Paint Names: Ralph Lauren Loft Living UL41, Bardsley Grey RM30, Fine Paints of Europe H00750
A few months ago someone posted a comment on my Zig Zag column that it reminded her of the Lucy episode in which Lucy and Ethel wallpaper the bedroom and it comes out so crooked that they fall over every time they look at it. A cartoon light bulb went off over my head, and I stored a potentially good idea for future use. So when my art dealer asked me last month what I wanted to do for the summer group show — Tattoo — I said I wanted to tattoo the wall, and the Lucy idea was the first thing that popped into my head...
I watched the episode on YouTube and I actually like what they did — I find it to be jaunty and sophisticated, way ahead of its time. In a sense, this one’s for me — there’s no “client” involved, other than the requirements of the exhibit’s theme, and in another way I’m blurring boundaries here but I don’t care. This isn’t interior décor, but does require the same exacting technique I use elsewhere in other projects. I love painting, and am in my heaven painting these simple stripes, circles, triangles and squares. This is a piece in a gallery, which means that my dear readers can see one of my walls with their own eyes, it’s open to the public.
To recreate this room I first came up with a stripe repeat and then a colorway. I wanted something high-contrast to emphasize the graphic quality of what is happening — organized chaos, I suppose. The base is creamy Loft Living, the big stripe is a bruised plum color flanked by a metallic finish of Bardsley Grey, colors which lend the pattern the slightest warm/cool contrast. I made a Photoshop study of my pattern, and the rest is history. As usual, I free-hand my lines, but taped the cross-cut ends to avoid ponding. These bled, of course, and had to be painted again anyway.
But is it a work of art? The original was laughed at as a clumsy mistake; my comment would be that it’s actually quite beautiful and mistakes are often the birthplace of creativity. You might ask if anyone would actually live with something like this. I say absolutely.
Shown with tattooed furniture and video installation &c, contact gallery for details.
Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts
526 West 26 St, #605
212 463 8500
Open Wed-Sat, noon-6pm, through July 25.
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
Wow, this looks amazing! I agree that the wallpapered wall was pretty cool, too, but yours is so crisply and accurately done that I'm just blown away. Great job!
view fabframes's profile
Good for them for doing this and liking it. It would give me a headache, looking at it all the time.
Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net
view grafxnerd's profile
5 points for the empty Jack Daniels bottles. That's my kind of decor! ;)
view upsilamba's profile
People utilize three sensory input mechanisms in order to stay upright: the internal gyroscope of the inner ear, visual input, and prioception (tactile input from the feet). Take away one and most people are able to stay upright, as long as the other two are intact. Take away two complete and people fall over fairly quickly, just as a pilot crashes quickly without visual or instrument input.
That is to say, by intentionally messing with peoples visual clues for balance, those with poor sensation in their feet (like diabetics) or people with impaired vestibular function (a guest who's had a few cocktails or a recent ear infection) will certianly develop vertigo and may well fall over like the sitcom.
This is an example of intentionally spectacularly bad design. And while spectacular failures certainly garner attention, they are neither as difficult to achieve, nor as satisfying to both achieve and enjoy as the subtle brilliance of truly good design.
view here2help's profile
Even before reading, my initial impression was that I was looking at (albeit dizzying) wallpaper. Very nicely done, and a what a fun, inspired project.
view muirwoods08's profile
It looks awesome...
http://www.gettogethablog.com
view GetTogetha's profile
Ethel: "You'll have to hold on to the mattress to keep from falling out of bed!"
view btoddster's profile
Personally I love it, and it doesn't make me dizzy (of course it could be different in person)
view girlonthem00n's profile
Can anyone tell me when it became popular (again) to have FUR - a.k.a - dead animal lying around as an accent piece? Gross.
view tracipants's profile
It's a very strong pattern and would probably only be tolerable in on one small wall, but it's beautiful as shown. The white spaces MAKE the design. I love it! (It would be fun in my foyer if I hadn't already committed to my green metallic wall... a space like that where you don't actually spend a lot of time, but that has a big impact passing through would be ideal.)
I think lots of thin stripes might make me dizzy, not these wide ones... This is just a big nonrepresentational painting, really.
view SherryBinNH's profile
gorgeous wall-- great job as usual. how on earth do you a "sell" a wall though (is it like a sol le witt?)
this looks like quite a fun exhibition.
view saya*'s profile
I like it - Not because of the Lucy & Ethel reference....
...but because it reminds me of 1970's Supergraphics.
view bepsf's profile
this is so great--the inspiration and your execution. love it!
view dash's profile
I really like that the decor sort of ignores what's going on on the wall.
If it me, I'd probably get a leaning bookshelf or something, and take it even further.
view Curtis's profile
It would be fun to do this in a half-bath in an otherwise staid apartment.
view Elizcrtv's profile
adding one to the pile - this totally rocks!
view lovelyrita's profile
Mark, your commentary is very exciting. It gives us what the artist was thinking in his mind. I read this in the morning, and it inspired me with new energy for the day. Thank you!
view MadameJanet's profile