from my journal II

Freezing cold today!

Reading the journal now . . . thankfully, much of it appear as ‘fragments’ or very slight remnants of challenges that kept me up for many a night.

October 2009

Stephen Falcke asks us to submit a design for a wall at the entrance to the gymnasium at the new Da Vinci hotel in Sandton. We have ‘artistic license’ to design within the theme “black and white, 1960’s, retro”.
Here a brief rundown of the Research, Design and Planning:

• Pop art in the late 50’s and 60’s. The repetition of everyday images – Campbell's Soup Can labels - Andy   Warhol.

• Stark Contrast in Fashion design - Mary Quant, Yves Saint Laurent

• Paco Rabanne - aluminum plate studded chest dress.

• Graphic Hairstyles – Vidal Sassoon.

• Gloss Patent leather.

• “Make love not war” theme – Peace, Hearts,
• The Psychedelic fundamentals and
• Optical illusions, from 60s’
• Contrast and pattern.

The wall, already wallpapered in a black and grey patterned paper had to convey the black and white themes of the 60’s, yet contribute to the contemporary, sensual luxury of the 5 star hotel. We had to consider the architecture, color (or lack of), wallpaper and carpet patterns.

Early November. Our proposed design emphasis is on form - in gloss white and gloss black glaze.

The pitch included several design options, resulting in us being commissioned to do two walls and two very large chandeliers;  over the next few months the work will become much more: 

1. The wall outside the gymnasium - Gloss White Ceramic Hearts repeated on the dark wallpaper background. ±7 X 3,2 meters

2. Entrance lobby wall with Gloss White Ceramic Half Ball shapes, on a lighter wallpaper - typical 60’s Psychedelic Optical Illusion translated into a 3d wall installation. ± 4,5 m Diameter

3. A Chandelier – Three tiers made of thousands of round ceramic disks in clay and bone china, linked with silver rings. Large ring ± 2.5 m diameter X ±4 m total lenght

4. Large “crystal” chandelier – Ceramic Crystals . . . the irony in the use of clay to reproduce the shape of a perceived precious object / crystal. Installed in the center of a spiral staircase with the length of the "strands" following the slope of the stairs - from ± 2.5 m to ± 7.5 m long

5. A wall with 16 engraved Black & White Masks

6. Objet for the public areas

7. Vases for the rooms and dining areas

8. Standing Lamps

9. Lamp bases and shades
10. Large circular Mirror frames in Reception and Lobby.

". . . Pop art, aimed to employ images of popular as opposed to elitist culture in art, emphasizing the banal or kitschy elements of any given culture, most often through the use of satire is also associated with the artists' use of mechanical means of reproduction or rendering techniques . . ."

"Tree" Wallpaper and Carpet designs. Copies from Bela at Stephen Falcke office.

THANK YOU BELA FOR YOUR HELP.