The 1951 Himalayan Expedition, and Me

Glenn Gissler - Blog - 2015 - Himalayas_cnt_18nov09_iStock_b_1

I have never been to the Himalayas, and was born after 1951; but I have been empowered numerous times in my adult life by a passage in the the writings of a Scotsman who did climb the Himalayas in that year.

Perhaps it will have meaning for you too…..

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#TBT – New York Times HOME Section 1989

Glenn Gissler - Blog - 2015 - BBB-158-Spring-Street-New-Y

 

Last Thursday was the last day of the HOME Section of the New York Times; there are many of us who lament this change, remembering when the section was a very important source of news about the world of design.

I look back with great appreciation for the countless things I learned from this section, never mind that my first real media exposure was in the HOME section in February of 1989 – just two years after I opened Glenn Gissler Design.

I was introduced to the most important and the most influential HOME section writer, Suzanne Slesin, at an opening at Furniture of the Twentieth Century. I contacted her a few days later with hopes of showing her a few recently completed projects.

Suzi came to see three projects, and literally days later  “A Designer Test His Wings; Maximal Style for Minimalist Tastes” appeared on the front page of the HOME Section! Including the jump page the story covered five square feet (!) of New York Times ‘real estate’ including seven photographs, three of which included me.

I nearly died!

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Glenn Gissler - Blog - 2015 - 600-dpi-page-2-NY-Times-2

The HOME Section has been a mere shadow of itself for many years; there are few people who would argue that.  Some even see this change as a death knoll for design coverage in the New York Times.

At least for the moment I am looking at the glass as ‘half-full’, and I am hopeful that the nay-sayers will be proven wrong.

 

The Devaluation of ‘LOVE’

Glenn Gissler - Blog - 2015 - ILI-black

 

In the world we live in people often feel compelled to express grandiose reaction to things, experiences and people – resulting in the overuse of three words:

 “I  LOVE  IT!”

Is this grandiosity yet another effect of the celebrity-driven-reality-TV-selfie times in which we live?

Are people living their lives as if the cameras are rolling?

Or is it a devaluation of LOVE?

 Shopping for clothes:

“I  LOVE  IT!”

Looking at furniture:

“I  LOVE  IT!”

After hearing a joke:

“I  LOVE  IT!”

Looking at Art:

I  LOVE  IT!”

etc., etc., etc…

 

For me, LOVE is a big and meaningful word.

Perhaps this attention to the ‘meaning’ of words is due to the influence of my father, an accomplished journalist f0r whom words have real meanings, and should be used judiciously.

Having a strong emotional reaction to things, experiences, and people is something I understand. In fact, beauty, delight – and yes, even love – are essential ingredients for me in the process of living, and in the process of design; but I am seeking an enduring love, not a momentary crush. I have found that the novelty that can incite a crush rarely stands the test of time.

Sometimes the subject or object or person at hand is suitable, good, great, excellent, superb, perfect, incredible, even inspired; however sometimes it is just fine, the sensible thing, perfectly appropriate, in good taste, a great solution, but it doesn’t necessarily evoke “I  LOVE  IT!”

Whether it is my own reaction, or someone else’s, I am suspect of the immediate “I  LOVE  IT!” response.  Will the feeling last?  Or is it merely a novel rush of adrenaline?   Never mind that these three words can sound disingenuous, if not utterly meaningless.

Much of what I do as a designer is to identify, and then solve problems, LOTS of problems requiring LOTS of solutions. Experience, logic and intuition play significant roles in this problem solving; and no I don’t LOVE every solution. I am in pursuit of a kind of alchemy. This alchemic phenomenon can occur when the cumulative effect of experience, collaboration, invention, a thoughtful approach and intuition are brought to bear in problem solving; where this combination of considered choices results in layered, nuanced, interesting, intelligent, subtle and maybe even sublime, spaces and experiences that can evoke a deep-seated LOVE, one that endures over time like a wonderful and satisfying personal relationship.

Suffice it to say, I don’t love,

the unfortunate overuse of

 

“I  LOVE  IT!”

 

P.S.  I do LOVE the sincere use of LOVE!

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Donald Judd – Double Take

Glenn Gissler - Blog - 2015 - CROP-236422

 

 

Donald Judd (1928-1994) Chair,1993 – Finish Color Plywood – RISD Museum

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A double take is an act of quickly looking at something that is surprising or unusual a second time after looking at it a moment earlier.

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The RISD Museum often focuses attention on a single object in an exciting program they call ‘DOUBLE TAKE’ where two different art/design educators or curators offer different perspectives or ‘takes’ on a single object in the museum collection. I have seen a number of these dialogues, they are fantastic!

One the items being featured in a new series DOUBLE TAKE: COLOR is a chair that I gave to the Museum designed by Donald Judd

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Bed Sheets – Thoughts on Simple Luxury

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Selecting a bed can be complicated.

Which mattress? Box spring? Headboard? Frame?

Comforter?  Bedcover?  Coverlet?

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There are seemingly endless possibilities when considering how to cover one’s bed. As seen in this image of my bed in Brooklyn Heights, I prefer a simple bed cover (or comforter) with an antique textile folded at the end of the bed for interest and decoration, and a couple of decorative pillows. As the season’s change; or when the mood strikes me; or when a new antique textile enters my home I like to switch things up…

However, when it comes to sheets for my bed I am pretty basic – I like WHITE.

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