Is There Nothing That Can't Be Adorned?

The Library at the college where I teach is fast becoming undervalued - in terms of books - as youngsters default to searching screen-based media before anything else. But - being of that generation, I still LOVE books - the smell of the paper; the shine or the soft texture...each slow turn of a page revealing something new!
Every few weeks I head over there to trawl the art and design shelves for something to pour over at my leisure (being 10 minutes before my muscles give up on my heavy eyelids each night).
Yesterday I pulled out a big old weighty tome covered in an open weave and - without even flicking through - thought 'Tord Boontje - I know that name, does he design for Ikea?'

*See book details at the foot of this post

Oh boy! What an AMAZING book! I have taken some snaps which don't really do justice to its gorgeousness but will serve as a reminder:

Look at this for a work space - lovely to have the space to work at a large scale; to make pockets and installations within your own space:

Comparisons between the tough rough robust furniture Boontje makes and the delicacy of the drapes provide compliments that make for strong imagery

I get great joy from the diversity of surfaces and structures Boontje's designs adorn or become.
Almost every page offers different materials as vehicles for angular or rounded or pinchy or stylised or blousy flowers

Lovely dry white un-glazed ceramic = one of my favourite textures

How to cover any surface whatsoever with red flowers. It seems celebratory to me and I love the fluidity - the way the insistence of pattern defies demarcation. 

 It's hard to see the beginning or the end, like this barely existing typography - almost overrun by flora - becoming the twining stems...

Here he is - man and baby - and what a thoughtful serious little fella he was:

The book is called Tord Boontje - it's by Martina Margetts. The photography is by Annabel Elston and Angela Moore, published by Rizzoli, New York ISBN: 0-8478-2929-4

Right that's the pictures looked at - I'm off to read some of the words now (having got a bit wordy here meself..)