meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

On my first Independence Day outside of the United States (and East Coast, for that matter), I am surprised to feel not a twinge of regret for the festivities I may or may not be missing back stateside. Reason? I spent the day poolside at Cirolo Antico Tiro a Volo, a private hilltop tennis club in Parioli, (Roma) where my in-laws have been members since it first opened 15 years ago.

Is there anything less American on the 4th of July than swimming laps in a tranquil, uncrowded pool, to the sweet strains of Vivaldi's Quattro Stagioni? I should mention that the members here are universally fit and tan. The sun is so strong here at this time of year that one can even become bronze in the shade. Never being one to fit in, I was affectionately called a mozzerellina on my first visit, on account of my natural New England pallor.

After a day of languid poolside socializing and pasta-eating, a visit to the brand new spa facility is always in order. Unbelievably underutilized, the mosaic-walled and mirrored spa features a stunning dichroic glass-tiled turkish bath, complete with a pyramid shaped ceiling and ochre glass slab benches, as well as a spotless cedar sauna and roomy jacuzzi. Surrounding this oasis of benessere, a variety of state-of-the-art stainless steel showers with curious blue and white lights...including a rather interesting double-wide stall equipped with eucalyptus aromatherapy jets. The entire grayscale facility is illuminated with blue-tone low-lights. Chic...

This club may be tutto italiano in caliber and design, but their annual member's gala happens to fall right around my beloved American holiday of fireworks! In classic 4th of July style, I managed to capture this fine cellphone photograph of the circolo's fuoci artificiale from a nearby parking lot vantage point...sorry, the gala is members only!

Ciao, ragazzi! I have managed to excavate a rare and wonderous wireless connection here in jolly Parioli, so will take this opportunity to share some photos of my adventures here in Rome so far. The great majority of residents here in Rome carve their domestic space out of apartment living. As such, the personal space many of us enjoy in America is far more compressed. It's fairly difficult to feel lonely in Rome!

Example in point, the "cozy" studio apartment my husband and I are renting on Via Paolo Frisi, near Piazza Euclide in Parioli. A lucky find, this <30m² ground-level nest has been entirely renovated...IKEA style. Tutta nuova.

The owner (and architect's) choice of white and neutral tones for ceiling, walls and floor helps to brighten the otherwise cramped and dark garden-level space. Another wise choice, the glass and brushed metal doors of the roomy IKEA closet occupying the entire rear wall reflect light, creating an illusory effect that causes the space to appear much larger.

Ample recessed lighting further brightens up the space, highlighting quirky corners like the above depicted niche, which we have brightened up with happy objects borrowed from my in-laws and some shiny new wedding gifts: a silver picture frame, antique silver teapot of dubious origin, and a brass name plate.

The galley kitchen, opposite the bed, offers all that is needed, with efficient recessed appliances, including a microwave/toaster combo, and two-burner stovetop with a lighted hood. Of course, with all of the fantastic food destinations and dinner invitations from friends here in Rome, I am embarrassed to admit that we have only dined at home once, with the exception of our daily breakfast of yogurt, caffé, granetti e bel "tigre" formaggio!

Another touch we appreciate is the desk and storage area built in the narrow space below the entrance stairway. Above the concealed cabinets we use to store our linens, we also keep our work papers, laptops and caschi (helmets) here neatly out of the way. A double-window lets in a little bit of air and light from the garden, (and less wonderful...le zanzare! ((mosquitoes))

For a couple like us, accustomed to sharing a two-story, five-room apartment with double bath...it is the attention to detail in the design of this tiny honeymoon nest that truly counts towards keeping us "newly marrieds" in appropriate bliss! Alla prossima volta...Ciao!

In part 5 of my exhibition highlights from "Welcome To The Conversation": RISD's Graduate Thesis Exhibition, I would like to call attention to the graphic design department, which exemplified some very strong conceptual design work through displays in print, video and book format.

My favorite work from this department was by Leslie Kwok. I first noticed her work in a collaborative wall drawing/video piece "The Group Portrait", undertaken with the help of her cohort.

The site-specific wall drawing, an outlined portrait of the graphic design '08 MFA candidates, is documented in a time-lapse video placed alongside. By watching the video, the viewer is invited into the micro-world of the department, where each student is responsible for a portion of the outline that will stand for their portrait. Of course, the outlines remain empty, and the video offers a point-of-view of the back of each artist. This leaves it up to the viewer to "fill in" the blanks, perhaps to assign a face and personality to the graphic designer, a role which outside of the microcosm of school often exists as a transparancy (or work horse!) behind which the work itself takes center stage.

This stands in ironic contrast to the role of the "art star" that comes to mind when one considers the high stakes luminaries of the contemporary art world, into which the entire crop of RISD MFA candidates now emerges. (For another take on this, see part 6!)

Also of great interest were Kwok's visual and narrative explorations of social ties, in a print series titled "Social Constellations" (depicted below), and video, "Sociograms", which can be viewed as a Quicktime movie on her website.

There is so much to talk about when it comes to the latest crop of RISD designers and artists. With the most challenging faculty, and access to the newest technology, it's no wonder that the design world looks to the graduates of this institution for fresh creative solutions.

That said, "flash and dazzle" cannot compare to time-honored traditional skills and the fine craftsmanship essential to creating artisan furniture. Embodying the best of both worlds is one of my favorite up and coming furniture designers, Zeke Leonard.

Zeke's reclaimed oak wall sconces, (which I covered in this archive post), clung cheerfully to a massive white wall, not suffering in the least from the expanse. A certain modest quality in these fellas evokes a sense that they could "live" anywhere, which I love. In contrast, and new to my eye was his massive "Boat Chair", impressively cantilevered over the exhibition space with the help of a reclaimed Red Oak arch and a hand forged steel chain. To give you a sense of the scale, this hanging chair could easily accommodate a couple...

Whether modest in size or massive, Zeke's work retains a confident, yet approachable presence that I always appreciate. You can explore more of Zeke's work at his website.

Often, the best creative materials can be found off-the-beaten-path, rather than at your local art supply store or out of that glossy wholesale catalog. As a supply junkie, some of my most triumphant finds have been courtesy of tag sales, personal or business move giveaways, and downright dumpster diving!

Over the years, I have utilized my collection of unique materials to create many pieces of original artwork and, more recently, collectible designs and accessories.

Today, however, I hit the supply jackpot. My lovely studiomate, who enjoys a very interesting career as a trend forecaster, let me have at a gigantic pile of sample books that have outlived their rather short life at the top of the trend pile. Because she forecasts color and material trends four years ahead, the sample selection (albiet yesterday's news for her) is super space-age in my book!

I'm already drawing up a list of project ideas so that I can breathe new life into these squares of fabric, leather and beyond!

Readers: if you have creative ideas for reuse of sample fabric and material swatches, post them to comments below. I will be putting together a "Wicked Cool" crostini*VS grab-bag prize from these designer footwear sample materials that will go to a winner, chosen at random from your project idea comments. The winner will be chosen next Friday, May 30th! Good luck!