Stephanie Blake

[David Stafford]

I received this from Stephanie a couple of days ago but it wasn't until just now that I realized this piece contained something for the neglected sense of smell. Stephanie's Luck pieces according to the ArtForum article I read are "seemingly random images thrown together like coins in an I Ching reading but revealing, in the end, the path forward." Let's just look at the inside top to bottom: Images: Mouth of Pit Viper beneath which is a little girl putting on lipstick and under that a boy of about the same age leaning against a Volkswagen, and the the bottom the Peel and Inhale, (a clever bit of advertising in its own right, once the bottom flap is opened the servant is no longer setting down a tray but instead inhaling mi'lady's sweet bosom, see above) Does it add up? Is there a cautionary tale about young love? I don't know. Insert I Ching toss here.

On the reverse side of the fold out is a wonderfully rendered big hair portrait which I'm guessing/hoping Stephanie did just for me? All of this is stitched together with Stephanie's expert hand. Quoting again from ArtForum: "Blake's craftsmanship adds a frisson of mercantile respectability. Her Luck pieces resemble something you might buy at the Five and Dime in Valhalla." Thank you, Stephanie

[vizma bruns]

I like the Lucks a lot.

[David Stafford]

no, no, no, Scarlett....it's Fiddle Dee Dee....

[David Stafford]

Why do I feel like I'm talking to Scarlett O'Hara?

[David Stafford]

Great pic, Stephanie....and good thinking too...Now, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to but....are you telling oblique tales with your picture selection or are the choices purely based on intuition?

[David Stafford]

Did you draw that? It's excellent...