Author Archive

ARTIST WATCH: Art/Elier LTD.

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Untitled (additive painting) / 2011 / Mark Hagen & Hans Coper Stoneware Vase 1966 / 2011 / Kathleen Ryan

Artist watch is a feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston that offers a spotlight of an exciting, engaging artist that’s attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For this installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen highlights the Art/Elier LTD.

Art consultant Nino Mier and creative entrepreneur Peter White are both art enthusiast and collectors. Together they set out to solve one of the most common challenges for collectors – finding a way to both share your discoveries/research with fellow collectors, and to promote the artists you’re personally supporting. The result is ART/ELIER ltd, a place to discover and foster new talent while giving something back to the art community.

ART/ELIER ltd. is an online retail art site that showcases the best in emerging contemporary art. The mission is to promote artists they believe are at the forefront of innovative art, making it accessible for people to collect regardless of means and experience. In addition to nurturing the need of artists today, Art Elier helps the next generation of talent through MFA programs and philanthropic partnerships.

Artists already signed include: Leigh Ledare, Mark Hagen, Lisa Williamson, Jay Stuckey, Juliana Romano, Dashiell Manly and Kathleen Ryan – with an extensive list lined up early 2012.

KEEPING IT AFFORDABLE
The site’s big idea is that each artist will create a limited edition work exclusive for ART/ELIER ltd. that will be sold at a fraction of their usual asking price – making real art affordable for all. Many artists have chosen to finish editions by hand – making each one truly unique – while others have gone as far as creating 50 unique works for sale. Artworks are available unframed or framed to the artist’s specifications and come with a signed and sealed artist card ensuring authenticity. What they’ve succeeded in doing is providing a democratized market for contemporary art that offers work priced between $300 and $500.

BLOG/ELIER, ETC.

Through ‘BLOG/ELIER’, the sites daily blog, the site promotes and provides information on the contemporary art world, including the latest shows and emerging and established talent – regionally, nationally and globally. The company also supports the future of the arts by giving a percentage of it’s profits to PS Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children by bringing arts education to underserved public schools and their communities. They also donate a portion of sales from selected works to partnering institutions.

THE TEAM BEHIND ART ELIER

Pete White/Co-Founder
Pete White has worked as a designer and brand consultant in Australia, London, Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles. After graduating from Melbourne University with a double Major in Criminology and Politics, he realized his real passion was in the creative field, so he went back to school to study painting and graphic design. ART/ELIER ltd. is an opportunity for Pete to immerse himself with the contemporary art and artists that have always inspired him.

NINO MIER / CO-FOUNDER
ART/ELIER ltd. utilizes Nino Mier’s  years of successful collecting and art consulting and Peter’s refined eye for art and design – as well as a community of artists, curators and collectors – to bring it’s members access to a selection of the most exciting established and emerging talent in the contemporary art world today.

After graduating from Cornell University with a major in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a minor in Painting, Nino moved back to Los Angeles to pursue his art. Nino decided to apply his business and arts education to the restaurant business, and focus on collecting, rather than making art. ART/ELIER ltd. is a way to further share his personal research with anyone and everyone interested in collecting art.

Category: Creative, Digital & Interactive

Stylus

Friday, July 29th, 2011

We wanted to point you in the direction of a cool resource the office just got access to. The below post is a rundown of Stylus, and what makes it so valuable. Special thanks to our Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen. For the heads up and contribution.

Ever heard of the third International Kinetica Art Fair? Now, with just a click of your mouse, you’ll be able to hear about it over your morning coffee.

Artists, organizations and thought leaders are on the vanguard of this new event, which brings together and showcases work in the area of kinetics, electronics, robotics, sound, like, time-based and multi-disciplinary new media art, science and technology.  It sounds an awful lot like the mystery, intimacy and sensuality, the stuff that Lovemarks are made of.

I didn’t know about it until last week, when it came on my radar thanks to Stylus,  a global information and inspiration resource for the consumer-facing industries. Why should you be interested? Because we now have global unlimited access to the site, and it is a great way to not just stay on top of ideas in culture, but to get ahead of them.

Here are just a few of the topics that popped up in my inbox today:

A spotlight on artist, designer Max Bill, one of the most noted of the School of Bauhaus artists, whose career spanned five decades and features exuberant use of color and color-blocking

Metabolic Design, including a two year collaboration between five Nobel prize winning scientists and design students from Central Saint Martin’s College in London, unexpected pairing of artists and scientists is leading to some breakthrough thinking and ideas like a textile structure that allows for soil-free farming methods—perfect for future urban food production.

Los Angeles, a city guide to ‘what’s new’, ‘where to eat’ and ‘where to stay’, the ultimate insider’s guide for those of us who have reason to be on the road.

Fashion TV (FTV) to launch the Fashion TV hotel in Dubai 2014, the extraordinary five –star, 60-storey tower and resort will offer guests a chance to live the glamour and excess of the FTV lifestyle.

To set up your login and password contact: melanie.marsh@stylus.com or erin.mavian@stylus.com.

Category: Creative

Artist Watch – G + GULLA JONSDOTTIR

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Gulla Junsdottir

Artist watch is a feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston that offers a spotlight of an exciting, engaging artist that’s attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For this installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen highlights the work of Icelandic architect Gulla Jonsdottir.

ICELAND BY WAY OF LA

The interior of the Roxbury

If you’re not familiar with the work of Gulla Jonsdottir, you’re in for a treat. She’s been making a name for herself in the world of art and architecture since the late eighties. She’s from Iceland originally, but came to LA at 19 to study at SCi-Arc.

Since arriving in the US, she’s created consistently amazing work, earning herself   a number of awards, including a “Best Design of the year” nod from Esquire magazine for her design for the Red O restaurant in Los Angeles.

DODD MITCHELL & G+

Red O

Jonsdottir spent eight years as VP and Principal Designer of the acclaimed Dodd Mitchell Design firm in Hollywood. While she was there, she oversaw designs for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Cabo Azul Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, The Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills, and Double Seven Lounge in New York.

Gulla recently launched her own design firm, G+ Gulla Jonsdottir Design in LA. The firm specializes in lighting, architecture, interior design and furniture design. And after the success of Red O and her work on James Franco’s new bar the Writer’s Room (he held his Oscar after party here), I’m really excited to see what her next big project’s going to be.

AN ICELANDIC AESTHETIC

Kubar

One of the things I like best about Jonsdottir is that her Icelandic heritage is directly responsible for her aesthetic. Her work is heavily influenced by nature, something that creates a real distinction between her and other LA-based designers.

I leave you with this great quote summing it up:

‘The landscape in Iceland is very dramatic- for example, you’ve got a black beach next to a white glacier next to a hot spring. I also think people generally feel better in nature-with real materials instead of plastics.’

Category: Creative, Our People

Artist Watch – Stromme Throndsen Design

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Some fun packaging design from Strømme Throndsen Design

Artist watch is a feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston that, much like some of our Sisomo Roundups offers a spotlight of an exciting, engaging artist that’s attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For this installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen offers her thoughts on Norwegian design house Strømme Throndsen

PACKAGING DESIGN
I’ve always been fascinated with Packaging design, and even more so when I started working at a packaging design agency here in New York 10 years ago. I noticed how different the world of packaging design is in the US compared to my home country, Norway and the other Scandinavian countries. Simplicity is a key ingredient in the Scandinavian packaging design world, and one of the masters of brand development and packaging design back in Norway is Strømme Throndsen Design.

DESIGN EFFEKT
Located in Oslo, Strømme Throndsen Design was founded by creative director Morten Throndsen.  He’s widely considered to be one of Norway’s best designers and he has a great creative reputation around the world. He and his agency have won numerous design awards since their beginning, including the Norwegian Design Council’s prestigious ‘DESIGN EFFEKT’ award for most efficient and valuable design last year. Their team consists of a range of dedicated strategists and designers with a great deal of expertise within the brand development business. They are all really passionate about developing strong brands with fresh and inspiring designs that both engage and intrigue the consumers.

CREATIVE APPROACH
I think their strongest talent is developing brand strategies and design concepts for a really wide variety of clients. From small boutique innovation brands to large mass-market brands, they approach every brief as a unique opportunity for new thinking and innovation. In close collaboration with their clients, their goal is always the same . . . to develop solutions that are unique in the marketplace and result in great success.

Below are some examples of award winning work by Strømme Throndsen Design:

Packaged goods

Snacks

Beer

Category: Creative

Artist Watch – Terry Haggerty

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Haggerty at work

Artist watch is a feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston that, much like some of our Sisomo Roundups offers a spotlight of an exciting, engaging artist that’s attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For this installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen offers her thoughts on minimalist painter Terry Haggerty.

THE ARTIST

Untitled 2009 Acrylic on wall 350 x 1200 cm CCNOA, Brussels

Untitled 2009 Acrylic on wall 350 x 1200 cm CCNOA, Brussels

According to his website’s bio, Terry Haggerty was born in London in 1970, he currently lives and works in Berlin and New York. He studied at the Southend School of Art, Essex, England, and the Cheltenham School of Art, Cheltenham, England. His work has also been featured in solo and group shows around the globe. I’ve been a huge admirer of his art for some time, so I’m happy to share w/ all of you.

He’s always been fascinated by the play between illusion and reality, his minimalist paintings are contemporary and their central theme is all about playing with illusion. His work is graphic and geometric in nature, and his signature work consists of evenly toned structures; subtle, perfect lines that seem to reinterpret the vocabulary of minimal art.

THE WORK

Installation view at Hammer Projects, Los Angeles 2007

Haggerty has a knack for expressing abstraction in a new way: light-colored stripes alternate with darker ones to form regular, often horizontal arrangements with a pattern-like. His work stands out because of the breaks in the formations at the painting’s edge, and shifted symmetrical centers achieved by bending lines in a different direction. The surface seems to continue beyond it’s boundaries; the two-dimensional paintings suddenly resemble painted volumes, rather then 2 dimensional paintings.

His images evoke associations with ventilation grids, blinds and awnings. Haggerty plays with our perception. The viewer standing before his images, the eye involuntarily attempts to put the lines together and to identify a known structure, yet nothing becomes of any attempt to hold on to a shape. The lines are nothing but lines.

It is only recently that Haggerty has had the opportunity to realize his designs in the much larger format of wall-filling paintings. The installation he has developed for the foyer of the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is his most extensive work to date. He also did an installation over thirty meters wide and six meters high in the Dallas Cowboys stadium. The wall-based compositions create an impression of movement upon the wall surface. The viewer is given the impression of being drawn behind the painted surfaces.

THE PROCESS

Installation view at EY5, Dusseldorf 2009

Terry creates his geometric abstractions on computer and transmits his designs on a primed canvas and walls. The retro patterns defy the flat surfaces on which they’re painted, creating an optical illusionary effect, but at the same time there is nothing hypnotic about Haggerty’s designs, they are simple, beautiful works of art. Terry’s work is known for its extraordinary perfection, he builds up surfaces with multiple layers of paint and masking tape. The visual impact of his work is both powerful and stunning.

It’s not the most convenient locale for New Yorkers, but Terry does have an upcoming solo show opening next week in Switzerland titled:

‘In Between Elements’
VON BARTHA CHESA
Chesa Perini, Via Maistra, CH-7525 S-chanf
Terry Haggerty is represented by: Kuttner Siebert, Berlin & Von Bartha, Basel

Category: Creative

Artist Watch – Wim Crouwel

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Wim at an exhibit of his work

Artist watch is a new(ish) feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston.  Much like some of our Sisomo Roundups each of the artist roundups highlight an exciting, engaging artist that are attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For this installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen offers her thoughts on Graphic Design Artist Wim Crouwel and an upcoming exhibition of his career’s work at the Design Museum in London.

THE ARTIST
Wim Crouwel’s work has been influencing designers for more than forty years. He designed his first poster in 1952, founded the design studio Total Design (now Total Identity) in 1962 and has been doing consistently incredible designs for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam since 1963. He’s often said that he’s drive by a fascination with serial and mass production,  but what I feel makes his work stand out is a strong grasp that good design requires “the precision of the human eye and human feeling”.

The majority of his work is in poster, print, typography, and he often likes to works on grids. Crouwel is especially admired for his systematic approach and his creative handling of the shape of letters. His impact on typeface has been particularly influential, and I love this quote from him on the topic – “a face shouldn’t have a meaning in itself, the meaning should be in the content of the text.”

THE EXHIBIT
This March, the Design Museum in London will host a massive showcase of Wim’s work. Spanning over 60 years, this exhibition will cover his rigorous design approach and key moments in his career. Original sketches, posters, catalogues and archive photography will be on display alongside films and audio commentary. In addition to celebrating Crouwel’s career this exhibition will also explore his legacy and influence on contemporary graphic design with commentary from leading industry figures including Peter Saville and Stefan Sagmeister. If anyone is in London during this time, don’t miss it!

Also, according to the Design Museum’s website, six modern designers will take inspiration from Crouwel’s career to produce a series of limited edition prints.

Category: Creative, Print & Direct

Fashion & Film

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

A Still from Anita Killi's Film, "Angry Man"

SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen recently had the chance to attend the SubZero Film Festival at Hyper Island. The festival, subtitled: Scandinavian Female Directors Break the Ice in New York, was a combination of film & fashion from a region close to Camilla’s heart. Below are some of her thoughts on the events.


Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending The SubZero Film Fest, a Short Film Festival here in NYC. The night I attended was filled with great films, and was made further unique by the joint focus on Scandinavian fashion and film. The Norwegian designers behind the eco-clothing line: Blondes Make Better T-Shirts hosted the event (Scandinavian Female Directors Break the Ice in New York) at Hyper Island.

THE FILMS
SubZero featured screenings of award-winning short films like Flashback, Angry Man and Nudist. I took something away from all the work that I saw, and it was amazing to see work from a dynamic group of women picking up clout in the Scandinavian film industry. As a whole, they’re doing their part to use the medium to highlight important social issues, raise awareness and encourage debate.

And for a tie-in to our work here at SaatchiNY, there was also a showcase of funny vintage Norwegian commercials that went over extremely well.

THE FASHION
The hosts of the event, Blondes Make Better T-Shirts are pushing the same message as the female directors. They’re another group of creative Norwegian women who in a clever and beautiful fashion are using t-shirts to raise awareness about their cause – the environment.  The result is a collection of cool tees and tanks sold to stores like Isetan and Saks Fifth Avenue.

THE EVENT
The event opened with a female choir singing Scandinavian Christmas carols and the smell of mulled wine (gløgg, as we call it in Scandinavia), which made me feel right at home. It was an intimate gathering with an international crowd, and for me, the highlight of the evening was the short film: Angry Man, created by Anita Killi of Norway.

It’s an animated film about domestic abuse, but shouldn’t be misinterpreted as just that. This is an incredible and moving work of art & the animation and style is breathtaking. It’s only 20 minutes long, but really manages to pull you in move you in a very special way. If you see it playing somewhere in NYC, it’s a must see!

Editors Note: For more info on Angry Man & Anita Killi, there’s a great review available here.

Category: Creative, Film & Television, New York, Our People

Artist Watch – James Victore

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

James Victore

Artist watch is a new(ish) feature we’ve put together for Hudson/Houston.  Much like some of our Sisomo Roundups each of the artist roundup posts will highlight exciting, engaging artists that are attracting attention from the SaatchiNY team.  For our second installment, SaatchiNY Head of Design Camilla Flesche Kristiansen offers her thoughts on Graphic Design Artist James Victore’s book “Victore or, Who Died & Made You Boss?”


THE ARTIST
James Victore is an artist and graphic designer whose work is instantly familiar, but completely its own thing. His designs are vivid, memorable and (often) controversial.

His work is often built on found or existing materials, posters, plates, books, etc., but he has an amazing ability to force the viewer to look at that material in a completely new way.  His organizing goal in everything he does is to “make it personal.”

One of the most admirable aspects of his work is that he is only interested in “comrades, not clients.”  By that, I mean that he’s only interested in working with organizations that will be brave in their approval process, which gives him the ground to push boundaries and incite conversation.  He’s worked with Moët & Chandon, Target, Amnesty International, the Shakespeare Project, The New York Times, & MTV, to name a few.

THE BOOK

In his first book, Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss, we get the chance to look at the stories behind his inspirations, his process, and the lessons learned from each of his favorite projects.  It’s an insightful look at work being done by one of the most exciting graphic designers working today, and it’s well worth checking out.

If you’re interested, you can purchase his book here.

Category: Creative, Print & Direct