The Many Shades of White

We immediately thought of Robert Ryman when we passed this painted wall on 11th Avenue over the weekend. The gatoring and depth is reminiscent of Ryman's exploration of white--harnessing the effects of light and shadow to create depth, movement and color.

Station, oil and enamelac on boxboard, 1994

Untitled, enamel on linen, 1965

Points, 1963, oil on aluminum

Untitled, enamel on linen, 1965

Texture. Color. And the Power of Two.

We bumped into Gerald Forster's work today at work (of all places!). His first solo show in 2006 titled the LightYears Project "emphasizes a communality of wisdom, dignity, integrity and strength of character." We paired some of our favorite images with interiors that also capture those powerful adjectives.

Gerald Forster [1]

Greenwich Village Residence, Thad Hayes [1]

Greenwich Village Residence, Thad Hayes [2]

Central Park West Residence, Thad Hayes [1]

Central Park West Residence, Thad Hayes [2]

Gerald Forster [2]

Central Park West Residence, Amy Lau [1]

Artist Retreat, Amy Lau

Central Park West Residence, Amy Lau [2]

Downtown Apartment, Amy Lau

Gerald Forster [3]

Bellevue Hill House, Leibowitz and McLachlan [1]

Bellevue Hill House, Leibowitz and McLachlan [2]

Bellevue Hill House, Leibowitz and McLachlan [3]

Bellevue Hill House, Leibowitz and McLachlan [4]

Bellevue Hill House, Leibowitz and McLachlan [5]

Up

A recent business trip had us observing design from New York to Austin. While the differences in these two cities is obvious, we found a common thread in the design of their airports and the plane that travelled to and fro. From geometric fabrics and bacteria patterned walls, to granite floors and Eames seating, there was a consistency that was oddly comforting as we travelled from one American microcosm to the next.

747 interior wall

747 seat fabric

Ceiling fixture at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Carpet at Jet Blue's new state-of-the-art terminal T5, JFK

Floor at T5, JFK

Eames Tandem Sling Seating at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@ 2:30 am!)

The British Eames'

The title, of course, is tongue n' cheek! Lucienne and Robin Day are two of our favorite designers of all time; Lucienne's textile designs are beautifully rendered with seamless repeats, Sir Robin's furniture pieces- refined, modern and classic.

The Days at home

Room at the 1951 Milan Triennale

Royal Festival Armchair, 1951

Alternate View

Yardage of a Lucienne Day design

Lucienne Day Rug for Heal's

Hille Dining Chairs, Robin Day

Rig, Lucienne Day

From the V&A textile collection

William Scott and Doris Lee

We've always loved the paintings of William Scott and Doris Lee. For some reason, the other day, we had downloaded some images of each on the desktop and loved how they complimented one another. Although the American Lee stayed fairly representational and the British Scott's exploration of form became increasingly abstract, their composition and manipulation of line is spare and economical.

Scott's White Reclining Nude, 1956

Doris Lee, Bathers

Lee's Little Souvenirs, Florida

Scott, Hare and Candle

Scott's Forms on White, 1963

William Scott, White and Black Forms, 1953

Scott, White Shapes Entering, 1973

Doris Lee, Christmas Fruits

Eggs and Lemons ala William Scott

Scott's Yellow Matrix, 1962

Flickr Flicker

Sometimes one finds a flicker of wonderful in the least expected places, at the least expected times. Xenia Elizabeth's Flickr pages are a fine example of this. We were surfing for images of Fraser Taylor's work for an upcoming blog and happened upon XE's photos of an exhibit of his. Delving a little further, we found photos with a palatte, sensitivity and innate knowledge of composition that made for arresting, if not melancholy experiences. The following are a few of our favorites.

Fraser Taylor, Reflections and Densities [1]

Fraser Taylor, Reflections and Densities [2]

Finches, Petsmart

Post Office, Star Prairie

Bunny, Horse, Goat

Simon, or Devil Vampire

Moonrise, Star Prairie

Deer, Highway 184

Insects

Roadside Memorial

Bird Diorama

Female Cardinal