David Easton
David Easton is considered to be one of the world’s most sought-after interior designers. While he has made his name as a neoclassicist, his erudition within the realms of architecture and decoration is wide-ranging.
Easton received his architecture degree from Pratt Institute, in 1963, where he studied with Sibyl Moholy-Nagy—the widow of one of the founders of the Bauhaus, László Moholy-Nagy. Upon graduation, he received the Fontainebleau scholarship, which enabled him to travel and study in Europe. When he returned, he took a position with the New York designer Edward Wormley, whose Dunbar furniture line is now part of the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. In 1967, he joined the venerable firm of Parish-Hadley, where he worked in both the architecture and decoration departments. There, he admits to being “seduced by decoration.” Easton founded his own firm in 1972, and quickly gained recognition for his classically inspired, traditional interiors. In the 1980s, his opulent English-style interiors became emblems of the age.
In recent years, he has shifted to a more streamlined, contemporary aesthetic—a response to his own shifting tastes and those of his clients. “It’s necessary to move forward,” says Easton. “I see a desire to simplify life, and for simpler interiors. I think the future will be about a more intelligent use of resources and a more intelligent support of lifestyles.”
In addition to his residential work, Easton has designed collections for Lee Jofa (fabrics and upholstered furniture), Safavieh (carpets), Guy Chaddock (furniture), Walters Wicker (outdoor furniture), Cole and Son Ltd. (wallpaper), and Visual Comfort (lighting).
David Easton was named to the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 1992, and has twice been presented with Classical America’s Arthur Ross Award. Most recently, his peers honored him with the “Lifetime Achievement” Award at London’s Design and Decoration Awards. Architectural Digest has included Easton in its Top 100 Designers in the World a record nine times.
Announcements
Total Armageddon: A Slanted Reader on Design edited by Ian Lynam
Total Armageddon: A Slanted Reader on Design
Edited by Ian Lynam
Publisher: Slanted Publishers
Published: March 2019
Total Armageddon is about design. And culture. And complexity, notably how we, as a global civilization, deal with science fiction, taste, social media, the cities we live in, aesthetics, PowerPoint, burkas, Big Tech, full-contact sports, and other thorny topics. The book celebrates 15 years of independent publishing and brings together a who’s who of authors and essays from 32 issues of Slanted Magazine.
A Field Guide to Color by Lisa Solomon
A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook
By Lisa Solomon
Publisher: Roost Books
Published: August 2019
In this creative workbook you’ll discover fresh ways to connect with color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, explore color theory while playing with paint through a balanced blend of color experiments and loose color meditations. This inspiring workbook will change the way you relate to color
Five Oceans in a Teaspoon by Dennis Bernstein and Warren Lehrer
Five Oceans in a Teaspoon
Poems by Dennis Bernstein
Visualizations by Warren Lehrer
Introduction by Steven Heller
Publisher: Paper Crown Press
Published: September 19, 2019
“From a kidnap note for a world held hostage by an A-bomb, to a Holocaust survivor’s tattooed arms where the numbers just don’t add up, Five Oceans in a Teaspoon re-envisions a poetry memoir via a textual kaleidoscope... Bernstein and Lehrer are the Rodgers and Hart of Visual Poetry.” — Bob Holman, poet, poetry activist and chronicler, and founder of the Bowery Poetry Club
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City by Paul Goldberger
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City
By Paul Goldberger
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published: May 2019
An illustrated, entirely new look at the history of baseball: told through the stories of the vibrant and ever-changing ballparks where the game was and is staged, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic.
Charleston Fancy by Witold Rybczynski
Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City
By Witold Rybczynski
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: May 2019
Charleston, South Carolina, which boasts America’s first historic district, is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City, named for its profusion of churches, exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects, builders, and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder, an Air Force pilot, a fledgling architect, and a bluegrass mandolin player.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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