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Matt Foltz-Gray's avatar

Wonderful as always. Work, Art, and Artwork is a great thinker. I recently read, "A Place of My Own" by Michael Pollan where he attempts to build his own studio (with major help) but he does a great job of showcasing the "Art" in many things we might just consider "Work"

Love this weeks Charlie Harper influenced design and really love that your newsletter is a family affair. As always, thank you for the inspiration and for sharing.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

I read that book last summer! You're right, he does a great job of weaving those two things together. It's also interesting to see how the people who help him lean more towards Art or Work and how that influences the design and construction of the studio.

I'm trying to figure out how to break down some of the walls I have around my creative practice and let my family in. I think collaborating is more fun anyway. I'm glad you like it.

Thanks, Matt!

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Matt Foltz-Gray's avatar

I did really love the relationship between the Architect and the Builder. That tension made so much sense!

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Rick's avatar

Timing is everything, I'm starting a website that will be selling multiple products that seem unrelated to each other but my thinking is they each are a form of art. Candles, T-shirts, pictures and frames and postcards. Art is what YOU define it as, IMO.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

Even if they’re unrelated YOU are the thing that connects them.

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Sarah Shotts's avatar

We use the iOS plant ID all the time and it’s pretty good. I learned a plant that I was hoping was a wildflower was in fact a stinkweed. 😂 It also helped me identify the self seeded papaya tree in last year’s compost heap.

I didn’t know it could do bugs! We actually just bought field guides for bugs and birds, but good to know there’s an alternative if we get stuck. My five year old seems to find every creature in out backyard and we’re constantly analyzing them.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

Even though it's a cool feature I would like to instill in my son a reflex to reach for a book instead of a phone. Plus with a book you become familiar with things you weren't even looking for because you have to flip around to find the right thing. At least I imagine that's what would happen.

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Sarah Shotts's avatar

Exactly, 10/10 would recommend field guides!

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Sue Volk's avatar

I think my roof in Phoenix is artwork as it’s made of clay tiles!

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

And I’m sure installing clay tiles requires a bunch of specific knowledge and techniques.

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Sue Volk's avatar

Yes it does & the majority of those with this knowledge & technique are of Spanish descent & may be not be legal immigrants. The reality is Phoenix relies heavily on this population to perform tasks such as landscaping, roofing, cleaning etc.

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Martin Hughes's avatar

Your thoughts on art, work, and artwork have come at such a good time in my own thought process. Thank you for talking about this and sharing such a good example too.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

Sure thing! That relationship is something that keeps coming up.

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Josh Brake's avatar

Love the new footer! And good luck on #2. When are you expecting to re-enter sleep deprivation mode? 😁

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

Thanks! We’ll be waving goodbye to sleep early August.

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Josh Brake's avatar

Coming up soon! Best wishes for you and your family and a safe arrival for baby #2.

As my colleague says "N+1 kids makes N kids look like a piece of cake." We've got three and I can promise you that all the extra work is well worth it.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

Thank you! When our son is being difficult we’ve been saying, “Think we’ll look back and miss this?” so thanks for confirming lol

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Andrea La Rose's avatar

Regarding art vs work: Remember that art is not just an object, but an action — We have to choose to engage with something as art. Along those lines, may I recommend Phill Niblock's film series "The Movement of People Working" which is, similarly to the fence-building film, simply films of people working meant to be regarded as dance. https://ubu.com/film/niblock_movement.html

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Philip's avatar

Can confirm, the iPhone feature works with plants and it's great. Used it to identify the flowering yucca plant in our yard and the Leptoglossus bugs that feed on it.

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Mitchell Volk's avatar

That’s cool! What a great feature.

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