TrendWarriors

http://www.cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/multiple_choice/

COOPER HEWITT NATIONAL DESIGN MUSEUM, New York City

EXHIBITION:

Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product
On view November 9, 2007–September 1, 2008

This exhibition will examine sample books and other sampling formats as tools for marketing or recording designs and techniques in a wide variety of media. In use since the eighteenth century, sampling formats provide detailed views into the design tastes of their respective eras.

Drawn from the Museum’s collection, exhibition objects will include sample books of wallcoverings; woven and printed textiles; ribbons, lace and embroidery; sample plates; and drawings and prints showing design alternatives.

The exhibition is organized by Lucy Commoner with Matilda McQuaid and Kimberly Randall. Research assistance provided by Phyllis Dillon.

Sent in by:

Bonnie Bledsoe Fuchs
201 Mint Springs Lane
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-969-7499

Interview with José Heerkens, visual artist
The Netherlands

http://www.joseheerkens.nl/

http://www.geoform.net/

Zeeland NB, February 2008

(Background: I met Jose Heerkens, in 2005 at a Dutch Colour Society meeting in the Netherlands. Both of us were impressed with each other’s involvement in color. We immediately struck up a correspondence surrounding travel, art, landscapes, pass times and of course, color! In 2006 Jose published a book on her work called Horizon. I enjoyed reading her impressions of people and places she has visited and how they affected her art and life).

Trend Warriors: It is always interesting how people get started in their particular paths in life. How did you start yours as a visual artist?

Jose Heerkens: Born in a village in the south east of The Netherlands I looked at the rhythm of the trees, the colors and forms of the ploughed fields, the water in the ditches and listened how the people talked and saw how they built and worked. I think the need to understand life is the first step. At the Academy of Art and Design in s-Hertogenbosch (Noord Brabant) I had my education in the art of painting from 1979 to 1984.

TW: Creative people find different sources for inspiration. For some it is people, for others nature or music or experiencing life. At the moment, what do you consider inspirational for your work ?

JH: Space fascinates me. The enormous space that is spread out in landscapes, that unrolls over the earth, is my greatest inspiration. I am astonished by its wideness and silence, by the beauty of endlessness. Space has many levels, light is another level than sound and another than the virtual space. The search for light has come into my work prominently throughout the years. My paintings have become a place where space and light meet each other and here color is the most important instrument to visualize the light.

I search for the life and human on one side and the geometry, the universal standard, on the other side. There is a constant dialogue between construction and intuition. I both need them in my try to understand.

Light and space belong to the art of painting since ages and at the same time they are primary needs to live. Both points of view I keep in mind.

Since a trip through Australia in 1992, the fascination for space has become inescapable and the line became my tool to give form to the space I had seen.

Distributed Light II, 2007, 150 x 150 cm, oil on linen

TW: We share the same experience of being deeply impressed with the Australian landscape. There are wide open places like this in the country where I live, but I think they are harder and harder to find. What else did you find so original about Australia?

JH: Here I experienced the landscape as an immense empty plain, the horizon is low, a straight horizontal line and all this land is covered by an age-old undisturbed silence. The bright light forces you to look very carefully. Small critters moving across the red ground. The air is quivering, it moves and all this in near silence. I was deeply touched by this space.

TW: Relationships with color are personal. What colors are you most attracted to these days? Do you ever find you tire of a color and want to try something new?

JH: Several years I worked with reds, browns, blacks, ochre’s. Those colors carry a feeling of earth, of warmth, volume. During the process of years of painting the relation with land and landscape disappeared. Also the earth-related colors fall into the background. Since the year 2000 all colors came in sight and with this large palette came the different sorts of light. Color is light and space and the line has become carrier of colour, light and space.

The context I am looking for is important. It is hard to explain exactly why I choose certain colors and a certain combination. In their relations colors can both weaken and enhance one another. When diverse colors are put together I search the spatial context. Color and space have to fit together. I continue to modify and change colors until there is a dialogue between them. I think the choice of color is based on the individual as well as on a collective spectrum.

Refraction II – 7, 2007, 35 x 35 cm, oil on linen

TW: Placement of color in your paintings helps the viewer experience wonderful moods, and effects. How do you approach using color when you work?

JH: Color has that fabulous quality to transfer the light and the feeling of cool and warm, of close and far away. Every color carries its own space and its specific character, I use these qualities in my work. Like the space of lemon-yellow is hard to tame while the earth-colors are close and reachable. There are many systems to arrange the colors, but the choice to use certain colors is subjective after all. Even if color is used in harmony or in contradiction, I strive after oneness and balance.

Partition II-4, 2007, 25 x 28 cm, oil on linen

TW: How do you work on your paintings?

JH: My paintings lay on the ground. I set up a first layer and decide the second one. So I build up from the back to the front. Every step is a choice. The choice has to be taken out of many possibilities and the broad path on which I started becomes more narrow during the process. I try to keep the layers clear and transparent to get an open image. The thoughts and choices are the “language” of a painter and the possibility to communicate with the spectator. The choice for color has an important voice in this communication.

Luminous Square IV, 2007, 70 x 70 cm, oil on linen

For me, there is always a surprise in Toronto. Whether it is an unexplored street, a great nightclub, a unique shop or a new restaurant, Toronto is a city-lovers town. People are friendly, climate is temperate, and there is always something new to do. For these reasons and more, my long-time friend John Netland (artist, designer and gardener extraordinaire) moved here from the States and never looked back. He found just the right culture in Toronto to exercise his creative energy.

Having been stranded at the airport due to unpredictable winter weather, John invited me to stay at his home for the evening (hurray!) Armed with umbrellas to repel the elements, we went on a tour of his current locale: Kensington Market.

The chill and mist did not dampen the spirits of the shopkeepers in this little bohemian enclave. Cheerful greetings welcomed us everywhere we stopped. Arts, crafts, fashion, home décor, sidewalk groceries, specialty shops and cafes…how I wish every city had a Kensington Market! What I thought was really great about nearly every shop was that the proprietors are all working to support local crafts people.

Here were a few of my favorite boutiques:

Bungalow featured mid-century modern furniture and deco items—including brown dial-up telephones! Chic thrift store clothing and the most amazing selection of leather jackets I’ve ever seen made this place really special.

I wandered forever in the newly opened Blue Banana. This artists market features the work of local crafts people, although there were stalls featuring hand-made products from Asia and Africa. One of a kind gifts, paintings, pottery, clocks, cards and paper, jewelry, fashion accessories were all on display.

John’s good friend Cora opened a business called Miss Cora’s Kitchen. In this funky shop she runs a bakery, café and catering service. Her treats at the counter were delectable!

I met Natalie, the owner of Heart on Your Sleeve. Her shop features recycled clothing and accessories crafted by local designers. Her mantra is Made in Canada, cruelty free, sweatshop free, and organic. There were the most amazing women’s long underwear for winters in snowy country… You would never find another pair like them! Really ingenious. I couldn’t decide between them and a scarf by fiber artist Tanya Hagen. In the end and after much internal turmoil, I went for the scarf. The practical side of me won out and I needed something to help brace me for the chilly weather. I’m still wearing it as I type this blog!

Standing out on the rainy sidewalk, I wasn’t sure from the storefront what kind of place Kid Icarus was… When I entered, I realized I was standing in a tiny print shop. A newly silk-screened 2008 calendar hung on the wall, each month featuring the design of a different local graphic artist. The owners of the shop told me the artists had been commissioned to use only two colors in their work. They were surprised so many had opted not to use BLACK as one of the colors, and the combos they came up with were very striking with their greens and teal blues. Small press print work, hand-made cards, journals, t-shirts, and silk-screened gift boxes made for some very original products in this store.

Right around the corner were Asian surplus stores. There were endless choices in Chinese tea sets or graceful Japanese serving dishes. The price was right for small bamboo steamers or restaurant sized woks. Baskets from Borneo and silks from Thailand…the shopping was fun in little China. I’ll be back one day…with a bigger suitcase!

The FinnStyle store in Minneapolis used to be located in the Warehouse District right around the corner from the Colwell headquarters. Before it moved to its new, high traffic location in Gavidae Commons (about a five block walk downtown) I used to stop by the store during lunch hour looking for gifts.

Everything in FinnStyle is enticing: the sculpted Artek furniture, sparkling displays of ittala glass, the sturdiness of Hackman cookware, the unique personalities of the Toikka birds. I always drift to the soft good section. Home products and fashion accessories are featured in the abundantly colorful Marimekko textiles. Though I am bewitched by the saturated hues, the riot of color never seemed appropriate for my house with its calm, subdued palette. I was never infatuated enough to buy anything except some paper napkins or gift stationery.

One day my neighbor Betty went to FinnStyle looking for a colorful table cloth. They didn’t have quite what she had in mind. The store directed her to a seamstress who custom made soft goods for the store using Marimekko fabrics. Betty set up an appointment and went to the woman’s studio in Bay City, WI. She came back with a vibrant orange table cloth, custom made to fit her dining room table. Not only that, but Betty raved about the owner of the shop, the architecture of her studio and the idyllic beauty of the surrounding area. She described a modernist retreat set in the heart of Wisconsin farmland. I was intrigued.

Last weekend was the seamstress’s annual holiday sale. The first snowstorm of the season hit the midwest. When Betty, her daughter and I trekked over to Wisconsin, we were greeted with silent gray forests and dunes of snow covering the fields. It was hard to believe we were traveling to an oasis of color!

Margaret has a lovely contemporary studio built by the acclaimed architect David Salmela. The name of her business is Banbury Cross. It is the perfect showcase for Marimekko fabrics, and also a comfortable atmosphere to browse and dream. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, and expansive windows take in the views of Lake Pepin and the surrounding woods and fields. White walls provide a clean backdrop for the incredible depth of Marimekko colors. The variety of products Margaret makes is astounding, and her craftsmanship is perfection.

Two hours passed in what seemed like 30 minutes. Betty and I wistfully combed through tote bags, pillow cases, napkins, and table cloths. We oogled over small clasp purses and cosmetic bags. Betty bought Christmas gifts I dreamed about what would work best for the bedroom closet doors. We found it difficult to decide and even more difficult to leave!

I asked Margaret if a particular color of cloth was selling best for her these days. She said her customers very often are drawn to the rich blues in the Marimekko line: dark indigo, brilliant sapphire, lustrous azul.

She said people often travel great distances to her studio at Banbury Cross, just to feast their eyes on the color.

We return again to the adage: Color sells.

Well, winter is almost here. Officially in Minneapolis winter comes when the snow flies, and that might be at the end of October. This is my favorite time of year. I can tuck in the garden, rake up the last fallen leaves, close the storm windows and start thinking about hibernation!

And that means going to the local bookstore or library and finding some good reads for the long, cold, dark nights. Hurray!

I’m in the mood to read about exotic places. Stories about China, India and Africa are at the top of the list. I don’t want to read a traveler’s account of these places, I want stories written by the citizens.

1) If you enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha, then you might enjoy Snowflower and the Secret Fan. It is a heart-wrenching tale about childhood friends, and a secret written language for women. If you are squeamish– beware: there is excruciating detail about the ancient practise of foot-binding girls in China.

2) The Inheritance of Loss is a modern tale of English colonization and growing up poor in India. The book describes in lucscious landscapes, the rotting decline of a family’s estate, and what can happen when a person leaves the familiarity of family, home and culture to find a better life in the West.

 3) Blink - recommended by Christy Spencer

4) The Purple Cow - by Seth Godin, recommended by Don Freeland

5) Emotional Branding - by Marc Gobe, recommended by Sheryl Westfall

6) Unleashing the Idea Virus - by Seth Godin

7) Orbiting the Giant Hairball - by Gordon McKenzie

Marvericks at Work - by William Taylor and Polly LaBarre

9) The Hummer and the Mini - by Robyn Waters

10) Eveolution - by Faith Popcorn

Twice a year the colorists at Colwell make a pilgrimage to Color Marketing Group. For three days, we share color-related information with nearly 300 associates and peers in the color world. By the end, we have insights that help unravel the mystery of where color and design trends are headed for the next two years.

Color Marketing Group conferences are held in a different location each year throughout the United States. Regional conferences are now also being held in Europe and Asia, and showcase a palette of colors for those areas.

This fall the conference was held in sunny, warm, and windy Tampa, FL from October 13-16. There was time one afternoon for a friend and I to explore a historic neighborhood not far from our hotel.

A ride on the 50-cent trolley took us to Snow Avenue. One could linger a bit over a fruit smoothie in a tiny cafe, or stroll through an upscale boutique in search of jewelry and accessories. My favorite store of all time, Anthropology, was tucked along a shady sidewalk. It is amazing to me that each time I walk in this store, where ever it may be…I can find myself getting lost for hours.

All stores tastefully display their merchandise, but this store is meant to be rummaged in as if you were in a Parisian flea market! Anthropology is about discovery and exploration in the ultimate shabby chic environment. Everything in here is a visual feast and a tactile experience. Here you can leaf through coffee table books and covet the leather-bound travel diaries. You can Oooh and Aaah over one-off antique store finds (one of which has found its way into my upstairs bedroom, despite the protests of my credit card, wailling from its painful workout at the cash register). Feel free to peek in drawers full of glass pull-knobs and brass hardware, sniff soap and candles displayed in baskets…drool over the stylish outfits and try, just try not to buy a set of the awesome colorful dishes with their goldfish patterns or architectural borders! I fantasize about doing all my Christmas shopping here because it would make life easier, and everyone would love their present. The reality is I would be broke next year. Sorry everyone!

On foot we tour Bungalow Terrace, a neighborhood established in 1916. It is difficult to call this a “street” because no cars go here. A common sidewalk runs through the middle of the block from north to south. The houses face each other along this axis, no more than 35 ft. apart. Harmony and tranquility is the feeling you get walking along this byway. The face-to-face arrangement of homes feels safe, like the wagons have circled and you are protected in the center. From the friendly greetings you get as a passerby, you can tell residents living in this community feel connected. While each home is unique by color and decor, the bond of a unified Bungalow style keep people and architecture from drifting apart.

Most of the homes had paved walks that led to a generous front porch and a small, neatly landscaped yard. Established trees and palms arched overhead, providing a generous expanse of shade to protect from the heat of the afternoon sun. Each property has either a garage behind or on the side of the house.

The colors were distinctly Floridian–the influence of the sea is never far away. Coral shell, shy peach, dusty rose, seafoam green, sand gold, beach-pebble beige and stormy blue lived on the plank-board and shingled facades of these homes. There was even a dark teal green that was really stunning. Trim was most often white or off-white to set off a deeper body tone color. Accent reds, deep green and dark wood tones were found on doorways, window frames and porches.

You need to know one thing before visiting Singapore for the first time: You won’t want to leave.

For a colorist, this place is heaven. No one shies away from color here. Taxis are painted a loud citron yellow. Buddhist temples show bright Chinese reds and colorful silk flags. The colors of the Hindi shrines are white-washed pastels in blue, white and pink. Architecture in the old British colonial neighborhoods boast bright yellows, greens, blue and lavendar–it puts the Miami Art Deco district to shame.

People had told me I would like Singapore. I envisioned a streamlined place, lots of cold, hard rules and structure everywhere. And to a certain extent, this wealthy port city has a clean efficiency like any modern city in the 21st century. A well-developed highway system and good public transportation. Lots of tall skyscrapers. The names of huge multinational corporations and banking institutions around every turn.

However, Singapore has a heart. Good-natured people and soaring temperatures keep it from getting too serious. The sun can be oppressive here at the equator, the sky is white with heat. Cool shading trees and plants maintain a green, garden-like surrounding. Water features are everywhere. The largest free-standing fountain in the world is in Singapore.

This is Tan Soo Ling’s home town, and he did it justice by showing me the highlights in just two days. The first morning we had a traditional Singaporean breakfast at a little diner in the heart of the city. This place was famous for its runny eggs and thinly sliced toast. I took a pass on the raw eggs flavored with soy sauce, but ate a whole pile of toast slathered with butter and a local sweet marmalade made from egg, sugar, butter and some kind of local fruit.

The culture is vibrant–Indian, Chinese, Malay and Euro-Asian influences mean that diversity is widely accepted here. Hindi and Buddhist shrines rub elbows with Christian cathedrals. At the Mid-Autumn festival Sept. 25, dragon parades, colorful lights, and the smell of wonderful street-fare energized the area around the Victorian open market. We sampled chicken and shrimp satay in spicy dipping sauce, roasted sting-ray filets, savory noodle dishes and iced rose-milk drinks that will drive me to diet when I return home.

Much to my disappointment, I did not get to sample durian, the famous King of Fruits that grows here in Malaysia. There are two landmark buildings in Singapore that are meant to represent this very prickly, pungent-smelling fruit. Apparently, it is so smelly that Soo Ling will not allow it in his car because the odor can linger for weeks. Hotels will not allow you to bring it to your room because the odor permeates everything. I am immediately intrigued, and no definition in Wikipedia is going to give you the experience of this fruit first-hand. Everyone loves to eat it even though it smells so bad. Hopefully I’ll have another chance!

The hotel and hospitality business are doing well here: lobbies boast soaring heights, mesmerizing chandeliers, and blends of texture-color-pattern-artwork energize the most world-weary business traveler or the most jet-lagged tourist.

The Malay Village and Little India were hotbeds of activity, even at 10:00 at night when people filled the sidewalk markets; shopping, dining and visiting friends. We strolled past the stalls where hundreds of colorful silks were on display. We entered a Bhuddist shrine and took pictures of the rooftop garden overflowing with orchids. Orchard Road is the famous shopping street in Singapore, and at night it was lit up with all the famous brands.

Take note: Color is on the radar in China.

Color is an important part of the Chinese fashion apparel scene. Now that awareness and importance of it is spreading, and build in importance for the future.

It was my honor and pleasure to be invited to speak at the 4th Annual China Color Forum, hosted by the China Fashion Color Association. The event was held in Wuxi, China from September 20-22. It was attended by nearly 400 designers, architects, urban planners, historians, personal color consultants, textile designers, printers, product developers, marketing experts, educators and university students from China, Korea and Japan.

I was the only cowgirl from the US.

There workshops are held in different locations every year. There are color workshops for members to forecast color two years out. Educational seminars and speaker forums feature speakers from all different industries. During these sessions, the audience and media interacts with experts. Translators for four different languages allow all attendees to hear the messages delivered in their own language through channel head-sets. Many of the speakers were Japanese, coming from high profile companies such as Toyota, Nippon Paint, Nissan, LG Electronics, and Sony ensure that Chinese design will be influenced by their neighbors to the East.

Although there is a strong Japanese presence now thanks to the support of the Japan Fashion Color Association, I would anticipate one day soon these forums will be dominated by speakers from China. The Chinese are investing in education of the next generation by allowing the attendance of many young designers and university students at this event. I estimated 60% of the attendees were under 30 years old, which was an overwhelming presence. They are passionately eager to learn anything about color marketing, and unencumbered by language as many of them multi-lingual.

The atmosphere at the evening banquets was festive. The audience was entertained by local singers and talented dancers. As the night went on, color celebrities went on stage to award honors, give toasts, and sing kareoke with the crowd. It was indeed a very colorful event that will keep people coming back for years to network, learn and dream about the future of the color industry in Asia.

My experience with the CFCA began when I met Mr. Yifu, the Secretary General of CFCA two years ago at a press conference in Beijing. His staff were well organized and terrific to work with, and I would encourage anyone doing business in the Asian sector to contact them for more details about upcoming Forums in 2008.

I have always considered Tokyo the style mecca not only of Japan, but for all of Asia. The moment you step into the airport in this cosmopolitan city, you know you have reached a destination where Good Taste is a national passtime. At the moment, there is a trend towards lots and lots of long layers: belted shirts over lace trimmed leggings, empire waisted dresses with tall, spike-heeled boots. Jewelry was long necklaces, dainty earrings. Hair is long, loose and messy. Silver, gold, bronze and copper metallics reign in over-sized handbags.

In Japan, while young men and women often wear tight-fitting clothes, I was struck by the fact they do not show as much skin–no plunging necklines and bare midriffs.

And definitely not nearly as many tattoos as what we see in the US or Europe!

The first night I arrived, Chiemi and I dined at a a place called Hajime. My nickname for it was the secret restaurant because it was nearly impossible to find unless you were a local! Off the main streets, we wound through narrow alleys and down flights of narrow stairs to find the hidden entrance to the underground restaurant. Several years ago Wallpaper* magazine posted an article when it opened, crediting it for its sleek black and white minimalist interior. 500 sq. feet contained a bar with 12 stools, the kitchen and one booth where Chiemi and I enjoyed Japanese tapas and a really good white wine.

Fall 2007 in Tokyo showing purple and dark blue to be the Number 1 fashion color in Tokyo. From the Ginza to Roppongi, we saw shades of purple in Franc Franc, Beams department store, Wako on the Ginza and in the store fronts at Gaultier.

My second night in Tokyo, Chiemi took me to the beach house she and her husband recently purchased in the bay area south of Tokyo. This two-tiered house sits upon a windy hillside, overlooking a wild, undeveloped forest valley. The sound of wind, birds and insects filled the air as we toured the spacious villa.

I was impressed as I always am, by how multi-culti our homes, fashions and lives have become. Although in this house there are rooms with sliding shoji-screen paper walls and traditional tatami floor coverings, there is also an international cocktail of deco products: Colorful textured paint comes from the US. Hand-made Farrow and Ball wallpapers come from the UK. Furniture from Ikea has been designed in Sweden. That evening we eat cheese from Italy and drink wine from France while I listened to the sing-song cadence of the Japanese language. Later people went outside to sit in the hot tub and look at the stars (we were far enough from the night lights of Tokyo to see them!). For as far from home as I was, the whole experience felt familiar.

In an earlier post there is an interview with Reiko and Akiko, owners of Cafe 8 and Pure Cafe in Tokyo. I was lucky enough to have dinner with them one night, and sample some of the best vegan food in Japan. Check out the tiniest tomatoes I’ve ever seen–the size of peas, I swear! The size did nothing to minimize the taste. Another testament to the Japanese love of miniature things…

Bright primaries in Country Road store

Arrived in Sydney today and the weather is gorgeous. Checked into the Harbour Rocks Hotel on Harrington Street. This place is a find for this neighborhood: it is small, quiet and out of the way…it has all the necessities and is about 10 steps from the Quay with all its shopping, restaurants and sights. From my window I can see the Opera House and part of the Sydney Harbour bridge, leading over the water to the north part of the city.

Resisting the urge to lay down and take a nap after 24 hours of travel, I picked up the camera and went for a hike around Sydney Harbour. The stores in the historic Rocks area are quaint–art galleries, bookstores, cafes, clothing boutiques and gift shops. I stop in an antique jewelry store and marvel over the 19th and 20th C. pieces from England and France. There are several rings in the main case that keep catching my eye. They are styled with finely wrought filigree. A tiny gems circles what appears to be a small clear “window” on the crown of the setting. The shopkeeper tells me these are Victorian “mourning rings.” Widows would wear them, often with a piece of a beloved’s hair ensconced forever in the little window. Suddenly they lost their appeal. I moved on to the bookstore!

White on white at Witchery

The afternoon went something like this: Lunch in one of the little sidewalk cafe’s below the Opera House. A stroll through the botanical gardens. A march down George Street with all its great retail. A stop at Dinosaur Design and Funkis in the fashionable boutiques in The Strand shopping center.

Stores are gearing up for spring this time of year in Australia. The grays and jeweltones of their winter season are being ushered out by the vibrant spring hues in lemon, sapphire and sharp red. Layered whites and off-whites with these classic primaries looked right for the season.

Jigsaw shows light layered neutrals for spring in Australia

High impact colour for youth market. Green statements at Sports Girl

Dove gray and orange at Hugo Boss

Skelanimals continue the counter culture theme