Antiques
New Sydney Gallery of Grace and Style
On the verge of a temperate Sydney Spring, Martyn Cook (Antiques) and Thomas Hamel (Design) last night (August 31) gave family, friends and colleagues a real treat, a preview glimpse of the splendid new decorative arts gallery venture they have embarked on together, which will open to everyone very soon.
A line up of limousines blocked [...]
WHAT IS: Fashion, more than a Frock?
Fashionable costume encompasses all that we wear, including the previously unmentionable undergarments. They have been on show, in the past few decades, on a scale far beyond those who founded the world of fashionable couture could have possibly imagined. From skinny self sacrificing super models to those demanding the use of ‘real people’, costume accommodates a desire to be noticed. It is the look at me, look at me syndrome, which has been in play for thousands of years. Today it collectively reflects a western society in which privacy has been stripped completely bare. But is fashion about more than a frock?
WHAT IS: A Mirror, more than Glass?
The mirror, more than just glass, has occupied a unique place in his imagination as a site of the divine or demonic, of lucidity or madness. It is the ‘matrix of the symbolic’ and accompanies the human quest to know and understand our identity.
WHAT IS: Arts and Crafts
In England, during the second half of the nineteenth century, painter, writer, textile designer and social activist William Morris (1834-1896) became the spiritual leader of a revival in arts and crafts that encompassed all the visual arts, including architecture and interiors.
WHAT IS: Modernism
Modernism is a term the art and design community of the contemporary western world has adopted to describe a diverse range of architectural and interior decorative styles, as well as applied and graphic arts, which were created between 1880 and 1940 on an international scale.
Modernism demands that there is a distinction between interior architecture and [...]
WHAT IS: Art Deco
Art Deco was the perfect expression of the salons at Paris during the 20’s to the 30’s. It embraced every area of design and the decorative arts including architecture, interiors, furniture, jewellery, painting and graphics, bookbinding, costume, glass and ceramics. Art Deco was about integrating contemporary living with art, and turning life into art, against those consciously working for the undoing of art and its purpose was enjoyment.
Men Moving Forward – Martyn Cook Antiques
Great design, fine craftsmanship and quality materials are essential ingredients for producing an enduring work of art in any age. This is a concept leading Australian antiques dealer Martyn Cook has championed and celebrated in his elegant gallery, Martyn Cook Antiques on Queen Street Woollahra at Sydney for over two decades.
FREE – Six Online Videos – Evolution Art, Design & Style
We’re delighted to announce that for a limited time only, we’re offering the first six parts of our acclaimed course of study, the EVOLUTION OF ART, DESIGN & STYLE to you and your friends absolutely free. We invite your participation and welcome your comment. You can watch them on your computer and enjoy the sumptuous imagery and beautiful music.
Residence – Profile of a Stylish Designer
Residence splendidly showcases the ability of Sydney based international designer Thomas Hamel to produce an interior that accommodates the needs of the client in a timelessly elegant and unforgettable way. This beautiful illustrated volume provides an insight into some of his favourite projects. Chapters are accompanied by a description of the design process used in each transformation
Ming to Mayhem – Wares of the China Trade
The enthusiasm the English, European and American trade market displayed for oriental goods from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries inspired the invention of porcelain in the west and established the whimsical stylistic language known as Chinoiserie, which affected designs for architecture, interiors and gardens.
