Inspiring Milan 2 : Knittaplease

The gorilla street artists Knittaplease have arrived in Milan, we spotted this knitted street sign cosy outside the Triennale Design Museum

Inspiring Milan : Galleria Luisa Delle Piane

Over the past few weeks,I have been in and out of Milan working on a project,with my friend Carin, she and her son Milo (who is also my godson) live there, so I get some great addresses that tourists would never find. This wonderful gallery is somewhat over shadowed by the better known Spazio Rosana Orlandi but in my opinion is every bit as good. The currant exhibit has a stitch work theme, and there are some fab pieces like the yarn covered chair and the crochet light bulb covers for the classic Castiglioni Taraxacum 88 Lamp. The choice of pieces and colours is bold and eclectic . The subtle sophistication of the Gallery is accentuated by the strange walk through the streets of Milans' china town to get there .

Next time you're in Milan make sure you pay a visit : Via G Giusti, 24, 20154, Milano,

Spring Cleaning Is Just Around The Corner

 

It's been almost two months since we started this blog,  and I think it's fair to say that our original aim - 'To inspire, amuse, amaze and confuse' - has been largely successful.

But we at The Curious Eye are never happy to rest on our laurels, and it's time to stretch our limits and expand our horizons. From now on we will also strive to inform and aid you in your everyday life. More stylish than Martha Stewart and sexier than Nigella - how can you resist?

We felt that this excellent pamphlet from the thirties offered some essential and useful material that we had to pass on to you.

Isn't it easy when you know how? You need never have dirty egg spoons, beauty-impairing meals or poor taste in clothing again.

We also thought that these might come in handy:

See? It's hard to imagine how you ever survived without us, isn't it?

Stormin' Norman

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the streets of London were filled with strange and marvelous merchants. who, for the price of a few pennies would sell you magical objects from ancient times...

Ok, that might be something of an exaggeration - but it is certainly true that it's harder and harder to find fantastic junk shops and bric-a-brac stalls nowadays. A few years ago, it was perfectly possible to stumble across the odd treasure trove that hadn't been picked dry by antique dealers - but now those traders are few and far between. 

Which is why we love Norman - possibly the last great junk dealer in East London.

It's hardly accurate to call what Norman sells 'junk'' - there's nothing disposable about his wares - but his extremely reasonable prices and his eclectic mix of goods take us right back to happy days. Days when 'vintage' was called 'second-hand' and when Brick Lane Market was full of peculiar looking people selling old biscuit tins, street signs and pornography - instead of hipsters buying plastic jewelry to go with their skinny jeans.

The fascinating and mysterious thing about Norman is that unlike most junk dealers, who sell anything they can get their hands on, his stock is almost always full of the most inspiring ephemera. It feels like he curates his stall the way that a specialist antique dealer might - so there's always interesting decorative objects to grab your attention. Over the years, we've seen modernist furniture, vintage militaria, antique fine china, classic 50's posters...the list is endless. Most often, its his books and prints that pay dividends. We're not sure exactly where he sources his finds  - but he must have a secret list of design companies going out of business, artists with whose houses need clearing and eccentrics who want to offload their book collections.

Here are a few shots from his stall last week.

A suitcase full (!) of decorative wallpaper prototypes

A selection of interesting old books

 Some antique photographic plates

 

An essential guide to public speaking (apparently very helpful if you ever need to speak at a 1950s WI meeting)

The great man himself.

Norman can be found at Dalston Waste Market on Saturdays.

Illustrated Book Of The Week - Bulgarian National Costume

This is one of the jewels in my collection of fashion and costume books, more a folio than a book, it comprises of 60 thick sheets each with a beautiful costume illustration. Published in 1950 my copy is number 552 0f 5000. I discovered the collection some years ago at the Clignancourt flea market in Paris . I have been meaning to get them framed ever since , one day I'll have a whole wall lined with all 60.



Not much more to say really there is a concise text in Russian, French and English, we learn that ' virtually the only outlet for popular creative expression in the past, national dress is indeed one of the most characteristic documents of Bulgarian culture.' and other not so interesting observations, what is truly inspiring is the restrained 50's style of the prints.







Now download the classic "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares vo1" on itunes and you'll be ready for the total experience.

Spring Is Just Around The Corner III - 70's Crochet Afghans

When I was growing up, there were certain things that were restricted to old ladies. Boiled sweets, antimacassars and crochet afghan blankets were high on the list of geriatric must-haves. If you owned any of these things, you might as well put your hair up into a bun and settle down to end your days with a pile of Mills and Boon romances and a tin of Fox's Speciality Assorted Biscuits.

Maybe I'm getting older, or maybe it's the current ascension of the etsy aesthetic, but recently I've come to see that afghans are glorious homemade works of art. I've always loved traditional patchwork - and these are obviously their simpler, hand-crafted siblings. Because they're usually made up out of remnants of wool, some of the random colour combinations that can be found in them can be very inspiring. This particularly nice one is from Jet Rag in Los Angeles - I love the way that it marries the 70's hippie look with a clean modern graphic pattern.

Even if most of the afghans are made out of 'granny squares' - you no longer need to be a granny (or a square) to appreciate them.

Spring Is Just Around The Corner III - Bernard Fleetwood-Walker

I would love to say that my profound knowledge of Twentieth century British art had led me to recall these delightful images by Bernard Fleetwood-Walker, but the truth is that I first saw his work resplendent on the cover of a Vintage paperback this weekend. I'm an instant fan.

His use of colour and the sweet optimism of his pictures key in perfectly with this week's 'Spring' theme. Like a sophisticated take on Enid Blyton's vision, it takes me back to an idyllic era of British life, filled with picnics, bicycle rides and unselfconscious beret wearing. 

Bernard Fleetwood-Walker's work is examined in great detail at www.fleetwood-walker.co.uk