Many Parts

You may know of the Steampunk Treehouse and the Raygun Gothic Rocketship.  Perhaps you have heard tell of a certain famous Sean and other shadowy luminaries of the industrial strength Oakland art scene.   But who are these people anyways?  And where can you find them?   Five Ton Crane is the answer.  The website is just getting off the ground (shooting for 1-3 ft right now–just proof of concept on some new experimental web engine technology), but the crew is flying ahead:

“Join us Friday, March 5th, from 6-10pm for our first ever group show at Warehouse416.

We will be displaying works from the Five Ton Crane crew, with signature pieces from The Raygun Gothic Rockethship and The Steampunk Tree House.

This is our first ever public event. Please join us in celebrating the work of an amazing group of friends and artists.

We’ve also got a special guest, Nicole Catrett, from The Exploratorium, showing her TiltShift-O-Scope and Strobe-O-Scopes!

And if you’re hungry there will be some really delicious falafel from Liba Falafel Truck(Yummmmmmmmm).

In the market for that special little octopus for that special little someone?
Come and check out the unique stuffed artistry of Dorklandia.

The show is at 416 26th Street, Oakland, (Betw.Telegraph and Broadway)

with DJ Patti Cakes

View Larger Map

Featuring:

Molly Reichert

Colleen Paz

Jay Kravitz

Ake Grunditz

Leslie Grunditz

David Shulman

Almost Scientific

Ben Carpenter

Tom Sepe

Max Chen

Maurice Cavness

Jody medich

Colin Babcock

Jo Slota

Nathaniel Taylor

Sean Orlando

Don Hayler

Nicole Catrett

Angela Scrivani

Elwyn Crawford

Grant Diffendaffer

“

March 1st, 2010 | Tags: Five Ton Crane | Category: collaborative projects | Leave a comment

As the year winds down, I’m reflecting on what an amazing one it has been.  With workshops across Europe, a group show in a museum, and the honor to have been involved with the Raygun Gothic Rocketship, it was a summer that will be hard to top.

There has been a lot of media coverage of the rocketship and I wanted to see a few of my favorite things in one place.  Starting with photos, here are some doozies.  Stay tuned for excellent video later in the post.

by Garbero Photography

image by loupiote.com

Image by Tory Fink

Image by Nick Winterhalter

Hats off to Sean Donnelly for producing this amazing documentary on the creation of the rocket.  It truly does justice to an amazing crew and project.  Part of the film ran in Donnelly’s two part series for the Oakland Tribune.

Blast Off! from Sean Donnelly on Vimeo.

Here is a video that appeared on Time.com

Here is a Flickr slideshow combining the photos of many photographers:

At last, raw launch footage.  The first is a bit higher quality but shorter.  For full ragged glory, see the last, by Barbara Fried.

November 24th, 2009 | Tags: photos, Raygun Gothic Rocket, Sculpture, video | Category: collaborative projects | Leave a comment

I’ve long been frustrated with managing photos for this blog and website.  I’d held off on using a service like Flickr because I was afraid I was dividing my information sharing efforts.  I see now how Flickr can connect my imagery to more people who want to see it.  All the while supporting my blog by giving me quality management and display tools.  It’s been nice to connect to community there already too.

My photo sets are here.  Here’s a slideshow from my photostream:

November 24th, 2009 | Category: photos | Leave a comment

Wow–how long was that broken?   It could be some time folks.  Apologies if you have tried and failed.  You can always contact me at mail at diffendaffer.com if you have any trouble.   For now though, I seem to have the kinks worked out of my Contact page.

November 19th, 2009 | Tags: Grant Diffendaffer | Category: News and Information | Leave a comment

Any time I’ve been away for a while from the practice of making beads, I find I need an easy re-entry to get things moving again in the studio.  These beads are perfect.  I roll out a batch of core beads to start with.  It’s a straightforward task with zero creative demands.  It’s quick and (with practice) easy.  At the end, I have a pile of blank beads, canvases awaiting my attention.

Part of the beauty of the process is the way that the textures are created and imparted to the beads.  First, I make plates, which I treat both raw and cured. When raw, I imprint the clay with simple implements in a repetitive fashion.  After curing, I carve the plate.  With a library of these tools, I need only properly layer colored clay over my core beads, and I am able to pull a whole galaxy of differing beads off a single plate.

Some detail treatment, sanding, and polishing, and I have a little box full of joy to remind me why I love this process so much, and propel me into the next challenge.

I’ve posted five pairs on Etsy, and there are more to come.

Available from GrantDiffendaffer on Etsy

Available from GrantDiffendaffer on Etsy

Available from GrantDiffendaffer on Etsy

Available from GrantDiffendaffer on Etsy

Available from GrantDiffendaffer on Etsy

It’s a great way to get the wheels turning again.  Starting with a process that resembles nothing so much as doodling, I end up with refined and elegant beads.  If this interests you, check out my book, Polymer Clay Beads.  Or take a workshop.

November 19th, 2009 | Tags: etsy, Grant Diffendaffer, polymer clay beads | Category: etsy | Comments (1)