Coca-Cola Glass Bottle

In 1915, the Root Glass Company won the competition to design the Coca-Cola bottle, and the rest is history. Personally, I much prefer having a coke in a glass bottle rather than a can... probably because it reminds me of holidays! The bottle design has developed somewhat over the years, but the Coca-Cola typeface has remained as strong as ever. 

Marc Newson

I first came across Marc Newson's designs on a visit to Londons Design Museum. I had not heard of his works before, but after a bit of research I discovered that over the years he has created for many prestigious clients, his work ranging from chairs and household objects to restaurant and private jet interiors.

Newson was born in Australia, but has had his own studios in Tokyo, Paris and London, making his success over the years worldwide. I am intruiged by his designs as they challenge the way we interact with design, whilst ensuring they are functional pieces. 'The Black Hole Table' and the 'Orgone Lounge' are two of Newson's most exhibited designs (see below). The chair is a real statement, from the choice of colours and materials to the structure of it (which I am not sure looks too comfy?!). Nevertheless, it is very memorable, which shows the strength of the design.




Marc Newson's website is worth a visit; www.marc-newson.com. 

Inflate

After Inflates success with its launch at the first ever 100% Design Show, the company rapidly grew from producing household objects to architectural structures and are now an award winning agency. Their inflatable designs are quirky, fun and innovative in comparison to anything else I have seen. 

Inflate have a vast range of products, my favourite being their inflatable egg cups (which I can't find on the website!). I came across Inflate in the Icons of Design book by Charlotte and Peter Fiell. See link below!

www.inflate.co.uk

Chrissie Macdonald

Here is another example of Chrissie Macdonalds work, where she has used catalogues to create beautiful and intricate pieces. It just shows how such mundane objects can be used to create something very complex and beautiful. 

Made of Bricks

I found Chrissie Macdonald's work through the Peepshow Collective web page, where I discovered she had created the artwork for Kate Nash's debut album 'Made of Bricks'. I find the fun, eclectic style of this artwork very complimentary to Kate Nash's musical persona, as she embraces a more 'retro' look that has become fashionable within particular musical genres today.

The busyness of each scene reminds me of the old Victorian style dolls houses where each little object was collected and added to build an imaginary family home (like Sylvanian Families... does anyone remember them?!). I think the use of 2D cut outs adds to this idea, creating a layered look that reminds me a lot of Hannah Hoch and various other artists who specialised in photomontage. 

I would recommend visiting Chrissie Macdonald's website to look at her other artworks that include 'Wonderland Fukasawa' (featured in Creative Review) and one of my other favourites; 'Catalogues'. Chrissie Macdonald applies her own unique twist to each piece, making her design work distinctive and recognisable.  

www.chrissiemacdonald.co.uk