"La Vida" by Pepa Poch stars in BDGs new showcase

"La vida" is the most recent creation of the passionate Catalan artist that can now be admired in BDG. It is an impressive oil painting on flax canvas measuring 170x30cm, which represents teh passage of time and living expieriences, a personal infinite path that invites reflection. The rich blues, violets, turquoise and gold are spiritual and healing.

As Pepa Poch once said in an interview with writer and journalist María José Wynn: "Painting is a way of reasoning, an opportunity to deepn my vision of reality. Many times it is to arrange all my being in order to understand that constant external provocation to the unconscious. I enjoy when the unconscious gets underway. Then I feel the temperature of light on what I want to paint. I begin to notice the emergence of color and feel the need to balance the tones and harmonize the contrasts of energy that I am receiving. Everything is real, the theme to paint, the emotion that gives character to the box, and the illusion that transforms visual reality is a huge process of transformation of reality because there is also a process of intellectual and emotional growth.

The creator in Barcelona Design Gallery in front of her work "La Vida" (2012)

“Le tumulte noir”, the mythical portfolio by Paul Colin is replicated in a limited series of 500 works

Paul Colin (Nancy, 1892), was a French poster designer who began his career to fame in 1925 with the poster made to promote "La Revue Negre", a musical show starring Josephine Baker and a group of twenty musicians and dancers from Harlem. The musical capitvated the French audience with a wild and never before seen dance series, now properly known as the Charleston. The success of the magazine- and poster- promoted the career of the young Colin, who went on to become one of the best graphic artists of his time. He has designed some 1,900 posters, mostly for the theatre or to promote the career of the American dancer who fascinated him since first encournter, and with whom he maintained a close friendship.

In 1927, Colin contributed thirty illustrations to the biography of Josephine Baker and organized a show, "Bal Negro", which more than 3,000 Parisians attended in the Champ-Elyseès. All this effort to celebrate "the black madness" inspired him to create, "Le Tumulte Noir", a collection of posters the artist drew directly on lithographic stone. The posters are colored with a craft technique called "Pochoir", and is characterized by flat areas and vibrant poster paint or watercolors. 

"Le Tumulte Noir" became a mythical portfolio consisting of 45 original lithographs which reflect Paul Colin´s deep admiration for the music, the dance, and the recklessness associated with the jazz movement, in addition to his talent in graphic design. A few illustrations are clearly influenced by African sculpture, Cubism, and Art Deco and a true work of art was published in 1929 by "Editions du art Succes" (Paris)

In November 2011, almost 100 years after the first publication, the editor of Anthese Publishing, Nicholas Draeger, commissioned a new limited edition of 500 numbered copies with texts by Pascal Blanchard and Daniel Soutif. The 45 lithographs (32x48cm) were carried out on ivory paper heavyweights so as to respect the techniques of printing and later craft coloring of the time. Presented in an attractive leather folder, the result is an exquisite collection that preserves the freshness and originality of Colin´s mythical collection. It can be purchased at Barcelona Design Gallery for the price of 900 Euros. 

CONTRAST: elegance, design and quality in furniture

UBICA presents its new range of moveable furniture, CONTRAST Collection, in Barcelona Design Gallery. There are seven surprisingly elaborate hand made, wooden pieces. Meranti wood is delicately finished with white, black and other selected colors. What links the pieces together is the linear contrast, the warm, wooden texture, and smoothly painted surfaces. In addition, most of the furnite has practical wheels under their structure, allowing for effortless movement.

Anto-Lina, for example, is a center table made up of two pieces and includes wheels for added convenience.

Another of our favorites, Copita, is a lounge chair that includes a magazine rack in the rear.  una butaca que incorpora un revistero en la parte posterior. The cushions are made of leather, and it also has wheels to move with ease. 

If you would like to view the complete collection, we invite you to do so on our Facebook page. 

"Mystique of the East" Jagdish Thackersey´s newest collection of photography

Mystique of the East is the original work of Jagdish Thackersey that focuses on Asian spirituality. This Bombay industrial photographer, invites viewers to delight their senses through twenty beautiful, black and white images. Together, these pieces share themes such as exotic nature and the piety and the mystique of certain Asian regions. It is a question of a subjective psychological reflection, which the author obtains in digitally transforming the original photos.

The resulting images have been reproduced on aluminium dibond by EGM laboratories. This technique of photographic reproduction of exceptional quality, as well as their large scale, make the collection a spectacular sight.

We illustrate this article with our favorite images. The original photograph was taken by Jagdish Thackersey in March of 2009 on the banks of the Narmanda River. This River is especially notable as it passes through Chandod, one of the most sacred towns in India, famous for the celebration of Hindu burial rituals.

The collection "Mystique of the East" by Jagdish Thackersey is part of the Permanent Art Collection of Barcelona Design Gallery.

If you would like to see the photos from the exhibits opening, held in November 2009, you may visit the albums published on Facebook. You can also follow the photographic work of Jagdish Thackersey through BDG´s Facebook page.

Pepa Poch presents her most recent paintings in BDG

A Photograph of Pepa Poch

Pepa Poch is an artist, sculptor and painter born in Barcelona in 1960. She is a member of the International Colour Authority (based in London), and her bold use of color in oil paintings have set trends across the globe.

"A spontaneous and energetic artist, but at the same time delicate, an execution tinted with a certain mysticism. She brings forth a totally creative work that sincere, but at the same time profound, which leads us to a doctrine of art in its purest form." (A quote from Josep Felix Bentz, art historian and critic, President of the Real Crecle Artistry of Barcelona). It is a pleasure and a privilege for Barcelona Design Gallery to host Pepa Poch´s latest largely formatted oil paints, ceramics, porcelain and textile fabrics.

Subtlety, beauty and sensuality to illuminate any space

Barcelona Design Gallery includes a new collection of foot lamps, desktop lamps and suspended lamps. They are made up of hand-carved iroko wood, adjustable fabric shades and a base made of oxidized iron.

Subtle in its conception and aesthetic beauty, exquisite in its finish, and sensual to caress the materials are adjectives and emotions that best describe this collection. The collaboration of light and wood is intended to illuminate public and private spaces with elegance and distinction.

Joan Fontanals New Garden Sculpture Collection

The catalan artist Joan Fontanals has designed a new collection of garden sculptures, exclusive to BDG. It is a series of unique and large pieces made with weathered iron.

Like the rest of Joan Fontanals work, abstraction, minimalism and uniqueness converge to harmonize this series of garden sculptures.

The bluntness and soundness of the forms, coinciding with their large dimensions, are ideal for open space locations. These impressive pieces evoke the image of two beings communicating, and are reminiscent of the "Chess Horse" piece donated by Joan Fontanals in March 2009 for the Jordi Pujol study centre.

"Ink on Photographs" the newly published book featuring the distinguished photographer, Alexis de Vilar, available at BDG

Alexis de Vilar combines a very important part of his creative photographic ability in the recently published book: "Ink on Photographs". It is a collection of his best images converted into unique pieces thanks to his memories, thoughts and comments recorded on the images using blank ink. Hence the name of the book, "Ink on Photographs".
The work of Alexis de Vilar, the majority in evocative black and white images of exotic countries, is part of the permanent fund of Barcelona Design Gallery and may be viewed during normal hours.

"Ink on Photographs" published by TASSILI with luxury finish, may be purchased in BDG for 50 euros.

BDG is pleased to announce the releasing of our new monthly, online newsletter: BDG News

It is our pleasure to announce the launching of our new online newsletter: BDG NEWS. It will be available through email the 15th day of each month to all our customers, friends and collaborators. With this monthly newsletter we can inform those who are interested on activities, events, news and highlight proposals happening at BDG.

This initiative is one aspect of BDG´s recent development in digital communication (which also includes a Facebook page and this blog). In addition to extending the news highlighted in the Newsletter, we encourage any comments or suggestions. 

Time is art: BDG´s new collection of clock sculptures by Jose Maria Reina

It is often said that time is gold, but in this case, the time is art. BDG has the pleasure to present the new collection of clock sculptures by Jose Maria Reina. Customized, exclusive and accurate, this collection of works provides a more beautiful way to witness the passage of time.

The successful career of Jose Maria Reina in jewelry design has enriched an item as elusive as that of time. Bearing color, texture and bold materials give the sculptures greater precision, grandeur and gives each a life of its own.

Each piece in this collection is unique and signed and numbered.

GDB provides great gifts for Christmas: Otokos

 "Big, Ugly Bird"

Otoko is the name that the creator has given this unique collection of characters. Simple forms, made with simple materials, represent the people and events which the artist observes around him.

The otokos can adopt any position, fit in any scenario, be in any situation and can take part n any activity. In short, they act like us, before us.

Each figure is distinct, despite their overall similarity in shape and composition. And only in seeing them act is it possible to see the similarities between the otokos and humans.

"Competitiveness"

The creator of otokos shares, "I like to create objects as attractive distractions with which the spectators can participate with, manipulating its shape or creating movement. I like sharing my work with spectators as though they are accomplices."

"Smoulder" an exhibit featuring Suzy Corby, will be extended until the end of January

This past September, BDG presented the exhibit "Smoulder", a collection of twelve photographs by Suzy Corby. "Smoulder" is an impressive array of black and white images setin a burnt forest for over the course of a decade. Corby´s intention in her this work is to invite reflection on the consequences of forest fires.

"Deep silence passes between the black branches and the mysterious fog envelops the burnt trunks.
White ashes whispering, carried by the wind.
Time passes, little by little the ground sprouts embracing the roots of the trees, like coal sculptures.
Witnesses who are interrogated on the defense of nature."
The photographer´s own text with which the collection was presented

The English photographer Suzy Corby with two images that are part of her collection "Smoulder".

Due to the interest that has elicited this collection, "Smoulder" can be visited in BDG until next January 31 of 2012.