Slow Art is a contemporary art movement that celebrates craft, technique, materials and the process of creating.

Since its beginnings, the Slow Movement has been spreading at an appropriately slow and steady pace across disciplines and geographical boundaries. You’ve probably heard of Slow Food, Slow Money and Slow Fashion, but how does this movement’s principles apply to art? A recent exhibit at Stockholm’s National Museum of Fine Arts was entirely dedicated to the concept of of Slow Art, celebrating this contemporary movement where technique, materials and process are considered especially important.

“Broken Shadow” – raw silk & leather dress by Helena Hörstedt, 2008

Silk & linen embroidery by Suzy Strindberg, 1999

Over 30 pieces from the museums permanent collections were included in a curated showcase of unique, handcrafted silver, textile, glass and ceramic artifacts by artists from the past three decades. The slow process is characterized by a certain respect for the audience — something often lacking in our society dominated by mass production and consumption. “Few people remain unmoved by an artwork that demonstrates superb craftsmanship. The care that goes into producing the work and the persistence of the artist are a source of fascination to many.”

“Ur Anor” – steel necklace by Lotta Åström, 2010

“Red” – paper & glue bowl by Cecilia Levy, 2011

“The considerable time required to make these works has not always been a cause of frustration for artists or craftspersons,” curator Cilla Robach writes in the exhibition catalog. “On the contrary, they have valued time and regarded slowness as a central element in their artistic process. Many practitioners have put special emphasis on shaping certain details, without having to fear the mental boredom or physical pain of repetition. Instead, the viewer suspects that they have found tranquility in the monotonous and slow work stages that were required to create a specific piece. Several of the practitioners have developed their own techniques to achieve the particular expression they were after. Others have chosen to use the same methods and tools as artisans and craftspersons have been using for centuries.”

Paper & steel wire necklace by Janna Syvänoja, 2003

“Shadows” – machine embroidery by Malin Lager, 2004

Spending considerable amounts of time making something using time-consuming techniques and processes can often be seen as somewhat provocative. We’ve become so accustomed to always taking the path of least resistance that we may have forgotten that it is not always merely about the end-result.

Eggshell, 24k gold & sweet water pearl necklace by Helena Sandström, 1997

Cotton & linen embroidery by Pasi Välimaa, 2001

“The fact that a few people have nevertheless chosen to develop their artistic creativity by devoting themselves to one or more crafts could be hard for the world at large to understand, or even a bit frightening or provocative,” says Robach. “For what is it these slow artists accomplish with their relentless, slow and complicated work, full of repetitive movements that frequently cause physical pain? What drives Helen Dahlman to make her monumental embroideries in thin cotton thread, despite having to wear double plasters to prevent the blood from her pricked fingertips from staining the fabric? What does Renata Francescon get out of thumbing porcelain clay into rose petals hour after hour, day after day? Why does Tore Svensson continue, year after year, to forge bowls out of cold iron, when his body can’t take the immense strain for more than a couple of hours a day? What does Lotta Åström achieve by winding wire into a tight spiral that she then saws into tiny rings, which she links together to make jewellery resembling chainmail? Why does Sebastian Schildt spend several weeks on shaping a flat silver plate into a jug with a hammer, instead of using a machine to create the same object in a fraction of the time? There are no simple answers to these questions — apart from the certainty that the artists get a satisfaction from something other than profitability through rational manufacturing.”

“Boa” – silver necklace by Petra Schou, 2000

“Sub Rosa” – porcelain sculpture by Renata Francescon, 2004

Common to all the artworks featured is a sense of playfulness and spontaneity. These artists have developed a deep, genuine knowledge of the materials and processes they utilize to create their art, and this enables them to experiment and organically adapt their works as they progress. This way of surrendering control and not being solely focused on a specific outcome is not possible in mass-manufacturing, and it’s what gives these pieces soul and character. The slowness in production itself becomes an artistic value.

“Egypten” – titanium, 18k gold 18k & silk collar by Helena Edman, 1983

Although the National Museum’s Slow Art exhibit closed at the beginning of February, you can experience it from right where you are by downloading both the exhibition app and catalog. On the app (available free for iPhone and Android) you can view pictures of all the art, read the texts and listen to exhibition curator Cilla Robach talk about each object. The exhibition catalog is available to download, also for free, and gives you an incredible overview of the Slow Art topic, as well as beautiful photographs of and statements about each artwork. Give yourself some time, because you definitely don’t want to have to rush through this one.

All photos courtesy of National Museum, Stockholm

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Four materials fit seamlessly with the 2011 slant toward honesty and green accountability – concrete, bamboo, cardboard, and exaggerated wood grain. Look for these surfaces in 2011 because they’ll be showing up everywhere.

CONCRETE: Watch for concrete’s mixture of cement and sand to bring porous grey surfaces into interior spaces. Counters, furniture, tile, lampshades, pendant lighting, floors, and planters will boast an honest, raw industrial aesthetic.

BAMBOO: Last year was crowded with bamboo furniture, flooring, clothing, and even electronics. This fast growing member of the grass family is set to take the stage again in 2011, and will be sprinkled throughout the industry in both wooden and fabric form.

CARDBOARD: Recycled cardboard will be present in large doses of corrugated whimsy. Everything from grandfather clocks to rocking chairs will be created from the fibrous form of cardboard. The malleable material will be a strong presence in lighting and accessories, too.

EXAGGERATED WOOD GRAIN: Exaggerated wood grain will lend itself to furniture, wallpaper, and accessories. The celebration of nature’s intricacies within different wood species will usher in an age of acclaim for imperfect wooden goods. Acacia and olive tree wood are two examples of woods beautifully wrought with inconsistent growth patterns.

Keep an eye out for these materials in 2011 along with the rest of the 2011 shelter trends.

(Images from the portfolio of photographer Ditte Isager.)

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True, we are still living in a material world, but cotton grown with pesticides is no longer the fabric of our lives.

The green movement is making huge strides replacing toxins and waste in the marketplace with organic fibers like bamboo and hemp, as well as good old corn starch, throw-away cork and used paper.

The brave, new soldiers of eco industry believe enough is enough when it comes to creating more waste and adding to our grossly overflowing landfills and plastic islands. Bet you do, too!

Instead, the trend has been to meet a growing consumer demand for renewable and reusable resources, seeking out the scraps of industry (glass, cork and plastic bottles) and growing plants without pesticides to make healthy fibers with no trace of petroleum.

Here is a go-to list of the friendliest materials that have our planet covered.

1. Bamboo Fiber

The eco fiber option of choice, bamboo is woven into everything from fashionable dresses like those made by Spun in Seattle and other respected labels, to towels, totes and interior elements such as window treatments. This natural textile is made from the pulp of the bamboo grass and is best in the organic form – pure and unbleached. It is a strong fabric, considered more durable and sustainable than conventional textile fiber.

2. Bamboo Hardwood

Considered a renewable resource, bamboo is a grass that thrives quickly. Oak trees can take 120 years to grow to maturity while bamboo can be harvested in three. it also regenerates without need for replanting, and requires minimal fertilization or pesticides. The jury is still out on whether or not bamboo flooring is as durable as traditional European hardwoods. As Tree Hugger points out, now all bamboo products are alike. Since it  is mostly shipped from China, you have to determine if the product is treated according to environmental standards. Companies like Teragren are careful about adhering to strict environmental specifications.

3. Cork

Got a surface that needs covering? Put a cork on it. Whether molded into mosaics for floors by Mod Walls or adapted as a textile for chic handbags by Shop Cork Design, cork is a renewable resource from the industry’s by-products. It can be waterproofed to extend the life of the surface and also applied to walls as an unexpected modern surface.

4. Plantation Grown Teak

Teak is a deciduous hardwood tree from the highlands of southeast Asia and is considered a sustainable timber for indoor-outdoor furniture, as well as decking. The Maku Chaise, below, is an example of outdoor designs sold by Design Public and other vendors. Teak has a naturally high oil content which makes it both stable and resistant to rotting when exposed to extreme climates. Much of it comes to us from the island of Java. The Dutch started plantations there about 150 years ago. The Indonesian government agency, Perum Perhutani, now manages the plantations, enforcing a strict policy regarding the size and quantity of trees felled each year together with annual replanting.

5. Corn Starch Biocompostables

Corn: it’s what’s for dinner and so much more. These utensils from the Biodegradable Store made of sugar cane fiber, corn and potato starch are the green alternative to petroleum-based plastics and styrofoam materials which take thousands of years to degrade. Thankfully, the new biocompostables are not restricted to the home pantry but are showing up at shopping mall food courts and school events where large crowds gather and consume disposables in bulk. Corn has also been used for library cards in San Francisco and ringtone downloader cards. And don’t forget ethanol, a fuel helping to reduce greenhouse emissions and slow global warming.

6. Hemp

Hemp is grown without pesticides or fertilizers and is rapidly replacing plastic-based materials for clothing and home decor. A member of the Cannabis Sativa plant family (don’t worry, it won’t get you high – other than environmentally!), it yields 250% more fiber than cotton per acre plus 500% more pulp fiber than forest wood. Sold by the yard or already woven into bedding, curtains or fashion garb by brands like Eco Fabrik, hemp dates back to more than 10,000 years ago with a myriad of uses such as paper making, cloth weaving and extracted oils for medicinal products and skincare.

7. Soybean Fabric

Soy fabric is friendly and soft and similar to cashmere or silk in texture. It is found in luxury items, such as these cushy robes from Eco Body wear, and scrumptious baby rompers from Baby Soy USA. Soybean protein fiber is a sustainable and botanical textile fiber made from renewable and biodegradable natural resources – the leftover soybean pulp from tofu and soy milk production. Its 16 amino acids are healthy and nutritional for our skin.

8. Organic Cotton

The Organic Trade Association tells us organic cotton grown by farmers worldwide increased 152 percent during the 2007-2008 crop year. Organic cotton is grown without harmful toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers meaning the farming methods and materials have a low impact on people and the environment. Production replenishes and maintains soil fertility to build biologically diverse agriculture. Genetically engineered seed for organic farming is strictly taboo, and all cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown. In terms of products, it is much easier to find now in upscale and everyday clothing and underwear,  stylish bedding like this soft set from Pottery Barn, rugs, bags – you name it.

9. Recycled Glass

Companies like the inventive Vetrazzo are sparing landfills of post-industrial glass scraps, while giving new life to post consumer glass such as Corona Beer bottles which are made into countertops. It all goes into the mix of making a sustainable recycled product that adds great beauty to the environment. The same reusable resource is being molded into jewelry or new tumblers for entertaining. One man’s junk”¦you get the picture.

10. Low VOC Paint and Finishes

You’ve probably heard of VOC’s, the solvents in paint which evaporate easily at room temperature. They smell bad bad and are bad for people and other living things. They contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer as well as  poor indoor air quality. That’s why companies like Benjamin Moore and  YOLO Colorhouse® are offering us alternatives. The scientists and artists at YOLO produce a premium zero-VOC paint with an appealing designer palette of 40 hues for interiors, inspired by the natural world. It seems to be the direction more makers of finishes are going. Let’s follow this path and refuse to buy anything less healthy for our homes.

11. Recycled Polyester

Yes, rPET is the new polyester! PET stands for Poly Ethylene Terephthalate, a plastic resin and a form of polyester. PET is a polymer that is formed by combining two monomers called modified ethylene glycol and Purified Terephthalic Acid. PET is labeled with the #1 code on bottles and containers used to package soft drinks, water, juice, peanut butter, salad dressings and oil, cosmetics and household cleaners. PET is a popular package for food and non-food products because it is inexpensive, lightweight, resalable, shatter-resistant and recyclable. To source the post consumer bottles, they are sterilized and then dried and crushed into tiny chips. The chips are heated in a vat and forced through spinnerets (as with virgin polyester) and then are spun into yarn and dyed without toxic properties. What can you make with the Eco-fi material? Everything from carpets, bags and clothing to wall coverings, furnishings and craft felt.

12. Recycled Paper

Did you know 57 million trees are killed each year to produce the paper catalog companies crank out to market their stuff? The catalog industry floods our mailboxes with over 17 billion catalogs a year in the United States, many produced on paper that comes from endangered forests, including those in the Canadian Boreal forest. But businesses, such as Norm Thompson Outfitters of Portland, Oregon, are setting new standards by using recycled paper for their catalogs. Many other companies are getting on the recycled paper bus, including card and stationary designers such as Papel Vino in Vancouver and Bird Dog Press. Magazine strips are also coiled for trays and meshed into placemats for chic home decor. For every ton of paper that is recycled, 17 trees are spared. You can recycle most paper, including white office paper, newspaper and mixed-color paper, through a local curbside recycling program.

13. Felt

No longer just the craft stuff of school kids, if you’ve got an eye like Josh Jakus (bags and coasters) and Ronel Jordaan (modern stones) there is nothing you can’t glue together with this delightful, ecological textile. Felt can come in many forms, from recycled wool from PET bottles to made the old fashion “wet felting” way by nomadic peoples in Central Asia. The non-woven cloth is made by matting, condensing and pressing organic fibers while they are wet. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to use on construction materials such as a tar paper called roofing felt.

14. Solar Cells

A solar cell is a device that converts light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar panels and solar modules to produce energy for practical use. Harnessing energy from the sun is a major goal in slowing global warming. Prefabricated solar panel systems for roofing usually range in capacity from 3 to 120 kilowatts. According to Technology Review, solar roofing materials can “cut the cost of household solar installations by doing double duty, generating electricity while protecting buildings from the elements.” Scientists tell us that on a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet’s surface. Collecting all of that energy would allow us to easily power our homes and offices for free.

15. Aluminum Bottles

A question that might be posed by Dwight Schrute of The Office is “which water bottle is best?” Many athletes, backpackers and soccer moms who used to quaff from leaky plastic will tell you the Sigg aluminum is best when it comes to bottles free of Bisphenol-A (BPA) found in polycarbonate plastics. Sometimes called Lexan, BPA is an endocrine disruptor that has been shown to affect reproduction and brain development in animal studies. It can leach into foods and liquids and mimics estrogen when absorbed by the human body. Sigg bottles are made from a single piece of aluminum (no leaks) and have a water-based, non-toxic interior coating. The liner’s finish keeps out bacteria and mold and is neutral and resistant to fruit acids and energy drinks.  SIGG bottles have been independently tested to prove they are completely leach-free and are 100 percent recyclable.

16.BPA-Free Plastic

While plastics have been shunned by environmentalists since The Graduate debuted, the new Better Bottle produced by  CamelBak is a move in the right direction. The company switched its 2008 Better Bottle line to Eastman Tritan copolyester, a new BPA- and phthalate-free material. BPA-free bottles started shipping to retailers in January of 2008 and are popular choices for children following required packing lists for summer camps and school field trips. Camelbak also makes stainless steel bottles, which are a close rival of aluminum in popularity and purity. You can buy them at outdoorsy outlets such as REI.

17. Cardboard

Recycling old cardboard to make recycling containers? Sure, that’s what the inventive set, such as Amazing Recycled Products, is doing and much more. Savvy products on the market include coasters, DIY speakers and journals. The two types of cardboard that can be recycled are flat cardboard, which is typically used in cereal and shoe boxes, and corrugated cardboard, which has a ruffled layer between the two flat pieces of cardboard and is often used in packing boxes. Both can usually be recycled through your local curbside recycling program.

18. Reclaimed Rubber

Tired of tires sitting in landfills for indefinite periods of time? So are companies like Rubber Sidewalks, which use shredded tires to compose panels that fit together to form a rubber sidewalk. The rubber is even good for trees, letting the sidewalk raise and bend around the roots. You no longer have to remove entire trees to keep concrete from being torn up and replaced. In 2006, 60 cities from 15 different states tested rubber sidewalks. Residents find the rubber feels good under their feet and sound is reduced, as well. It’s safe and non-toxic. Rubber sidewalks also comes in different colors. While the main motive is to save trees, recycled rubber also reduces the waste from tires each year. In California alone, tires create an estimated 408 million pounds of waste rubber.

19. Rice Hulls

Green Pots are made from rice hulls and break down much quicker than traditional planters. No pollutants are used or produced at any stage of the manufacturing process of the containers and there are no wasted materials because scraps are recycled back into the production process. Consumer rice also enjoys afterlife as durable messenger bags that look pretty and help us conserve.

20. Natural Earth Clay and Plaster

A friendly alternative to cement, gypsum, acrylic and lime plasters, products like American Clay Earth Plaster are pure and breathable, a popular choice in the new construction of walls and remodeling of old buildings. As Countryside Magazine points out, using earth to make walls and houses has been done for thousands of years. Uncle Sam invested in testing Rammed Earth construction from the 20s through the 40s as a practical way to achieve affordable housing. Even Frank Lloyd Wright was said to be a fan of using adobe and other natural earth sources. He drew up plans for a multi-family cooperative but due to the war that project was never fulfilled. The process of making rammed earth involves the mixing of raw material from gravel, sand, silt and clay.

*BONUS MATERIAL

21. Elbow Grease

Susie Homemaker is not staying slim these days by downing diuretics (that was my mother’s trick) but by spinning her salads, washing and wiping dishes by hand, hand washing and line drying clothes, riding her bike to the market, walking to her volunteer meetings and other steps that burn calories while leaving a lighter carbon pump print. The more we use our own body’s energy the less we rely on oil, electricity and other sources that drain the planet. And by the way, the exercise of cutting some of your pretty hair also can help the planet in the mopping up of oil spills in the form of hair mats. Human hair has not caught on as fabric for clothing yet, as far as we can tell from Project Runway.

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