Look for the rest of the set in June.

Artist Statement:

Mass production has changed the ways that humans design, make, and consume products. In the past all goods were made individually by the hands of skilled craftsmen. Then in the late 19th century, the assembly line dramatically changed the way stuff is made; cheap, uniform products became readily available, creating a novel distance between consumer and product. The post-World War II manufacturing boom exponentially increased the speed and reach of that change. Now in the internet age, we are moving to a place somewhere in between the completely hand-made items of the distant past and the mass-manufactured products of the past century. The internet has broadened the market available to craftsmen, and allowed them to sell their wares globally. At the same time, rapid prototyping has facilitated a seemingly contradictory change that allows mass manufacturers to produce custom pieces for each of their customers. The Cyber Fiber project envisions a future in which consumers have the resources to download and fabricate their own customized products and upload their own designs for others to use. If people wanted this dress, they could go online, upload a digital model of their bodies to a clothing a website, have the pattern of their choice custom tailored to their 3D model, then download the pattern to cut and fabricate the garment themselves. Though not quite this automated, the fabrication process for the piece on display was very similar to the process above. In this case, once the pattern was generated, it was used to quickly laser-cut a 1/4″ thick sheet of 100% wool felt. Once cut, the felt pieces were equipped with snap buttons and clipped together to complete the garment.

This a video of Katun Playing a medley of Pajkata and a standard Padjusko for the Ann Arbor Folkdancers on April, 24, 2010. The translation of the amusing Macedonian lyrics goes something like this:

“Uncle said he would marry me off
yesterday he said so, now he doesn’t want to.
Yesterday he said so, now he doesn’t want to;
and Aunt Sava won’t agree to it at all!

They wouldn’t agree and wouldn’t agree,
and finally they did agree.
They betrothed fair Neda
she’s as fair as an Arab,
as thin as a bear.

They put her in the carriage;
the carriage started to creak.
The carriage started to creak;
the buffalo staggered along (pulling it).

When they got going with Neda in it,
it broke in two.
It broke in two,
and the buffalo were frightened.”

Don’t forget to make room in your calendars for our upcoming gigs!
Upcoming Gigs:

Katun Sells out for Coffee – Date: Thursday, May 6, 2010 – Time: 8:00pm – 10:00pm – Location: Espresso Royale @ 214 S. Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 – Facebook Event

Katun Plays Keystone Underground Martini Bar – Date: Friday, June 11, 2010 – Time: 10:00pm – 1:30am – Location: 200 W. Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 – Facebook Event