14.7.10

the ghost artists...

I was browsing through one of the design books on my shelf called Textile Designs by Susan Meller and Joost Elffers.  Do you have it?  For some reason I landed on the introduction.  A portion of it is titled The Ghost Artist.  I'm certain you can infer the subject by the title.  This line really struck a cord with me, "The countless images that wrap our bodies and decorate our homes are in fact seen so often that they take special attention to be seen at all."  I am always fascinated by this idea.  Pattern plays such a large role in all of our lives, but few really think about how the patterns were born. When I explain to people what I do, one reaction is sure to be, 'wow I never thought about that'.  Isn't it so interesting all the things in our lives that we think "just are".  Do you/have you ever felt like a ghost artist?  This is why I love licensing because the value of what we all do is not taken for granted.  I do feel there is more attention on the field right now which is awesome.  The work of Bowie Style, Tricia Guild, and even Ikea have really helped to cast some light on our wonderful world of pattern.  Happy designing this wednesday friends!

2 comments:

deanna said...

I was explaining what I want to do (surface design) to a friend ... a graphic designer no less ... and she was flabbergasted. She'd never thought about it before. I was really surprised by her response.

Libby Unwin said...

Ha -- I've had that same reaction when describing what I do. Usually it's in a public place, so I point out something, like the upholstery on a restaurant chair or the flecks in someone's shirt design. Had to come from somewhere.... :)