I have a great love for typography and interesting graphic design. On a recent antique flea market shopping trip I snapped a picture of a book jacket from a book called Futurism: The Museum of Modern Art New York. At the time I didn’t pay any attention to what the book was about or what was inside. This weekend I was sorting through a bunch of photos and ran across this one, having completely forgotten I ever took it. Curiosity getting the best of me, I decided to learn what I could about this most interesting title. It turns out the book is an exhibition guide written by Joshua C. Taylor for an art exhibit about Futurism that took place at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City from May 31–September 5, 1961.


Futurism is a fairly complex art and social movement that was initiated in Italy during the early 20th century by Thomas Marinetti (I’ll try to simplify…thank you Wikipedia and artyfacts.info). A movement set forth by an agenda written by Marinetti called The Futurist Manifesto, it was initially published in 1909 in the French newspaper Le Figaro. Its purpose was to create change and embrace the new technology of the machine age and the advances made in science that brought about electricity, automobiles, and ship liners. Choosing Paris, the art capital of the world, as a place to lobby for this new movement, the manifesto argued for artists to look to the present for their subject matter and technique instead of painting historical, mythological or religious subjects. The first painters to embrace Futurism were Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini, Carlo Carrà, Luigi Russolo, and Umberto Boccioni.

In Joshua C. Taylor’s Futurism exhibition guide, he states:

“The Futurist artists…set out to create an art as exhilarating as Marinetti’s promise. They translated the kinetic rhythms and the confused, intense sensations of modern life into potent visual form, creating works of art of extraordinary emotional impact. The Futurists’ approach to art, their manifestos and demonstrations set a pattern for many art movements which followed, such as Constructivism, Dada, and Surrealism…and the sympathy between certain Futurist procedures and current endeavors is largely responsible for the growing interest in Futurism.” -Joshua C. Taylor

Some of my favorite works from the exhibition include…

In a painting by Giacomo Balla called Dog On A Leash from 1912, movement is shown as a dog walks alongside its master. Slowing down a scene that we all see, but never in a still, this painting is inspired by photographs of people moving.

Dog On A Leash by Giacomo Balla (1912)

A lover of dance in the the café life of Paris, Gino Severini’s Blue Dancer painting from 1912 reflects movement created by the fusion of the figure with her surroundings by the penetration of light. Flickering light was rendered dazzlingly by the application of real sequins to the canvas in areas corresponding to the dress.

Blue Dancer by Gio Severini (1912)

Patriotic Celebration from 1914 is an artwork collage and free word painting in the Futurist style. Artist Carlo Carrà pursued a concept of total art which incorporated a desire to go beyond the bounds of traditional art. His methods combined adaptations of synthetic Cubist notions and free-word structures. His free-word "painting" with a propagandist intention is made from various "real" materials of communication containing lettering (newspapers, leaflets and labels). It also contains within itself certain noise implications through the representations of onomatopoeic sounds.

Patriotic Celebration by Carlo Carrà (1914)

The goal of Futurist painters was to capture the “dynamic sensation” by being aware of the fact that objects and individuals did not exist in isolation to their surroundings, but rather they weave into each other and are seen in relation to other objects and subjects. It was also essential to depict the objects as constantly moving. Each painter proceeded to develop an art form that would be able to translate this dynamic sensation onto canvas. To heighten or emphasize this aspect, painters experimented with different painting techniques, borrowing from the divisionists and developments in photography. Using the notion of simultaneity, they would represent a galloping horse by several repeated leg movements. The Futurist technique showed no boundaries, making it difficult to tell where one subject ends and the other begins. Movement is expressed by clearly defined horizontals or verticals.

I continue to be fascinated with the various art movements that have influenced where art is today. The futurist movement was significant, and affected painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theater, film, fashion, textiles, literature, music, architecture, and even gastronomy.

Posted By: Angela (loftshoppe@gmail.com)

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Every great designer and every lover of great design has a collection of books they turn to for inspiration. A how-to guide or a favorite glossy, there’s a lot to be said about rediscovering your love for a read that’s a few years old. The other day I rediscovered Naturally Modern: Creating Interiors with Wood, Stone, Leather, and Natural Fabrics.

A design book by Ros Byam Shaw, former Features Editor of World of Interiors, I was immediately immersed in the details of Andrew Wood’s photography and reminded as to why I have this book in my library—TEXTURE and COMPOSITION. Celebrating the natural characteristics of wood, leather, stone, and textiles such as linen, cotton, and wool, reading this book is like taking a trip through the entire Pfeifer Studio collection, noting specific Pfeifer Trends along the way: Natural Glamour, Animal Instincts, New Mexico Modern, Tribal Influences and Asiatique.


Shaw pays the utmost respect to wood in Naturally Modern, and pictured on page 24, this incredible teak chair from Japan is a prime example of wood’s versatility and pays homage to Pfeifer’s Natural Glamour trend with objects made from organic materials mixed with contemporary design and ethnic style. Sundried teak smoothed to perfection, we see a bit of New Mexico Modern and Asiatique for its eastern sensibility and focus on simplicity meets the design savvy of the West.

Showcasing tables and artifacts made from organically textured leathers and hides, Shaw references the fact that, “Just like a human fingerprint, each hide carries its own unique history.”


Like a tear sheet right out of the Pfeifer collection, on page 48, Pfeifer’s Animal Instinct trend is boldly apparent in the genuine ostrich leather cube and stack of pillows made from ostrich and crocodile. Reminiscent of Pfeifer’s skillfully embossed leather tables and accessories, hand cut leather offers the look of true alligator and crocodile skins.

Aside from the obvious appeal of natural textures found in wood and leather, Shaw also presents a brilliantly descriptive coverage of the natural beauty found in stone and textiles. But, what I love most about Naturally Modern is the use of composition, especially when taking naturally modern elements and placing them in a traditional architectural setting.


My personal favorite photo takes place in the grand Paris apartment on page 81 and bridges the gap between urban and vintage. Collectively representing all of the Pfeifer trends, including Tribal Influences seen in the distinctly shaped wooden side tables, Naturally Modern is a true keeper. A great design book is timeless and travels with us wherever we go. From a city loft to my north shore vintage brick home, when I flip through this book I’m still pleasantly surprised and inspired…even 10 years later.

Posted By: Angela (loftshoppe@gmail.com)

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