Feeling the Love

I was most excited to receive one of Marian Bantjes's lovely Valentines. I recently had the good fortune to host Marian when she was here for the opening of Marian Bantjes Shows Off. In person, she is a force of nature: breezing into town in a big comfy Cadillac a mere 15 minutes before her artist's talk, swallowing a handful of cheese slices on Ritz crackers (she was hungry and that's all we could scrounge up in a hurry), and proceeding to give one of the most funny, poignant, articulate presentations I've ever seen. Fabulous. I felt like we received a little sprinkling of pixie dust.

And now the Valentine. It's a beautiful and mysterious little love (?) letter that begins and ends in medias res. I've read it and reread it. The lettering is dense and swash-filled and contains phrases like "cow eyes or kitten breath or python squeezes or whatever turns your fancy". The ambiguity is what makes the Valentine so memorable. Who is the true recipient? What is this story about? It feels like a bit of a voyeuristic intrusion just to read it. And the paper: pink vellum, of course. I think Marian is single handedly keeping Reich Paper (I'm assuming that's what she used) in business.

Thank you, Marian for such a sweet little gift.

Marian Bantjes Shows Off

I am so super duper excited about Marian Bantjes's upcoming visit to the Central Coast. Due to random forces beyond my control, Marian agreed to do a show (her first ever one woman gallery exhibition) in our humble University Art Gallery. Technically, I am the curator of this show, although my task was ridiculously easy (except for stringing all those itty bitty little hearts on vellum that dangle from the big LOVE banner) as Marian planned the layout and installation of the work down to the last minutiae. The show is absolutely stunning and provides a rare insight into the workings of a hyper-creative mind. Marian's choice of media is diverse and unconventional, ranging from traditional drawing materials to sugar and fake fur. She is incredibly prolific, yet her work always maintains an astonishingly high (i.e., mind blowing) level of detail and intricacy.

The show includes over 130 separate pieces and provides the viewer with an opportunity to experience a full range of Marian’s creative endeavors, including: original drawings, paintings, fabric pattern design, typeface development and tons of printed pieces on unique substrates using way cool techniques (like laser cutting and foil stamping). It rocks my world. If my students aren't inspired and fired up by this, I will sink into a deep pit of despair.

Love Stories, Bantjes Style

Could the work of Marian Bantjes be more amazing? I think not. In January, I will have the opportunity to host Marian for an exhibition of her work on campus and I can't wait (okay, I'm totally peeing my pants in anticipation). To say that I admire Marian's incredible typographic stylings is a gross understatement. Even time I see a new piece I'm blown away by both her wit and artistry. Lucky subscribers to Creative Review will receive the beautiful, touching, and funny Love Stories Monograph. I particularly like the visual ode to cake:


If you're in need of a little cry, check out the mom piece. It's tough to read, but worth the effort.