TOP 100 CRAFTS SITES
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| Bread Heads Bread HeadsBy Anna DilemnaOne of the most popular animated children's characters in Japan is a superhero named Anpanman (Mr. Sweet Bun), who is made entirely of bread. Together with his doughy cohorts (who have names such as Mr. White Bread Man and Mr. Curry Bun), Anpanman fights malnutrition by allowing hungry people to eat his head, which then conveniently grows back. Unless we grew up with Anpanman and his baked sidekicks, however, the word "bread" isn't likely to conjure up anything for us much more exciting than a piece of toast. Throughout history, however, there have been plenty of people who envision more than just a tasty receptacle for peanut butter and jelly when they think about bread. In Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece, for example, decorative bread baked in the forms of flowers, animals, angels, and various other symbols is traditionally made to celebrate religious holidays. In addition to religious and folk art traditions, many visual artists have chosen to work with bread as an artistic medium. In 2004, designer Jean Paul Gaultier put together a retrospective of his work in Paris called "Pain Couture," in which he showed several couture pieces made entirely from bread, including a brioche version of Madonna's famous conical bra and a toasted dough Kelly bag. Gaultier explained that he chose to show his creations in bread rather than as a traditional retrospective due to the fact that he's always seen his work more as a craft than an "art." "We can live without clothes but not without bread!" he exclaimed.Gaultier's work emphasizes a connection between bread and the human body, which seems to be a common theme for contemporary artists who work with bread. Sharon Baker is a British artist who has often used bread as a sculptural material in creating different parts of the body; most notably, in 2006, she baked a life-sized bread version of herself and then invited an audience of onlookers to eat it while she watched. The same month, but on the other side of the world, Chilean artist Constanza Puente also created a bread statue of herself and then left it to sit on a park bench (where, apparently, it was very popular with pigeons). Both artists say they feel bread serves as the perfect metaphor for the fragility of the human body. Perhaps most compelling (and creepy) of all is the work of Kittiwat Unarrom, a Thai artist who bakes astonishingly realistic body parts in his family's bakery in a small village near Bangkok. Hands and feet are stacked on shelves or hanging from meat hooks, and heads sit in plastic-wrapped pie tins. Unarrom states that the concept behind his gruesome array of tasty products (apparently they are edible) is to make people wonder whether they are consuming food, or if the food is consuming them. Imagine the shock of the bewildered Thai farmers who must occasionally wander into the bakery wanting nothing more than a roll to go with that night's Tom Kha Gai! Not all artists who work with bread are bakers, though. Take Emily Berezin, who in 2008 created a statue of Wonder Woman made entirely out of Wonder Bread (11 loaves total, in case you're wondering)! Berezin says that for her, the sculpture was both a celebration and a critique of the white, upper-middle class suburban mother, "the one who makes the same peanut butter and jelly sandwich for her child every day of the year. She's a superhero, and she's well preserved — but she's also a little horrifying and a bit crusty, and if she's not careful, she just might crumble." In the end, it's clear from the work of these artists that bread has unexpected capabilities as a creative material. And while you may not be running out the door to purchase yeast for your next haute couture collection, or pushing life-sized dough versions of yourself into giant pizza ovens, perhaps you'll feel a bit more inspired than usual when you bite into breakfast tomorrow morning.About the Author:Anna Dilemna is a writer and crafter who lives in Madrid, Spain. Her website is annadilemna.typepad.com. Read this article | Comment on this article blog.craftzine.com |
Thanksgiving Feast: How-To Brine & Roast a Turkey Thanksgiving Feast: How-To Brine & Roast a TurkeyBy Katie GoodmanNow that Halloween is over, I feel like the holiday season is ready to begin. I love all the cooking and baking that happens this time of year, but most of all I love how the family gatherings always end up in the kitchen. I'm going to help you get ready for the first big one — Thanksgiving — by providing you with recipes and tips throughout the whole month of November.I'm lucky that as a young bride, my mother-in-law gave me some excellent tips when it was time for me to host my first Thanksgiving. I especially appreciated her tips on how to roast a turkey. She introduced me to brining, something I had never before heard of, but I knew that the turkey I had eaten at her home was the best I'd ever had, so I followed her advice. Here is my twist on the brine recipe she first gave me as well some great tips for roasting a flavorful turkey. Anyone who's ever eaten my turkey says it's the best they've ever had. And it's all thanks to my mother-in-law. I'm lucky to have such a sweet one!The leftover turkey carcass from this recipe makes the best homemade turkey broth, but you'll have to stay tuned throughout the month for that recipe, along with ideas for your side dishes and our family's favorite pumpkin pie recipe.Read this article | Comment on this article blog.craftzine.com |
The Zippy I have been loving the trend of a single edge of zipper as decorative detailing. This rosette headband uses the effect with very cool results. It's called The Zippy, and was created by blacksatinshoes on etsy.Read this article | Comment on this article blog.craftzine.com |
Martha Stewart Treat Boxes In the hectic rush before Christmas, I'm packaging up some gingerbread cookies and treats by baked in these adorable holiday-styled Martha Stewart Treat Boxes. There will be some major baking from me this afternoon but I had to rush to some goodies in for some friends who are leaving town today! Pick these treat boxes up from your local Michael's and add your own last-minute treats for friends, family and neighbors. Read this article | Comment on this article blog.craftzine.com |
New Madison exhibit debuting Feb. 2 explores daily lives of Lenape (Madison Eagle) MADISON – On Tuesday, Feb. 2, during regular museum hours, the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts at 9 Main St. invites visitors to learn about New Jersey’s original inhabitants, the Lenape Native Americans, in the museum’s new exhibit, “Lenape: Tools and Daily Living.†us.rd.yahoo.com |