This This and That

M & M

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:52:00 +1200

Coincidentally, it is the month of May but that’s not the reason I plucked the Design and Architecture of the following.

Memphis

The Italian, Ettore Sottsass formed the Memphis design and architecture group. This collective led the exploration into furniture, ceramics, fabrics, glass and metal objects from 1981-1987

Challenging our perception of form, proportion, juxtaposition of colour and materials. The objects successfully reflect the pop sensibilities of the decade.

Morphosis

American architect Thom Mayne co founded Morphosis in 1972. He is the principle designer and received the Pritzker Prize Laureate in 2005.

New Cooper Union Building, NYC

Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas

Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, LA

Sadly in London we are yet to see the likes of dynamic modern architecture such as this. The V&A lost the chance to really change the landscape of modern architecture in the city when the extension designed by Daniel Libeskind never had a chance to get off the page. Will London ever see a monumental Morphosis, Libeskind or Zaha Hadid? It’s a shame for it is everywhere else in the world - Spain, Italy, Germany, UAE, Asia…everywhere except the UK.

The annual Serpentine Pavilion champions progressive architects for a few short months. I want more…much much more! London is a great city but looking at world modern architecture from such distances of the internet, the city is much poorer for not fully embracing what modern dynamic architecture is capable of! Poor old Blighty.

lecabinetdarchitecture: Ensemble de 520 logements Alexandra...

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:57:18 +1200

lecabinetdarchitecture:

Ensemble de 520 logements Alexandra Road, Londres - Neave Brown architecte - 1968-78

Du brutalisme à l’ambition sociale

L’ensemble de logements est construit en contrefort d’une voie ferrée. Les logements en forme de ziggourats s’organisent autour d’une allée centrale et des terrasses réparties. L’allure d’un stade, des terrasses en tribune. Les covisibilités issues de la forme architecturale installent la promiscuité dans le logement. Désirée ou non, cette promiscuité est aussi la condition d’un habitat où règne l’idée de partage et de vie communautaire. Le site comprend aussi une école, un centre communautaire, un club des jeunes, un complexe de chauffage et le parc.

Y aller : Rowley Way, London Borough of Camden, NW8, Royaume-Uni

Photographies 1 et 2 de Ian Dovell

Via Heterotopia Alexandra Road - Vlugt

Robert Adams

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:55:00 +1200

I only recently discovered the work of American photographer Robert Adams -

Dorothea Lange - Walker Evans

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:57:00 +1200

Is Dorothea Lange greater than Walker Evans?

I love the work of Walker Evans

Robert Adams has said that he prefers the work of Dorothea Lange over Walker Evans - what do you think?

Dorothea Lange -

Walker Evans -

Richard Misrach/On The Beach

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:23:00 +1200

Taken from a single vantage point from a hotel balcony - Studies of life on the beach and in the sea…

Allen Ginsberg captures The Beat Generation

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:00:00 +1200

Allen Ginsberg

Jack Kerouac

Ginsberg & Gregory Corso

William Burroughs & Jack Kerouac

From the book -

Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg

Found this blog -

www.ginsbergblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/beat-memories-photographs-of-allen.html

Dirty Baby x Ed Ruscha/Nels Cline/David Breskin

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:10:00 +1200

Beautifully published book - the complete black cover with cut-out slip-case caught my short attention.

Paintings - Ed Ruscha

Poetry - David Breskin

Music - Nels Cline

From Steidlville:

DIRTY BABY presents a provocative trialogue between the paintings of Ed Ruscha, the music of Nels Cline, and the poetry of David Breskin. The title refers to the fact that when different art forms mate, there is never a purebred offspring, but rather a muttish and raunchy one: gloriously dirty.

The sixty-six pictures in the book are drawn from two bodies of work, the Silhouettes and the Cityscapes. In these works, Ruscha uses censor strips in place of the words or phrases which characteristically occupy a prominent place in his pictures. Their very obfuscation gives the missing words a powerfully subversive presence: language is emphasized even as it is obscured.

Breskin has divided the book into two “sides” in the manner of a vinyl record. Side A presents a kind of “time-lapse” history of Western Civilization. Side B returns to the cradle of that civilization, charting the American misadventure in Iraq. For his poetic form, Breskin uses the ancient Arabic ghazal, a perfect foil and fencing partner for Ruscha’s language-sensitive strategies. To this mix, Cline adds music for a large ensemble: at once lyrical and edgy, heartfelt and raucous, his music ranges from acoustic impressionism to dense, dark electronica.

One to look forward to.

www.steidlville.com/books/979-DIRTY-BABY.html

Thomas Heatherwick World

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:09:00 +1200

Designer/artist/architect - Thomas Heatherwick - his work is never the same twice.

Longchamp store/NYC

Bleigiessen - The Wellcome Trust/London

The B of the bang/Manchester - sadly no longer there

Rolling bridge - Paddington Basin/London

Extruded metal seat/sculptures - Haunch of Venison 2009

East Beach Cafe - Littlehampton/West Sussex

www.eastbeachcafe.co.uk

Photo - Pleatfarm.com

British Pavilion/Shanghai Expo 2010

I think it will be fun to live in Thomas Heatherwick’s world!

I wait to see what he has up his sleeves next - it will be great whatever…

Check his website for more -

www.heatherwick.com

Donald Judd + Marfa/Texas

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:02:00 +1200

Now Marfa can be known for another thing besides being the backdrop for the film Giant - You can now put it down as an art destination…

American conceptual modernist Donald Judd has archives in New York and Marfa [The Chinati Foundation] - just imagine stumbling across his work in the middle of dusty Texas…

“It isn’t necessary for a work to have a lot of things to look at, to compare, to analyze one by one, to contemplate. The thing as a whole, its quality whole, is what is interesting. The main things are alone and are more intense, clear and powerful.” -Donald Judd in his essay Specific Objects

For more on Donald Judd please follow -

http://www.juddfoundation.org/

Jean Nouvel comes to London [finally]

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:56:00 +1200

All of a sudden a giant Jean Nouvel bubble has burst over London!

First - the Serpentine annual pavilion

In all its red glory

The Serpentine Pavilion is a brilliant once a year project for amazing architects unknown in the UK - the competition is open for architects who have not built in the UK at the point of selection. It’s a great platform to show their work to a wider audience. Last year’s pavilion by SANAA and Frank Gehry’s pavilion before it were a great success.

Second - One New Change

The first ever shopping “mall” for The City

Due to open in October 2010 on the East side of St Pauls - complete with a rooftop restaurant terrace. It’s one in the eye for Prince Charles’ rather pedestrian Paternoster Square!

The French architect has never built in the UK - to have these in the capital is very lucky and very exciting!

To those who have been to Barcelona - you may have seen Nouvel’s Torre Agbar and in Paris - the Arab World Institute

Here’s an interview with the great architect -

www.designboom.com/eng/interview/nouvel.html

His favourite colour is red!

www.jeannouvel.com

Mitchell Feinberg

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:15:00 +1200

Mitchell Feinberg is a brilliant luxury still life/conceptual photographer.

This is from a series on luxury designer bags

Simple, clever and effective - remember who did them first!

www.mitch.fr

The work of Eric Owen Moss

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:34:00 +1200

Going to LA to see some of its progressive architecture would be first on the list.

LA based Architect Eric Owen Moss -

Beehive - Culver City

An office building and conference centre

www.Architecturenewsplus.com

Glass Tower - Los Angeles/California

www.sinap5e.wordpress.com

www.szjs.com.cn

Samitaur Tower - Culver City

www.ericowenmoss.com

Conjunctive Points Theatre Complex - Culver City

A mixed-use development for art and technology

For more on Eric Owen Moss please follow -

www.ericowenmoss.com

HADID vs MALEVICH x MAXXI vs ROMA

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:28:00 +1200

Continuing my complete love for modern architecture - I found some great shots of the new contemporary modern art museum - MAXXI in Roma.

Is this Zaha Hadid’s masterpiece we have all been waiting for…???

Something tells me Hadid’s aquatics centre for London 2012 will not be challenging this for the top spot!

Painting/Study for the MAXXI

Atrium

Another reason [apart from the ice cream] to make a second trip to the eternal city

Alan Fletcher

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:02:00 +1200

I picked up a piece of Alan Fletcher at a carboot one day! - It was the covered dish that formed part of the three piece set - commissioned for Time Life.

The set consisted of a mug, plate and square covered dish.

Here is more Alan Fletcher…some more familiar!

If you want more - go get Beware Wet Paint and The Art of Looking Sideways

A lot of Hella

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:21:00 +1200

A one time member of DROOG - Hella Jongerius - her design and particularly ceramic pieces are truly the work of a master and genius - I do not use that word lightly! When you see something that is both chaotic and sublime - that’s when you know you have pure greatness!

I first saw her early vases and ceramic/sewn pottery pieces in Moss/SoHo/NYC and then at the Design Museum/London

It was totally fresh and inspiring to see them back then and they still are so with time they have become classic pieces.

Hella’s work is brilliant, highly skilled and I think borders on Art.

Her Nymphenburg Sketches are my favourite…so far!

Early ceramic and glass vases

Two pieces from the wonderful Nymphenburg Sketches

The Worker armchair by Vitra

http://www.jongeriuslab.com

Craig Redman - Australian Illustrator in NYC

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:21:00 +1200

Craig Redman AKA Rinzen - Great work!

Stephen Gill

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:39:00 +1200

The cover to Alpha’s second album “The Impossible Thrill” featuring a beautiful cat against a mottled blue-grey-green background was shot by Stephen Gill.

Here is his more recent work -

From the Hackney Flowers series

Tea with Isamu Noguchi

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:04:00 +1200

I was introduced to the work of artist and sculptor - Isamu Noguchi - by a friend. I went to the Isamu Noguchi museum in its temporary home in Queens/NYC. Great show and the best way to get to know this great artists’ work. I remember the Akari light sculptures - and later I found out he had designed a teacup and saucer…AMAZING!!!

Isamu Noguchi.

Produced by Vitra - Tea clashes with sculpture!

Dan Flavin at the Haunch of Venison 2009

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:52:00 +1200

Beautiful modern American Art

Industrial Architecture/Gabriele Basilico

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:37:00 +1200

I always liked the AEG building in Berlin after seeing it in a Gabriele Basilico book…

Gabriele Basilico