Beauty in 3D

Alexander Calder / Eucalyptus, 1940

Michelangelo / The David

Andy Goldsworthy / Ice Spiral

Andy Goldsworthy / Ice Spiral

British sculptor/naturalist who uses things in nature to make beautiful works of art and sculpture. He pours a lot of passion and carefulness into each creation, that may or may not be a permanent work of Art. That alone makes each of his pieces all the more beautiful.

"Throughout his career most of Goldsworthy's work has been made in the open air, in places as diverse as the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, Grize Fiord in the Northern Territories of Canada, the North Pole, Japan, the Australian outback, St Louis, Missouri and Dumfriesshire. The materials he uses are those to hand in the remote locations he visits: twigs, leaves, stones, snow and ice, reeds and thorns (http://www.sculpture.org.uk)."

This Ice Spiral is one if my favorites. He did many like this, and he time and patience alone involved in creating pieces like this are amazing, and then its ice. And it will melt.

see more of his work at:
http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/


Michelangelo / The David

Stands to be one of the greatest sculptors of all time. I was lucky enough to see his masterpiece, The David in Florence Italy last summer. It was never one of my favorite works by Michelangelo, although I had always admired it, but something about being 5 inches away from it, and seeing just how perfect it was changed my opinion completely. It was so lifelike and realistic, I half expected it to start breathing. Something else amazing is the fact that Michelangelo was 25 when he created The David (pbs.com/culureshock).

More info on The David


Alexander Calder / Eucalyptus, 1940

Described as being able to "Draw three dimensional figures in space (http://calder.org)." He may be best known for his mobile like sculptures that hang magically in the air, and are very dainty, but has also created large scale pieces that are in public places all over the world (http://calder.org)."

In Eucalyptus I love the way the wind can play with the shape and form of the sculpture, and the imaginative forms it can take. It is also beautiful in its simplicity and delicacy with the wire barely noticed, it looks like shapes floating in mid air.

Design makes the world go round

Oscar De La Renta

Massimo Vignelli

Stefan Sagmeister: Art grandeaur Nature 2004

Stefan Sagmeister:

As a Graphic designer, I definitely have an appreciation for the classics, but what I like about Sagmeister is his experimentation with typographic forms in nature, and hand drawn texture.

This is one of my favorite pieces done by Sagmeister, described as a “sentimental greeting card left in the park (sagmeister.com).” The typography is written in tree branches, fences, swimming pools, and Park entrance signs. It reads “Trying to Look Good Limits My Life.”

Massimo Vignelli

" I like design to be semantically correct, syntactically consistent, and pragmatically understandable. I like to be visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and above all timeless.

- Massimo Vignelli

Massimo strives to do work that creates a great impact in some way, and his design sense reflects this. Some of my favorite work of his is his package design for companies like The United Colors of Benetton, his identity for American Airlines, and the Heller packaging program of 1968. ALl of his designs are bold, memorable, and some of the first examples of considered package design.

He has said, "If you can design one thing, you can design everything," and this is reflected in his broad range of work (Wikipedia.com).

Oscar De La Renta

A wonderful transformation happens when a girl puts on a dress. All of a sudden, she is more movie-star, glamor queen and goddess than ever before. Wearing dresses and feeling pretty is something that I assume most girls like to do from time to time. Oscar De La Renta's creations are so beautiful, they are almost like works of sculpture. He creates moments of breathaking beauty in the fabric he uses, the way he fits the female body, and the beauty that he creates in each design is truly amazing.

You are just my Type...

Mrs. Eaves : Zuzana Licko

GEORGIA : Matthew Carter, 1993

UNIVERS : Adrian Frutiger, 1954

UNIVERS : Adrian Frutiger, 1954

Univers is my favorite sans serif typeface. What makes this typeface so awesome is the diversity found within its 44 faces, with 16 different numbered weight, width, and position combination (Linotype.com). This font can command attention as a headline, or quiet down to a beautiful and easily read body text.

"Today his typefaces are readily available from a number of different foundries. He is still alive (2005) and has worked on revisions with Linotype of a number of his typefaces. Such recent collaborations have resulted in Frutiger Next and Avenir Next, which have included refined forms and true italics. Presently Frutiger lives in Bern, Switzerland and is working with woodcuts (http://www.typophile.com/node/12118)."

MRS. EAVES : Zuzana Licko, 1996

A revival of Baskerville, and named after Baskerville’s housekeeper turned mistress, Mrs. Eaves, this font stands out with it’s traits of “Old Style” typography, combined with a crisp new twist. Bold, Roman, Italic, Small Caps, and Petite Caps, each and every variation having its own beauty and character.

"Licko’s early typefaces betray a fascination with low-resolution output, being outline font versions of the fonts then in use on dot-matrix printers. Inspiration from those sources is also evident in the “Base” typefaces, more abstract explorations of simplified typeface design. Over the the last 15 years Licko’s designs have grown less extreme, although no less radical (http://typophile.com/node/12166?)."

GEORGIA : Matthew Carter, 1993

While some may consider this font over used, and nothing special, because it comes free with their Macintosh, the beauty of this font is not to be diminished. It has remained one of my favorite serifed fonts because of it’s classic undertones, and crisp clean modern lines. (http://www.ascenderfonts.com/info/georgia-fonts.aspx).

The most important typography designer of our time, MATTHEW CARTER (1937-) is one of the few designers whose work is used by millions of people every day. Having devoted the first half of his career to typefaces for use in print, such as Miller and Bell Centennial, he then pioneered the design of fonts for use on screen, notably Verdana for Microsoft (http://www.designmuseum.org/design/matthew-carter)."

a picture is worth...

Ansel Adams / Oak Tree, Sunset City, California




Bill Brandt / Lovely Nude

Annie Leibovitz / Alice in Wonderland

Ansel Adams / Oak Tree, Sunset City, California

Famous for his many images of the American countryside, Ansel Adams has always been a favorite of mine. Anyone might be able to capture a beautiful image with some sky and grass, but Adams took the “Landscape” to an entirely different level. Just about anyone can spot a classic Ansel Adams portrait, and his ability to capture beatuiful moements in nature.

"Ansel Adams was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation. He is seen as an environmental folk hero and a symbol of the American West, especially of Yosemite National Park. Adams' dedication to wilderness preservation, his commitment to the Sierra Club, and of course, his signature black-and-white photographs inspire an appreciation for natural beauty and a strong conservation ethic.....(www.sierraclub.org)."

Bill Brandt / Lovely Nude

Bill Brandt studied under the great photographer Man Ray in France, where he was also influenced by French Surrealist film. The surrealistic tendencies that show up in some of his work, is what makes him unique.

Declared one of the great masters of 20th Century Photography, Bill Brandt was famous for his images he captured of Great Brittan in the 1930s (profotos.com). His documentary / photo journalistic photos often have undertones of surrealism.

http://www.billbrandt.com/

Annie Leibovitz / Alice In Wonderland

Most famous for her work with Rolling Stone magazine, Annie Leibovits is well known for her beautiful journalistic photography.

"Among her subjects from that period are Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Patti Smith. Leibovitz also served as the official photographer for the Rolling Stones’ 1975 world tour. While on the road with the band she produced her iconic black-and-white portraits of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, shirtless and gritty (Somerstein / pbs.org)."

Whenever I come across one of her pictures I am always compelled to sit and stare at it. It is amazing to me that each and every detail has been perfected. She is almost more of a painter in a way , in that she creates these magical worlds where the viewer can't help but stop and get sucked in.

paint me a story

Renoir: Le Moulin de la Galette

Rene Margiritte: empire of light

Robert Mars : Hello

Rene Magritte: empire of light

The paintings of Rene Margiritte are often a little strange, but always very captivating.

"His work makes a constant call on us to relinquish, at least temporarily, our usual expectations of art. Magritte never responds to our demands and expectations. He offers us something else instead. His friend Paul Nougé has expressed the problem better than anyone else; what he said in 1944 still holds good: "We question pictures," he said, "before listening to them, we question them at random. And we are astonished when the reply we had expected is not forthcoming (http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/magritte.html)."

I saw this painting at the Peggy Guggenheim museum in Venice Italy, and I stared at it for about a half an hour. There was something so strange and intriguing about it. I enjoy surrealistic paintings because they take the viewer outside the expected, and bring them to a place of imagination, and curiosity.

Renoir: Le Moulin de la Galette

Renoir has been a favorite of mine since I began studying art history. My favorite thing about his paintings is how he seems to capture real moments, you almost feel like you are a part of the conversation, or in the case of Le Moulin de la Galette, like you are sitting at a nearby table observing the surroundings. Renoir has a beautiful way of capturing light in this painting, both realistic and playfully.

"French painter originally associated with the Impressionist movement. His early works were typically Impressionist snapshots of real life, full of sparkling colour and light (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/renoir/)."

Robert Mars: Hello

I recently discovered the artwork of Robert Mars, and I instantly fell in love. I enjoy the way he uses various medium, and has a “collage” approach to painting. It reminds me of some of my favorie paintings done by Jasper Johns, but in a much more modern way. Each one of his pieces capture a bit of American culture with references to old cars or old Coca Cola logos.

see more of his work.

architecture

FRANK GHERY : Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT : Falling Water, PA

FILIPO BRUNELLESCHI : Santa Maria del Fiore / The Duomo, Florence, Italy

FRANK GHERY : Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

I have always been a big fan of Frank Ghery, and the way he approaches architecture, and treats his buildings more like sculptures and pieces of art themselves. Any one of his buildings, if I see it in real life, makes me stop in awe. And usually pull out my camera and snap several photos.

I have never seen the Guggenheim in Spain, but it is among my favorite pieces of architecture just in the way that it sticks out like a jewel in the middle of the city. Not one side or angle is like any other, and the way the light plays off of the shapes and textures is captivating.

Frank Gehry now heads his own firm Gehry Partners, LLP; http://www.foga.com/

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT : Fallingwater, PA

Wright's love for nature is clear in just about every piece of architecture he designs. His buildings work with, around, and incorporate nature, instead of intruding or obstructing it.

don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is no American architect who has ever lived who has done as much to touch the world, who has done as much to realize his vision of what a perfect architecture might be than Frank Lloyd Wright.”—William Cronon, Historian (http://www.pbs.org/flw/legacy/index.html)

I love the way this house interacts with its surroundings. The waterfalls act as curtains, and the trees and rocks surrounding it add to the beauty of the structure. I love the modern look and feel of the inside of the house as well, and the huge open spaces and windows to sit and enjoy nature. If i am ever rich and famous, I would like to buy this house and live in it.

to see more about Frank Lloyd Wright: www.franklloydwright.org

FILIPO BRUNELLESCHI : Santa Maria del Fiore / The Duomo, Florence, Italy

Brunelleschi was noted for bringing mathematics and perspective to his architectural endeavors.

Brunelleschi's idea for how to build the dome would revolutionize engineering and construction, and his creation would be the largest dome in the world for nearly half a millennium ( Brown, 1)."

The Duomo is one of the most breathtaking pieces of architecture, I have been lucky enough to see. In the city of Florence, everything is beautiful, but the Duomo remains to be one of the most beautiful things in all of Italy.

Inspiration

It's all around us. This is my small net in a big world of inspiration, where I plan to catch and collect some things that inspire me. I hope they might inspire you too.