Architect Eliot Noyes was one of the leading pioneers of modern design during the mid-century, post-war boom in the United States. Educated by Walter Gropius at Harvard, Noyes did more than anyone to align the Modernist design ethos to the needs of ascendant corporate America. His impact on companies like IBM and Mobil Oil paved the way for Apple and many of the other design-conscious brands we know today.
Modernism, Inc. follows Noyes’ career up to a time when disruptive designers of the early ’70s began pushing back against the Modernist view of progress. As he did in Eames: The Architect and the Painter (co-directed with Bill Jersey), filmmaker Jason Cohn uses the story of a mid-century icon to raise contemporary questions about the role of a designer in today’s world.
Jason Cohn will appear in person at both the New York and Los Angeles openings.
“Well-researched, well-crafted and fascinating. Noyes created and forged some of the most respected, meaningful, and influential industrial design programs in the United States. The rise and attraction of modernism on the heels of the postwar economic boom birthed contemporary design and philosophy that continue to exist and flourish today, influencing mega businesses, including Apple. The idea of beauty with utility, which was generated from the Bauhaus art movement, continues to remain vital today, and for this, we thank Noyes.” -Sabina Dana Plassa, Film Threat
“Noyes held the belief that design was not an afterthought, but rather something that needed to be infused into every aspect of a company’s thought process. The result helped IBM become the technical design juggernaut of the early personal computing era—and paved the way for companies like Apple to design products for the 21st century. Interviews with those who worked with him, as well as those in his family who knew him intimately, paint the picture of a man who was truly ahead of his time.”-Sara Harowitz, The Georgia Straight
MODERNISM, INC. Directed by Jason Cohn 79 minutes | color | In English | 2023
CREDITS
Jason Andrew Cohn Writer and Director Camille Servan-Schreiber Producer Kevin Jones and Jason Cohn Editors Steven Emerson Music Composer Sebastian Roché Narrator Talia Mindich Associate Producer Talia Mindich, Andrei Valladolid, Nina Goodby Assistant Editors
“Inflation”. From the 2013 show. Eclectic. Radical. Awesome.
The Niagara Artists Centre’s (NAC) 2014 STRUTT Wearable Art Show was outlandish, bizarre and like nothing you’d ever seen before. STRUTT took place on November 22, 2014 at the WS Tyler Factory in St. Catharines, ON. Doors opened at 8 p.m. for the first edition of the Niagara Exotic Bazaar and the runway show began at 9 p.m. The show showcased over 40 pieces of wearable art performed by acrobats, aerialists and break-dancers to a live musical score performed by Chiac hip-hopper sensations, Radio Radio. The runway show will also include the debut performance of the mini trip-hopera, Unstrung, featuring music by Paradise Animals,contemporary hip-hop dance troupe Bboyizm, and remarkable masks created by local artist, Clelia Scala. The event website is www.struttwearableartshow.ca.
“We pack a whack of WTF into this thing. We don’t care who you are, or where you’re from, you come to STRUTT and you’ll get your head spun,” says NAC’s Minister of Energy, Minds, and Resources, Stephen Remus. “The artists make fantastic work, the performers tear it up, and we turn the factory into a hedonist’s palace. I don’t think it can be doubted, STRUTT’s the single annual occasion where Niagara genuinely surprises itself.”
STRUTT was a surreal party scene where the absurd is commonplace. As Doug Herod of the St. Catharines Standard reflects, “STRUTT rocks! STRUTT is a wearable art show, but that description doesn’t do it justice. It’s music, it’s entertainment, it’s theatre — and a lot of fun.”
And a few more designs from last year.
In addition to the runway show, STRUTT included the Niagara Exotic Bazaar, a showcase of all that’s weird and wonderful and originating in Niagara, from wine to designer clothing to glassware. The Niagara Exotic Bazzar was sponsored by Shannon Passero and co-presented by NAC and the Garden City Food Co-op.
As one who is exposed to new product innovations as a regular course of business, I’ve seen my fair share cool gear and smart solutions that’ll make the rigors of travel, well, that much less rigorous. From leading-edge technology to killer fashion and keepsakes to helpful health and wellness resources to things that just make jaunting more fun, here’s an awesome assortment of things I’m absolutely loving right now.
V-MODA Remix – Premium Bluetooth Speaker (www.V-Moda.com) – $300.00USD
Nothing beats a picnic or beach outing, or a killer backyard soiree, like your favorite tunes playing in the background. Now that’s super easy with the Remix Premium Bluetooth Speaker from V-MODA—the company’s first Bluetooth portable speaker boasting a built-in amplifier and hi-fi sound quality. As the world’s first 3D-printed custom speaker, all six sides of REMIX can be personalized (patent-pending). Using V-MODA’s renowned jewelry-grade 3D-printing expertise, owners can add new sides, change the front grill or even replace the main “C-shell” housing for the ultimate in bespoke appearance. Built on the foundation of V-MODA’s multi-award-winning audio technology, Remix projects precise and vibrant sound at all listening levels. Available in two finishes–minimal CNC aluminum and luxurious vegan leather–this premium speaker exemplifies the work of V-MODA’s Milano-based design studio. It’s classically styled, beautifully proportioned and completely customizable on all six sides to reflect the personality of its owner. Led by Chief Visionary Officer and professional musician Val Kolton, V-MODA blends analog renaissance age inspiration, Italian design and precise Japanese engineering. V-MODA products have reportedly won 40-plus editors’ choice awards and have become essential gear for the world’s top professional DJs.
Whether touring with family and friends or knocking around town, a great way to keep cool and comfortable, while still being fashionable, is with Cotton Junkies. This company’s super comfy tees are great year-round! They offer a nice range of tees and tank tops for both him and her in the softest of cotton–and the standout designs are super cool. Centered around an ethos of natural style, sex appeal and comfort, this brand new label combines cotton, the most comfortable of materials, with modern designs in eye-catching colors from charcoal greys and electric blues, to volcano reds and sage greens. From V-necks to crew necks, their secret is in the way the cotton is treated. All of their merchandise is handpicked, and uses a blend of organic cottons with other natural materials that are U.S. made and pre-washed for a true-to-you fit and style. This means they don’t shrink in the wash! What’s more the brand has a unisex feel, so a lot of the tees for him can be worn by her!
Grayton Automatic Watches ‘Radiance’ Collection (www.Grayton-Watches.com) – Starting at $200USD
For any travel itinerary, keeping time is of the essence. And, the ‘Radiance’ Collection from Grayton Automatic Watches is a way to do this in fab form. They feature a classy design and advanced quality reflecting the company’s exceptional experience of crafting automatic watches—and offering them at a reasonable price. Like the prayer flags that sway eternally in the breeze, the colors of the Radiance collection watch dials are said to be inspired by the unique color palette of Shangri-La: green alpine pastures, white-silver mountain snows or brown wooden Tibetan chalets in the old city itself. The elegance of the Radiance collection makes it the perfect combination between traditional and modern. Grayton choose top-quality materials for watch cases, straps and bracelets, and integrates a Japanese movement by Seiko—a respected standard in the watch industry and a token of quality. One of its finest features is its transparent backside design that allows you to see the detailed mechanical movements operating within the watch. Its super luminous colored hands will also tell you the time no matter how dark it is. Whether for style, quality or utility, This and other Grayton Automatic Watch designs can be handed down from one generation to another as valued family treasures.
Image: Grayton Automatic Watches
Grafo Maps (www.GrafoMap.com) – $49USD – $168USD
Here’s something great-looking and fashionable for your walls! Remind yourself of the place you grew up, went to college, your honeymoon location, or that unforgettable vacation spot with a beautifully designed custom map poster from Grafo Maps. These posters are an artful decor piece designed by you. The company’s easy-to-use online poster editing tool lets you design anyplace you love—you can even search by address. Once you have found the perfect spot you want to map, simply choose a color scheme that will add even more personality to your piece. Within days you will receive your unique one of a kind poster printed on acid-free 180g matte paper made to not only to look great, but also last a lifetime. You can order it framed or unframed. Place it in a special location as a reminder of that place you love or a special event. It’s sure to spark conversations with family and friends.
Image: Grafo Maps
tech21’s Impact Clear Urban Edition Case (www.Tech21.com) – $44.95USD
Image: Tech21
It’s imperative to keep that iPhone safe while out and about. Clear protection meets urban design with the Impact Clear Urban Edition Case from tech21. Inspired by minimalistic streetwear, The Urban Edition offers a unique geometric pattern with sleek and clean lines, fit for the fashion-conscious smartphone user looking to coordinate their case with their outfit in a subtle manner. tech21 products feature a highly advanced impact protection material called FlexShock, which is an ultra-thin and lightweight material that absorbs and dissipates force and can withstand drops up to 6.6 feet. With enhanced UV yellowing resistance and a durable, scratch resistant finish, your phone, and your case, will look better for a longer period of time. It’s available in two different styles and two colors (Brushed Black or Clear White) for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Combining urban design with clear materials and advanced drop protection, the Urban Edition can keep your phone as beautiful as the day you took it out of the box.
Kardia Mobile (www.AliveCor.com) – $99USD
Here’s a way to stay heart healthy all year through and no matter where you are (however near or far from your doctor): the Kardia Mobile personal EKG. Sadly, more people die from heart disease and stroke each year than any other disease- but did you know that 80% of strokes are preventable? Kardia Mobile is a consumer EKG monitoring device that allows you to quickly access, track and analyze your heart health. Taking a clinical-grade heart rhythm reading in just 30 seconds, results are delivered right to your smartphone! Now you can know anytime, anywhere if your heart rhythm is normal, or if atrial fibrillation is detected—helpful data that can reduce your risk of stroke. Smaller than a credit card, it provides a way for people to easily take their health into their own hands. Kardia Mobile gives you peace of mind right from your pocket.
Image: AliveCor
International Hyperhidrosis Society ‘Fan Faves’ Products (www.SweatHelp.org) – Prices vary
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, is a serious medical condition that affects approximately 5% of the population. This means that nearly 367 million people worldwide—including throngs of travelers—struggle with extreme, uncontrollable sweating…be it on their hands, feet, face, underarms, torso, lower extremities, or any combination of these—which greatly impacts their quality of life. From stress and embarrassment to depression and isolation, hyperhidrosis takes its toll; but there’s help! Since 2003, The International Hyperhidrosis Society has been providing information, resources, expert perspective, and support to those struggling with this condition. It’s is the only global non-profit organization dedicated entirely to improving the lives of those affected by hyperhidrosis while also supporting healthcare providers and researchers to improve hyperhidrosis treatments and understanding. From the International Hyperhidrosis Society’s website, SweatHelp.org, you’ll find up-to-date information on treatment options, U.S. insurance codes, clinical trials, a physician finder, an award-winning, useful blog, and much more. IHhS also maintains a useful product guide called “Fan Faves” where you can receive special discounts and discover ingenious, cutting-edge products to help handle even the sweatiest situations.
Image: The International Hyperhidrosis Society
WeCool Kits for Kids (www.BuyBobbleBitz.com) – $7.99USD – $29.99USD
For some crafty portable fun for kids I love the Compound Kings Makin’ Station from WeCool! This activity set lets kids make their own slimy mixture in just two quick-and-easy steps – and get it perfect every time. There’s no mess or long list of ingredients that need precise measuring. All they have to do is add water to the special powder mix in the activity center and the stretchy compound is ready within minutes! It yields more than one pound. Compound Kings offers a range of slimy mixes from single packs to activity sets, including glittery, fluffy, and crunchy slimes in addition to make-your-own varieties. Also awesome is WeCool’s Bobble Bitz Creation Station, an activity set featuring an irresistibly squishy, squeezy and crunchy medium that doubles as a molding compound. It’s a textured product kids have called “oddly satisfying” – like playing with bubble wrap. The set includes molds, tools and accessories so kids can make their own unique designs that air-harden overnight for cool 3D creations they can wear, share and display.
For the Silo, By Merilee Kern, ‘The Luxe List’ Executive Editor.
As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority–a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She identifies and reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories.Reach her online, on Twitter , on Facebook and on Instagram.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or sponsored at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
From last year: STRUTT Sizzle 2012- find the video on Vimeo
St. Catharines, Canada — The Niagara Artists Centre’s (NAC) 2013 STRUTT Wearable Art Weekend (STRUTT) is outlandish, bold and more spectacular than ever before. STRUTT takes place on November 15 and 16, 2013 culminating with the STRUTT Runway Show, which takes place Saturday, November 16 at the WS Tyler Factory in St. Catharines, ON.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and the runway show begins at 9 p.m. The STRUTT Runway Show showcases over 40 unique wearable artworks by local and province-wide artists, and will be scored by crown princes of Trans-Canadian cosmic rock, The Sadies. The event website is www.struttwearableartshow.ca
“We do whatever we can to bring the ‘WTF’ factor to every STRUTT. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to the last ten or you’ve never been before, you’re going to get your head spun,” expresses NAC “Minister of Energy, Minds, and Resources,” Stephen Remus.
“Art and fashion are two things that academics, upper crust types, and anybody else who likes to be full of themselves has almost ruined completely. Thankfully, STRUTT brings it all back to earth in glorious style like a boulder of good times smacking down on a jelly doughnut.”
Find STRUTT on facebook for updates and info on Calls for Submissions CP
STRUTT is a surreal party scene where the absurd is commonplace. As Doug Herod of the St. Catharines Standard reflects, “STRUTT rocks! STRUTT is a wearable art fashion show, but that description doesn’t do it justice. It’s music, it’s entertainment, it’s theatre – and a lot of fun.” In addition to the art on the runway, The Sadies will be taking the stage and there are a variety of other spectacles leading up to the STRUTT Runway Show on November 15 at the WS Tyler Factory to keep partygoers entertained. The weekend’s events feature a photography
exhibit showcasing over 300 works of art that have been created over the past 14 years, and a dinner party featuring a live performance of chamber music combined with breathtaking imagery, local wine and a four-course epicurean feast.
Fooled you- this still from one of Oskar Schlemmer’s Bauhaus costume parties is from the 1920’s. Dadaism was influencing progressive art circles and wearable art made an impact.
STRUTT 2013 sponsors, partners and supporters are (in alphabetical order) Brock University Centre for the Arts, Canadian Tire Financial Services, City of St. Catharines, Design Electronics, Eight Contracting and Restorations, Henley Honda, Liberty! Bikes, Ontario Arts Council, Pen Financial Credit Union, Province of Ontario, Shannon Passero, The St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre, STORM Hair Group, and Suitcase In Point.
55 years after Schlemmer: “We’re not men. We are DEVO”
NAC is a not-for-profit, charitably registered, member-driven collective formed by and dedicated to serving the working artists and community of Niagara. Founded in 1969 as a collective of working artists, NAC is one of the oldest artist-run organizations in Canada. For more information visit www.nac.org
As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority–a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She identifies and reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. 
