An Eye For Detail

TRENDY MONDAY: FELT

What is it with felt? Where in the world did this trend/craft/fabric/style come from? We all know some kind of felt: you know, those little round pads you put under chair feet, or the bright color swatch squares you find at the craft store for your Christmas projects, or maybe a hat for your child. Well, felt, and felting has evolved into a high end product.

The Cooper-Hewitt Museum hosted the exhibit "Fashioning Felt" in 2009 and here is the short introduction video:

Felt making is one of, if not the, oldest ways of making fabric: nearly 8000 years old. Felt is "having a renaissance in high end design and architecture as well as in crafts" says Susan Brown from the Cooper-Hewitt.

I found several YouTube videos about felt which come from this Cooper Hewitt exhibit. 

First is Martha Stewart: stay with it... it gets fascinating toward the end showing Susan Arnold making and assembling the yurt that was on site at the exhibit.

Another video, which is long, is a talk by Claudy Jongstra and Kathryn Walter discussing their use of felt.

Kathryn Walter operates FELT Studio in Toronto. Kathryn has done installations around the world, such as the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto:

 

these bags which were part of give-away in a membership drive:

 

And these felt quilts made from remnants:

 

Here is our TREND BOARD with some great, fun FELT products:

 

Some more great felt products for sale: (click on the image to go to the site)

 

 

 

 

 

You can order these products from a Pantone selction!

 

MUSEUM DAY IN NEW YORK

    A VISIT TO MAD:  MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN

This was my second visit to this really over-the-top museum and only makes me want to a) become a member and b) go more often!

The two exhibits in which I was interested are "Slash: Paper Under the Knife" and "Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection". But first, I took the elevator up to the fifth floor to the "artist in residence" or "working studios" area. Well, it was my lucky day! I met Sarah Abramson, one of the also very lucky artists who is there working, one day a week, while also talking about and showing her "wearable art"collection. Sarah's work will be shown at Gallery Loupe in Montclair, N.J. beginning next week; you can reach her at sarah@sarahabramson.us

Here is Sarah, working:  She starts by doing abstract ink drawings:

 

Then she makes paper models:

And here are actual pieces,cut with a jewelers saw: 

Her end use is a brooch/pin, but they could easily be used as pendants.

Can you tell which is the paper model?

Back to the Exhibitions at the museum... 

Slash: Paper Under the Knife "explores the use of paper as an independent medium. Many of these artists used paper as preliminary means of expression, but now use it as the end medium".  I particularly liked some of the on-site specific installations of Fran Siegel , Mia Pearlman, and Beatrice Coron (who used cut tyvek material). The detail in these "cut paper" works is incredible: they convey a lightness both in form and density that is amazing. You can watch a short video describing this entire exhibit here. 

Next to see was the Madeleine Albright collection of "Read My Pins". Lots and lots of pins! Well, it seems she collected pins from an early age: a round pin from high school was, I think, the earliest. Her husband's fraternity pin was next. But then, the categories of pins was extraordinary! Here are a few: Wild Animals, Jazz, Sealife, Spiders, Butterflires, Hearts, Birds. One noteworthy pin was called  "The Katrina Pin". This pin was given to her (handed to her in the street) just after Hurrican Katrina when she went to New Orleans. The young man who gave it to her said his father had given it to his mother on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. His mother had loved pins and his father (now a widower) wanted Mrs. Albright to have it, as another pin collector. It was a very personal story for such a "worldly" person. 

INTERVIEW WITH MARIA PINTO

So, on to the Cooper Hewitt Museum to hear Maria Pinto talk about creativity, how she came to be where she is, and the "design process". I loved it! The interviewer was Mary Tomer, founder of the Mrs.-O.org website. 

"Timing is all" says Maria! She worked in her family's Italian restaurant in Chicago until, when she turned 30, she decided it was time to see what else was out there for her! So off she went to art school, which then led to an apprenticeship with Geoffrey Beene, where she learned execution, discipline, precision and the New York fashion scene. For more than twenty years (with a two year hiatus) she has been designing women's ready to wear.

But it is the creative process that was interesting to hear about. "Where does your inspiration come from?" Mary asked. Everywhere and all the time! There is so much out there, she said, it's a matter of sifting through it all....again, organizing with discipline and precision, those tools she learned early in her trade. But once you decide, you go with it all the way.

First comes the research, then the inspirtion, then the manipulation. So, is this true for all the arts? What about surface design? Isn't it true that first, yes, there is the inspiration or idea, then the "manipulation" or the execution and formatting of those ideas? It's fascinating how the creative process is so connected within all the art disciplines. Ok, so give us an example of a theme, asked Mary. "Tango" was the answer! It originated with a trip to Brazil, rested in that vast creative never-never-land that is part of Maria, and then surfaced when the time was right. This collection uses lots of embellishment, the continuous curve, and movement, just as in dancing the tango.

This same process is true for the newest collection for Fall 2010: Ducati Motorcycles! She's working on this right now and must have the entire collection ready by the end of January. Oh the leathers, she said! To die for! So, stay tuned and take a look next fall at what is sure to be another stunning collection from Maria Pinto.

It was a day to inspire anyone!

COOPER HEWITT LECTURE WITH MARIA PINTO

    For anyone in the New York area: on Tuesday, November 10, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design is presenting:

LECTURE: INSIDE THE DESIGNER'S STUDIO - MARIA PINTO

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum presents Maria Pinto in conversation with Mary Tomer, founder of Mrs.O.org and author of Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy. Maria Pinto, the Chicago-based designer, is known for her confident and sophisticated clothes, produced in clean lines and luxurious fabrics. Pinto is also known for providing many of First Lady Michelle Obama’s signature looks starting with President Obama’s term as U.S. Senator. Maria Pinto is featured in Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy , which builds on the success of Mrs-O.org – the Web site that chronicles Michelle Obama’s style and takes a closer look at America’s modern style icon, featuring more than 120 photographs of the first lady and delving into the back story of her clothes and accessories.

As you can see on the left column of this blog, I have a link to the Mrs.-O.org site. I have been a follower since it started about a year ago. I have my ticket for the lecture and will let you know all about it!

And next from the Cooper-Hewitt is the video of Ellen Lupton talking about her book, written in collaboration with her sister Julia, "Design Your Life: The Pleasures and Perils of Everyday Things".

This video is really GOOD!  Here it is, so sit back, watch, and enjoy! I especially liked, about half way through, her section called "Pillow Frenzy" (drag the slider to 20 min. mark) ... very amusing, but oh so true. But the toaster is good too, and the sign in the ladies room episode..  To check out the book, and buy on line, click HERE.

PENCILS TO REMEMBER!

It's the little things, remember? The details, no matter how small: these are the elements of design that are so important to all of us visual people.
Thus, I give you, these, from the Musee des Arts Decoratifs:

I bought a handful of these pencils, and a few pens....They also happen to have nice, soft leads, and yes, the erasers really work!

MUSEE CARNAVALET

I had heard about the Musee Carnavalet many times, everyone saying it is one of the gems of this city. So, today we went over toward the 3rd Arrondisement, to the rue de Sevigne (sorry, can't get those accents to come up here..) and oh, what a total joy! First saw the gardens of the Musee Cognacq-Jay: just gorgeous

.

Then, just down the street was a small park:

Then the Carnavalet. This is the "museum of the history of Paris", from Roman days through the twentieth century. It's huge (but no, nothing like the size of the Louvre) but do-able. I concentrated on the seventeenth century, as Mme. de Sevigne fascinates me. But I highly recommend a visit here. The courtyard is quiet and peaceful; the inside a lesson in history. Both are worthwhile!

All of these places can be also be seen in the book, "Quiet Corner of Paris" which you can order on the Amazon site to the left here.

PARIS:MUSEE DES ARTS DECORATIFS

A highlight of my day yesterday (although, there were many..) was going to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, which is actually part of the Louvre, and discovering the most wonderful exhibit of a fashion designer, Madeleine Vionnet. Oh, it was fabulous!!! Shame on me, I had never heard of her... but will now never forget. Here is a link to the page from the museum: it's in French, but click on the English flag at top to go to the museum's main link.

The display was wonderful: the rooms all dark except for the dioramas with clothes, then in front of each dress/coat/costume was an image of the original model, circa 1912-1940, wearing the original fashion, and then a precise description of fabric, how it was cut on the bias, or otherwise (she was one of the first to widely use bias cut), how she envisioned the creation to be worn etc.  I especially loved the earlier things: the rosettes attached to black silk and crepe evening and day dresses, the layered look, the gauze with touches of gold intertwined. In her later years some of the day coats were wonderful: warm and luscious wool with standing fur collars.

She said that there were three elements to design: the circle, the square, and the straight line: with these, one could design anything. What do you think??

Her favorite fabric, in the end, was crepe: the lightweight texture and the malleability were just what she was after!

Anyway, I got sort of carried away here!

Another of my favorite times was walking in the Tuilleries, always a wonderful experience. Here are a few pictures:

 
And, for you travel hounds out there: here is the Pompidou Center! I had never seen til yesterday.

That's it for now. Oh so many things to write about. I'll post more tomorrow.

"Barack Obama: The Freshman"

For all the Obama followers out there:

I saw this the other day: a show in Los Angeles of President Obama as a freshman at Occidental College.

Now, I had heard about Lisa Jack having taken these photos while at "Oxy" with Obama, but hadn't seen any of them. Turns out she saved the roll of film for what, twenty-some years, and produced it for friends who didn't really believe her when she said she not only knew, but had photographed, the President! Fabulous. (Jack is now a Psychologist in the MidWest). 

Read also her comments for the Los Angeles Times. She hopes to someday go to the White House because, as she says, " .... he owes me." Yes, these are truly one-of-a-kind.

Labels: M and B Gallery, Obama

"Raoul Dufy: A Celebration of Beauty": the Book Arrived!

It finally arrived! This book has so... many beautiful pictures of both Dufy's paintings and his textiles. Many, many of his watercolors of the South of France, his many wonderful flower paintings, in both watercolor and oil. Then, the second half of the book is devoted to his Fabric Design, of which he completed more than 5,000 from about 1912 untilabout 1928. Flowers were central to these designs, and none more so than the rose. See below for some examples. The simplicity, the brilliant, fresh colors, the varied compositions: all these are inspiring!

Labels: Raoul Dufy, textile design

Raoul Dufy Exhibit

Here is an exhibit I am VERY sorry to miss: At the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Ms. is the exhibit: Raoul Dufy: A Celebration of Beauty.
Here are more than 200 pieces from the artist, many never before seen in the U.S., and encompassing all mediums: from ceramics to woodcuts, to paintings and drawings, and the best part.... over 100 pieces of textiles. Dufy worked with Paul Poiret in creating truly stunning textile designs produced in silk, brocade, cotton and linen.
And his paintings: well, for me, they are truly magical! I first heard of Dufy when I was maybe 10 years old and my artist aunt gave my parents a small book on Dufy. My parents politely put it in the bookcase. But oh the colors! On the cover is one of his wonderful watercolors painted in Nice, France. It captured my imagination. Maybe it started my love for color! Who knows. But I do think Dufy is a really special artist. This exhibit had been in Japan for over a year, then went to Mississippi and the only definite future show is in Luxembourg in 2010.
I have ordered the book available of this exhibit and have corresponded with the curator.
Too bad, it's not possible to go down before it leaves on July 5th!

Labels: Mississippi Museum of Art, Paul Poiret, Raoul Dufy, textiles

A Day at Storm King Sculpture Park

It was an absolutely gorgeous day! and off we went for a picnic and tour of Storm King Sculpture Park. 

We went mainly to see the Maya Lin exhibit "Wavefield", but there is oh so much more to see here. Be prepared to walk A LOT. There is a tram service, but the walking is through such wonderful open spaces, gravel paths, along the stone wall, by the ponds and on and on that you will want to take adavantage of it. 

Our day was just perfect. Not too hot, yet dry and sunny. Wavefield is "an organic living artwork": the grasses and clover have started to grow and will be allowed to sort of "go wild". The grass is long. The clover is sweet. Animals have dug holes to live in! The field is best viewed, to start, from the top of the hill. The overview is spectacular. The actual "hills" are, well, rougher and more trench-like, than we had expected. It is a very different perspective when you get down and in them. 

The Goldsworthy Stone Wall is really spectacular. Long and winding, through the pond, up and down hills, around trees, it was built by six men in something like two weeks! The park had gathered up all the stones from around the entire property and brought them, on pallets, to the site. 

So.... go and see for yourself and enjoy this most wonderful "museum park".

Labels: Maya Lin, Storm King, Wavefield