Wednesday 28 September 2011

Mistress of swing





French born American designer Pauline Trigère (1909-2002)



















Patricia Neal dressed by Trigère in Breakfast at Tiffany's









































Pauline Trigère was famous for her coat designs, especially for her swing coats. This notable example shows how she has adapted her swing silhouette for use with leopard skin. The dolman sleeves are an interesting touch that allows for an attractive display of this handsome fur. Designed by Trigère, this coat, according to accession information, was made by Jerry Sorbana in 1962.











Now playing:  Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing (1974)

Sunday 25 September 2011

Vintage






Miss Jones






Wednesday 21 September 2011

photo synthesis












Now playing: Yma Sumac - Tumpa

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Who is she?


Who was she?









Who did she hope to be?





Hibiscus








Now playing: America - Sister Golden Hair

Sunday 18 September 2011

the figurative abstract





Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003)













Now playing: David Byrne - This Must Be The Place

Saturday 17 September 2011

Inspired






Prototype 576 table light, 1971 

Made by Arteluce, 1971



Based on an idea of Germano Celant. Lights in the style of the Russian avant-garde of the 1920s, particularly after works by Alexander Rodchenko. Having acquired consent from the artist's widow, lights 576 and 577 were realised in very limited editions in the early 1970s.



One has to take several different shots of a subject,  from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again - Alexander Rodchenko








Now playing: Arthur-Vincent Lourié - Synthesis for piano op. 16

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Almodovar's women






Luz Casal - Un año de amor








La Lupe - Puro teatro









Chavela Vargas - En el ultimo trago









Lola Beltran - Soy infeliz











Mina - Esperame en el cielo



Tuesday 13 September 2011

November came early


 Almodovar's  The Skin I Live In is in the cinemas.



Part of the Almodovar magic has always been his choice of extraordinary singers.
And Concha Buika is no exception.

Here she performs Oro Santo with her artistic producer Javier Limón.

... un lamento como preludio de las horas muertas
horas que pasan con la agonía de una muerte lenta
vuelve el silencio a vestirme de oro mi santo...




Friday 9 September 2011

Meanwhile...

Upstairs, Louis is gone...







replaced by  George.



A quick snap after installing the artwork.








Now playing: Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Saturday 3 September 2011

September issue

And it's back to school.







From the ground up.



The basement kitchen of the house that I originally, and rather wantonly, described as a very poor mix of neo Georgian, Arts and Crafts, and contemporary Scandinavian elements. With an absolutely hideous reproduction Louis XV chimney thrown in for good measure.  Whilst the assessment may have indeed been accurate, it failed to acknowledge that this was in fact once someone's house. And they undoubtedly thought it perfect. For them, it more than likely was.


However, to this jaundiced eye,  the house was lacking. 

Beginning with the kitchen and its adjacent rooms. The cherry wood cabinetry (replete with its quasi-Shaker details) and granite work surfaces looked dated and commonplace. And the overly bright colour scheme throughout seemed desperately cheerful.





Luckily the cabinets were beautifully made. And contrary to the current vogue of ripping out for ripping out's sake it was unilaterally decided to restyle the existing kitchen. Which, incidentally, had the most beautiful copper clad baseboards that would inspire the colour palette and the kitchen's details.







On the way to completion.

The kitchen walls were painted a dark green that was further deepened by 20%. The adjacent spaces were painted different shades of verdigris. With the space farthest away from the kitchen painted in the same dark green used as a tent stripe.







The morning room's rather innocuous cast iron Art Nouveau  chimneypiece was replaced




 with a larger ceramic Arts and Crafts example.








Now playing:  amp fiddler - Faith

Thursday 1 September 2011