries the rug in many color combination (only 4 of which are shown below) each is 6' x 6" and available for purchase and all are hand signed by the artist himself:


Above top: Love Enflame (Classic Love) edition: 150
size: 6 x 6 feet, 183 cm x 183 cm
Above bottom: Grisaille
edition: 30 in a Book of Love Portfolio Edition of 300
size: 6 x 6 feet, 183 cm x 183 cm


Above top: American Love
edition: 30 in a Book of Love Portfolio Edition of 300
size: 6 x 6 feet, 183 cm x 183 cm
Above bottom: Thirst
edition: 30 in a Book of Love Portfolio Edition of 300
size: 6 x 6 feet, 183 cm x 183 cm

Many museums now carry Robert Indiana's Love sculpture as an aluminum paperweight in various colors. They are available in several online museum stores in prices ranging from $48-$70.00, so avoid the numerous ebay dealers selling them at 100$ a piece.

Buy them here.
Or here.
Or here.


If you're lucky enough to find one of these vintage gold 1971 Love Rings, it'll run you around $900.00 USD. The rings were also made in sterling silver and brass and can often be found on ebay.

Buy this ring here.

Robert Indiana Inspired Items:


The mirror made by Seletti is available here.

The Cook worktop board by Joseph Joseph is available here.
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Alexander Girard (1907-1993)


Working in partnership with Charles Eames and George Nelson, Girard helped catapult Herman Miller to the forefront of modern design, creating furnishings, wallpaper, and brilliantly colored textiles rooted in the vibrant simplicity of folk art. Maharam re-issued Alexander Girard's Checker, Checker Split, Double Triangles, Jacobs Coat, Mikado, Millerstripe, Quatrefoil and Toostripe as part of the Textiles of the 20th Century Collection.

Authentic Alexander Girard Items Available:

Alexander Girard International Love Heart and his Love Heart are available on several items:

buy the Alexander Girard Love Welcome Mats here.



buy the pillows here.

The Japanese Bearbrick toy featuring Girard's International Loveheart was a collaboration between máXimo, Stitch Store in Tokyo and Medicom Toy. .Medicom Be@rbrick with Alexander Girard's International Love symbol, shown in both in 400% and 100% sizes


Above left: Alexander Girard International Love Be@rbrick available here.

Above Right: This Medicom Be@rbrick with the LOVE heart by Alexandre Girard is made especially for Colette. The box can be transformed into a card to write a love note.
Only available at Colette.

Modern seed exclusively carries Alexander Girard's designs on T-shirts for kids, his 2 heart designs are amongst them:


Buy them here.

Even notecards are available in packages of 20 featuring his heart and other designs:

Buy them here.

See other great valentine's day gift choices here.

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