ideas from artists Archives

5 Short Fierce Statements that Help ‘Dig a Cave into the Future’

In the face of relentlessly bad news, I randomly came across some powerful statements that snapped me awake from the daze I found myself in. Maybe they will do the same for you.

“I am Art”, A Rhapsodic Proclamation about Art and Making

In a 2012 talk at AIGA, Zach Lieberman, cofounder of the School for Poetic Computation, read the short, powerful ‘I Am Art’ out loud. It is one of the most astonishing and rhapsodic proclamations of art-making we’ve seen and totally nails the exhilaration art brings.

Thomas Ashcraft’s Hopeful Reminder in Fearful Times

Over the years, artist-scientist Thomas Ashcraft has made artful iterations of a message that we’ve found deeply heartening. Especially so now, in this anxious time…

Sonny Rollins on Losing Yourself In the Divine and His Sabbatical Playing on the Williamsburg Bridg

This sublime short film is about “saxophone colossus” Sonny Rollins’ two-year musical sabbatical playing on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge and what he found there.

Donald Judd Spaces: A Deep Dive Into Judd’s Inspired Designs for Living

We are thrilled by the publication of Donald Judd Spaces, a rare visual survey of the legendary artist’s living and working spaces. It contains a trove of new and archival photographs alongside five essays by the artist which afford a close look and greater understanding of his integrative thinking and aesthetic, and very employable ideas.

William Forsythe on ‘Choreographing Your Own Role Within the Choreography’

In his beautiful kinetic choreographies of pendulums, artist William Forsythe draws our awareness to ways we negotiate and choreograph our paths…

The Pleasures of Unframed Artwork Directly on the Wall, Naked

Experiencing Rondinone’s massive painting nailed directly to the wall got us thinking about enjoyable and…intimate…an experience unframed art can be. Along with a simple way to hang it.

Take a Lousy Book and Make it into Poetry, like Mary Ruefle’s Beautiful Erasures

We were knocked out by selections from poet Mary Ruefle’s beautiful ”erasure books”, poetry made by whiting out words in old books. We also discovered Wite-Out is a potent, paint-like art material.

Ideas to Steal from Le Corbusier’s Tiny, Modernist Le Cabanon

Le Cabanon, Le Corbusier’s odd, spare, modernist cabin in the South of France is like a cross between a hermit’s cabin and a boat with a great deal of style. It offers ideas to steal no matter what size home you have.

Yoko Ono’s New Year’s Wish

A few days ago, Yoko Ono posted this remarkable message on her instagram, a perfect New Year’s wish. We’ve found some compelling images to go with it, and Ono’s spare, powerful recording of “Imagine”.

Sister Corita Kent Greeting Cards for Holidays and All Year

Looking back at our post about the prints legendary artist Sister Corita Kent made around the theme of “the moment” in 1977, we thought “What wonderful greeting cards they would make”, now and all year.

Copy This: Pamela Hovland’s Holiday Wreath

Spotted on the instagram of designer Pamela Hovland, who masterminded Improvised Life’s first iteration ten years ago: her holiday wreath in an imaginative, uniquely festive application…

Listing What You Like Yields Mighty Benefits and Poetry

At the great Artist’s Prints and Multiples, we came across these inspired fridge magnets. We realized that making lists of “likes” can provide the same benefits as counting blessings AND work curiously like poetry…

House Tour: Massimo Vitali’s Chill “Natural Habitat” in a 14th Century Church

With its practical, vin-ordinaire fridge and quirky design decisions, photographer Massimo Vitali’s remarkable home in an ancient church has some very cool ideas to steal.

Patti Smith: “The Secret to Improvisation I Have Accessed My Whole Life”

As we work to move Improvised Life to a new form, we came across this passage from Just Kids, Patti Smith’s memoir of finding her artistic voice: the secret of improvisation she learned from Sam Shepard.

Lee Krasner on How to Build Joy, Discovery and the Unexpected into Work and Life

Artsy’s Alexxa Gotthardt combed through interviews with legendary abstract expressionist artist Lee Krasner for her insights into “how to be an artist”, with three essential lessons.

Inspiring, Do-able Interior Design Ideas from Paola Navone

Whenever we look at designer Paola Navone’s homes, we come away with a zillion ideas that we could actually do, without a ton of dough. Here are our favorite steal-able ideas.

Visit Alexander Calder’s Alive, Colorful Homes via Pedro Guerrero

If the usual interior porn leaves you cold, I recommend spending time at photographer Pedro Guerrero’s website to roam through his photographs of Alexander Calder’s very original living spaces.

The Bathroom As Incubator of Ideas

The bathroom is the one place where I find mindfulness overrated. It is a lovely place to read, write, draw. Look at all the way it can be an incubator of ideas.

Garrett Bradley’s Big Question Transforms Each Day

When we saw this image from New Orleans-based filmmaker Garrett Bradley, we thought: that is a perfect exhortation to start the day. Then we read THIS:

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