Growning up with Moorcroft

Ever since I was little, I've always liked Moorcroft pottery and ceramics. We've always had a few vases in our livingroom growing up. There is just something about the vivid colours and dramatic floral ornaments that make each piece appealing. I was intrigued by these vases before I even knew what the Art Nouveau style was or even touched a computer. The pieces in my home were from the early 1900s. The vases had been in my family for the last few generations.

The Art Nouveau style didn't only impact graphic design, it affected all aspects of design. Some of the best examples of the Art Nouveau period are Moorecroft pottery pieces.

William Moorcroft began to design his distinctive ceramics in 1897. He was inspired by a variety of sources: the Art Nouveau style that became prominent at the beginning of his career, exotic Oriental and Islamic pottery, and the famous arts and crafts designs for Liberty ’s and Tiffany’s.

They don't make'm like they used to.

The Art Deco movement introduced styles that often focused on bold colors and geometric shapes. Because of new technology introduced in the beginning of the century and innovative new designs, Art Deco was considered to be part of the new 'modern' look when it was first introduced.

I've always considered jewelry from the 1920s or the Art Deco period to be some of the most creative and interesting forms of design. The jewelry is typified by geometric shapes contrasted with organic swirls.

Like the necklace (1930) below, Art Deco jewelry is both rigid and organic at the same time. The broach on the left was designed in the early 1920s and there is just something so compellingly elegant about it. Even though it does look kind of gaudy and very showy, there is a distinctly classic kind of beauty in it that is inexplicable. In both pieces there is a sense of a glittering textured metal that immediately draws your eye.

Jewelry today just seems to be lacking that element that makes it seem real. Because of advancements of technology, it seems to slick, to cold. It has become to commercial, almost fake. It appears to have lost its character.

The Public Sphere?

What is the public sphere? Jugen Habermas states that it is the first of all a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed. Access is guarranteed to all citizens. There is a portion of the public sphere comes into being in every conversation in which private individuals meet to form a public body. Citizens behave as a public body when they confer in an free way about matters of public interest. Today, the media such as television, radio and internet are included in the public sphere.

Another aspect of the public sphere is the importance of 'public opinion'. Public opinion refers a belief that is shared by most people. Public opinion is extremely important to the field of graphic design and other media related fields. The more you are able to understand your audience, the more relevant your work will be.

Movie posters

I've always been drawn to movie posters, particularly those of 1950s and 1960s horror films There is just something so compelling about the use of colour and graphics. Some of the best posters are those done for Alfred Hitchcock's classic movies.

There is also an interesting use of hand-drawn lettering that suits the horror genre. The way that the lettering in the words 'Vertigo' and the cast names, are exremely appropriate to the context. This typography appears to be wavering, and distorted, just like the meaning of the word vertigo.

The word 'Psycho' is broken into pieces in a yellow typeface on a completely black background. This contrast and distortion of letters reflect the violent nature of this movie. There is also something sinister about the photography being turned into a duotones. The photos are dark and rough looking and seem almost alien.

Learning from Las Vegas

Recently, I read the book, "Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form" by Robert Venturi and was blown away. Venturi calls for architects to be more receptive to the tastes and values of 'common people,' and to be less focused on the creation of 'high architecture'. By high architecture, Venturi refers to the grand-heroic monuments of Modern architecture.

Venturi's primary example of good 'common' architecture are the hotels and casinos on Las Vegas' strip. All architecture and signage on the Strip are set up to appeal to the masses, and to be seen from a distance while driving. There is an extreme focus on the facades of the buildings and on the signs themselves. Venturi compares parking lots to Roman piazzas, etc. He also talks about the symbolism used by the casinos. He talks about using symbolism in a new context can change the way the viewer interprets the message created by an artwork. Las Vegas is full of this kind of contextual symbolism.

For example, Caesar's Palace uses suggestions of Roman architecture (columns, reliefs, arches, etc) to create the feeling of entering an interpretation of the past. The architecture is further complimented by duplications of classical architecture and all workers are required to wear 'Roman' clothes. However, all this 'Roman' symbolism is altered by the presence of parking lots, neon lights, and the actual location of the building.

I never really thought about how the use of established symbolism in a new context can change the meaning of contemporary artworks.

Nailing Self-Expression

I have enough trouble painting my nails a solid colour, and I'm a trained painter. Nail polish brushed are difficult to work with and the actual polish dries too quickly to correct any errors effectively.

I'm always amazed when someone can do something that I could never in a million years do.

What really fascinates me, is the way that an individual can use this medium as a form of self-expression just like they would with their clothes, hair or accessories. The main difference with nail art is that it is a whole lot more temporary. Painted finger nails generally only last a week or so if done professionally at best. After the nail polish begins to chip off, the polish must be removed. Chipped nails look very tacky.

People can get a variety of designs in any colour they choose. A common theme appears to be flowers, dots and swooshes, but other designs are available. You can get custom nails done like the ones above that are images of rooms in a house. Nails such as these, are truly a form of self-expression because of their rarity.

Getting your nails done in this way, is truly a unique form of expression, and a sure way of standing out from the crowd without doing something as dramatic as dressing as a goth or dying your hair blue. It is a more understated way of differentiating yourself from others.

Crazy houses

At first glance, these houses may seem kind of ugly or strange, but if you look at them closely, each one is amazing. These are the kind of homes that would draw tourists and that could be categorized as works of arts themselves.

The 'Upside Down House' on the left is located in Japan.

The multi-coloured house is located in Canada.

The tilted house is located in England and is a definite tourist attraction.

There seem to be many houses shaped like shoes worldwide; people must really like that old nursery rhyme. The image below is of a house in South Africa. I found many others in my search.

I think that people seem to like these kinds of homes because it takes them back to their childhoods. These are houses that are designed to reflect an individual's taste.