natalia ilyin

The Southerners say that what you do on New Year's Day you'll do the whole year long. That's why, upon hearing a light tapping at the front door of the cottage, I'll push back crisp sheets, pad across the bamboo floor and open the door to pick up the breakfast tray. The sun will be warming whitewashed walls bright with bougainvillea. The breeze will rustle, faintly jasmine. They'll get my omelette right. I've mastered the espresso maker in the kitchen and island-roasted coffee waits on the shelf. Clambering back into down pillows and comforters, a fresh sheaf of magazines on one side, a pile of fresh croissants on the other, I'll sample both till the trainer taps on the door. A light workout by the plunge pool, a few laps, a luxurious massage, a little reading, a little tapping on the old computer keys, a stroll to dinner with friends and a walk in the balmy moonlight.... would it get tiresome the whole year long? Let's try it and see.

I'm seriously considering this little junket. If you look at the list of participants, you will note that it is a fine opportunity to get to know some of the best minds in European design. Shall we? Check your frequent flyer miles and get back to me.

Here's the information from Jacek Mrowczyk:

The Design Department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice cordially invites all design teachers, researchers, students, alumni and professionals to participate in our 2nd International Design Conference. Entitled "Responsibility in Graphic Design," it will be held January 14-15, 2010 in Katowice at the Roundabout Art Gallery. Accompanying workshops will be held January 11-13.

The registration deadline is December 30, 2009

Participants include:
Filip Bla¸ek - Lex Drewinski - Jonathan Barnbrook - Marjatta Itkonen - Krzysztof Lenk - Karel van der Waarde - and others--


Goals and objectives:
The focus of this conference and workshops is on the notion of "responsibility" as it relates to graphic design professionals and teachers, attitudes in design practice, and scope and methods of education. The conference brings together an international group of academics, students, and professionals. We invite everyone who is interested in shaping civic attitudes and teaching responsible design to take part in the lectures and discussions. Our main objective is to direct the attention of participants to their own work strategies, curricula and teaching methodology, and to inspire research and projects that reflect current thinking on socially responsible graphic design.

For more information and registration form:
http://conference.aspkat.edu.pl/2009/

Today I have been informed that Pantone is pleased to announce PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, "an inviting, luminous hue", as Color of the Year for 2010.

We are told that "Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing."

Ok. So. How did Pantone decide what turquoise means? The inspiration of tropical waters and thoughts of comforting escape are nice, but they are not the things of which I first think whenever I look at turquoise. How much of Pantone's assertion about the "meaning" of this color is what they've researched about people's psychological associations with it, and how much is what Pantone wants the stressed producers of fashion and interiors in a lousy economy to believe so that they'll feel safe in using the color in the hope that it will attract someone to their products?

As a semiotician, I feel bound to find out how Pantone arrives at its decisions about what colors mean. Luckily, I happen to know that color consultant Leatrice Eiseman, who has published books with Pantone, lives on my small island. I do not know her, but I will track her down and ask her how she thinks Pantone creates these decisions about meaning.

I rerun this Valentine's Day post since it is on the subject of gift-giving, a touchy subject always. Just substitute "Xmas" for "Valentine's Day" and it should work, though there's so much more to Xmas in terms of cultural storytelling, but I need to be working on something else right now so can't go into it unless someone responds who really wants to dig through.

xxx
It's Valentine's Day.
Time to remind you that men and women view gifts differently. Speaking generally, men give and like to receive tools, while women give and like to receive symbols. This is why many suburban husbands hate Valentine's Day. It's a day of Symbols. They like to give and receive Tools.

Conversely, women generally love Valentine's Day. It is a day of Symbols. (more…)

Last night one of my sisters came to town, so we three went down to a convenient carol sing and belted out a few tunes. None of us is much of a singer, but that seems to make little difference to any of us. And there's something about related vocal chords that makes a nice harmony. When we get together, we often sing. And last night, out of the blue, we sang a song a capella that we had known in childhood. Oddly, having not thought of it for twenty years, we all remembered all the words. Or maybe not so oddly, because it is so timely.

It really is as much an anti-war song as a Christmas Song, written by Longfellow during the Civil War. Lest we forget amid the tinselling and lighting, we have a couple wars going on right now. So if you find yourself in a sudden carolling situation, I recommend "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

And here's a stanza that is sad, and so not always included, which is the fifth stanza, a couple before the triumphal ending. But what is a triumphal ending if you've avoided the sad stanza before it? So here it is:

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.