ELSEWARE

The art of Storm Thorgerson (1944-2013)

You may not recognise his name, but you will certainly know this man’s work. He is the creator of some of the most iconic single and album covers for a selection of the world’s most famous music artists. He is Storm Thorgerson, a British graphic designer, who was world renowned for working with rock artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Biffy Clyro, The Cranberries and Muse, and created one of most memorable album covers of all time – Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.

Sadly, Thorgerson was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, which he battled for several years but which eventually led to his death on 18 April 2013 at the age of 69. David Gilmour, the Pink Floyd guitarist, released a statement after his death describing him as, “a constant force in my life, both at work and in private, a shoulder to cry on, and a great friend.”

Thorgerson’s work could be best described as depicting scenes of a bent reality, sometimes taking ordinary objects or scenes and replacing them in alternative backdrops with expanses of space. He liked to push people’s preconceived notions of reality and turn them upside down. “I like photography because it is a reality medium, unlike drawing which is unreal. I like to mess with reality… Some of my works beg the question of – is it real or not?”

Whether you like his artwork or not, it is certainly thought-provoking and conceptual, and if you visit his website and view his rather extensive portfolio, you are bound to see a few familiar pieces from your music collection.

www.stormthorgerson.com

Posted by Dee Laffan

George Singer

British-born product designer, George Singer, graduated from London’s Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in 2002. After three years of working in numerous design houses, his first major commission was for three large bespoke chandeliers for Conran and Partners in 2005, followed by a piece for Vitra’s showroom. Since then, George’s contemporary chandelier designs have been complimenting grand, contemporary private and commercial spaces from London to Switzerland, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. His strong engineering background gives him a fresh, practical-minded approach to design and always designs objects of beauty by allowing the material to dictate the aesthetic of the design, without using decoration. To commission visit georgesinger.co.uk.

Posted by Alice Carlisle. Images courtesy of georgesinger.co.uk

Harrods 1920′s Pop-Up Bar

To celebrate Baz Lurhmann’s take on the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel, Harrods has opened a pop-up 1920′s cocktail bar. Inspired by the most decadent film of the year, fans of The Great Gatsby can sip a vintage cocktail or two in decadent lavish style until 20th May. For more information go to www.harrods.com
Images – Warner Bros

Posted by Joanne King

Moth Mirrors

Kate Durrant studied Conservation and Restoration of Art at the City & Guilds of London Art School and later moved on from restoration to work with interior designers on faux finishes and gilding, working in particular with the technique of Verre Eglomise (gilding on glass). An ancient tradition dating back to Roman times, Verre Eglomise uses gold and silver leaf applied to the back of the glass to create a reflective finish or mirror.

Each piece is hand leafed and painted using eco friendly materials. Creating a very contemporary look in any interior they can also be distressed to create a very ‘antique’ look, resulting in diffused light which on a large scale, creates a beautiful soft light that changes remarkably as the light in the room varies

Designs and patterns are created using a combination of different leafs and colour so lend well to being matched to compliment existing interior themes. Kate has a particular technique in which the design behind the leaf is only visible from certain angles and with direct light on it only the reflection of the leaf can be seen.

Using various colourways and her own unique techniques Kate offers unique, hand leafed bespoke mirrors, panels, table moons, tiles and table tops. For more information visit mothmirrors.co.uk.

Posted by Alice Carlisle, images and information courtesy of Moth Mirrors.

Win a signed copy of Paris Sketchbook by Jason Brooks

A whimsical take on Paris by leading Fashion Illustrator Jason Brooks, Paris Sketchbook is part guide book, part illustrated journal and is the perfect gift for travellers and fashionistas.

Travel has always been at the heart of Jason Brooks’ work and during his time on fashion assignments at the Couture shows in Paris, he developed a passion for the culture and Parisian way of life. For more information go to www.laurenceking.com

Paris Sketchbook is a beautiful illustrated tribute to the city and our friends at Laurence King Publishing have given us one exclusive signed copy by the author.

To win please tweet us @we_are_elseware and include #parissketchbook

We Are Elseware Prize Draw Terms & Conditions:

1. The prize draw is promoted by We Are Elseware LTD
2. Entry is subject to following @we_are_elseware on Twitter and tweeting #parissketchbook www.twitter.com/we_are_elseware
3. One entry per prize draw per person
4. The prize includes a signed copy of Paris Sketchbook by Jason Brooks
5. All entries for the competition must be received by 9am on Friday 17th May
6. The Paris Sketchbook prize draw will be made on 4pm on Friday 17th May. The winners will be selected at random
7. The winners will be notified through Twitter
8. The prize will be posted to winner via Royal Mail
9. The prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternatives are available
10. No purchase necessary
11. The winners names can also be obtained by emailing team@wearelseware.com and requesting the information

Go Elseware – Simon Brown

Simon Brown, leading Interiors and Still Life Artist, will be showcasing his new collection called ‘Standing in the Corner’, at the Richard Young Gallery in Notting Hill until 29th June.

The intriguing exhibition showcases hauntingly beautiful interiors from handpicked locations in England, Ireland and France. The limited edition prints are rich in colour, texture and space that charts architectural decay and convey the grandeur of centuries past. Inspired by these locations, Simon then shot a series of images in his West London studio, which included everyday objects such as cabbages, raspberries through to hand whisks and kitchen spoons.

We Are Elseware, caught up with Simon this week to find out more about his new exhibition.

‘Standing in the Corner’, is inspired by romanticism, beauty and sensuality, there is a security in this, a safety, an escape from everyday life – capturing a moment that’s beautiful and sensual. It has been lovely working with Susan Young and Richard Young. The pictures look great but the best thing is people liking them too. My next project is called ‘The Golden Road to Samarkand’ and follows a historical trade route through the Middle East, encompassing the art and architecture and somewhat flawed at this time by the war in Syria however!’.

Simon Brown’s collection is visually stunning, filled with beautiful imagery that is rich in both colour and texture and beams you back to another era. For more information go to www.richardyounggallery.co.uk – Richard Young Gallery, 4 Holland Street, London W8 4LT

Posted by Joanne King

Go Elseware: United Micro Kingdoms – A Design Fiction

Here in the UK we have some wonderous architectural and transport inventions that have helped to shape the way we live and work for hundreds of years, but have you ever wondered how England would look, and work, if it were designed differently? We Are Elseware love events like this that challenge perception. Not only is it inspirational, it lends itself well to the inception and potential creation of brilliant new designs of the future….

Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby use elements of industrial design, architecture, politics, science and sociology to provoke debate around the power and potential of design. Presenting multiple perspectives on a fictional future in a new exhibition at The Design Museum, England is devolved into four self-contained counties, each free to experiment with governance, economy and lifestyle. These ‘live laboratories’ interrogate the cultural and ethical impact of existing and new technologies and how they alter the way we live.

UmK: A Design Fiction runs from May 01-August 26 with late night opening Friday May 17, 7-10.30pm. For more information visit www.designmuseum.org and www.dunneandraby.co.uk.

Posted by Dee Laffan. Images courtesy of the Design Museum.

Perfectly Perched

This beautiful new fabric by Louise Body is the ideal way to lighten up a room for Spring. ‘Perched’ featuring Louise’s watercolour painting, is printed on Linen Union and complements the wallpaper within the ‘Stonewall’ collection.

To create such detailed and delicate work, Louise uses a combination of painting, drawing and photographic imagery to produce her range of fabrics, wallpapers and cushions. In addition to Perched, Louise has also created a limited number of prints to compliment the collection, which are numbered and personally signed by the artist.

Louise says “I felt the need to design a new Bird fabric as my best selling Bird designs are 10 years old now. The design features my watercolour paintings of birds which are partly from reference and part imaginary. The design has a New feel to it which I think sets it apart from traditional Bird designs.”

For more information www.louisebody.com

Credits: Perched Fabric – Retail: £55.00/ metre, Width: Approx 138cm Pattern Repeat: 63cm. All Images from Louise Body.

Posted by Joanne King

Toots Zynsky: Glass Thread Vessels

Its no wonder Toots Zynsky’s filet de verre (glass thread) vessels have widespread popularity. The detailing, delicacy and the extraordinary colour she achieves in each are exquisite, making her work distinctive and her craftsmanship highly acclaimed. To make her vessels she first layers thousands of multicolored glass threads onto a round heat-resistant fiberboard plate. (For her, this part of the process is like drawing or painting.) This mass of glass threads is then fused inside a kiln and While hot, the fused thread disk is allowed to slowly slump into a series of consecutively deeper and rounder preheated bowl-shaped metal forms. To make taller vessels, the piece is turned upside down and slumped over a cone-shaped mold. Finally, the glass is then squeezed into a unique undulating form.

Her work is available publicly at these locations: www.tootszynsky.org/public-collections

Posted by Alice Carlisle
Images and information from www.tootszynsky.org

Ambrí Chopping Boards

These handcrafted chopping and serving boards are beautifully designed and built to last. Each board is unique and handcrafted in Blennerville, Tralee, County Kerry in the South West of Ireland. Owner, Tony O’Shea, explained how the business came about; “The chopping board I had at home split and instead of buying one, I decided to make one. My family and friends commented on how great they thought it was and soon I was making more and started selling them in a local shop who sold out of them very quickly. We knew we were on to something and now we supply boards to some of Ireland and the UK’s top restaurants and hotels and online internationally.”

What makes Ambrí Borads so unique is that all of the trees used to produce the boards have fallen naturally or have had to come down for safety. They are sourced from sustainable 100% Irish hardwoods and the majority vary from 60 to 120 years old, although some of the boards are made from trees dating up to 180 years old. The trees used can vary from elm, chestnut, flamed beech, spaulted beech, cherry and walnut, therefore the look may vary in each board. For each tree used in the making of Ambrí Boards, a new tree is planted. Because the boards are made from one piece of wood, they are more durable and splitting isn’t a problem; they are also treated with mineral oil, which prevents cracking.

Each board is named after a landmark in County Kerry, Ireland and vary in size and character. For example, the stunning Gallarus Board (pictured above right) is a real statement piece, which can be used for chopping or serving, and has a wavy edge and carved sides to give it an old rustic look.

For more information, visit: www.ambrichoppingboards.com