The Curated Collection Archives - Page 4 of 12

The Curated Collection | Filippo Minelli

It was the simple, even austere, juxtaposition of the ethereal yet vibrant coloured smoke against the beauty of natural landscapes that first caught my breath and my attention. Stumbling upon the Silence/Shapes collection by Italian photographer Filippo Minelli felt like stumbling upon a treasure trove of modern photographic art.

Layered beneath the smoky veils of colour lies this fascinating artist’s statement:

Decontextualization of a violent tool changing quickly the surroundings, creating chaos, blinding the eyes, used in natural landscapes. The result proves that beauty can be found in clashing visions with an approach and aesthetic similar to romanticism. Showing the power of nature with the implication of religious aspects. Juxtaposing violence and beauty as a political statement.

I confess that the underlying statement about violence was lost on me until I read Minelli’s artist’s statement. For me, the striking contrast was enough to capture my admiration and attention with such arresting and unexpected beauty.

To my eye, these out-of-context, highly saturated puffs of transient colour create the kind of art I could see integrating into almost any interior space, offering a fiercely modern yet timeless edge.

What do you think of Minelli’s series? Can you envision one of his photographs in your space? What kind of energy do you think his work would bring to a room?

Happy Monday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 26th, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Oliver Jeffers

My first introduction to today’s artists was in fact not through his fine art, but actually through a beautifully illustrated and imaginatively written children’s book. As a mother who is passionately interested in feeding my son’s expanding imagination, I am always on the hunt for quirky, humorous and beautifully illustrated books. One of our favourite and most memorable books thus far is a delightfully unusual story from Oliver Jeffers.

Having read this book to Noah many a night before bed, I knew the unusual and engaging story was thoroughly lodged in his happy little head. But what I didn’t know was that he had also taken note of the author’s memorable name and {at the age of 3 or 4} had tucked it away for future reference.

One day, while sitting on a lovely sofa in an Anthropologie store waiting with his dad while I tried on some clothes in the fitting room, Noah announced “Dad, do you know who designed this piece of furniture we’re sitting on?” “No, I don’t, Noah! Who?” replied Graham. “It was designed by Olifer Jeffer Clelands.” Graham and I both laughed to the point of tears with delight at our little boy’s imagination in that moment.

Yes, Noah’s toddler-esque divergent thinking had elaborated on Oliver Jeffers’ name just slightly, but I think even more wonderful than that was the fact that he realized there are creative people in the world who design wonderful things, and Oliver Jeffers was most certainly one of them.

Not only an author and illustrator of wonderful children’s books {which I hope to collect in full!}, Oliver Jeffers is also a daringly quirky and fascinating visual artist. His paintings feel like a secret passageway into his imagination, a place where I find myself smiling broadly and wondering greatly at the world through Jeffers‘ lens.

There is, of course, an illustrative quality that threads throughout all of his work, and it is one of the things I most adore about Oliver’s art. The illustrative details {such as the measurements in his “Measuring Land and Sea” series} add to my interest in understanding just how Jeffers sees the world.

I hope Oliver’s humourous, quirky and delightful sensibilities have become an invitation for you to view the world around you with wider, more child-like eyes. And I hope his work {and Noah’s little story} put a smile on your face today.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 19th, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Dionne Simpson

As I’m sure you know by now, I am a lover of process. The process behind any product is always fascinating to me, but perhaps nowhere more keenly than in the world of art. The opportunity to enter into the creativity and imaginative, patient workings of an artist’s process truly fascinates me.

That love of process explains in part my love for the work of Dionne Simpson. Using an ancient African technique, Simpson begins each of her works by pulling threads from her canvas to create lace-like patterns over which she then paints. I imagine this first step in her process to be like “reverse weaving,” perhaps similar to the process of a sculptor, revealing the pattern {or the figure} through the process of subtraction rather than addition.

Simpson’s “reverse weaving” may be an ancient technique, but the result is entirely modern and edgy, almost pixelating the images and layering together concepts and statements through her subtle yet surprising manipulation of the canvas.

The canvas – an intentional metaphor for the fabric of society – is then carefully built upon with graphic and detailed painted landscapes and figures, layered on top of the now delicate and sometimes transparent foundation Simpson has very thoughtfully created.

I find Simpson’s perspective on the world of architecture and humanity truly fascinating and would love to sit down over a cup of coffee sometime to discuss her thoughts on life, art and society as a whole. I hope her art has inspired you to think beneath the surface – or perhaps to consider the surface {or medium} itself as an opportunity for innovation.

Happy Monday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|August 12th, 2013|0 Comments