d e c o r a t i n g n a t u r e

New pics below.

2011-11-12T13:02:00.001-08:00

New pics below, don't pay any attention to the date -- instead of making each new pic a new post, I simply add them to old posts. It's easier to look at this way.

Decorating nature

2010-11-28T13:15:00.001-08:00

fig. 70: a locust seed pod adopts a snake pattern, probably to discourage attack by seed eating birds.

fig. 69: old-timers claim that counting the rings on peach leaves in fall predicts how many peaches you'll get next season.

fig. 68: some stones "blue up" when the water gets cold.

fig. 67: the winged burning bush marks its leaves for exfoliation.

fig. 65: peak foliage is not always found on the trees.

fig. 64: blue bursts portend a long winter.

fig. 63: the rare "Sunset scallop" is purported to cure narcolepsy if put under the pillow of the afflicted.

fig. 56: not normally associated with seasonal transformations, some stream-side stones actually will begin to pixellate in late autumn/early winter.

fig. 61: On Fire Island, the Pines drop some very colorful cones.

fig. 59: horizontal stripes are very slimming.

fig. 55: certain leaves pay tribute to fallen friends with tattoos.

(individual leaves from this small series can be seen by clicking here.)

fig. 58: yellow remembers orange.

fig. 54: some evergreens are not.

fig. 53: spiralchetes infest a redbud leaf.

fig. 62: scientists are baffled as to why blue spots appear on beach stones and shells.

fig. 52: it's not unusual for leaves to overcompensate for their inherent blandness.

fig. 51: rare and valuable seed pods of the money plant, lunaria annua.

fig. 57: gingko leaves are individually beautiful but collectively stunning.

fig. 60: on some beaches, symbiosis does not always go hand in hand with mutualism.

fig. 66: Ponce de Leon leaves try to look young even when they're clearly not.

The first 50!

2010-09-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

fig. 50: genetically modified brown-eyed susan.

fig. 49: nature is filled with opposing forces.

fig. 48: decomposition usually follows a predictable pattern, as seen in this river pine.

fig. 45: squirrels are easily mesmerized by the leaf of the rain drop tree.

fig. 44: some leaves zig where others zag.

fig. 42: in late- to mid-winter, some leaves can be found in Florida sporting unnaturally bright colors.

fig. 41: the male of the autograph tree forms garish yellow patterns on its leaves in an attempt to attract a mate.

fig. 43: an older autograph tree leaf with its dignity intact.

fig. 38: in autumn, some leaves will use color bars to help get everything perfect.

fig. 37: many nuts are not patriotic at all.

fig. 33: the rare chameleobirch leaf can be harder to find than a 4-leaf clover.

(See video of leaf here.)

fig. 29: often, nature's designs even outshine man's

fig. 25: a 17 year old river rock.

fig 1: leaf of the clown tree

fig. 22: to get by in a white world, some leaves will go so far as to change their appearance.

fig. 13: fantail fungus spreads over the face of a streamside stone.

fig. 5: rhododendron showing signs of pixelanimus infestation

fig. 21: the different colored needles of the eastern hemlock rarely intermingle.

fig. 6: leaf of the rare Christmas maple

fig. 23: bark of the invasive zebra birch, introduced to the New World in 1789.

fig. 20: local children must climb high into the plaid tree to harvest its young leaves, traditionally worn at vernal equinox celebrations.

fig. 24: the lodgepole pine, pinus contorta, is especially vulnerable to attack by leopard print disease, spread by contact with wild cougars.

fig. 39: some leaves think they're better than all the others.

fig. 40: an old wives' tale says that 6 painted hearts will keep the frost away.

fig. 16: the more ostentatious river rocks generally stick together.

fig. 23: last season's colors can still be found on many rural leaves.

fig. 15: mountain laurel with peacock syndrome.

fig. 31: by late summer, some leaves have distinguished themselves, others not so much.

fig. 12: late stage orangification of the cholla cactus

fig. 11: pinecone showing early signs of blueitis.

fig. 2: inner bark of the immature clown tree

fig. 3: stripeticoccus bacteria on maple leaf

fig. 4: eastern redbud leaves can camouflage themselves for self-defense

fig. 7: unknown spores attack unidentified leaf.

fig. 8: metamorphic rock undergoing underwater metamophosis

fig. 9: fresh egg deposits of the shinyblue streamfly

fig. 10: solitary leaf of the chevron tree

fig. 14: hairy rocks hide behind a twig.

fig. 19: colored sticks huddle together for warmth.

fig. 18: like the aurora borealis, orange pine needle stripes only appear under very specific conditions.

fig. 17: on cold days, xylem and phloem turn blue

fig. 26: Butter clams along Cape Cod develop special markings in order to stand out.

fig. 27: On the north side of Cape Cod, clam markings bring to mind Robert Smithson.

fig. 28: Out toward Provincetown, the clams are a little more showy.

fig. 36: some leaves make a statement right up to the very end.

fig. 35: where scientists see "plus signs" others find a divine symbol

fig. 34: bright colors and patterns can deflect attention from the aging process.

fig. 32: a colony of orange-backed flatbugs attempts to hide against a hosta leaf.

fig. 30: in some gardens, the most magnificent fronds often sit right next door to squalor.

fig. 47: careful viewers can almost watch the green turn to black.

fig. 46: ripples of pool water can permanently scar a leaf, even after it's been fished out.

Individual leaf on leaf pics

2010-01-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

fig. 55a: red on yellow

fig. 55b: green on brown

fig. 55c: orange on yellow

fig. 55d: red on green

fig 55e: green on brown

fig. 55f: yellow on brown

fig. 55g: yellow on red

Print price list

2009-05-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

To purchase an archival print, email NormMagnusson@aol.com. Please specify desired image, size and paper. I'll send you an e-invoice via Google Checkout and start preparing your giclée the next business day. For standard domestic orders, you'll have your print within a week of payment, for international orders, 10 days. Bulk orders naturally take more time to print and package.

All prints are hand signed and are inscribed by the artist with the title of the piece, e.g.: "fig. 1: leaf of the clown tree."

Archival computer prints are available from 15" x 10" up to 60" x 40" image size. They look good in all sizes but even better bigger.

Each giclée is individually created by master printer Steve Kerner of Stone River Fine Arts in Woodstock, N.Y. An artist himself, Mr. Kerner has dedicated the last 15 years to collaborating with visual artists to create the finest quality archival prints.

The giclées are printed with ultra chrome K3 pigments on a variety of materials:

• Archival rag matte - 100% post-industrial waste cotton

• Matte canvas - 100% cotton canvas for those who prefer the look of canvas.

• 505 gram, 100% rag, clay coated archival paper imported from England

Prices are the same for each material.

15" x 10" $300 2.0/sq. inch

18" x 12" $400 1.85/sq. inch

24" x 16" $600 1.56/sq. inch

30" x 20" $800 1.33/sq. inch

36" x 24" $1000 1.15/sq. inch

60" x 40" $2000 .83/sq. inch

About giclées: (taken from gicléePrint.net)

The Definition : Giclee (zhee-klay) - The French word "giclée" is a feminine noun that means a spray or a spurt of liquid. The word may have been derived from the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt".

The Term : The term "giclee print" connotes an elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction.

The Process : Giclee prints are created typically using professional 8-Color to 12-Color ink-jet printers. Among the manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art and photographic markets. Giclee prints are sometimes mistakenly referred to as Iris prints, which are 4-Color ink-jet prints from a printer pioneered in the late 1970s by Iris Graphics.

The Advantages : Giclee prints are advantageous to artists who do not find it feasible to mass produce their work, but want to reproduce their art as needed, or on-demand. Once an image is digitally archived, additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and reasonable cost. The prohibitive up-front cost of mass production for an edition is eliminated. Archived files will not deteriorate in quality as negatives and film inherently do. Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client.

The Quality : The quality of the giclee print rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

The Market : Numerous examples of giclee prints can be found in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Chelsea Galleries. Recent auctions of giclee prints have fetched $10,800 for Annie Leibovitz, $9,600 for Chuck Close, and $22,800 for Wolfgang Tillmans (April 23/24 2004, Photographs, New York, Phillips de Pury & Company.)

©1997-2010 Giclée Print Net

Reviews of this body of work

2009-01-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

This series has been written about on more than 50 blogs and websites. Here are a few highlights: (click on them to read)

A lovely review on Wine and Bowties

A green point of view on Greenwala.

A little blurb on Gearfuse.

My interview with GreenMuze.

Always exciting to be featured on TrendHunter.

DesignBoom's great article.

The artist's bio

2008-11-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

The artist's bio
Norm Magnusson b. 1960
NormMagnusson@aol.com www.funism.com

Public art projects

2011 (May) “On this site stood – Lower Manhattan,” N.Y., NY
2010 “Sculpture Key West Invitational,” Key West, FL
2009 “Sculpture Key West 2009,” Key West, FL
2007 “On this site stood,” The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.
2006 “The Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Show,” Woodstock, N.Y.
2006 “Unexpected Catskills” Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Woodstock, N.Y.
2005 “Karen DeWitt,” Historical marker with political content installed on
Heart’s Content Road in Greene County, N.Y.
2004 “Do unto others,” “Practice what you preach” Two :30 videos that aired 96 times on national tv leading up the Nov., 2004 election.
2003 “Jesus loves you, Bush doesn’t” Viral internet project
2000 “Pull toy” Cow Parade, Riverside Park, N.Y., N.Y.

Solo Museum Exhibitions

2009 “Descent into the political” Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA
2007 On this site stood" The Main St. Sculpture Project of
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT.
2003 “Metaphorical Menagerie” Pember Museum, Granville, N.Y.
2001 “Image and Allegory,” The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
2000 “Norm Magnusson -- American Painter” The Springfield Art Museum, MO

Solo Gallery Exhibitions

2008 “Youth Culture in America” Muddycup Gallery, Kingston, N.Y.
“America's Seven Cardinal Virtues” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2006 “America’s Seven Deadly Sins” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2004 “Figures of speech in paint” Inquiring Mind Gallery, Saugerties, N.Y.
2003 “Vacation” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “After the 11th” BridgewaterFineArts, N.Y., N.Y.
2001 “The Animal Alphabet” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y. 2001
1999 “Central Park Animals - Then and Now” The Arsenal Gallery,
Central Park, N.Y. , N.Y.
1998 “American Paintings” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, N.Y.
1997 “Norm Magnusson” J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
1997 “Travelogue” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1996 “Norm Magnusson” Picturesque Gallery, Akaroa, New Zealand
1995 “Bestiary” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1994 “The Normandy Paintings” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery
1993 “Recent paintings” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC
1992 “Norm Magnusson” The Gallery Upstairs at Flamingo East, NYC
Group Museum Exhibitions

2009 “Food” Muroff Kotler Visual Arts Gallery, SUNY Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY
2005 “Over the top - Under the rug” The Shore Institute of Contemporary Arts
2003 “Genetic expressions: Art after DNA” Hecksher Museum, Huntington, NY
2000 “Animals in Art” The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska

Selected Group Shows

2010 “Define the decade” GCCE, Catskill, NY
“SKW inside” Lucky Street Gallery, Key West, FL
“Mill Street Loft invitational”, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
“Group show” Kleinert James Art Center, Woodstock, N.Y.
2009 “Decorating nature” Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.
“spctclr vws” One Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY
“Inaugural” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, NY
2008 “Hudson Valley Invitational” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
“Animal allegories” Gallery 668, Battenville, N.Y.
“Wild thing” Ira Wolk Gallery, Napa, CA
“Strange bedfellows” Le Petit Versailles, NYC
2007 “Variations on a rainbow” Le Petit Versailles, N.Y., N.Y.
“About face: artists not afraid of U-turns” GCCA, Catskill, N.Y.
2006 “New Hudson Room” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, N.Y.
2005 “Compared to what” Gallery OneTwentyEight, N.Y., N.Y.
“This is not an archive” Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
2004 “Ambush” VanBrunt Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Happy Art for a sad world” Spike Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
2002 “Reactions” Exit Art, N.Y., N.Y.
“Biennial” Bradford Brinton Memorial, Big Horn, Wyoming
2000 “Animals as Symbol” Curated online exhibition, Guild.com
“Salon” HereArt, N.Y., N.Y.
1999 “Urbiculture” Sylvia White Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“A big show of small work” Bridgewater/Lustberg/Blumenfeld, N.Y. “Portraits 2” Jorgenson Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Wish you were here” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
“Framed” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, N.Y., N.Y.
1998 “Open your heart” Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“A big show of small works” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
“Anima Mundi” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
1997 “Whit, Whimsy & Humor” Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, N.Y.
“Winter show” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“PhotoSoho” Buhl Foundation, New York, N.Y.
“Art walk ‘97 Show” J.J. Brookings Gallery, San Francico, CA.
“A big show of small work 2” Bridgewater/Lustberg, NYC
1996 “A big show of small work” Bridgewater/Lustberg, New York, N.Y.
“Summer exhibition” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
Selected group shows (con’t.)
1995 “Creative Conflict” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y. “High/Low/Art Soup” Renee Fotouhi Fine Art, East Hampton, N.Y.
“Animal Kingdom” The Union League Club, New York, N.Y.
“Open your heart” Christinerose Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Preview of 1995” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.

1994 “Then and Now” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York,N.Y.
“Summer 1994” J. Cacciola Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Accidental Tourist” Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Garden in the Gallery” Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1994 “Group Show” Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
1993 “Celebration of Victor Hugo” Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France
“Group Show” Galerie Antoinette, Paris, France
"Apres New York" Galerie Les Etelles, Villequier, France

Selected Bibliography

“Decorating nature by Norm Magnusson”, Wine and Bowties, Feb. 20, 2010

“Political descent”, Woodstock Times, November 5, 2009

”Norm Magnusson’s ‘historical markers’”, Woodstock Times, July 31, 2008

“Norm Magnusson” Sculpture, June 2008

“On this site stood a man with a message” The New York Times, Sep. 30, 2007

"Signposting America," Eyeteeth: A journal of incisive ideas, Aug. 18, 2007

“Standing ground – The Aldrich goes Americana, sort of”, Bedford Mag., July 2007

"Parting shot: Norm Magnusson," Chronogram, August, 2007

“Magnusson’s markers highlight social issues,” Ridgefield Press, July 12, 2007

“I saw the sign”, Modern Painters, June 2007

"Norm Magnusson - On this site stood," American Towns, June 3, 2007

“On this site stood: culture jamming history,” Art Threat, May 29, 2007

“Énoncé de l’artiste,” Esse arts + opinion, Spring-summer 2007

"Painting politics," The Woodstock Times, August 3, 2006
Selected Bibliography (con’t.)

“A blossoming of political art” The Huffington Post, June 6, 2006

“Art that pushes the limits of studio walls,” Atlanticville Press, September 7, 2005

“Caution: angry artists at work,” The New York Times, August 27, 2004

“Vacation,” The New York Times, September 12, 2003.

“Norm Magnusson,” The Week, August 29, 2003.

"Images of a beautiful era, and of scientific breakthroughs," The NY Times, July 27, 2003

"Pember Museum has Art Exhibit," The Granville Sentinel, February 19, 2003

“Artist’s ‘funism’ provides lesson behind each animal,” Springfield News Leader,
October 18, 2000

"The Artist’s Way," Adweek, August 16, 1999

"Norm Magnusson," Review, March 1, 1997

"Travels with Magnusson," Where New York, February, 1997

"Ecological awareness with paint and a brush," The Villager, February 12, 1997

"From the Big Apple to Akaroa," The Press (Christchurch), March 27, 1996

"Fun-ism in art," The Beta Theta Pi Magazine, Spring 1996

"Museum/Gallery Notes," Wildlife Art News, Sept./Oct. 1995

"Norm Magnusson," Cover, September, 1995

"Viel Rauch um nichts," Der Vogel, August 18, 1995

"Raw News," Raw Vision, Summer 1995

"Animal Rites," The Villager, June 28, 1995

"Norm Magnusson," The New Yorker, February 28, 1994

“Scene Change,” The Villager, February 16, 1994

"Dimanche, les ecoliers invitaient aussi a voter," Le Courier Cauchois, March 27, 1993
Selected Bibliography (con’t.)

"La peinture sur le chemin des ecoliers," Le Courier Cauchois, January 23, 1993.

"A la decouvert d’un peintre americain avec les ecoliers de Villequier,"
Paris Normandie, 1/22/93

"A Self-taught Village Artist Creates a ‘Funism’ Style," The Villager, Sept. 9, 1992.

"Enjoyable and Accessible Art," The Villager, August 19, 1992.

Museum Collections

Anchorage Museum of History and Art - Anchorage, Alaska
The Museum of Modern Art - New York, N.Y.
(Franklin Furnace/Artist’s book collection)
The Springfield Art Museum - Springfield, Missouri
The Pember Museum - Granville, N.Y.

Selected Private Collections:

Mr. William Burback Garrison, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Kristen and Johann Eveland New Canaan, CT.
Mr. Kenneth Cole New York, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Ione and Marshall Crenshaw Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Ms. Kim Dickens Los Angeles, CA
Mr. Laurence Rockefeller New York, N.Y.
Ms. Jill Sobule Los Angeles, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Kate Spade New York, N.Y.
Mr. Theo Spencer New York, N.Y.
Dr. & Mrs. Harlan Waksal Telluride, Colorado
Tanya Wexler & Amy Zimmerman New York, N.Y.

Public/Corporate Collections

AmSouth Bank - Birmingham, Alabama
Fidelity Insurance - Boston, Mass.
Kenneth Cole - New York, N.Y.
Simmons, U.S.A. - Atlanta, Georgia

Awards

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council 2008
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, 1998-1999