SHAPE Missive, Spring Break Edition

It’s spring break in New England. Let’s talk about art.

I am a massive and and unapologetic MSCHF stan, and their latest gallery show looks fantastic. I’d like to attend one someday, but I wonder if the work lives better as an idea in my head.

This article does a great job, in my opinion, of exploring what goes into an artistic process. It feels vain to say I can relate to much of what was said, but maybe I can say I found it comforting. How’d You Make That? Three masterpieces from glimmer through struggle to breakthrough.

Self promotion number one—I recently finished a series of pieces that I started last year. I remember cutting out this paper in the spring of 2023, thinking that their colors felt like the flowers pushing up outside. Then the shapes just sat there in a loose pile for a year. This one’s my favorite.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kara Walker’s work, the last artist from that Vulture article above, you should check out this short video about “A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby.” And maybe peruse her non-sculptural work.

Ways of Seeing, by John Berger. “Based on the 1972 BBC series and comprised of 7 essays, 3 of which are entirely pictoral, Ways of Seeing is a seminal work which examines how we view art.”

Artists’ erasers. It makes sense when you see it.

And one last bit of quasi-self-promotion. I had the opportunity to curate the artists for season two of “How I’d Fix Atlanta,” a zine compilation of the HIFA essay series. It’s two vibrant, eco-friendly rice-based RISO inks printed on creamy, uncoated paper. It’s available to pre-order now, and it looks (in pictures) absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

If you have spring break this week, I hope it’s relaxing.

Dave ✌️