Art & Design
We are great admirers of Scottish photographer Kevin McCollum’s work and are delighted to announce that a collection of his prints are now available exclusively through Avocado Sweet. Kevin has created a series of beautiful photographs called Around the World. Four images which complement each other in terms of subject and composition have been curated to give the visual impact seen in galleries. Above, left to right are Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Chrysler
Life is strange, no? Who’d have thought there would be such nostalgia in Germany for life in the now defunct GDR? The 2003 film Goodbye Lenin, which poignantly recalled life in the German Democratic Republic, has been followed by the growth of Ostalgie, a celebration of the fashions, food and everyday hassles that characterised life in the communist state. Is it ok to be sentimental about life under a regime
On the day we bid a sad farewell to Elizabeth Taylor, one of the all time great pin ups, it’s fitting that we feature this cheeky range of gifts and homeware from Crumpet and Skirt. Created by erstwhile actress Elizabeth Pinnock the range includes cushions, cards, mirrors, mugs and wrapping paper all adorned with juicy 50s starlets in vampish poses. The products are available to order online from the Crumpet and
If the red nose look isn’t quite you, you could try bidding on these great Mini Modern mugs being auctioned on Ebay for Comic Relief. Made by Nice People, they normally retail at £8 each. Bidding ends on 23 March so you have plenty time to do your bit while adding a splash of colour to your morning coffee. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Set-Mini-Moderns-DESIGNER-Mugs-Comic-Relief-/330542770971?pt=UK_HG_Crockery_RL&hash=item4cf5e26b1b
Nathan Furniture new range has been inspired by scandinavian-style designs from its own 1960s archive including the Citadel sideboard below. Citadel 21 sideboard based on Nathan’s original design from 1963 Making munitions boxes is a diversification that probably most contemporary furniture makers haven’t contemplated. But that’s exactly how Barnett Nathan supplemented the income for the handcrafted furniture business he started in 1916. The current economic climate is tough but spare
This recently launched Sanderson 50’s collection combines original 1950’s designs from their archive with designs from contemporary artists who have taken inspiration from this era. We’ll be seeing a lot of 1950’s inspired design this year as the South Bank Centre celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain. But then 50’s design never really goes away between revivals. Would we have Orla Kiely’s current designs without those avant-garde
Little bit of prejudice coming out here but I don’t immediately associate Florida with cool. Shows what I know because Winter Park Florida is where you’ll find the very cool Rifle Paper Co run by Anna and Nathan Bond. The couple themselves have been featured in various blogs and journals because they are so beautiful and creative and happy but lifestyle envy demands that we gloss over all that and focus instead on their lovely products.
Every year product and graphic designers use calendars to show off their talents, coming up with ever more ingenious styles and formats. Perhaps they’re all trying too hard because this simple concept from Coco Barclay really does the job while managing to be an attractive piece of wall decor. It’s a brushed aluminium grid which overlays an A3 pad of monthly calendar pages (12 of them!). There’s plenty of space to write and
Ooh la la – the new La Redoute catalogue est ici! Better known for a fashion range which represents reasonable value with a soupcon of French flair, La Redoute is actually more useful as a homewares source. They do good, simple curtains and tablecloths in cottons and linens in highly usable colours like grey, aubergine and taupe. Their towels and bedlinen are excellent quality and reasonably priced. They usually do
Here are some stunning photos from around the world by Kevin McCollum. It’s tempting to travel the globe to seek out the exotic in your work but one of Kevin’s latest projects, an interesting approach that many artists and designers might apply, is to focus on subjects no more than a mile from where he lives. Easy if you happen to live in Manhattan or Tangiers but more of a challenge for Kevin who lives in
