Tchochkes

Sometimes a room needs a touch of nostalgia …

These delicate paintings by artist Hagit Dvir can add a bit of nostalgia to any home.  Something about these pieces remind me of my grandmothers house. 

I can see this yellow ochre cabinet in any kitchen.  This piece has such country style flair!

I have seen so many designers lines that feature “all white” furniture these days (boring), the addition of a painted drawer changes the whole personality of this piece.

Painted wall plates can liven up any blank canvas, hang three or four and you’ve got a collection. 

 

 

I can’t believe that this duck has been sitting on top of the Iria here in Tel Aviv for a while now and today is the first time that I saw it.  What is it?  Why is it there?  Because I am not from here I miss stuff, important stuff like this inflated duck in honor of Israels beloved illustrator Dudu Geva who died at the age of 55 in February 2005.

I couldn’t help but go to the “land of rubber ducks”.  I did some research and came up with a few products that are all about ducks…

Duck shower curtain number one,

Duck shower curtain number two…

This is a stress reducing duck that you squeeze, just looking at it makes me happy.

Incognito rubber ducks,

And THE rubber duck of all ducks! Dudu Geva is still making a statement, even from above.  Thank you Dudu.

For those who drive on Shabbas, there’s an art tour in Ramat Yishay you may find is worth schlepping to…

artscraft_open_house

Industrial Design

Industrial designer Yaron Elyasi makes some really interesting items out of string and partially recycled plastic.  The colorful chairs and open vessel above are some of the pieces that he is best known for.  Nature and organic form are a definate influence in his work. 

The same chair as shown above but in black partially recycled plastic takes on a totally different feel.  I like the colored pieces better.  The black is kind of creepy… 

This nest- like dipped string vessel is something of a conversation piece and then there is the string bowl below…   I actually like these last two items and think they make good accents for shelves or coffee tables.  Sometimes an accent is just what a room needs to polish it off.

If you happen to be in New York…

Be  inspired with these bright, fun flowers by Takashi Murakami.  Not only does this artist tap into the current brights trend, he combines fine art, design, animation and fashion to bring us a spectacular show that can be seen at The Brooklyn Museum through July 13th. 

Here are a few more examples of his work.  I find this fully saturated room soothing in an odd sort of way…

You can see the whimisical print in this close up… Somebodys watching you!

Eyeball print

Tapping into fashion, Murakami was comissioned by Louis Vuitton to re-design their well known two tone logo.  The result changed the face of high end handbag design. 

Original Louis Vuitton Color Combination

Louis Vuitton Bag in brights by Murakami

Clearly, Murakami has a keen eye for textiles, product, media and fashion.  I am sure we will see more of his work in the future.

…

Decorative Arts

Local artist Yael Novak’s whimsical work is positively devine.  Her ceramic sculptures are an artistic expression that are simple and sophisticated. Her work is of exhibition quality and can be found at ceramic co-ops in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

Crayon sculptures. Teeny tiny sculptures created from crayons -  wax crayons. Easily destroyed by small children crayons. Not even the fat chunky crayons, but the normal, thin, 64 in a box crayons.

Crayon sculptures for $199 each. Easily destroyed wax crayon sculptures created with a deft hand and a carving knife cost $199 each. A box of 150 crayons, pre-sculpture, in a neat tower package costs $12.99 on Amazon.

 Diem Chau is the artist of the crayons, and while I think her work is quite beautiful, I also think it’s very silly. Caveat emptor, keep away from windows and heat - or your $199 just might melt away.

Artist Merav Feglin creator of “insane table lamps” posted on March 10th, is back with her collection of Mosaic side tables. The good news is that you can shop for many of her products at Galeria Delinka in Ramat HaSharon from April 10th through May 10th.

Her work is whimsical, functional and fun!

*See shopping invite for details

What Is It?

It is the 2008 Whitney Biennial.
view it online for inspiration,
this show is a “must see”.

The art in this show is usually a little “off beat” but “thinking outside the box” is an important element in keeping designs current.

This giant bird’s nest at the entrance to the exhibit makes me think that there might be suprise visitors… A few blocks up at the Museaum of Natural History they would get a warmer welcome!

“Eagles Nest” by Fritz Haey”

This display of marching lights is anything but traditional,
I can see using this as a coloful idea for a lobby.
Call me crazy…

“The Army”by Olaf Breuning

Katrin Sonnleitner designs some wonderful and bizarre things. Last week I wrote about her puzzle carpet, but what I was really interested in was the Buena Pinta re-writeable china that I saw on her website. What a fantastic thing for the child in all of us. (She sent me some pics today.)

In case you’re wondering what that is on the right, it’s Sammelsurium. Why? No clue, but I found it amusing and asked her to send me that pic as well.