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Welcome to the first monthly issue of
Design for the Rest of Us
I've been writing about design for as long as I've been designing...over twenty years at this point. So I've decided to cast my net out further to other devotees of this wonderful world of art and design.
What's behind the title of my newsletter, Design for the Rest of Us? Many of you know that in my "former life" I was a social worker. As I segued into interior design, people would ask, how did you get from there to here? First off, I answer...intensive studies at F.I.T. Secondly, I say both fields are service industries. Universal design was just beginning to be on the lips of the design community; "affordable design" wasn't yet part of the lingo. And, it remains that way for many. Yet, the social work mantra "begin where the client is" is catching on. Ah, such sweet validation!
I'll be sharing my insights with you on lifestyle and product trends, reporting on shows and exhibitions, and offering decorating advice and tips. Plus, I'll keep you posted on not-to-be missed events, professional issues and educational opportunities.
Your feedback and suggested topics are welcomed.
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 Second City,
Second Time Around |
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| My Trip to NeoCon
What an opportunity to be given the go ahead to speak at the Merchandise Mart's NeoCon 2009 Trade Fair. And, what a joy to spend five days in Chicago, new camera in hand! Having only spent one weekend in Chi town in the past I was eager to take advantage of this offer and treated myself to a "day before and day after" extension to the trip, leaving both days unscheduled. After all, I was forewarned that I'd be overprogrammed at the Mart.
What follows is a brief synopsis of my trip and a link to my photo album of Chi sitings.
Sunday arrival...safe flight and early check-in at the Intercontinental Hotel on North Michigan Avenue aka the Magnificent Mile. Beautiful weather...perfect! Just a straight walk and I'm passing by some of the most exquisite photo opps, honing in on deco details, zooming out on distant skyscrapers. Within perhaps a half-hour's jaunt I'm seeing a collage of materials...stone, glass, steel, aluminum, water and grass. Lo and behold what sounds like live music joins the mix...my kind of music. On my atypical unplanned free day, I literally walked into the Chicago Blues Festival. Wow, icing on the cake is an understatement. A stranger among thousands I felt so at home. My free day was not only free but freeing.
Sunday night...mixer with fellow ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) members and staff at the Sheraton Hotel. Monday night, more ASID and guests at the Enclave. If you are an ASID member, check out the pix on ww.asid/live; smart folks having fun. Many of us old(er) folks, me included, in a dimly lit club with not my kind of music playing loudly.
Monday through Wednesday...cabs to and fro, mucho mileage at the Mart, way too many pick-me-up cookies, and far too many lichee martinis at Toto Gallery (unexpectedly delicious). Also on the menu: networking; motivational speaking; informative seminars; selling and demos; and, hopefully for the vendors, some buying. Conference proceedings and lists of vendors are available at NeoCon's website so I'll spare you those details.
Thursday...more nice weather for another trip down Michigan Avenue; camera again in hand but this time a planned destination...the new wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. And, yes, I used my camera sans flash per museum policies. The accolades given to Renzo Piano's work is much deserved, especially about the lighting. Add this trip to your to-do list.
Alas, a late arrival back to the First City Thursday night. I've been told often how Chicago is a more manageable city. How true, how true.
Click link below to see my views of Chicago.
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 Attention to Details |
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"A Rose is a Rose is a Rose"*
I'm fascinated by motifs. I tend to focus in on the little things. (Next month I'll feature a "big picture" article).
For now, let's look closely at the rose. Like most motifs, the rose means many things. This single flower has been associated with beauty, love, religion, even politics. The rose has been the muse for poets and lyricists.
The ancient Greeks and Romans linked the rose with Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love. For many European contries a red rose is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; on Valentine's Day, a symbol of love. For Christians it is a symbol of the blood of martyrs.
Recalling the adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words", let's look at a few roses.
I like to organize the treatment of motifs in three ways:
- Realistic
- Stylized
- Abstract
For the botanist, or for Belgian artist Redoute (above) naturalistic is the style. Realisticroses are three-dimensional and specific. The Baroque artists, such as Jan van Huysum, added the effects of lightness and darkness to flesh out the details of the flower. 
There are countless varieties of roses, among them the wild rose, tea rose and cabbage rose.
Still a favorite for an expression of love is traditional bouquets of roses...from sweet pink to dark.
Stylized versions are two-dimensional and abbreviated.
One can't always tell if the flower depicted is a rose or a peony, for example the evening bag by Coco Redfield featured in the header, gorgeous nonetheless and the detail of this Mexican copper mirror frame.
Interpretations of motifs in a stylized mode were a favorite of the Art Deco artists who were inspired by the designs of the Aztec civilization and by African design. The bas relief from Chicago's Motor Club is just one example.
A very early Art Deco expression is seen in the rose of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the versatile early 20th c. architect and artist. This is a favorite of mine. 
The rosette, a classic architectural detail of the Golden Age of Greece (5th c. BC), rebounded in popularity during the Neoclassic Period and continues to adorn buildings, furniture, and drapery rods.
Esoteric in nature, the abstracted version of a rose, well may not even be seen as a rose, let alone a flower, as in the case of the wonders of photomanipulation.
A rose is a rose is a rose, or is it?
*Gertrude Stein, 1913
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Sincerely,
Susan Slotkis
Profiles - Personalized Interiors
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Until next month,
Look at the forest AND the trees, and the flowers inbetween. |
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