Author: Amanda Kesner

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Printed panel, entitled "The Owl" with front, back and bottom views of a perched owl in shades of brown, green and yellow, meant to be cut and sewn into a stuffed toy. Sewing instructions are printed in the center. "Arnold Print Works, North Adams, MA" is printed on the upper left corner
Put An Owl On It
Owls are nocturnal birds that are characterized in most people’s memories as wise creatures, perched up on their branch overlooking the world’s activities; always awake, eyes never closed.  In my memory, owls are the talisman of a childhood favorite lollipop, the tootsie roll pop. The mind burning question of: “How Many Licks Does It Take...
In photographic half-tone enlargement, the head of cow in twice-life-size dimensions. Design is repeated vertically. Printed in coral and black on deep blue background.
Two Cows are Better than One

What does any of this have to do with cows? In 1966, art dealer and friend of Warhol, Ivan Karp said: “The only thing that no one deals with now these days is pastorals. My favorite subject is cows.” In 1966, Warhol silk screened this cow, twice, to actual size on a rectangular piece of wallpaper which was first exhibited at the famous Leo Castelli Gallery, in New York. He was removing the cow from its original landscape and placing it into the gallery, again imposing that art and life are synonymous.  Some critics have noted that this work commented on the treatment of cows in 19th century landscape painting or American folk art, another theory could be that he was creating another American emblem. The cow as a symbol of nourishment, economic independence, nostalgia, earth and domesticity.

Russian propaganda poster with man holding sign
Out With the Old, In With the “Nowy”

What makes this theater new? The theater the text refers to depicts a historical landmark that represented a shift between the two World Wars and Poland’s sole source of entertainment at the time. The antithesis of the old Polski Theater, calling it the New Theater suggested a less serious, light hearted genre. The founder of New Theatre was Mieczysław Rutkowski. Throughout a twenty year time span, many directors held positions there and various dramas and concerts were performed. By the 1980’s the theater became known for its political involvement, a prime example of this being the performance staged in 1980 entitled "The Defendant:  June 1956". This political performance references the The Poznań 1956 protests, also known as Poznań 1956 uprising. The working class were protesting against communist dictatorial government and better working conditions. The protest resulted in many injuries to the Polish people and a period of political persecution.

Wrapping Cloth (pojaggi), ca. 1900
Wrapped up
Bojaggi is a Korean ceremonial wrapping cloth used to cover gifts, protect sacred writings, hold food or carry objects in everyday life. The primary purpose of a pojagi is to respect an object and present the recipient with blessing and good will. Pojagi is still used in contemporary Korean society but it became a cultural icon...
Shout about design
Access to clean drinking water, sustainable energy sources and changes in the environment are some of the challenges faced by many around the world. Designers, from the Australia to Bangladesh, are responding with innovative design solutions. The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies organizes a free online conference series on pressing environmental issues. This...