Retro Modern Design
 

Oh my god, I am hopelessly addicted to this blog

http://jennskistudio.blogspot.com/

How does she find all this stuff! Never mind that the blogger is an awesome artist herself, there's post after post after post of beautiful art, furniture, housewares, fashion, etc. on this blog.





I mean, look at these...furniture made from vintage luggage! How...freaking...awesome.

Covet.

Sigh, I grew up in the 60's so some of this stuff is just, ick to me. Reminds me of a Laugh In go-go party set. Sorry GD, I guess it is all about perspective. Clearly, mileage does vary.

1930's streamlined deco for me :cool:

I spent WAAAY too much time looking at this blog and all of the related links yesterday. But it was well-spent.

Is that where you got that cool quail image in your avatar? I'd been wondering about that.

The luggage doesn't really do it for me, but I love the tea set!

Yup. That one's done by the person who runs the blog. It's a little hard to read shrunken to avatar size, but it says "Bird".

Here's A. Don't know if she's done more of the alphabet.



Her art's really great. If you look at the full size images, you can tell that it's basically collage work, they've got depth and texture to them.

Neat stuff. I can see swanky 60's airline stewardesses sitting on all of those chairs waiting for their flights.
:)

I *love* that tea set :)

Actually, it's not that hard to read in avatar size. But yeah, I can't really appreciate the depth that you're talking about at this resolution. For me the thing that's so impressive is just the ability to abstract like that. I can't break an image down into basic shapes like that, so I really admire people who can do it well.

Tell me about it. That was the subject of 3 of the 8 sessions of a drawing class I just finished. The instructor made it look so...damn...easy.

Yeah, I'm too literal to pull it off. I start simple, and it doesn't look right to me, so I add more and more detail until it's no longer abstract.

I'm more 40's or 50's type styles than the 70's or 80's where I grew up as well. Why is it we always prefer the decades right before we were born when it comes to retro?

I'm the same way. I lust after the 20's 30's and 40's. The 50's is so so, the 60's becomes to familiar and the 70's - well, make it go away again.

Although, as with all eras, I can appreciate some of the stylistic twists.

This video was an the site. Cute!

Ooooh. This inspires me to do a felt crafting stitch-n-bitch. We could turn out some cute stuff. :D

Ok, who remembers Tri-chem painting?:D

Though there should be a supposed generational gap, I think I have to agree with you here. Except I am not much a fan of anything from the 50's, save for some of the cars.

I like some art deco art and architecture, but for some reason much of the furniture triggers a sense of distaste in me. Not sure what it is but to me it comes off looking cheap and cheesy- lacking in craftsmanship. Not all of it of course, but the plastic bucket looking chairs for sure remind me of elementary school for some reason.

The tea set is tres cool though.

Oh, ooh, plastic bucket-looking chairs are for sure not art deco. I believe that's more mod. I can't think of anything less cheap and cheesy than art deco furniture.

I think you're talking more about Mid Century Modern or Post-War design rather than Art Deco.

The ubiquitous grade school chair was designed by famous British designer Robin Day in 1963.



Robin and his wife Lucienne Day are considered the Charles and Ray Eames of Britain and are both still designing today. Lucienne designed some fantastic fabrics including this one:




Eames created another molded plastic chair that has become popular again - DWR sells a few Eames items such as this one:


This is the other Eames item that has surged in popularity again:

NM, you must remember that when much of this furniture was being designed and manufactured, plastic wasn't seen as cheap and cheesy; but as a wonder material of the future. (Also, if I remember correctly, those particular chairs were fiberglass.)

Want the tea-set.

and "Vintage" luggage ?

Those hard-shell suitcases with the moulded wheels are no earlier than the 90's.

I don't know what's come over these young whipper-snappers nowadays - I mean, 50's, 60's, 70's - that's retro. Everything else is, well, during my lifetime.

*gulp*

That is the funniest thing I've ever seen! I spit my Corona all over my computer screen! :eek: :D

The set that I dabbled with as a kid is still in my father's closet. :D

I'm tempted to open it up and see if the paints still work. I recall some demin patches that could be colored that read things like, "Groovy", etc. :snap:

True. But that doesn't mean I have to like it today in 2008. So it can still look cheesy to me. It just gives me the impression that it is something I would get at Ikea, or possibly worse. But that is just one persons opinion. I tend to prefer more "authentic" materials generally - woods, metals, leathers, stone. Those chairs in NAs post just do nothing for me. Just not my bag, styling-wise.

And to all: please forgive my misuse of the term Art Deco. Not sure where that came from. I was definitely wrong. My bad. Reading too fast I suppose. It would be like someone talking about a DOHC engine design that was clearly a traditional small block pushrod. For shame on me.

Still alive and well.

My mom used to go crazy over it.

As for the furniture, not my thing. I like the tea set and the luggage (pattern more than concept).

Nothing to forgive! I just didn't want you to, say, accidentally write off the term if you were furniture-seeking, as they use so much natural material and I knew that was your inclination.

I guess all of the clicks from here through to her blog got her attention. Jennski has registered here.

If you see this, welcome! I thank you for wasting many hours of my days in the past weeks with such wonderful, wonderful links.

And I hope you don't mind me appropriating one of your images for temporary avatar use. :cheers:

Yeah, I noticed that she registered. Very cool!

Been perusing your blog many times, myself...

Ooooo... It's almost like having a celebrity sign up! :snap:

Hopefully she understands our appreciation of her site and doesn't mind the hot links.

She may have minded, as mine disappeared. Apologies!

Actually, I never saw yours to begin with.

Huh, that IS weird. It showed up in the preview post. Ah, well. I'm sure to have screwed something up.

Yes I'm here! lol :P
Thanks for posting my blog link!

Meet Mr. Crab

Welcome!

May you find hours of bacon-inspired amusement here.

coool! a newcomer that actually speaks!!!


:)

welcome

Hey, wow! I read your blog daily. Nice to see you here!

Love the crab. Makes me think of those "I pinch" car ads. Hehehe.

Welcome!!!

Thanks for returning and introducing us to Mr. Crab. He looks yummy!

Yay! We have yet another artist on the board.
:)

Welcome! Your stuff is rad! :D

Just a peench!

Love the crab!