Stiching up a broken heart

Photo: Cody Torgersrud 

People deal with grief in their own ways, it can be destructive or productive. Avis Collins Robinson quilt "My Mamma is Dead" was a memorial piece completed in memory of her mother. The full sized quilt is constructed in a linear and geometric form in the colors red black and white. Though she is African-American Robinson's piece immediately strikes one as having a distinct Native American sensibility about it. Lifting both the color pallet and some of the form from work typical of certain Native American groups.

The background of the piece is a black grid laid out upon a white background. The choppy, less horizontally elongated, areas of the upper and lower regions are divided by the field of horizontal forms found in the middle, giving the whole work asymmetrical balance without making the form seem to stiff or trite. The long stripes even work to frame the more intricate geometric patterns located in the far ends of the quilt and while stabilizing the work with the heavy horizontal bars found towards  the top and bottom. The red shapes preform many jobs across the work. They provide not only a sense of unity, tying the inner shapes to the outer thin border via color, but also a way to break up the pattern giving the work a sense of punctuated uneven staccato rhythm. The red also leads the eye around the work  making it move up and down the framework of the black in a meandering path.

The work must really be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Not only does Robinson play with the visual texture via the bold color and shape choices but the physical texture is, of course, a whole additional layer of the work. It taken out of context the visual elements could be perceived to be of an almost Malevich-ian flatness but in person the full depth of texture becomes apparent. The work who appears so bold and harsh in still a quilt and is structured out of fabrics like corduroy conveying a sense of softness that was not apparent at first look. From across the gallery this work instantly hits the eye with the basic color pattern and aggressive form structure but on closer inspection draws the viewer into a visually tactile experience quite contrary from its original impression. The ridged layers of corduroy are contrasted against flatter rougher textiles giving even the areas the same in color a sense of depth and movement.

This work is a beautiful work of craftsmanship and a fitting tribute to a lost mother. The complex series of emotions that are grief play out across this work. The numb pain overlaid with the cruel structure that must be maintained to keep going is interspersed with the violent residual longing pain and anger. Truly, a touching work meticulously executed with layers of meaning and visual interest. This piece along with many others are currently on display in UC Davis' Nelson Gallery.

Viral for Profits

With major publications like Conde Naste cutting staff and budges left and right, TiVo reducing millions of dollars worth of advertising campaigns to mere blurs and the hottest and newest sties online all user generated content what is an advertising agent to do? The answers seems to be to take the subversive route.

In a world that does not want to watch advertisements the way to sell products seems to be more like trying to get a kid to eat their vegetables than anything. Making people want to watch ads is the only way for the advertising companies to survive. Yes there are of course the hidden add opportunities, dry-cleaner bags, shopping cart handles and eggs, yes eggs, but for an add campaign to be successful it seems that the advertiser must now challenge and engage the consumer. Gone are the days when Madison Avenue could just put out any print add in a magazine and expect to see revenues.

The gradual change in the way that successful advertising was designed goes hand in had with the change in the design of the modern media. Gone are the days of three network television streaming the same programs into homes from coast to coast.   Now each person is their own media empire. Not only do people receive their media now online but with Blackberrys and iPhones in most people pockets, making media available around the clock with the flick of the fingers. This allows the averages person to meticulously edit the media that he or she is exposed to on a minute to minute basis, directly affecting the advertising attached to it.

Large scale advertising is failing. The niche media consumer demands a niche advertisement experience or they will edit it out of their lives. This means small scale add blitzes aimed at regional or socioeconomic groups, even targeting minority groups. The design must shift from one add for all to all adds for one, in essence marketing on a personal basis. This combined with creating a product, and when I say product I mean advertisement, that people will actually enjoy. The advertisers must design a product that makes an impression, that gets people talking.

Cadburry not so long ago realized the benefit of appealing to what would be considered a less main stream. An ad blitz by the candy maker featured multiple short TV spots consisting of disconnected subjects that has no connection to the existing branding of the company. No sight of the iconic "Cadburry bunny" or any reference to candy at all, the spots ranged from a gorilla playing a drum set, two children distorting their faces to the beat of a song, to a drag race of vehicles most commonly found on a tarmac. Watching the video the only common thread that can be found is the presence of music as a important element. The first of these, the gorilla, went viral and was featured in multiple countries, garnered a large online audience, spawned many satires and spoofs and is credited to a 9% increases in sales for the lagging company.

Seeing the success of this advert campaign and ones like it will hopefully spur the industry into action driving ad design in a new direction to respond to the new perceptions and handling of media in society. Advertisements are really the ultimate feedback loop for any given society, advertising selling a product in a way that reflects the ideology of the market, in turn that market chooses the best representation of itself with its buying power which guides the advertisers future plans. The problem is that advertising has not kept in step with the world around it and therefore looses its effectiveness. Really applying smart design into not only the concept but the application of new advertising is the only way to keep it relevant as we continue our journey into the information age.

The original Cadburry adds:

The "Gorilla" Advert

The "Eyebrows" Advert

A link to the spoof of the "Eyebrow" advert from an English TV show featuring Lilly Allen

The Drag Race Advert

Quite the Beautiful Game

There is a Foosball table in my living room. It never gets used, never, and just sits there. It catches my sweaters when I walk past it to the porch, also, so not fun to play, and looks like it belongs is at best a Dave and Busters. In essence I hate the damn thing. It is something, along with a Lay-Z-Boy recliner, and oak cabinetry, that I refuse to have in any of my future homes, defiantly on my design "s!*tlist". That being said while perusing the internet the other day I came across what can only be referred to as work of art. Truly a work of sculpture, that happens to be a Foosball table.

"Sweeping curves reflect the beauty and grandeur of today’s modern stadiums, while its atmospheric lighting and chromed metal players capture the excitement and drama of a classic sporting encounter. " A pretty accurate description of what the 11 looks like, pulled directly from their websites. It is, seriously, not just the Lexus but the Koenigsegg of miniaturized sporting....facilities? The design is really something, dropping the standard four leg dining table format most favored by the Foosball industry the 11's shape looks more like something you would be served drinks out of at a Phillip Stark designed boutique hotel, than something that would more than likely be found in a Midwest bowling alley. The smooth curve from the round base to the lip of the miniature stadium echo's the organic sensuality of a calla lily, the proportions of the top and bottom naturally balanced. Reminiscent of some of the beautiful stadiums being built of late like this and this it takes ques from some of the best of modern architecture.

A smooth black shell opens up to reveal a stark white playing field crossed with a small regiment of silver "footballers" that, if I am going to be perfectly honest, look like something that you would find at a high end sex shop. The designers really though of everything. Stadium lighting is even included to even further the focal point of this beautiful piece.  The whole piece matches up gorgeously, the whole unit so completely designed, that nothing looks out of place, even the awkward handles of sweater grabbing fame. It really exudes a sort of sexy/modern/sporty vibe that really bring to mind David Beckham's steamy Armani underwear ads. A piece so well designed that I would not hesitate to put in, yes(gasp), my own home, or more importantly, and more realistically, a clients space.

So, it may seem like I am loosing my marbles over what is, yes, a very nice Foosball table, but just a Foosball table all the same, but dearies that is exactly what is so exciting! This is in reality a mundane object that has for the most part been relegated to frat housed and rumpus rooms. It is something that does not need to be beautiful, but is. That is what we need more of. We live in a consumer society, a society that has lost touch with aesthetics. A world where more is better, instead of better being better. Why shouldn't our generic every day objects be objets d'art? Why should we not demand beautiful things? It seems that our society has this theory that well designed things are somehow elitist. That for something to be beautiful it has to be pricey, something that "snobby" people would buy. I believe that Americans have accepted ugly things because they somehow believe that they are not needed. This is incorrect, design is such a basic thing. It does not require Italian cabinets or German engineering to be well designed. Design can be integrated into the normally mundane objects that make up our day to day. Things like can openers, car keys, and vacuum cleaners. The 11 gives me hope, this movement towards applying design principles, however small and overpriced, gives me hope. Hope that someday American will toss aside our obsession with poorly designed mass marketed garbage, not that good design cannot be mass marketed, and embrace design in their day to day lives.

PHOTOS! Well I am having some unexpected technical difficulties with photo uploads so I am just going to re-rout you to the manufactures website HERE. The images are better anyway. Go check it out, its well worth your time.

a graphic god

I love looking at thing, especially things on the internet. Once and a while I wander across something truly awsome. I found Olly Moss through threadless.com while shopping for t-shirts and was blown away by the simplistic beauty of his work. To focus on one piece in particular I would like to show this one.

www.ollymoss.com

Nothing but a simple little, well simple in style, doodle. I thing its really that simplicity that appeals to me. That and a sort of dated retro quality about all his work. Besides the fact that this is not only an on point social commentary on fashion, it is a work of clean balance. The half and half of black and blue is highlighted with the touches of white. The open space of the black is broken by the white text while the black and white of the simple shapes tie into the top half giving it a sense of balance. Clean lines and simple sans-serif text provide unity throughout the work and the block of the blue functions as the general focal point having most of the "action" happening there. I am a stickler for clean design, probably because I can not do it to save my own life and therefore makes me hugely envious of those that can. Olly Moss works for a multitude of different outlets including the aforementioned clothing shops, and many different types of print and e-media. What really inspires me is his drive. He just seems to constantly create, having seemingly grasped at least the craft and form aspects of the design process. Its and inspiration and should be something we strive for as a people, the creation of beautiful things through good design. And going out on that note, follow the artists advice,

 

www.ollymoss.com

Check it out! 

His site

His Twitter

His Flickr

Well, well worth the visit.

PS Please don't sue me I love you! :)

mycket omodernt

A nice calm atmosphere, simple with light colors, preferably shades of white with small touches of deep color. Simple, clean, elegant, these are all things I look for in a bathroom. This bathroom is none of these things.

Photo: www.omodern.com

Somewhere between an explosion at a Spanish tile factory and an avocado harvesting tragedy is this bathroom, a room where matching has gone way to far. At first glance the eye does not know where to settle. The first thing on the list of what makes this room bad is the tile. Its impossible not to become drawn into the intricate pattern that covers the walls from floor the ceiling. This tile might be ok on its own but the problem is the scale. If the pattern repeat was much larger or if the tiles itself was bigger might work better, but that would take tiles the size of pavers. The small almost lattice pattern is too overwhelming for completely covering the walls. The unified assault that is the tiled walls is only broken by the plumbing fixtures, fixtures that are a color that should never be committed to anything as permanent as porcelain. 

The balance of the chunky fixtures with the small intricate tiles is so off kilter. The colors are completely wrong. Though the tones match, terracotta and that green should never share company outside of a hors d'oeuvre platter at Mexican restaurant. Once you get over the horrible walls and unsavory sinks the realization of what the floor is. Shag carpet, so inexcusably wrong and gross that it should be illegal.

Even the layout of the room is weird. Given that this is probably a display space and not a real bathroom the floor plan is going to be unrealistic. Despite that the layout of the bathtub is just weird. Step up stairs to a step in tub, a tub that is shoved back in the corner behind a wall. Not the open floor plan favored of late. Also what is with the tiny sink next to the toilet? There is no point for it being there considering that there is a full sized sink not even across the room, plus its awkward to get at.

It is easy to condemn this room to the pages of bad design history, to damn it for its flaws but I feel that we should treat if differently, this room should be celebrated, it is a statement. It is an attempt at something new. This room screams “look at me, I am the future!” It was made in a sprit of pioneering, in the mind of making something new. This is what taking chances in design are about. We have become, for the most part, people who don’t take design risks, cookie cutter houses with matching kitchens and bathrooms. Sometimes taking risks pay off; sometimes it ends up being a room that matches Lady Gagas Kermit coat.  Ether way its time to take some risks, make some drastic choices. Don’t be afraid, its only a design. 

Check out more rooms from the 70's at Omodern

layout to payout

I don't think anyone who has been paying attention to the news, and especially the news of the news, can deny the flailing death of print media. It is, in my opinion, a terrible shame. Having participated in all four years of my higschool newspaper, "The Bluffer" I have a certain fondness for print journalism. There is something special about the art of laying out a page, of mixing words and graphics, an art that has existed and grown from the time of the printing press. It has brought both good new and bad to the people of the world. But now it is a dying media. The printed word is being replaced by pixels.
Design is a huge part of what makes media marketable. Not just in the sense of flashy graphics or glossy editorials but even the lack of perceived design. Would the "Wall Street Journal" be taken seriously if they splattered some large graphics in neon colors.
Design is what determines a publication, it determines the style the vibe and the readership that will be paying for this media. When media is so readily assessable for free online that is the most important part. Who will pay for the same thing that they can get for free? That is where the impact of design really comes into play.
For print media to stay viable in the 21st century it must find a niche market, and pander shamelessly to this group. They must harness design to work for them, to sell their product. This is not a new concept by any means but is becoming more and more relevant as the power of the internet steadily grows. Not that this should be at the loss of content because I believe that both content and design need to exist cohesively to be considered good design.

Global warming on the runway

If there is one thing a fashion designer knows how to do it is take ques from the outside world. As I have talked about in my earlier post about the recent Paris Fashion Week (good) designers take an idea a concept or a whole philosophy from outside sources, blend it with their own personal style, theories on design, and their skills and create (again stress the good part) some truly amazing clothes.One such designer, who I was much aggrieved that I skipped last time 'round, has graced us with his vision again.
Alexander McQueen is one of the true artists of the Fashion industry. His shows can are at worst high fashion, at there best true performance art.
According to style.com the press release from McQueen stated the enviorment as an external source of inspiration, according to style.com he "was casting an apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world: Humankind is made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, and we may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves."
The show was to be streamed live, but a last minute change in plans and a tweet from one Lady GaGa announcing the premier of her new single during the show promptly crashed the servers. The evidence of the original intent was present on the runway in the form of two hulking robotic cameras. The contrast to the shimmering white runway was almost as stunning as the clothes that made their way down said runway.
Its hard to know where to start with this show, the impeccable yet topic appropriate tailoring, the crisp laser printed patterns that looked more Rorschach than runway, the reptilian-esque sculpted hair or the even more prehistorically textured heels, described by Sarah Mower of style.com as "Grotesque shoes that looked like the armored heads of a fantastical breed of antediluvian sea monster."
 One can only assume that this collection is a sort of amalgamation of McQueens penchant for scuba diving, the general unease over global warming heightened by the increase of natural disasters of a large scale and a healthy dose of pure genius. The dichotomy of a future uncertain was mimicked in the balance of the hysterical patterns printed by machine and the heavy sky high creature like heels.
The combined effect quite stunning both from a design perspective and from a social point. More and more designers seem to be using the runways afforded them to make a statement, wither it be political, social, or humanitarian. For better or worse designers are in the social fray making points all that more poignant by shaping the clothes we wear with the ideas that they have taken in turn from us.
Feedback loop baby.

and now for some eye candy

 

Photos(All) www.syle.com

"You know I would eat this fucking heel by the way, I would eat this shoe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." -Rachel Zoe





PS: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-AMCQUEEN to see all the looks for this season and past

Beauty is in the eye of the....fire?

Apparently Italy, world renown for good design, has taken it upon itself to find the "Worlds Most Beautiful Object", well at least a few of them have. As reported by the Huffington Post the Pulchra design competition announced its newest winner. The Gyrofocus fireplace by the French firm Focus beat out 100 other objects in a public vote determined by over seventy thousand votes.
I have to say that I am completely impressed. I have yet to see what the completion looked like but the winner is nothing short of stunning. The fireplace is a smooth ellipse with an open shelf of flame supported by nothing else than the chimney flue. It has clean smooth lines with a sense of whimsy easily at home in any overly chic hotel lobby, but, in fact, was first created back in 1968 by designer Dominique Imbert. How can something even after almost half a century remain so visually poignant?
A true piece of art, completely and thoroughly, must be created by something like a master. Anyone who has tried to create minimalist design can attest to the fact that it is HARD. While the ignorant will claim that their five year old could have painted that, or that there is nothing to modern design, they are, in fact, completely 100% wrong. The true essence of "modern" design is form. It is an exercise in the perfection of shape though the use of minimalism.
When form is all there is then form is all that matters. There is no escaping or hiding behind any kind of design device. The shape of the object is all there is. The purity and balance is all you have so every line, every curve, every degree matters. The most minuscule of shape can make or break a design. The thought, the trial and error, the intense attention to detail is what truly sets mediocre modern design away from the great. This is what Imbert has achieved with this fireplace.
The simplicity of form mixed with the ingenuity of convenience, the suspended fireplace rotates 360 degrees to face any direction in its space, merge to form what is really the essence of Design. Creating useful objects that are both functional and gorgeous. To me it represent the simplification of not only an object but of thought. The ability to merge utility and art is almost a meditation on what it means to be human, to strip away all the mess and get down to what is needed while rendering the shape with a perception of beauty, in essence all that we as humans need to survive.

Photo: www.focusfireplaces.com.au

Photo: www.focusfireplaces.com.au

BTW, go check out their website at www.focusfireplaces.com.au, some truly amazing works of functional art. 

A horse of a differnt color

Shopping for cars is a national pastime. Even though we are currently slightly detoured by the flailing (yes flailing) economy and the ever fluctuation price of gas, the results of the Cash for Clunkers program are more than proof than we love to get a new ride.
I love looking at cars, it is one of MY hobbies. Model, make, year, color, all things that I unintentionally take stock of constantly. As with my fascination with the fashion industry I pay attention to changes from season to season.
Color is something that always changes. Slower than the fashion industry, the auto industry is constantly adjusting to trends. Its so easy to track, time and color. Many colors stay relatively standard, black, white, silver, even blue, red, and green are basic for every year. The colors that really are a barometer of society are the show colors. The non standard colors that pop up from time to time really can tell a little bit about the general sense of the time.
The 90's, embodied by the giddiness of a nation high on money and power. The colors of the time seen not only in the lurid interior of houses and awful clothes of the time pop up on the hoods of the decades vehicles. Bright fuchsias and matte teal, colors that should never grace the institution of automobiles, even as aftermarket, were in full effect.

Current trends in color seem to not only be tied to shape but concept. The past few years in the auto industry have seen  the slow demise of Americas love affair with the SUV. The result has been a re-evaluation of the the family car. The industry response, the crossover. and with this a new idea of the general mood. The SUV most crassly characterized by the blazing yellow flank of the Hummer H2 is being remodeled and remolded into the a trimmer, leaner, more chic version of its former self. With that a new color has been introduced.  Within the last year brown has popped up all over the industly and as far as i have seen, on what would be considered the SUV's replacement. Examples include the Subaru Outback, the Volvo XC60, and the Toyota Venza.

Photo: www.subaru.com

 

Photo: www.volvocars.com

 

Photo: www.toyota.com

All these options, though artfully named,  are brown. Ranging from a rich chocolate to a golden ocher, represent the new chicafied SUV. Does the new somber, fiscally savvy America demand am more somber color? Yes.

Que the...society?

The fashion industry is one constantly concerned with change. It is one that is part of the huge feedback loop that is modern industry, and one prides itself with keeping two fingers on the pusle of society, while at the same time making dictations to it.
We are currently living in a world of great upheaval. Ideas and institutions that have seemed to last the test of time are collapsing, a war over ideals is raging in the middle east, and the optimism of a new generation and administration is battling its way forward.
How does and industry so concerned with selling make its grand statement. It seems that no two designers is taking the same route. The war may be behind the a few of the looks this season. Balmain seemed to take ques from classic military garb.  Showing strong cuts in jackets and trousers, heavy materials and military style adornments including high heeled combat boots.

 All photos property of their designer and Style.com

While the "hippy" mood of the ani-war 70's was in full force at the Louis Vuitton show.  Mr. Jacobs channeled inspirations of the era by quaffing his models in sky high afros, and modeling his color palet in the neutrals of the time interspersed with bright pops of disco worthy colors, layered with fringe and tribal prints.

As for a general mood the field seems just as mixed. Chanel seemed to show a certain cheeky innocence. Using his traditional venue of the Grand Palais he created his own barnyard. The models donned a mix of cremes and reds on top of the houses traditional palette black and white. The sense of silly escapism was echoed in the models general appearance. Seeming fresh from a "roll in the hay" they teetered across the runway in sky high clogs, a rouge-ish wink from the application of mid thigh rosaries.

The frivolity of Chanel was contrasted by a darker fantasy was shown at John Galliano. Ethereal fabrics flowed across a bloody runway. The graceful shapes founded on platforms of ridiculous proportions. The looks finished with a dementedly coquettish finish seem to translate a darker, more unsure sentiment.

The collections span the board. It seems that each appeals to its own niche. In a society that seems to be splintering into pieces the design of dressing people is diversifying just the same. The general sense of a season is never one of perfect cohesion but now more so than ever it seems like each is going their own way. So what does this mean? Is this diversity a effect of fashion or society? Which is in the lead and who is following? Or does it even matter at all? ;)

Just a thought

Photo By Cody Torgersrud

The juxtaposition of new and old. As I sit in the courtyard of Shields Library it strikes me how much this pleases me. The bold glass facade softly reflects the mid-day light which is further dappled by the majestic oak that seem to block out the sky like a great sheer umbrella. The contrast of modern architecture and ancient tree is one of mutual flattery. This is ever apparent in the pieces that comprise the gallery exhibition at the design museum on campus.
“Typograpic Expolration in Hangul” is an exhibition of the work of Hyunjn Lee and Phil Choo. Based completely on the form and structure of the Hangul language, the language of Korea, this work combines the ancient forms of writing with modern style, technique and application. The pieces are mostly printed by machine on varying types of paper, ranging from beautifully clean archival sheets to rough handmade versions. All which have been printed with razor sharp precision. Beside the technical aspects of the show the content mirrors this idea. The classic folk songs and poems of the Korean people are displayed in pixilated photoshopped form, bringing the whole idea back to its core.
Despite being a look at beauty of a language and the skills of the artists this touches something deeper. The battle between new and old. This balance is one of ascetics and ethics. The strive for modernity is present everywhere, but what sense of soul or spirituality is present in aluminum and glass, where is the human essence if not for flaw. At the same time where is the cutting edge in the branches of a tree. This dichotomy is more so true for countries like Korea who in the race to the future are facing the decision between past and present. How do we stay current and remain tied to our roots?
I ponder this while sitting under a tree, which is in all likelihood may times older than me, surrounded by walls of glass and stucco, typing my thoughts on a piece of machinery that not half a century ago would have been unthinkable. This is what we must deal with as humans striking new marks while keeping an eye on the past. We create with what we have, we design with our history, and we must keep the balance present. We cannot lose our roots for they are all that is keeping us put.

A link to the design musem and current exhibitions