Beyond ‘The Rose’: A New Monograph Shines a Light on Abstract Expressionist Jay DeFeo’s Unseen Photography

Beyond ‘The Rose’: A New Monograph Shines a Light on Abstract Expressionist Jay DeFeo’s Unseen Photography

Jay DeFeo barely took any photos of her hefty one-ton painting, The Rose (1958-66), during the seven years she spent layering it with inches of impasto and chiseling it. She may have forever regretted that.

In fact, for the first half of the late Abstract Expressionist’s career she hardly ever recorded her paintings in progress. But around 1970, she began an intense—if brief—affair with photography, documenting herself, her surroundings, and her paintings in pictures that fuse formal prowess with poetic playfulness.

While some of these works are currently in museum collections (including the Centre Pompidou, J. Paul Getty Museum, and Whitney Museum of American Art), DeFeo has not been broadly known for her photography.

But a  new monograph, Jay DeFeo: Photographic Work (DelMonico Books, 2023 which reproduces DeFeo’s photographs at their original (small) scale),  stands to change that. The book’s publication coincided with a recent exhibition at Paula Cooper Gallery in New York, with over 70 photographs, photocollages, photocopies, and chemigrams—the largest-ever presentation of the artist’s photographic work.

imageJay DeFeo: Photographic Work. © 2023 The Jay DeFeo Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.” width=”1024″ height=”819″ srcset=”https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Cover-copy-1024×819.png 1024w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Cover-copy-300×240.png 300w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Cover-copy-50×40.png 50w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Cover-copy.png 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”>

Jay DeFeo: Photographic Work. © 2023 The Jay DeFeo
Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

“Much like singles on an album, her dignified and serious paintings are the ‘hits’ that carry her legacy,” writes the late artist’s friend Catherine Wagner in Jay DeFeo: Photographic Work. “But for those of us who had the good fortune to know Jay, her photographs and collages, the ‘B-sides,’ now play like watershed discoveries, full of experimentation and innovation for both new and seasoned DeFeo aficionados to delight in.”

Best known in the Bay area, where she lived for most of her life, DeFeo’s work has seen a reevaluation since her 2012 traveling retrospective organized by the Whitney and shown at SFMOMA. Most of this focus has been on her early paintings that culminated in The Rose (now in the Whitney’s permanent collection) and on works on paper made subsequently.  Lesser known is the  four-year phase that DeFeo called “the dropout years,” when she painted very little. It was then, after The Rose was extracted from her studio, that she moved from lively San Francisco to quieter Marin County and picked up a camera instead of her paintbox.

imageUntitled (1973). © 2023 The Jay DeFeo Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.” width=”1016″ height=”1024″ srcset=”https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy-1016×1024.png 1016w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy-298×300.png 298w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy-150×150.png 150w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy-50×50.png 50w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy-96×96.png 96w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/JDF-2-PH_Levy_P0307H-copy.png 1400w” sizes=”(max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px”>

Jay DeFeo, Untitled (1973). © 2023 The Jay DeFeo
Foundation/Artists Rights Society
(ARS), New York.

“She took her photographic work very seriously,” said photography historian Corey Keller in a recent interview. “When she was preparing to meet a curator or preparing for an exhibition, she would really outline what she wanted them to look at. And almost invariably would say ‘look at the photographs, they are really important to me.’ Almost invariably, the curators would ignore them.”  Indeed, DeFeo’s photos were only exhibited once in her lifetime, despite her best efforts.

Remarkably, DeFeo never formally studied photography but learned darkroom printing from her students at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), where she taught painting. SFAI had one of the oldest photography programs in the country, founded by Ansel Adams in 1945, and his classical influence seeped into DeFeo’s prints. “For someone who was not known for being very careful, she was really intentional about her photographic work,” Keller said. This was especially true of her photographic ‘portraits,’ pictures of beloved objects that show a mastery in composition, light exposure, and printing technique. (One such series was devoted to a discarded plaster cast once used by DeFeo’s dog, R. Mutt.)

Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Jay DeFeo, Untitled (Salvador Dalí’s Birthday Party), May 11, 1973 (1973). © 2023 The Jay DeFeo Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

DeFeo soon became as experimental in her photos as she had been with her canvases, reversing negatives, cropping images, and sometimes not using negatives at all, but making chemigrams, exposing photographic papers to light and then pouring developer and fixer over them in painterly gestures.  In a nod to the surreal quality of these prints, DeFeo titled a 1973 group of chemigrams Salvador Dalí’s Birthday Party. “She just wasn’t bound by any of the rules,” noted Keller. “If a medium had rules assigned to it, those went out the window.”

In the same vein, DeFeo also began creating enigmatic photo collages, cutting, tearing, and layering her own prints. She’d often explore a shape repeatedly—like an old telephone she kept in her studio or a chair she saw in a thrift store—cutting out the object’s silhouette to leave a void that she filled with other images. “It reminds me of Mad Libs, where you put these funny words in and you end up with kind of absurdist poetry,” Keller explained. “That’s how her collages work.”

imageJay DeFeo: Photographic Work. © 2023 The Jay DeFeo Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.” width=”1024″ height=”819″ srcset=”https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Pgs.48-49-copy-1024×819.png 1024w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Pgs.48-49-copy-300×240.png 300w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Pgs.48-49-copy-50×40.png 50w, https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/11/Jay-DeFeo_Photographic-Work_9781636811116_Pgs.48-49-copy.png 1500w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”>

Images from Jay DeFeo: Photographic Work. © 2023 The Jay DeFeo Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

But it was in the late 70s that  she began photographing paintings in progress—which some have speculated she regretted not doing for The Rose. As she told art historian Sidra Stich, these photos allowed her to take a step back and view “the strength of the real basic spatial statement … so that I don’t allow all the sensuousness of the paint to kind of seduce me into thinking I’ve got something structurally strong, when I don’t.”

DeFeo continued photographing into the 1980s, but the intensity slowly faded. Later in life, as she looked back on these works, DeFeo described her the process as having engaged with “photography for its own sake, which I just didn’t stay with long enough.”

Bruce Conner, THE WHITE ROSE (still) (1967). © Conner Family Trust, San Francisco, © 2021 The Jay DeFeo Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

For now, her paintings still tend to be the draw for museums and collectors. “Market interest in DeFeo’s paintings and works on paper is, of course, more developed than that of the photographs, but this is largely due to this body of work being relatively little-known,” said Steve Henry, senior partner at Paula Cooper Gallery. Prices for her photographs reflect this, starting at around $20,000 against an auction record of $281,250 set in 2016 for an oil painting. An oil on paper sold at Sotheby’s New York in December 2022 for $94,500, exceeding its presale high estimate of $60,000.

Yet many believe that as her photographic work garners more notice, it will come to be as celebrated as The Rose. “Her career has been so overshadowed by the 2000-pound painting, the gorilla in the room. I think that there’s a prejudice, still, against the photographic output of a painter,” Keller said. “I would argue that I’m not sure if we can call her a painter anymore. I think she’s something more complex than that.”

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

Md. photographer’s stunning photo of ‘Wolf Spider Mama’ wins worldwide contest

Md. photographer’s stunning photo of ‘Wolf Spider Mama’ wins worldwide contest

For some it’s creepy, for some it’s beautiful, for others, maybe it’s a mix of both.

Gaithersburg photographer Ben Salb’s close-up shot of a mother spider has earned him first-place in the Insects and Arachnids category in the Nature Conservancy annual contest.

“It’s a super zoomed in photo of a wolf spider mom with dozens or maybe a hundred or so spiderlings, her babies, on her back,” Salb said.

Gaithersburg photographer Ben Salb used a technique called focus stacking to get the above image of a wolf spider and her babies. (Courtesy Ben Salb)

According to a news release from the Nature Conservancy, 80,000 photographers submitted over 189,000 entries for the prestigious worldwide contest. Salb took his winning photo in a neighborhood park in Gaithersburg.

He calls it “Wolf Spider Mama.” Salb used a technique called focus stacking to get the final image.

“It’s actually 129 photos that were taken individually from the closest point to the lens, to the hairs on the baby’s legs,” he said.

The camera Salb uses takes the shots automatically, but afterward, he uses software in a painstaking process to get a final, perfect image.

Salb’s prize for winning the contest? A $1,000 Amazon gift card.

“Not too bad, got some Christmas shopping money.”

Photography is not Salb’s full time job, but he said he started honing the craft during the pandemic.

“There was kind of an international wave of people who started the bug photography and macro photography at the same time,” Salb said.

You can see more of his work on his Instagram page @bens_small_world.

“I don’t know if the internet or world is just more interested in bugs, or if we’ve kind of helped people see bugs in a different way.”

A New Documentary Follows the Ohio Environmentalists Making Paint from Toxic Mining Runoff

A New Documentary Follows the Ohio Environmentalists Making Paint from Toxic Mining Runoff

In southeast Ohio, toxic drainage from abandoned coal mines has devastated streams and rivers. The acidic sludge, which is filled with heavy metals, leaches into waterways, destroying ecosystems and turning what should be clear, bluish waters into murky, rust-colored runs. In Athens, home of Ohio University, a Hocking River tributary known as Sunday Creek is a prime example of mining’s harmful effects, with more than two million pounds of iron oxide pouring into the stream each year  A new documentary directed by Jason Whalen visits the area and the team vowing to clean it up.

Toxic Art” follows an unconventional pairing of two Ohio University professors who have teamed up on a project that turns sludge from the stream into pigments for oil paint. A project of the global conservation organization Rivers are Life, the short film shares the story of artist John Sabraw and Guy Riefler, the chair of the Civil Engineering department, who have spent six years developing pigments using iron oxide they collected from the creek.

Riefler explains that conventional treatments are often cost-prohibitive, and so the pair decided that if they could create and sell a commercial product, they could fund clean-up efforts on their own. From there, they helped develop True Pigments, a collaborative project with Gamblin Artist Colors that uses proprietary technology to create vibrant pigments from the toxic material.

“We’ve been refining a process that can continuously treat acid mine drainage, restore a stream for aquatic life, and collect sustainably sourced iron pigment that can be sold offsetting operational costs,” Sabraw told Hyperallergic. “Based on our best estimates, we should be able to create jobs and produce a small profit, while eliminating a perpetual pollution source.”

While primarily comprised of volunteers manually harvesting and processing the materials, the multi-pronged project has now secured $3.5 million in funding to construct a True Pigments facility on the Appalachian site. Once that plant is running, Sabraw estimates that his team will be able to completely restore Sunday Creek, “remove over 6,000 lbs of iron… and theoretically produce 75,000 tubes of paint,” every day. Because that’s a staggering amount of material that would overwhelm the consumer market, the team plans to sell much of their future stock to industrial sources.

Watch “Toxic Art” above to see the innovative pollution-to-pigment pipeline in action, and purchase your own set of reclaimed materials from True Pigments.

 

yellow gloved hands hold sludge

swirling orange and yellow pigment

Sabraw making pigments in his studio

a gamblin paint tube alongside three vials of dry pigment

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A New Documentary Follows the Ohio Environmentalists Making Paint from Toxic Mining Runoff appeared first on Colossal.

Photographer Captures Punks, The Unhoused, and The Abandoned in LA

Photographer Captures Punks, The Unhoused, and The Abandoned in LA

LA street photography

An anonymous street photographer spent six months visiting hundreds of different areas in Los Angeles documenting raw and poignant images.

Warning: This article has photos that contain mild nudity and depictions of self-harm.

Suitcase Joe’s photos are an empathetic look at displacement and mental illness; Joe previously spent ten years documenting the inhabitants of the notorious Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles.

For his new project, Grey Flowers, Joe departed from his work on Skid Row and traipsed around the wider L.A. area to meet punks, the unhoused, the abandoned, and what Joe calls “beautiful strangers.”

“I thought I had a good idea of how diverse Los Angeles is but after moving around so much from neighborhood to neighborhood on a daily basis it gave me a whole new perspective,” he tells PetaPixel.

“This city is a never-ending world of different people and places. I could shoot a hundred books around L.A. and they could all be different. There were so many neighborhoods and communities I wanted to dive deeper into while shooting the book. I’m now currently doing just that.”

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

Grey Flowers is a hardbound coffee table book containing 300 photos all in black and white because Joe feels that the medium has more impact than color photography.

“They capture more of the raw truth of people and their environments. They have a timeless feel that always leaves me longing and wanting to know more. I chase those feelings in my photos,” he explains.

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

Joe says he visited a different neighborhood every day while shooting for Grey Flowers and it was never the same.

“One morning I could be by the railroad tracks shooting near DTLA, by lunch I’d be in Venice, and later that evening I’d take a bus several miles up Sunset Boulevard and walk back home,” he says.

“It was all a great medicine for the soul and it gave me a whole new love for this city.”

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

LA street photography

Joe says his experience was different from when he shot Sidewalk Champions — a project all about Skid Row — and he didn’t shoot as many transient people

“There was a girl named Trash who in the book is the girl with hundreds of scars on her arms from cutting,” Joe says.

“She was really fascinating to me and I kept going back to see her. I heard recently she passed away but I can’t confirm it; though, I haven’t been able to find her since.”

Joe says that he continued to keep in touch with many of the subjects in his book and is keen to keep documenting in the same vein.

“After I had enough photos for a new book I felt there was still so much to explore,” he says.

“So many captivating stories and lives of varied people each drastically different from the other but equally fascinating.

“I’ve now partnered with another filmmaker and we’re making a docuseries based on some of the people and subcultures I discovered through Grey Flowers.”

LA street photography

Grey Flowers is published by Burn Barrel Press and can be purchased via the website.

More of Joe’s work can be found on his Instagram and website.


Image credits: Photographs by Suitcase Joe.

The Heart of This Warehouse Office Is Community

The Heart of This Warehouse Office Is Community

While some companies boast about community being the center of their business, Tustin, California-based Tricon Residential is physically built for it. Designed by Shubin Donaldson Architects, the new office embodies Tricon’s people-first approach with a biophilic courtyard meant for collaboration situated right in the center of the 66,000-square-foot tilt-up warehouse. Surrounding this space are other featured areas that help create a sense of community similar to the Tricon business.

green courtyard in the middle of a warehouse office

Various seating reminiscent of smoothed river rocks provides space for impromptu collaboration and meetings. A mix of trees and plans support the biophilic environment, a space where getting fresh air is synonymous with having a casual hangout with your coworkers.

green courtyard in the middle of a warehouse office

seating areas on turf in warehouse office

green courtyard in the middle of a warehouse office

conference room with glass wall showcasing a green courtyard

conference room with glass wall showcasing a green courtyard

Surrounding the heart of the office are distinct “neighborhoods” that span the various departments of the company. Glass walls provide transparency while also letting in the abundance of natural light that streams in from the ceiling.

office workstations next to green courtyard

office workstations in modern office

tiered seating space in warehouse office

Other featured areas that support the community aspect of the office include a tiered seating zone for communal presentations, conference rooms, a cozy cafe, and a spacious kitchenette with access to an outdoor patio.

three row conference room

cafe-style lounge space

woman sitting in cafe-style lounge space

woman sitting in cafe-style lounge space

lab zone with a television and multiple tables

Illuminated by LED polycarbonate panels, the Tricon Innovation Lab serves as a showcase of the company’s cutting-edge technology.

lab zone with a television and multiple tables

colored seating zones separated by privacy screens

birdseye view of a warehouse office

dining area in warehouse office

dining area in warehouse office

employees playing pickleball in warehouse office

Photography by Benny Chan.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

2023 Best Modern Gifts for Pets + Pet Lovers

2023 Best Modern Gifts for Pets + Pet Lovers

They’re our best friends, our confidants, and our everyday companions. Pets are family, and they definitely deserve a spot on your gift list this year and every one to come. (Though those of us in the know realize every day is pet day!) Whether you’re a cat person or a dog lover, we’ve tracked down 20 of the best modern pet gifts out there for your favorite furry friends. There’s even a few things for the pet parents in your life!

Any pet toy that’s cute is welcome in our home, and we love this bright citrus scratching ball of fun! Premium jute is irresistible to cats, they just can’t resist sinking their claws in – which is great, because we don’t want them doing that to the living room furniture. Built to endure hours upon hours of play, the Tangerine Scratching Ball is durable, made using non-toxic dyes, and helps maintain nail health of cats of all ages.

two light-skinned hands spoon peanut butter into a large light blue dog toy

This interlocking modular puzzle toy will keep your pooch entertained as they fetch and chew, while also keeping their instincts sharp. The toy’s shape allows pieces to be joined together or enjoyed individually – the puzzle possibilities will keep them guessing! Fill the open ends with their favorite treats (Customers have called it better than Kong!), you can even freeze it for longer play. Natural rubber provides maximum durability and minimal health risks, as well as easy clean-up. Armadillo would be ideal for pets with anxiety.

large knit light grey pet bed with a grey kitten

If your cats are anything like mine, nothing beats finding a good spot to curl up in first. Cozy and warm, the Vevo cat bed checks all the boxes when it comes to cat comfort. Made with silky, velvety materials, it can be transformed into endless shapes that feel snug and secure. The bed’s knotted weave helps relax and massage your kitty with its bumps while they rest. The Vevo is recommended for cats up to 20 lbs.

large brown poodle wears a brown puffer vest

Is your dog’s wardrobe more stylish than your own? Then I’m sure you (and your pup) would appreciate the addition of this puffer vest that uses vegan down alternative fill as the temperatures continue to drop. Arabella is lightweight and designed to give your pet superior range of motion while remaining effortlessly cool. On-trend and plush, it will keep Fido warm, cozy, and comfortable no matter where you venture outdoors next.

two brown and white cats playing with a round accordion cardboard toy

Keep your cat busy and further distracted with this high-quality corrugated paper toy that’s not easy to deform. Designed for scratching, playing, and lounging, the CatCordion can be transformed into four shapes that are fun and attention grabbing. A racing rattle ball is included for active play!

a clear and black bottle next to a smaller white and black bottle

Being a pet owner isn’t all slobbery kisses and unconditional love, it can also come with not-so-pleasant… odors. Barkus’s enzymatic natural deodorizing coat fine mist spray is formulated to neutralize while conditioning your pup’s coat. Choose from unscented, Earth, and Flower concentrates. The well-designed bottle features a soft trigger motion, is reusable, airless, and includes 360º use – you can even turn it upside down to hit all the spots.

dark grey cat readies to jump off a cushioned wood wall perch

It’s a fact: high places make cats feel safest. (Though we’re sure they also enjoy looking down on us, literally and figuratively!) The Wall Mounted Cat Perch is designed using a molded plywood construction and a foam cushion that’s wrapped in either tweed or Pendleton wool. Real, natural wood veneer, available in Walnut, Oak, and Teak, is hand-sanded and finished with high-performance satin lacquer. The perch mounts to the wall with a screw-less appearance, so it won’t be messing up your decor anytime soon.

french bulldog stands in front of a muted set of food and water bowls with mats

This bowl and mat set has more going for it than you can imagine. While it’s not making you compromise on aesthetics, its QuickDry Bowl Base – made from diatomite earth and a BPA-free silicone mat – is busy instantly absorbing spills to keep floors clean and dry. It also prevents mold and bacteria growth and is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and antimicrobial. Small grooves help to keep the two dishwasher- and microwave-safe anti-spill ceramic bowls in place. The instant-drying mat doesn’t even need washing – just make sure it dries out between uses.

cone-shaped grey felt pet bed

What furry little guy or girl wouldn’t love to hide, play, and snooze in this hooded pet bed?! Lightweight and covered in grey polyester felt, its cone shape is minimal and ready to blend in with the rest of your decor. Your pet enters through an arched doorway, leading to an interior with a removable striped cushion that provides extra padding. Best of all? You can even roll it up and take it on the go – easy peasy.

calico cat eats from a white automatic feeder

If you find your furry family member(s) waking you up before the sun for breakfast, the Feeder-Robot would benefit you both. Your cat or dog will never miss a mealtime and you’ll get a bit more shuteye before the alarm goes off, as it inevitably will. With portion-controlled meal schedules made through the app or unit, anti-jam technology, and the ability to hold up to 32 cups of dry food, it’s the gift that will keep on giving.

a brown dog with large ears models a chartreuse colored harness

If your pooch has been climbing the social ladder at the dog park – or just has the desire to stylishly stroll around the neighborhood in high fashion – LUNGE’s Harness is an accessory they need. Made in Brazil using 100% Nappa leather that’s cushioned for everyday comfort, the designed in Brooklyn Harness is available in multiple sizes and four colors.

orange and white cat sits behind a clear glass elevated food/water bowl

For the fancy feline in your life, this hand-cut glass bowl is unique and multifunctional. The tall top bowl holds food, while the smaller bottom bowl can hold water or snacks. A wide, sturdy base with rim and slip-resistant mat helps prevent the bowl from being pushed or tipped over. Made of real crystal glass, the material keeps bacteria at bay, is pet-safe, and easy to clean. The overall design places them in a more comfortable eating posture, and works especially well for flat-faced cats and for preventing whisker fatigue.

modern dog house shaped like an actual house

Want your pet’s home to feel as modern as your own? This minimalist pet house is clearly inspired by Scandinavian design, giving them a spot that’s cozy and private with plenty of light and airflow. The included natural cotton-covered cushion is stuffed with antimicrobial microfiber that’s ready to keep them warm when it’s cold and cool when it heats up.

dark grey long-haired cat interacts with a modern wood slow feeder

Few things can make you jump up faster than a cat about to be sick, and oftentimes it’s simply because they chowed down too fast on their breakfast. This slow feeder paces eating, helps cats unleash their hunting instincts, and acts as entertainment. It also comes apart into two pieces: a wood stand for the provided small and large bowls. The slow feeder is handmade using premium quality plywood and 100% natural plant oil – all safe for animals and children, and food-safe.

drawing of a scruffy dog

Artist Valeria Davide creates these beautiful sketched works under the name May Contain Mutts. No worries if Otto isn’t what you have in mind, as there’s a plethora of breeds and mixes to choose from, as well as print sizes. Digitally printed in the UK, this particular print measures 5″ x 7″. Once the art is enclosed in a solid Obeche wood frame with the choice of a lime wax or painted matte black finish it measures 15.25″ x 13.25″. No dog lover can resist these faces!

long-haired white and grey cat looks at a round light-green cat toy presented to it in an ice cream cone

While this kitty looks a bit skeptical, he/she is likely to pounce into action once the M2 Ice Cream Ball gets going! Made of premium silicone, the toy features a bright, color-changing LED light, a play-and-rest cycle, three interaction modes, automatic obstacle avoidance, and a long battery life for lots of uninterrupted playtime. Each color choice represents a different ice cream flavor: raspberry, blueberry, and matcha!

a brown dog sits on a large green and white checked dog bed

We own and love The Fritz Bed in black and white, and can vouch for both its comfiness and style. (So much so that I wouldn’t shy away from using it as a floor pillow for extra seating for guests!) Durable, water-resistant, and scratch-proof, the bed is made of 100% recycled PET bottles while the insert cushion uses recycled PET cotton. The cover is machine washable recycled canvas that will standup to your pup’s nesting pre-nap. The bed is currently available in one size, 35″ x 25″.

orange cat scratching on an elongated light gray wrapped scratching board

If your feline friend likes to change up their scratching poses, the Tab Scratching Board is a great gift. Minimal in design while remaining sturdy, it can be placed horizontally, rested against a wall at an incline, or mounted vertically with the Tab Wall Mount. If you decide to opt for the latter, know that the board entirely covers the mount for a clean look and can be removed in seconds for floor use.

black french bulldog plays with a green ball that holds a frozen treat

For the dog who loves ice cubes, there’s The Pupsicle. Available in three sizes, simply pre-freeze treats to pop inside and keep your pup busy for up to 40 minutes. There’s no drool to clean up once they’re finished and no shards to accidentally choke on while they’re busy enjoying their frozen treat. The Pupsicle is also easy to clean – a bonus for you.

mid-century modern print of small orange cat heads in a styled space

For those of us partial to orange cats and mid-century modern design, this poster is a must-have. Featuring row upon row of minimalist orange cat faces with unique expressions, it will brighten any space it’s placed within. High-quality print and thick, archival matte paper guarantee a durable and long-lasting art print. Now, which one is your favorite?

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2023 Gift Guides this year!

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.