Beach Day

 I practically had the place to myself!

Commodore Perry Day!

This past saturday was Commodore Perry Day, celebrated by a fireworks show at Kurihama Harbor, a short train ride from Kamakura near the southern end of the Miura Peninsula. This is where Matthew Perry and his Black Ships in 1853 docked and presented a letter to Japanese officials ordering the opening of the borders for trade.

This monolith denotes the exact spot where Perry landed. It states: 

     "This monument commemorates the first arrival of Commodore Perry, ambassador from the United States of America who landed at this place July 14, 1835.

                      -Erected July 14, 1901 by America's Friends Association"

New Work!

I recently finished up my latest design project! This one was a lot of fun, though tedious! More on the project can be viewed here:
http://www.louierigano.com/index.php?/product-design/rose-vase/

Rose Vase

There is a perpetual human need to preserve the fleeting spectacle before it passes. Rose Vase is a study in both capturing ephemeral sentiments, and in vessels and the contents they hold.

The rose itself is an icon of fading beauty. Flowers have a self-destructive tendency: as they age, they wither and lose their petals. Here, this play of transience is hardened, the temporary is made permanent.

The vase is made entirely of rose petals, the remnants of the contents. Together, the vase and rose become part of an enclosed system, a dialogue. The outcome is a vessel that questions its contents, and a material that questions its origin and application.