Getting to know you: Geoff McFetridge

As a graphic designer by day and home obsessed fantasy decorator by night I can't help but have a big giant soft spot in my heart for Geoff McFetridge.  While I was mildly impressed by such yawn-inducing accomplishments as directing the Beastie Boy's magazine, Grand Royal, founding the Director's Guild with Sophia Coppola, and scribbling a bunch of silly doodles for some of the greatest movie opening credits ever; Geoff really stole my heart when he designed this wallpaper:

interior shots

(way to take the roll of the toilet before getting the shot, homeowner) 

Left: little whales in gray Right: shadows of the paranormal in red

I love how everything just looks like crazy insane shapes, but then you look closer and see this:

close up

Left: Shadows of the Paranormal in Gray

Right: All of Us in Black

Hello! Do you see how sasquatch's legs are actually a hunter shooting him?  Genius I say, mad genius.   With everyone and their kitten getting into wallpaper design these days, papers start to blur together and there's really only so many flowers and birds one girl can look at.  Geoff's designs quietly make their way through the crowd, not really asking to stand out, but really really standing out.  

According to an interview done with Geoff by Loftlife, most of his paper designs originate as art installations, others are cast off projects for various clients reincarnated through his own design company, Pottok.  Who would cast these off?  Probably the same people who would leave a roll of TP in a DAMN HOME DECOR SHOT. Let's get past the anger and see some more pics, shall we:

green paper

Dead Trees in Green

I love how each panel tells a story.  One day, when my entire house is covered floor to ceiling in his (ahem) $150 / roll paper I will spend hours and hours finding new secrets in each picture, my cat will be there, she will like it too, Matt will be somewhere else.  In addition to providing countless days of looking at walls in a dream-like state, my hard earned duckets will have also helped save my dear, precious life:  each of the papers is hand silks-creened on recycled paper with water based inks.  good for me, good for you.

When McFetridge isn't scheming to cause my soul and bank account heart break, he works on these amazing installations:

installation shot

the (in) Mind (or in the Mind), installation at the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park

hooray!  it's like his wallpaper in 3-D!  Or his wallpaper is the installation in 2-D?  Oh, deep thoughts, very chicken or the golden egg.

When looking at Geoff's work, I couldn't help but be reminded of uber-pattern designer, Alexander Girard, take a look at Girard's disigns:

Girard

Turns out, McFetridge is a big fan too.  There's the same stark contrast, pattern within pattern, and a sense of a story with Girard's work.  McFetridge's art really takes it one step further, sort of like a grande Girard acid trip.  I would love to tell you more but I am dead tired, mostly from all the wallpaper fantisizing, it tires a gal out.  So, why don't you go check out this great video on Geoff over at Western State and I'll get some dreamy sleep time.