Design Crisis Recommends

Now that you've undoubtedly wrapped up all your holiday shopping thanks to the gift guide Erin and I lovingly crafted last week, I think you've earned a little you time.  Forget the malls, holiday cookies and oh my god please don't think about swapping another white elephant.  You need to decompress!  We here at design crisis have pulled together a couple non-holiday adventures that are sure to give you the mental make over you need. First up:

Bauhaus 1919 - 1933: Workshops for Modernity at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.  Admittedly, I've been a little obsessed with the Bauhaus lately, I'm not sure if I've been dialing into a social subconscious that's already decided this for me or if my interest is a strange coincidence but either way, I'd gladly consider donating my right left arm to go check out this show.

Already receiving rave reviews for the breath of work included, the MoMa, which itself is a nod to the Bauhaus movement, is exhibiting works that came out of the Bauhaus before it's fall to Nazi Germany.  The works are carefully arranged alongside historical documentation via photos, letters and films from the school, leading the viewer through an all encompassing journey of, what would become, the most powerful influence on modern design.  If you're within a 100 mile radius of Manhattan go to it and come back to me with a full play-by-play report.

If you're not in the New York area and don't have 24-hour access to a charter jet (great holiday gift idea, btw!) might I suggest the documentary Beautiful Losers.  Featuring such art and design heavy weights as Geoff McFetridge, Barry McGee, Harmony Korine, Shepard Fairey and the adorably crush-worthy Mike Mills, Beautiful Losers traces the lives of 14 artists as they collectively, and almost accidentally, re-defined the New York art scene (and modern art as we know it) in the early 90's.  Completely unpretentious and accessible, the documentary humanizes each artist while totally and completely inspiring it's viewers.

Here's the trailer if you don't believe me:

Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.

I caught this on Netflix on demand this weekend whilst nursing a hangover with my sure-fire hangover cure trifecta:  scrambled eggs, V8 and marathon documentaries.  I give the combo 5 stars.

Some other random recommendations for your enjoyment, in no particular order:

Book: Creative Space: Urban Homes of ARtisits and Innovators.  I received this as a gift from a most lovely house guest recently.  It is now completely defiled and covered in my drool.

TV: Ninja Warrior.  Everything you could ever want in a television show and more.  The new season is starting soon and I can barely contain myself

Music:  The new phoenix album is fantastic.  So what if one of the songs is on a car commercial?  As the lovely Geoff McFetridge points out in Beautiful Losers, the only difference between fine art and commercial art is intent.

movie posters as awt

Let me just say that I could not be happier for Mama Erin and Papa Erin (sorry, don't remember your husband's name right now) and their new babe-to-be. He is sure to be adorable, full of style, spunk and have a fantastic sense of humor from the get-go, and that is just from his Mom, I'm sure his dad is pretty rockin' too. As the mama of two young boys I can tell you firsthand, having a son is awesome, and you will know this very soon - congratulations! A call was put out by Karly and Erin for guest bloggers to help out while Erin is busy oohing and ahhing over the new tiny man in her life and I, The Claw, answered that call without reservation. Let me first say, I am endlessly entertained by Design Crisis and by Erin and Karly's abilities to post quality and quantity. Please, Erin, once you have your son, post shorter, less awesome posts, or I will feel even more inadequate as a parent and blogger.

So I don't know what my blog is about, and I know very little about interior design except for what I like. But, I know a lot about rock and roll and movies. Erin and I discussed that I might do set design for a topic for my guest post, but I think I would be too overwhelmed. I immediately thought of her awesome space capsule/Kubrick post and how I could bookend that with a Clockwork Orange set design post, but alas, not enough of the images I wanted easy to find on the web and I'm sort of lazy (read: just thinking of all that scanning of my Kubrick book made me yawn). Check out that book though, if you are a Kubrick fan, it's pretty fantastic.

Soooo...hey - Movie posters as art is a good idea! Provided you pick the right poster. One that no one has heard of is great, or better yet, one that people had heard of, but choose the foreign version of the poster and it is sure to be way cooler.

We've done just that in our home with a few Cuban movie posters. We have these two and a few others and I dig 'em. I don't know what the movies are, but I like these guys. Don't think we are too arty, we also have this movie poster in our house. It is, in fact, the first thing you see if you enter our house from the side door. Welcome, and pay no attention to the exploding Winnebago.  

I found this Spanish Truffaut poster for his film, Stolen Kisses and I may have to buy it, I love it so. Here are just a few more foreign film movie posters I found and loved...

 Once Upon A Time In The West- in Italian, I beleive - great movie, soundtrack and great poster.

A movie you love doesn't necessarily have the poster you love, here is one of my favorite (among many) films, An Angel at My Table, directed by Jane Campion. Wonderful film, okay poster, Even in French it isn't making me want to hang this on up.

 

 

 Do you have a favorite movie poster?

 *thanks so much to Erin and Karly for letting me guest blog and scoot on by The Claw sometime, if you are so inclined.