FAVOURITES / February '19
A snapshot of things, people, places, art, or whatever it may be, that caught our eye this February. Some fascinating places and architecture with scant colour - but then that seems fitting for the spirit (and cold) of February; a tonal and watery canvas ready for the colourful bursts of spring. There is something beautifully stark, elemental and atmospheric about this time of year and our Favourites this month capture a little of this. Image details and our musings can be found below.
Images (L to R):
The beautiful bathroom in the penthouse suite of the Greenwich Hotel, Manhattan, designed by Axel Vervoordt in the spirit of wabi-sabi, embracing humility, quietude and modesty in a calming, artful and delicate mixture of patina and refinement. Image: François Halard via NY Times Style Magazine, May 7th 2014.
2. Still from the Mood Indigo film - which we have not actually watched but there are several very pleasing visual components in the image: the dome of the parachute mirroring the dome of the building; the contrasts between the traditional architecture and the futuristic steely grey plane, and between the fragile white silk of the parachute and the hard surrounding materials, stone, aluminium; and that burst of illumination through the arched windows.
3. The recently opened Lumen Museum of Mountain Photography atop Mount Kronplatz-Plan de Corones in Italy’s Dolomite Mountains. The views look absolutely startling, what a location for a museum. Image: Manuel Kottersteger
4. Written onto our places-to-sit-and-dream-and-eat-list is Sicily’s nostalgic Me Cumpari Turiddu restaurant in Catania. Image: via thespaces.com
5. Detail from J M W Turner’s Loch Coruisk, Skye (1831), watercolour with scraping on paper, from the National Galleries Scotland. Turner always inspires us in his depiction of elemental power and light. Here, The Cuillin Mountains look like gigantic waves and water, rock and cloud have fused to become almost indistinguishable. Reflecting on our January trip to Edinburgh to see the watercolours from the Vaughan bequest.
6. Stumbled across this beautiful image (amongst many others) from the 2016 NYC Dance Project of American photographers Deborah Ory and Ken Browar. They photographed over 70 dancers to capture the celebration of movement and dance. The idea of frozen movement resonates - in our frescoes we capture a moment in time and the traces of our creative movements are ‘frozen’ as the plaster sets.
7. Land, mountains, mist, icy waves, cliffs, heathland and dwellings that look diminutive against their majestic surroundings - the North Atlantic archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated about halfway between Norway and Iceland would be a breathtaking and inspirational trip. Image: Jóannis Sørensen via onebigphoto.com
8. A collection of carefully constructed models in the light, bright studio of Jamie Fobert Architects. Jamie Fobert are masters at architectural arts projects which include the beautiful extension at Tate St Ives in Cornwall, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge and, up next, the National Portrait Gallery in London. Image: jamiefobertarchitects.com
9. The serene and beautiful studio of artist Claire Basler at Château de Beauvoir, her home, a 13th century chateau in Central France. In many of the buildings she has painted many of the ethereal and dreamy floral and botanical murals she is know for. Basler studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts but spent much time observing the Louvre’s masterpieces, and was especially inspired by the 18th Century French artist Jean-Antoine Watteau. The house is full of trees, branches, flowers and art! Image: @clairebasler IG