Profiles and conversations with intriguing people will now be posted as a new feature called "Flair Fridays".
Not too long ago, I was sent a copy of Bazaar Bizarre in the hopes that I might like it. Crafting is not particularly "my thing" in the same way that sloppy drunken emails and clandestine smoking are now and then, but I try to keep an open mind.
As I noted in this week's Smart Set, "I wasn't sure, but I threw it in my bag when I headed Upstate. Little did I know that I would come back with a shrine to Venice made out of an Altoid tin, complete with bejeweled amorini and a period interior collage."
Darling, I was hooked. And then there's the blurb from Todd Oldham (swoon). Earlier this week, while Greg Der Ananian was in town, I made plans to meet him at Cafe Trotsky, which was inexplicably closed, so we went to Bluestockings. One of the first things I asked him about was the political motivation behind Bazaar Bizarre, which is clearly evident in the tone of both the site and the book. For Greg, it began with the dilemma of learning tradition craft skills from his mother and not having a way to mesh them with his more inclusive ideas of representation and identity.
Says Greg, "You might not think someone who is a sex positive and radical gender theory kind of person would also be into making sweaters." It's about "re-valuing, re-contextualizing identity by re-signifying practice." This concept is clearly evidenced in his dirty pillows, with a homey/risque mix of words and imagery, such as a picture of a slice of cherry pie with the embroidered message, tastes so good make a grown man cry.
Interpreting artistic traditions to give them a contemporary edge is one way that Greg reconciles the idea of the "good boys and girls we grow up as versus the fringe, marginal adults we become." His friends in the L.A. porn industry who knit between takes are a favorite example of this, as are his "fagnets", which take gay pornography out of the gutter and affix it onto that ultimate symbol of domestic life: the refrigerator, instead.
I mention, with a certain note of derision, that I walked by American Apparel CEO Dov Charney on the street on my way to meet with Greg, and our conversation turns to the difference between "anti-" and "critical consumerism." Greg notes, "I really like shopping, and spending and buying things" but that its about "shifting the focus" from buying pre-packaged, overly designed products to finding an outlet for creative expression that makes things better.
The spirit behind Bazaar Bizarre is really about "personal style" and it "doesn't have to be rustic, or cobbled together". He continues with perhaps my favorite quote of all: "Pre-packaged goods lose their attractiveness...when you master the skills of production."
One of the things I like most about the book is that none of the projects are particularly easy. Greg believes strongly that being challenged is a good thing, and uses an example of two television shows to illustrate his point. One show, on the Q Network, is condescending and basically about how to boil water. In other words, a total drag. By contrast, Sara's Secrets on the Food Network, features Sara Moulton, executive chef of Gourmet magazine, who in one episode declares ketchup to be one of her favorite foods.
This appreciation for things without making a high/low distinction driven by snobbery wins Greg's heart over every time, and he cites examples of the Barefoot Contessa and Martha Stewart also making choices based on quality rather than implied status.
Next the discussion turns to how he feels about living in Los
Angeles and running a business inspired by a labor of love. Says Greg,
"I just feel sad when people have no creative outlet" and insists that
whether it's cooking, reading, crafts, or whatever, "you just have to
stick with it." I feel as though he is staring into my soul and admit
that my short-lived knitting group, Needle Exchange, met a few times
and then disbanded when I lost interest without ever having learned how
to knit. Greg insists that when you feel most frustrated, that's often
when you'll really achieve something fabulous. I suppose.
His decision to move to L.A. was motivated by "artistic things" and the idea that "people my age were having their own galleries, stores and lines and doing okay, and the rent is cheap." Speaking of L.A., we talk a bit about the street art/skateboarding meets graphic design culture with fine arts crossover trend that seems prevalent on the West Coast right now, and then get into the fundamental meaning of artistic expression in a free society and the nature of art.
Greg is particularly interested in the concept of "stripping status away from what you like," and "deconstruction," especially as manifested by artists like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock, who were classically trained but used that knowledge to push things forward. As Greg muses on the notion that, "Traditions aren't self-fulfilling; they become traditions because they can stand the test of time," I notice his bold tattoos on both forearms and inquire about them.
They're Tom of Finland. I had been recently reading up on the history and subculture surrounding the illustrator's iconic work, and so I asked what the particular significance was for Greg: "Because they're silly, they're macho -- and I'm not -- and gay men are totally ridiculous." Actually, I feel ridiculous because I want a tattoo of a sailor surrounded by a heart-shaped chain motif, too.
A brief chat about his meeting with Todd Oldham and some more television and celebrity-related chatter leads me to ask about what ideal guests Greg would have on the hypothetical show of his dreams. Greg answers without hesistation: "Bea Arthur", then pauses..."Some hot guy who's crafty and talented, like David Arquette".... and Pamela Anderson. It would be critical that they be "passionate, knowledgeable about the topic at hand, and well-prepared" and uses an anecdote about Laura Linney expertly discussing planting bulbs on a recent episode of Martha.
I ask him what's next, and he tells me about the upcoming annual Bazaar Bizarre craft fairs in Boston, Cleveland and Los Angeles. When I ask if there will be one in New York, the conversation quickly turns to the issue of money and its ever-pressing burden on the artistic impresario. He's also starting an online advice column, and is taking on all queries.
As I reach the bottom of my iced soy chai and our conversation wraps up, Greg sanguinely observes: "I have a book, but I'm still a broke ass ho." Maybe now, but not for long.
Visit Bazaar Bizarre for more on the book, as well as details on upcoming fairs in Boston (December 11), L.A. (also December 11) and Cleveland (November 26-27).
Comments