Midas reaches through time by David Chronister

Gustav Klimt’s Byzantine inspired Gold period works.

In Greek mythology, Midas, (King of Lydia) was given his wish and his touch was blessed with the power to turn everything to gold. At first he was elated. Midas turned rose’s to gold, tree branches. His dreams had come true. That is until he went to eat, realizing the gravity of his wish. He starved to death without the ability to feed himself. In some versions of the myth he accidentally turns his Daughter into gold. Losing her forever.

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian born artist who lived from 1862-1918. Left to right above his infamous “The kiss” the Goddess “Athena” & my Favorite the “The Hygeia” A.K.A “Medicine” below is the Goddess Freya A.K.A “Golden Tears” and one of his Geometrics “Eye”.

From anything Baroque, to anything Klimt inspired; Gold has never gone out of style or fashion.

“Hobby Lobby’s New Years collection)

From Pinterest a Black, White and Gold Design.

A Mood Board by David Chronister (Rose Gold)

Klimt was heavily inspired by Asian influences, mostly Chinese. I can’t help but wonder if that extended to Kitsugi the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.

Kitsugi piece.

They believed instead of hiding the flaws in a broken piece; they should aggrandize it.

LINA IRIS VIKTOR

Above is my latest obsession. Lina Iris Viktor is a London based Artist working in New York; her use of gold is a statement. Lina Iris Viktor’s work has been influenced by African art and Afro-futurism. Above is the collection that thrilled me as a Designer. Cobalt blue and gold is the height of luxury.

Gold it looks like is here to stay. Who knew Midas’s greed could stretch several millennia and be bold today as it was then.

Stay Golden. Thanks for Reading ❣️.

2020

2020 by David Chronister

2020

As we head into October I wanted to create a story visually about 2020. We live in a strange time. Design itself is on unknowable ground. I chose Billie Ellish’s hair as my color inspiration because it is so defining my friends hair colors.

I feel their pain though. Earlier this year I dyed my hair pink and a month later it was trending.

Me and my Pink Squad (

Not that I was the first, Flea from the Red Hot Chili peppers was the first guy I remember having it, besides infamous make-up mogul Jeffrey Star, Zayn Malik, Jared Leto and Gwen Stefani in the 90s or of course P!nk. Adam Levine, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lady Gaga this year did it.

After I did it I started seeing one or two, then ten then more and more while I worked at a local thrift store. These high school kids have no shame. They will cop your style and not even give you cred. As a mid thirty years old gay man who used to be a rave kid, it’s a both a compliment and a slap in the face.

I haven’t blogged in a couple years but I figured while I’m bed bound (I threw my back out) I’d write an update. So to catch up I’m back in Tulsa Oklahoma, I currently work for Home Depot and Design on the side. I’ve quarantined with my boyfriend of 5 years, at my mom’s apartment. She recently suffered a stroke. Although she’s doing better.

Enough about me though. Design and art has a chasm right now. I see vapor wave and neon’s everywhere. I see really bland interior design on the flip side of that. Scandinavian rustic is in. Industrial is in . Cyberpunk is in. Everything is very disjointed. It’s either over the top or underwhelming. I’m hoping that there’s more inclusion and embracing of ecclectic styles, more design with the mixing of cultures.

This board I dubbed Dharma 2020 also by me (David Chronister) it’s my take on boho design but I mixed it with Hollywood Regency and played heavily with textures.

Thanks for reading I hope you continue to follow me ❤️.

Globe Trotting By David Chronister

“In the living room I’m cleaning up from top to floor
Place I love the most
Wall is covered up with all my souvenirs
I got from coast to coast
Come and see…” -Around The World Song By Aqua From The Album Aquarius

This weeks design blog post is all about globes. They can bring a space a fun pop of vintage nostalgia, they can be a funky, classy, dressed up with words, a nice statement or symbolic. They show a wanderlust, a dreamy statement. On designindulgences.com I found below a cool way to display them in cubbies , how enchanting they seem to add an air of sophistication and whismy at the same time. I also adored that no two were similar in size or look.

(http://designindulgences.com/2011/01/29/using-maps-globes-as-art-decor/)

Here is a nautical globe that displays the night sky, from http://www.chrisdixonstudios.com ,  I love the black and gold. For the day dreamer in me, I could look at this whenever I felt my inner star gazer craving the constellations.

(http://www.chrisdixonstudios.com/hcs-models/Nautical-Decor/gallery.php?showimage=Night-sky-globe-NG011L06.jpg&screenwidth=1600)

This globe has shed its continents  for a quote in their stead  from Sir William Shakespear ; the floral print compliments the pale blue and gold quite nicely.

(from Anthropologie found in http://www.lilyallsorts.com/2014/11/weekend-antics-2111-regional-wedding.html)

This globe is for your glam side. Some thing bling for bling’s sake. I think its totally pink rock, excessive, loud and fun; But aren’t all the exciting things in life like that?

(pinned fromhttp://weheartit.com/entry/6906906)

This globe seems a lot more bohemeian and there for more DIY , simply with white writing (depending how well your penmanship is) but makes a great table statement.

( found on http://myprettypennies.com/2012/11/13/decorating-with-globes/)

Here is a photo I gleamed from htt://gypsy-diaries.blogspot.com,  I love the white decor mashup with the globe on the table in this sitting room.

(http://gypsy-diaries.blogspot.com/2010/10/around-globe.html)

This globe from 1worldglobes had such an inspiring description I thought I would share it. The idea to utilize precious stones to forge the continents with was poetic because it literally has a piece from every part of the world:

 

“Black opalite oceans compliment a colorful mosaic of exquisite gemstones. Each country is comprised of a single gemstone that has been hand cut, polished and inlaid by experienced craftsmen. The charming 24k gold plated semi-meridian stand gives a classic look to this beautiful contemporary globe. A globe that will surely bring a touch of class to your home or office decor.”

(from http://www.1worldglobes.com/1WorldGlobes/GemstoneGlobes/glp110g-bo.html)

Yugen , Yule and Happy New Years! By David Chronister

Louisana Bayou

Yugen is a profound sense of awe , even wonder, that can be said to be found from nature, driven by abstraction or incompleteness. In Japanese philosophy, Yugen is one of 9 aesthetic principles, stemming from Shinto Buddhism, that celebrates the imperfections, impermanence of life. As we look towards a new year, these cherished ideals are more heavily reflective in the mundane world around us. Yule , the celebration of the winter solstice greatly marks the transition of dark into light. The longest night was sunday, December 21,2014; marking the time when the sun ends its descent and the new year of light waxes.  Bringing with it new hopes, one more revolution as we ready ourselves for new adventures and 365 more times to be the best versions of ourselves yet. Wabi, meaning stark or natural beauty, and Sabi meaning natural aging and beauty of things in transient. These philosophies are echoed in the Kintsugi method of repairing cracked and broken pottery, rather than hide the flaws the crevices are filled with gold or copper to angradize the damages.

Kintsugi

All of these aesthetics tell us that everything is in a constant state of flux, like waves rising and falling , in either evolution or dissolution, each wave comes not from nothingness but potentiality. Clouds drifting behind a mountain, away from sight is said to be Yugen. Like abstract art, transcending us back even for a moment of this potentiality. The highest art and philosophy holds these ideals close to the hear.

Jackson Pollock, The Deep/ abstract

Like Alice Walker, author and poet, once mused; “If art doesn’t make us better, then what on earth is it for?” I echo this, keep changing, growing evolving. Celebrate the imperfections, the impermanence, the incompleteness of the all, the everything. See beauty in all things around you. Be Wabi-Sabi, be Yugen. Be YOU! Happy Hollidays, Happy New Year!

 

 

Hushed: Tones For A New Year By David Chronister

Designnetwork.net

So Im obsessed with hushed tones for 2015.

From homelife.com

Mixing neutrals ,     with pops of sorbet tones, jewel tones, even blushed tones of marsala,

Thedesignfiles.net

(wine/burgandy) ,   pantones color of the year for 2015.

Abstract by artist Kelly Beall

Even the cool colors are a good hint for this mix, mint, turquoise, pale blues and lavenders,

Uber Luciano Gotti

 

Canwander.com

If your going with yellow make it a pale mustard or greyed lemon. Remixing mettallics like chrome or darkwoods can really dramatize their prescence.

Housebeautiful.com

ECKO AND AUTHENTICITY BY David Chronister

“You can always spot a pioneer by the arrows in his back.”

Marc Ecko  founder and CEO of ECKO UNLTD ,

 

(Marc Ecko Store)

 

The youngest designer to ever be appointed to the board of directors of the Council of Fashion Designer’s of America (CFDA) , and owner of Complex Media Network  which includes 110+ websites that generate more than 700 million page views and 70 million unique visitors per month, Media divisions which started as an Magazine for men, Complex.

 

He has no Fashion degree , he does not come from money in fact he dropped out of his Pharmacy degree in his third year on the advice of teacher and mentor:

” You don’t want to be 40 with regrets.”

  

His real name is Marc Louis Milecofsky, from his background in graffiti he took his tag name Marco Ecko. Working from a self designed studio in his parents basement, airbrushing nails for girls in his local neighborhood and making custom t-shirts with street art  on them and appealing to an urban and hip-hop demographic. With early customers such as Chuck D and Spike Lee , he founded Ecko UNLTD in 1993 and has not stop moving since.

Marc Ecko’s philanthropic activity has encompassed support for the endangered rhinoceros population and children in need throughout the world, including critical funding for an orphanage in Odessa, Ukraine.

In 2004, Ecko founded a non-profit, Sweat Equity Education, to increase the success of urban, underserved students by providing opportunities for real-world design and business interaction. Student teams develop designs to meet challenges set by clients, engage in problem-solving, learn to collaborate, communicate their ideas, and may see their successful designs executed and on sale in a nearby department store.^[7]

Ecko has also launched multiple social activism campaigns on behalf of U.S. students, including Unlimited Justice, which seeks to eliminate corporal punishment in U.S. schools, and Stop Dissing Me, which seeks to introduce students’ voices to the education debate.^[8] (

“In the end, authenticity, to me is the measure of your actions along the axis of time. It is not a destination, it is a pursuit.” Ecko mused for FORBES magazine interview with Dan Schawbel, speaking of his book and UNLABEL: Selling you without selling out.

“Those early years of hustling my airbrushed t-shirts taught me the importance of never being emotional in the conduct of business. This is not easy, as the business I am in is about “creating emotions” with the end customer. As I always say, it is not “what you make,” but “how you make them feel.” 

(http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/10/01/marc-ecko-how-he-built-a-billion-dollar-authentic-personal-brand/)

 

Whether its his cool menswear, his street fashions, his philanthropic pursuits, Marc Ecko is an inspiration. His own words on criticism in pursuit of creation are words to keep close to a designer and creative heart:

“You can always spot a pioneer by the arrows in his back. The criticism has generally come from people who have never built anything. I am a something from nothing guy.​”

 

Sophie’s Voice, Sophie Muller’s work By David Chronister

(Screen Shot From The Killer’s Mr. BrightSide Video)

Sophie Muller is without a doubt one of the most talented women and cinematographer’s of  our time, and by contemporary standards she will be immortalized in pop-history. With Band’s like the Eurythmics and No Doubt, Garbage, The Killers, Coldplay, Maroon 5, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, The Cure, Weezer, Blur, The Strokes, & The Dixie Chicks, and Muses like Music Goddesses Annie Lennox, Gwen Stefani, Shirley Manson, Sade, Pink, newcomers like Ellie Goulding or Music master’s like Dolly Parton, or Rock/Pop Gods Chris Martin, Adam Levine, Brandon Flowers, Indie-Brit-Pop Rufus Wainwright, or Moody music-maestro’ Robert Smith of the Cure, From Soul Queen Sade to Sophie Alicia Keys

Muller’s Career is long and impressive one so far with under 100 Video’s and counting, Sophie Muller debut as unique vision and has yet to lose steam.

 

(Annie Lennox, “Why” Music Video)

After a meeting with John Stewart, Brother to Dave Stewart of the band the Eurythmics somewhere in 1982.  Sophie Muller’s aesthetic is usually centered around the song’s true meaning, and the interpretation by the singer themselves.

 

(Bjork, Venus as a Boy Video)

Bjork’s Venus as Boy video was Inspired by her favorite story from her netherland childhood , focusing around a girl cooking eggs for boy she likes.

(Hole, with Courtney Love, Miss World Video)

Sophie is different than most in the industry, returning again and again to the same artists or bands and reimagining their latest creations, while continuing a legacy, a documentation of bands expression and growth.

(Cold Play, In My Place, Video)

Sophie’s vision has almost a trance like quality that moves you through the lyrics and instruments, while perfectly editing the tracks into the visual motion on screen, every beat, kick and snare have twins in the movements on your eyes.

Sophie has an ability to show us a singers true personality, behind the lyrics, behind the Music:

(Brandon Flowers)

(Bjork, venus as a boy)

(Maroon 5, She will be loved)

In Videos like Mr. Brightside, for The Killers and She Will Be Loved,; Muller shows us a storytelling ability matched by few others, in under 5 minutes, In Mr. Brightside Brandon flowers struggles with love,

(Mr.Brightside)

and her being owned by somebody else,

In She will Be Loved, Adam agonizes over his secret fling, his girlfriends mother, her own marital domestic abuse, seeing her get slapped, the mother seducing her daughters boyfriend Adam, only to see her affair holding his girlfriend- her daughter–

(Mr. Brightside)

(She Will Be loved)

After their Debut Album,  

(Songs About Jane)

Songs about Jane , Maroon 5 had Sophie Muller direct This Love, and in true Sophie Style, her colors and camera shots were just as provacative as the songs subject matter, :

(This love, By Maroon 5)

(Adam)

(Maroon 5)

Or in the video Song Number 2 for Blur, Sophie once again captures the mood of the song, the dim lights juxtaposed with slaying guitars,

(Blur, Song Number 2)

(Blur)

(Song 2 Frames)

 

 

Don’t Speak, No doubt’s megahit from Tragic Kingdom

So it is with no supprise that she would have channeled her creations through muse like Gwen Stefani who turn to her again and again with new projects,

(Don’t Speak)

 

Gwen being an artist who also puts herself into her work, pulling down her veil

(No Doubt- Simple Kinda of Life Music Videp)

(Simple Kinda of Life)

 

and showing us her insecurities, flaws and vulnerabilities,

(Simple Kinda Life)

No Doubts Tragic Kingdom, and the featured Track, Don’t speak was a window into Gwens first heartache, Bassist Tony Kanal, to her laments about her career and married life in  Underneath it all:

Underneath it all

to her Solo Career and even 2014’s  Push and Shove and Settle Down.

Sophie:Well I guess because people love working with me! [laughing] Oh I don’t know. I think I find it strange that someone wants to work with me again, and I really like it. I’m not  the sort of person to go: ‘oh I’ve worked with them, I don’t want to work with them again’. I’m like: ‘Oh great’.

(Sophie Muller and Gwen Stefani)

Gwen Stefani probably said it best: ‘She has the gift of being able to bring out the artist’s personality, emotion and style’. She is a true conduit – talent that encourages talent.”         ( From http://www.promonews.tv/interviews/sophie-muller-talks-promo-i-still-love-what-i-do, By Luke Tierney)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spell of David LaChapelle, By David Chronister

(The cover David’s 1999 published photography book)

I would love to bring you the world of Radiant,

(Neon Chapelle)

Luminous,

(Tori Amos)

colors,  Vivid

(Bubble Pop Lady Gaga, Rolling Stone Shoot)

and Glowing,

(Eminem Fire Cracker)

with an obsession and eye all his own, David LaChapelle, photographer, videographer, cinematographer, Pop Artist Etc.

(David Lachapelle via Google image search)

“Just as Renaissance artists provided narratives for the era they lived in, so do I. I’m always looking beyond the surface. I’ve done that ever since I first picked up a camera.” – David LaChapelle – See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/12780/22-quotes-by-photographer-david-lachapelle/#sthash.ERGRuLjQ.dpuf)

David’s Photography and visual art behind the lens can only be described as visual thought , and many of the themes deal with consumerism, pop-culture, and our obsession with it, (or maybe his and my obsession with it).                                            As well a spirited and light hearted ,

the themes can be Sexy,

Rude,

( Jerry Springer, Jerry Jerry…By LaChapelle)

and sometimes Magical

(Madonna, Light Halo)

 

Dave himself  can be sensitive to his subjects spirit, capture their essence, or in the case of a celebrity, their perceived persona .  Always in a stylized often described as hyper-real visual,  David has created an impressive body of work that will capture at moments, the- not- real- life & times of our modern culture , maybe the essence of our culture, not how it is today , but perhaps how it looks to US.

(Ad World of LaChapelle)

Bullied for being gay, Dave ran away at 15 and became a bus boy at the notorious Studio 54, hired for Interview magazine in NewYork, by Andy Warhol,

(King of all Pop Art, Andy Warhol)

Dave would eventually begin his foray into the AD world, shooting for the professional giants and powerhouses:  Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Esquire, Details, NewYorkTimes and GQ.

( Lachapelle’s Eye)

David has cited his sources as Italian Baroque Painter Caravaggio and Andrea Pozzo, he is routinely inspired by several muses, among them infamous trans-bomb-shell Amanda Lepore & Carmen Carrera, others have included Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Courtney Love, No matter the project or subject, he seems to be fascinated by tragedy and beauty. In some pieces both are the subject:

( David’s Michael, art Project, Google images)

“I like thinking about the fragility of the human flesh and our bodies – our decay and eventual death.” – David LaChapelle – See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/12780/22-quotes-by-photographer-david-lachapelle/#sthash.ERGRuLjQ.dpuf

( Madonna Rolling Stone Photo shoot)

( Courtney Love, Kurt inspired)

( Trans Queen Amanda Lepore)

 

( Warhol Inspired Lepore)

For further study upon his great work, his music Videos, Magazine Covers and Art Exhibitions, a good place to start as any would be his website: http://www.davidlachapelle.com

Here are few more of his stunning Pieces:

( Pop Artist and avante garde Singer Song Witer Bjork)

 

(Cher..)

Although not without controversy, he has in years past definitely made a statement to the public, and sometimes just outright blasphemy of the Status-Quo,  such as elevating  Kanye West to Jesus, for a Rolling Stone cover:

(Kanye West, Rolling Stone)

“The tools I learned photographing celebrities, now I want to use them to sell ideas.” – David LaChapelle – See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/12780/22-quotes-by-photographer-david-lachapelle/#sthash.ERGRuLjQ.dpuf

Or his kissing sailors, right after Dont Ask Dont Tell was invoked,  on a WW2 warship reenacting the vintage Kissing saiolor photo for a Diesel Advertisement:

 

(Kissing Sailors, Diesel Ad)

“I’ve never wanted to be part of an inner circle of any scene. I’ve always been an outsider looking to question and subvert.” – David LaChapelle – See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/12780/22-quotes-by-photographer-david-lachapelle/#sthash.ERGRuLjQ.dpuf

for LaChapelle and his current work visit : (http://www.davidlachapelle.com)

Doctor Maya- By David Chronister

(Dr. Maya At a reading)

Dr. Maya Angelou is in the true essence of the word, a Doctor. Over my lifetime, at 28 years old I can say I have many people I admire, but few who are in my eyes I consider Sacred, healers, teachers. It is with deep sadness but much appreciation that I dedicate this post to my hero and teacher, and for a person who loved words there should be more words, kind ones, eloquent ones, that due her incredible life justice. I can think of no other than her own. So for this blog post I wanted to share some of the best quotes that Have inspired me over the years

:

The world has lost a great teacher, but through her enormous life it gained a whole- lotta wisdom! perhaps my favorite quote might be the value in which I as an artist has lived by my whole Life, ” I know why the Caged bird sings, it doesn’t sing because it’s caged, It sings because it has song…” – Maya Angelou

Merch. With A Mouth, By David Chronister

 

(mini Dead-Pool by foxhound30 via Deviant Art.com–(http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/collections/186351554?view_mode=2)

SKILL LEVEL 99 FOLDING!! (from reddit)

(ME, hours of endless presentation and folding)

I said MERCH with a mouth, not Merc with a Mouth, though DeadPool is a beloved Marvel Character, I meant Merch–Andiser, merchandise, Marketing associate, Merchandise execution team-member, Visual-Display associate, the Myriad of titles and names that all have to do with retail merchandising from a corporate level to a store level.

I was a lead expert in merchandising after my switch from fast-food management, line cook in a diner, dog trainer, cashier, and all of the other odd jobs I worked in my Late teens and earlier twenties. After I began as a part time sales associate in the home decor department I fell in love with the creative aspect, having wanted to be a designer since I was 5 when I the weird kid coloring on walls and obsessing over my Lite-Brite, and rearranging my room every day.

So eight years later, promotion after promotion I think I have unique understanding on the essence of what merchandising is and how effective of a tool it is in merchants toolbox.

So here are some musings on successful Merchandising:, I believe more accountability and creative freedom needs to be allocated to the store level, when I was allowed to do my own sets and visuals it made my job fun and inspiring, it made the store feel personalized which I saw directly effect the sales of the products.

Of course the rules of merchandise have the same concepts that all good designs have:

Proportion, Balance, Rhythm, Contrast, Emphasis & Focus and Harmony and Unity.(I am currently taking courses on the principles of Design, so if I am spewing text-book phrases I apologize, it just comes out.)

I also want to draw attention to bad merchandise and display principles from a corporate level, the amount of floor flows that do not consider the basics of how fabric moves, how most organza’s/silks/then textiles should not be table folds, how thick knits fold fast, especially to the lighten the work load of the employees. You don’t know how many times I have been at  a store at midnight trying to get the store back to a presentation look and wondered who design the clothing tables/merchandise fixtures, I know a suit in a corporate office who does not get the basic idea of the Golden Design Maxim: Form follows function.  

Here are some beautiful window displays from around the web that showcase the art of Merchandising, which I believe is the true essence of art, to tell a story, start a conversation and bring a little of magic into the mundane world:

(Louis Vuitton, NYC window display, via dw*c on Flickr)

(NYC Bergdorf Goodmans 2008 Holliday by wallyg via Flickr)

(By Monsier Lagerfield, for Chanel at Harrods via http://www.thebaglady.tv/2011/09/chanel_at_harro.html)

(Louis Vuitton collectors spring edition 2011 NYC, from retaildesignblog.net)

 

(Selfridges London via tobysx70 via flickr)

 

(Louis Vuitton Paris via Journaldesvitrines.com via Flickr.com)

And of coourse my favorite display was themed Alice and Wonderland done for famed designers to showcase work, among them the immortal, Alexander McQueen:

(Via my DailyBuzz.com)