Pattern Pulp

Trend: Framing the Conversation




Frame art has gotten a lot of airtime over the past few years.  From global recognition in the fashion world (see Tokyo streets and London runway), to providing a polished edge in home decorating, the familiar gilded border is experiencing a welcome role reversal.

A recent New York Times discussion of the Met’s current exhibition, The Pictures Generation (1974-1984), recognizes that Allan McCollum’s installation, Collection of Forty Plaster Surrogates, heightens a viewer’s awareness simply by highlighting the unexpected.  “McCollum’s works were not presented as decorative accessories or social commentary but as physical signs of the mechanical drives of existence—of repetitious behaviour and patterns of market-based relationships.”

Drawing inspiration from this trend, Lisa Rengtsson, a young designer from Sweden, has created wallpaper designed to frame personal moments and details from everyday life.  Entitled, Familjen,this pattern provides the structure for artsy types to create their own visual diaries.

Furthering the concept of the visual diary, this examination wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of Todd Selby, the extraordinary photographer and illustrator behind the website, The Selby.  On a weekly basis, Selby profiles interesting people within their own creative spaces.  This photo, for example, highlights Francois Curiel, the European Chairman at Christie’s Auction House.

Additional contributions by: Nicoletta Granati and Jennifer Machiavera

Quick Links: Weekly Notables




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1. Stunning nautilus home by Javier Senosiain, via Inhabitat.

2. Wendy Plomp’s “Message in a box” cardboard carpet at the 400 years later – cite goes dutch exhibition, via Design Boom.

3. Brokenfab’s intricate beaded geometric patterned jewelry, via The Pipeline.

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4. Lizzy House’s latest fabric collection, Red Letter Day, has adorable color combinations and whimsical geometrics, via PrintPattern.

5. Beautiful and compelling info graphics, via Abduzeedo.

6. Stephen Meisel is an inspiration and a puzzle, via Pattern People.

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7. Nooka’s Summer ’09 collection uses bold graphics inspired by triangles, via High Snobiety.

8. Watch as Invader creates one of his trademark mosaics out of Rubick’s Cubes, also known as Rubickubism, via Moco Loco.

9. Love the bold packaging of Bold City Brewery, via The Dieline.

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10. Wonderful wallpapers from Intrade, a Swedish wallpaper supply company, via Decor8.

11. Wearable gifts for hip dads, including some interesting renditions of the typical necktie, via If its Hip it’s Here.

12. Beautiful paper cut maps by Famille Summerbelle, via Joanna Goddard.

By: Emily Gup

Quick Links: Weekly Notables




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1. Art Basel in 60 photographs, via Yatzer.

2. The beautiful work of textile artist, Deepa Panchamia, via High Snobette.

3. Certainly the nicest looking fire extinguishers we’ve ever seen! Via The Dieline.

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4. Covering the trend of milk in design, via Abduzeedo.

5. Stella Bugbee’s tape inspired by Navajo patterns, via Kitsunenoir.

6. Ivana Plavec’s used nails to create the sheep design on her modular screens, via Moco Loco.

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7. Gorgeous wallpaper created by Swedish design Lena Hautoniemi, via Design*Sponge.

8. Interview with artist and designer, Mike Perry, via Shiny Squirrel.

9. Marimekko now does wallpaper! Via Always Mod.

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10. An interview with French designer and stylist, Fifi Mandirac, and a peek inside her Paris home, via Decor8.

11. We wouldn’t want any of these beetles in our home, but they sure make for interesting color inspiration! Via Colour Lovers.

12. Gumption’s adorable picture frames made with vintage calico fabric, via Design Boom.

Compiled By: Emily Gup

Street Finds: Window Trends




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Manhattan is home to some wonderful stores with even more magnificent window displays.  Designers often plan these fantastical arrangements months in advance, while visual teams work round the clock to get each window looking perfect, all in an attempt to lure customers off the street and into their stores.  While these displays double as public art for some, others follow these commercial relics quite religiously.  Here at Pattern Pulp, we’re fervent observers, and so we’ve begun photographing displays around the city, hoping to connect the dots whenever relevant themes and stories emerge.

And so, our first window round up:

Linear Stripes:

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One of the most notable trends this season appears to be the continued use of bold color.  Be it a clothing rainbow or carefully aligned fixture spectrum, stores like The Gap, Anthropologie and J.Crew are doing more with less to showcase their stock in the most budget savvy ways.

Flat Color:

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Materials range from flat and printed (the norm) to tangible and tactile, as evident at The Gap, Henry Bendel and Kate Spade.

White Birds:

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White birds keep popping up, evocative of the peaceful dove, oragami structures and, of course, the beach – it is summer time, after all. Pictured above, Levis, BCBG and Kate’s Paperie.

Found Objects:

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Found objects also reign supreme: hangers, bags, scraps of fabric – the very products being sold are being rendered as part of the “art,” as opposed to a blatant “here’s the shirt: buy me.” Pictured above, we have Barneys and Anthropologie, Gucci and Prada.

Warholian Photorealism:

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We also love the Warholian photorealism of Diesel and French Connection – they seem to be tapping a trend that has continued to infiltrate a variety of markets.

Coverage by: Emily Gup

Quick Links: Weekly Notables




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1.  Laura Hoyer of Open Face Sandwich gives her “blah” rental kitchen a DIY makeover, applying plexi-glass to one of her own prints, via Design*Sponge.

2.  Trends in logo design for 2009, via Design Boom.

3.  Great pictures from “Beneath the Surface: Flora, Fantasy & Fable” a show curated by Pattern People in Portland, Oregon.

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4.  Edina Tokodi’s moss graffiti, via Inhabitat.

5.  Lovely intro to Woot ‘n Wright’s: One-of-a-kind handmade printed textiles, cushions, bags and leather satchels, Woot ‘n Wright.

6.  Chris Jordan creates beautiful photographs made entirely out of trash, via Abduzeedo.

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7.  Contemplating the colors of Jorma Hautala’s paintings and and Spanish graphic design studio La Mosca’s graphics, via Colourlovers.

8.  Barbro Andersson conceived a sequence divided into four acts that retraces the champagne-making process for Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque celebration, via Yatzer.

9.  Interview with fabric designer Umbrella Prints and jewelry designer Ceeb Wasserman about their recent collaboration, via scoutie girl and modish.

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10.  Sneak peak at Alexander Girard’s upcoming collection of pillows, wall-hangings, and textiles for Urban Outfitters, via The Scout Mag.

11. Some interesting offerings from Domestique’s Zona Tortona, via Moco Loco.

12.  Tumi’s Alpha Collection for the urban battlefield rendered in digital camouflage, via Selectism.

By: Emily Gup

Trend: Painterly Paths




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“Not all artists are depressed,” is quite possibly be best tag line we’ve heard in a while. BMW’s latest Z4 campaign, Expression of Joy, has recently rolled out across several platforms, attempting to reach affluent customers of all of ages and interests.  BMW’s roadster has always been synonymous with intelligent design and has collaborated with select artists in the past to express this priority. Using GSD&M Idea City as their creative backbone, BMW has opted to jump into the driver seat this time around and let their product become the paintbrush, “While the original idea was to use the car to create artwork, over time, our thinking evolved from the final product to the process,” says David Matathia, VP and Idea Team Director at GSD&M Idea City. The results are both stunning and effective, as this vibrant spot translates seamlessly across all media platforms- be it print, tv, web, mobile or on premise entertainment.

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In an effort to embrace the concept, Expression of Joy, we decided to explore a few other products that inspire controlled chaos and negative space.  This Corallo Bag, a current feature on MoMA’s retail website, is an elegant, non-ending doodle that’s a durable alternative to the plastic throwaway.  Moving in a more literal direction, Hudson-Powell‘s patterned rug mimics tire tracks in the snow. Emulating tracks of another sort, Walter Onion’s wool and linen bed spreads are a minimalist and high-end interpretation of this trend.  This painterly Hurley bikini looks as if the roadster rolled over it while creating its 240 yard masterpiece.

Additional Contributions by Emily Gup.

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