In the Stacks

Before swimming on Monday night, 

I stopped in to visit the Herron School of Art library.

Would you be surprised to know that I was looking at books 

on the use of patterns as design elements?

Affordable Delicacy

I love this stuff.

The interplay of delicate light and 

shadowy forms holds my attention. 

Whenever I see one of industrial designer 

Tord Boontje's creations, I want to look 

at it forever. I don't know whether 

I first saw a big book devoted to his work, or

a large, lacy curtain made out of Tyvek, 

but his stuff ranges from vases, to textiles, 

to lighting and furniture. I wanted one of the curtains

to hang in a window of my boat, so I could

watch how the reflections off the river interacted

with the tracery of the curtain.

And it's affordable!

Heck, he's even created a line

for Target!

Into Antiquity ...

This past weekend I explored a new gallery at the 

Indianapolis Museum of Art, 

one showing a large part of the museum's 

growing collection of decorative and industrial design. 

A lot of the items I've been familiar with since college, 

such as the work of Charles and Ray Eames; 

their work transformed our lives in ways we cannot 

imagine until we have it pointed out to us.

There are examples of beautifully made silverware,

twinkling chandeliers, clever lighting,

wonderful furniture, and a Dyson vacuum cleaner

to keep it all tidy. 

And then there was this, 

the 1985 Macintosh Plus computer.

Using elements from Pagemaker -- bullets, borders, 

Dingbats, lines and textures, I used the computer 

to design display ads for a local agency.

The bosses I had at that agency were evil cusses,

but I loved their Macs. Still do.

It was the first computer I'd ever used. Period.

The user-friendly Mac was a revelation to me. 

It felt odd to see my old friend on show 

in a Plexiglas case like some 

archaeological curiosity, but I guess it is.