Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Inspiration: Lucienne Day






It's been quite an active week for me. I've been chasing designs in my mind with screenprinting and with silversmithing... I haven't been able to plan them on paper, they seem to just flitter away whenever I try. So I've been working these ideas like a collage, taking parts and playing with them until I see what I want. In this process I realised the strongest design aesthetic that seems to inform my choices is the ever-inspiring Lucienne Day. I've posted before about her appearance in my subconscious ;) Thankfully, this time, the pieces I've been working on don't stray into that questionable grey area of inspiration verses appropriation.... Anyway, an inspirational feast of Day... what I've been working on can wait until tomorrow :)

Click on the above images to see the stunning detail in her designs - they're 'hi res' and enlarge beautifully :) For more information on Lucienne Day, who passed away in January this year, there is an excellent biography on the website of the UK Design Museum. Also worth mentioning that digital reprints of her fabrics can be purchased these days.

10 comments:

inaluxe said...

Hi Kylie, I really love these designs - particularly the last two. Amazing work! Looking forward to seeing what you've been working on, and I'm just about to go and check out the textile link to Lucienne you posted! Thanks for sharing all of this - have a gorgeous week! xo K.

inaluxe said...

PS Totally love your new blog header - it's awesome!

belinda marshall said...

ooh, i know that feeling of chasing! it's kind of scary. especially when it feels like a really great idea.
looking forward to seeing what you've been working on.

belinda marshall said...

kristina's comment just appeared and i realise we've said the exact same thing in there!! jinx :)

ELK said...

active artistic mind...cannot wait to see your finished pieces...blessings elk

Anna Bartlett said...

i love the second one so much! and if it helps, I've started keeping an 'index card box' on my desk to write down ideas and categorise them on the top right corner, so they're still there when I need them, and my notebook 'system' was getting out of control. there'd better be time to do all this stuff later!

nadine paduart said...

my, this is a first acquaintance with the lady's work... it is simply stunning. thank you for the links. i understand your fascination though. :)

Cotton Kiwi said...

Beautiful pieces. Good luck with the design process!

Linda said...

She was so talented. There's a world of inspiration in every design.
Thanks for sharing!

blue sky butterfly studio said...

She was such a style icon, I did not know she passed away. I used to buy for Heal's who she designed these fabrics for, we dug through the archives and produced a range of products covered in these designs. A good trip down memory lane, thanks!