AS A PIONEER OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE FASHION, ART MUST IMITATE LIFE. HAVE THESE ETHICS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF YOUR LIFE AND WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT THAT LED YOU TO FOCUS YOUR WORK SOLELY ON RESPONSIBLY-MADE, ORGANIC CLOTHING?
My mother and father influenced the way I evolved because they allowed me to do whatever I wanted from a very young age – I’m talking 10 years old – I went to what was commonly known as a “free school” in the 1970s. So NOTHING shocks me – I have pretty much either seen or heard or read about every concept, food movement, political shift of the past 200 years if not more.
Posterity and the cycle of time is of great interest to me. I bought my farm in 1987 after that crash – I’d done the 80s and saw the results – dark streets – failed businesses – very few people who were 25 years old were moving to upstate New York – most people were leaving – so I’m a bit of a contrarian in that way – now they call us the early adapters. I call it seeing the writing on the wall. Abandoned buildings, old unused farms were my catnip and also a huge fashion inspiration – so when I voiced the American Gothic collection September 2008 and said the crash was here, people thought I was nuts as I was planning that – and 2 weeks later all hell broke loose. If people carefully look at each season the message and the intent is clear and obvious.
When the world shifted from 20th century to 21st century and I was at a loss to really comprehend how I could be relevant, I was inspired and directed by a higher power to do what it believed in – and throw caution and planning to the wind. I also knew exactly what I wanted as I slowly thought about the work and designed only what I absolutely believed in.
YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEGUN TO OFFER BEAUTIFUL PIECES FOR THE HOME THAT VERY CLEARLY REFLECT THE SENSIBILITIES OF ORGANIC, EACH DESIGNED, MADE AND SELECTED WITH GREAT INTEGRITY. WHAT’S NEXT FOR JOHN PATRICK AND ORGANIC BY JOHN PATRICK?
I think that we are focusing on talking directly to our community and people who share our values and understand the inherent value of a very plain New York State handmade box that took me half a year to develop – my work tends to be invisible because I am very very stubborn and have a hard time with anything that’s flashy.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU MOST RIGHT NOW?
I am inspired by people who do what they believe in well.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Sometimes sadness brings me joy – fleeting memories of simple conversations. And my partner of 30 plus years Walter and our border collie Kip bring me the greatest joy of all – just being together at home – Kip is getting goats in the spring!!!
COMB OR BRUSH?
Both of course.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I am thankful that I actually was given a name!
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY AGE IS…………….
Irrelevant.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Depends what the fish of the day is down in Pescadero, Baja Sur where I am going today to catch the waves – “Fish taco”!!! 🙂
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| Photograph: Breton Tyner-Bryan |
YOU HAVE HAD A REMARKABLE CAREER AS A PERFORMER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND TEACHER. WHAT LED YOU TO CREATE THE FRANCESCA HARPER PROJECT?
I was lucky to have examples growing up. My mother directed the Alvin Ailey School for 26 years so I got to grow up close to Alvin Ailey himself. I was always inspired by his story and the story of Martha Graham. They both started their Companies when they were in Broadway shows to help finance their endeavors. I was performing in my second Broadway show, All Shook Up, when I started my Company. I used my salary to lay down the foundation for the Company.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST REWARDING PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?
Receiving my Living History Award for Black History Month.
WHICH ARTISTS INSPIRE AND INFLUENCE YOU MOST?
I would say my mother Denise Jefferson and my Aunt, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Margo Jefferson first, William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, Pina Bausch, Arthur Mitchell, Virginia Johnson, Sarita Allen, Carmen De Lavallade, Debbie Allen, Paula Kelly, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, LaChanze, Angela Robinson, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Dinah Washington and the List goes on…
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
My family and love.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Brush.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I love it, however it was a little intimidating as a child. I think I am growing into it now.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY AGE IS…………….
Between 18 and death.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Probably ordering in Thai or leftovers from my husband’s delectable, slow cooked chicken.
We are so excited about the collaboration between Happy Menocal (one of our very favorite designers) and Paperless Post. Her lovely collection features 29 designs in total, in versions both online and paper. This great news is, for us, reason enough to have a party!
www.paperlesspost.com/cards/group/happy_menocal
www.happymenocal.com
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| Polychromed wood sculpture, Pacific NW Coast |
WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN ART CONSERVATOR AND WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT ART CONSERVATION?
When I was a kid I made meticulous drawings and paintings, and also loved science. I was pre-med as an undergraduate but majored in art history, while foraging a bit into architecture and fine art. Summer museum jobs with hands on experience–matting and hinging works on paper, doing condition reports for exhibitions, and installing artwork–really got me started. Also I had interesting experiences at the Dendrochronology Lab in the Classics/Archaeology Department at Cornell. They take core samples from ancient wood to measure tree growth rings to provide a dating method, accurate to the year, going back 10,000 years in the Aegean and Near East region, the cradle of so many civilizations. I studied art conservation and Italian in Florence for a year after college, completed some internships, and got into grad school at NYU Institute of Fine Arts, one of a handful of graduate programs for art conservation in the US. It was a thrill to be a conservator at archaeological sites in the Mediterranean for many summers during and after graduate school.
I love the gratification of making something whole, or legible, or returning a work to its original beauty. The best aspect of my job may be seeing the opportunity to save something thought to be utterly lost.
IT WOULD SEEM THAT ART CONSERVATION REQUIRES THE PERFECT BALANCE OF SCIENCE AND ART/CULTURAL HISTORY. IS THIS ACCURATE AND ARE YOU INCLINED MORE ONE WAY THAN ANOTHER?
Absolutely. Science, fine art/hand skills, and art history compliment each other in art conservation. At this point I do more hands on work than research…I guess that makes the artistic side more dominant, but also some degree of engineering is involved too.
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE CONSERVED SOME MAJOR WORKS OF ART. DO YOU HAVE A SINGLE PIECE THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
A few years ago I helped prepare for a show about Aphrodite that originated at the MFA Boston and traveled to Japan and the Getty Villa in California. With Aphrodite as the subject there was certainly beauty in the objects, and the glazed Greek and Roman ceramics were filled with great storytelling. I loved being around these objects and seeing how the curator developed her academic study using the wild narrative of this goddess of love and passion.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
I can’t wait to be on Mt. Desert Island, Maine in a few days. A perfect day includes a hike up the mountains where you get incredible 360° views of the islands and sea from the exposed granite ridges and summits, followed by a refreshing lake swim…there’s something magical about Echo Lake water. We’ve been going to MDI since our kids were very young, and the place has a history we add to and relive every year.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Fingers and comb.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
You know, I guess I do! It’s good to have a relatively uncommon first name (despite Friendsand Bill Clinton). I changed my last name when I got married and Berry was initially hard to embrace, (my husband was not). Now I realize the alphabetical order advantage.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
…changing in October.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Farmer’s market bounty! Tomatoes and basil, crisp cucumbers, sweet corn, roasted beets, melon…I think it’s time for lunch.
AS A DIRECTOR/PRODUCER YOU HAVE WORKED WITH COUNTLESS ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS ON LIVE FORMAT CONCERTS ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST THRILLING PROFESSIONAL MOMENT AND WHICH ARTIST HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST?
I have worked with many and tend to forget more than half of them. The one that truly stands out is the Canadian artist Loreena McKennitt. She is an incredible musician and seeing one of her performances is awe-inspiring. There are very few artists that surround themselves with the caliber of artists that she does. Filming a multi-cam performance with her at the Place Des Artes in Montreal will truly stand out as one of the most memorable professional experiences of my life.
DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM PROJECT.
An original music series I created three years ago which has been accepted by public television. The show celebrates the history of American music through the eyes of major contemporary artists. I only call this a dream, because it has not been realized yet. As someone who has totally lost faith in television, ie: reality tv, this represents a return to what I hold hope in for both the television and music industries in general. We have been trying to get sponsors for over a year now. It’s been a tough fight, but we will get there!
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Developing several projects right now. In post production on a multi-cam stand up comedy show which I filmed in Atlanta just a week ago.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Morning. Enjoying my first cup of iced coffee as I watch my daughter emerge from the bedroom with a huge smile on her face and her stuffed piggy in tow.
COMB OR BRUSH?
My hair is so short that neither will have an impact.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I love it. I am named after the man who most inspires me.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
45. Whatever!
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Left over tikka masala kabobs. Yummy!
YOU STARTED OUT AS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DESIGN HAIR ACCESSORIES SPECIFICALLY AND HAVE YOU FOUND ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN DESIGNING INTERIORS AND ACCESSORIES?
I suppose my daughter, Nadia’s hair was the biggest inspiration in the beginning. And yes, I think there is a strong connection. Design is design, no matter what is being created. And it has always come as second nature to me. Design is not work…it’s fun!
YOU DESIGN FOR BOTH WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND OFTEN USE RECYCLED OR SALVAGED MATERIALS. DO YOU CREATE DESIGNS FOR PARTICULAR FOUND MATERIALS OR DO YOU DESIGN FIRST AND LATER IDENTIFY THE MATERIALS?
I work both ways. It all depends on the circumstances. Sometimes, I have the design ready and am just waiting for the perfect textiles or hardware to create it. Sometimes, I find materials that inspire me first, and then I figure out exactly what to do with them.
YOUR WOMEN’S LINE WAS RECENTLY PICKED UP BY HENRI BENDEL. CONGRATULATIONS! WHAT’S NEXT?
Thank you! Working with Henri Bendel has been such an amazing experience for our brand, and we hope this is just the beginning! Even though all our items are available for purchase online at our website, we are also working hard to get our pieces in more retail locations…so keep your fingers crossed for us.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Having my daughter tell me how much she loves me is the best feeling (particularly when I’m feeling stressed out!). It’s a beautiful reminder that everything is going to be just fine, no matter how hectic my day was. That is my joy.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Brush, because I always wanted to have curly hair!
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I do now. It’s short and simple. I didn’t always, though. When I was younger, I wanted to have a long, beautiful named like Cinderella or Aurora. Now my daughter wishes that she had a name like that too. It runs in the family I guess…
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
Only a number. It’s all in your style and spirit.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
mmm…my favorite comfort food — rice, eggs and soy sauce.
WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN ILLUSTRATOR AND PAINTER AND WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
If I had the type of mind that was really shrewd and clever about money or real estate or whatever, I would have been a banker or some kind of baller entrepreneur. As it is, I’m good with people and aesthetics, and I just needed to satisfy my curiosity, make a living, and burn off a sort of puritan work ethic I’ve always had in me. I just hustled toward the thing I felt best at, and it’s this. And I’m a pleaser, so it’s nice to make things for people and have them respond so graciously. Kind of like being a chef, but less essential.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS AND WHOSE WORK ARE YOU MOST INSPIRED AND INFLUENCED BY?
I love portraits — Manet, Sargent, Whistler. I guess those guys would all be classified as ‘post-impressionists’. Hockney, for being such a wit and a workhorse. I have a weakness for bright pastels, Florida / California colors. I really loved the Cecily Brown show that was just at Gagosian uptown. But my favorite art, really, is TV. Comedy. I’m having a renaissance with the Simpsons, new episodes. It’s still incredible.
CUSTOM HERALDRY IS SUCH A LOVELY CONCEPT. WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS OF DEVELOPING SUCH A SPECIAL PIECE WITH A CLIENT?
Usually it’s a phone interview, but if they’re in New York I’ll meet with the couple, which I love. It’s just sweet to talk to people at this moment in their lives when they’re so in love and have a sense of beginning. I try my best to diffuse some of the stress and silliness of wedding planning and get at something pure.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
All the different faces, body types, ways of saying things. The goodness and funniness of people. Dogs. Laughing and talking trash with my husband and my friends. Walking around the city. Clothes.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Brush! Vigorously but not that often.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
Yeah, I like it. I wonder sometimes what my life would be like if my name was, like, Jennifer Weintraub or something. I’m not one of those people who feels I was meant to be born in another era, on another continent. It all feels about right to me.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
33
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Probably rice and beans and avocado and tomato. I eat like I’m heading off to build a pyramid right after.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE LEGATO STUDIO AND WHAT LED YOU TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON TRANSFORMATIVE FURNITURE?
When [Josh and I] found our apartment in Battery Park, we recognized that it had more positives (not one square foot of wasted space, like an extra hallway, or large entryway, or odd shaped room) than negatives (no natural dining area within the small living room and kitchen). Other apartments in the building we knew we loved did offer that extra dining space, but at a much higher price tag than we could afford. So our plan was to grab the apartment within our budget, and problem solve with furniture. This was a task my husband happily left to me — and I couldn’t wait to start the process.
As I set out to create an ‘instant dining room’ that would disappear in some fashion, I did some research to find Matt Lee, the contractor ‘who could do anything.’ A recent article in the New York Times touted a 2 level studio coop in Gramercy he created where the rules included ‘no construction or structures of any kind connected to internal walls.’ So, he designed a second floor that was completely self-standing for a very happy client. He seemed to make all of his clients happy, so I hired him.
When Matt and I began measuring and talking through ideas, I realized two things — my perfect apartment, with its lack of wasted space, allowed for no space anywhere to store chairs, AND, a murphy bed style-like table that would fold down from the wall would be too wide for my living room (I could just see tomato sauce all over our new sofa). So, Matt and I started thinking about a table that would include seating, and would fold out horizontally rather than vertically in the space. Did this exist already? Not really. So….we worked with an engineer to sort out the details of what is now known as Legato Studio’s “Cambia,” (Italian for alter, shift).
After Cambia was created in our minds and on paper, we realized we had something special. What should we do with this? Should we patent our invention? Start a company? Scramble to attend New York’s next (and best) furniture trade show? Could we do all of that in 2 months? Why not. After investigating with a patent lawyer that no prior art or design existed anything like our Cambia, we knew we had something not only special – but perfect for urban dwellers. Legato Studio was formed – and our (utility) patent pending came hours before our 2011 debut at ICFF.
YOUR DEBUT PIECE, CAMBIA, IS A REALLY BRILLIANT CONCEPT — FULL-SIZED DINING TABLE, ERGONOMIC WORKSTATION AND BENCH WITH STORAGE. IN WHAT ENVIRONMENT OR SPACE WOULD YOU MOST LOVE TO SEE CAMBIA?
Our thoughts for Cambia have expanded well beyond residential space – we see so many commercial applications for the table as well. One obvious choice would be any small restaurant that wants to turn itself into a dance hall/bar, or any place where a lunchroom could turn into a gym. The possibilities are endless. And what’s great about Cambia’s design is that it can be made to custom sizing and with a variety of materials. So, we see our target audience as really anyone that needs/wants multiple uses for their work or living space.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR LEGATO STUDIO?
What’s next is to continue to get the word out there that we can make our table custom for clients out of our studio in Bushwick (Brooklyn). With Bloomberg’s ADAPT NYC project making ‘micro-apartments’ such a hot topic in the press right now, there is no time like the present to capitalize on opportunities. Everyone is talking about maximizing space.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
So many things bring me joy, hard to name just one — what brought me joy today was seeing my children play so nicely together.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Comb does the trick, brush usually means ‘styling’ which I tend to do let others do in a salon, or do myself with rollers rather than a brush and hair dryer.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I do – I didn’t in the 80’s, when I felt like it was all over the place. But it died down…..
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY AGE IS…………….
just right. But I will say life is moving too fast.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Takeout spicy tuna rolls with brown rice, salad, cheese and crackers, orange zero vitamin water. Might sneak in a few girl scout cookies (Samoas).
YOU SEEM TO WORK STRICTLY IN LANDSCAPES, CAPTURING THE DENSITY OF NEW YORK CITY TO THE VASTNESS OF SCOTLAND. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO LANDSCAPES AS OPPOSED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE?
I don’t necessarily think of myself as a landscape photographer. I am not trying to capture landscapes per se. I think what I am mainly looking for or what seems to catch my attention is composition. I find myself continually drawn to simple bold shapes and often look for repetition and visual movement within those shapes. My photographs are not about the subject or scene. I never look for those things. What I see in the photographs is more graphic form. If at some point that graphic form happens to be human, I’ll probably start photographing people.
YOU PHOTOGRAPH ALL OVER THE WORLD. DO YOU TRAVEL TO PHOTOGRAPH OR DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH WHILE YOU TRAVEL?
I travel to photograph. I have tried to combine vacation travel with photographic travel, but my wife gets very bored standing around for a few hours while I wait for the sky to get interesting or a shadow to emerge. I also find that I need to turn my eye on so to speak. And vacation travel is about shutting off rather than turning on. For me making a really successful photo takes a lot of time and concentration. It means walking through fields or climbing into a ditch, or standing in the rain for hours. My process is not most people’s idea of fun.
YOUR WORK IS QUITE HAUNTING AND YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU PREFER SHOOTING IN PLACES THAT ARE COLD AND UNINVITING. ARE THE TWO CONNECTED AND INTENTIONAL?
My life is so filled with the hustle bustle of city living, noise and visual pollution that I think I am continually looking to simplify. Or find some sense of calm or serenity. I don’t know if I am looking for haunted spaces in particular. I think what attracts me are spaces devoid of visual clutter and distraction. I gravitate to places that people have naturally stayed clear of, and because of their sparse surroundings, compositions within that type of space just seem to reveal themselves more plainly.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
A old friend and the conversation that ensues just into the 3rd pint of Guinness.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Brush.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I was born Antony Kevin Bennett in Southern England in 1967. And was never called Antony, only Tony. Tony Bennett was just another name to my parents who were both from New Zealand. But I think I started noticing people making a fuss about it when we moved to the U.S. in the early 70s. Once I realized I shared my name with the singer Tony Bennett, I started to look for alternatives. Maybe I would go by Kevin Bennett, my middle name. But I think ultimately it just seemed like too much work to try to change it or correct people, so Tony Bennett is what people call me. AK Bennett is for the art (more not to be confused with the singer than anything else.) But to answer your question, I would say no. To me Tony always sounded like I made pizza.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY AGE IS…………….
an odd way to measure my life, I prefer to say I have been around the sun 45 times.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
I have no idea. Hopefully not asparagus.
www.akbennett.com
IN YOUR UNIVERSITY TEACHING DAYS, YOUR MALE BORDER COLLIE YASHA WOULD ACCOMPANY YOU TO CLASS EACH DAY AND ASSIST IN TEACHING, INCLUDING MATH. YOUR FEMALE DOG CHASER KNOWS MORE THAN 1000 ENGLISH LANGUAGE NOUNS THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT HER. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE CANINE GENDER HAS A GREATER ABILITY TO LEARN OVER ANOTHER OR IS IT MORE DEPENDENT ON THE CANINE BREED?
An interesting question, but it depends on the breed. I’m not aware of any research where gender dictates ability. However, in 1984 there was a book published called “The Redundant Male: Is Sex Irrelevant in the Modern World”. Hum.
CHASER IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF YOUR UPCOMING BOOK AND SHE HAS APPEARED ON ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT, THE TODAY SHOW ON NBC, AND NOVA ON PBS. HAS ALL OF THIS FAME CHANGED HER?
(Laughing) No, she is still the same fun loving puppy we adopted in 2004. She does enjoy all the attention and is prepared for belly rubs and petting whenever offered. She has definitely become more independent and likes to think for herself, but I’m pretty sure that is due more to her coming of age and not a diva throw-down. Her ability as a con artist continues to grow as she can charm anyone into playing with her at any time.
NOW THAT THE BOOK IS COMPLETE AND CHASER IS EIGHT YEARS OLD, DO YOU CONTINUE TO TEACH HER NEW WORDS AND HAS HER ADVANCING AGE HAD AN EFFECT ON THE RATE AT WHICH SHE LEARNS?
Thankfully, we are just finishing the last chapter of the book slated for October release by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Written with Hilary Hinzmann. It is a “feel good” book similar to Marley & Me that tells the story of the science in a very organic and down to earth way. During the writing of the book, I have continued new research that I began several years ago with Chaser. I stopped formally teaching her new words at age 3 because she demonstrated that her capacity for learning & retaining nouns was rather limitless. I am happy to announce that our new research is being published in the Journal of “Learning and Motivation” which discusses our findings on successfully teaching Chaser syntax & imitation. We have been focusing on this for several years, and because learning builds on learning, as with children, she learns new words and concepts at a super fast rate. She is constantly listening to our conversations and picks things up without my even realizing it. If you were wondering, your dog IS listening to you.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Discovery.
COMB OR BRUSH?
Comb for me, brush for Chaser.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
Yes, it is my father’s name and as is typical in the south, family and friends simply called me JW.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
84, but I am like Merlin and aging backwards towards college age. I refuse to go back to teenage years, there are too many highs and lows there.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Barbecue from the Rendezvous in Memphis and ice cold beer.
