I was tempted to file this under "travel," too, but that seemed catty. There are three Renegade Craft Fairs a year, one in Brooklyn and two in Chicago. I schlepped out to the one in Williamsburg last Sunday (no DSL, nothing better to do, not bitter) but was mildly disappointed, though I did buy things. Hot, hot, hot day, which is why I didn't stay long and didn't take pictures. There are some good pics over at Design Sponge, though. Have a look.
I could feel my scalp and arms frying as I walked around the derelict (which is not too kind a word) McCarren pool, looking for stuff that didn't look like anything else. It's a good-sized fair, with a couple hundred vendors and would probably be worth doing next year, when I've got enough stock. I used to go to craft fairs with utter delight, awed by the originality and talent. Now there seems to be darn little that really blows my skirt up, and I don't think it's because I'm jaded. There's a sameness to the styles and graphics that I find boring. This is especially true of the paper crafts. The cards are cutesy and retro with a 1950s/60s modern look that I've never liked, even when it was new. When it's not that, there seems to be an obsession with birds and old wallpaper patterns. (UPDATE: Apparently I'm not the only one who has noticed this.) Even the letterpress work was not all that interesting and hard to differentiate from each other. You'd think in a craft that's being revived people would be doing more interesting things with it. Maybe they are, and I'm just not seeing them. Substudio was an exception to this rule. Their cards and prints are very cool. SP Stationers Group was also doing some fun things. I liked their coasters, especially. And so was Jerzebel with their cards.
There was nobody doing what I'm doing, which is good news. But there was only one standout bookmaker, The Black Spot Books, whose journals and bindings were really spectacular. If I'd been in the market for blank books, I'd have been hard-pressed to choose one. I also chatted with more of the folks from Booklyn, who had a booth there. They're putting out a cool little die cut chapbook series which includes one by Angelo Verga, who runs the Cornelia Street Cafe reading series. So of course I had to buy one of those. I love Angelo's poems, and these were all New York poems.
Other vendors who caught my eye: Anna Built's stained glass and jewelry; Bright Lights Little City's wacky paper umbrella spheres; Camille Hempel's jewelry; Dyslexic Press's advertising subversions; Erica Weiner's bug jewelry; Fernworks; Rebound Designs fabulous bags; and Twigs & Heather's natural design jewelry. All in all, I think if it'd hadn't been so hot, I'd have lingered more and found more that I liked.
So what did I end up buying, besides the chapbook? A little pot by Kim Westad (just the small one, not that whole kit and caboodle):
And two prints by Jaime Zollars:
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