Inspired By Diamonds. The Stellar Mirror By Jake Phipps.

Thanks to Core 77, I've been introduced to this eye-catching faceted mirror, the Stellar mirror, by designer Jake Phipps. (note: on the Core 77 blog they called it the Spectrum Mirror, but on his own site, Jake has deemed it the Stellar Mirror).

The wreath like wall mirror takes inspiration from the physical attributes of cut diamonds*. The mirror’s reflective qualities, whilst crisp and pure at its center, radiate out with a ring of 750 individually sized and angled mirrored sections, breaking down the light and the surrounding environment, delivering it to the eye as one sparkling entity.



This optical dispersion means that as the ambiance of the mirror’s environment changes throughout the day, so too does its color and luster, creating an ever changing focal point to a room.



Dimensions: 110cm diameter x 9 cm depth
Weight: 40kg
Limited Edition of 25

The mirror is available to buy directly from the studio.

*In diamonds, cut is the primary determinant of value followed by clarity and colour. Diamonds are meant to sparkle, to break down light into its constituent rainbow colours (dispersion) chop it up into bright little pieces (scintillation) and deliver it to the eye (brilliance). In its rough crystalline form, a diamond will do none of these things, it requires proper fashioning and this is called "cut".

The "Fun"ctional art of Nicola L. Whimsical Aquariums & Furniture

French born Nicola L. (that's right, just an L. for the last name) is a conceptual artist who creates everything from performances, films and functional art. Having had a hugely prolific career for over five decades, she has shown in many galleries and has a clear affinity for heads, eyes and snails as you can see from some of her functional art pieces I've chosen to share with you below. Some of the following pieces were created as editions and may still be available for purchase via the galleries listed at the end of this post.

Heads:


above: plexi head fish tank

above: head aquarium and bar

above: detail

above: head library

above: wooden head bookcase

above: green head sofa

above: white vinyl head sofa

above: little heads tables

above: plexi head planter

above: giant head fountain

above: little fire head

above: giant fire head

above: the 12 faces rug

Eyes:

above: plexi eye ceiling lamp

above: Glass eye coffee table

above: large plexi eye wall lamp

above: plexi eye wall lights and lips floor lamp

Snails:

above: snail birdcage

above: blue snail sofa

above: snail wardrobe cabinet

above: snail table on snail rug

above: snail bed reflected in snail mirror

The artist:


A bit about her:
In the thirty years since her first exhibitions, Nicola L. has returned to the body on numerous occasions, producing extremely limited editions of lamps, see-through planters, aquariums, storage containers, tables, and her famous "Femme Commode" and "Femme Coffre Fort".

She had her first show at Daniel Templon Gallery Paris in 1969, followed by many exhibitions in european galleries and museums, with also a show in New York at Wadell Gallery in 1973. She moved to New York in 1979 where her functional work was featured between 1986 and 2004 in numerous galleries including: Alan Moss, Vrej Baghoomian, Peder Bonier, Wooster Projects and also recently at Twentieth Gallery in L.A. She is currently showing her work at Galerie Patricia Dorfmann, Galerie Pierre Alain Challier, and Galerie Catberro in Paris. Her last show in New York City was a retrospective at Ingrao Gallery in 2006.

Nicola’s work is frequently featured in auctions at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams & Butterfield. Her work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Beaubourg, Antwerpen Museum of Contemporary Art, The Museum of Modern Art of Glasgow, The Collection of The Frac Bretagne and many private American and European collections.



Recently, in 2008 she has had two shows in Paris, in April and May 2008, respectively, "Planet Eye" at Galerie Pierre Alain Challier, and "Functional Art 1989-2008" at Galerie Catberro, Paris.


above: THE RED COAT FOR 11 PEOPLE (1969) Last performance for Canal Plus+ at Galerie Favardin de Verneuil, Paris, Sept. 30th 2008

She is also continuing the performance with The Blue Cape, named now "The Blue Cape Of Human Rights".

The Book:



Buy it here


Learn more about Nicola here and see more of her work here.

Burke Decor Has What's Hip For Your Home

Burke Decor could very well be your one stop shopping for all things hip for the home. Whether you need furnishings for the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, or livingroom, -even for the baby's room-- they've got it.

The brainchild of Erin E. Burke, it's an online retailer who stocks such hip brands as Modern Dose, ibride, Bliss Studio, Denyse Schmidt, Paul Thomas, RE:surface lighting, Graham & Brown, House Eclectic and so many more.

With the convenience of online shopping and the feel of a boutique, you could buy everything from rugs and pillows to furniture and photography from this place! They make it super easy by taking major credit cards and paypal, offering flat rate shipping of $6.00 for items under $50.00 and free shipping on items over $50.00 for the contiguous 48 states.

Below are a few of my favorite items available from Burke Decor.

House Ecletic's colorful take on the famous Eames Time life stools:


Custom wood items by Akemi Tanaka:


Hand-tufted New Zealand Wool rugs in many colors, sizes and styles:



ibride's animal shaped shelving:


Fun shower curtains by Izola:


Pillows of every kind by many popular manufacturers:


Simrin table linens, coasters, trays and platters:


Wonderful modern quilted bedding for both baby and adult from Denyse Schmidt:



Lots of fun lighting:



They have a large selection of wallpaper and wall coverings, too:



And tons of miscellaneous decorative items:


And they have so much more. Be sure to check out their many items and you can get 10% off their purchase simply by entering "GETIT" when you check out!

Start hipping up that home of yours now!
Shop Burke Decor