It's Tile Salon - July 2010 and I'm pleased to say that I think I'm getting better at digging up monthly tile news. Key word- better. Now this doesn't mean that there's more of it- but it's just not as grueling trying to find it.
And speaking of news, Uncle Rey has been so over me this month as I've requested a bunch of his assistance just to get facebook and twitter set up for Tile Envy. Regarding social networking, the gap between what he knows and what I DON'T KNOW- knows no bounds. But if you look just to the right you'll see the latest icons you can click if you'd like to follow me on either or both. (I'm still figuring out what that means)
For now, all the best tile news for July 2010 happens to fit in perfectly with my "art month" -
From Inhabitat -
Anonymous utility buildings dot our cities, keeping the other buildings humming -- but they're almost never part of the aesthetic fabric of the urban scene.
Inhabit featured this unique addition to the cityscape of Roombeek. Named Stadshaard - dutch for "city hearth" - the building is the towns' power plant providing light and heat while whimsically clad in 1 square meter Delftware tiles. Created by design firm Cie in collaboration with artist Hugo Kaagman, it is a celebration of the city's delftware heritage.
(the building)
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(the tiles)
(the installation)
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(tile detail)
From Yanko Design-
Yanko Design featured these tiles from designer Yigit Ozer, proving there's more to tile than being square.
Like an M.C. Escher drawing that has no end, neither will your design ideas with the Versatile Wall Tiles Collection by designer Yigit Ozer. This design concept is essentially a wide V shaped tile that has just the right proportions to allow for a multitude of pattern ideas to be arranged.
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(some of the possible patterns)
From designboom-
We've seen the combination of "stone and moss" laced into many a lyric and poem, however, I believe this is a first for the tile industry.
'mosstile' by italian company benetti stone is a vertical maintenance free garden.
it is made using a stabilized tile of lichen placed over top of an ecologically sound resin base,
ready to be installed on any kind of surface. it does not require irrigation or fertilization,
nor does it need to be pruned. 'mosstile' can be placed in rooms without natural light as
it is not dependent on any particular environmental conditions.
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From Mocoloco -
Work by Québécois ceramicist Pascale Girardin can be found in a variety of high-profile spots all over North America, but for this month only a themed selection will be available in a pop-up shop in Old Montreal.
This was my favorite bit of news from July. First, I love these pop-up shops that have been the recent rage. But when I got a look at Pascale Girardin's work, especially these special edition commemorative tiles celebrating retro Quebec, I had to do more research and have now become a new fan of the artistic ceramics from this celebrated artist.
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I was so pleased to see that this month's tile salon complied with my art month theme. I'm surprised with the level of artistry that has been bubbling up this year. With a bit of digging, I think it's clear that there are some truly artistic notions that are making their way into the world of tiles.