Once again, taking a lead from @bobborson brilliant blog at Life of an Architect I loved guest blogger Scott Taylor’s post so much I thought it would be interesting to copy it and then invite others to do the same. Let’s get to know each other better and as Scott says in the Post ‘It’s all about me’ there is no better way to understand someone to see what their favourite things are. So here we go…
My favourite piece of Furniture
Funnily enough I’m currently writing a series of article for URDream Home magazine on classic, iconic furniture and the Eames Chair is included in one of the later pieces. The piece I have chosen however is the classic, contemporary and iconic chaise longue by Le Corbusier; seen in every discerning self-designed architects home and unfortunately as yet not in my own!
Some say that you can only sit in the Chaise-Longue in one position, isn’t that comfortable, blah,blah,blah but just look at it! The sleek lines, the machine aesthetic translated into a piece of furniture, the almost marine like curves, the exquisite use of materials. A work of genius and gorgeousness, I want one!
Now for this one you could say what eve boy would want like a Lamborghini or a Ferrari but I think you need to be reasonably practical and the car needs to be within limits. Also, for me it would need to be something that would look cool outside my house, to park-up and see it reflected in the glass. So, for this choice I would go for the Audi TT.
It’s a pure embodiment of 1990’s German engineering, with sleek lines, exciting profile and for the cost conscious the Diesel TDI vision is incredibly fuel efficient at 53.3 mpg.
My Favourite Architect
If you are a regular follower of this blog then you will have seen this architects name frequently pop-up. My choice for this is based on an architect that I would like to relate to, an architect that creates an architecture in a similar environment to my own and an architecture that I would like to aspire to. Obviously work by architects such as Frank Gehry is brilliantly but my choice for my favourite would need to be someone that reimagines a rural architecture in a contemporary style using a sumptuous choice of relevant materials. Therrefore my choice of favourite architect is Australian Architect Glenn Murcutt. And as Scott says about Carlo Scarpa, if you haven’t heard about or seen any of Glenn Murcutts work then here’s the Glenn Murcutt Wikipedia entry as a starting point.
My Favourite Movie Poster
The test of a good movie poster must be whether the artwork is a two dimensional, teasing representation of the actual film. It was going to be a toss-up between one of the James Bond posters and the cult Jane Fonda classic Barbarella. I didn’t realise until I did a bit of research that they would have been designed the same person – Robert McGinnis. For those that are interested in this form of artwork, here is a great site for posters and the work of Robert-McGinnis
My Favourite Album Cover
“Ah, the kids today don’t know they’re born”, that excitement of buying the latest vinyl album, poring over the artwork on the bus home, the excitement and care on taking the black disk from it’s sleeve and then delicately placing the needle on the outer extremity of the disk and then finding the meaning in each and every song (especially when the lyrics are included and read and reread).
This is a more difficult one. The choice needs to be personally my favourite and not one that wins the most popular contest like Sgt Pepper:
Or what about the one that started the Virgin empire?, nope:
Or what about the simple and direct punk message from The Pistols?
Or how about ones from the college years? One that actually includes a bit of Architecture?
Or one that was the soundtrack to my student clubbing days?
Nope, none of these, the favourite album cover goes back to the first ‘proper’ LP I bought (excluding classics like ‘Hits of 1971’), and it remembers that excitement and poring I speak about and it’s ELO’s Out of the Blue. Enjoy below the 2 outside images and then the double spread gatee-fold image, ahhh:
Obviously these are my favourites, but what are yours, feel free to comment below, why not set up your own blog post and let me know about it…
Images stolen shamelessly from Wikipedia– Imagine a world without the likes of Wikipedia! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CENSORSHIP PROTEST
We must be the same age…for me its Out of the Blue. I went to see that Flying Saucer at Wembley back in 1977??
You are now my 3rd most envied person (2 lads from my class went and I always wanted to go) – you know who you are Don & Tony.
I took wife to see ELO in 1997 but we had to leave to go home early cos the kids we crying, there was also no spaceship!
I bought the 1977 DVD of concert a few years back.
It stays with you though. My teenage kids are far too cool for ELO but they will sing along to Mr Blue Sky when they think no one is watching.