JOSEF FRANK & HIS GORGEOUS TEXTILES

by studiotullia | Oct 6, 2017 | STUDIO NEWS

I’ve been delving into the world of JOSEF FRANK lately and thought I would share some of my findings.  Here is a portrait of the man himself:

“The monochromatic surface appears uneasy, while prints are calming, and the observer is unwillingly influenced by an underlying slow approach. The richness of decoration cannot be fathomed so quickly, in contrast to the monochromatic surface which doesn’t invite any further interest and therefore one is immediately finished with it.”

                                                                                                                                                        – Josef Frank

This is a bold statement, and while I am not sure I would dismiss the importance of a “monochromatic surface” entirely as it can provide some relief from pattern, I am definitely never quite done with patterns myself.  I have surrounded myself at home and work with as many prints as possible.  At the same time I am a huge fan of bold, solid color and I often crave WHITE.   How do you feel about pattern and do you prefer to live with it or with more monochromatic settings?  I’d love to know.

One of Josef Frank’s rooms:

One of the exhibits I am really sorry I missed was at the:

“Born in Austria, Josef Frank moved to Sweden in 1933, where he developed his colourful brand of modernism, working with Estrid Ericson on a number of interior design ideas, together redefining what is regarded as SWEDISH MODERN. The exhibition in association with Millesgarden, Stockholm highlighted Frank’s vibrant designs for Svenskt Tenn alongside a number of his previously unknown watercolours.”

 If you click on the link below it will lead you to the museum along with a little video about the exhibit:

FTMLONDON

You should check out their instagram feed for all kinds of wonderful inspiration:

F.SCHUMACHER TEXTILES has re-released some of his lovely textiles as part of their

GOOD VIBRATIONS COLLECTION

which have proven to be quite popular with STUDIO TULLIA’s customers.

Here are some favorites:

CITRUS GARDEN in PRIMARY

CITRUS GARDEN in POOL

EXOTIC BUTTERFLY in BLACK

EXOTIC BUTTERFLY IN BLUE

PRINTING PROCESS

The design firm where he developed these gorgeous textiles in collaboration with Estrid Ericson is still around today (found the above video on their website):

Svenskt Tenn 

https://www.svenskttenn.se

“Josef Frank and Anna left Sweden for the United States during World War II. Frank taught at the New School in New York and tried unsuccessfully to work on public housing projects. After their return to Sweden in 1946, he abandoned architecture (except in his paintings), and focused on Svenskt Tenn. There, he reinterpreted favorite historic styles again in more than 2,000 pieces of furniture, but he was — and remains — best known for the textiles he designed featuring surreal organic forms in vibrant colors”.

Check out the NY  TIMES REVIEW of his exhibit at the FTM in LONDON where ALICE RAWSTHORN writes about how “Frank, who died in 1967 at the age of 82, was then living in Sweden, where he was renowned as a furniture and textile designer, had failed to replicate his success as a young architect in Austria after fleeing the country in the 1930s fearing Nazi persecution.”

www.ARTSY.net has a great review of the exhibit in MAK Museum of Applied Arts in Sweden

You can get a peak at some of his watercolors in these pictures, too.

I have have been consistently selling these textiles since I had them made up into various pillows last year:

Here are a few of his pillows shown with THE BUG CHICKS COLLECTION.  If you want to learn more about that wonderful line, click on one of the images below.

I can’t bear to throw away the scraps leftover from his large scale patterned textiles so I have been having fun making up ACCENT PILLOWS in random smaller sizes. They get scooped up pretty fast. I am also making up some gift bags and other fun accessories for the holidays so stay tuned!

Summer is over I am afraid Fall is upon us however I am loving all the rich florals and jewel tones I am seeing in the showrooms and shops around town.

Guess what?  Don’t let the Fall blues get you down!   Here’s a GIVEAWAY!!!

To be eligible to win go to my INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK page and comment on Josef Frank – Id love to hear what you think of his amazing work.

The WINNER will be announced on FRIDAY, the 20th of SEPTEMBER!!!

Hope you enjoy his fabrics and unique approach to design as much I do.  Thanks for stopping by!