Through his work Gonzalez-Torres was able to conjure the vocabulary of minimalism while at the same time re-invigorating it through open-ended content, alluding only in part to the autobiographical or incendiary and leaving the construction of meaning to the viewer.
The world of interior design is incredibly competitive, as, despite its artistic overtones, there is an awful lot of money to be made by those that reach the top. Unlike other industries, such as finance or law, being largely visual, work product is in plain sight and as a result and accordingly, it’s much easier to compare.
Elizabeth Eyre de Lanux, in what was short but stellar career, made an immeasurable contribution to the visual lexicon of the decorative arts; a hybrid of “primitive” and “modern” aesthetics.
Client is key and contrary to what the media would have us all believe, by no means does an interior need a “wow factor”, and far better are those designs that exude a quiet confidence — a quality equally desirable in people.
England has an extraordinary design history that is, understandably, a constant source of inspiration; however, perhaps like Jean-Michel Frank and David Hicks, contemporary designers might seek to update and modernize traditional interiors — and that means more than merely adding bold red piping to a roman blind.
It would be foolish to try and dictate what exactly “good design” should be as it’s something incredibly personal to each and every one of us. Moving away from the thorny issue of taste, there are certain principles that any designer should take into consideration, those being: history, originality and atmosphere.
As an artist Jeff Koons’ has, undisputedly, had an impact on the development of “fair use” law, and it’s quite possible that multiple lawsuits have had an impact on his process.
Plaster has of course been widely used as a decorative medium since antiquity and so it should come no surprise that it has, once again, found favour with contemporary interior designers.
“New-cocooning” should focus on how our interior spaces affect our moods and our ability to work; our homes must be personal, sensorial, considerately planned and clutter-free in order to inspire us to make the most of our day to day lives.
The oeuvre of Catalan artist Jordi Alcaraz (b. 1963, Barcelona) is defined by a certain purity and a personal language of shape and colour. Through a lyrical handling of materials he creates realms that are as ambiguous as his Catalan antecedents such as Antoni Tàpies, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí.
Despite their increasing popularity ceramics are still affordable to every level of collector, whether that be cheap mid-century ceramics from Kempton market or art pieces from the likes of Grayson Perry and Yeesookyung — the key thing of course is to buy what you love and not for investment.
It’s about time there was a greater focus on designing for the long run, and not with the sole intention of setting trends or shouting for attention; creating interiors that are built to last, that can be added to and improved over time — not merely gutted and started afresh with every new owner.
Nobody in the art world really cares anymore about whether something is a painting, drawing, video or even a digital manifestation — the key factor is its meaning, and whether it conveys some sort of visual impact
As the year drags to an unseemly end, a good many of us will take stock and consider what trends might take off 2021. Whether that means looking back or thinking forward, there are numerous experts who have been busily crunching data so as to try and predict those items, styles and colours most likely to persuade consumers to part with their hard earned cash.
It’s clear that styling sells and in the world of social media influencers fashion and interiors have started to overlap; once limited to flogging makeup and fast fashion, furniture manufacturers, galleries and even art and antique dealers are now sending socially savvy individuals furniture and objet to plug on their Instagram accounts.
Jean Dunand was, arguably, the most important and influential metalsmith and lacquer artist of his generation; distinguished by his unprecedented and unmatched genius in the ancient, almost forgotten, technique of urishi, which would permeate his artistic voice for much of his most prolific and successful period.
Chic is really an understatement — for there is never anything excessive and everything that is there needs to be; of course only those that have it know instinctively what that is.
A prodigious and and visionary artist, through his use of seemingly perverse and bizarre imagery, Matthew Barney poses a series of questions — using far-flung histories, characters, sciences and cultures — to which he doesn’t necessarily provide answers; and this is precisely why his work is so captivating.
During the second half of the Twentieth Century, Herbert Lust, a self-described “farm boy from Indiana”, amassed one of the greatest collections of contemporary art of his generation, counting Giacometti, Calder and Robert Indiana as close friends and personal confidants.
Whilst the world has been caught in the clutches of a mid-century modern obsession the demand for antiques has been waning, especially amongst younger buyers who see them as dated, prissy and undesirable. The market, of course, has peaks and troughs and their popularity is once again on the slow ascendency.
