Printed Matter – Evelin Kasikov

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Evelin Kasikov is an Estonian-born, London-based designer who explores the boundary between craft and print by incorporating stitches into print works.


Having studied traditional printmaking techniques (intaglio, letterpress and lithography), Kasikov now works predominantly in editorial and book design (notably, for the ever-impressive Phaidon list).

Kasikov describes her latest project, Printed Matter, as ‘an investigation into the relationship between tactile and visual perception, seeing and touching.’

Duotone

Monotone

Printed Matter consists of ‘hand embroidery based on the analysis of optical mixture and colour printing processes.’ I love how the individual stitches represent CMYK, adding a tactile third dimension to print work.

Printed Matter

Printed Matter comprises four thematic books: Process, Element, Type and Image, which fit together to form a cohesive whole.

Process

Element

Type

Type

Image

Image

The trend of incorporating a handmade, crafted element into graphics is still going strong, but Kasikov’s work has a quiet, mature intricacy that transcends contemporary fashions.

Printed Matter

Published on May 26, 2009 6:44 pm.
Filed under: design

Mixing Work With Play – Creative Business Cards

cardapult

Although my focus as a contributor to Design Tavern is on Interior Architecture, I could not help but share these uber-innovative business card designs. Recently featured on Smashing Magazine.com, these creatives have found an innovative way to mix work and play.

This first design is by Bryce Bell who has devised a way to take the typical 2 x 3 business card layout and transform it into a business card catapult – also known as the “Cardapult”.  You can watch and learn how to make your very own version of the Cardapult here.

This second design is from the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts at cscarts.org.  Here the business cards directly translate into a traditional set of playing cards.

This third design is from Webstock at webstock.org.nz. Webstock hosts web-related events and conferences to promote the improvement of websites and social media through inspiration and education.  These creative business cards turn the bore of trading contact information with other professionals into an exciting game.  Each employee is worth a certain amount of points, the more you engage with others, the higher your score will be.

Published on May 26, 2009 8:34 am.
Filed under: design

Synthesised 80s architecture Rap.. and the most educational video you will ever see.

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When you look at a building reaching up to the sky there’s a lot more to building it than meets the eye!

ITS AR!..CHITECTURE! ITS ARCHITECTURE!

Had to share this one with you. If only my Construction and Structures lecturer had the same teaching methods as these kids.

Published on May 25, 2009 12:49 am.
Filed under: architecture

Fed Square, Melbourne — Guest Post at Mochatini

federation square1010878

I was recently asked by Manvi to do a guest post on her blog Mochatini.

I chose to share with Mochatini’s readers a bit of my own city, Melbourne.

Specifically, the cultural hub ‘Fed Square’

See the original post here.

Published on May 23, 2009 2:40 pm.
Filed under: architecture

Shoe Construction — Marloes ten Bhömer and the architecture Of Shoes.

marloestenbhomerstudio

Following an interesting lecture last night titled ‘The Architecture of Shoes’ In which the presenter demonstrated the many fields of design architects and other design degrees can go into.

Stated were some interesting figures on Architecture at Milan University, Italy; 1000 students were enrolled each year whilst only 100 graduated.
Rather than Looking at it as 900 students failing architecture between entry and finishing, Instead 900 students were provided with the design skills to go into a number of different fields.

I can’t help but think of buildings when I see the like’s of Marloes ten Bhömer’s shoes.

I’ll be honest, women’s shoes fall outside my usual scope of interest but the design behind the footwear below I think is really innovative wearable artworks.

The construction, use of materials (arbon fibre, fiberglass, Stainless steel , Polyurethane resin and tarpaulin) clear cut clean lines, are all innovative and being to move from the world of women’s fashion into product and architecture design.

From her website:
“Critically acclaimed designer Marloes ten Bhömer produces shoes that are both provocative and otherworldly. Her work fuses artistic and technological experiment in order to discover shoes anew. Ten Bhömer’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally and she gives lectures about her work worldwide. She takes on challenging commissions from galleries and private clients.”

http://marloestenbhomer.squarespace.com/

Any Personal Favourites?

Published on May 21, 2009 12:02 am.
Filed under: architecture, art, design

Amazing Paper Artist Simon Schubert

simonschubert01

Some work by German Artist Simon Schubert, who is able to use paper to create these amazing images.

I’m amazed at the depth that is able to be portrayed in these (almost) flat pieces of paper!

for more work visit http://www.simonschubert.de/

I found this post via the good things going on at Toxel

Published on May 18, 2009 12:22 am.
Filed under: art

Design Follow Friday

AndrewMaynard

In a response to my twitter addiction I have decided to devote this post to some of favourite people to follow.

http://twitter.com/AndrewMaynard

http://www.maynardarchitects.com/

Named in Wallpaper Magazine’s Architects Directory, an ‘anual guide to the world’s most innovative practicies’, Andrew Maynard’s design practice is quickly becoming recognised as an emerging force on the architectural scene. Since Andrew Maynard Architects was establised in late 2002 it has been recognised internationally in media, awards and exhibitions for its unique body of built work and its experimental conceptual design polemics.

http://twitter.com/archiCULTURE

http://www.archiculturefilm.com/

Architects-turned-filmmakers turn the camera on the arch studio following 5 thesis students – posts on documentary, film, architecture, tech, Brooklyn, NYC.

http://twitter.com/DujourMag

http://dujourmag.com/

America’s first independent, internationally distributed, eco-friendly fashion publication dedicated exclusively to emerging designers.

http://twitter.com/nicholaspatten

http://nicholaspatten.com/

Video Editor, Graphic/Web Designer, Red Camera rental, I’m a Mac.

http://twitter.com/NOTCOT

http://www.notcot.org/

NOTCOT is a visual filtration of ideas + aesthetics + amusements. NOTCOT’s two sites have become the daily sources of inspiration for creatives everywhere, fighting the good fight against “creative block” since 2005 with visually stunning imagery, the latest in international trends, and a passion for all things well designed.

http://twitter.com/yellowgoatetsy

http://yellowgoatdesign.blogspot.com/

A Jewelry Designer and blog writer
“My philosophy for my jewelry and this blog, is to bring happiness to others. I hope to share the joy of creating and finding beautiful things to all the readers and customers.”

Published on May 16, 2009 5:06 pm.
Filed under: architecture, art, design, general

Abandoned Architecture Photography

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Here is a collection of work from photographer Richard Nickel Jr.
Richard is a self described ‘Guerrilla Preservationist’
He roams the streets and alleys hunting for abandoned architecture and buildings and then shares his findings with readers via his blog The Kingston Lounge

This sort of derelict architecture has always fascniated me, such a history (and mystery!) behind each photo..

Richard has quite the collection on his blog Kingston Lounge and I could go on forever sharing his unique gift for unearthing the abandoned

Published on May 11, 2009 11:31 pm.
Filed under: architecture, photography

Some more of Claire Morgan’s work

ototworld3s

Some more of Claire Morgan’s work that I really wanted to share.

See my original post on Claire’s amazing work here..

The Beauty Of Rotting Fruit And A Taxidermied Crow

Published on May 10, 2009 12:51 am.
Filed under: art

The Beauty Of Rotting Fruit And A Taxidermied Crow

fluid2S

Claire Morgan originally from Belfast got a first class degree in Sculpture from Ulster and Northumbria University.

Claire has made her career as a visual artist, with exhibits across the UK as well as internationally. She developed an interest in the organic, in natural processes, and in the bodily connotations of natural materials.

It is this fascnination that makes the foundation for her sculptural taxidermy installations.

The following installation, fluid for Northumbria University in an exhibition called Building With Colour uses hundreds of strawberries and a taxidermied crow.

Morgan’s sculptural material is ordinary, familiar and everyday, but is transfigured through the rigor of formal composition into becoming resonant with a mysterious melancholic power that allows it to be unfamiliar to us again.”
(Darren Ambrose, Lecturer in Art Theory, Birmingham City University, 2007)

http://www.claire-morgan.co.uk/

Published on May 10, 2009 12:23 am.
Filed under: art, featured

The Philology ‘Brain’ Library

RR691

Foster and Partners are the architects behind the Philology Library of the Free University in Berlin.

The Free university is one of the city’s most important symbols of education and also one of the leading institutions in Germany. With more than 39,000 students it is by far the largest of Berlin’s three universities. The project included the restoration of the uni’s Modernist buildings and also the design of a new library for the Philology faculty.

The site for the library links six of the university’s courtyards. It has four floors all of which are contained within a naturally ventilated bubble-like skin. The Skin is clad in aluminium and glazed panels are supported on steel frames with a radial geometry.

The inner ‘membrane’ is made from translucent glass fibers and is used to filter the daylight, creating an atmosphere of concentration with also scattered transparent opening allowing for momentary views of the sky and glimpses of sunlight.

The book stacks are located and structured in an ordered manner in the centre of each floor, with reading desks placed along the perimeter of the floors. The serpentine profile of the floors creates an edge pattern in which each floor swells or recedes with respect to the one above or below it. (Creating a similar pattern to a brain MRI.)

“Amusingly, the library’s cranial form has already earned it a nickname, ‘The Berlin Brain’

Published on May 7, 2009 9:51 pm.
Filed under: architecture

Tauba Auerbach

constraction-install

Words fail me when trying to describe the amazing work of mixed-media artist Tauba Auerbach. I came across Auerbach’s work recently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where she exhibited works as a 2008 recipient of the SECA (Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art) Awards.

The SECA Awards program summarises Auerbach’s work by stating that ‘Auerbach investigates the logic of representational systems in series of drawings, prints, painting and mixed-media works that isolate symbols drawn from a range of communicative forms, including the Latin alphabet, Morse code, and even the patterns of television static.’

Auerbach explores the visual by-products of digital and analogue broadcasting in her work.

She often uses typographic or numerical symbols, words and figures to create meaning, such as the anagrams below.

The intent behind Auerbach’s work is quite fascinating – that is, to almost repurpose existing symbols of communication. In an interview published in the 2008 SECA catalogue, Auerbach says: ‘Initially, I valued being a kind of Luddite and doing everything by hand. Craft is dying and this is really upsetting to me. I blamed technology, but I’ve changed my mind about that now… these things are not mutually exclusive… In looking at the material of what is behind anything digitized — ones and zeros, or a signal and then the absence of a signal — I’ve come to feel that the system is prohibitively absolute. It’s a simple idea of something being there or not being there, and that’s what continues to fascinate me.’

Do check out taubaauerbach.com for more of Tauba’s beautiful work (and some very cool web design to boot).

Published on May 5, 2009 9:40 pm.
Filed under: design

What is Eco-design?

what-is-eco-design?

It’s not easy being green, Kermit once sang, but in terms of design, it’s the way to go these days. In spirit of saving the earth through innovative design, What is Eco-design? is an online resource established by Design Victoria aimed at providing a “solid grounding in eco-design principles and practice”.

In a nutshell, the website is designed to provide a myriad of resources to designers which is relevant, timely and, most importantly, practical. Developed by the Centre for Design at RMIT University, WSP Environmental in collaboration with industry experts, the resources featured come in a variety of formats filled with all the information an earth-conscious designer could want. There are quick reference guides, dozens and dozens of useful links as well as quick tips, advice from industry professionals and vodcasts of “Design Victoria’s sell-out eco-design seminar and workshop series including introduction to eco-design; life cycle analysis and eco-labeling”

The most important selling point of the initiative is that it is by no means suggested that function, practicality and design are not to be compromised by doing things in a more eco-friendly manner. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; the resources here are able to demonstrate that our design and building practices can be enhanced by this move towards a greener world.

“It is important to emphasise that eco-design is not about dismissing the fundamental principles of design simply in favour of environmental gains. Positive environmental outcomes can be achieved during the design stage to ensure the best performance or result can be delivered over the long term without compromising form or function.”

If you’re an aspiring architect, designer, builder or artist, there is an abundance of insightful information here just waiting to be put into practice – definitely one for the faves.

See for yourself – read more info about the initiative here, or skip straight to the What is Eco-Design? Website!

Published on May 4, 2009 10:53 pm.
Filed under: design

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Connector

brooklyn-expressway-connector

It’s quite a basic algorithm – more people equals more traffic, more traffic equals more noise. Whilst the noise itself may be inevitable, it can be muffled these days by innovative, unique and groundbreaking design concepts.

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway at Brooklyn Bridge Park generates an overwhelming hum of traffic on a daily basis. In response, architect Donald Rattner in collaboration with Hage Engineering have “created a proposal intended to ameliorate traffic noise, provide more usable park area than has been possible to date, and enhance the public realm with a work of civic art.”

The design proposes to enclose the expressway, trapping the noise and preventing it from disturbing the visitors to the park. The expressway is set to undergo repairs from 2018 and the project could easily be factored in to the repairs. Rattner explains –

“There is a practical need to deal with the vehicular noise that emanates from the BQE. Regardless of what is ultimately built on the waterfront – housing, restaurants, ball fields, passive recreation areas – visitors to the open space and surrounding structures will be subject to relentless, unpleasant, potentially deafening noise – at 85 decibels, the equivalent of standing next to an operating lawnmower. But there is also an aesthetic dimension that needs to be addressed. Our proposal seeks to provide a pragmatic solution to the problem and simultaneously to offer those on both sides of the river an attractive piece of public sculpture to appreciate.”

The structure also aims to utilise innovative green architecture concepts; the exterior of The Connector will use photovoltaic cells designed to absorb solar energy.It’s the clever mixing of a traditional park with modern and highly practical design which makes the proposal so intriguing.

http://www.brooklynbridgeconnector.net/

For more information, have a read of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Connector e-book.

Published on May 1, 2009 5:50 pm.
Filed under: design

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