Material Girls Podcast

Get your x-acto knives out and listen in to our newest interview with artist MingYan Helen Gu. In today's episode, Helen walks us through her newest series of paper sculptures and the art of conceptual crafting. We learn when to reign in perfection for that “hand-made” look, everything that gets it into a gallery inventory list, and the qualities that make a superior ruler ✨

Using Force with Hannah Vaughan S2 E6   On episode 6 of the @materialgirlspodcast, Kelly and Lucinda interview artist Hannah Vaughan about bending, crushing, burning and carving. Hannah goes into great detail about how she concepts and creates with wood and metal including the unlikeliest places she has found materials, her favorite brand of hard wax oil, how she makes her furniture comfortable, and what she has crushed in her hydraulic press. Stayed tuned after the interview to watch Hannah teach the material girls how to use a chain saw via the link in our bio. Some important tips: wear bright orange chaps and don’t use the tip until you’ve mastered the blade. Scroll through to see images of Hannah’s work and other subjects mentioned on today’s podcast!

How Things Come Together with Fiona Connor  S2 E5 Listen in to an interview with master-replicator and detail-loving artist, Fiona Connor.  For today’s episode, Fiona Lucy and Kelly read the (semi-dramatized) interviews of Aida, Cecille, Brian, and Marcos. These interviews are an excerpt from a series of interviews conducted by Fiona last year for contribution to Erin Besler’s book on Los Angeles architecture. This episode is JAM PACKED with info on LA construction from pulling permits, to California weathering (or not-weathering), tunes-to-build-to, and discussions of what “good practice” means. Find out the emotional importance of sweeping one's studio and why we keep chasing the open feeling of LA. Big thanks to the people who were a part of these interviews and allowing us to use and discuss them. Find us on Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Fiona’s work and other subjects mentioned in today’s episode!

After School Special with Drawwing Cabinet S2 E4 Click the link in the bio to hear today's episode or find us on Spotify and iTunes @materialgirlspodcast ! On this episode of the Material Girl's podcast, Lucinda and Kelly talk to Jenny Eom and Jisoo Chung about their educational arts studio Drawwing Cabinet. We'll discuss our brushes with arts education in the US and Korea and Jenny and Jisoo's vision of what arts education could be. We learn what a hagwon is, Jenny's many uses of tongs, how Jisoo passed her art entrance exam, and the meet-cute that brought them together. Shout out to the dumpsters at CalArts for providing some key equipment for the new educational setting and for the discerning listener, you may hear the name of a familiar friend from last season. Scroll through to see images of Jenny and Jisoo's work, as well as some of the objects that are being made by students at Drawwing Cabinet. 

“Peace Rockets” with David Roy S2E3 Click the link in the bio to hear today’s episode or find us on Spotify and iTunes @materialgirlspodcast ! For today's episode, the Material Girls sit down with rocket maker, motorcyclist, tinkerer, musician, photographer and all-around very cool guy David Roy as he explains the fabrication of his Peace Rockets, BlackNasa project and his personal outlook on art as a practice of freedom. Listen in as we discuss the well balanced qualities of a peanut butter wrench, the best locations to launch your amateur rockets, and LA’s once-favorite but now long-lost Hobby stores. Shout out to Culver City Hardware for hanging in there and showing up, carbon fiber for its durability and exotic look, and creativity for visiting at unexpected but crucial times. Scroll through to see images of David’s work along with other subjects mentioned in today’s episode! 

“A Sensibility of Space” with Jacci Den Hartog S2 E2 Take yourself to nature and listen in as we interview master material manipulator Jacci Den Hartog about her landscape sculptures and adorable eagle rock studio (& everything that goes on there). In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into Jacci’s gravity-defying waterfall sculptures, hear horror stories of destroyed work in transit ☠️, and learn where to get the best aprons in town (100% cotton anyone?). Go to our Instagram @materialgirlspodcast to see images of Jacci's work.

"Remapping and Remugging" with Nick Angelo S1 Ep2 Season 2 of the Material Girls Podcast is here with a super sick slew of material Mavericks for you. Ep 1 kicks off with native Angeleno and painter Nick Angelo. Come hear how Nick navigates his way from beginning to end in his systematic often times child-like paintings. Learn what a 'remugging' is and how to vandalize without leaving a trace. Go to our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Nick's work along with other subjects mentioned in today's podcast!

“Riding the Bevel” with Shirley TseEp. 12For the Season 1 finale of The Material Girls Podcast, Kelly and Lucinda interview sculptor Shirley Tse about her practice and most recent sculpture Negotiated Differences which was exhibited at the Hong Kong pavilion of the Venice Biennale in 2019. The two hosts learn about cutting styrofoam with wood tools, a Moroccan technique of woodturning using one’s toes, and which trees are on the endangered species list. Shirley reflects on protesting at Tiananmen Square, how she ended up as an artist in Los Angeles, and the basics of 3D printing. Come listen and learn what peg legs, bowling pins, and pepper grinders have in common and stay tuned for Season 2! Go to our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Shirley's work along with other subjects mentioned in today's podcast!

When Collages Get Birthmarks with Marnie Weber  Ep. 11 On today's episode of the Material Girls Podcast Lucy and Kelly interview performance and video artist Marnie Weber. Marnie teaches the two hosts what glue to use when making archival collages, the best places to get elderly masks and handmade clown clothes, and how she moved from playing music for beer to the LA performance art scene. Come listen to get a sneak peek into Marnie’s upcoming video piece and some background on what it takes to make a feature-length art film. Scroll through to see images of Marnie’s work and a look inside how she organizes her studio and years of costume storage! Shout outs: YES! glue for being kick-ass in the long run and Halloween Town in Burbank for being open 364 days a year.

Ep. 10 For today's episode of The Material Girls Podcast Kelly and Lucinda interview sculptor, musician, performance artist, researcher, and collector of cultural ephemera Scott Benzel. The two hosts learn how to hunt for obscure objects on the internet, question when a knock-off is more valuable than an original, and reflect on “coincidence” from Patty Hearst and Heaven’s Gate, to Betty Asher and Marcel Duchamp. Scott shares work from his upcoming show "Mindless Pleasures" walking us through the thought process of each piece. To see images of Scott's work along with other subjects mentioned in today's episode check out our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast.

"Surreptitious Image-Taking" with Megan PlunkettEp. 9On today's episode of the Material Girls Podcast Kelly and Lucinda interview artist Megan Plunkett. Megan tells the hosts how to stage a convincing murder scene, submit evidence and fill out a FOIA request form. On the non-criminal side of her practice, Megan discusses the advantages of gatorboard, prepping for eventual studio evacuation, pandemics, paranoia, and self-surveillance. To see images of Megan's work and other subjects mentioned in today's podcast, check out our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast!

It's Not Cashing-in, Its Creating Connections with Molly Shea Ep. 8 For today's episode, Kelly and Lucinda interview LA-based performance artist Molly Shea. The duo learn where Molly’s friends fall on the moral alignment chart, the balance between SFX and fine-art prosthetics, and the materials needed to build a life-sized potato costume. Molly shares her desert island top materials list that would give the doctor from Gilligans Island a run for his money - you won't want to miss it. Swipe through our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Molly's work along with other subjects mentioned in today's podcast!

Wearing Subtle Clown Make-Up with Adam StampEp. 6In today's podcast Lucy and Kelly talk to licensed notary, commercial costumer, and fine artist Adam Stamp. The two hosts learn about the properties of brass, how Adam determines the height of his sculptures and a brief relay of what it’s like to attend an ICP show. Swipe through our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Adam’s work along with other subjects mentioned in today's episode.

Ep. 6For episode 6 of the Material Girls Podcast Kelly and Lucy interview sculptor, performer, and costumer Patrick Ballard. Tune in to hear about Patrick's world-building narratives, the sounds of deep-sea emo crustaceans, and remember the painful years of tapered jeans and Myspace (the birthplace of contemporary performance art?). Find us on Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Patrick's work along with other subjects mentioned in today's podcast!

Whose Hand is That? with Luke Harnden Ep. 5 In episode 5 of the Material Girls Podcast, Kelly and Lucinda speak with painter, sculptor and performance artist Luke Harnden. Luke walks the hosts through the process of making one of his paintings, commiserates over the jobs that support our art practices, and questions the collaborative nature of fabricating art in the post-Fordist economy we live in. We’ll learn how cathode ray televisions work, the similarities between art and magic, and a rare gem found only in automotive plants in Detroit. Go to our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Luke’s work along with other subjects mentioned in today’s show.

Holding Hands with Bailey Hikawa Ep. 4 In episode four of the Material Girls Podcast, Kelly and Lucinda interview Bailey Hikawa, a Los Angeles based artist and founder of KAME, a line of sculptural iPhone cases. The two hosts learn how the industry has affected Bailey's practice, the importance of mentorship, how to turn an ordinary wooden block into an iPhone case, and the historically accurate way to carry a baguette. Go to our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Bailey's work and other subjects mentioned in today's show!

Latex and Resins with an Ex-Latex Vessel Reconstruction Engineer aka Alicia Piller Ep. 3  Come along with Lucy and Kelly when they interview LA-based sculptor Alicia Piller. Today the two hosts learn about the history of balloons (sorry to say this isn’t so animal-friendly), studio safety practices for using resins, and the mind-bending structural abilities of bamboo. Scroll through our Instagram post @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Alicia's work along with other subjects referenced in today's episode. Shout outs from today's recording: Shout out to synthetic resin for being harder than concrete, shout out to the Wikipedia pages on bamboo and balloons, and shout out to Michael Faraday for his side hustle inventions while making important scientific discoveries.

Crossover at Cosmic Cafe with Martine Syms Ep. 2 Today’s episode takes an alternate route when @MaterialGirlsPodcast teams up with @NTS_radio show CCARTALK LA with Martine Syms. Come along for the ride while Lucy and Kelly learn what Martine’s favorite tool is, The Cosmic Cafe hours of operation, and the expensive way to dodge pesky EMF waves. Scroll through our Instagram @MaterialGirlsPodcast to see images of Martine’s work along with other subjects mentioned in today’s podcast. This one's a two-parter folks,  click the link in our bio to hear our half of the podcast on Spotify and tune in to @NTS_radio to hear the other half tomorrow at 12pm on 2/12/20. 

If Egyptians Had Phonebooks with Alexander CollinsEp.1For today's inaugural episode, we interview Los Angeles based artist Alexander (AJ) Collins. Kelly and Lucy learn about the history of paper-mache and cardboard, hear potential pitfalls to look out for when working in the medium, and discover the hands-free method for stripping a paper-mache sculpture to its bones (*spoiler* rodents may be the best studio assistants yet).