I'm bookmarking the recently-launched Burning Settlers Cabin as a source of future inspirado. They seem to have a knack for digging up intriguing retro-inspired design— stuff you aren't likely to see carried by the mainstream design blogs (and thus reposted a hundred times).
Eric Nitsche, April issue of Gebrauchsgraphik, 1956
Oh and they are Mary Blair fans. Score.
Kitchen Appliances, Montgomery Ward 1953 Catalog
((It's a pity, its authors, AdamsMorioka, have a (arguably unnecessary) Flash-only site...))
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Nick — Sep 8, 2009
You may not know who Mary Blair is, but chances are you recognize her work. Blair helped develop the memorable style of Disney's Alice in Wonderland and later provided the illustrations for several Golden Books.
Truly one of my favorite illustrators. I really admire Blair's grasp of color.
Her palettes start with these natural, desaturated colors that she layers over with bright, decidedly unreal hues. Everything ends up being so well-balanced on the page. It gives her pieces this great blend of the mundane and the fantastic.
I think a lot of illustration today practically assaults the viewer. The linework is slick and often heavy; colors are too-bright against a minimal field. By contrast, Blair's is more contemplative-- there is restraint at work.
Most of all, I dig Blair's forms: that strong, yet fluid, "gestural geometry" I find so appealing in artists like Modigliani and Matisse and in contemporary illustrators like Bruce Timm. (I think it speaks to the architect in me.)
Cynics might dismiss her work as "cute", but Mary Blair was ahead of her time. Look at all the work today that is inspired by Disney animation --Pixar, for example. Blair's legacy is a part of that.
For more examples of Blair's work, check out these collections on Flickr and Drawn!.
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Nick — Sep 3, 2008
