art+chitecture

Because my real job is the art director of Texas Architect magazine, I get to see a lot of really amazing homes and structures. I had the opportunity to tour the Klein residence on Lake Austin a few weeks ago. Their home was designed by Mark DuBois (Ohlahausen DuBois Architects, NYC) to mimic the feel of a Japanese fishing village on stilts and islets, and was anything but ordinary. I was struck by the playfulness of their artistic choices.  Here are a few shots I took of their home and art:

screened entrance and living area

front entrance (photo by Filo Castore)

Chair sculptures were seen throughout the residence. This one is submerged in the water outside of the front door and was a nice, sunny nap spot for a tiny turtle. You can barely see him on the edge of the seat.

Bridges connect different areas of the home. 

pathway along the channel to the Lake Austin

Another chair sculpture amongst actual loungers in the yard. 

chain cobweb

This backlit illustration of a rejected Marilyn Monroe negative was my favorite.

Used tea bags surround a tiny LCD screen.

sculptures down the wall in the hallway

Hand-cut mirror mosaics surround the dining area and reflect a distorted outdoors.

tiny twigs installed around a large split river rock on the living room wall

I have no idea what this sculpture was made of or what it represents.

chair split between the window

rear entrance (photo by Filo Castore)

master bedroom

Pretty Walls, Empty Wallet (E.A.S.T.)

This Sunday, Julie, Jason, my brother Jared and his friends Gabe and Britney and I all headed over to the East Austin Studio Tour (after brunch at Elsi’s) to check out as much local art + artists as we could fit into the afternoon. Our first stop was Pump Project, so we could say hi to Matt and check out the other thirty or so studio spaces and artists that are there. It’s a really laid-back place with diverse mediums represented—paintings, sculptures, glasswork, ceramics, drawings, and photography. Jared’s friend Britney bought the Green-eyed girl print by Baxter Orr, Matt’s new studio mate. Matt bought the same print for me, which I'm really excited about!

Then we stopped at Blue Genie to check out what kind of crazy sculptures they would have lying about (jackalopes, giant sushi, and gnomes a plenty if you’re curious) and pick up some flyers to hand out for the upcoming bazaar. Julie & Jason bought a print called Splashdown by Ryan Day and I picked up a few funny magnets by Rory Skagen. I was also super excited to see a gigantic replica of an Aggie ring in the process of being made. It was big enough to walk through! I’m so used to being surrounded by Longhorn stuff all the time; the giant Aggie ring was a happy surprise.

Our last stop was Obsolete, Inc., where we all totally scored on fantastic flatstock prints. Julie bought six, I bought five, and Jared, Gabe, and Britney all bought one each (showing much restraint). Now we need to go frame shopping in a major way...once our wallets recover from all of our E.A.S.T. purchases!