Saturday, February 5, 2011
Swallow
Mary Cappello, author of the book SWALLOW, is giving a talk at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia/Mütter Museum tonight at 6:30. You can purchase the book from our online store here:
Drew Friedman's Sideshow Freaks
Drew Friedman's Sideshow Freaks is now available from the Mütter Museum Store. Published by Blast Books (publisher of the famous Mütter Museum photography books), with a forward by Penn Jillette.
"Any book that contains six—count 'em, six!—pinheads is my kind of book.Drew Friedman's trademarked propensity to make 'normal' people look a tad freakish with his forensic attention to every wrinkle, wart, and nose hair is turned on its head in this impressive collection. Here, the 'freaks' look back at us as if to say, 'So who's normal?' Friedman's uneasy affection for the 'weirdos' among us comes through in every lovingly drawn portrait." — Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead
Buy the book here!
"Any book that contains six—count 'em, six!—pinheads is my kind of book.Drew Friedman's trademarked propensity to make 'normal' people look a tad freakish with his forensic attention to every wrinkle, wart, and nose hair is turned on its head in this impressive collection. Here, the 'freaks' look back at us as if to say, 'So who's normal?' Friedman's uneasy affection for the 'weirdos' among us comes through in every lovingly drawn portrait." — Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead
Buy the book here!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
QÜESTIONS: An Interview with Emily Snedden
QÜESTIONS: An Interview with Emily Snedden:
Here at the Mütter Museum we are fortunate to have a collection that inspires artists and craftspeople the world over. In our Museum Store we carry some of their creations. From the cute and clever to the genuinely thought-provoking, we are pleased to offer a wide variety of interpretive work. It's a truly symbiotic relationship which benefits both artist and institution.
Since most of these folks are also really interesting people, we thought it would be fun to interview them. Our fourth QÜESTIONS interview features ceramicist, Emily Snedden, who also works at the Mütter Museum. Her beautifully detailed skull ornaments and masks are sought-after items in the museum store.
Now for our QÜESTIONS:
Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
My name is Emily Yates, a.k.a. Emily Snedden of Ma’amamics Ceramic Sculpture. The concept for Ma’amamics was developed during my introduction to ceramics & prominent ceramic artists, which seemed to be lacking in ladies. Changing Ceramics to Ma’amamics was my tongue-in-cheek response to the imbalance in gender. Of course, there are many female ceramic artists leading the pack, but I still love the origin of my understated, youthful rebellion. My work is generally ornate and highly embellished with flowers, keeping the eye moving over many details. I’m able to make ceramic work in my shared studio space within the Associate Artist Program at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. Other than occasionally living at the studio, I live with my husband & 7 year old step daughter in South Philadelphia.
During much of my time, I work at The Mütter Museum dividing my week between the Collections/Exhibition Department and the Front of House. My favorite days here are when I am able to open drawers in the storage rooms and roam the library stacks to find rows of surprises and treasures. I’m fascinated with tools and although modern medical instruments are designed to be utilitarian and plain, The Mütter houses incredibly beautiful, ornate medical instruments. Design & function in an inspiring marriage.
What do you think motivates your work?
Material is very seductive. I find that clay can have a dialogue with an artist as it is being manipulated; it responds to touch sometimes independently of a person’s intent & offers so much with which to work. It also changes in the kiln: chemical reactions and shrinkage can transform a piece. Ceramic material is full of surprises & really inspires the final product.
If your life was a book, what genre would it be?
Stepmothers have terrible reputations in traditional fairy tales, but I believe there is room for a non-evil (even sweet) step mom in the modernly appropriated fairy tale genre.
What fictional character most resembles you and why?
Although Charlie Brown is not conventionally charming, I find his shy demeanor, avoidance of trends & appreciation for the potential in that sad little Christmas tree to be very endearing.
What non-fictional character most resembles you and why?
I appreciate the grit & determination of Annie Sullivan. She was firm, persistent, and cared about her work, which helped her to brush aside people who doubted her.
What's your poison?
A really delicious glass of milk.
What is the last song you had on repeat?
The Troggs “With a Girl like You”
Name three things that scare you.
Being eaten alive by an underwater sea creature
Loud noises
The other day I saw a baby eating sour cream & onion potato chips for breakfast. It sounds funny now, but at the time it gave me an alarming pause.
In your opinion, what is the greatest invention that has occurred in your lifetime?
The HPV vaccine boasts to be a “cancer vaccine”, which is an incredible concept. Also, I think etsy.com & youtube.com have connected the masses to art, instruction, and each other in a very impressive way.
If you saw a red door, what color would you paint it?
A red door is bold & classic like red lips. I might add some daring hinges, but I can’t imagine covering such a fearless color.
Direct attack or subterfuge?
I appreciate a direct approach.
What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Getting the work out of the studio & into a fresh context. Hanging a piece in a new space brings it to life.
If you could influence human evolution, what do you think a good physical trait would be?
Invincible Teeth.
How about non-physical?
An ability to defuse and eliminate all silly misunderstandings and miscommunications. So much time, energy, and emotion could be conserved!
How did you first learn about the Mütter Museum?
It must have been through my Grandfather’s association with the Fellowship at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, although we never visited the museum together. One of the last conversations that we shared prior to his death was debating the correct pronunciation of “Mütter.”
What is your favorite specimen?
The stone baby- a fairly developed Ectopic pregnancy, which was mummified inside the mother for decades. I’m amazed by it.
How does the Mütter Museum's collection inspire you?
The collection is very grand and grotesque, and I love that dynamic.
What's next for you?
The Woodmere Art Museum Store will have some of my more wintery ornaments for sale during the holiday season.
Thanks so much to Emily Snedden for taking the time to answer our qüestions.
Here at the Mütter Museum we are fortunate to have a collection that inspires artists and craftspeople the world over. In our Museum Store we carry some of their creations. From the cute and clever to the genuinely thought-provoking, we are pleased to offer a wide variety of interpretive work. It's a truly symbiotic relationship which benefits both artist and institution.
Since most of these folks are also really interesting people, we thought it would be fun to interview them. Our fourth QÜESTIONS interview features ceramicist, Emily Snedden, who also works at the Mütter Museum. Her beautifully detailed skull ornaments and masks are sought-after items in the museum store.
Now for our QÜESTIONS:
Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
My name is Emily Yates, a.k.a. Emily Snedden of Ma’amamics Ceramic Sculpture. The concept for Ma’amamics was developed during my introduction to ceramics & prominent ceramic artists, which seemed to be lacking in ladies. Changing Ceramics to Ma’amamics was my tongue-in-cheek response to the imbalance in gender. Of course, there are many female ceramic artists leading the pack, but I still love the origin of my understated, youthful rebellion. My work is generally ornate and highly embellished with flowers, keeping the eye moving over many details. I’m able to make ceramic work in my shared studio space within the Associate Artist Program at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. Other than occasionally living at the studio, I live with my husband & 7 year old step daughter in South Philadelphia.
During much of my time, I work at The Mütter Museum dividing my week between the Collections/Exhibition Department and the Front of House. My favorite days here are when I am able to open drawers in the storage rooms and roam the library stacks to find rows of surprises and treasures. I’m fascinated with tools and although modern medical instruments are designed to be utilitarian and plain, The Mütter houses incredibly beautiful, ornate medical instruments. Design & function in an inspiring marriage.
What do you think motivates your work?
Material is very seductive. I find that clay can have a dialogue with an artist as it is being manipulated; it responds to touch sometimes independently of a person’s intent & offers so much with which to work. It also changes in the kiln: chemical reactions and shrinkage can transform a piece. Ceramic material is full of surprises & really inspires the final product.
If your life was a book, what genre would it be?
Stepmothers have terrible reputations in traditional fairy tales, but I believe there is room for a non-evil (even sweet) step mom in the modernly appropriated fairy tale genre.
What fictional character most resembles you and why?
Although Charlie Brown is not conventionally charming, I find his shy demeanor, avoidance of trends & appreciation for the potential in that sad little Christmas tree to be very endearing.
What non-fictional character most resembles you and why?
I appreciate the grit & determination of Annie Sullivan. She was firm, persistent, and cared about her work, which helped her to brush aside people who doubted her.
What's your poison?
A really delicious glass of milk.
What is the last song you had on repeat?
The Troggs “With a Girl like You”
Name three things that scare you.
Being eaten alive by an underwater sea creature
Loud noises
The other day I saw a baby eating sour cream & onion potato chips for breakfast. It sounds funny now, but at the time it gave me an alarming pause.
In your opinion, what is the greatest invention that has occurred in your lifetime?
The HPV vaccine boasts to be a “cancer vaccine”, which is an incredible concept. Also, I think etsy.com & youtube.com have connected the masses to art, instruction, and each other in a very impressive way.
If you saw a red door, what color would you paint it?
A red door is bold & classic like red lips. I might add some daring hinges, but I can’t imagine covering such a fearless color.
Direct attack or subterfuge?
I appreciate a direct approach.
What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Getting the work out of the studio & into a fresh context. Hanging a piece in a new space brings it to life.
If you could influence human evolution, what do you think a good physical trait would be?
Invincible Teeth.
How about non-physical?
An ability to defuse and eliminate all silly misunderstandings and miscommunications. So much time, energy, and emotion could be conserved!
How did you first learn about the Mütter Museum?
It must have been through my Grandfather’s association with the Fellowship at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, although we never visited the museum together. One of the last conversations that we shared prior to his death was debating the correct pronunciation of “Mütter.”
What is your favorite specimen?
The stone baby- a fairly developed Ectopic pregnancy, which was mummified inside the mother for decades. I’m amazed by it.
How does the Mütter Museum's collection inspire you?
The collection is very grand and grotesque, and I love that dynamic.
What's next for you?
The Woodmere Art Museum Store will have some of my more wintery ornaments for sale during the holiday season.
Thanks so much to Emily Snedden for taking the time to answer our qüestions.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
QÜESTIONS - An Interview with Lisa Wood
Here at the Mütter Museum we are fortunate to have a collection that inspires artists and craftspeople the world over. In our Museum Store we carry some of their creations. From the cute and clever to the genuinely thought-provoking, we are pleased to offer a wide variety of interpretive work. It's a truly symbiotic relationship which benefits both artist and institution.
Since most of these folks are also really interesting people, we thought it would be fun to interview them. Our third QÜESTIONS interview features Lisa Wood, whose series of mixed media wall art and companion book, "The Swallowing Plates," was inspired in part by the Mütter Museum's Chevalier Jackson cabinet. The book contains full-color photographs of all of the plates in the series and spins semi-fictional narratives to accompany each finely-detailed piece.
Now for our QÜESTIONS:
Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
My name is Lisa Wood and I'm an artist and collector living and working in San Francisco.
I specialize in Victorian arts and crafts and incorporate their sensibilities into shadowboxes that memorialize the dead, surreal dioramas on the hidden world of insects, mourning jewelry that captures the essence of the human spirit and other curiosities that were inspired by what was collected, constructed and treasured at the time. It was an era obsessed with both art and nature, as well as new medical and mechanical technologies that offered some hope for the prevalent perils of early disease and untimely deaths. I guess I'm a Victorian Revivalist Surrealist.
My website is located at lisawoodcuriosities.com
and a more updated site is my facebook page.
What do you think motivates your work?
Nature, odd human behavior, obscure collections and treasures, the marvels of the human body, hidden worlds, medical mysteries and forensic science.
If your life was a book, what genre would it be?
An over-sized picture book with lots of pop ups.
What fictional character most resembles you and why?
A mix between Willy Wonka and Dr. Doolittle....I tend to spend a lot time in my own little world and in this world I can talk to the animals and eat all the chocolate I want!
What non-fictional character most resembles you and why?
A cross between Theodor Geisel (Dr. Suess), Joseph Cornell and Little Edie Beale of Grey Gardens....I'm a bit of an odd wacky reclusive.
What's your poison?
I love fresh drinks made with ginger: spicy ginger ale, ginger beer and the Moscow Mule, which is made with vodka, ginger beer and lime over ice and served in a copper cup.
What is the last song you had on repeat?
A piece called "Disappointment" from the silent film, "The Phantom Carriage" by Matti Bye...a beautifully dark soundtrack.
Name three things that scare you.
Organized religion
The way we treat this planet of ours
Sports bars
In your opinion, what is the greatest invention that has occurred in your lifetime?
I love music and the ipod has changed the way I listen to it. It amazes me that I can carry my entire music collection in my pocket and retrieve a particular song within seconds.
If you saw a red door, what color would you paint it?
Why would anyone want to paint over a red door?
Direct attack or subterfuge?
Subterfuge is much more interesting.
What's the most rewarding part of your work?
When each piece finds someone that loves it as much as I do.
If you could influence human evolution, what do you think a good physical trait would be?
Get rid of the entire digestive system. If there is no need to eat, then can you imagine how many problems would be solved: world hunger, animal cruelty, etc.
How about non-physical?
By sealing off the part of the brain that drives us to want to conquer everyone and everything.
How did you first learn about the Mütter Museum?
I remember reading about the plaster body casts of the famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng years ago... it was an introduction to the entire museum and I have been hooked ever since.
What is your favorite specimen?
The entire Chevalier Jackson Foreign Body Collection, of course!
How does the Mütter's collection inspire you?
It reminds me that anything is possible... what the human body can endure and what the human spirit can achieve.
What's next for you?
My fascinations at the moment are twins and hoarding. I plan on making dioramas of twins that have outrageous collections... we'll see what transpires!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
They're back! Gingerbread Men Cookie Cutters
Ready to cause a ruckus? Just bring some conjoined Gingerbread Men cookies to your next party or office get-together and watch everyone have twice the fun.
Buy yours at the Mütter Museum Store: Gingerbread Men Cookie Cutter
Buy yours at the Mütter Museum Store: Gingerbread Men Cookie Cutter
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
QÜESTIONS - An Interview with Noah Scalin
Here at the Mütter Museum we are fortunate to have a collection that inspires artists and craftspeople the world over. In our Museum Store we carry some of their creations. From the cute and clever to the genuinely thought-provoking, we are pleased to offer a wide variety of interpretive work. It's a truly symbiotic relationship which benefits both artist and institution.
Since most of these folks are also really interesting people, we thought it would be fun to interview them. Our second QÜESTIONS interview features artist and graphic designer Noah Scalin. Noah is the creator of the Skull-A-Day project and author of the book SKULLS. Naturally, we carry Noah's book in the Mütter Museum Store, but we also have a small selection of the ACTUAL art pieces created during the famed 365 days of his project.
Noah has visited the Mütter Museum as a guest and also as a speaker during our 2009 Day of the Dead festival. More recently he visited us to complete a special temporary art installation: A skull made entirely of brain slices (the brain slices are a recent addition to the Mütter Museum's collection). See the youtube video of this exciting one-of-a-kind creation here. And watch this insightful interview with Noah by the Mütter Museum's curator, Anna Dhody.
Noah has even written a song inspired by the Mütter Museum. It's called "Enlarged Heart."
Now on to our QÜESTIONS:
Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
I’m an artist, graphic designer, and activist based in Richmond, Virginia.
In 2001 I started the socially conscious design and consulting firm Another Limited Rebellion, which works with wide range of organizations including many theaters in New York City.
I also started the Skull-A-Day project, which began as my personal creative project to make a unique skull image every day for a year and now has now progressed into its fourth year as an international community art project.
What do you think motivates your work?
The knowledge that life is extremely brief and that there are opportunities every day to create unique experiences that can bring some moment of discovery, and hopefully joy, to both myself and the people that encounter my work.
If your life was a book, what genre would it be?
Magical Realism. I like to live life as if anything is possible; and considering some of the strange things that have happened so far, it seems to be working.
What fictional character most resembles you and why?
I’d like to think I’m like Gomez Addams of The Addams family. He has a wonderful joie de vivre, is comfortable being different, is passionate about the things & people he loves (including the darker side of life), and has excellent fashion sense!
That said, I asked my friends what they thought and they said: The Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, Gargamel, Professor Snape, Captain Orlok from my own League of Space Pirates project, and myself! So take that how you will.
What non-fictional character most resembles you and why?
Well in a very literal sense there’s a guy here in Richmond that’s apparently my doppelganger and looks so much like me that even my own father said so. He’s also a graphic designer. I’m considering hiring him to go to events in my place to see if anyone notices.
What's your poison?
Tea, in all its forms. Iced or hot, green or black or white, I just can’t get enough of it.
What is the last song you had on repeat?
I recently discovered the wonderful “My Woman” by Al Bowlly, from 1932, which is the source of the sample used in 1997’s catchy “Your Woman” by White Town.
Name three things that scare you.
– People that prioritize money, stuff, and power over the health & wellbeing of others.
– People that only see things in terms of black & white dichotomies.
– Evil Robots
In your opinion, what is the greatest invention that has occurred in your lifetime?
The internet. I can barely remember how I got anything done without it!
If you saw a red door, what color would you paint it?
Black and white striped. Then you would think something very exciting is behind it, like maybe a pirate.
Direct attack or subterfuge?
I prefer direct subterfuge.
What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Discovering that it has inspired others to be creative! I love finding out that people have made art or created their own daily project because of mine. My current favorite is being done by a friend who is a jeweler; she’s making a reliquary a week!
If you could influence human evolution, what do you think a good physical trait would be?
Fur. Less money spent on clothes and more time getting petted.
How about non-physical?
A greater empathy for the plight of others.
How did you first learn about the Mütter Museum?
I read about and ordered one of the fantastic Mütter calendars shortly after they first came out and became obsessed with the museum.
What is your favorite specimen?
There was a photo of a girl with a condition called “enlarged heart” that was part of a traveling exhibition that came to NYC many years ago that struck such a chord with me that I wrote a song about it.
How does the Mütter's collection inspire you?
The collection is such an incredible peek into of the diversity of the human experience. Just being in the presence of so many amazing things serves as the ultimate life-affirming memento mori. Just talking about it makes me want to get back to making things before my time runs out!
What's next for you?
My next book, 365: A Daily Creativity Journal, is a functional guide to creating your own yearlong project and will be published by Voyageur Press in December!
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