I've got a sort of phobia of white walls, that is empty walls. Minimalism is not my cup of tea, at all. Ever. And I like combining all sorts of things I find pretty enough to want to look at on a regular basis, be it posters, post cards, origami paper, wrapping paper, album covers. This wall's arrangements is one of the bigger in my Stockholm apartment, cos it's the only wall without a door or any furniture, so what else could I do with it? With a few re-arrangements, it's looked pretty much the same for maybe 4-5 years now. In the upper left corner in the black frame is a Arcade Fire vinyl single cover. Below that is the reason why I first got into The Decemberists, their cover for 5 songs that I saw at a friend's place many years ago and immediately fell in love with. I did like the music as well, but as superficial as it may sound I love their aesthetics just a little bit more than the music, even though I think in the end it's all part of a great package. Just take a quick look at their website! And all their covers! Carson Ellis is the one responsible for most of it, and I love her work oh so much. But they use so many brilliant graphic designers for their tour posters, one day I would like to buy all of them. Underneath The Decemerists are two framed italian handmade papers, very different in style and equally beautiful. Sorry I forgot to take close-ups of these things. When I get back I'll take care of that.
Here is a close-up of another amazing Arcade Fire cd cover, and an adorable butterfly origami paper in a vintage frame. The origami paper is from one of my absolute favorite stores in Stockholm, Ljunggrens Pappershandel in Gamla Stan (Old Town). I found the shop I think back in 1996, when I still wrote a lot of letters by hand on paper, and I think I must have went there once a month or so. Just browsing all the different kinds of paper, and envelopes, and stamps, and note books, and pens, and ink ... Usually not buying that much, but enough to keep writing letters on pretty paper. I'm happy to say it's still there, still as good as ever, and still makes me as happy as the first time I went there.
Bell Orchestre I went to see cos I was a bit obsessed with Arcade Fire in the beginning, and they shared band members. It was a very good show indeed, but most of all I love buying this gorgeous poster afterwards. I've been into band's cos of their graphic design of album covers and such for a long time actually, mainly since I got into 4AD bands back in 1990 or around that time. Sometimes I would even just buy an ep cos I liked the cover and knowing that 4AD would never put anything out that I didn't like. Mostly I knew what I was buying though, and I bought a lot of records and still do. Nowadays I have for economic and convenient reasons started to buy digital music, but I still feel a bit bad about it. The Decemberists is an exception though, I always buy the real thing when it comes to them simply cos of what I explained just now: Carson Ellis in print.
I'll conclude this with one of the most precious gifts I've ever been given, this completely wonderful Decemberists poster that my brother bought in the States and carried all the way back to me. It's so so so so so pretty in every sense of the word, just a completely perfect piece of art. So there you have it: a wall of personal interests as art.
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