VIKTOR DONOVAN: December 2012

Saturday, December 29, 2012

"PAINT IT BLACK" -- WHY SCANDINAVIAN DESIGNERS LOVE THE COLOR BLACK

You would think that Swedes who spend so much of the winter days in the dark, would crave bright colors, but instead they favor the color black to a large extent.
The elegant Swedish design guru Frida Ramstedt is all for black.(See her comment at the bottom of this piece)
Her blog, TRENDENSER is one of the most visited in Scandinavia and she lectures extensively and has her own Ipad magazine.

Here is one of the many pictures from her Pinterest account - black predominates. Picture by Frida Ramstedt, Trendenser.com.
(Would a child's brightly colored toys ruin "the perfect harmony"?)

This year, Frida converted the traditionally red electric Christmas candelabra into black.

So what is the fascination with black and white? I like strong color and patterns as seen in these (mine) Pintarest collections here and here.
But there is something about the black and white theme in textiles and art that is dramatically appealing to us. We think that black and white film (Film Noir) is more dramatic than color film. The drawings by Donovan O'Malley below for example, could never have been striking in the same way, had they been in color. And these black and white woodblocks are appealing for the same reason.

Janey falling
Donovan O'Malley has used the black and white expression masterfully in his nine illustrations of the American writer, Nathanael West's novels
This illustration by Donovan O'Malley, depicts a scene from Nathanael West's novel, "The Dream Life of Balso Snell"

Donovan O'Malley has used the black and white expression masterfully in his nine illustrations of the American writer, Nathanael West's novels. This illustration Mrs. Shrike and Miss Lonelyearts in the novel "Miss Lonelyhearts" by Nathanael West. See all nine illustrations.

For Frida of Trendenser and all others who love black and white designs, there is now a dedicated Pintarest board in black and white for you!

There is also a SPECIAL BLACK AND WHITE Mug shop for you and special BLACK AND WHITE shop for Posters and Cards also for you!

Black and White Photography is generally considered "more serious" and "dramatic" than color.
In one "Pinterest" board, a woman's fondness for black and white photos has resulted in her collecting over 6.000 images. Some effort!

The White Knight!

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY - OR PLAIN COWARDICE?
Frida Ramstedt the design guru of her blog TRENDENSER (mentioned above) has left a comment below (in Swedish) and here it is in English:
"If you want my honest opinion-- I think we like black and white because it is so safe -- it's hard to make a mistake. Most products launched on the market these days come in one black and one white version which are considerably more long lasting than the colored ones (which we tire of a lot sooner). This is probably one reason why the Scandinavian style so often is perceived as black and white. Who is bold enough to buy an Egg chair for ten thousand dollars in bright blue? Very few. For this very reason, i think that people who invest in such expensive furniture are afraid choose a white, or a black or possibly one in brown leather -- the investment must stand the test of time and keep its resale value. To sum it up, it is not so much a matter of ones artistic sense (that we tend to choose black and white) but rather more a matter of cowardice."

In August last year, Frida reported on her blog from design fair in Stockholm (Formex) and she noted how many designers had been influenced by African patterns. So finally some color you might think? No, African patterns yes, but mainly in dark colors, black and brown with white.

When Swedish designers get inspired by Australian Aboriginal art, they stay away from the fantastic colors and stick to black and white.

Picture from Rorstrand and trendenser.se

This folk art "Dala horse" is usually painted in bright colors, but here it is in a black and white version. From Vitra.se

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT

Why is Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC news concerned about school desks for children in Malawi, Africa? Please listen to what he has to say. It puts our lives into a much needed perspective. It is a "must watch". Very moving.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sunday, December 2, 2012

A PIECE OF BRITISH INDUSTRIAL HISTORY PRESERVED IN GOTHENBURG

Göteborgs Remfabrik (Gothenburg Belting Works) is a small weaving mill equipped wit specialised looms for the production of heavy woven belting for industrial purposes such as power transmission and conveyance.The mill was established in 1891, but the present three-storey building dates from 1900 The texts come from here,

There are 35 looms, almost all of which were supplied by Robert Hall & Sons, Bury, England.

In 1914 electricity displaced steam power, and since then the whole environment remains largely unchanged. This is what makes the mill so interesting.

Today Göteborgs Remfabrik is a designated national building monument. The preservation order even includes all the machinery. It is owned by the City authorities but the technical operation of the mill and visits are in the hands of a voluntary preservation society (Föreningen Göteborgs Remfabrik).

Saturday, December 1, 2012

CHRISTMAS AT LISEBERG AMUSEMENT PARK; MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

Liseberg amusement park is owned by the city of Gothenburg and all the proftis are put back into the park. This year's medieval village was very nice indeed.

Here you can buy material and patterns for historical costumes

Have a look at this slideshow from a previous Christmas.

NEW BOOK!

Much of human activity is centered around food. We think of food whether we’re hungry or not. We spend a great deal of time buying it. We take hours preparing it (well, some do). We talk about it. We read about it in cook books. We watch television when chefs talk about it (sometimes to excess). When we socialize, it is often centered around the communal intake of it. We give it as gifts. Food, we can’t escape it! Some people become keenly interested in preparing food for themselves and others; many have become what we call “good cooks”. Usually a degree of creativity is involved together with a keen interest to entertain and a need to take care of others, to be a good host. It is such people that one remembers, and that is how I got started on Food & Folk, remembering, for example that excellent couple, Beatrice and Clayburn La Force on their ranch in Alpine California. After that I just kept going.

MY HOMETOWN GOTHENBURG

A series of closeups (224 photos) of Gothenburg, Sweden. Language: English and Swedish.----- This book consists of a series of closeups of Gothenburg. It is no history book but, hopefully, it will generate some curiosity about our city. When you walk in a city like London you are struck by Britain’s colonial past and its enormous wealth which manifests itself in buildings and institutions all over the city. When you walk in “Little London” as Gothenburg is often called, one is keenly aware of its importance as the best fortified city in Northern Europe. Two forts still watch over it. Remnants of the seventeenth century wall, and the meandering moat are a reminder of the city’s military past. Positioned on the West coast of Sweden, Gothenburg was once a world leader in ship building and shipping and evolved naturally into a merchant’s city. The English and Scottish heritage here is very important. There are clues and traces everywhere. One has only to look.

A GARDEN IN MY HOMETOWN

A book in English and Swedish about the Garden Society of Gothenburg--TRÄDGÅRDSFÖRENINGEN -----The Garden Society of Gothenburg is one of the best preserved early 19th century parks in Europe. It is situated directly downtown, offering lovely walks in the park or in the shaded woodland areas along the canal/moat, waterfront. The garden recently went through a major renovation under the auspices of Ulf Nordfjell, the internationally known landscape designer. The aim was to bring the garden back to its old nineteenth century glory. Carpet bedding returned and five new woodland areas were designed by five international garden designers. A superb new rose park was added, a successful blending of historical roses and perennials.

Love letters from my Swedish grandfather Folke to my American grandmother Olga 1909 - 1961

My American grandmother, Olga, met my Swedish grandfather, Folke Jonsson, in Brussels in 1909. Olga was 18 and Folke, 23. They settled in Gothenburg and Särö, Sweden. Olga, being American, had her family in Florida, and Folke soon came to realize that if you marry a woman from another continent, and this woman is charmingly independent, innovative and brave, and has her own means to boot, she is bound to want to visit her native country some time -- or several times -- or more than several times. To Folke, a sensitive soul, the long separations were quite painful and he suffered till his darling Olga returned. He “talked” to her in his frequent letters. Olga saved all his letters, in their original envelopes, in neat little bundles held together with different coloured ribbons. They were a treasured lifelong testament of his love. Olga and Folke corresponded in English as Olga was American and preferred writing in English. Had my grandfather Folke married a Swedish woman who had stayed at home, there would not be this stack of his letters today. He never intended the letters to be shown to others, but more than one hundred years have passed since Folke wrote them to his darling Olga. I have enjoyed getting to know my grandfather in this manner and I think others, not only relatives, should also share that privilege.

A pictorial Companion to the letters in the book above: 150 pictures of Olga & Folke 1909-1978

NEW BOOK BY DONOVAN O'MALLEY

REVIEW: "...O'Malley continues to prove that he is one of the more important writers around, a writer who with every book brings into our lives some very strange, often exceedingly humorous, and now, frequently very lonely people. His ability to create language for each of his characters is sharp, well studied and written, and without belittling anyone he, in language, shows the difference between class, and education, and exposure. Likely that comes from his experience in writing plays where characters are alive and moving, but with his considerable literary skills he makes his written page people morph into real life folks. He is in top form here ... " Grady Harp, June 12 (Hall of Fame reviewer)