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Swan Song…

August 25th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

Ah, it’s a rainy morning in New York, and though I’d love to be roaming and discovering, deadlines and the drenched weather keep me nestled into my warm, dry digs. So, what’s a writer to do on Writer Wednesday when she’s all hyped up and has nowhere to go? How about a poem inspired by a little incident that happened in Sparta (in Greek Mythology) ions ago and resulted in the birth of the great Helen of Troy? I posted a poem by Richard Aldington on my Facebook Page yesterday and peaked the interest of one of my favorite Tweeps, Richard Holschuh. Aldington was a close friend of Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) and a fellow Imagist poet, which brought to mind H.D.’s poem “Leda,” one of my favorites. I’m also very fond of Dylan Thomas’ nod to one of the most revisited rapes in mythology. Which poem do you prefer? [The image is Leonardo Da Vinci's rendition of Leda and the Swan]

The Morning, Space for Leda

by Dylan Thomas

 

The morning, space for Leda

To stir the water with a buoyant foot,

And interlude for violins

To catch her sailing down the stream—

The phrases on the wood aren’t hers;

A fishing bird has notes of ivory

Alive within his craning throat—

Sees the moon still up,

Bright, well-held head,

And, for a pivot,

The shadows from the glassy sea

To wet the sky with tears,

And daub the unrisen sun with longing.

The swan makes strings of water in her wake;

Between the moon and sun

There’s time to pluck a tune upon the harp,

Moisten the mouth of sleep

To kiss awake

My hand with honey that had closed upon a flower.

Between the rising and the falling

Spring may be green—

Under the cloth of trees no sorrow,

Under her glassy dress no limbs—

And winter follow like an echo,

The summer voice so warm from fruit

That clustered round her shoulders,

And his her uncovered breast.

The morning, too, is tune for love,

When Leda, on a toe of down,

Dances a measure with the swan

Who holds her clasped inside his strong, white wings;

And darkness, hand in hand with light,

Is blind with tears too frail to taste.

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Down the Garden Path…

August 23rd, 2010 by Saxon Henry

Chair chick is on the prowl again and she has unearthed one of her favorite profiles that’s been given a bright new finish! First envisioned by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the shapely back and arms of this bench have become ubiquitous in the manicured English garden. Gloster has created a queenly white version, called the Marlborough, for their new Estate collection. The resilient coating, which is achieved with multiple layers of marine-grade paint over kiln-dried mahogany timber, means the pieces in the collection are low-maintenance mainstays in the outdoors or beautifully finished icons indoors. Hard to believe Lutyens designed this stunning bench in the 1890′s because it’s as classically at home in our modern-day settings as it was in the dew-drenched allées of his time.

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The Little Black Frame

August 20th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

It’s Sax & the City here. As I’ve roamed around The Village this afternoon, a theme emerged and it has me thinking that a little black frame is to an interior what a little black dress is to a wardrobe. Maybe the iconic beauty in these inspired my musings, no?

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Oldies and Goodies: Side by Side

August 19th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

I happened into Olde Good Things today to see what’s in store because there always seems to be something new to see in this shop that sells antiques and “altered antiques.” If you’re a fan of patina, you’ll get a good hit of time-worn lovliness here. They have several locations in Manhattan, two in Los Angeles and a warehouse in Scranton, PA.

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MAD for Patrick Jouin!

August 18th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

The Solid C1

Chair Chick’s on the prowl and she’s discovered big news! French designer Patrick Jouin (yes, he’s a hottie, but he’s also talented) is making his American museum debut this November at Museum of Arts and Design (And you know who will be busting down the door to get in, right? Chair Chick at your service!). Jouin will be staging a multimedia installation at MAD that will examine the role of “gesture” in the making of a culinary dish. When I was in Paris this past February, I toured the phenom’s exhibition at the at the Centre Pompidou (see my favorite post about the trip here). I’ll admit, it was difficult to pay attention due to the hoard of college-aged girls crowding around us asking for his autograph, but we managed to hold our own with the trim, handsome designer who walked elegantly around the space, a motorcycle helmet slung casually over his forearm. His designs in the varied exhibit ranged from eating utensils to subway token booths. His creativity seems to know no bounds, which is why he never goes anywhere without a sketch pad. “I have two in the seat of my moto,” he said as he kissed the air above both cheeks in parting! If you didn’t get to visit the Pompidou, here’s a great video that gives you a taste of his versatility or read my piece on my Examiner Page. Above is Solid C1, one of the chairs that will be featured at MAD.

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Product Peek: John Pomp’s Eloquence in Glass

August 17th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

The Touch by John Pomp

Earlier this year, Newton Vineyard debuted a limited edition decanter by glass artist John Pomp. I have seen it in person and it is quite the transparent beauty! Pomp, who has created glass objects for Tiffany & Co., and installations for Donna Karan, made 100 mouth-blown pieces from 30% recycled glass. He has signed and numbered each decanter in the collection, which he has named “The Touch.” Though the glass piece is substantial, the dimple is so perfectly placed that it’s comfortable to hold in spite of its weight. He describes his inspiration for the design quite eloquently in this video I thought I’d share.

“Coaxing the molten glass into the form of ‘The Touch’ requires a natural sensibility,” says Pomp, who uses all handmade tools and molds in the process. He likens working with the molten glass to winemaking, noting that “every move affects the final product, and every product bears the signature of my handiwork, much like a winemaker’s hand shows in every bottle.”

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BeeLine II to Debut Soon

August 16th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

I’m at Bunny Williams’ design studio for a peek at the latest offerings in her furnishings collection, the new introductions called BeeLine Home Collection II, which she’ll launch at High Point in October. She’s been in Honduras working on the line, with which she is taking a very hands on approach, down to the finishes she’s choosing for each piece. “I’m putting together a collection that I expect to stand the test of time,” says the inimitable designer. “It will be eclectic, just as the interiors I design are.” Judging from the richness of the detailing I see in the images, the line will also have her signature warmth and gracefulness. Fans of her aesthetic (and especially those who love to visit her NYC shop Treillage) will soon be able to shop online.

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The King of Cruises

August 13th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!

I couldn’t resist this post; the idea of Elvis Presley devotees floating on the high seas as some of the world’s best impersonators belt out his tunes is delicious on so many levels [thank you very much]! What about those knit jumpsuits (can we say sweaty Elvis on the WWW)? How the heck will they keep the frizz out of those pompadours? Sixthman and Elvis Presley Enterprises are teaming up to produce the Elvis Cruise 2010, which will sail from Jacksonville, Florida, on November 4 aboard the Carnival Fascination, heading for Nassau, Bahamas, and return on November 8.

Would I love to be a fly on the porthole when “Heartbreak Hotel” is performed! No swooning overboard, ladies, when “Love Me Tender” is crooned into the sultry, salty air! Performers will include Joe Guercio, The Memphis Boys with Bobo Moreno, Terry Mike Jeffrey, Andy Childs and Larry Geller. Viva Voyage!

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The Pattern Language of DuQuella Tile

August 12th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

The design is drawn on the tile with a thin raised clay line.

I’ve long been a fan of anything beautifully illustrated (probably has something to do with my fascination with the art of Aubrey Beardsley) and I came across DuQuella Tile’s products because Cyra DuQuella is one of my favorite tweeps on Twitter. I asked her to explain the process that goes into creating their colorful and intricately patterned tiles.I felt this a perfect subject because she fell in love with the Art Nouveau/Art Deco aesthetic of these tiles while gallivanting around Europe (England, Belgium and France figured heavily in her sojourn during which she was researching vintage tile).

“We craft our tile using the old world method of tubelining,” she explains. “No molds or machines are involved and all decorative work is done by hand. We instantly became mesmerized by the flowing lines when we saw the designs in Europe.” Cyra describes the process as “calligraphy with clay,” adding, “There can be no hesitation, no wandering attention. As the clay line flows, it becomes meditative and fluid.”

The areas created bythe tubelining are then filled in with glaze.

It is perhaps the company’s artistic viewpoint that sets them apart. “We have always been artists and we use our experience as potters, designers, and illustrators as we create our tile,” Cyra remarks. “We think and dream pattern, color and texture. We are inspired by old traditions, classic design and nature. We explore, envision and experiment and always view our surroundings with an artist’s eye.

Only a few studios worldwide create tile using this process, which requires a high level of skill. It is also very labor intensive and for that reason its popularity as a production method at the turn of the 20th Century was short lived. “It is also very technically difficult,” she explains. “The wet clay line is drawn onto a bisque (once-fired) tile. The tubeline mix must melt enough to become part of the tile but not so much that shape of the clay line is distorted.” As you can see from the photography, the process is delicate and awe-inspiring!

In the firing, the tubelining holds the glazes in place.

Take a look at one of Beardsley’s illustrations on Design Commotion and you’ll see how the Art Nouveau and Art Deco aesthetic had (and still has) such a unique and dynamic presence in terms of design. Thanks to Cyra for sharing with us the remarkable journey a tubelined tile goes through before it becomes the thing of beauty it is. There’s another great post about their tile on Paul Anater’s blog (he always beats me to the best stories but I forgive him)!

To vote on a favorite DuQuella Tile, visit this post on my Tumblr page.

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“He was too fragile for this world” -Madonna

August 8th, 2010 by Saxon Henry

I trekked downtown to the Film Forum yesterday to see Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. What a poignant film about the life and struggles of the renowned artist. I felt the film captured his drive to be second to none so beautifully—from his days living hand-to-mouth on New York City’s gritty streets to a passion for his works even after he’d “made it” that found him returning from a party in an Armani suit and not even considering taking it off before he began painting.

He remarked in the film that asking him to describe his work was like asking Miles [Davis] to describe how his horn sounds. “I enjoy that they think I’m a bad boy,” he said, smiling impishly—one of the most captivating aspects of the film was getting to see him so vibrantly alive. It felt as if he had never died, and I can see why his friend, Tamra Davis, a burgeoning filmmaker when she taped him, had to put the reels away until she was ready to deal with his passing.

Jean-Michel Basquiat in his heyday

One of the most interesting facts to come from the film in terms of how brutal the art world can be is the fact that when the Museum of Modern Art turned down the first painting his dealer asked if they’d take for their collection, the rejection stated: “his work isn’t worth the space.” Ann Temkin, the museum’s current chief curator of painting and sculpture, explained that for someone considering art in a historical context as she does, it is often uncomfortable to accept the art of the future for inclusion in the collections of hallowed institutions like MoMA.

I deem Julian Schnabel the most quotable presence in the documentary (he made his own film about Basquiat, which he explains in this film as being the answer to the numerous times Jean-Michel asked him what he thought about something). “My film was my answer to him,” he said. He also remarked that Basquiat didn’t have the tools to “navigate the sea of shit” that comes with the territory when an artist becomes famous. His other line I loved is, “The summer is a Mother Fucker in New York.” This set an ominous tone as the documentary sadly rolled toward Basquiat’s drug overdose.

"To Repel Ghosts," 1986. Acrylic on wood. Collection Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr

One of the things I didn’t know about Basquiat is that he began painting on found objects, like doors and windows he’d cull from the streets of lower Manhattan because he couldn’t afford canvases. This is a long-standing practice of self-taught artists like Purvis Young, whose work is being shown at the Miami Art Museum through November 7. For more information about the show and the Miami-based folk artist, who died in April 2010, visit my Examiner page.

If the Basquiat film doesn’t land in a theater near you, you can reserve it on Netflix and be one of the first to see it on DVD when it is released. Any fan of modern art really should see it. The subtitle of the film was taken from this article written by Rene Picard, which is definitely worth a read.

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