AlternaSuisse is a documentary about 10 DIY maker/art spaces in French-speaking Switzerland, “les lieux alternatives”. Run by art collectives, these spaces come in all shapes (abandoned factories, vintage train cars, empty homes) and sizes (12-300 artists each). They are adored by artists for their affordable studio space and their strong creative communities; at the same time, most struggle to survive in the face of financial hardship, bureaucratic and regulatory nightmares, or internal conflict. In AlternaSuisse, we explore what makes each space unique, and the underlying ethos that binds them together.
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Behind-the-scenes for Regeneron
Another behind-the-scenes shoot for a good friend of mine, John Doyle. His project Regeneron is still in production, but can’t wait to see the final result!
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Behind-the-Scenes w Harlem Dance Club
I recently had the pleasure of shooting behind-the-scenes at Harlem Dance Club’s promotional video shoot:
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Anandwan documentary
The Anandwan Project is a documentary about Anandwan, the greatest rehabilitation centre for the disabled and leprosy-afflicted in India, and one of the largest such centres in the world.
Created by Baba Amte in the 1940s, Anandwan provides “untouchables” with medical treatment, food to eat, and a place to live, but also a concrete way to give back through a job that supports the local community. By recognizing that the handicapped and disabled are also capable of contributing to economic development and teaching others, we open the door to a radical shift in cultural mindset. Putting “untouchables” to work was previously inconceivable, but Baba’s model has proven to empower those at the very bottom to rise above and beyond society’s wildest expectations. As a result, today Anandwan is a revolutionary beacon of hope for cultural change and sustainable development, in one of the most unexpected of places.
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Printer’s Drawer #2
Round 2! This time with content curated for a wedding present :)
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Chair Restoration
I have a habit of wanting to save things (usually perfectly usable, albeit already well-used items) from destruction.
We found this vintage chair in the street and decided to fix ‘er up. The structure was still in good shape but the fabric was completely destroyed on the seat and pillow. Well, after a bit of deconstruction, some fabric purchasing, sewing (huge shout out to Sam’s mom for her help in this department), sanding, varnishing and some reconstruction, we now have a new chair in the living room! :)
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Lampad-r Catalogue v1
For our 2011 Expo, the Lampad-r art collective decided to prepare and sell 40 one-of-a-kind catalogues, in support of the collective. Each artist prepared 40 individual items and each catalogue had its own unique art. I prepared 40 mini collages, photographed them and made this poster. The poster + one original collage piece were included in each catalogue as my contribution.
I loved this project. It felt fresh and was particularly liberating since I gave my self no constraints at all, except to keep it as simple and minimal as possible. I hope the Catalogue becomes a regular fixture in Lampad-r’s activities.
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Printer’s Drawer Project
Here are a few photos of my latest big art project. I found a few of these antique drawers that used to house letters at a printing press. They remind me of shadow boxes (which I have always loved). Sam gave me the idea to put my papers “on display” in the boxes and the result is what we have here. I prepped the frame first (it had to be cleaned, lightly sanded, painted and varnished) and then I filled in every square with a unique paper from my collection – no repeats, no silver were my main rules and I tried to incorporate a bit of every color.
It was a VERY time consuming and exact project: exact measuring, exact cutting, exact gluing. Repeat. I would not say it was fun, but I’m happy with the result. Maybe the next one will will have tighter color rules… I could do a whole set, everyone a different color scheme!
So many ideas…
In any case, here are a couple of pictures of the drawer on display at the last Lampad-r expo, along with a couple close ups. The Nanos kind of ended up there by accident but I liked what it did for the pictures so I’m just goin’ with it for now.
