Essays & Art
Let’s dive into Part Three of the adventurous life of 20th century design trailblazer Charlotte Perriand.
Missed the first two episodes? Start at the beginning or jump into Part Two to get caught up.
After narrowly escaping arrest during a house raid by Viet Minh partisans, Charlotte and her daughter manage to leave Vietnam aboard a repatriation ship in early 1946.
Continue reading “Who is Charlotte Perriand? (Part 3)”
Welcome back to Part Two of our journey through the remarkable life of 20th-century design trailblazer Charlotte Perriand.
If you missed the beginning of her story, you can catch up here.
Charlotte is by now an independent young woman at the beginning of her 30s, looking for more than just sexual freedom. Next to shift is her professional relationship with modernist architect Le Corbusier. And the devastating consequences of the Second World War are looming on the horizon.
Continue reading “Who is Charlotte Perriand? (Part 2)”
It is early morning in Paris. She opens her bathroom window and climbs on the roof of her apartment. A deep breath, a quick look over the neighbourhood of Montparnasse. She stretches, moves her head in a wide circle and starts exercising in the fresh air. After half an hour, she returns to her one-bedroom flat under the roof. The tiny apartment is quirky.
Continue reading “Who is Charlotte Perriand?”
It was a rainy and cold November day.
Not much going on in my own life, I was happily convinced to start a conversation with the bloke sitting across from me in the aisle seat of coach E.
Continue reading “When I met Darren on the train to Manchester”
Of course, one knows Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The musical genius and society eccentric. And for sure, you have hummed along some of Mozart’s songs from “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” or “The Magic Flute”. If not in the opera, then while on the phone listening to music on hold in a waiting loop.
Yet, most likely you haven’t heard of his sister Maria Anna Mozart. And most likely, you don’t know either that Maria Anna Mozart was the original musical prodigy.
Continue reading “Who is Maria Anna Mozart?”
Whilst staying in Venice, I paid a visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. A big exhibition was devoted to Hans Arp, better known as Jean Arp, the dada artist and sculptor. You will have seen his distinct organically flowing sculptures. It was only in the very last section of the exhibition that an important factor of Jean Arp’s being, creativity and success emerged: His wife Sophie Taeuber.
I bet you have never heard of her. This is her story.
Continue reading “Who is Sophie Taeuber-Arp?”
Some cities seem to have it all. Or as my friend Christine said: “It’s unfair, Venice has too much.”
Continue reading “Why don’t you whisk yourself away to Venice for slow indulgence?”