interweb shoutout: margaux lange

Barbara Millicent Roberts made her worldwide debut on March 9, 1959. Love her or hate her, the blonde-haired blue-eyed character better known as Barbie has, in the ensuing years, made an undeniable mark on the world. One artist who has taken her Barbie fascination to the next level is the imaginative Margaux Lange, a jewelry designer from Brooklyn, NY. A friend of mine brought Margaux's work to my attention a few months ago, and I've been entranced ever since. Her official website offers a sleek Flash-enabled portfolio of some of her work, which literally breaks Barbie down into parts that are often strung together like prime cuts at a butcher shop (Sweeney Todd would be very proud). The effect is mesmerizing: multi-colored smiling lips offer a shimmer of life from the center of a cold-enamel necklace; two dozen pasty white amputated arms join together in Rockette-like formation in a spiral broach; ring-bearing hands dangle from silver-topped earrings; and bare breasts and androgynous nether-regions are surrounded by silver and strung up like Christmas ornaments. Ms. Lange doesn't only use Barbies, by the way—Kens, as well as Latina and black Barbie lookalikes, join the mix. I have a really hard time picking favorites, as Lange's creations all offer a whimsical and unique look. In case you're interested in purchasing any of these bombshell beauties, you can click on the link to Lange's Etsy website. She also provides a link to her own blog, which includes thoughts on her work, more examples of press coverage, and kudos to other artists she admires. Any way you slice it, Margaux Lange and her website kick (Barbie's) ass! ∞

interweb shoutout: metal chik

Creative types with a flair for bling have a hip new place to hang out on the Web. It's called Metal Chik and it's all about trends in (mostly metal) jewelry making! The site is hosted by punk rocker-turned jewelry maker-turned art professor Victoria Tillotson, who happens to also be my prof at SVA this semester. She started Metal Chik a few months ago to give creative types and those into jewelry trends a place to learn and get advice. On Metal Chik, Victoria stars in her own little webisodes, which feature interviews with professional jewelry designers, sellers, and suppliers, as well as useful hands-on demos, and lots of examples of Victoria's work. My favorite webisode so far would be the punk rock jewelry - except, of course, for the part where they show a woman getting her nose pierced! Yikes! Anyway, whatever kind of jewelry you're into, there's a video for you. Plus, there are blog posts with more detailed step-by-step instructions in case you decide you just HAVE to have that ring, dahling. Here's a recent webisode on setting diamonds and their cheaper lookalikes, cubic zirconia! Enjoy. ∞