Prized Books
I'd love to see the content of this book!They say you should never judge a book by its cover. Well, I am here to tell you that – speaking as one – graphic designers would undoubtedly commit this so-called crime all the time. How could you not? It would not necessarily influence me not to buy a book by an author I love if its cover was not to my taste, but by the same token I probably would not buy an ugly book if I was unfamiliar with the author.
I have very often however bought vintage books solely for the delightful art on their dust jackets, or the beautiful cloth binding on antique books (often embossed or featuring metallic ink) that was once common to most books but is sadly virtually a lost art today, except as a rare fine art form.
Last week I received a newsletter from Abebooks on that very subject: vintage dustjackets, and I enjoyed perusing their large selection, some of which included inscriptions by the author. Many were extremely expensive – a lovely Agatha Christie novel The Mystery of the Blue Train published in 1928 is priced at US$2,500!
Scroll down for a few that I liked; or you can have a look at over 1,300 on Abebooks.
Martine Yes, Patricia No
May’s calendar offers up Martine and Patricia (House of Worth, 1950–51) for your delectation. But I am not quite sure what colour they represent: White? Cream? Beige, taupe, eggshell, ecru, eau de nil? They are all lovely descriptions.
I am very sure however, which outfit I would choose if offered: Martine on the left. definitely. That asymmetrical jacket with the dramatic turned-back cuffs on the sleeves is awesome, and the straight skirt versatile. On the other hand, I have never liked strapless bodices, and the whole look Patricia’s sporting with the full skirt is too twee and girly for me. (The gloves are good though, and I prefer Pat’s hat to Tina’s.)
Oh, the illustrations are nice too. May you enjoy a fabulous May!
Autumnal Shades
The April calendar page brings us cherry red outfits, from the Baléares and Madère 1950–51 collections from the House of Worth. I am hazarding a guess that we have here a velvet gown with white embroidery, and a red wool suit with green … paillettes? pompoms? floral appliqués? … scattered all over. Christmas ensembles perhaps? I would choose the suit; the hat looks entertaining too. It would be lovely for autumn. Spring or fall, I hope you have a fabulous April!
Layering Dreams
Always Inside Your Dreams; collage, found paper 240mm (w) x 350mm (h)Last year I took part in a group exhibition called Read What You Look At, at Brunswick Street Gallery in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Funnily, I hadn’t actually planned for it, but had seen a call for applications in the newsletter I receive from the gallery and thought the theme was singularly appropriate for one stream of my fine arts practice.
I have been working on what I call my ‘random poems’ for many years – ever since I finished art college (a frighteningly long time ago) – and they have developed quite a lot over the years. Some of them are traditional hard copy collages, assembled on antique and vintage paper dating from the 1860s–1950s, and others are original digital artworks that combine collage with ink on the same paper backgrounds.
Labours With Ancient Goddess; original digital artwork; 192mm (w) x 321mm (h)Originally they were all traditional collages, but as I started working with these priceless pieces of crumbling ephemera, I was terrified of ruining or disintegrating them with real ink, so I started experimenting with digital ink. (Some viewers of the exhibition thought it was real ink, so I can plume myself on my success there!) Of course I have to scan everything in, which is a time-consuming although ultimately pleasurable process. But there is still a real charm in the haphazard and inappropriate sizing of the words in the hard copy collages, where conjunctions sometimes shout louder than nouns or adjectives.
Along the way I also started playing with the effect of turning the cut paper images a stark black and white, for more impact and as a contrast to the coloured letters, and splashes of ink.
Read the original Artist’s Statement on Layering Dreams, or view the gallery.
Minimalist Modernity
The other day while googling for something, I was once more reminded of the beauty of Mats Gustafson’s watercolour fashion illustrations when one of them appeared in my picture search.
His mastery of the medium is just so sublime, the way he conveys the essential characteristics of garments using such simple, minimalist shapes. Extraneous details such as facial features, garment construction and embellishments, and context are washed away – and indeed are rendered superfluous – with luxurious swoops of his paint-laden brush. What works so beautifully too is his minimal colour palette – his illustrations ultimately just look so modern and elegant.
I also discovered he had another beautiful monograph Mats Gustafson: Watercolors published in 2013, but am weeping because it is currently unavailable to purchase in any form (a fact at which I am not at all surprised – who’d want to sell one secondhand?). You can read a review here. However, in better news, the book he shares with other illustrators Unified Message: Fashionable Photography Meets Drawing is available secondhand (I already own that one and can recommend it).
Scroll down and enjoy!
