#decorative patterns

[heaveninawildflower]

'Motifs décoratifs tirés des pochoirs japonais' (Decorative patterns taken from Japanese stencils) by Théodore Lambert.

Published 1909 - photomechanical printing.

Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie.

[uwmspeccoll]

Decorative Paper Sunday

I’ve been excitedly waiting for this specimen book to make its way through processing and into our catalog so I can share these gorgeous decorative papers with you all. I hope some design nerds out there will share my enthusiasm. The book is A Specimen Book of Pattern Papers Designed For and in Use at the Curwen Press, published in London for the Curwen Press by The Fleuron Ltd. in 1928 in a limited edition of 220, containing 31 samples of pattern paper, with an introductory essay by artist and Curwen collaborator Paul Nash. 

From Nash’s introduction:

The papers in the following Collection are from designs reproduced by offset printing, the original key pattern being a line block from a drawing, or wood engraving … The latest designs are mostly from blocks engraved upon wood, sometimes with another colour applied either flat or grained. This notable output by an English printer is another sign of the steadily growing conviction that distinction of design is not only aesthetically, but commercially important. Every article, from the Shopman’s showcard to a motor-car, must have economy and beauty of form. It is a lesson we are learning very late, but if we can learn it intelligently, and not like parrots, we may yet recapture what has been so long lost with us, a pride in style. 

The Reverend John Curwen established the Curwen Press in 1863 in order to produce hymn sheets for his congregation, where he was responsible for popularizing the tonic sol-fa method of sight singing. John’s grandson Harold Curwen took over management of the press in 1914. Inspired by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement and invigorated by fresh design ideas after a sojourn in Leipzig, Harold led the firm in a new direction, focusing on typography, design, and collaboration with artists in print projects. The Curwen Press, together with its associates in the Design and Industries Association, were highly influential in 21st century printing and publishing in the West. 

The Curwen Press closed in 1984, but the Curwen name lives on in the Curwen Studio. The studio was established in 1958 and managed by esteemed printmaker Stanley Jones and specializes in fine art lithographic printing.

See image captions for design attributions. This book was acquired with support from the John S. Best Fund. 

You can find more Decorative Sunday posts here. 

More posts about the Curwen Press can be found here. 

-Olivia, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[my-kelde]

Tricia Wright. Collar, 2012.

paper, metal, glass, steel pins

[writerystuff]

NOT ONLY FOR ARTISTS

"In 1930, pioneering archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie published Decorative Patterns of the Ancient World, cataloging over 3,000 ornamental motifs — spirals, animals, rosettes, braids, crosses, and more — drawn from ancient civilizations across Europe and the Near East up to about 1000 AD. The entire book is  free to browse and download on the Internet Archive, making it an incredible reference for artists, designers, crafters, and anyone looking for authentic, copyright‑free historical patterns to use in their work. The simple black‑and‑white line drawings make the motifs easy to trace, digitize, or adapt. Used copies of an out-of-print Dover paperback are also available." (Mark Frauenfelder in Recomendo) 

[antoniasliddlecorner]

[interiordesignfirms-blog1]

A Cardboard Cave Inspired by a Buddhist Shrine

Ajanta cave 19 is a magnificent Chaitya having a remarkably detailed facade; elaborated with pilasters, depicting scenes from Buddha's life, Jataka tales, Bodhisattva, entourages, and decorative patterns. The Cardboard Cave depicts the rather distressed look of the same where the details of the facade have gone, the sculptures have cleft and the cave itself is in a fragile state.The artwork is made in 16 parts adjoined in interlocked format. Around 10,000 cardboard cut-outs have been put together to make this giant artwork. It consists of 22 statues which depict different phases of Buddha's life.

[alisajanedesigns]

Pocketcanvas Blog 15.09.18

1.Art people- Quick Fix 

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun 

Born in Paris, France, Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842) is most known as a portrait painter during the utterly decadent Rococo period. She was Marie Antoinette’s personal portrait painter, having painted the queen (and sometimes her family) more than 30 times. Vigée Le Brun’s own legacy includes hundreds of paintings to the tune of over 600 portraits and 200 landscapes.

2.Decorative Dip

This pattern looks very modern but it is reinterpretation of an ancient Egyptian freeze. The zigzags and the lines springing from the circle are typical of ancient Egyptian motifs.

 3. Art of Business

 Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx, a multi-million dollar undergarment company.

Blakely did not have that much money to invest when founding Spanx. It really is a true example of why she’s one of the most famous female entrepreneurs. Sara’s idea was rejected numerous times from potential investors and it took a great deal of hard work to get the company off the ground.

In fact, during the initial marketing of the brand, it was compliments from Oprah Winfrey, that drove up awareness and sales of Sara’s products.

4.Art Look National Museum Cardiff:

Women in Focus- looks at what role women play in Photography. Women behind the lens starts in May 2018.

5.Motivation/Thought

Treat it as a level playing field and it will be.Cornelia Parker RA

www.pocketcanvas.co.uk

[alisajanedesigns]

Pocketcanvas Take 5 Blog 8.09.18

  1.    Art people- Quick Fix- Hockney

In the 1980s, Hockney experimented with photocollage – joining and combining photos (often taken with a Polaroid camera) to form a patchwork image.

He is a massive admirer of Pablo Picasso.

Hockney is an avid user of the Brushes iPhone app. He uses it to draw portraits and send them to friends.

He has designed sets and costumes for ballets and operas.

2.    Decorative Dip

This motif features cranes, clouds, and chrysanthemums – are propitious symbols of prosperity, long life and happiness. According to Japanese myth cranes are thought to live for a thousand years. (1000 patterns - Gen Ed: Drusilla Cole)

 3.    Art People 2 

Cornelia Parker-

Parker says she was “brought up as a surrogate son” by her father. By the time she was studying sculpture at Wolverhampton Poly in the 70s, she barely noticed that she was in the minority. “It was a very political issue at the time, but I sort of side-stepped it. Not because I wasn’t a feminist but because I assumed I had the same rights as a boy. Gender was never a central plank in my thinking.”

4.    Art Look : Emil Nolde – Colour is Life- Until the 21st October 2019. National Galleries Scotland

 5.    Motivation/Thought 

www.pocketcanvas.co.uk