Plates as pop songs? + In case you missed it + More
Micro-decorating, big results * Issue 8 of 13, A26 * Subscribe *
This past Saturday, I was eagerly anticipating an exhibition at Aloma with an interesting premise: it would gather twenty-four ceramic plates made over a forty-year period by Angelo di Petta, each sharing a precise form he returned to throughout his career.
As I approached the gallery, I expected to find plates dispersed through the space with lots of room around them to showcase their unique surface treatments. To my surprise, the complete opposite awaited – a tightly formatted grid, the plates so close together that their shadows made them look attached:
I found myself marvelling at the intricate designs, my gaze settling for a while, then jumping to another square. I couldn't believe how such a limited canvas could allow for such expressive variants. When I mentioned this to the artist, who was present at the opening, he told me he thought at the pieces as pop songs, their possibilities set within a three-minute constraint.
That idea has been percolating in my head ever since. I think of how design for limited space is the driving force behind this newsletter. My 400-square-foot apartment is stacked with ten others that share the identical layout, but if we toured all of them, they'd each be memorably distinct. It goes beyond space to encompass time. We're each given the same twenty-four hours, but what we do with it is absolutely our own.
Even though this assemblage feels like a singular work, the plates are available individually. The music that's heard here all at once...
...will eventually be heard in many corners of the city and beyond.
Several days after the show, another analogy came to mind. The rounded squares in a grid formation made me think of icons on a smartphone screen. These days, we're continually fighting with our urge to follow those icons into bottomless digital sinkholes. This grid is soothing by comparison. All we're asked to do is stand before it and appreciate.
"Twenty Four Forty" is on view at Aloma until Sunday, December 6. Plan your visit. Learn more about Aloma in our tour from back in July.
In case you missed it
At issue 8, we're well past the halfway mark of our autumn newsletter season. You may have missed an issue or two, so here's a handy list to help you catch up:
3 reasons why tiny chairs are your friend
Miniature furniture is a game-changer – here's why.
Autumn reading
A roundup of design articles from around the web.
Kitschify: micro-decorating move #28
If your space is a bit too tasteful, this is for you.
Breaking a design rule – joyfully
What happens when you deliberately flout a well-known convention?
Strong colour + bold shape = kapow!
My personal formula for design with high impact.
The Big Change Lookbook is here
Relive the launch of the first Guy with an Eye e-book, available now.
My name is Guy, Also, it isn't.
We kicked off the fall season with a confession.
Elsewhere
It's gift-guide season and if there's one place I trust to put a reliable one together, it's The New Yorker:
Nicholas Blechman
Spoiler alert: the art supplies section includes handmade inks from a company in Toronto. Enjoy!
They can sign up here. It's published on Wednesdays.
Thank you for reading.
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