Category: art
Inspired by Charles and Ray Eames
| January 24, 2012 | Posted by Lauren Moss under art, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Places, so-cal local |
To add to Linsi’s great post on her visit to LACMA to see the California Mid-Century Decorative Arts exhibit, I thought I’d share a recent experience I had at another great destination right across the street, the Architecture and Design museum, or A+D. One of the many galleries participating in the Pacific Standard Time collaboration, a program by the Getty celebrating arts in Southern California, the A+D museum is currently exhibiting a curated selection of quotations of Charles and Ray Eames, in conjunction with the everyday objects and humble tools that shaped their view of the world, and consequently, their iconic designs. For a quick refresher on the background and history of the Eameses, check out the post I wrote a few months ago here at Inspired Design Daily.
The exhibit itself, called EAMES WORDS: Eames Designs- the Guest/Host Relationship, is centered around the quotes that highlight the couple’s approach to design, as well as their view of the world, shaped by their travels and personal collections.
‘From tumbleweeds to strawberries, a bolt of cloth to a keg of nails, to elephants in India and the bread of Scandinavia, the whole world was their canvas.’ -aplusd.org
‘The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host, all of whose energy goes into trying to anticipate the needs of his guests.’ -Charles Eames
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the lives of Charles and Ray Eames, and for more information on the Pacific Standard Time collaborative, check out some favorite shows we’re looking forward to seeing, or the official website for a complete schedule and exhibit details.
Thanks for reading!
Lauren
Inspired By: California Mid-Century Decorative Arts Exhibit
| January 16, 2012 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under accessories, art, Design, design history, Explore, furniture, Inspiration, interiors, lighting, Places, See and Do, so-cal local, textiles, vintage |
“I definitely need to get out more.”
That’s what I said the moment I stepped foot inside LACMA – The LA County Museum of Art. The realization that I hadn’t been there in 3 years (or any museum, for that matter) surprised and disappointed me. Isn’t the point of being a designer/creative person to be able to go on these “work” excursions regularly?
Yes. For all the headaches, heartaches and lost sleep you get when you’re a passionate person, you deserve to be able to waste a few days a month wandering stores and museums in the name of research.
So with a big slap across my own face, I promised that this was the beginning of a new phase where I get dressed and leave my home more days than not. By the time I got done berating myself, we had arrived at the front door of the exhibit we drove up to see. California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way.
As a designer in Southern California, I developed an interest in Mid-Century design early in design school. But also, as with many designers, I’ve tired of the look since it’s so prevalent around here – not to mention that the term “Mid-Century Modern” is highly overused AND the sheer number of knockoffs is exhausting.
So it was really nice to get a little crash course reminder of why this period is so significant in art and design history and to see some iconic (and impressive) pieces up close and personal. It certainly re-ignited some passion.
Here are some of my favorite pieces from the show.
I love the typography of these college course books.
This stereo sideboard is “the bees knees” (is that period appropriate?).
I was surprised and excited to see that this exhibit included the living room of the Eames Case Study house. The Eames house has been closed to the public since Ray Eames died in 1988 but they do allow people on the grounds of the home – a couple years ago I took a trip up there and, thanks to their liberal use of glass, was able to get a pretty good tour from the exterior. So it was strangely familiar to see all of their interior furnishings had been transported and accurately placed (inch by inch) in a reproduction home.
I’m digging this multi-functional dining/coffee table. So simple and yet so effective.
Creepy and cool, the Rib Chair by Arthur Espenet Carpenter
I was most fascinated with the story behind why and how this form of design began. The biggest reason was the rapid boom in population – people moving west from hardship and artist emigres escaping their war-torn countries. I really tried to get a good photo of this, but the glare was too tough a contender. Still, it’s a powerful shot.
These are the cross-streets of Fairfax and Robertson, the location of LACMA. They were taken just 7 years apart.
Whoa, right?
This exhibit is awesome, and you should go see it. BUT it’s only 1 of 60 museums in Southern California with exhibits dedicated to this historic time. The collective is called Pacific Standard Time - whether you want to see the complete Eames collection or printmaking and graphic design, there is an exhibit for that. Check it out.
More cool stuff:
Exploring iPhoneography…
| December 27, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Moss under art, Celebrate, Guest Bloggers |
Greetings and hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend! With 2012 just around the corner, the week is bound to be filled with new year festivities and parties.
And no doubt many of these events will be well-documented. Which brings me to the topic of today’s post: iphoneography.
These days, phones are used for much more than making calls… More than a few of us use them as cameras more often than as phones (and many would argue it functions better in that capacity). In fact, last month, celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz made headlines with her response when asked what camera she recommends- the iPhone. Citing it as the ‘snapshot camera of today’, she discussed the versatility and usability of the multifunctional mobile device. Which may not come as much of a surprise to the many apple devotees already out there…
What may be more of a surprise are the rapidly growing communities of iphoneographers, including the increasing number of galleries featuring exhibits dedicated to the creative application of the iPhone as camera and photo editor. The two images below are finalists for the International iPhoneography Show- pretty impressive for a cell phone…
Often, several camera and editing apps are utilized to create artistic effects, and there are resources online that address techniques and applications. For more on photo manipulation, find information, tutorials, and app reviews online at lifeinlofi.com, iphonography.com, or iphoneographic.com.
But to get you started, I’ll look at a few of the basic accessories and apps that I use to enhance photos and videos with minimal effort- for professional and personal purposes.
Tripod: whether you need to stabilize an image or shoot from a precarious angle, these flexible versions come in handy. The iStabilizer has a very simple means of attaching to the phone that doesn’t require the removal of any protective case and works with most phone models. Great for cat videos.
Macro/Wide Angle Lens: A recent addition to my iPhone gear, these lenses work remarkably well for the size and cost. The macro functions a bit better, as seen in the close-up shots below- more info here.
Thanks for reading, and share your photos- or if you’re on instagram- share your username below and see you there! @myd
(and if you don’t use Instagram, you should definitely check it out.) Enjoy!
Holiday Gift Guide 2011
| November 7, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under art, Celebrate, cocktails, Design, do-it-yourself, Eat, fashion, Gather, gifts, Guest Bloggers, holidays, interiors, Nurture, redefine home, Seasonal |
Getty Villa: Not Your Class Field Trip
| October 28, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under antiques, architecture, art, Design, design history, Explore, interiors, Outdoors, Places, plants and gardens, See and Do, so-cal local, travel, weekend fun |
Today we’re going to take an unorthodox tour of the Getty Villa in Malibu – no docents, no lessons. Just a walk through this inspiration palace, looking at the things that truly caught my eye: patterns of repetition, symmetry, mind-blowing ornate detail and really really old stuff!
We’re not starting at the entry, oh no. We’re going straight for the best stuff. The outer peristyle, with it’s rythmic fluted columns and coffered ceiling offered perfectly framed views from every direction. To the right you have a gorgeous scene of fountains and bronze statues.
Notice the eery low fog. This was the most amazing weather, a perfect fall museum-going day.
To the left, as you peer through these amazing windows, you get a look at the Getty’s herb garden – where you could cure just about any ancient ailment.
My next favorite thing was the Amarilla Triana marble that covered much of the interior of the museum. What’s so special? It reminded me of old maps, collaged together on the floor, walls AND ceiling. Here’s a pretty good shot:
This is the underside of the staircase, i.e., the ceiling. Cool. And here’s where you can see it all together – plus me, looking like a goofy-faced angel.
I did pay attention to some of the art. My first favorite was this adorable little guy – a satyr playing inside a theatre mask. See his face peeking through the eye hole? He’s got a mischevious smile that totally made my day.
My next favorite was this statue of Zeus, such an awesome composite of materials, burned and partially melted it its lifetime. But you can’t bring Zeus down, and this pretty much proves it.
Oh, and that’s a slab of onyx behind him. Not sure why this one wasn’t back lit, but it was beeeyoutiful.
A few more:
inner peristyle garden
oh beautiful foggy day
random highlight of columns
even with modern machinery, I'm kind of impressed by this.
Hope you’ve enjoyed our little tour. My architecture and art history teachers would probably be disappointed, but I loved my inspiration tour of the Getty Villa! Ciao.
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