A Pen That Inspires More Than Words: Montblanc Art

Montblanc Young Artists World Patronage
This unique project gave young and upcoming artists the platform to present their name and talent to a broader public and the international art scene in particular.

The concept was to have more than 300 Montblanc boutiques worldwide act as a gallery and exhibit simultaneously for a single artist with one particular artwork for a period of almost 6 weeks. The common theme for the artworks is the creative interpretation of the world famous Montblanc star (see image below).



The individual "star"-works were reproduced and exhibited in the Montblanc boutique windows.The original artwork became part of the Montblanc "Cutting Edge Art Collection" - one of the various Montblanc initiatives to support contemporary art and demonstrate the brand's commitment and contribution to art and culture.

Montblanc presented 5 young artists from all over the world in 2005. The selection of the artists and artworks took place together with reputed experts from the international art and culture scene.

1. Nicole Wermers
Hintergrund Schneegestöber 2003

Born in 1971 in Emsdetten, Germany, Nicole Wermers studied art at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg and in 1999, she received her Masters of Arts in Fine Art at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London. From 2003-2004 she had an artist residency at the Delfina Studio Trust, London. Nicole Wermers lives and works in Hamburg and London.



In her collages and installations, Nicole Wermers explores the temptations of beauty and artificiality. She frequently assembles cut-outs from car, luxury goods and perfume and wine advertisements and creates three-dimensional works that combine elegant forms from the collected experiences of modern life. Her works are both aesthetic and useful and evoke contemporary reality.
Produzenten Galerie

2. Sophy Rickett
Bodensee 2003

Sophy Rickett was born in 1970. She studied at the London College of Printing from 1990-1993 and at the Royal College of Art from 1997-1999. She has had recent solo exhibitions at the Centre pour l´image contemporain Saint-Gervais, Switzerland, the Emily Tsingou Gallery, London and The British Council in Rome. She is currently based in London.



Sophy Rickett’s large-scale photographs are best known for their precise abstraction and purity of form. Her work is primarily non-narrative, and she photographs locations on the edge of mainstream society – peripheries of cities, road edges and parks. Her photographs are frequently taken at night and capture a tension between reality and fantasy.
Emily Tsingou Gallery

3. Harrie Gerritz
Composition (in the beginning of the night) 2003

Born in 1940 in Wychen, The Netherlands, Harrie Gerritz studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunst in Arnhem, The Netherlands. He spent several years working in New Guinea before returning to Europe to continue his studies at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunst in Arnhem. In 1996, 1999 and 2004, he was a Visiting Professor at the Fachhochschule in Hamburg. He has had recent solo exhibitions at the Galerie Clement in Amsterdam, Seasons Galleries in The Hague and A&A Galerie in Hasselt, Belgium. Harrie Gerritz lives and works in The Netherlands.



Harrie Gerritz regards himself as a landscape painter though his paintings explore more the essence of the landscape. His “imaginary” landscapes straddle the balance between figurative and abstract art, and focus on the emotional power of colors and the graphic rhythm of lines.
Harrie Gerritz website

4. Deborah Ligorio
Math_0032 2003

Born in 1972 in Brindisi, Italy, Deborah Ligorio studied art in Bologna, Milan and Paris, and participated in several study programs in Italy and the US. In 2003, she received a video and film fellowship in Berlin and a residency at the MAK Schindler Artists and Architects in Residence Program in Los Angeles. Deborah Ligorio lives and works in Milan and Berlin.



Deborah Ligorio investigates themes and issues related to physical, virtual and emotional space in her video, photography, and internet projects. In addition, through the realization of custom living units, she explores the relationship between living space and individual peculiarities, mood and character.
Deborah Ligorio's website

5. Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen
Untitled 2002

Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen was born in 1963 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1986-1992. He had a recent solo exhibition at the Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen and his work was featured in the 2002 exhibition, Private/Corporate, at the Daimler Chrysler Contemporary art gallery in Berlin. Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen lives and works in Copenhagen.



Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen's new paintings are inspired by signs and advertisements from popular culture. Their vivid colour surfaces have a brash directness that stems from his unique and expressive arrangement of colour and form.
Galerie Nicolai Wallner


Official Montblanc site

Art that will Floor You: Imaginative Rug Designs from Amazed Ltd.

Looking at a rug or carpet as a valuable and pretty piece of art is nothing new. From Navajo Indian rugs to Persian rugs to 18th century french rugs, the value as well as the craftsmanship has long been heralded. But Madeleine and Dudley Edwards of the UK have taken the art of the rug one step further. It's now 'conceptual'.

In addition to their talent for combining shapes and color, they have created carpets that conjure up nature, technology, spirituality and even trompe de'leoil. By carving textures such as tire tracks, garden mazes, footprints of humans and animals, the raked sand of a zen garden, crop circles and even the illusion of a broken window, their products become more than functional and beautiful, they become conceptual art.

Just take a look at a few of their creations below.






As applied artists Madeleine & Dudley Edwards of Amazed LTD. enjoy the opportunity of working with Architects and Interior Designers. The following quote is taken directly from their website:

“Bouncing ideas back and forth can be fertile ground bearing rich fruit. We often feel like session musicians being invited to jam. And like any good session musicians the first attribute is a willingness to ‘listen’ to what others are trying to achieve and to respond accordingly, whilst bringing something ‘uniquely ours’ to the mix. Reacting positively to other peoples creations can serve as a metaphorical springboard helping us to achieve greater heights. This symbiosis can bring about something entirely new that wouldn’t have been possible from working in isolation. For our modus operandi – we always aim to harmonize or contrast with the surrounding architecture thereby ensuring that our artwork would be an integral/indivisible part of the whole”. In turn, Interior Designers and Architects view their rugs and wall hangings (with the tactile soft warmth and sound insulating properties) as ideal compliments to today’s hard cold surfaces like laminates, glass, steel, marble and stone.



Together or independently Madeleine & Dudley have exhibited at the following gallery/venues:
Robert Frazer Gallery, London; Arts Council Touring Exhibition to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff; Madam Tussauds, London; The British Gallery, Atlanta, USA; Galerie 5, Geneva, Switzerland; The Association of Illustrators Gallery, London; Allgood Plc, London; The British Interior Design Association, London; Sothebys, London; Bonhams, London; The Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax; The Musee d’ Histoire Contemporaine, Paris; The V&A, London; The Tate Gallery, Liverpool; The Schirne Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; and The Kunsthalle Vienna.



Forthcoming shows:
Dudley’s work will be exhibited at The Whitney Museum of Art in New York May 07.
Their rugs don't just adorn the walls and floors of just anyone's home or office. Take a look at a few of their clients:

CORPORATE CLIENTS:
The British Pavilion, Montreal; Admiralty House, London; The Central Office of Information, London; Wolf Olins & Partners, London; The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence, Riyadh; Jones Lang La Salle, London; Eversheds, Manchester; Qatar Bank, London; HQ Global, London; St James Homes, London; ISIS Asset Management Group, London; Urban Splash Properties, Liverpool & Manchester; Hirsch Bedner, Hong Kong & USA; the Sheraton Ocean Grande Resort, Japan and Laing O’Rourke, London.

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
Lord Snowdon, Sir Paul McCartney, Lord David Queensbury, Ringo Starr, David Bailey, Mary Quant, Lord Lew Grade, Tori Amos, Prince Abdul Aziz-Zaidan, Hugh Grant, Jonathan Cainer, Andrew Rosenfeld, Christen Ager Hanssen and Daniel Bedingfield. The late - Henry Moore, Sir Hugh Casson, Reynor Banham, Lord Paul Reilly and Dudley Moore.

Bracelets That Blab. Words Worn On Your Wrist.

Bangle Bracelets that have something to say, literally and figuratively - seem to be all the rage this spring.

Selling out at lightning speed ever since a mention in the New York Times, are Jessica Kagan Cushman's carved resin bracelets, a more affordable (and more politically correct) version of her Ice Age Mammoth Ivory Tusk Carved Bracelets. See below:


Above: Jessica Kagan Cushman's Bangles for $125 each. Available from Ravinstyle




Above: Not to be outdone, is designer powerhouse Chanel with their resin carved bangles spouting phrases and words about design, style and luxury.




Another, less pricey option at 39$ are Janna Conner's decoupage bangles, also available at Ravinstyle

Always witty and graphic, is the fabulousSonia Rykiel and her ivory and black resin bangels. $150.00 a piece. Available at Sonia Rykiel, NYC and Boston.



So, arm yourself this spring with the fashion accessory that does the talking for you.

Kiss Me, I'm Wearing Nike'sOR Happy St. Paddy's Day

Nike has created a limited edition shoe for St. Patrick's Day.

I thought you might like to see what the Athletic Leprechauns are wearing these days:




Nike Air Max 90 QK
Special Edition for St. Patrick's Day!
One day a year, everyone wants to be Irish. Get into to the spirit of St. Patrick's Day with this quickstrike release of the Nike Air Max 90!

The Nike Air Max 90 was first released in 1990 and was known as the Air Max or the Air Max III until 2000 when Nike reissued these classic Nike running shoes. The Air Max 90 was originally produced with a Duromesh upper, synthetic suede, and synthetic leather. The striking color combinations, clean lines made the Air Max 90 highly sought after in its original release and still extremely popular today. The all black and all white leather models are the most sought after and also extremely difficult to find.

Interested in purchasing? You can buy it here.