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The "Fun"ctional art of Nicola L. Whimsical Aquariums & Furniture

French born Nicola L. (that's right, just an L. for the last name) is a conceptual artist who creates everything from performances, films and functional art. Having had a hugely prolific career for over five decades, she has shown in many galleries and has a clear affinity for heads, eyes and snails as you can see from some of her functional art pieces I've chosen to share with you below. Some of the following pieces were created as editions and may still be available for purchase via the galleries listed at the end of this post.

Heads:

above: plexi head fish tank

above: head aquarium and bar

above: detail

above: head library

above: wooden head bookcase

above: green head sofa

above: white vinyl head sofa

above: little heads tables

above: plexi head planter

above: giant head fountain

above: little fire head

above: giant fire head

above: the 12 faces rug

Eyes:

above: plexi eye ceiling lamp

above: Glass eye coffee table

above: large plexi eye wall lamp

above: plexi eye wall lights and lips floor lamp

Snails:

above: snail birdcage

above: blue snail sofa

above: snail wardrobe cabinet

above: snail table on snail rug

above: snail bed reflected in snail mirror

The artist:

A bit about her:
In the thirty years since her first exhibitions, Nicola L. has returned to the body on numerous occasions, producing extremely limited editions of lamps, see-through planters, aquariums, storage containers, tables, and her famous "Femme Commode" and "Femme Coffre Fort".

She had her first show at Daniel Templon Gallery Paris in 1969, followed by many exhibitions in european galleries and museums, with also a show in New York at Wadell Gallery in 1973. She moved to New York in 1979 where her functional work was featured between 1986 and 2004 in numerous galleries including: Alan Moss, Vrej Baghoomian, Peder Bonier, Wooster Projects and also recently at Twentieth Gallery in L.A. She is currently showing her work at Galerie Patricia Dorfmann, Galerie Pierre Alain Challier, and Galerie Catberro in Paris. Her last show in New York City was a retrospective at Ingrao Gallery in 2006.

Nicola’s work is frequently featured in auctions at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams & Butterfield. Her work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Beaubourg, Antwerpen Museum of Contemporary Art, The Museum of Modern Art of Glasgow, The Collection of The Frac Bretagne and many private American and European collections.

Recently, in 2008 she has had two shows in Paris, in April and May 2008, respectively, "Planet Eye" at Galerie Pierre Alain Challier, and "Functional Art 1989-2008" at Galerie Catberro, Paris.

above: THE RED COAT FOR 11 PEOPLE (1969) Last performance for Canal Plus+ at Galerie Favardin de Verneuil, Paris, Sept. 30th 2008

She is also continuing the performance with The Blue Cape, named now "The Blue Cape Of Human Rights".

The Book:

Buy it here

Learn more about Nicola here and see more of her work here.

A Lovingly Crafted Film To Celebrate Books. Can You Say Irony?

Despite the bizarre irony that a book publishing company is celebrating their 25th anniversary with something you watch (a film execution) in lieu of something you read (an actual book), this little animated short is lovingly crafted and fun to watch.

Created by Apt Studio and Asylum Films to celebrate 4th Estate Publishers' 25th Anniversary, this stop-motion film animates a world in which books ultimately reign. Produced over a three-week period last autumn, each scene was shot on a home-made dolly by -- as they like to call themselves -- an 'insane bunch of animators'.

A London-based imprint of the Harper Collins publishing house, the 4th Estate are known for releasing well-selected and beautifully covered titles such as Isabel Allende’s The Sum of Our Days and Half of a Yellow Sun by Orange Broadband prize-winner Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in recent years. Interestingly enough, the term fourth estate actually refers to the press, going back to the first half of the 19th century when there were 'estates of the realm' dividing European society in the Middle Ages.

here are a few beautiful stills for you:

and a peek at just some of the very hard work that goes into something like this:

and now, the final product:

Directed, produced and edited by Apt Studios and Asylum Films.

credits:
Producers: Peter Collingridge, James Bridle
For Asylum:
Directors: Ben Falk, Josiah Newbolt
Producer: Phil Vanier
Editor: Josiah Newbolt
Director of Photography: Ben Falk
Lighting Technician: Max McGill
Production Designer: Philippa Culpepper
Supervising Animators: Jordan Wood, Mickey Bignell
Animators: Susie Jones, Alex Major
Model Makers: Isabella Rising, Ed Arthur, Max McGill, Matt Williams, Georgina Ferguson, Rebecca Ford, Jake Snellin, Adam Beautement, John Lush, Henry Culpepper, Sally Langford, Willa Culpepper, Rachel Mcintyre, Alex Burr
Post Production: Liam O’Connor, Christian Sturm
Music: Mike Chalmers aka Actionfist
Sound Design: Josiah Newbolt, Phil Vanier
Special Thanks: John Lyons

Make No Bones About It, Stephen Einhorn Is Much More Than A Jeweler.

We've all seen the large amount of Goth skull jewelry out there. And Stephen Einhorn of the UK is yet another who creates jewellery collections which include skulls of all types. But he also makes high end skull and bone items for the home that include water taps, ashtrays, corkscrews, even egg cups. In addition to those objects, he makes fire pits, candle cards and more.

Below are the water taps (or faucets, as we call them in the US). Although you will love them and want to get them for your home, they are made in conjunction with with Barber Wilson's & Company Ltd and therefore ONLY fit onto their taps & fittings. The taps are available in brass or chrome and can be customized with colored Swarovski Crystal eyes.

Above: his hand cast taps start at $332.00 USD

above: Brass drain overflow for tub, prices start at $240.00 USD

For customers outside the UK you can contact Barber Wilson for information on their faucets via export@barwil.co.uk or telephone/fax +44 20 88 88 91 88. Barber Wilson also has distributors in the USA and Germany. If you already own a set of Barber Wilson taps/faucets, you can remove the existing heads and easily replace them with their Capstan Heads.

Other skull items for the home include the following;

above: The skull head ashtray is available in solid sterling silver or gold. Price start at $904.00 USD

above: Solid sterling silver skull head egg cups starting at $904.00 (also available in gold)

Above: skull corkscrew complete with Swarovski eyes. Chrome plated brass. Priced at $225.00 USD

His products range from jewelry to bathroom taps, from his 'nail stools' to his patented Candle Cards. Everything has been designed by him and manufactured in his London workshops.

His patented Candle Cards:

His Fang cufflinks are available in gold or silver:

His "fire gardens" resemble mini Stone Henge's complete with pewter skeletons:

Gothic Fire Garden prices start at $107.00 USD

Another unique aspect of Stephen's work worth noting is his "breakable" packaging, a wonderful way to give a gift on Valentine's Day. A painted plaster Heart is created around the jewelry one can 'bust' open to discover the gift inside.

About the designer:

Stephen Einhorn himself designs the core product range, as well as custom making a large number of bespoke commissions for individual customers. Everything is hand made. Their shop and workshops are in Islington, London. All the items shown in this post are available either through the Stephen Einhorn Shop and Showroom at 210 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1RL or worldwide through this secure online shop.

If you aren't familiar with his jewellery, it's definitely something you should see. In addition to his large selection of engagement and wedding rings, he has several collections for men and women that include fine jewelry of real gold and sterling silver. The collections range from tattoo-inspired pieces, goth, rock n' roll, hearts, and more.