sara paloma pottery
White Matte Bottle Collection by Sara Paloma Pottery.
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful, more perfect, more sensual and inspired than those bottles by Sara Paloma?
Surely there must be words to express the sheer beauty that they are, but I have not found them and it is not for lack of trying you see, for my mind is of the kind that when presented with a challenge or problem to solve will not rest till it finds a solution. And so, because of the notion I have that since I am posting photographs of other artists’ works on this blog it is only fair for me to write a few nice things too, there I was trying to find something smart to say about those bottles. Angels (or spirits) of creativity were evoked then Picasso, I was on my way to ZEN, when I realized I was getting nowhere for there was nothing I would write really that would match the ultimate perfection of these bottles, and so I should just keep quiet…
For sometimes, that is the smart thing to do. Stay quiet. Just watch. And admire.
porcelain milk cartons by ricochet studio
Best Before by Ricochet Studio.
I don’t drink milk anymore, but I love the beautiful simplicity of the shape of milk cartons emphasized here by the passage to white porcelain. The interiors are glazed for functional use. The three sizes (small, medium & large) are sold separately and range from $45.00 to $110.00.
Ricochet Studio is a very young company initiated by Vancouver artist Jeremy Hatch. It
focuses on collaborating with artists from various disciplines to realize limited edition ceramic objects.
You may want to check another of their creations : the porcelain Tooth Jar, a candy box sculpted by artist David Khang. It is available in three colors/lids : gold, silver & white. They will be produced in a Limited Edition of 50 pieces for each color with 2 artist proofs of each.
orange bowl by lynn cardwell pottery
Orange and Textured Iron Bowl by Lynn Cardwell Pottery @ Etsy.
I do not fall for all of Lynn Cardwell’s pottery works, but I really really love her bowls. The contrast between the bright and glossy colors on the insides and the rough aspect of the outsides is very interesting, plus the shapes of her bowls are extremely beautiful. That orange one is a favorite of mine, I always come back to it, but then I love orange so much…
Her Ikebana vases are amazing too, they have the same kind of strength and simplicity.
She is a member of the Etsy Mud Team.
ettore sottsass (1917-2007)
Carlton designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 for Memphis Milano.
I found this great article called “Memphis design style is back” while doing some research about Ettore Sottsass in early January when I learned he had died. I’m not in a writing mood these days so I guess I’ll just add a selection of photos and links here.
Tahiti lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, 1981.
Vase (502) – Black & White Collection by Ettore Sottsass for Bitossi of Italy.
Sottsass Associates – The Wolf House in Ridgway, Colorado, USA, 1987-89.
Articles on Sottsass :
Ettore Sottsass @ Design Museum + Memphis @ Design Museum
Ettore Sottsass – 20 ans de design pour Olivetti @ Centre Pompidou
Ettore Sottsass @ LACMA
Ettore Sottsass : “Tout est design, c’est une fatalité” Le Monde, 29/08/2005, interview by Michèle Champenois.
Shopping :
Alessi
Memphis Milano
Ettore Sottsass @ Unica Home
designdesign.it
kim westad ceramics
Large Whirl #1 + Pebble Cup in Orange + Pebble Pendant in Aqua + Small Whirl #4
When it comes to objects, there’s really Shape & Material. Well I grant you there is also this great dynamic duo called “Form & Function” but let’s just stick to the “Shape & Material” thing. Indeed, you can have the most wonderful color, if the shapes and materials are not right, then it’s just useless, it will never be right.
Kim Westad, since she expresses her art with clay, should know about materials. She used to be a graphic designer but she says her life changed when she decided to take a pottery class. And anyone over the age of 5 having one day put their hands into clay will understand exactly what she means. Because with these arts that require some technique either it’s like some Big Revelation, or more often than not, you just suck at it and you know it will take quite some time before you make anything more than heart-shaped ashtrays – if you ever do. (And although I have had some urges to try myself at the stuff, as you may have guessed to my great dismay I somehow am stuck in the latter category.)
So Kim Westad has this thing with clay, and she also has this great sense of “shape”. To be honest I am not fond of all her creations (some of them are a bit too classical for my taste) but the ones I like I really love. I find her Whirls Collection, and most of all her “Large whirl #1″ – the white ones being my favorites anyway – amazing. Those pieces have a powerful architectural quality (she herself acknowledges to the architectural influences, and they definitely arouse images of the Guggenheim in New York or of some of Niemeyer’s works) and an impressive simplicity about them that make them look more like sculptures than mere decorating objects.
Her Pebbles Cups in Orange or in Chocolate, her Pebble Bowls, Sweet Peas and Votive Holders are also very nice.
She is currently living and working in New York but she ships internationally.
She has been an Etsy Featured Seller in June 2007.
You might also want to read her interview on Crafty Synergy (a great blog I discovered writing this article).