Sunday, November 22, 2009

East Austin Studio Tour 2009

So, E.A.S.T. is wrapping up today on a beautiful sunny day. However, when I visited studios yesterday, it was considerably greyer and colder, but still a great afternoon.

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The photos above all come from my favorite (and last) stop yesterday which was The Decoder Ring Design Concern on the grounds of Utility Research Garden. Decoder Ring resides in this great bungalow, and they had stacks of well-designed posters for groups like Modest Mouse and Spoon, plus some awesome t-shirts for those who care about kerning. And the amazingness continued with a walk around Utility Research Garden. The proprietor of Utility Research Garden, David Cater, was on hand to show off some gorgeous fall veggies from his Houston area farm; but it was the visual surprises around every bend in the path that really caught my imagination (the nearly empty greenhouse looked like an art exhibit). The style that can be seen in both ventures was off the charts.

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The other studios we visited were pretty great, too. First off was Splinter Group with ironwork and handcrafted furniture; the highlight for me were the side tables, vases and trays made by Brian David Johnson. Next up was Bearded Lady for screenprinted music posters and t-shirts; wide selection and the guys there had a friendly vibe. And of course, the studios over on Bolm were a must-see (Big Medium especially, since they started this tour). I always have to stop by Ginko Studios because it's the dream ceramics studio and rambling garden, complete with a herd of free-range chickens. Then to Monofonus Press, which was this quirky, anything goes sort of art compound. Best part was the interactive pinball exhibit.

For more photos, click here.

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