Design Debate

As I gaze out my window today it is very grey, cold and soggy. So instead I will gaze into my computer window and dream of long-gone summers. Danish ones to be exact, captured by photographer Sven Türck in the 1930s. It's the fashion that catches my eye, and that carefree feeling that summer holidays can bring. Plenty of fun, be that at the beach, on a bike or giggling amongst flowers. What power a photographer has when preserving history. The 1930s were overshadowed by economic hardship and an approaching war, yet here, in Türck's world, we are whisked off to a Danish idyll that I, for one, am quite happy to lose myself in today. Perhaps that sense of idyll isn't entirely accidental. Türck was an illustration photographer with a studio in Copenhagen, and his agency sold what were described as 'situation pictures' for advertising and othe...

It seems to be a bit of a thing in Hong Kong, traditional shopkeepers like to own a cat to keep mice at bay. Dutch photographer Marcel Heijen noticed this mutually beneficial relationship and sort to capture it on camera, believing these little stalls and their keepers might be dying out. He has now produced a book of his findings and it makes a happy read. It's been said owners and pets look alike, and there is definitely something of a commonality between these pairings.  The jammy felines tend to look like the cat that got the cream, or some are trying their best guard dog impression. Here are a few of my favourites. Originally found at Creative Boom . 

Aren't these just wonderful? I have always loved the intricate and shimmering paintings of Gustav Klimt and it's lovely seeing his influence in these portraits by photographer Tawny Chatmon. She sees photography as her primary medium, then from there she adorns and embellishes her artworks to celebrate an often over looked subject, black childhood. She takes inspiration from various periods of Western Art using multiple media, even luxurious gold leaf.  These beautiful artworks are captivating, filled with celebration and poinience. A lovely find to brighten a Wednesday morning.   Originally found at the Jealous Creator  

    We are well in the flow of winter now and in Cornwall the weather is completely changeable. From the piecing cold wind to mild 'mizzle' (a Cornish term for mist and drizzle). Right now blue sky is winning through but I can see the rain on the horizon, ready to sweep in.   To really understand the depths of winter, Sweden is the place to go. German photographer Robert Rieger  spent many a happy summer in Sweden as a child but wanted to return in its most antisocial of seasons, to immerse himself in another side.  Rieger's photo essay is one of stillness, beauty and isolation. The eerie light and dense forests convey this season in a way no words could. The occasional joyous red house brings a reminder of people, community, life. Apart from that this is a landscape that allows you uninterrupted time and space to think. 

    London photographer Tim Flach captures the world's animals with such skill, their personalities are evident. He does a few series but his Endangered Animals pictures really highlights these majestic creatures and how fragile their existence is.  From Lemar Leaf Frogs to Egyptian Vultures, Monarch Butterflies and Hammerhead Sharks. The  detail   of the individual portraits is remarkable, and seeing the creatures on mass is really quite special.