Sometimes working alone and being an artist can feel a bit masterbatory (sorry, mom). I wonder how other people “do it.” Create, that is. But in the same way it would be pervy to ask someone about his or her process in the bedroom, it feels uncomfortable to ask an artist about his or her creative process in the studio. Enter design porn, a term I coined this morning when I clicked on Design*Sponge and got totally turned on by its Design by the Book video series, a collaboration between Grace Bonney, D*S founder, and the New York Public Library.
The series follows five New York City-based artists,
Lorena Barrezueta; Rebecca Kutys; Mike Perry; John Pomp; and Julia Rothman, as they explore the library’s collections in search of inspiration. Assisting them in their quest is dream reference librarian, Jessica Pigza, who not only has that naughty-girl-behind-the-glasses look that nicely extends my porn metaphor, but gets as much delight in the artistic process as the artists get from the extraordinary treasures she finds. She also has her own blog called Handmade Librarian.
There are four videos in the series. I am only posting the first one here (if you’re reading this in an email click through to the blog to view it). But I urge you to watch them all. There is a dog in the video, but today’s post is more about art than dog art. About the glories of the analog world in the digital age, and about seeing other artists explore and play and find their way. And feeling that it’s OK to watch. Enjoy!
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