Jane Irish
In 1996 I was collaborating with Asian American artist Tom Dan. (conceptual artist photo performative, sculptor) He was really into art directing and magazines as a conceptual attitude. He also was a gilder, and a really good silhouette cutter. We came up with this idea to have a cottage industry of decorative arts.
He had hung out with a young cool artist named Floss Barber when he was young, who became a huge interior design architect.
Her offices were in Philly. So we made these two pieces and were accepted to propose for project, making artwork for the rooms for a hotel in Atlantic City.
It was a very formal presentation, the works were made feasibly quick so we could hand-make many.
They were doing a glitzy movie theme for the lobbies.
So I did these pattern book drawings based on Mexican pottery (Latinos were the staff of the hotel, restaurant, lobby cleaning). But with the glitz motifs.
We didn’t get the deal, but it’s a good story. Formal presentation type situation. I had already started making ceramics in early 1990s, and they were conceptual versions of Limoge. Tom and I had traveled to San Miguel for a few weeks before too. And this idea of pattern books, I was just starting see the other pic.
HERE ARE THE TWO PICTURES:
Decorative Arts of the Motion Picture # 1 and #2, Tom Dan and Jane Irish
They are 24 x 24 inches, gilt frame and mat, with linen, and gouache and ink on paper.
And here is the kind of photo he would do of the drawings. Just kind of ennui filled!
Jane Irish
July 2018
