When I began watching MTV at my neighbor’s house at the young age of five, I must admit that I had little patience for this video. OK, so I shouldn’t be too hard on myself–I was a couple of years out of preschool. It was 1981, the debut year of the famous music television network, and videos were a brand spanking new medium. And as time went on and this Talking Heads video continued to be featured, I likely changed the channel in hopes that when I switched back, something like “Mickey” by Toni Basil would be playing. Little did I know that Toni Basil was the choreographer of “Once in a Lifetime,” today’s Friday Video Pick.
Search Results for: '80s art
Friday Video Pick: “My Ever-Changing Moods” by The Style Council
So it’s a few days past Friday, but a bad case of vertigo prevented me from blogging on the day this post was supposed to go live! And this song is just too good to pass up… Today we spotlight The Style Council, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Paul Weller (formerly of The Jam) and keyboardist Mick Talbot.
Acrylic Dining Sets
One look at the furniture featured in today’s post, and you may assume these pieces are straight out of the ’80s. Strangely, even the pictures have a retro quality. To everyone’s surprise, these acrylic dining sets from Muniz Plastics are brand spanking new…honestly, we’re a bit confused, but it’s a blissful fog! ’80s-style Deco furniture is being manufactured once again?! We should throw a party and bring our crystal swans to decorate the tabletops!
The Work of Architecture at Large
Today we’re thrilled to spotlight the work of Rafael de Cárdenas, founder of Architecture at Large, a resource for design vision and execution focused on residential and commercial interiors, architecture, furniture and integrated objects. Stunning color and bold geometry are key qualities of Architecture at Large pieces and interiors. We can’t help but see undertones of 1980s Memphis-Milano motifs!
Friday Video Pick: “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by the Pet Shop Boys
For today’s Friday Video Pick, we spotlight the Pet Shop Boys’ “What Have a I Done to Deserve This?,” a track featuring the vocals of Dusty Springfield. Filmed in a music hall, this 1987 video makes use of chorus girls and theater curtains to keep the action moving, then culminates in a dramatic stage finale.
Friday Video Pick: “So Unreal” by LA Vampires Featuring Matrix Metals
Today’s Friday Video Pick is a new piece that’s exploding with ’80s motifs. Grids, LaserDiscs, Trapper Keeper-ish graphic design and references to artist Patrick Nagel are a few of the many 1980s flourishes packed into this six-minute style fest featuring LA Vampires. There’s even a plasma ball that may as well have been plucked from the shelves of The Sharper Image in all of its electrified glory.
Swatch Watch Mania!
They are works of art with a wristband. They are slices of ’80s graphic design heaven. They are Swatch Watches, and they’re back! Did you wear two Swatches at once? Did you own a Swatch guard? After all, who needs to see the face of your watch if you can protect it with a neon statement in rubber. The good news: thanks to eBay, Etsy and vendors like SwatchandBeyond.com, you can hunt down the Swatch that got away.
Shades of Liz Claiborne
Liz Claiborne purses took the ’80s by storm with their geometric motifs and vast range of colors. Whether the triangles were raised or printed in dark outlines on the purses, the effect was equally fabulous. And now these little gems are back! With the help of Etsy friends and color schemes from Adobe website Kuler, we celebrate the multi-hued possibilities of Liz Claiborne.
Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan
In honor of acclaimed indie director Whit Stillman’s new film Damsels in Distress, we travel back to the year 1990 and revisit his very first movie, the beloved Metropolitan. The plot is simple: a group of upper class college students on winter break navigate the social waters of New York’s debutante season. Long, puffy formal wear and Upper East Side apartments reflecting late ’80s elegance are screen staples, and an amazing script (written by Stillman) earned this gem of a film an Oscar nomination.
Acrylic Furniture Finds
I recently started a new gig writing for the online design magazine Decoist. The site features interesting architecture and interior design finds, how-to advice for maintaining a stylish home, exciting new products, and collections of design strategies and ideas. I wanted to share one of my recent Decoist articles with Mirror80 readers–a piece on the wonders of acrylic furniture. Many acrylic finds have an ’80s Modern look, and the beauty of these clear furnishings is their versatility.