Imagine a time with no computer
When I began my professional career in advertising in the late 1980s, the work of Mendell Oberer set a new standard for graphic design. Their unmistakable visual language influenced an entire generation of art directors – and was copied just as often as it was admired. 1993: Mendell Oberer, La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi. [ ]
It is hard to believe that this chair was designed almost a century ago. With its flowing cantilever silhouette and sculptural simplicity, the Sitzgeist looks remarkably contemporary. Yet Heinz and Bodo Rasch introduced it in 1927, the very year the Weißenhof Estate in Stuttgart became an international showcase for a new vision of modern living. [ ]
Time has a way of rearranging priorities. Between projects and a few private matters, this blog has been unusually quiet for some time. Today it returns – with the clocks of George Sowden. Between 1981 and 1988, the Memphis design collective reinvented virtually every category of domestic object. Yet no other member made the clock [ ]
Around 1900, few manufactories mastered glassmaking with such visual sophistication as Johann Loetz Witwe, the Bohemian glasswork brand whose Phänomen series became a hallmark of Art Nouveau glass: technically daring and visually captivating. Design Antoinette Krasnik (attr.) Vase, 85/3875, Phänomen Gre 358, 1901. LVR-ZMB, Photo Stefan Arendt. Kunstpalast Glass collection Founded in 1836, the…
“Son of a calligrapher.” The first line of his Instagram bio is not a slogan, but a statement of lineage. It signals respect for his father, for his artistic upbringing, and for an ancient culture of writing that shaped Jianfeng Pan (*1973) long before graphic design, advertising, or global art circuits entered his life. Jianfeng [ ]
It is one of those design classics with a great backstory – created by the Eames for the famous film director, the chaise longue was never meant as a commercial product, but as a tailor-made act of friendship. In 1955, while filming The Spirit of St. Louis, Billy Wilder developed a habit of taking short [ ]
Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978) is regarded as one of the most important Italian architects and designers of the 20th century, yet outside architectural circles his name long remained obscure. His most famous work is the renovation of the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona; in product design, he is known for his glass works for Venini. Born in Venice, he studied architecture [ ]
From the Hirayama Fireworks company, early 1900s. Via present correct First introduced in the 1600s, Japanese fireworks, known as hanabi, played a pinnacle role in global pyrotechnic innovation regarding shape, colour, and design. The development of hanabi (which translates directly to fire flower) started small, based on early versions of flares, but they were soon [ ]
Before you notice the musical instruments, you feel the space. Da Forli s angels do not sit quietly within the picture, they hover above it. In these figures Renaissance perspective becomes an experience rather than a technical exercise. They are fragments of a much larger and now lost masterpiece: Originally part of the fresco The Ascension [ ]
What a beauty: Produced from 1957 onwards, this Roadster was a brilliant blend of advanced engineering and exceptional design. Powered by the famous inline six-cylinder engine with 170 PS, it could reach up to 260 km/h – a remarkable performance for its era. With its smooth and sleek look, it is a true icon today. [ ]