August 26, 2008

Rapt in Colour

rapt%20book.jpg

I guess it's appropriate in the last days of summer that it's a time of transition for many of the closest people in my life. I'm feeling melancholy about it all, that plus the unusually gorgeous August in New York and the epic terrible's my eldest seems to be going through equals a long spell of blogger's block. My sister who lived ten minutes away in Park Slope moved to the upper east side yesterday, which in New York geography feels the same as moving from France to Italy... One of my closest mom friends is going back to a day job full-time... and my terrible/beautiful three year old will be at school every day this Fall.

In any case, I had a chance to peek at my sister's new apt before she moved in so we could talk about colour. We're big fans of colour here at Casa G., and paint walls any chance we have though ironically in our current loft space we weren't able to at all. One of my favorite references for colour are pojagi's, the beautiful wrapping cloths Korean women made from scraps. I have a nice collection of vintage hanboks that I use occasionally to make my own pojagi's as well as new hanbok fabric from Korea (for those interested I can direct you to the best stalls at Namdaemun market for traditional fabric and notions!) and I am always always inspired by the book Rapt in Colour.

Some of the things that amaze me about the antique pojagi's is how they are modernist, evoking Mondrian, way before modernism existed. The palette also amazes me because I'd so long associated Korean colours with bright saturated neons or crazy fur blanket colour combo's which most households seemed to throw together easily with the earthy dark woods of traditionally designed furniture, etc. Pre-industrialism, the cultural colour palette seems to me, perfect.

And on that note, color seems to be the perfect way to welcome the fall. It's the flip side to all the changes, the parts I am looking forward to - finding more ways to be in the city that I love and show up at my sister's, the freed time I'll have with my #1 at school, and so forth.


posted at 09:23 AM by jenn

Filed under: books

Comments:

08/31/08 02:53 PM

it's not like italy and france...

09/02/08 11:43 AM

funny.
my mom is a pojagi artist.

http://flickr.com/photos/curiousbrain/2655412837/

09/02/08 09:19 PM

unha, your mom's pojagi's are stunning! where can we see more work of hers? and your kids btw are too cute, so makes me want to have a girl.

09/04/08 11:13 PM

I think I might be going to Korea this fall... can you direct me to the stalls at Namdaemun? The last time I went, it was closed, so I only went to Dongdaemun. :( Thanks!

09/22/08 12:41 PM

hey cindy! Mom and i have been back and forth on the phone about those stalls - it's hard to decipher what the heck she's talking about without landmarks so I'll def get this to you once I can sort it out! ar you still planning to go?

01/10/09 08:53 AM

Hi Jenn,

Sorry I never responded to this note... It just dawned on me and I'm actually here in Korea now... :) I'm hoping to go to Namdaemun soon... I was on the subway today and saw a girl with a bagful of thread/fabric and it reminded me of this post... If you happen to remember, please let me know... cindy [at] justthelittlethings [dot] com. Thanks!!! btw.. love reading your blog. :)

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