Estelle Hanania

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting French photographer Estelle Hanania. We were fascinated by the stories she chooses to tell with her pictures. One series called the “Demoniac Babble” captures a yearly pagan ritual in Switzerland where a group of men roam from farm to farm, singing and drinking in celebration for winter and to frighten the bad spirits away. For months men create their demonic outfits. At first glance in these images, the men appear to be plant-like sculptures but upon closer inspection you realize that they are humans dressed in these outlandish earthly costumes.

She also has an eye for fashion. I’m including some images of her latest catalogue for Urban Outfitters. They really elevated their look with this catalogue. It’s more minimal and sophisticated.

Dan Funderburgh

Dan Funderburgh sneaks dark humor into his hyper stylized wallpapers by combining traditional pattern motifs with contemporary urban experiences. His designs tell stories. The work appears pleasant from a distance and edgier upon closer inspection. In the wittily titled Elysian Fields (bottom image) he amuses us with Venus flytraps, bats and bones instead of a idyllic fantasy as the title would suggest.

Flavor Papers, a New Orleans/Brooklyn-based wall paper shop, carefully hand-screens his designs. They are indeed a work of art! Mr Funderburgh’s work can be found in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum and the Miami Museum of Art.

Astrid Dahl

From time to time I pop into Amaridian to admire Astrid Dahl’s plantlike vessels.

“The natural white of this clay quite simply, works for me. We are really down to ‘truth to material’ and I love that this honesty is reflected in that it is ‘hand made’.

We as humans have always looked to nature for inspiration and I don’t think we should ever stop! I love to take a closer look, particularly at plants, as their forms are just incredible in design. Design which, knowing the nature of clay, is certainly challenging logistically, makes the process all the more exciting. In essence, the flowers are a springboard for an abundant source of inspiration.

Because of the relative ‘softness’ of clay, I am able to spend hours sanding, creating ultra fine edges, sharp points and the silky feel which contributes hugely to the overall affect. Although it can have heart palpitating moments, I find it a calming medium to be working in. Clay has a language of its own, combined with hands; there is a union of these two entities.” —Astrid Dahl

Topsy-Turvy Planters

Bosskke intends to transform the way people enjoy plants in their living environments with the Sky Planter designed by Patrick Morris. No longer satisfied by the plant pot stuck in the corner Morris has literally elevated them into stunning compositional elements in your interior.

Patrick Morris leapt into his career by winning the UK New Designers Award for Ceramic Design, shortly after graduating from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Go to this web page and see the video on how it works. It looks simple enough but I do wonder if the dirt will fall onto the floor. It's refreshing to see a designer thinking about bringing nature into an interior space in a distinctive way.

Wolfgang Weingart

Wolfgang Weingart (born 1941 in the Salem Valley, Germany, near the Swiss border) never gets old for me. His graphic design and typography is inspirational, timeless and distinct. He is considered by some as the “father” of New Wave or Swiss Punk Typography.

Many years ago I had the privilege to meet and study with him while attending the Yale Summer Program in Graphic Design in Brissago, Switzerland led by Armin Hofmann. That summer was a design experience that I continue to think about and appreciate to this day. (one day I'll share my work from that summer if I can find it)

According to Weingart, “I took ‘Swiss Typography’ as my starting point, but then I blew it apart, never forcing any style upon my students. I never intended to create a ‘style’. It just happened that the students picked up—and misinterpreted—a so-called ‘Weingart style’ and spread it around.” (Poynor, Rick. Eye, No. 4, Vol. 1, 1994, pp. 8–16.)

Alexander Girard, wooden dolls

All week I struggled on what my Halloween costume would be and luckily my friend Scott Newlin came to my rescue. On his lunch break, Scott strolled by the Vitra Showroom and saw Alexander Girard’s colorful wooden dolls and suggested that a group of us attempt to create the partly delightful, partly ghastly company of dolls. I was completely game and relieved that I finally had a plan. Scott, his girlfriend Emily CM Anderson, my husband Mike Abbink made a date to create our costumes.

Originally Girard created and made the Wooden Dolls (1963) for his home in Santa Fe. The dolls that are in production today are based on the originals found in the Girard Estate held by Vitra Design Museum. Girard managed to inject an uninhibited use of color and a clever playfulness into modernism. He took inspiration from countries like Mexico and India where a tradition of handicraft still thrived, their processes, motifs and colors not yet threatened by an industrial culture. He made modernism fun! He is most noted for his textile treatments for Knoll that could be characterized by lyrical pattern making and bold colors.

We did make it to the Halloween shindig hosted by the incredibly gracious Mike Perry and Anna Wolf. Much fun was to be had. To see more of Anna’s Halloween pictures from the merry soirée. Here.

Stig Lindberg in Craft Horizons, 1954

In the October 1954 issue of Craft Horizons Arthur Hald, son of famed Orrefors Glass director Edward Hald, explored the life of Swedish ceramist Stig Lindberg, describing him as “one of the most convincing examples of design in our times.” The spirited, incisive piece provides a window into Lindberg’s personality, vision and versatility at the age of 38, while he was art director at Stockholm’s Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory.

To download the article. Here.