WEB EXPLORATIONS

Alvin Lustig, Modern American Design Pioneer. (Scout Report) Alvin Lustig's designs for office and domestic interiors, furniture, books, magazines, and textiles have a look - George Jetson's living room - that anyone who grew up in the US in the 1950s and 60s will instantly recognize as modern. The Kind Company created this site, a Brooklyn based graphic design firm, out of their sheer admiration for Lustig’s designs. The web site currently features more than 425 examples of Lustig's work, which are simply a lot of fun to look at. For example, browse Lustig's book jacket designs for modern literary works, from his first, the 1941 edition of Henry Miller's "Wisdom of the Heart", to his 1944 edition of Gertrude Stein's "Three Lives", up to his 1953 "Selected Poems" by Garcia Lorca. Be sure to stop by the “Architecture and Interiors”, to see the low coffee tables, skinny-legged chairs, and pendant and pole lamps. Visit Site.

Identity by design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses. (Scout Report) For many generations, Native American women have crafted dresses that are both aesthetically pleasing and also tell important stories. These stories incorporate different visions about their respective tribal values and family status. This online exhibit, curated by Colleen Cutschall and Emil Her Many Horses, pays tribute to these creations. After reading a brief introduction to the site, visitors can make their way through sections that include “19th-century style”, “Indigenous Innovation”, and “Forming Cultural Identity”. Each section contains explanatory captions, primary documents (including photographs and drawings) and some very nice interactive features, such as a feature that shows how a side-fold dress was made and worn. Perhaps the most admirable aspect of this site is that it illuminates both past traditions and current practices of Native American dress making. Visit Site.