If there is one thing that I truly appreciate, it’s the intersection of high brow with the deliciously low brow. I love when people or places don’t take themselves too seriously and yet I also love when someone dedicates all their attention to one artistic obsession. Take, for example, the guy who knits only tiny stuffed animals and that’s what he does alllllll day or the woman who spent her life perfecting the perfect baguette or the person who loves automatons. Those are the people I want to spend my time with.
In 2009 I came across Trixie Delicious on the interwebs and I instantly ordered a set of her plates. I have since seen her work pop up all over and I couldn’t be happier that she’s finding an audience.
Residing in New Zealand, Trixie takes vintage china and adds messages for today. Below are the first set of plates I bought. I’ve dragged them cross country from New York to LA and then from one house to another. They’ve survived a minor earthquake, my four cats, my very animated friends, and my incurable clumsiness.
Trixie writes this about her work:
Back in 2005 I found an article in READYMADE magazine about Etsy and decided I would develop a range of art products to sell using old china.
I had used porcelain paint on new commercially made china back in the 90s primarily as an experiment and a way to supplement my Art career as a sculptor so it was exciting to find an outlet online for my ideas.
Old vintage china has a beauty to it but at that stage was not as fashionable as it is now. I liked the idea of recycling or upcycling it to create art works for display.
And she’s still at it over ten years later. It’s inspiring that she’s had such success with just an online presence. Her work has been covered by Bust and Elle Decor UK.
Here are a few of her current pieces for sale on her site and on etsy.
I think I need this one:
My other favorite trend is animals in clothes because c’mon, it never gets old. These trays by French company Ibride can be a little tricky to find and their site is a bit dense to navigate. I’ve found the trays at high end decor stores in New York like the fabulous Michele Varian in Soho or Barneys. You can also order them from Madein Design in the UK.
The photo above makes me want to paint my walls black and install gallery lighting, but I digress.
The next artist, Angela Rossi, combines many of my interests: animals in clothes, fine mismatched china, and zombie children and circus folk. Here’s her bio from her site:
Angela Rossi, born and bred in Los Angeles, is the artist behind Beat Up Creations. She is a self-taught, outsider artist that works with recycled, abused, broken and forgotten items creating altered antique plates, raw assemblage sculptures and mixed media portraits.
Angela, Angela…we should definitely get tea, girl. I have your zombie child and your snake charmer but I might need this one:
or this because…duh.
Can’t. Get. Enough.
And last, but certainly not least: Yoda pontificating to a harem?
I don’t care if you don’t know which fork goes with what course, dearies. All I want for you is to dine off lovely plates if you so desire. Eat whatever you like, eat wherever you like but please look at something pretty while you do. xoxo
Miss Havisham's Tea 