Pattern Pulp

Expressive Movement Through Line




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As designers, strategists, merchandisers and buyers, we see inspiration all the time. If you’re anything like me, you have magazine tears all over your office and home – tacked to moodboards and stacked in piles on your kitchen table. We collect, hoard, and piece together stories, waiting for the final puzzle piece to transition an idea into action. Most of the time, an idea’s come to fruition after a folder’s been filled with random (yet not-so-random), disparate imagery.

Today’s pieces, which are void of color (specifically red, white and blue), come from a Saint Laurent ad, a dress pattern from Tel Aviv, and an illustration I found on Pinterest. The movement through line is interesting- specifically through the varied application: beading, shapes and storytelling. The vibe is timeless and a reminder of what’s current in both high and mass production.

 

Turquoise: Grids & Movement




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Summer’s on the mind, particularly leading into July 4th, and many of you are on vacation, attempting to peel yourself from work and the daily grind. If you have a creative eye, though, you’re still finding inspiration, only this week it’s literal, as opposed to online. Be it shadows and shells at the beach, lines and sand textures on the boardwalk or wavy grids in and around the pool. I’m in Fire Island this week, working in the morning and cooking/beaching/biking in evening and thought a turq story would be relevant- particularly one that incorporates water and movement. These pieces transition from art and technique to photography and social media. It’s interesting to see the overlap between the imagery, style and form.

1. Art by Kathy Leeloo 2. Archival Pigment Print (artist unknown) 3. Pool photo from SwissMiss’s instagram feed 4|5|6: Artwork made with paste and paper by Ellen Golla

 

Trend: Piecemeal Geometrics




Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about how we’ve reverted back to basics when it comes to digital design in the 2D vs 3D realm. When we could first work with depth, we took the bait, went crazy, shadowed everything and added a bevel and emboss. As styles have evolved and we move towards simplification of data overload, basic geometrics have gained prominence in design navigation and it seems like we’re in an age of geometric simplification.

Which brings me to today’s feature on piecemeal geometrics. Using line to texturize, this skirt from Al & Alicia is busy, yet beautifully restricted by palette & structure.

Using vector and paint to illustrate the same point, Chris Benz‘s latest runway collection magnifies the circle, forcing us to ebb and flow within his patterns.

Color: Opposites Attract




On this day of love, what could be more fun than pairing two non-related/related pictures side by side? Incorporating red, wine, green, black and cream, both Tori Higa and Daniel Canogar capture the essence of each sex in each of their layouts. Higa’s mixed media greeting card is a combination of feminine line paired with vintage fabric. In an alternate space, Canogar’s digital exhibit, Trace, uses light, color and technology to engage the viewer. Going beyond the tangible, it’s fun to see these styles bounce off one another. They’re more similar and more different with each glance.

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.