HI + LOW has been a collection of interesting things I've come across or made. Now that that particular focus has shifted, you can find me over on Instagram @abbyclawsonlow. Think of it as HI + LOW 2.0 -- the same, but different. Feel free to continue to use this blog as an archive and resource for inspiration, ideas, and to just pass the time. I still do! *[Take care and enjoy! All the best, Abby]
Mondo Cane and Partners & Spade present an exhibition of children's furniture: Kids Chairs! with over 50 examples of the form from the years 1890-1990. Exhibit is on view at Partners and Spade May 17th-June 10th. I definitely want to see this (and this, too!). See part of the collection here. *[Read about one dad's collection of vintage kids chairs and see another dad's findings here and here.]
TOP: "Airbrush Floral Colored Origami Paper II - 5 Colors 80 Sheets - great for crane, flower folding." Beautiful. Along the same lines are: MIDDLE + BOTTOM: Circle Paintings by Kenneth Noland. *[I'm loving the soundtrack on his website -- unexpected and nice.]
I visited the Marimekko NYC flagship store on Fifth Avenue last week. In the store windows was this Easter inspired textile (approx. 5 feet wide) Designed by Maija Louekari for Marimekko, it is 100% cotton. Full color and giant graphics. How nice. *[How many of you had these sheets when you were a kid? I did. I know my son would love this.]
A.P.C. Children is now available in "unisex clothes, from 2 to 12 years, 100% cotton, featuring stripes and a parrot." You can outfit your petit enfant in a "blouse, t-shirt, jeans, bermuda shorts and a bag inspired by the A.P.C. summer '12 collection fabrics." The parrot denim bag is sweet. *[FYI: "Jean Touitou (owner and designer of A.P.C.) didn't like the options for his daughter's preschool — so he started his own." Nice.]
Amazing. These two sisters, for a fee, will custom embroider your own initials. They call themselves "makers of things assorted" and have "an unusual obsession with paper and patterns, like geeking out with gashapon toys and enjoy getting crafty with embroidery and fimo. *[Check them out here and commission your own embroidered initials here.]
This partial sheet of dog stickers was tucked between the pages of my 2-year-old's sketch book. He had stuck some transparent, color-coding, circle labels over the heads of the dogs. Not unlike John Baldessari whose artwork involved "placing colorful dots over faces, obscuring portions of scenes, or juxtaposing stock photographs with quixotic phrases, injecting humor and dissonance into vernacular imagery." *[I've found Avery stickers/labels quite useful for kids -- they love the various shapes and colors, and they leave so much to the imagination.]
"Paper Zoo: The delightful paper-folding kit comprising a 12-page booklet and 36 pre-scored sheets of colourful paper to fold a variety of beautiful exotic and domestic animals. A highly entertaining and educational device to develop manual skills and to stimulate the imagination." Published by the MoMA; Design: Ernst Roch, 1985. *[This copy was given to me by my amazing friends, Erik & Jess. Thank you -- you always find the best books.]
Following tradition, I made a quilt in anticipation of the birth of my second son (now 6 months old). As the tradition goes, my kind mother finished the binding while I was in Manhattan recovering in the hospital. Each square is a JACK SPADE Days of the Week Handkerchief (Thanks Mary!) plus extra gingham yardage. The first 7 squares have song titles containing a day of the week embroidered in their lower right hand corner. *[It's similar to the map quilt I made for my first son. Check out this *copy* I found for sale.]
Mary & Matt are creative geniuses. Their "freshly made Valentine Editions are now available, featuring the popular Salted Dark Bar. Each bar is wrapped in its own handmade marbleized paper wrapper – this time in shades of pink’s & red’s." *[This chocolate is some of the best I've tasted. And, I've had a lot of it. Right, Mary?]
There's a sweet lot of four vintage Creative Playthings wooden vehicles up on eBay: dump truck, bus, truck, and auto. We have a few of these wooden cars/trucks for our two-year-old. He loves to play with them and they've held up to both the playing and the dropping. *[They really don't make them like they did back then.]
"We love good books and everything that goes with them. We hope you do, too." BOOK/SHOP is a new online stop for those who love books. My good friend Erik has amassed some wonderful books, art, furnishings, and small goods that would all make stellar gifts -- take a look. *[And peruse his blog here for more book related inspiration.]
At Christmas ten years ago, the design studio where I worked gave me a first generation iPod. Mine (below) has all of the playlists I put on it then and still works. The scroll wheel was a separate, mechanical part that moved while the screen and front were shielded in a piece of clear plexiglass. It was design at its best then and even 10 years later. *[Kind of reminds me of this design classic.]
A.P.C. has a new website which is quite straightforward and nice. The color-coded products page plays out like one long gradient of hues. There's also a "Special Projects" section that is worth a look showing brand collaborations with Vans, Porselli, etc.. *[Reminds me a bit of this.]
"Acne JR is a Swedish toy company based in Stockholm with an ambition to make traditional, iconic, toys in a modern way." I saw Andy's post about this a few months ago and have been waiting for their online shop to pop-up. Well, it is here! *[Take a peek at the black & white packaging -- so good.]
My friend Mary has painted a portrait series displaying six creative women through the striped shirts they wear: Maira Kalman, Lynn Wagenknecht, Julie Gilhart, Zoe Cassavetes, Alexandra Richards and Selima Salaun. Prints and originals for sale at the new Chance store. *[Proceeds go to the Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund.]
The vintage embroidered hankie below (bottom) was intended as a "something old" gift for a good friend on her wedding day. But, in the excitement of things, I forgot to give it to her (I finally gave the gift this past week -- almost a year later). Since then, I stencilled my own modern-day version of the handkerchief, shown top. *[Both remind me of this Martha Stewart idea.]
Tomorrows Reference is a goldmine of visual finds. I found the site via a link by my lovely friend Johanna. Take a break from what you're doing and get lost in the archive. It's just pictures and it's pretty great. *[Below are a few of the selections I stumbled upon. Knock yourself out.]
Elad Lassry (Israeli, born 1977) "defines his practice as consumed with “pictures”—generic images culled from vintage picture magazines and film archives. Lassry studied film at the California Institute of the Arts then earned an MFA from the University of Southern California." *[Here's a selection of red, white, and pink works.]
Bobbi Lin is very talented. She is a prop stylist, set designer, photographer, and an old friend. She is the kind of person who attracts amazing people. I was invited to attend one of her "amazing women" dinners a few years back and it was exactly that. *[One of her many Valentine's Day creations is below -- Enjoy! Thanks Bobbi.]
These Canadian Antiques Collector magazines from the 60s and 70s were found by my friend Erik. Since I married a Canadian and really do love how good design seems to come naturally to them, I was particularly interested in these. All have black and white artwork w/ a color frame and simple sans serif type. Just another example of great Canadian design. *[More covers here.]
Below is my wedding invitation from 8 years ago. The invite is a French folded sheet of Evanescent glassine engraved on four different panels so that when folded, the type on the panels matches up to form one block of text -- a bit of printing gymnastics (click on image for detail). The balance of the pieces were engraved on uncoated white stock. *[Happy Anniversary B! Eight years goes by quickly. Wow.]
I took these photos on Saturday at The Model Railroad Club in Union, NJ. Founded on February 17, 1949 by four men who shared a common interest in model railroading, the club building has been around since 1971. I met and talked with the President and Secretary of the club who were working on trains and talking-up new memberships. Take your kids! *[Places like these make me happy to be in NJ.]
Drop in at Partners & Spade this Sunday for Eggnog and Secret Shopping. They'll have their own pre-wrapped gifts, hand painted canvas ties, Best Made Co. Axes & Equipment, Wes Lang Editions, Mary & Matt Chocolates and other works, Fredericks & Mae Arrows, W.M. Brown Lard, and JP Williams Objects. *[Pick-up Mary & Matt's book at the event.]
ALL Knitwear is an American clothing label for women offering made-to-order knit creations exclusively through the Internet. It is designed and produced by Annie Larson who hand-crafts each garment on a Brother Electroknit Knitting Machine. ALL sweaters are unique, produced in small quantities with high-energy patterns that are forever changing. *[Check out their blog.]
"Near Christmas in 1933, an anonymous benefactor in Canton, Ohio placed a newspaper ad asking for people in need to contact him. At the height of the Great Depression, many were in dire straits and responded by mail. The mysterious “B. Virdot” sent $5 (a generous sum at the time) to 150 families. His real name was Sam Stone. “B. Virdot” was a combination of his daughters’ names—Barbara, Virginia (my mother) and wife Dorothy. Virdot never revealed his identity." In 2008, his grandson unearthed those letters and found out that his grandfather was the man who handed out the money. *[More here via here.]
For the holidays, House Industries will be selling their wares at Partners & Spade in NYC. For one-off gifts: custom screen printing will be done on site by Awesome Dudes. Select House Industries objects will be available until December 31st . Check it out. *[Sat, Dec 4th, Noon to 7pm, Partners & Spade, 40 Great Jones St., NYC.]
American artist Robert Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations. The Gagosian Gallery has a major exhibition of his painting and sculpture on now through Dec. 18th. This is one I'm not going to miss. *[Cardbird I and III, 1971.]
Illustrations from my son's favorite book: Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever and the Gagosian Gallery's Campbell’s Soup Can (Turkey Noodle) by Andy Warhol, 1962. I'm looking forward to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloon inflation tomorrow. *[Pump it, pump it up...!]
Another Klas Herbert creation: Quilt illustration for Parcs i Jardins, the Park Deparment of Barcelona City Council. Sewn by Wai Lin Tse. Agency Small. Barcelona, Spain 2009. *[Incredible. Thanks Mary!]
I'm looking to replace our dining room chairs. I've had my eye on some Thonet models. We'll see. While I was perusing the internet, I came across this catalog on eBay -- a nice view of past design. *[Reminds me of these type specimens from JP's collection.]
A master calligrapher, prominent medieval scholar, expert in the art of medieval manuscript gold illumination techniques, and historian of letterforms, he has lectured and taught at the Pierpont Morgan Library, The Cloisters, The Met, and the Getty Museum. *[In 2002, he calligraphed the sample envelope below for me when I was looking for a wedding calligrapher.]
Below is a quilt prototype made up of vintage A.P.C. fabrics, designed by Jessica Ogden & Jean Touitou. Seven quilts will be produced in India in runs of 30. They will be available in stores October 28th. I'm looking forward to this -- I am into quilts. *[Check out the A.P.C. blog for more projects, playlists, and archives.]
Another piece from Alexandra Rowley's "Portrait" show detailing her father's belongings is a collection of his checkbooks. She photographed every page. All with incredible details -- the stores that he frequented the things he bought the amounts paid. A unique record of another time. *[If you are in the Paris area you can see her show here.]
When my friend Alexandra Rowley's father’s health went into steep decline, she began photographing his belongings three weeks before he died and finishing more than two years later. Among the items were her father’s ties "which he wore nearly every day and bear the stains of a man who was both formal and careless." Beautiful. *[Thank you Alexandra.]
We drove to Princeton, NJ for the weekend to check out the town, pop art at the university art museum and the Mercer County Burger Festival ($1 sliders). My friend Erik says Princeton is one of his favorite day trips from the NYC area. I would agree. And there was a great American color photography exhibit there, too. *[Photo: Stephen Shore, Beverly Blvd and La Brea Ave, L.A., June 21, 1975.]
Here are some incredibly talented ladies who I've had the pleasure to work with and who are all doing amazing work on their own: Cheree Berry, Gillian Schwartz, Whitney Pozgay, Julia Leach, Katie Hatch, Mary Matson, Anisa Suthayalai. Keep your eye on them, their work will knock your socks off. After all, they have amazingly good taste. *[Art: Ed Ruscha]
CHANCE is the new brand inspired by the classic striped shirt, Agnes Martin, the sea, American sportswear, and the French joie de vivre. It is the vision of the talented Julia Leach (a friend and former Creative Director of kate spade). I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Julia on the CHANCE brand book. *[Check out the brand portraits and beautifully curated "essentials" and "discoveries".]
Two years ago, a copy of the legendary Take Ivy sold for $1500 on Ebay. Published in the 60s, it set the standard for “preppy fashion” in Japan and around the world. It was also much discussed when I was in the Creative Department at kate spade. Get your own reprinted copy in English here. *[Later this week, I'm dropping off my sister-in-law at Columbia to start grad school. Exciting. Below: from "IVY Illustrated".]
Kids really do grow up fast. And I thought it was just a cliché. Our little boy crawls, stands up, can almost balance on two feet, and loves to be in water. Although definitely not easy, being a parent is a good change. And our little one has brought us a lot of joy. *[Have a great weekend.]
My little boy discovered the rocking horse this past week. Below is one I have my eye on: Designed by Björn Dahlström for Playsam, it is the perfect contemporary rocking horse. Made of solid wood with a high luster, non-toxic, red (and also black) finish. *[More beautifully made toys here.]
La Nouvelle Chute de l'Amerique [1991] is a collaboration between Roy Lichtenstein and the poet Allen Ginsberg. "Ginsberg and Lichtenstein often have been accused of mocking America in their art, but it is exactly their truly American Sensibilities that make them representative of their era." *[Thank you Erik & Jess. And, Happy 4th!]
I love this time of year. The painting below, by artist Yago Hortal of Barcelona, Spain, reminds me of summer art classes making marbled paper, drops of oil and water from summers spent water-skiing, eating water melon, and splattered mustard and ketchup on picnic benches. *[Looking forward to a BBQ with our city friends tomorrow.]
We were in California last week. S.F., Oakland, and Berkeley are great cities to visit and the weather was so nice. We spent time with family and good friends -- shared stories, great finds, and even better food. And introduced our little one to all. *[Huldreich Altorfer lounge chair, 1949.]
When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping, and the mask falls, so that the real person appears, said Philippe Halsman. In the series "JUMP", he photographed movie stars, politicians, entertainers, artists, and authors, all jumping before his camera. *[See the exhibit at the Laurence Miller Gallery.]
Yesterday was a milestone for our small family, as today is for our friends. Time is a gift. Spring is beautiful. Life is good. *["Desk Calendar" by Roy Lichtenstein from Early Black And White Paintings -- a great book.]
I joined friends last Saturday in the city to peruse some highlights of NYC's Design Week. We ended at Partners & Spade to see the installations there including a bike from DWR founder Rob Forbes's new company PUBLIC Bikes. Take a look. *[Mary & Matt's chocolates were also there.]
Erik Heywood has been blogging about books, bookshelves, bookstores, libraries, etc. for a long while. He has one of the best eyes for design and is one of the most well-read
people I know. He recently consolidated his various blogs and interests under one roof. Take a look. There's some great stuff. *[Check out his wife Jessica's blog here.]
