Casa Malaparte in Capri, Italy

I recently discovered this book in a personal library, and it was a must have for my own.  It is inspiring and Malaparte's design reflects my own ideas for a project that I am working on.  This is more than a book on architecture.  It is about the man and his house.  Curzio Malaparte was an Italian writer and many other things.  Casa Malaparte was completed in the early forties.  It has been in films, photoshoots, and host to many events over the years.  It was in near ruin, until it's recent restoration.  I found a copy of the book on amazon.com, the book is no longer in print.

Sand castles in the sky

The coastal town of Essaouira in Morocco is a special place.  Like most places in Morocco, it has a fortified wall around the central city.  The coast has both sand and rock beaches and it is a major fishing port.  A bit of music history, Jimi Hendrix spent some time here while in Morocco on the "Marrakesh Express", and this is where "Sand Castles in the Sky" was authored.  I will be posting more on Moroc in the future.  The place is rich with visuals, both graphic and architectural.  I am also interested in their traditional construction methods and Tadelakt plaster-like finishes.  

Tango in Cuba

A tango dance hall in La Habana de Cuba.  This is a favorite photograph.  Probably because of the experience.  The music of Cuba is very much a part of everyday life in Havana.  Havana is a visually stimulating place.  One can see the architecture of the old Havana amongst the decaying infrastructure and imagine an earlier time.  Today, much renovation is underway and it remains to be seen if this will result in a Disneyland experience or a truly Cuban one.  I was fortunate to experience a very real Cuba.

Retro Annual Report Design

This screen shot is from a pioneering CD that my office designed and produced documenting the Mead Annual Report Show.  The Mead Paper Company was the sponsor of the longest running and most credible event honoring the very best in the print media of annual reports. This CD presented over 125 reports, representing Forty years of the best in annual report design, including video clips and comments from the designers.  I am not sure if this work has been archived in current formats.  Most early digital media is no longer playable today.  A consideration for future works.

Rural art

These images from Morocco represent the rural aesthetic from the past.  A restored house and the remainder of a rammed earth wall.  It is reference for a project and a photograph to display.