These are some examples of lamps that I found that really interest me because of the interaction of light with the material and form. The lamp above is really interesting to me because it seems very organic yet is minimalistic and mechanical in design. I love the way the black lines are used to brake up and enhance the beautiful white form of the body and shade.
These next two lamps are really interesting to me because of the repetition of the curves and how slight changes in them make these beautiful forms come alive. The patterns created by the inner structures are also very beautiful and just the way the lines intersect and curve is very elegant.

The materials in these though I feel could possibly be pressed a little farther to create a piece that is truly breathtaking.

Li Xiaofeng captured my attention in the way that he mixed ceramic and fashion by taking shards of ceramics and making them into clothing. The best part of all about it is that as you can see the one dress is actually wearable although it might not be all that comfortable I still find it really amazing. This offers me a new way of looking at ceramics and teaches me not to think about it in the original conventional ways.

fun things

Atelier Versace made this gorgeous dress that has some of the most beautiful reacurring curves that I have seen in a garment. And then they are even more activated by the sleeve collar that mirrors the curves on the bottom.
Tara Donovan on the other hand has created a curvy sea like structure from Styrofoam cups. The way that they are placed together makes a coral reef like structure out of many of the same simple mechanical elements.
Maria Yasko's shelf is a great example of the marriage of organic and mechanical that I am looking for. It has both elements very strongly and yet one does not seem separate from the other. and if one or the other were missing it wouldn't seem whole.

multiples of simple things make complex beautiful things

The idea of multiples whether in many simple forms or in resounding curves is something that has caught my interest due to the fact that if you use the same simple form over and over you can create something so complex and beautiful. The piece above by Angela Cunningham is a great example of this. the flower like quality of this would be lost completely if each piece were viewed as an individual but all together they create this beautiful repetition and symmetry.
Kim Westad has gone about this in a different way taking a more minimal approach. I see the curves that she uses as multiples though how they play and bounce your eye around keeping it excited. Also the way she uses the curves in her pieces makes the eye not only want to look at it but I feel like it makes you want to walk around the whole thing and view it from all directions.

Lilach Lotan's piece Lotus has this aura about it that I just love. The way she has put her petal shaped elements together is an idea that I have been wanting to work with for a while in both ceramic and fibers. It should be interesting to see what will happen when I actually get around to trying this.

organic cups

These cups/vases are made by a woman named Tina Vlassopulos. She has a beautiful line of work dealing with form and line and uses simple monochromatic colors to bring them out. The Vessel seen above captured my attention because of its irregular rim matched by the smooth curve of the piece itself. Also the Leaf like quality is enhanced a lot by the color of light brown glaze that she chose.
I love in her other pieces how she bends and stretches the rims to make a hanging pod like feeling. Also the idea that a piece can both be very sculptural, minimal and yet serve some purpose is very appealing to me.
These nesting forms are very beautiful the way that she has the lines set up so that they carry throughout her work are amazing. I love the implied circle created in the bottom form by the line in both the cup and saucer. It is also well thought of in the top one how the sloping line of the rim matches the curves and undulations in its saucer.
The work that Tina has produced has shown me that I need to take more time in considering what and how I want to make my forms. Also that organic pieces are able to take on a very formal and beautiful element.

rhythm

My interest in drums and resonance has been developing over the years since I started playing the djembe hand drum in high school and fell in love with the beats and rhythms that are possible. It has led me to look at several different kinds of drums which I now want to start to experiment with making.
The Ton or Tongue Drum is usually an acoustic box of some sort with slits cut in one side of it making different sized tabs. The size and shape of the tabs make different tones possible and they usually have a very resonant aerie sound.


The Ibo or Udu is a very interesting ceramic drum with many possibilities. I would really like to experiment with making some of these or something similar at least.
This is an instrument that I have recently become very interested in. It is called a Hang Drum
or just a Hang (hung or hong) it is a rhythm instrument but has a whole variety of its own tones and overtones so that it is a stand alone instrument. It is a newer instrument having been developed only in the last 8 years and only two people know how to make them correctly. I love the way it sounds and how it is rhythm and melody all at the same time. Here is a good example of what it can do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LfJLvuZqmQ

Inspirations of form

Things that make me excited This image is inspiring to me because of the way the tree branch has been used. I've been trying to figure out for a while now how to incorporate elements of nature into my work dealing with the human body. I feel like there is a lot of room for them to work and play with each other but then there is also the ability to harshly contrast them.
Repetition is something that is also starting to interest me. The way things can become complex and beautiful just from using the same simple for over and over is very interesting to me. also how minimal change can make things seem completely different.

I really love the form of this collar. The way it wraps around the body and is so organic and yet has all of those mechanical line on it. I have been trying to figure out the balance of those two for a while and I fell like this is a good example of what it should be like.