Studio Letter No. 006
Finding Inspiration in the Past
A small section of the Detroit Industry Mural by Diego Rivera at the Detroit Institute of Arts
I’ve decided to try something a bit different with these studio letters and I’m now going to send them at the beginning of the week. Each week has brought new reflections and new explorations and it began to make more sense to share my reflections at the beginning of a new week. So, I’m back for another weekly round up of things happening in the studio/life this week!
This past week found me ruminating on slowness, connection, and thinking about the past as a way to stay grounded in the present. Here are some of the things that got me thinking about those things:
An Everyday Object..
This past week was a fun week to get back to working on some of the smaller, more intimate items that I’d talked about in my first studio letter. I first mentioned there that I’ve been focused on the smaller things; especially the smaller items we use in our everyday life that accompany us on some of our journeys.
I’ve always spent a lot of time on the road and as a result, I carry a lot of my life around in various bags. So one of my favorite items are tote bags, or any sort of object that can be used to carry objects from one place to another.
Last fall, on a routine thrifting trip for my vintage shop, I ended up grabbing a handful of kitchen linens and placemats. The thrift store is one of my favorite places to grab kitchen linens because there are normally a good amount of beautifully woven jute, rope, and cotton. Sometimes these materials take the shape of a jute placemat, or a beautiful linen napkin. Either way, I find these small artifacts really beautiful and they are often overlooked at thrift stores, so I’ve enjoyed gathering some of the linens that capture my attention.
This week, I finished a quick project where I made some handbags with some of the kitchen linens that I thrifted. I started with sanitizing them and did a cleaning cycle on them. After they were cleaned, dried, and put through my heat press….I sewed on various handles made from scrap wood pieces.
I’m excited to work on more of these handbags, but it was nice to have some time to test out sizes, shapes, and the practicality of them in my own life. It’s been nice to do these material studies by making things I’d love to use and seeing how it actually feels to incorporate them into my daily routines.
Finding inspiration in an old factory bookstore…
This past week, I had some friends in town who were visiting from Brooklyn. Of course, it became my duty to take them to some of my favorite spots around the city; which always includes a trip to John J King Used Books.
The bookstore is located in an old factory and is a favorite spot of mine to find old history, design and cookbooks. The building operated as a factory until 1981, when it’s last tenant, Advance Glove, closed its doors. Since then, it’s been one of the most interesting bookstores in the country.
One of the books I purchased is listed below as the book of the week. But besides it being a great place to find unique reads, I going simply as its own experience. Every visit I’ve had in this bookstore has been determined by the weather outside. Whether it’s frigid and cold (which is the primary state of the weather here in Michigan) or if it’s sweltering hot in the dead of summer, you’re reminded of the conditions that many of the factory workers experienced during their time in the building. As you walk through the halls, you either find large fans blowing at various points through the building or windows covered with plastic during the winter.
Wandering the vast aisles of books becomes an adventure of its own and every time I walk down the entire length of the building, I’m reminding of the scale of labor that existed in Detroit.
In the kitchen….
One of the things I’ve made recently is a chocolate olive oil cake, which might be one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! I made this a vegan cake, but you can of course using dairy or eggs if preferred.
Though I’m not vegan, I try to make as much as possible without dairy or eggs due to my allergies. But I’ve also found it useful to have a base knowledge of cooking and baking alternatives that don’t relay on animal products, because you never know when you might not be able to use them.
I’ve included the recipe I used below, let me know if you get a chance to try it!
Vegan Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup warm water (or coffee, for a deeper chocolate flavor)
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lightly grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan (or similar-sized pan).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the warm water (or coffee), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
Whisk until the batter is smooth and no dry streaks remain.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 45–60 minutes before removing
Music On Repeat This Week
(In No Particular Order):
Cannock Chase by Labi Siffre
Moon River by Henry Mancini
Christo Redentor by Harvey Mandel
Moon by Thandii
desire machine by spirit blue
What I’m Reading This Week:
One of the books I’ve been spending a lot of time with this week was found during my trip to John K King (as mentioned above). The book is Advertising Art in the Art Deco Style and include period illustrations from the late ‘20s and ‘30s. The book includes a selection of over 360 ads, posters, trademarks and commericial graphics and they come from 9 countries. It’s a really fun text that explores one of my favorite periods in design and I was so excited to find it.
I haven’t had much time for heavy reading as of late, so I’ve enjoyed books like this where I can explore visual inspiration while learning a bit more about the history of those visuals, especially within the realm of print and advertising.
That’s all for this week’s studio letter. I hope you’re well and I’m looking forward to writing to you again next week :)
~Akea <3
