Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Gravitas* + Whimsy
= Maira Kalman = chicness. I just discovered her 'And the Pursuit of Happiness' blog** on the NYTimes website (begun after a trip to the inauguration) and it's like tonic for my snark-addled, New York over The New Yorker soul. But then I remembered I don't subscribe to the latter because it requires reading more than fifty words at a time and, you know, NYMag has all those approval matrices and photos of Eve Harrington's dorm room (haha, pt). But back to Maira. For the unfamilar she's an illustrator, author, artist and designer whose work ranges from children's books to magazine covers to wristwatches, and every single one of her collaborators is so uimpeachably cool: The New Yorker, MoMA, Mark Morris, Isaac Mizrahi ... even my old stylish friends from the ninth grade, Strunk and White!
Her interiors combine the fantasy of Jean Cocteau with the looseness of Albert Hadley with maybe the opening credits of Juno. Who would want to leave that room? Brava, Maira.
*I don't use the word "gravitas" in conversation.
**Pigtown's on it too!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
lock the door!I love her work and the room, gravitas try it in conversation, I'm going too-though it will feel a little weird. G
ReplyDeleteAlso she's collaborated with Kate Spade. I thought two of my favorite pple would make something spectacular together but I was somewhat disappointed.
ReplyDeleteAre you continuing this blog as well as your new blog I found via Decorno? Which should we check up on?
Thanks for the shout!
ReplyDeleteI love her illustrated version of Strunk & White, which is destined to become a new classic.
Any time and ditto on the Elements of Style, P-D!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Shoshana apparently you and my old friend Decs have beaten me to announcing my new gig over at DoubleX, Slate's spinoff blog for smart ladies and (and enquiring-minded mens): http://www.doublex.com/blog/nicksdreamhouse
I'll post about it soon but FYI I'm doing double duty, so keep checking back here. For more of the personal stuff/whiny design tangents/Belinda Carlisle videos. More *GRAVITAS* at DoubleX.
Thanks folks!!
LOVE Maira, especially her Pete the Dog series of children's books.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI remember you, Paul. We called you the Margo Channing of the Upper East Side.
ReplyDeleteI read that article about the dorm room last week and the best part was undoubtedly that he's paying to put the 'standard issue' dorm furniture in storage so he can take his creative license. Wouldn't we all love a few Celerie Kemble donated accessories?!!
ReplyDeleteAlthough now I have a complete design crush on that wall color.
Congrats on the new gig! Can't wait to read more.
Ummm....each post gets better and better. Approval matrices? Isaac? Strunk and White with a twist?! Yes, please! I also got notice of the DoubleX, and you best believe I'm about to hit that up. Delicious post.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI needed a laugh-out-loud read right now.
ReplyDeleteYou delivered.
Great blog!
Love Maira. Her children's books are great, but so is her book The Principles of Uncertainty. So yummy!
ReplyDeleteI always have loved Maira ever since the Max books came out (disguised as children's books- but incredibly sophisticated). She's also made a book/s based on Talking Heads songs. And she makes stuff for the MOMA gift shop. She's so cool. She's by far my favorite artist. And her painting about Thomas Jefferson's library is my desktop background. She's amazing!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, and to my surprise, the Manhattan Children's Museum has a little Maira Kalman section upstairs, practically hidden away! It's a city scene, with movable poetry words! So fantastic!
Carissa's Aunt got me this book for christmas. It's wonderful. -Ariel
ReplyDeleteher illustrations in 'the elements of style' made that book so much more exciting.
ReplyDelete