Bright lights big city: New York Neon

Cover of New York Neon, by Thomas Rinaldi

Cover of New York Neon, by Thomas Rinaldi

“Neon lights were both…loved and hated like no other element of the built environment,” Thomas Rinaldi says in his new photo book New York Neon.  They are both modern and nostalgic.  They are ubiquitous, and yet often no one gives them a second thought.

What are the hallmarks of urban experience?  Concrete and neon. Neon is imbedded in our cultural psyche, especially as a defining visual element of the biggest, grittiest urban environment in America, New York City. Consider the Drifter’s lyric: “They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.” Or Petula Clark’s “Downtown”: “Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city; Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty.” Continue reading →

Alicia Benoist: Black and White Maiolica

Currant bowl; black Maiolica. By Alicia Benoist, from the Facebook album “Pots”, September 2010. Photo by Russell Dian.

We recently met Alicia Benoist, a studio potter from New York City whose work stole our hearts! Her hand is expressive and robust, and the way she paints her glaze brought to mind the impasto strokes of Vincent Van Gogh and the stained glass of John LaFarge. But on second look we saw that she was fluent in two different glaze-painting styles: black and white maiolica. Her white pieces are subtly different. Fresh but subdued colors are stroked onto a white ground. They resemble watercolors, especially those of the Omega Group from England in the early 20th century.

Her inspiration comes from her garden: irises, lily of the valley, floppy poppies, fiddlehead ferns and an array of fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to being a potter, Alicia is also a cellist and choral singer.  She draws a parallel between music and ceramics.  “You use the same vocabulary to discuss both, such as ‘color’ and ‘rhythm’.  One tends to describe both the same” she explains. Continue reading →

Ottoman by Design: Branding an empire

What are the hallmarks of Ottoman style, how did this style originate, and why is it still important today?

This textile clearly reveals an ogival pattern. Fragment of green-ground kemha, Istanbul
, First half 17th century
. TM 1994.27.3. Gift of Neutrogena Corporation. All images courtesy the National Textile Museum.

This is an excellent example of a typically Ottoman stylistic interpretation of naturalistic flowers. Kemha with small-scale floral decoration (detail), Probably Istanbul, 
Last quarter of 16th century. 
TM 1.72, Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1952

The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. is currently featuring the exhibition “The Sultan’s Garden: The Blossoming of Ottoman Art”. This exhibition chronicles how one of the world’s most powerful empires developed a singular artistic style and how that style gained lasting influence, just as modern brands strive to do today. In the sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire began representing itself at home and abroad through a single, instantly recognizable visual aesthetic. Their stylized tulips, roses, carnations, and other flowers came to embody the influence of the empire, and even today continue to epitomize the arts of Turkey.
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Green Patriot Posters

Image courtesy Edward Morris and The Canary Project

If you want people to save something you have to show it to them. People only save what they see.”  Sharon Motola, Director of the Belize Zoo, from the book “The Last Flight of the Macaw”

Posters are a form of media that can be compared to wildfire—they crop up like sparks landing on trees, lampposts, buildings; they spread ideas to the public, stir up excitement and anger and passion; they incite people to action.  Posters have been around since the 16th century, when the printing press was invented and it became possible to print pages quickly and cheaply and then distribute them to the masses.
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Gold, Jasper, and Carnelian: Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court

The Breteuil Table on view in The Frick Collection’s Oval Room; photo: Michael Bodycomb

The Breteuil Table, designed and made entirely by Johann Christian Neuber (1736-1808), is distinguished as one of the most exceptional and important pieces of eighteenth-century furniture ever made. It is not a big table, standing at only 32 inches in height but it’s use of materials and it’s flawless execution made it more than a delight, this piece is a wonder. Shown for the first time outside of Europe, the table was the centerpiece of a recent exhibition Gold, Jasper, and Carnelian: Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court, at the Frick Collection in New York City.
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Hand-carved headstones: An appreciation of an art form.

Some examples of the long history of John Steven’s Shop’s work. Photo courtesy of John Stevens Shop. www.johnstevensshop.com

When we say that something shows “the hand of the artist”, we are usually referring to a traditional work of art like a painting or sculpture. Very few people would automatically think of a headstone. But a hand-lettered and carved memorial stone or tomb stone is as much a work of sculpture and a testament to finely tuned craft as any classical bust. Both equally represent a skilled hand and keen eye which craft the material in such a way that it transcends mere matter. Continue reading →