Lighting Junk up

I always had a fascination with light fixtures. I don't know why. Me and pretty lights is like Susan's baby when it looks at anything. So it's no wonder I took a particular interest in Nnenna Okore's "Lamps" 2004. Here's an internet picture of it.




Okore grew up in Nigeria and she took inspiration of her fellow Nigerians in making these lamps. She liked the idea that people made what they needed from the materials around them, so she "rescued" these magazine papers, tied them together, and made these lamps.

I really enjoyed the idea of making trash into beautiful light fixtures. I guess its a way to "cast a different light" on things we thought were useless or ugly. I think its a beautiful sentiment. I reminds me of the "chandeliers" Stuart Haygarth made. I believe I showed them last year in (un)fashion. As a reminder, and to show those who were not in (un) fashion this is "tide" chandelier.


he has made others like ones with just eyeglass frames, or just perfume bottles, but I think this one is best and I think it goes along more on the same line as Okore's magazine lamp.

Another art piece I would like to take note of is Susie MacMurry "A Mixture of Frailties" 2004.
here is her internet photo.


MacMurry made this (wedding) dress with inside out kitchen gloves. Her idea isn't really original if you may recall Maison Martain Margiela's glove jacket


Or Adriana Bertini condom (rubber) dresses



However, I still must give MacMurry kudos with the idea of a WEDDING dress made of gloves. I think not only did she give kitchen gloves a new meaning, but it also provokes thoughts about the idea of a woman wearing a wedding dress of kitchen gloves (as in feminism issues?) or maybe just the idea of everyone wanting to touch the bride hense all the finger tips. Or maybe I am just thinking too much. I feel like she could have pushed the construction of the dress further ( neckline) but I do think her work should be recognized for its possible duality in meaning.