Neal Small Retrospective

by CH Contributor

by Tisha Leung

Beginning next month, Material ConneXion will present the first retrospective of work by self-trained designer and one-man operation Neal Small at their New York showroom. In the mid-'60s the New York designer came on the furniture scene as a young designer with a transformational idea for furniture—acrylic plastic. Better known as Plexiglas, Lucite and Acrylite, Small turned out innovative furniture, lighting and sculpture in a largely unexplored industrial material that was at the time mainly used for displays.

The designer once likened “old-fashioned furniture” to “a dead whale in the living room,” helping to ignite a craze for plastic furniture that lives on today. Injecting his wit and humor, he harnessed the material’s best characteristics in his plastic-shaping technique –bending, folding and molding all from one piece. Some of Small’s most well-known pieces will be on exhibit including his red acrylic splay-footed Floor Lamp (1966) and white spherical Area Lamp (1968, pictured below right) both from MoMA’s permanent collection. Also showcasing his ingenuity are his simple and efficient cocktail and end-table designs formed from single sheets of translucent acrylic.

Small’s pieces are on permanent display in prominent institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Smithsonian, and the Walker Art Center. Material ConneXion is a global platform advancing new design solutions through the use of innovative materials.

Retrospective: Neal Small
1 April-12 June 2009
Material ConneXion Showroom
60 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10010 map
tel. +1 212 842 1509

Oxygen Boutique

by Karen Day

Fusing together art and fashion, the mother-daughter team at Oxygen in London are part of the growing retail trend that's part gallery space, part boutique.

Growing up the daughter of a discerning fashion buyer, Joanna Nicola developed an eye for new talent and refined attire at a young age. Her talent is evident in the shop's collection of sleek dresses and stylish ensembles, all currently gathered neatly below photos from fashion photographer Erik Madigan Heck. Having shot the looks for major players such as Lanvin, Rodarte and Helmut Lang, the exhibition of his images blends seamlessly with Oxygen's carefully curated collection of discreet labels and progressive designers like Herve Leger and Brian Reyes.

While the artwork may rotate, one thing remains the same—Oxygen is a place to find classy duds from brilliant designers, many of which Oxygen stocks exclusively in the U.K., like master of soft tailoring, Doo.Ri. Only recently opened, the boutique is already making waves and securing its place as one of London's premier shops.

Oxygen
38 Eastcastle Street
London W1W 8DS map
tel. +44 207 636 6001

No One Does It Like You Music Video

by CH Contributor

by Laura Neilson

MoMA recently hosted the world premiere of Department of Eagles' music video "No One Does It Like You" as part of the museum's ongoing PopRally series. Produced by the creative tank The Directors Bureau, Patrick Daughters and the artist Marcel Dzama co-directed the video with costumes and sets designed by Dzama.

Concept wise, the piece draws heavily on Dzama's melancholic portrayals of army scenes, depicting a bloody battle between a marching troupe of ghost-faced soldiers and a battalion of short-skirted, rifle-carrying ballet dancers. The upshot is a hauntingly beautiful accompaniment to what Pitchfork calls a "noirish" track with frontman Daniel Rossen's wistful vocals.

Featuring visual effects by The Mill, the video took several months to create. The entire project was shot on blue screen, with only six dancers to duplicate and layer into a field of bodies.

Other videos projects by Patrick Daughters include Feist's "1234," as well as collaborations with Beck, Interpol and the Shins. Marcel Dzama is a New York-based Canadian artist, best known for his small-scale ink and watercolor drawings. Department of Eagles is a two-man collaboration between Daniel Rossen, more well-known as the guitarist and vocalist of Grizzly Bear, and Fred Nicolaus

Jason Yarmosky: Orpheus

by Max Gold

NYC-based painter Jason Yarmosky's latest series, "Orpheus," is the young artist's starkly realist take on the epic story. Over the course of eight narrative panels, the well-known Greek myth unfolds in Yarmosky's world of charcoal, gesso and tea felt. There are, however, a few tweaks to the original story.

Orpheus's resemblance to Bob Dylan is no mistake. Yarmosky explains that Dylan, like Orpheus, is a crusader for truth who was not afraid to venture into hell to find his muse. To take the adaptation a step further, this is not the hero's usual descent into the Underworld as it happens in the original. Instead, he is in the unlikely setting of West Berlin during the sixties, seeking passage to the communist East side to find his girl. By placing his hero in the historical backdrop of a city that was for so long a literal rift in human ideology, Yarmosky re-articulates the myth's theme of the human struggle to reconcile good with evil, life with death and art with making a living.

Yarmosky explains that he made these choices because, "the struggle to let our selves shine through regardless of the setting is timeless. Orpheus, like Bob Dylan, isn't just a gifted artist. He represents anybody, everybody. To find love while in hell is something that we all deal with on a daily basis."

Yarmosky's Orpheus is a thoughtful interpretation, juxtaposing history and place with a style that conveys the grit of the scene with an attention to less literal uses of texture and shadow. Yarmosky's work has previously been displayed at FAVA Store. Orpheus and more of his work is available for purchase on his website."

Earth Hour This Saturday

by CH Contributor

When, on this Saturday on 28 March 2009 from 8:30-9:30 pm local time, people around the world switch off the lights, they will be participating in Earth Hour. Created and organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the goal is to raise awareness about the climate crisis and how it's affecting the world we live in. For one hour, with the participation of millions, Earth Hour is an effort to help push critical legislation that pertains to the global climate treaty. This year Human Scale is joining to help the cause as well. Click here for more information about Earth Hour and sign up to be apart of this amazing effort.

Bowoo Guitar Cases

by CH Contributor

by Megan Baldwin

After being fed up with the lack of variety in guitar cases, Bowoo, a newly established, Brooklyn-based brand, decided to take the problem into their own hands by putting their own spin on the accessory.

Bowoo updated the classic by enhancing its form, function and style. The bags are designed locally by guitar players and produced by a professional camera bag company. Featuring a plush and protective inner lining and leather detailing on the outside, every design produced is limited to only 20-25 pieces. Visit Bowoo for more information.