Chicago: SOFA Part 1

This past fall I went to Chicago to visit some friends. While there, I finally went to a SOFA, (The International Exposition of Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art) show at the Navy Pier. I have always shied away from going to a SOFA show because I was worried that it would be too crafty for me. But, I thought I would give it a chance.

I was surprised that there were a number of works that I liked. It was nice to see a variety of objects that were well made and smart, idea-wise. I did not take notes on who the artists are in relation to their work. If anybody has information on the works I am showing, please let me know so I can give the appropriate credit to the artists and galleries.

Although I am into knitting, fiber arts in general do very little for me. Often times, I find that they seem to be stuck in a 60's to 80's time warp. However, this piece had a tactile quality that drew you in and made you want to run your hands over it. It is off set nicely by the dark wall.

Corning Museum of Glass set up a live demonstration of glass blowing. I minored in glass at Parsons School of Design. Although I haven't worked in glass in a number of years, I still get so excited to see glass blowing. It's magical!

A ceramic piece like this is hard to categorize. On one hand, it is sort of ugly and sloppily made. On the other hand, when I look at it I feel like I am looking at a 3 dimensional representation of someone's dream or nightmare. Since that evokes a feeling, it must be speaking to me on some level. So, does that render is successful?