Speaking of textiles

My last post get me thinking about what makes a textile special, what makes it important to people. Marimekko is a Finnish company that has been around since the 50's. I was introduced to the company as a child from my mom and their products have held a special place in my heart since then.

Though much of the clothes and textiles flabbergast most of my generation and send silent chills of horror through my parents some of the patterns hold up. Although the they might not be  the height of sexy sophistication the bright colors and bold treatment of subject matter are more important that ever in today's world.

With fashion and interiors reflecting the harsh edge of the current mental state theses happy prints seem like a ray of sunshine. They act like like a placebo for interiors brightening and lightening. The above patterns are great examples of bold prints. The bold shapes that act as focal points seem simple at first but are balanced out by small details, like the detailing on the lily pad and the tree like rings radiating out the center of the circles. The red print also has a great sense of visual texture appearing almost hand made contrasting the with the texture of the flat abstract veining on the lily pads.

Both of these floral prints take the cake over stuffy Victorian styles. They have a deeply Scandinavian sensibility, a mix European detail with Japanese simplicity. The rich texture of the blooms on the purple grounded work balances out the alternating symmetrical pattern of the blossoms. This is quite opposite the more delicate balance of the other work is more asymmetrical, giving the whole a more organic feel. The naturalistic movement of the red blossomed piece is a direct counterpoint to the almost frozen feel of its neighbor.

Bold textiles can be risky but done correctly can work as there own works of art. The sky plays a big part in both of these textiles, a great option for a window treatment. The abstract red white and blue shapes mimic the clouds behind them in the first fabric. Its movement stems from the general repetition of shape over the whole. It stands in contrast to the flat abstraction of the birch trees  in the second, both using asymmetrical balance to create a more unified swath of fabric. The firsts movement contrasts greatly to the seconds flatness, paralleling the differences with focal point. In the first the blue object is a more ambiguous focal point to the bold statement of the birch tree, the predominant focal point in the second work.

This is just a sample of some of the textile designs from Marimekko more available at their website. They are hard to get a hold of but the spirit is what should be noted. The ability of art and design to shape our world on a day to day basis is amazing. In unsure economic times, and a confused political climate it is important to keep ourselves happy, and whats an easier way than a cheery print on the slipcover, or some bright curtains? So, take some time to design some happy into your life.

P.S. For more wallet friendly Scandinavian designed textiles try Ikea, you can cut to length and they have great curtain systems at good prices.

All photos copyright of Marimekko