Joseph Claude Sinel
New Zealander, 1889-1975
“Model S” scale, c. 1927 (closeup of the base)
International Ticket Scale Company, Manufacturer, New York City
From the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art
photograph by versluis
“You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
Monday, March 31, 2014
art deco typography in the twin cities
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Milton Glaser, Mahalia Jackson, and the round arch by Louis Sullivan
Pilgrim Baptist Church, 2014
3300 South Indiana Ave. Chicago, Illinois
A sad view—rebuilding after the 2006 fire.
photograph by versluis
Above is a current photograph of Pilgrim Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago. The building was initially designed by architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler in the early 1890s as a synagogue; in 1922 the building became home to the Pilgrim Baptist Church. By the 1930s the church became well-known for its gospel music with leading members such as Thomas A. Dorsey and Mahalia Jackson. In 2006 the building tragically burned and was mostly destroyed except for the massive stone walls.
Milton Glaser (American, born 1929).
Mahalia Jackson. 1967.
Offset lithograph, two sheets, each 38 x 24 inches
Apparently Glaser was mindful of the entry door and the very prominent and characteristically Sullivanesque large round arch doorway of the Church when he designed this poster in 1967 to promote the Mahalia Jackson Easter Sunday Concert at Lincoln Center in New York. Pilgrim Baptist Church was home base for Mahalia Jackson.
Source for the poster image:
Schreck, Audrey. “Designer Spotlight: Milton Glaser.” Typophile. N.p., 1 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Three-dimensional design à la Wucius Wong: prisms and cylinders
© Wade Vollink, 2014
Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
Prisms and Cylinder Structures
Wood
15.5" w x 10" h x 3" d
photograph by versluis
Pictured are examples of Dordt College student work from the Three-Dimensional Design course this semester. Artist / designer Wucius Wong writes about prisms and cylinders in his book, Principles of Form and Design: Three-Dimensional Design that: “A prism is a form with ends which are similar, equal, and parallel rectilinear figures, and with sides which are [perpendicular to the ends] rectangles or parallelograms.” In addition Wucius Wong goes on to explain, “From this basic prism many variation can be made.” (1)
© Kit Drennen, 2014
Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
Prisms and Cylinder Structures
Bristol Board
16" w x 12" h x 16" d
photograph by Kit Drennen
- Wong, Wucius. Principles of Form and Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993. 271. Print.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
1958, Skyscraper of the Future: Hans Hollein
Hans Hollein
Skyscraper of the Future
1958
City of Chicago—unspecified location
Photograph by versluis, 2012
Hans Hollein’s Skyscraper of the Future split the conventional tower into segments while integrating public space.
Chicago’s skyscrapers impressed architect Hans Hollein when he visited the city in his twenties [during the 1950s]. But he found their design and function monotonous. Hollein wanted to design a dramatically different skyscraper.
Hollein split the office tower into multiple sections and inserted public buildings and gardens, creating floating villages.
Hollein’s tower, currently under construction in Shenzhen, China, is a testament to Chicago’s role as a catalyst of architectural innovation. (1)
Model courtesy DSM’s Somos® Materials Group.
- Text is taken from a 2012 display at the Chicago Architectural Foundation.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
new work: “Man of La Mancha”
David M. Versluis
Untitled on Four Legs / Feet
Wire and Steel
26"H x 17"W x 9"D
Artist Statement:
This whimsical sculptural piece made of wire and steel uses all metallic materials and basic metal-working skills to suggest the breastplate and shield of the invincible “Man of La Mancha”.
This piece was selected for recognition for the Juried Exhibit—Artists’ Showcase: Orange City Arts Council’s 2014 Regional Exhibition, February 14–22 at the Northwestern College DeWitt Theatre Arts Center in Orange City, Iowa. The show ran concurrently with the Northwestern College musical production of “Man of La Mancha.” Orange City Arts Council promotions stated, “Artworks are related to the themes in de Cervantes’ tale of Don Quixote: from madness and idealism to the fine line between illusion and reality.”
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Jean Miotte: painting the spirit of Liberté
Jean Miotte, (b.1926)
(title is not known)
Wall mural in Paris
© Copyright Jean Miotte. All rights reserved
photographs by versluis, 2010
While in Paris we came upon this mural by the French / New York artist artist Jean Miotte. This large piece offers an element of surprise—the joy of encountering the unexpected in the urban environment.
Miotte mentions this about his work: “My painting is a projection, a succession of acute moments where creation occurs in the midst of spiritual tension as the result of inner conflicts. Painting is not a speculation of the mind or spirit, it’s a gesture from within.” (1)
In addition, a website dedicated to the work of Miotte states:
Coming from traditional painting Jean Miotte’s work is characterized by a constant and important development leading to very individual and personal forms. The works display a strong tension in their aim to discern human existence with its anguish but also with its happy moments, in his quotidian acts, in all its complexity. (2)
- Miotte. Chelsea Art Museum, Home of the Miotte Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. http://jeanmiotte.com/.
- Ibid.
A view of the mural. Read More......
Friday, February 14, 2014
Three-dimensional design à la Wucius Wong: Wall Structures—Cube, Column, and Wall
© Nathan Morehead, 2014
Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
Wall Structures
8" w x 12" h x 2" d
photographs by versluis
Pictured are examples of Dordt College student work from the Three-Dimensional Design course this semester. Artist / designer Wucius Wong writes in his book, Principles of Form and Design: Three-Dimensional Design that: “All formal two-dimensional structures can become wall structures with the addition of some depth, and their structural sub-divisions can be made into spatial cells.” (1)
The design shown above is the systematic arrangement of cubical spatial cells. The unit forms are composed of slightly curled strips with the cut-out square that join the two edges of the spatial cell to construct an alternating angle.
© Kit Drennon, 2014
Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
Wall Structures
12" w x 12" h x 3" d
photographs by versluis
The wall structure in this design relies on the contrasting arrangement and modification of spatial cells. Unit forms are cut-out tear-drop triangular negative shapes, which allows the viewer to see through the spatial cells.
© Kim DeBoer, 2014
Dordt College—Three-Dimensional Design Foundations
Wall Structures
15" w x 15" h x 4" d
photographs by versluis
The projections of spatial cells in this design creates a strong impact as indicated in this vantage point. Unit forms are the open ends of the cells, which are accentuated by the suggestion of a tessellation-like structure. This pattern seems reminiscent of Friedrich Froebel’s “The Twelfth Gift”
- Wong, Wucius. Principles of Form and Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993. 259. Print.
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