|
|
in our final week of april in venice, you have surely wondered why so much talk of venice and so little talk of glass?? such as:
 (milan tile maker paola orsoni’s venetian glass tile creations – click photo to read) or
 (my prized possession of colorful handblown glasses by carlo moretti) which can be found in my favorite shop in venice – carlo moretti’s showroom, l’isola
 (a modern/classical nook surprisingly near the san marco square – click photo to read)  (the shop moved in 2013, but the previous shop was a modern cavern that glowed from the reflection of incredible glassware) & from the design perspective of venetian royalty is the collection by gilberto arrivabene:
 (click photo for the story of the arrivabene family palazzo- legendary and hauntingly beautiful) however, joann locktov’s fifth and final tale of venice unfolds today, straight from the pages of the decorating diva, a surprising tale of 2 sisters (susanna and marina sent) who have returned to their roots in murano and their glass making heritage after venturing into other worlds of art. the sent sisters ask their audience to rethink the use of glass as body adornment. i use that term, because jewelry doesn’t quite seem to describe the sculptural works these gifted sisters have managed to forge around the human form:
 (the sent sisters from murano forcing us to rethink the wonders of their ancestry: hand blown glass) (please click photo to read more about the sent sisters and their irresistible works of art)
we’ve hardly touched the surface of the beauty and history of one of the greatest cities in the world. it’s good to know that daily, anyone can catch up on the best of venice here: https://www.facebook.com/DreamOfVenice
arrivederci!
i’d been enjoying filling my venice pinboard with various photo finds when i was caught off-guard (so to speak) by this photo of katherine in venice. but what was the backstory??
 (click for photo resource) after doing a bit of research- i found the tale- and it was a good one…(click here to read). i’m hunting down this movie so i can enjoy each and every scene!
i consider myself a trendy sort- not something to necessarily brag about. but always good to embrace your truths, ya know?
with venice, even the expected remains magical. i like to tell anyone planning a visit to venice, one must always:
- make your entry from the santa lucia railway into venice via water taxi.
- take a gondola tour.
- have champagne at 4PM on the san marco square.
mike welton of architects+artisans describing the author of this month’s april in venice series:
Though some may consider JoAnn Locktov a contemporary diva dedicated to the realm of fine ceramic tiles and mosaics, in fact she is a publicist, a Venetophile and a writer who’s editing a new book on Venice, with photographs by Charles Christopher.
where does the lady find the time? and it is here at- https://www.facebook.com/DreamOfVenice that you can find a charming miscellany of venetian news such as:
- a venetian risotto recipe featuring bruscandoli, the tips of hops, that are only available in april.
- recent photos of the newly restored gritti palace.
- an american’s personal journey as a gondolier, as shared in the new yorker.
joann shares daily news (often hourly) of the city and residents of venice, from her unique insider’s perspective. today, we continue with more of joann’s observations of modern venice:
 (Venice Biennale 2012: ConVivência: Lucio Costa and Marcio Kogan / Brazil Pavilion – Peep) please click here to read more
 (modern, as only venice can be…please click for more & resources) venice is numinous. it surely has something to do with the water. and this quality seems to cast a veil or maybe even a lens that somehow transforms or refines all the architectural structures -whether historic or contemporary- into something worthy of reverence.
in my own fairy tale realm, you know, the one where i spend the spring and early fall of each and every year in the 5th floor of a looming palazzo- that fantasy- i get to live out one of my deepest creative affections; embracing the modern within an historic setting or vice versa. give me a relic furnished with saarinen and eames or tadao ando with a smattering of a few choice antiques – and that’s my idea of paradise.
i must not be the only one that loves that contrast. perhaps it’s a key factor for the continuous appeal of the 1895 fortuny-inspired venice biennale? for more than a century the biennale has drawn the most avant-garde from the edges of the modern world into the venerable parameters of venice. it continues to be one of the most anticipated art events in the world.
and venice’s architectural biennale is equally as prestigious. today, in this first of two posts from bella figura communications, joann locktov, an exploration of how the modern architecture of venice via 20th century masters such as Carlo Scarpa, Santiago Calatrava, Tadao Ando, and Aldo Rossi continues to check the pulse of modern architecture in a setting of historic dna. joann shares a “must” tour on your next journey to the city of water.
 peggy guggenheim collection (photos courtesty andrea sarti www.cast1466.com) 
(please click photos to tour contemporary venice with joann and mike welton of architects+artisans)
and be sure to return to tile envy tomorrow for part IV of april in venice…
yesterday was venice in blue- but today teal looks just as good…
 (visit our pinterest for more on venice and photo sources)
urban decay- venetian style.
prior to last year’s venice biennale, a visit to the church of san lorenzo would have been a teetering waltz through artifactual debris; broken tiles, items of sacrament and bones.
yup, bones.
today, part II of tile envy’s “april in venice” series is a visit to this 9th (yes 9th!) century structure as shared via joann locktov of bella figura communications.
and this tale is one that warms my heart in so many ways. it’s a modern-day miracle. an undertaking that was the advent of an artistic spirit and an artistic budget. you see? art has the ability to pay off in oh-so many ways…
 (please click on photo to read more about this grand unveiling at architects+artisans)
along with anthropologie- i’ve been sporting my own ruan hoffmann tiles (all day, right in the palm of my hand)….
and you, too, can have your choice of ruan, john, studio h, pw.travelogue, il monile, etc.
pinch me, already! clé is now being featured at anthropologie in their wall art collection!!
6 heart-stopping tiles by the renowned ruan hoffmann, no less. looking for a new tile crush? go no further…
 (and be sure to click on the blue swatches to see all 6)
i think it’s a first for anthropologie, featuring tile as art, in their wall decor section. but even if it’s not, it’s a first for clé and an official red-letter day in our tile studio. we enjoy our treasured ruan tiles placed on our sofa for safely and artfully supporting a fresh cup of tea! (every home should have one!) and for those of you who like to think BIG, one such client just completed an entire kitchen floor with ruan’s tiles! we were all swooning over their massive good taste.
stretching the realm of design+art+retail, just got that much better! thanks, anthropologie!!
|
|
