on becoming a russian spy

This passport cover, given by my very own agent Marshall, was created by the design group Kikkerland.


As many of you know, I have recently been recruited by the government to work in Russia. Please see the below photo as proof. Real spies hold their passports upside down.


In the meantime my cover story will be that of a typical American student studying abroad in the United Kingdom. Home base is an inconspicuous flat in inner London called Langton Close.



I'm scheduled to depart on Monday, January 4th from Boston. I will use this blog to keep everyone back in the U.S. up to date on my non-confidential activities.

Note: museums in London are free admission... I will continue to post intermittently about contemporary art in much the same format as I have in the past.

anni albers

Anni Albers, wife of Josef Albers, was a student of the Bauhaus in the weaving workshop. She studied ancient weaving techniques and is responsible for some of the most beautiful textiles of the twentieth century. By combining modern technology and materials with traditional weaving she helped to create a place for weaving in the fine arts. Like many of the bauhauslers she was interested in applying mass production to everyday objects in an effort to create affordable products for the masses.

In addition to her textiles she also created jewelry with mass-producible items. She used items like hair pins and washers to create an industrial look that is both affordable and accessible to everyone. Using objects like washers demonstrates the plasticity of objects so common at the Bauhaus - students constantly explored the essence of objects outside of their functional purpose.

Since washers have holes, why not string them on a ribbon to make a pretty necklace?

this may be risky...

My latest argument for the contemporary influence of the Bauhaus: Lady Gaga.

Before you take me seriously, you should probably read this article published by Slate over the summer.

And then, watch the Bad Romance video, paying attention to the beginning and the golden costume about 3:30 minutes in:



The Bauhaus theater workshop was short-lived, but perhaps we are seeing an influence of Oskar Schlemmer's Triadic Ballet?



Or is the 'haus' reference just an attempt at conveying cultural proficiency, right along with her little French interjection... ?

bauhaus

When I tell family members I am taking a class on the Bauhaus and I get the inevitable, 'huh?' I curse myself for taking a class on something so random and then quickly explain to them that it was a German school of design in the interwar period.


That is a gross oversimplification. The Bauhaus was officially an architectural school, but it influenced modern art and design so greatly that it is not easily classified.

After World War I, Germany was searching for an identity in the facing of rising economic crisis and political upheaval. Europe was grappling with many of the same issues, and people felt that industrialization and new technology were partly to blame for the devastation of WWI. A movement had begun before the war emphasizing the return of the handicraft to return the integrity of the object.

In this climate, and with many other international influences, Walter Gropius started the Bauhaus in Weimer.

This woodcut was designed by Lyonel Feininger and exemplified the unity of art and the handicraft.

The curriculum included an introductory course where students were encouraged to learn about the essence of material. After this course they would begin in a workshop which was conducted by a master of form and a master of art. The idea was that until there were people trained in both art and craft, there would need to be teachers for both.

Over time, the Bauhaus, a state-sponsored school, faced political pressure from the growing German right and shifted its focus to technology in order to bring in some revenue. The objects created were from everyday materials.



A new logo was adapted to represent the unity of art and technology.


The Wassily chair created by Marcel Breuer became an iconic figure from the Bauhaus. It was originally created from bent metal from a bicycle with the help of a plumber.


The idea was that it would be an affordable, ergonomic chair for the masses. Now, not so much. But we are surrounded by bent metal furniture, just look around.

I don't know if anything like it could ever exist again without becoming commercial, but the idealist in me has hope. The teachers changed the way that art is taught so that students were engaged with the materials rather than forced into a hierarchy - something that we now take for granted.

Even this long rant is an oversimplification. If you want to find out more check out the MoMA exhibit. I had a chance to visit earlier in the semester, and it is a very well designed exhibition. Herbert Bayer would be proud.

Finally, keep your eyes open for a Christmas Bauhaus dyi object. I've just got to get through this thing called finals.