Sir Ken Adam was the production designer for the Bond films.
He also developed the forced perspective look of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (his War Room made a retro/1960s/1980s appearance in Watchmen). Many of the recent Bond films still reference his work.
The War Room from Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1963
‘Transparent plastics and wooden veneers were mixed and colour schemes were limited to tones of pure whites and greys, the only splash of colour being allocated to switches and dials’
Designer Dieter Rams’ work for Braun inspired Jonathan Ive at Apple. And just opened at the London’s Design Museum is a Rams retrospective. Details here.
Peter Lorenz’s Illustrated 007: The Art of James Bond blog looks at all forms of artist interpretations of the British secret agent. Including these great pulp renderings.
Click on the images for the related posts.
The U.S.S. Kelvin, 2009
J.J. Abrams made a few changes to Star Trek.
Plotwise it had something to do with a black hole or alternate reality time travel singularity cinnamon gumball something or other. Below is what Abrams’ U.S.S. Kelvin would have looked like if it fit the style created by Star Trek’s original designer, Matt Jefferies.
Renderings by Kenneth Thomson Jr.
Star Trek’s 1960s production design is a reflection of its era. Cold War, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit – or Mad Men – in outer space.
Jefferies’ original Enterprise model sported antennas on the engines, a radar dish up front with deliberate nods to the military. I think that triangle thing under the forward hull may be for an anchor. Maybe.
The ships from the original series also sported traditional ‘painted’ surfaces – battleship gray hull – plus, identification tags, banners and typography. Port and starboard navigation lights. Just like the Navy. [Read more →]
Star Trek poster 1966, art by James Bama
Okay, I’ll admit it. I was a trekkie from way back. Sort of lost interest along the way, but I did enjoy the new movie. Which releases in all sorts of formats this Tuesday.
The message of Star Trek is a good one, when it works. A future utopia where humans have gotten past all their petty hangups. President Obama thinks this way. It’s good thinking.
velour: fabric of the future!
Of course, the early design of the show fascinated me. The look changed after its second pilot episode – which featured cast and crew in these really nifty velour shirts (that Kirk could rip at will). I have the original publicity poster framed in my office (above). The art is by the incredible James Bama, great write up at the Drex Files.
The poster really captures the original look, which was a mix of mid-century modern, googie and space age Disney.
In the future, everyone gets a gooseneck video monitor!
It would have been fun if the new movie had the original velour shirts (above) on the bridge of the Kelvin. The U.S.S. Kelvin, at least, had Star Trek’s signature ‘ping’ noise and the lighting was a little bit like the scene from above. Those were a nice touches. [Read more →]
Roxy, c.1930
I finally made it over to the Depero 50 exhibit at the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco. Discovered many of Fortunato Depero’s originals were an interesting mix of ink washes. Above is his view of NYC from 1930. When he finally visited the overgrown metropolis, it wasn’t the Futurist utopia he’d imagined. Also below, the number composition is a sketch for a series of Futurist pillows.
A great exhibition catalog can be had for only 20 bucks – and thanks to the docents for all their help. Show details.
Exhibition ends December 4, 2009.
Composizioni Numeriche, 1927
Campari, 1933
Italia – Guerra, 1916
Plus
Here’s more Depero over at designboom.
Giacomo Balla (1871-1958) was one of the original Futurists. Above is his 1916 design for a Futurist handbag. And in 1986, Italian accessories manufacturer Borbonese actually interpreted/built the purse out of seude and bakelite (below).
Both will be on display as part of the exhibition Futurismi Futuristi, which opens December 15th, 2009 in Turin, Italy. Details (translated) here.
Found via ItalianFuturism.org; purse images via sfilate.it
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