Hard Truths About Photography in 2023

By in Photography

Hard Truths About Photography in 2023

Photography is a very popular business to get into, but a very difficult one in which to make a stable, successful living. Why is that? What does it take to be a successful professional? This insightful video essay features a seasoned pro discussing what it takes to find success in 2023. 

Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this important video essay discusses the difficulties that come with trying to be a modern professional photographer. Of all the great points, I think one of the most important and easily overlooked is that finding success in the field often takes personal sacrifices, some of which might be significant. The beauty of many traditional jobs is that you have a set and predictable structure, and outside the temporal boundaries of the job, you are free to do what you want. That is not the case with running your own business, though. You will find the hours often far less predictable and far more demanding. This means that you have to really ask yourself if you have enough passion to maintain the drive needed to find success. The truth is that if you can see yourself doing anything else, you should probably do that other thing instead. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Choucino. 

The Vibrant Paints + Statement Wallpapers We’re Swooning Over

By in Design

The Vibrant Paints + Statement Wallpapers We’re Swooning Over

When a designer known for having a specific panache with color and pattern collaborates with a design house known for creating mass-loved paint colors and wallpapers, you know the results are going to be exceptional. Such is the case with Carte Blanche, a new collection by designer Christopher John Rogers in collaboration with Farrow & Ball. The collaboration consists of four foundational neutrals, eight vibrant shades, and three statement-making wallpaper prints, each of them beautiful in their own way.

Even if you’ve seen hundreds of paint swatches before, we have a hunch these new hues will excite your eyes. Rogers, who is inspired by a wide range of creative sources, from artist Ellsworth Kelly to airport decor, turned to his childhood memories of food and family to create the 12 shades.

designer Christopher John Rogers

Every designer, creative, and design enthusiast knows that finding just the right color for a space can be painstakingly hard. With Carte Blanche, the search is now much easier. Below, the shades are described by the designer and design house themselves:

Christopher John Rogers mixing paint

mural painted in bedroom

green paint swatch

Hog Plum: A muddy yellow reminiscent of the sweet and sour fruit found across Central America and the Southern States.

beige painted window nook with patterned dot wallpaper

beige paint swatch

Roasted Macadamia: favorite among The Squirrels, this soft neutral is named after the nut of a similar shade.

pink painted door in living room

pink paint swatch

Shallot: A cheerful pink that takes its name from a sweeter member of the allium family widely used in Cajun cuisine.

desk and chair in corner red room

red paint swatch

Romesco: A rich, brilliant red evocative of the classic Spanish sauce, which also doubles as a favorite makeup shade.

yellow patterned shirt hanging on wooden hook

grey paint swatch

Cardamom: A rich brown inspired by the warming, versatile spice used in dishes around the world.

green door trim under staircase

green paint swatch

Raw Tomatillo: This joyful and verdant green is inspired by the fried green tomatoes made by a beloved grandmother.

orange trim window in blue painted room

blue paint swatch

Lobster: A vibrant, lively blue that takes its name from the popular Louisiana catch.

blue painted shutters with striped wall

grey-blue paint swatch

Sardine: This silver blue takes its name from a favorite afternoon snack of a much loved grandfather.

ivory painted room with two slip covered chairs and a yellow pendant lamp

ivory paint swatch

Au Lait: This soft white is inspired by the chicory coffee popular in New Orleans, often served with steamed milk.

charcoal painted room

grey paint swatch

Licorice: This deep black is that of the classic sweet created using the root of the plant from which it takes its name.

blue painted room with cobalt cabinet

blue paint swatch

Blue Maize: This deep blue is inspired by the unique hue of corn popular in Mexico and the Southern States.

blue painted room with blue pendant, blue sofa and blue rug

blue paint swatch

Pea Flower Tea: A vivid blue, this shade is named after the brightly colored drink created by infusing petals from butterfly pea flowers.

Christopher John Rogers examining wallpapers

For the graphic wallpapers, he was inspired by shapes from his own work, Bauhaus textiles, and one of Farrow & Ball’s timeless stripe designs. Each of the three wallpaper designs come in four different colorways using the colors from the Carte Blanche palette, creating a seamless collection that will translate effortlessly on blank walls.

dotted wallpaper with hung art and sculptural lamp

dotted wallpaper

Dot

checked wallpaper in dining room

checkered wallpaper

Check

green stripe wallpaper with dining table and dining chairs

stripe wallpapers

Stripe

For more information on the Carte Blanche collection, visit farrow-balk.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Photography + Review: The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, and Lauren Mayberry

By in Photography

Photography + Review: The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, and Lauren Mayberry

Posted: 15th September, 2023 by The Editor

Inside of my first car, I kept two CD’s – Hum’s You’d Prefer an Astronaut and Death Cab for Cutie’s Transatlanticism. The cigarette lighter stereo adapter never worked as intended, so I needed two options when it failed. Transatlanticism was an album that no change in job, school, partners, or other force of nature could take from me – 45 minutes that resonated deeply in mine and many others’ core. 

Admittedly, The Postal Service has become a favorite of mine over the last decade, and wasn’t as fundamental to my youth as Transatlanticism was. When “Such Great Heights” was on the radio, everyone I was involved with was “too cool for pop and electronic music”. However, as an adult, that style of music became one of my favorites and by the time I had grown to appreciate the album, the band ceased to exist. 

Luckily, that is no longer the case. Jumping forward to 2023, Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service are celebrating their two magnum opus’ by playing both records in full. Tickets for this tour sold out instantly and additional nights announced in the same city followed suit as well. For two nights, we got to celebrate 20 years of both records in Boston at MGM Music Hall connected to Fenway Park. On top of this, both nights coincided with the Red Sox playing a home game versus the Yankees – there was a lot of commotion on Lansdowne Street. 

Everyone piled into MGM, lining the staircase for merch and packing into the crowd to see Lauren Mayberry (of CHVRCHES) open the night. Lauren has previously collaborated with Death Cab for Cutie in live settings by frequently coming out to play “Brothers on a Hotel Bed” together, so it felt right for her to make her solo debut on this tour. With limited solo music out currently, Lauren joked with the crowd that “no one besides her and her mom knows these songs” but assured us they will be released soon. She will also be making rounds across the country on her own headliner this fall when it officially releases!

Right as Death Cab for Cutie took the stage and let the opening chords to “The New Year” ring, fans rushed out of the merch line and into the stadium, finally giving us a sense of how big the sold out crowd really was. The benefit of Transatlanticism being played before Give Up is that we all got to stand calmly and fully take in the slower parts of the album as they bled into one another. Not that anyone should be in the pit for Death Cab for Cutie, but 5,000 of us standing shoulder to shoulder and quietly singing along to “Lightness”, “Passenger Seat”, and “A Lack of Color” brought everyone together. That’s not to say there wasn’t excitement during “The Sound of Settling”, “Expo 86”, and “We Looked Like Giants”! As the album wrapped up, Ben announced they’d be back in 15 minutes to play Give Up.

After changing attire from all black to all white, The Postal Service took the stage right at 10pm and immediately jumped into the opening synth lead of “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”. A roaring cheer immersed from the crowd as the lights came up on Jenny Lewis when she began singing her backing vocals. During “Such Great Heights”, Ben Gibbard was seen smiling ear to ear and it’s clear that these songs still still bring him joy 20 years later. Before jumping into “Recycled Air”, Ben pointed out an audience member’s Taylor Swift shirt before joking that this was the “budget eras tour… the era tour, just one era”. While his main skill set is vocals and lead guitar, Ben did showcase his old talent for drumming by playing the outro to “Clark Gable”, “This Place is a Prison”, and “Brand New Colony”. Everyone got to dance along to Jimmy Tamborello’s electronic backing tracks throughout the playthrough of Give Up before we all came back into focus to hear the album’s closer “Natural Anthem”. While we did not see the bonus tracks “Turn Around” and “A Tattered Line of String” played for an encore, we did hear an acoustic rendition of Such Great Heights before the remaining members of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service returned to the stage to cover “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode.

This tour is one of those “if you don’t go and see this, you never will” – at least for another ten years. Death Cab for Cutie extensively tours the world and while they regularly pull out songs from Transatlanticism, it will not be played in full. On top of that, The Postal Service only returns to the stage on decade anniversaries of Give Up and a 30 year reunion isn’t guaranteed. Both albums truly transcend the time period they were released in while simultaneously pulling you back to the simpler times of 2003 and hearing both live is a reminder that we have all made it this far and will continue to be ok. 

_

Kyle Musser//

VERTO: An Architectural Outdoor Air Purification Tower

By in Design

VERTO: An Architectural Outdoor Air Purification Tower

The World Health Organization reports 99% of people living in urban areas are exposed to air quality levels that exceed safe daily limits. That means me, you, and everyone we know are breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide regularly when doing the most mundane of tasks. Indoor air purifiers are becoming an essential home health appliance, giving us the ability to counteract environmental pollution. But what about those times when you’re out and about? Studio Symbiosis’ solution takes a communal approach with VERTO, a 360-degree, multi-directional air purification system designed to improve air quality while breathing outdoors.

VERTO’s designers claim the air purifier can clean 600,000 cubic meters of air per day while also significantly reducing the levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter in the air. The catch? Just like any air purifiers, AQI diminishes the further you’re situated from the VERTO’s output.

Studio Symbiosis named their tessellated patterned tower of cleaning power concept after the word for ‘to turn’ in Greek and Latin, and indeed the 5.5-meter tall tower was designed utilizing computational fluid dynamics to optimize the purification surface area and maximum the amount of clean air it outputs. By chance, computational models optimized to clean the air also resulted in a subjectively elegant latticed tower architecture, improving the chances of public acceptance.

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“Simulation studies were conducted to attain minimum resistance and maximum surface area to achieve this optimum design. An elliptical geometry has been designed as the starting point, as this gave us the minimum resistance. The form was further developed by twisting the form, this twist in geometry channels the wind along the surface of the tower in the z direction, thereby exponentially increasing the surface area.”

Graphics explaining how the VERTO's circular form allows for 360 degree intake of air to eventually flow the filtered air outward.

Outdoor air filters already exist and serve in limited capacity to improve “outdoor” areas like underground subway stations. But filtering air in the wide open presents a challenging problem compared to that handled by an interior or partially outdoor air purification system. Optimal filtration requires a consistent and strong air exchange through a filtering membrane; inside a sealed room, that flow can be consistently controlled by air speed. But outdoors even a breeze outside can alter air quality dramatically.

Photo simulating the VERTO stationed in a large public park setting, with numerous people lounging nearby in the grass and under trees.

Close up of the VERTO's spiral lattice design in its installed park setting in New Delhi.

VERTO tackles this problem with a 360-degree design to create a difference in temperatures and pressures between the air that comes in and the air coming out, resulting in a loop around the tower that pulls warm air toward the tower. Once pulled into the VERTO, a filtering membrane removes fine airborne particulate with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10), down to 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5) before exhaling the cleansed air.

Two cropped images: 1. Close up of VERTO tower from perspective of looking up. 2. Woman walking small white dog near VERTO's air filtering tower.

VERTO has already been working to improve air quality for more than a year now for a select and fortunate few in New Delhi’s Sunder Nursery Park.

Just like a decent home air purifier, the VERTO is equipped with a variable fan set to adjust speed and energy use according to air pollution levels. The fine filter membrane is partially recyclable, requiring a replacement every six to nine months.

White lattice design VERTO air purifier tower surrounded by trees and blue skies above it.

Taking a page from the IKEA playbook, VERTO’s glass fiber reinforced concrete panels are designed to be shipped in flat pack form for eventual modular assembly on-site.

3D render of Studio Symbiosis Aũra Hive tower concept, a 60 meter tall air filtration tower rising above a foggy morning sky from a small group of trees with several other Aũra Hive towers visible in the distance.

Studio Symbiosis Aũra Hive tower concept proposed in 2019 is essentially the VERTO scaled to enormous proportions – 60-meter tall air towers engineered to purify 30 million cubic meters of air each day. That is enough to improve the air quality for a half a million people within its periphery.

Studio Symbiosis is far from going it alone in their pursuit to bring outdoor air filtration to the masses, especially in countries like India where well over a million deaths every year are attributed to poor air quality. China constructed the world’s largest air purifier to help reduce smog levels at a scale that dwarfs VERTO. Similar to VERTO, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde designed the Smog Free Tower [shown below] after living in both China and India.

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While laudable, common sense dictates corporations and countries alike would be best advised to invest in reducing pollution sources before installing outdoor air filtration devices on every corner, noting an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Featured Photographer

By in Photography

Featured Photographer

Award-winning photographer, Tony Reed, has been diving since 2009 and into the photography side of diving since 2011. He concentrates mainly on compact cameras and has won many awards over the past few years using the OM Systems (Formerly Olympus) TG series of cameras.

Tony’s most recent win was earlier this year (2023) when he took first and third places in the British Waters Compact category in the Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) competition. Two months later he won the annual BSAC Splash In competition in the compact category.

‘I am 44 years old and work in engineering mainly but also restore classic cars,’ he says. ‘For most of my weekends I try to get in the sea anywhere I can as diving and underwater photography is my passion.

‘I am lucky to live in Devon, which has the most beautiful coastline for all kinds of sea life. I do also travel across the UK exploring new sites capturing all the beautiful sea creatures it has to offer.

I learned to dive in the UK but have also done several courses worldwide; after working for a while as a guide in Dubai, I came home and concentrated on colours and composition and experimenting with all kinds of lights and equipment.

‘My ethos is simple and easy photography, and if I can help anyone else on their photography journey I usually jump at the chance, as I enjoy seeing others progress.’

Sea horse found on the south coast of Devon, taken with Olympus TG4 on macro setting using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light

Discodoris rosa nudibranch found at Porthkerris in Cornwall on a bed of star ascidians, taken with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light

A scallop side-on from Beacon Cove in Devon. Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light

Anemone shrimp found at Babbacombe, Devon. Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light

Thurlestone Rock, taken with Olympus TG4 using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light and the Weefine WFL-02 Wide lens

The resident octopus at Porthkerris in Cornwall, taken with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light 

Buddy at hope Cove in Devon with Olympus TG4 using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light and the Weefine WFL-02 Wide lens

Buddy with a jelly fish at Hope Cove in Devon using Olympus TG4,a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light and a Weefin WFL-02 Wide lens

Compass jelly fish reflection taken with Olympus TG4,a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light and a Weefin WFL-02 Wide lens

Buddy in the blue at Porthkerris, Cornwall. Olympus TG4 and a Weefin WFL-02 Wide lens using natural light.

Evening split shot using Olympus TG4, a Light & Motion Gobe 850 wide video light and a Weefine WFL-02 Wide lens

Sea Hare on kelp using Olympus TG4 in macro mode and a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video.

Tompot Benny shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Octopus eye using Olympus TG4 in macro mode with a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Nudibranch on a weedy rock shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Bobtail squid shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Babbacombe Cuttlefish shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video.

Octopus at home shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Jewel anemone from Babbacombe, Devon shot with Olympus TG4 in macro mode using a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

Tompot Blenny portrait using Olympus TG4 in macro mode with a light and motion Gobe 850 wide video light.

You can find more fantastic photos showcasing the best of British diving from Tony on Instagram @tony_reed_underwater

If you’d like to see your underwater photography published on these pages and shared across our social media feed and weekly newsletter, why not drop us a line at info@divemagazine.com.

Look: Winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023

By in Photography

Look: Winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023


Stunning shot of giant plasma arc scoops Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023

By in Photography

Stunning shot of giant plasma arc scoops Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023


CNN
 — 

A photograph of a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, has won the 2023 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for a team of amateur astronomers.

The giant arc captured by the team led by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty, in the image titled “Andromeda, Unexpected,” was a “surprising discovery” and could be the largest structure of its kind near to us in the universe, London’s Royal Observatory Greenwich, which hosts the competition, said in a statement Tuesday.

Typically, an image of a new discovery is mostly a blurry black and white image with an incomprehensible and almost invisible faint dot or spectrum, according to judge and astrophotographer László Francsics.

However, this “astrophoto is as spectacular as (it is) valuable. It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a higher level,” he said in the statement.

A team of amateur astronomers, led by Marcel Drechsler from Germany and Xavier Strottner from France, discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula. They captured a pair of stars surrounded by a common envelope at its center.

Scientists are now investigating the large object, which is in the immediate vicinity of the Andromeda Galaxy, in a transnational collaboration, according to the observatory.

Another discovery was made by a team of amateur astronomers led by Marcel Drechsler and Xavier Strottner, whose image of an ultra-deep stellar remnant in a previously unknown galactic nebula—a giant cloud of dust and gas where stars form—topped the Stars & Nebula category.

‘Strikingly beautiful’

An image of the Running Chicken Nebula—so called because it looks like a giant chicken running across the sky, according to NASA’s website—won the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award for two 14-year-old boys from China, Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang.

The nebula is located in the Centaurus constellation, about 6,000 lights year away from Earth, according to the release.

Judge and professional astronomer Yuri Beletsky described the image as “strikingly beautiful,” adding: “The photographers have managed to capture the vibrant colours of the nebula as well as the embedded star cluster.”

“This cluster contains several hot, young stars whose intense radiation causes the surrounding nebula to glow,” he continued.

Two 14-year-old boys from China won Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year for their image of The Running Chicken Nebula.

Other winners included Monika Deviat in the Aurorae category for her abstract image of an aurora in the shape of a brushstroke; Ethan Chappel in the Our Moon category for capturing the moon passing in front of Mars; Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau in the Our Sun category for snapping the sun with a huge solar filament in the shape of a question mark; and Angel An in the Skyscapes category for capturing the extremely rare phenomenon of Sprites, in which atmospheric luminescence appears like fireworks.

The innovation prize was awarded to John White for uniquely capturing the sound of the black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy using audio source material from NASA’s Chandra Sonification Project—which he played through a speaker with a petri dish attached to it.

Katherine Gazzard, Curator of Art (post-1800) at Royal Museums Greenwich, said in the release that this was her first time judging the competition and that “the winning images are absolutely stunning. It has made me look at the night sky in a new light.”

The winning images will be on display in an exhibition opening at London’s National Maritime Museum on Saturday.

Enormous Animals and Human Hybrids Interact in Enigmatic Landscapes by Bill Mayer

By in Art World News

Enormous Animals and Human Hybrids Interact in Enigmatic Landscapes by Bill Mayer

“Black Goldfish at the Cliffs.” All images © Bill Mayer, shared with permission

Reimagining European art historical genres with a special affinity for the Romanticists, artist and illustrator Bill Mayer’s wry and moody paintings (previously) merge fantastical figures with vast landscapes. From a haughty crow with insect companions to a giant goldfish overseeing a lone figure on the coast, the artist’s enigmatic scenes highlight hybrid creatures and unexpected relationships.

“The Bird-Woman” is currently part of Beinart Gallery’s Small Works 2023 exhibition, which runs September 16 through October 8 in Melbourne, and Mayer’s work will also be a part of a group show in December with Principle Gallery. Explore more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

A painting of a grow wearing 18th century garments, with beetles and ants on its shoulders and head.

“Old Crow”

A painting of a frog in a tea cup.

“Afternoon Tea”

A painting of a woman wearing a bird mask.

“The Bird-Woman”

A painting of a giant black swan in a coastal landscape.

“The Black Swan”

A painting of two fairy-like female figures on top of a giant snail.

“La Caracol”

A painting of a giant praying mantis in the foreground of a vast landscape.

“Mantis”

A painting of a giant beetle in the foreground of a vast landscape.

“Ringo, the Beatle”

A painting of a monkey wearing royal garments, an eye in the palm of its raised hand.

“The Monkey’s Paw”

A painting of a giant black-and-yellow beetle in the foreground of a landscape.

“When Insects Rule the World (Beetle)”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Enormous Animals and Human Hybrids Interact in Enigmatic Landscapes by Bill Mayer appeared first on Colossal.

F5: Morris Adjmi Appreciates Shaker Design, Industrial Landscapes + More

By in Design

F5: Morris Adjmi Appreciates Shaker Design, Industrial Landscapes + More

Morris Adjmi, founder and principal of Morris Adjmi Architects, has found the sweet spot between traditional and contemporary architecture that delights both forward-thinking developers and history-minded preservationists. What Morris is best at is revitalizing post-industrial neighborhoods and historic districts with architecture that bridges the past and the present. MA specializes in interpreting the forces that shape cities to create buildings that may not feel like they’ve always been there, but like they should have always been.

Morris’s passion for historic and industrial architecture was formed by the cast-iron French Quarter balconies and Creole cottages in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. “Growing up, I spent countless hours drawing the buildings, balconies, and ornate ironwork of the French Quarter,” he reminisced. “However, when I started my formal studies at Tulane, I came to understand that the city’s diverse and distinct buildings, as much as I loved them, belonged to a specific moment in time and were part of the city’s history.”

It was a pivotal realization that directed Morris’s philosophy moving forward. “I decided I didn’t want to imitate the buildings that I loved, but it felt essential to learn from them. So, I dedicated my thesis to investigating vernacular housing in New Orleans – Creole cottages, shotguns, townhouses – in order to find a deeper understanding of the type that went beyond historicism or style and could be used to develop an architecture that belonged to my moment in time; not just an architecture that resonated with me personally, but with twentieth-century New Orleans.”

Morris’s style was further refined in New York and Milan during a 13-year collaboration with Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Aldo Rossi. “Of all the architects I had studied up to that point, it seemed that Rossi’s sensibilities were closest to my own. When I met him I was certain of it,” Morris stated. “In 1980, I enrolled in the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York, specifically to take an advanced design workshop with Aldo. I had the good fortune to not only study with him that year, but to work with him soon after on a competition project in Milan. The job was supposed to last a few weeks, but a few weeks turned into a few years, and a few years turned into a professional partnership that lasted more than a decade.”

Morris Adjmi

Morris Adjmi Architects was opened in 1997, built on a foundational experience wherein Morris updated a European approach into one more fit for the modern American city. Today, his work is known for its thoughtful historical engagement, interpretation of industrial forms, and creative expression of materials. MA’s integration of tradition and innovation has created a body of work that is sometimes subtle, often bold, and always deeply imbued with a sense of place and purpose.

The architect’s love of process and personal experience have also pushed him towards art. Morris has developed a series of small sculptures over the past few years, objects shaped in clay that are then cast in bronze. “It’s a fun project that allows me use my mind and hands in a different way,” he shared.

“There’s always stimulation in art and I love to draw on that in my design process. Our office is full of Rossi’s artwork and early prototypes, as well as more contemporary pieces from my personal collection,” Morris said. “To keep our space fresh and dynamic, MA’s Manhattan office has served as a space for rotating art exhibitions for the past 10 years or so, showcasing the work of painters, photographers, sculptors, and other artists whose ideas resonate with the firm’s values. These exhibitions not only enrich our practice, but also create a platform for connecting clients, artists, and others to inspire collaboration and build community.”

The exhibition program evolved naturally into an established in-house Art Services department in 2019, developing and delivering art programs that respond directly to the firm’s architecture and interior designs. It’s been catching on, and MA recently delivered significant art programs for two large multifamily projects: Front & York in Dumbo, Brooklyn and The Asher in Tampa [Florida]. There’s also something in the works for The Huron in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Today, Morris Adjmi joins us for Friday Five!

interior space decorated with shaker style furniture

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Massachusetts Photo:: Universal Images Group North America LLC / Alamy Inc.

1. Shaker Design

In a fast-paced world driven by excess and instant gratification, Shaker design reminds me of the value of restraint and mindful consumption. Their furniture, architecture, and products showcase simplicity, economy, proportion, and honesty, blending both modern and traditional elements while remaining durable and timeless. Despite their minimalistic approach, Shaker pieces exude warmth and depth, telling a story and inviting us to appreciate the beauty of simple, thoughtful design. The design is minimal yet imbued with love and soul, reflecting qualities we should strive to create and live with.

old book cover reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2. Books

My fondest memories as a teenager are sitting in my room listening to music and reading an encyclopedia. My appreciation for reading books has only grown. I love all kinds of books – fresh books that smell like ink and transport us to another world. Or the musty ones found at a neighborhood shop that are filled with picture plates tipped in. Books provide an escape but also a way to connect to others. A favorite of mine will always be The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

album cover with an illustrated banana reading Andy Warhol

3. Music

Music has the ability to transport us to a different time through memories of past listens or place/space through the music itself. For me, listening can be passive or active but it’s always therapeutic. I appreciate a wide range of music from ambient to punk to R&B to opera. An album that’s never left the rotation is The Velvet Underground & Nico.

two pieces of square art, one green and one light pink

Marlon Mullen + CJ Chueca Photo: Morris Adjmi

4. Art

Art is a constant inspiration for my architecture and a stimulus for thought and research. What I love about art is that it’s immediate and reflects who we are now and provides a way to connect us. Art is more and more reflecting our social consciousness, which is a good thing but in the end it’s still about beauty. Our office is filled with art, including pieces from my personal collection, such as the Marlon Mullen and C.J. Chueca works shown here.

industrial landscape

Perth Amboy Factory Photo: Morris Adjmi

5. Industrial Landscapes

Industrial landscapes always excite me – whether in a Becher photograph or seen from a window, like this factory I captured through a train window while passing through Perth Amboy, New Jersey. I love the history; the forms inspired by production and engineered for efficiency. I also love that these landscapes have transcended their original purpose. Sometimes active and sometimes fallow with nature reclaiming her space, I find them to be beautiful, nostalgic, and poetic.

Work by Morris Adjmi Architects:

large city skyline at sunset

30 East 31st Photo: Selvon Ramsawak

styled hotel lobby with curbed black leather sofa and abstract piece of art

Asher – ROOST Tampa Photo: Matthew Williams

rendered city skyline at dusk

The Huron Rendering Credit: Redundant Pixel

styled interior space with green and wood sofas, a marble fireplace surround, and white abstract art

Front & York Photo: Nicole Franzen

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

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