Free Space: reception recap

Megan's FREE SPACE installation was a success! In conjunction with her thesis, the concept of utilizing "free space" was illustrated with her example of various opportunities along C street in San Diego. Selecting vignettes of possibility in bus shelters, light posts, curbs and sidewalk alcoves, she suggests temporary business sites, skate parks, resting places and ipod docks. Sites for temporary drive in theatres, edible urban gardens, voting stations, and much more. The layout of each FREE SPACE was organized in a linear display that clearly identified the range of possibility within so many structures that are overlooked and underused everyday.

A street level video takes you through the entire 17 blocks in around 3 minutes.

(Her use of electric pink duct tape thrilled me! Where can I get some? I want to use it on everything...)

The furniture pieces stored loads of information about shared space events all over the world.

I loved a table explaining PARK(ing) Day, an annual one-day global event where everyone is encouraged to independently, yet simultaneously, transform metered parking spaces into (temporary) mini parks. This event started in San Francisco in 2005 by a bunch of artists from Rebar. It was originally devised as a creative exploration of how public space is used, and according to their website, cities like San Francisco allow less than 30% of the public space for non-vehicle use. Paying the meter of a parking space allows one to lease prime urban real estate for a day!

Here's a video explaining more...

Mark your calendars:

Megan will lead a walking tour of the neighborhood Saturday June 5th from 2-3pm, starting at Art Produce Gallery.

PARK(ing) Day is September 17th, 2010.

FREE SPACE: installation by Megan Willis

FREE SPACE: A street level look at interfaces between public and private by Megan Willis
May 15- July 4, 2010
Opening Reception May 15, 7-9pm
Art Produce Gallery in North Park

Free Space is an installation that looks at disparate tactics for appropriating and reclaiming residual spaces in the urban landscape for both public and private use. Residual Spaces are interstices in the city that are abandoned, underutilized, leftover, liminal, and indeterminate. These spaces oscillate between public and private. Residual spaces take the form of alleys, parking lots, building recesses, window ledges, sidewalks, roof tops, fire escapes, blank facades etc. As a starting point, Free Space focuses locally on the residual spaces of C Street in downtown San Diego. This installation uses video documentation, maps, duct tape and furniture to examine these tactics of appropriation.


Gallery Schedule of events:
May 15th - Opening Reception
May 16th - Interactive Community Event-NP Arts Festival
June 5-6 - There Goes the Neighborhood
5th - satellite picnics
6th - residual spaces walking tour
June 12th - Reception and Gallery Talk
June 26th - Film Screening

Directions: http://www.artproducegallery.com/index.html

Pardon my French

A room inspired by a dynamite movie... Jean-Luc Godard's 1965 drama Pierrot Le Fou
Gray Couch by Country Living



Vintage Blue Enamel Floor Lamp - $575 from Nickey Kehoe


I found these Vintage Handmade Goldenrod pillows at VindeeLyndee on etsy
Mustard swirls pillow- $53 from Myakka Pillows


Kidney shaped Lucite coffee table-$1,200 from Uber Modern

Shag carpet made by Klaussner Home furnishings- Houseput.com

Red small vintage chair- $110 from William-Wayne & Co.


This scene from the film reminded me of Lichtenstein's work

Opaque linen panels in Platinum- $44 a panel at West Elm

1960's Panasonic clock- image from A mid-century, Modern Interiors Flickr group


Silkscreen "Je Participe"- SOLD piece from May1968.com

My first attempt at Pierrot Le Fou by joisyphene on Polyvore.com

Items in this set: Classic Red Phone, 68 GBPLIATORP, $180Super 2000-gram Greek Flokati Wool Shag Rug (2' x 4') Overstock.com, $6010 Glorious Gray Tufted Sofas Roundup Apartment Therapy San...
Helix Linen Pillow in Mustard Modern Chic Home

This room wouldn't be complete without a Marianne Renoir...

Get her look... Anna Karina inspired fashion ideas below:

French cigarettes, stripes and a handgun of course

All sorts of tips from Statues & Attitudes

Anna Karina by KajalNoir featuring Bottega Veneta tops

Items in this set: Bottega Veneta Silk knit tank top, $270Black Stripe Beach Short, 60 AUDRepetto Infante Crackle Platform Pumps - Zoe, $345The Monique Sunglasses, $12Allan's Forum - View topic - Your favorite HAT

A whole fashion show based on Karina's films at A Slowboat to Mediocrity

More:IMDB
Pierrot Le Fou
"compensatory decorative exhilaration"

Gypsy Honeymoon

Thanks to my friend and P.I.C. (partner in crime) Vanessa, I spent this last weekend in San Francisco! What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a spur of the moment trip to the Golden City. Although this was my sixth trip or so, this time I stayed entirely in the Mission, my new favorite place. Some highlights include:

* Amazing food at Herbivore : a completely vegetarian/ vegan restaurant with huge proportions and variety

* Drinks at Dirty Thieves: big booths, with the best jukebox I've ever danced to

* Lounging at Dolores Park: bring your bubbles and sparkling bubbles too

and of course, thrifting!

We hit up Mission Thrift for their $1 mustaches and ended up with eighties prom dresses (no joke, we're going to prom this Friday at the Pearl).

We were on the bound for some good coffee when I found *Gypsy Honeymoon*

In one word, I would call it delightful. In two words- delightfully enchanting!

Inside I found a wonderfully spun nest of bohemian treasures, everything from vintage teaspoons to this framed 1940's Beetle collection (most likely from a University or museum)

It felt like the genius child of Architectural Salvage and the vintage clothing boutiques in Greenwich Village... with little nooks of goodness everywhere.

Look at this hardware! At $12 a piece, original Bakelite in all my favorites colors. I don't know how I managed to leave without a whole set. These would be great to jazz up an old dresser or kitchen drawers even. Did I say they came in all my colors?

This vignette especially thrilled me. Victorian dolls and a floral shawl from the 70's...

I think tea should always be served with a lesson in Phrenology and purple orchids

This antique medical cabinet is straight out of Mark Ryden's studio... especially because the fellow inside is a wax mannequin made in Paris, sometime in the teens. At $3,200 he is the real deal, with genuine human hair, glass eyes and porcelain teeth. That's hot.

Unfortunately I didn't get a closer shot to share, but this early Nippon tea set made me want to re-do my entire kitchen in espresso and mustard. It's a joke to get a set of 4 cups with saucers, 6 bowls, a teapot, sugar bowl and creamer for only $150. Had I any room in my carry-on, this would have been mine.

This is just a tiny bit of it, you certainly have to just see Gypsy Honeymoon in person to really experience it. It's the perfect place to find something a bit magical and aged, without having to dig through piles and piles of crap first. The best part is you don't have to wear gloves to get to it; the way it's set up lures you into exploring a bin of photographs and/or brooches as if it belongs to your favorite Grandparent (or "antique friend" as I like to call them).

Gabrielle Ekedal, the owner- has an obvious eye for the slightly ghostly and necromantic finds, but with a delicate mix of Victorian charm it feels feminine, not demonic. Like leather and lace (in blush, not black). She took over the store when the owner decided to move overseas, and has been at their current location for 3 years. Before that, Gypsy Honeymoon was just down the street and around the corner, and a little less pulled together.

San Francisco is known for being a great place to shop, and unexpectedly finding shops like this just confirms it. Come to find out, it's actually a local favorite as mentioned in these blogs:

* MissionLocal.org

* Handful of Salt

* Apartment Therapy San Francisco

Next time I'm there, I will definitely be back. And this time, I'm leaving with something!

Birthday Baby Cakes

Good things can come in small packages, and one of my favorites is cupcakes! This year for my birthday I'm dying for one... or a few... hehe

I just love the whole concept of something delicious crammed into a cute cup, smeared with goodness, crowned with a candle or topper then dusted with sprinkles! What could be better?

Having your cake and eating it too!

Oh Seattle, you are only a short flight away. These creations at Trophy are just adorable. I'll take two, thank you...

These canister's from Domino are sweet!
Forget the cherry on top, I want one of these customized toppers from Diana Evans

but I also love the glitter and glitz of the vintage images you'll find at Bug & Boo on Etsy

ohmygoodness I may just have to re-think my Halloween costume.... this is too cute!
(Image All things cupcake)

Well, if I have to do it myself, these Designer baking goods make me want to bake! From the baker's confections and Urban Outfitters

Everything you could ever need at Bake it Pretty

And don't forget the sprinkles!

(image from Amy Sedaris "i like you")