This weekend at Fancy Pony Land

Very eagerly anticipating the flag-raising.  Today we start scheming on the flag hanging arrangement and methods.  Flag-makers and good friends Seth Damm and Nick Terry have generously agreed to help me with the hanging, for which I am most grateful.  Will it be diagonal runs or rows of garlands?  Staggered height?  Flags have been arriving every day and they are pretty amazing.  There are flags from my dad, aunts, uncles and cousins, my kindergarten teacher, someone I made a wedding dress for, and some people I've never met who, no doubt, will soon become friends.  

Also this weekend I am happy to welcome my favorite New Orleans designer and good friend, Andrea Loest, for a trunk show at Fancy Pony Land. Andrea will be presenting a sample sale of one of a kind garments based on material explorations and new garments based on reinterpretations of existing garments.  She will arrive Friday afternoon and set up, so if you want to get an early peek, come by late afternoon on Friday.  The trunk show runs Saturday the 29th & Sunday the 20th 12-6pm at Fancy Pony Land.  Some of her work will remain at the store after the show.  I can't WAIT to see what new stuff she's been up to!

Andrea and I met in New Orleans in 2005.  We immediately hit it off and started doing trades.  She made me an amazing one of a kind "Fiancee" dress which I wore to my engagement celebration dinner at Jacques-Imo's in New Orleans (she got this flying penises bandage dress with rhinestones).  We collaborated on a line of tops years ago--my tops with her silkscreens and my appliques.  Highly collectible no doubt.  We also did the Austin City LImits Festival together and shared a booth.  She approaches design in a very conceptual and narrative manner and is always working on big questions and big projects.  She's also a total independent and the rare combination of artist and business woman.  

her bio:

Andrea Loest is an artist and fashion designer who currently lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She recently received her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Iowa. Her interdisciplinary art practice explores the intersections of art, retail, and garment, while her ready to wear collection and stage performances have been exhibited in New York, Amsterdam, and London.  More information on the artist is available at

www.andrealoest.com

My Personal Flag

I'm working on a new show called My Personal Flag.  I am very very excited about this project.
So far more than 50 people are making their own personal flags.
The show will open at Fancy Pony Land on March 18th and be up until we leave in May.  
We'll have an opening reception the evening of March 19th.


It's been really interesting talking with the different artists involved about their takes on flags.  Flags as political tools, emblems of nationalism, symbols of identity much like tattoos, communication devices like ship signal flags, advertising.  Others have talked about the technical issues of visibility and boldness.
I have been thinking about flag-waving in terms of enthusiasm.  I see flags as a big "hello!" or "I'm here!".  I'm thinking about planting flags on the tops of mountains, newly explored territories, the moon.  You can look at it as imperialistic or as a big old shout to the universe.  Sort of a shout against death, of course.  

I see flags as an essentially positive and life-affirming symbol.  Also kind of sad and cute; what a tiny thing to wave in the face of nothingness.

The flags I am making are cheerful and a little silly.  I am making two Fancy Pony Land flags that will become signs for my store and a series of word flags.  I can't WAIT to see what everybody else makes.

Here are the people who have pledged flags:

AdrinAdrina

Alexandra Annello

Alyce Santoro

Amanda Barr

Andrea Loest

Anne Senstad

Ann Marie Nafzinger

Anthony DeSimone

Beth Murray

Buck Johnston

Camella Clements

Camp Bosworth

Caroline Rankin

Cat Downs

Dave Leedy

Elizabeth Fisher

Elizabeth Worcester

Elliot Coon

Faith Gay

Gina Coffman

Hilary Dupont

JD DiFabbio

Jonathan Mergele

Karen Longshore

Kathy Schott

Kevin Taylor

Leslie Wilkes

Louise Riley

Maryam Amiryani

Matt Vis

Megan Whitmarsh

Meghan Gerety

Michael Bianco

Molly Maguire

Nancy Downs

Nate Manny

Natalie Nicholls

Nick Mamood

Nick Terry

Nicki Ittner

Ricki Hill

Sarah Fontaine

Seth Damm

Shawn Hall

Siobhan Feehan

Susannah Lipsey

Tom Brierly

Tom Leedy

Tony Campbell

Valerie Arber

Will Hemmings