What's Latest in Ornamentum
The Crying of LOT 222 : A Victorian Brooch Deconstructed
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Article by Donna Bilak
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SNAPSHOT IN TIME. It was early in the afternoon on September 9th, 2013, when Lot 222 came up on the block at Waddington’s Jewellery and Watch Auction in Toronto. Described in the catalogue as a 19th-century 18kt yellow gold brooch weighing 16...
Mining Material: The Emerald Ash Borer
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Article by Noa Bronstein
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N RECENT YEARS, concepts of greening, repurposing and using salvaged materials have not only guided the design of spaces and objects, but have entered the public vernacular in unprecedented ways. Our collective interest in responsible methods of production, fabrication and distribution has led to...
The Colours of Nature: Dye Plants and Design
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Article by Thea Haines and Rachel MacHenryPhotographs by Thea Haines
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PPLYING DECORATIVE COLOUR obtained from natural sources—plants, insects and minerals—is an ancient practice, with evidence of natural colourants being found in textile fragments from as early as 2500 BC. The practice of dyeing and mordanting cloth was...
The Diaphanous Folds of Botanical Art: The Work of Jean Johnson
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Article by John Fleming
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OTANICAL ART HAS BEEN a life-long presence in Jean Johnson’s imagination. She recalls from early days recurring walks through fields and woods with her father, an avid gardener and amateur naturalist, who named as they went, in the well-established binomial system of Linnaeus,...
Editorial: Botanical Art
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Editorial by John Fleming
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LTHOUGH THE DECORATIVE IMPULSE in its earliest historic manifestations may be ascribed to human understanding of natural forms and forces as signs with mythic, religious, and spiritual meanings— sun discs, phases of the moon, wave-like repetitions, and the like— it seems generally accepted that...
Spotlight on the Object: Manhole Covers in the Gallery
Interview with Aason Oussoren
by Lorraine Johnson
by Lorraine Johnson
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LASS ARTIST AARON OUSSOREN graduated from the Craft & Design program at Sheridan College in 2008. From 2008 to 2012, he was a full-time artist-in-residence at the Harbourfront Centre Glass Studio in Toronto. His work often explores elements of urban infrastructure....
Ironclad Art: Vancouver’s Manhole Covers
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Article by Matthew Kleywegt
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LL INTENTIONALLY FORMED OBJECTS in a city are designed. They exist because they serve a desired function. However, beauty is a function not everything gets to perform. In most cities, manhole covers fall into this category.
This past summer, for the second time since...
Whitehorse Bike Racks: An Artful Solution to a Bike-parking Problem
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Article by David Dennis
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HITEHORSE TAKES CYCLING seriously, though not too seriously. Visitors to the storied capital of the Yukon are struck by the sight of whimsical bike racks on local themes: a white horse (created by sculptor Philippe LeBlonde) gracing City Hall, a coffee pot...
Technology and Design: Early Gas and Electric Lamps in Canada
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Article by Anna Adamek and Louise Trottier
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N 1887 A SMALL RIOT erupted in the Township of Hull, on the north bank of the Ottawa River, just opposite to the Chaudière Falls. A Hull hotelier, who shared her light system with a nearby building, repeatedly demonstrated to...