Alain Gree

As we swim downstream to work in the pouring rain, who wouldn't want to go abroad?  Keith and Sally certainly do.  We are planning to sell lots of similar beautiful vintage graphic books at 161 Kirkdale Road from 1st-24th December...

Kirkdale Shop

This is our space - in two weeks this will be Pen and Gravy vs Modernish Central.  Thanks in advance  to the See3 gang, those paid and volunteers.  They will be working round the clock and then round again to make the shop look amazing...

Hello Pen and Gravy

In December Modernish will be collaborating with Pen and Gravy, -south-east London's fave graphic demon-designer-doodler-dude - at the See3 project space in Kirkdale/Sydenham.  See the penandgravy site to see what I mean.  It's not just pens and gravy.  Y'know kids, as a veggie I will be demanding he does meat free pencils and a vegetable stock alternative!!!

I'm still in love with you...

...sang Thin Lizzy.  And I suppose I am still in love with you.  The blog continues, hopefully less sporadically!

A few Rotterdam photos from my recent trip...

Kubuswoningen

Sonneveld House

Rebuilt "De Unie" Cafe

Sasek

I have been flicking through some old copies of the Miroslav Sasek children's books.  The London one is definitely my favourite, with the New York one next.  But what about this: his tribute to the Matchbox factory!? Not just for boys by the way...

20th Century Texture Mayhem

Note to self: be more attentive to texture.  Look at the sensuous detail on this West German Vase.

Also a gentle push towards to the 20th Century Society.   

A less gentle prod towards my webshop.  How rude am I?

Lumley

She's everywhere is that Joanna Lumley: Nepal, Egypt...erm, Bolton.  I even saw her at a National Trust property once jumping the queue.

In the early 1970s Felix Labisse, the surrealist artist, created this fabulous lithographic portrait of the (then) Avengers star.  Whether he made one of co-star Gareth Hunt is open to conjecture...anyway the one below is available in my web-shop.

Copenhagen

When modernish goes on holiday it shuns the big bright lights, the soothing coconut dangling beaches and hedonistic, young people heavy fun spots.  Instead it finds itself seeking design inspiration in suburban Copenhagen - in freezing January of course - and wandering round the architectural legacies the city offers.  So below is a soupcon from a recent trip: Finn Juhl's house, Arne Jacobson's Bellavista complex and lastly the Jacobson Restaurant.  Watch out for an article on the midcentury magazine website detailing the trip... oh yes and see our website for Scandinavian wares...

Finn Juhl's House

Bellavista

ms modernish in the Jacobson restaurant

Where will you be...?

Erm, modernish will be here in the next few months... 

Feb 4th - Spitalfields, London

March 18th - Midcentury Modern, Dulwich

Plus watch this space for some London shop collaboration mayhem...

modernish is not appearing at any of the below places, but if you would like to buy a bus blind for a South London or Surrey destination let me know on modernish.dan@gmail.com and I may be able to help.  Single destination signs on linen available from £30.

Exactly Where have you been...?

...erm nowhere in particular

I have sourced some great items you can buy at www.modernishdesigns.co.uk

You might like these lovely Scandinavian items

Anita Nylund for Jie Gantofta, Sweden

Jie Gantofta, Sweden

Cathrineholm, Norway

Riihimaki, Finland

Onwards and Upwards

Just an indication of where I will be selling in December:

3rd Dec - Spitalfields

4th Dec - York Hall, Bethnal Green

10th Dec - Ivydale School (my daughters Xmas Fair!!!) - The great Andy Tuohy will be there too

17th Dec - Brixton Market Fair

I will also be putting some new posters on the webshop (link on the left) over the next few days, including some Munich Olympic ones from 1972.  There will be a couple of French ones too.

Just to scare you, it's Christmas soon!  

A big hello to Midcentury Magazine readers and casual browsers.  The modernish shop can be easily reached by using the link on the left.  We have got some great new items...including ceramics, posters, books

Picking up random ephemera

I found this old christmas card recently.  An amazing circus screenprint (hardly a christmassy subject!)  It's signed Arrobus and some casual research tells me that this is Sydney Arrobus, who was working around the 2nd world war.  I can't find any more of work by him in this manner, but I think this is a really lovely stylised work and would like to know more...anybody...?

Heygate

I too this photo from Elephant and Castle Station, however it seems that the goodbye to the Heygate Estate won't happen overnight, with final demolition activities not scheduled until 2015 due to the quantity of asbestos removal.

I have never lived here or even lived in a huge multi-occupancy estate, but a feel a sense of sadness that this building is going, or that the "experiment" of large social housing projects has deemed to have failed.

Strange that the fitted interior ethos - e.g. the furniture, home-wares etc - remain and has so much current resonance.

Sunday 16 Oct...

...I will be at the Vintage Fashion Fair at Cecil Sharp House, Regents Park Road. Lots of midcentury ceramics and dare I say "vintage" (today's dirty word) for sale...including this great French enamel coffee pot.  No markings...whaddyathink 1960s? 1970s?

By the way Cecil Sharp House is the home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, which houses this great mural by Ivor Hitchens.  Hey nonny nonny indeed, dude.

It's so bracing...

Skegness is so bracing.  Proper brass monkeys!

This amazing original print by Kenneth Steel from 1956 can be yours!

More Shopping

...and where else can I get to see your poster wares Mr Modernish?

...why here: at 123 in Shoreditch!

...surely Mr Modernish you have become to too hip for us!

Shopping Around with Modernish

You can find, touch and feel some of my stuff at Siecle on Lordship Lane, East Dulwich.  I think it looks great. Even the rain abated and sun came out for the photos.

Family Fun

Reports on the Family Fair on Peckham Rye are not favourable: £5 for half an hour on a bouncy castle (admittedly a big one, but £5!)

You could splash out on this fairground attraction (click on shop link, left).  Displayed against Stuart Road Allotments...what more could you ask...look at those cabbages (...not available in the shop)!

Homewood

Some inspiration: Patrick Gwynne's Modernist home in Esher Surrey.  Pictures by ModernishZoe - you will have to go on the tour to see the inside as there were no photos allowed!

You also couldn't go wrong owning this book detailing other buildings in the UK in the Modernist style.