SPOTLIGHT ON… A DESIGN HISTORY BLOG

This is where I put the spotlight on a different 20th Century designer or studio that I admire, with a focus on pattern and print.

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MORTON SUNDOUR FABRICS
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

MORTON SUNDOUR FABRICS

Morton Sundour Fabrics was a British textile firm that spanned one century and three generations of the Morton family. Three enterprising men lie at the heart of its legacy…

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MARIAN PEPLER
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

MARIAN PEPLER

Marian Pepler (1904 - 1997) was a distinguished British architect and textile designer, known for her elegant rug designs for Modernist interiors…

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ILONKA KARASZ
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

ILONKA KARASZ

Ilonka Karasz (1896 - 1981) was a Hungarian-American designer and illustrator. During her six decade career she worked across an astonishing array of media, including wallpaper, textiles, ceramics, furniture and silverware, blending folk art with Modernism…

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WIENER WERKSTÄTTE CHRISTMAS CARDS
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

WIENER WERKSTÄTTE CHRISTMAS CARDS

I wrote about the textiles of the Wiener Werkstätte in a previous post, but given the season I thought it fitting to look at their archive of uniquely striking Christmas cards…

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TOMMI PARZINGER
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

TOMMI PARZINGER

Tommi Parzinger (1903-1981) may not be a household name, but his unique contribution to 20th Century design certainly deserves a mention. He was raised in Germany but made his mark in the United States…

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JEANNE MALIVEL
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

JEANNE MALIVEL

Jeanne Malivel (1895-1926) was a pioneer of modern Breton art and design. During her short life she produced a remarkable body of work spanning woodblock printing, painting, textiles, ceramics and furniture design…

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ASHLEY HAVINDEN
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

ASHLEY HAVINDEN

Ashley Havinden (1903-1973) - known professionally as simply ‘Ashley’ - was one of the most brilliant designers of the 20th century. Chiefly a commercial artist concerned with producing persuasive advertising material, he also applied his talents to typography, painting, interior and textile design…

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20th Century Artists’ Christmas cards
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

20th Century Artists’ Christmas cards

Given the season, I thought I would share some artist-designed Christmas cards from the 1930s-50s. I think you'll enjoy the wit and ingenuity in these little printed treasures.

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VAN BUUREN MUSEUM
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

VAN BUUREN MUSEUM

The Van Buuren house, situated in the ritzy residential Uccle area of Brussels, was home to Alice and David Van Buuren from 1928 to 1973…

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RUTH REEVES
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

RUTH REEVES

Ruth Reeves (1892-1966) was an artist and textile designer known for her witty, dynamic and distinctly American fabrics…

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TAKEHISA YUMEJI
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

TAKEHISA YUMEJI

Takehisa Yumeji (1884-1934) was a prolific artist, illustrator, printmaker and poet, whose work is highly cherished in his home country of Japan…

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SONIA DELAUNAY
Ariana Martin Ariana Martin

SONIA DELAUNAY

Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) is a celebrated figure in art and design history, synonymous with the Parisian avant-garde…

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