The day-to-day, things that are neither here nor there. Follow via RSS.
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Lots of Eames notes recently. SB recommended this video to me, I love it. Also, found the Guardian review of the Eames exhibition kind of interesting. It does seem contradictory that they managed to be so unflaggingly optimistic in their lives and output in the face of some pretty harsh concurrent events.
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Quotes from Alison Moloney’s essay in The World of Charles and Ray Eames regarding the couple’s uniform-esque attire.
Their relaxed, workwear aesthetic was an integral part of a carefully considered image, one that complemented the practice of the Eames Office, its philosophy and the Eameses’ own resolute work ethic.
Moloney, Alison. “The Dress of Charles and Ray Eames.” The World of Charles and Ray Eames. Ed. Catherine Ince with Lotte Johnson. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with Barbican Art Gallery, 2015. 149.
Photo of Ray Eames in her standard pinafore dress (image source)
Ray’s aesthetic was feminine – unsurprisingly so, given the era in which she was working – but it is the habitual wearing of the same style that is most telling, and which, instead, reveals her to be uncompromising and non-conformist.
Moloney. The World of Charles and Ray Eames. 149.
Photo of Charles Eames in bowtie and checked pullover shirt (image source)
His shirts were well worn, as evidenced by numerous repairs, and reflected the Eames’ make-do-and-mend mentality, which extended to all aspects of their lives, from their routinely darned pillowcases to their wedding-gift toaster, which was said to be constantly repaired.
Moloney. The World of Charles and Ray Eames. 151.
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Still from Design Q & A (image source)
Q: How would you define yourself with respect to a decorator? an interior architect? a stylist?
A: I wouldn’t.
One of 29 questions posed by Madame L’Amic and answered by Charles and Ray Eames. The resulting Design Q & A formed the conceptual basis of the exhibition Qu’est ce que le design? (What is Design?) at the Louvre. I believe the exhibition was held in 1969, though I have seen 1972 listed elsewhere.
The transcript and video are available online. For best results however, see it at the excellent The World of Charles and Ray Eames exhibition designed by 6a architects and John Morgan studio. It’s on at the Barbican until 14 February 2016.
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Maria Blaisse, Gomma, 2003, tubes. Image from Augenweide (i.e. Beatrice Oettinger). (image source)
The other evening, a friend introduced me to Maria Blaisse’s work as well as the lovely book The Emergence of Form published by nai010. The dedication evident in her output is incredible, and her canal-side studio in Amsterdam sounds pretty great. Wish I could find one of the images from the book online, it’s a black and white photo possibly taken in the 70s of her working on a woven piece with an enormous knot in the middle that’s easily twice her height. Will just have to buy the book (like I need an excuse).
Sidenote, Augenweide (source for the image) is a very enjoyable browse, glad to have come across it.
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Great workbench. Jealous of that Dremel bit collection…
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Walker blog interview with Maximage
I asked SB about people/studios that push the offset printing process when we were discussing a potential litho print last week, and he mentioned Berlin-based collective Maximage. The 2013 interview in the Walker design/art blog (linked above) sheds light on their interest in intervention.
The cover of Acid Test, 2010. Image from Swiss Design Awards (image source)
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Surfing w/ coffee #2. Order of exploration:
A
Google search “web worker” paper.js jerky (trying to sort out animation+ajax issues) → Paper.js issue #634 “Allow using paperjs without canvas” → Paper.js issue #561 “Add Font and Glyph types from plumin.js” (↓B) → Plumin.js (↓C) → Louis-Rémi Babé @louis_remi → Surge, static web publishing
B
Opentype.js → Frederik De Bleser (↓D) → NodeBox, tools for generative design
C
Yannick Mathey @_____________y → USA, limited edition typographic print
D
Overtone, collaborative programmable music → Meta-eX, “Live coding. Live synths. Live music.”
See previous surf sesh.
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The front and back of a six-petaled quilt template by my great-grandmother. Probably for stitching purposes (not patchwork). This and many other templates were cut from scrap cardboard, things like cereal boxes.
