A weekend viewing of Risky Business starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay inspired today’s post. In case you haven’t seen this 1983 film directed by Paul Brickman, it focuses on high school student Joel (Cruise), specifically his shady pursuits after his parents leave town on vacation. Trouble begins with the arrival of a prostitute named Lana, played by De Mornay. A Neon Noir gem of a film, Risky Business earned praise from critics like Roger Ebert, who compared the movie to The Graduate, calling it “one of the smartest, funniest, most perceptive satires in a long time.” We couldn’t help but be drawn to Rebecca De Mornay’s wardrobe and the hypnotic soundtrack from Tangerine Dream…
Gymnastic Wear With ’80s Flair
I have my friend Art to thank for today’s post! He brought this gallery of headless rhythmic gymnasts to my attention, and once I got a glimpse of the body-contorting fun, it became clear that some of the leotards were a little bit ’80s… So in the spirit of the 2012 Summer Olympics, here are some amazing pics and flashy ensembles for your viewing enjoyment! Heads are optional.
’80s Interior Design Inspiration
Today we celebrate ’80s interior design with the help of Sheffield School, which offers distance education programs in interior design and design-related fields. It turns out the school’s first year of business was 1985, and their website includes a fabulous, image-filled article on the Larger Than Life 80s! Sheffield Dean and interior designer Thomas Saxon looks back at our favorite decade, noting trends like an emphasis on the exotic and the eclectic, as shown in the living room above.
A Very ’80s Olympic Games
So we know the controversy over the logo for the 2012 Olympic Games has fizzled by now. But in honor of the start of the Summer Olympics, let’s take a few minutes to revel in the the glory that is the London 2012 logo. Seriously–how have we not talked about this yet?! Part Memphis-Milano, part New Wave, this is the logo that people love to hate. Or in our case, love to love!
Friday Video Pick: “Everybody Everybody” by Black Box
When did you first realize the ’80s were on their way out? Did you notice an abundance of music video mavens with thick eyebrows, red lipstick and a fitted black wardrobe? Or perhaps you experienced a retro revival as clothing and jewelry began featuring patterns and motifs from the ’60s and ’70s. And while house music was brewing well before the ’90s, maybe you turned on the radio and heard the first mainstream evidence of this “new” genre that featured soulful singing and prominent piano chords. Guess what? For today, Mirror80 becomes Mirror90 with a music video that features all of the elements mentioned above!
An ’80s Southwestern House
There’s been a renewed interest in “ugly” ’80s houses. You know, homes that are on the market but haven’t been redecorated since our favorite decade… By the way, we at Mirror80 see these homes as museums! Today we explore the ugly duckling phenomenon in reference to ’80s design. Because we think some of these decorative flourishes are about to blossom into beautiful swans! Thanks to a Curbed article that spotlighted a four-bedroom Mediterranean-style home for sale in Tucson, Arizona, we have some amazing images to showcase. The home is for sale through Sotheby’s International Realty. I wonder if they’d ever auction off any of this fabulous furniture…
Preparing for an ’80s Photo Shoot
I spent some time this weekend collaborating with talented photographer Peter Tung, a good friend who has organized two ’80s-themed photo shoots for this coming week in Austin, Texas! We are thrilled to be featuring retro finds from Austin-based vintage clothing store New Bohemia. They consistently offer amazing ’80s pieces like rompers, tank tops, dresses and large plastic jewelry (the white necklace above is one of my personal purchases from New Bohemia). Add the expertise of stylist Matthew Klimek of Butterfly Entertainment, and this promises to be an ’80s-fabulous shoot!
Where to Buy ’80s Art
An explosion of 1980s art Tumblrs and graphic design references has made it clear that the ’80s are back like never before! This week we’ve taken a look at some online destinations for cutting edge images from our favorite decade. You know where to see the art, but what if you want to hang it on your walls? Today we wrap up Art Week at Mirror80 with a look at where to buy ’80s artwork.
10 Awesome ’80s Art Tumblrs!
So much ’80s art, so little time… Two years ago when I started this blog, I had to search long and hard to find 1980s images online. I knew every ’80s design pic by heart, and I added my share of new images to the mix, but I yearned for the day when a 1980s revival would reach the realms of art and interior design. That day has arrived, and my head is exploding (and I couldn’t be happier about it)! ’80s art Tumblrs are popping up left and right, and we’re here to spotlight 10 of the best! A special thanks to my friends Art and Afshar for leading me to some of my favorite Tumblrs on this list. You won’t want to miss what follows…
’80s Art Week Begins!
This week at Mirror80, we celebrate the 1980s art revival that has exploded in recent months. And we couldn’t be happier about it! Thanks to a slew of Tumblrs featuring ’80s art and graphic design pieces, a renewed interest in this visually rich era is finally taking flight! In future posts, we’ll point you to some stellar ’80s art Tumblrs and highlight current artists who are creating ’80s-style pieces. We’ll also show you where to buy 1980s art, and most importantly, we’ll revel in the awesomeness of geometry, grids and unparalleled color combinations…
