Hello and welcome fellow blog aficionados.
Last week I was tagged into (that appears to be the mutually agreed correct term) a blog tour of artists and artisans, by the wonderful, and recently relocated, Sonya Scott. I have to admit to being pretty chuffed, despite the fact that I’ve not taken such a tour since the early ‘blog rings’ of the 90’s. Well, until now and kinda in retrospect – but I’d encourage anyone to do the same. Sonya’s blog post and it’s predecessors are some good reading – and I say that without bias, as prior to these recent shenanigans I was already following Sonya’s blog.
Anyway, seeing as though I am definitely into blogs and blogging, (above all social media – if you don’t mind agreeing to call it that for the moment at least) I think it’s a grand idea, and I have duly whittled down my reader list to share with y’all a few of my faves. Three to be exact, which was really punishing as my shortlist consisted of three times that amount.
Now, dispensing with the ado:
Yup, not technically a blog. What a controversial way to start my blog tour! But it is a feed, and that’s how I judge blog content (while it serves the purposes of this experiment at least…) Claire’s news feed includes enough snippets and tidbits for me to be completely intrigued by what is going on in her mind and her hands.
For the full experience, click on the ‘contact’ tab and put yourself onto her mailing list. To be blunt, I think she is one of the most innovative jewellery makers and thinkers at the present moment. She stands behind her work with an impressive record of eye popping solo ‘exhibitions’ – some might call some of these performances and/or experiences, as well as that of others with her record of curating well researched and worthy group shows.
Caitie Sellers makes jewelry that I will explain for the sake of expedience, as framed lined drawings of elements of architecture, urban design and cityscapes. She makes small sculptures of the same that are even more impressive. I love the work because it speaks to my aesthetic sensibility, because it is beautifully made and perhaps more truthfully, because of her blog.
I “met” Caitie long before I moved to the US, and I felt a surprisingly direct contact with her, because of the shy/sly wit that is cumulatively exhibited through her writings and postings. In a country where people are encouraged to have their life story ready in easily regurgitatable chunks – aka an ‘elevator pitch’ – the slow burn of her writings is not only remarkably appealing, but compellingly against trend. It’s also helpful that the thinking, writings and works are symbiotic, making her posts always ring clear and true.
3| Daniel Davis
Serious architecture scholar, originally from New Zealand. Works in architectural computation/research and with the best in the business. Good sense of humour. Thinker. Is intermittently working under Mark Burry on Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. Nuff said?
I don’t really want to admit this, but: I have on occasion been at a loss following him. I’d like to think that the equation is that he’s super-smart and not that I’m not the sharpest graver on the bench, but I can accept the latter because… His writing keeps me engaged so I want to understand. Many a time I have happily jumped from his blog to doing supplementary research – and that includes scores of times when I did follow along. I have always found that the topics he covers are a great jumping off point for thinking about buildings and their design. I liken it to a good stretch for the architectural bit of my brain. And I did mention engaging, yes?
I’ve been following him since my thesis days, and while I’ve parted company with plenty of bloggers who helped me grow for a time before I was ready to move on, Daniel’s blog has stayed in my reader list. Now he’s at CASE the posts are more commercially directed (or should I say trade-publication-ready – as he has mentioned himself), but I’m still with him. Thanks Daniel, again, and if you’re ever in Seattle I’ll take you out for an almost-Melbourne-quality coffee. Oh, and I still think that ‘hanging chain model’ is a good name for a band.
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So, them’s my peeps. Thank you all for indulging me, and to the extra visitors, thank you for taking a chance on these here ramblings! And to my worthy predecessor – thank you for your post, and indeed, your blog. They were lovely words, and beautifully written. Oh, and I wouldn’t have had a heart attack – there are nuts and there are NUTS!
xx m
2 responses to “Continuing the blog tour…”
Thank you for including me on this blog tour Melissa! It’s nice to see the connection persisting even after we’ve both left Melbourne for differing sides of the US. I contemplated continuing the chain and posting my own top-three, but, to be honest, many of my favourite blogs have fallen silent recently. Perhaps they’ve got to busy, or perhaps they’ve moved on to other places like Twitter and Instagram. Perhaps I’m just out of touch. As you point out, my own blog has fallen rather quiet as I take up the corporate life, which is sad since I really value the cross-fertilisation of ideas with people such as yourself.
You bring up an interesting point, which has been to the front of my mind owing to heading back to posting on a multi-author blog for the Heat Exchange project. What purpose does a blog fulfill for the author? And while fulfilling that role, how can a blog also attempt to engender the type of cross-fertilisation that you’re talking about?
Given your role you probably have much of the connection you once sought as an independent researcher now brought to your desk. And conversely, in my more isolated environment I suppose it’s something that I still crave. I know the nature of my posts has changed along with my practice, and my desire to make the time to post waxes and wanes, but there is still an undercurrent that propels me. Even in my occasional bouts of frustration and apathy, I’ve not seriously entertained the thought of stopping completely.
Thanks for stopping by,
xx m