Around the Globe, Visiting Hanoi

Welcome back! Between overstuffed inboxes, detox plans and prioritized goals, it seems like we’re all settling into a cold and rainy start to the year. Though the weather’s questionably miserable, hopes are still high! I know my sleeves are rolled up as I dive into a box of kleenex, sip some coffee and embark on a long to-do list to blow through this week.

Here are a few photos from my trip to Asia- the first stop was Hanoi in northern Vietnam. As I gear up in preparation for next week’s Print Source show, all hands are on deck here in the Pattern Pulp office, so posting will be a tad lighter.

I’ll be sharing some of Saigon tomorrow…enjoy!

January 6, 2014 | By: Shayna Kulik

Til Next Year…

This past Fall, I attended a talk with Marina Abramovic at the 92Y. She discussed the art of patience in relation to repetition and monotony, the ability to do something over and over again to the point of total and utter boredom with the end goal of achieving something greater.

To illustrate her point, she suggested combining two bags of rice with opposing grains and shapes. Over the period of a week, the singular bowl must be divided into two. Imagine sitting for days, combing, inspecting and separating- it seems as tedious as recombining the faces of paper shreddings (an incredible scene from Argo, if you haven’t seen it). Anything you’ve been troubled by should be resolved upon the completion of the exercise.

These are the references that came to mind after stumbling across Simon Beck’s work last night. He creates his art in the Savoie Valley of France, where he walks miles in pursuit of a perfectly constructed prism. Up close, his steps appear disjointed and chaotic, though from afar, each marking is part of a mathematical equation- one that’s mind-bogglingly perfect. His ability to walk his algorithms from within, as opposed to administering from afar seems supernatural in today’s computer-filled world. Ants do this. Plants do this. People do this with the aid of tools, and rarely do you see feats this magnificant beyond the classroom, the lab or office in the name of art.

At varying times of the day, Beck’s patterns shift, following the sun and reacting to the shadows. The designs are fleeting, and may only last for a few hours…beautiful in the moment for few to enjoy…which reminds me Abramovic’s exercise to some degree.

I was really struck by these works, as was the internet- the post appeared in my Facebook feed several times today. This also wraps the year for me in a symbolic way. Hopefully you all slow down a bit (or speed up if you prefer), recharge and refresh over the holiday for the new year ahead. I leave for Vietnam today and will be back in early January, with a redesign to share with you all. Til then, take some time to explore the art of patience, I’d love to hear what you discover…

-Shayna

December 24, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links!

1. A look at how J. Crew chooses their colors via Plenty of Colour
2. Giving the gift of art for the holidays via Miss Moss
3. Britt Salt’s fabulous striped art via Helen Gory
4. Molly Evans is #lionelstitchie via The Jealous Curator
5. Some awesome DIY wrapper paper ideas via Poppytalk
6. Love these photos from Morocco by Louis Philippe de Gagoue via Honestly WTF
7. Make and paint and ukelele! via The Wonder Forest
8. Joan Saló’s felt tip pen art via Present & Correct
9. Delightful sailing ship kite by Haptic Lab via Swiss Miss
10. Beautiful end grain block flooring via design*sponge
11. Fabric bolts back this bench via design-milk
12. Lovely hand embroidered temari balls via Colossal

Contributed by Emily Gup

December 20, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Textiles from the Eskayel Neverworld

Yesterday we focused on hard motifs and circular themes, today’s devoted to ethereal delights. We’re highlighting the beautiful and enchanting symmetry coming out of the Eskayel Studio. Run by Shana Campanaro and Nick Chacona, this Brooklyn-based company excels in interior fabrics.

I recently spotted their couch at ABC Carpet and wished I could bring it home and make it a permanent part of my living room. There’s a freshness and a familiarity to the work that shines through the color combinations and subtle application of pattern. If you’re looking for a sophisticated gift this holiday season, I’d recommend visiting their shop, as the stationary, iPhone cases, coasters, pillows and baskets would all be stunning additions to any home.

December 19, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Circular Styles

circular spaces2

Circular motifs never get old. When history, science and creativity are hinged upon these forces, you realize why cyclical flow is a part of our daily vernacular. Much of the branding and styling I’m attracted to incorporates this concept, and you realize, over time, that it’s actually easy to reinvision a brand, packaging or any design for that matter, if the underlying direction has a timelessness to it.

From the mechanical curves of the Sonos logo to Dan Funderburgh’s recent illustration collaboration in the Manual for Speed, to ABC Carpet’s spiritual and nature-inspired retail merchandising to the graphic styling techniques in this Dazed and Confused spread, all overlap in relatable, defined ways.

December 18, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Tuesday's Gallery Picks

This week’s gallery picks highlight the process behind the artwork.

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1. Betty Woodman’s evolving relationship with painting, the vase, and the history of ceramics at Gallery Diet
2. Matthew Weinstein’s art on library cards at Carolina Nitsch
3. This exhibition is the first large-scale installation of Xaviera Simmons’ ongoing Index series, photographic works whose core are found in the language of the sculptural at David Castillo Gallery
4. Derrick Adams’s work references the collages of the influential African American artist Romare Bearden and act as a continued development and ongoing exploration into envisaging a direct relationship between popular culture, aspirational American cityscapes and the persons, politics and issues of the African-American community at Hales Gallery
5. While Robert Minervini’s works function independently, they are reliant on each other to unravel a long-form narrative space that wraps around the gallery, inviting the viewer to experience the passage of space and time at Marine Contemporary
6. With multiple access points to an excess of information at any given time, artists who are working in one direction sometimes start working in another; the flow is brok and redirected toward a new and exciting place at Garis & Hahn

December 17, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik