There's finally a book about Celia Birtwell and it's fantastic.
Birtwell, if you don't know, is a legendary British textile designer, ex-wife and better half of the late designer Ossie Clark, and muse to David Hockney, who's made endless drawings and paintings of her, most notably 1971's Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy, a portrait of her with Ossie.
Birtwell, if you don't know, is a legendary British textile designer, ex-wife and better half of the late designer Ossie Clark, and muse to David Hockney, who's made endless drawings and paintings of her, most notably 1971's Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy, a portrait of her with Ossie.
The new book, written by Celia with author Dominic Lutyens, is just as research-and image-loaded as his previous book 70's Style & Design, and laid out the same way- every stunning spread being packed with beautiful visuals.
I became interested in Celia's designs a few years ago after Linda kept adding vintage Ossie Clark dresses to her ebay watch list. Thankfully none of these were actually won, as they're bank-breakers, but the photos stuffed an inspiration file, and led me to pilfer some of Celia's designs for a couple of projects I was working on at the time: the Eames chair and canoe both use her grid-with-dot motif- just in the trees behind the left pagoda and a couple squares, mind you; and then a full-blown Ossie Clark dress with Celia Birtwell Mystic Daisy print for a 2008 painting for our interior of Linhardt Designs Jewelry Shop. I really think all three of these look so cool, and I had a great time painting them in part because I knew I was going to add a little Birtwell touch.
I became interested in Celia's designs a few years ago after Linda kept adding vintage Ossie Clark dresses to her ebay watch list. Thankfully none of these were actually won, as they're bank-breakers, but the photos stuffed an inspiration file, and led me to pilfer some of Celia's designs for a couple of projects I was working on at the time: the Eames chair and canoe both use her grid-with-dot motif- just in the trees behind the left pagoda and a couple squares, mind you; and then a full-blown Ossie Clark dress with Celia Birtwell Mystic Daisy print for a 2008 painting for our interior of Linhardt Designs Jewelry Shop. I really think all three of these look so cool, and I had a great time painting them in part because I knew I was going to add a little Birtwell touch.
Anyway, I really can't say enough about the book- I'm already partial to its two authors, but if you're at all interested in beautiful prints, design, the 70's, Hockney, Ossie Clark, ...even Jane Birkin, you should absolutely go buy the book.
Related: David Hockney's Vogue Paris 1985
And be sure to check out these videos on Celia's site:
http://www.celiabirtwell.com/heritage/sound-vision/
And be sure to check out these videos on Celia's site:
http://www.celiabirtwell.com/heritage/sound-vision/
