Archive for October, 2011

Everyday Design by Maleneb

The debut article of my first By Design column featured in International Review of African American Art, Fall 2011 issue spotlights the fabulous Malene Barnett, carpeting and rug designer.

The Art of Everyday Use
MALENE BARNETT CLIENTS ARE FLOORED BY HER RUGS
Not all carpeting rolls off assembly lines in factories or is imported from exotic places in the Middle East, China or India. Hand-made floor coverings that rise to the level of art are created by Malene Barnett, principal and owner of Maleneb in Brooklyn. She has built a brand specializing in hand-woven carpeting and rugs of original design and high-quality fibers for commercial sites and homes.

At the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Barnett initially majored in fashion illustration but  really longed to paint. Her decision to change majors was clinched when she happened to see a display of  projects by students in the textile surface design department.  As a textile design major, she was inspired by the early textile renderings of Lois Mailou Jones, a young, African American designer who went on to become a major 20th century American artist.

While taking a carpet design course, Barnett won first prize for a Stark Carpets-sponsored, carpet design competition, and committed to this specialized field in textile design.

Barnett graduated in 1996 and worked for a succession of companies, including Afritext where she modernized their line of African prints; and Nourison, an industry leader, developing products for major household brands.

After four years at Nourison, Barnett had an urge to explore the world. She quit her job and, carrying just a backpack with seven outfits, traveled to India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.  Each environment piqued her curiosity about the indigenous spiritual symbols, patterns and architecture of the cultures that she visited. She sketched this iconography in a small sketchbook as ideas for new designs.

Back in the States, Barnett worked freelanced for her previous employer, Nourison, designing handmade accent rugs and carpeting for some well-established consumer brands such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, Nicole Miller, Liz Claiborne and Macy’s. With her guidance, Nourison profits grew from $1 million to $15 million. Then Barnett was offered an opportunity to start a carpeting line with JLA Homes, a home furnisings company; once again profits increased.

When the economy started to tank in 2008, Barnett decided to launch Maleneb.  “Why would you even think of starting up a studio in such a dismal economy?” I wondered. “The timing was right,” she replied.  In leaving Nourison, she again was following a calling. She defines herself as a visual artist, with a propensity for hand drawing and painting, who loves to design carpeting and rugs. And besides, she explained, “most of my previous projects offered little exploration of my own ethnic sensibility.”

The luxurious residential rugs and carpeting in the Maleneb collection are hand woven designs based on the icons, patterns and colors that Barnett observed during her travels and as she continues to look to  artifacts from various ethnic cultures and the natural environment for inspiration, her work is informed by food rituals, ancient architectural structures, traditional garments, unusual  textile patterns and paintings are a part of the mix.

The collection consists of three distinctive themes: Signature reflects the diversity of everyday life, for example, the Mehndi-inspired rugs of rich burgundy and red wool yarn with linear designs based on a palm decorated with henna tattooing for a wedding. Classical— traditional motifs and icons such as the Adinkra writing system of Ghana. And texture which explores the multiplicity of organic forms in nature. In order to achieve the characteristics of flowing water, mountainous landscapes and tree trunk textures for the Texture theme, Barnett mastered a distinctive technique of creating varying pile heights.

As a member of the Good Weave organization working to end child labor in South Asia, all Maleneb pieces carry the “Good Weave” brand to distinguish them from those made under exploitative circumstances.

Besides designing the collection, Barnett gets numerous requests for commissioned projects. For example, Ken Staves, an architect based in Calgary, Canada, called to request rugs for his new home, based on photography he had shot of magnificent, New York City architectural skylines.  From this imagery, Barnett crafted a series of tapestries that now hang on the walls in Staves’ home. The Carl Ross Design Croup hired Barnett to create special rug tapestries for the lobby walls of the Hyatt Vacation Club Hacienda del Mar in Mexico. Her design for this commission was inspired by the 15th century rock art of the Taino Indians of Mexico.

A spunky seven-year-old girl passion for drawing and painting has become one of the top designers of carpeting and rugs in New York City.

Limited Edition Tap Tap rug, abstract angular colorful shapes, with varying piles based on the colorful, hand-painted local tap tap buses in Haiti, this rug design was featured in the Global African Project exhibition catalog, 2010.

For more information on Maleneb click: maleneb.com 

 

 

“We’re A Culture” Campaign Creates Good Citizen Designers

 

In a wonderful article published on the COLORLINES blog the writer Jorge Rivas shares the critical stance taken by “We’re A Culture, Not A Costume,”  poster campaign initiated by determined group of good citizen design students from Ohio University willingness to tackle such a severe subject surrounding the commodification and objectification of race and identity. This campaign challenges who possesses the cultural ownership of ethnic groups. Apparently, sporting Halloween costumes mocking African, Mexicans, Asians, Native Indians, and Blacks by white college students who in turn post disparaging images on Facebook pages has become the norm. But, these Ohio University design students offer us a refreshing directive that challenge stereotypical perceptions and encourages positive solutions aimed at college population are building brand reflective of social and global design. Who will you be this Halloween? Click here to learn more aboutSTARS students endeavors at Ohio University.

Also featured on the COLORLINES blog, UrbanOutfitters’ Indian Chic, addresses Native Peoples outrage over having their culture pimped by major retailer. As a designer of color who has takes issue with major brands continuously pimping off the ethos ethnic cultures feeling it’s okay to hack scarced symbols and patterns to produce new line of products like flash lighter, tee-shirts, handbags and trash cans. Another major culprit of commodification is Urban OutFitters introduction of products ripping off the iconography from Native American culture. More fuel on “UrbanOutfitters’ Indian Chic.” Please share your thoughts on both Colorlines articles. Make sure to read  Sasha Houston Brown, 24 year old Native American living in Minneapolis published a scathing open letter on Racialicious addressed to Glen T. Senk, CEO of Urban Outfitters, Inc. I’d be interested to find out what you think about both articles, and why people freely feel it’s okay to appropriate another culture.

SPARE BEATS: Happenings Near You

Spare Beats is back with loads of fun happenings in a city near you somewhere on this planet. It’s always fun to trove my city streets, plumb the web, twitter, FB or nag friends for what’s happening in design, fashion, art, urbanism, product design or makers tinkering with technology, or anything that holds my fleeting busy eyes.

The Austrian Pop-Up Store opens this Wednesday, October 5, running through October 19 at the Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry Street in NYC. While browsing around looking at the stunning art and architecture, and listening to classical music and if you’re crazed for sweets stop by the Austrian Delicatessen section for some tasty treats from the Vienna Cookie CompanyOh did I mention Vienna Cookie Company is owned my good friend Heidi Riegler. For listing of more pop-up events from book reading,films or wine tastings check out: Austria Pop-Up

Double Exhibition Nick Cave/ Ever-After, newest body of work now showing at the Jack Shainman Gallery, and “For Now” features his Soundsuits is showing concurrently at the Mary Boone Gallery. Francesca Granata wrote an insightful review on Nick Cave’s show, which opened during Fashion Week in NYC. Granata boasted Nick Cave’s new show were more interesting than Fashion Week. I tend to agree with Francesca Granata , but perhaps I’m just a little bias. Both shows run until November 22, so check them out I guarantee you’ll walk away smiling.  For more read FashionProjects.org. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


FILMS:
Museum of Art and Design: SION Sono: The New Poet Japanese Film series is happening this month.


Sono makes his mark by mining the much overlooked cultural artifacts if his time. This  film series is running from October 7th through November 11th, MAD is proud to present the first American survey of this complex international voice that continues to break down the marginalization of genre filmmaking to poetically reveal the human heart beating underneath. Click here for the full list of Film Events: MAD Films

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