Yes, I know 80s is a bit too warm but it wasn’t crazy like last year at least. What scared me was the way this week’s rain kept getting delayed. Always makes me think of drought anymore. But the rain came and everything is bursting into bloom – magnolias, daffodils, forsythia, spicebush, bloodroot, Grecian windflowers – the list goes on for a good bit now. It is a great time to visit with the grass greening up nicely to make all the colors pop. The redbuds (we have about a dozen different kinds) are in heavy bud. They will probably be in full bloom next weekend. That is just in time for Perennial Premiere, April 20^th and 21^st.

That’s right, folks. Another year has rolled around and it is already time for the 2013 Perennial Premiere, our annual kick-off for the coming growing season. As past attendees know, it is called Perennial Premiere but we will have far more than perennials. Everything from tropical bananas to native wildflowers to vegetables to bodacious begonias plus trees and shrubs will also be available. You can find a list of many of the available plants right here.

The greenhouses are packed with color already. 

A very nice selection of coleus as always.

I have my eye on several of these fancy-leaf geraniums.

As I said, native plants will be available, these are from Indiana seed.

Perennial selection will be great. They are looking good and colorful.

We all need to plant more Phlox divaricata. The common name is wild sweet William but it is not a Dianthus. Just one more example of the fun one can have with common names. Confuse the hell out of people by giving one common name to multiple plant genera.

This year’s event is extra special because it is also the 100^th anniversary of Oldfields, the Lilly estate our greenhouses are located on. There will be an emphasis on heirloom plants to honor this great occasion.

When you are done shopping you can tour the Lilly House and take a stroll through the gardens. Then come back and shop some more because you are going to see more plants you want. We will have guided tours on Saturday and Sunday.

There are also some lovely non-plant items available in the Greenhouse Shop.

All the Horticulture staff will be on hand the entire week-end to help you make good choices that fit your specific needs and wants. It’s the one time in the year where you have access to all the Horticulturists and the whole Greenhouse staff in one spot at the same time. I suggest you take full advantage of the opportunity.

So I will see you April 20^th and 21^st. Do not miss this event. I will be watching closely and noting those who fail to show. You don’t want to start off the gardening season by getting on my bad side. I know weeds. Bad weeds. Very bad weeds.

In February of 2012, the Indianapolis Museum of Art mounted a works on paper exhibition created by IMA Prints, Drawings & Photographs Curator Marty Krause entitled “Looking West.” This exhibition featured collection prints, drawings, photographs and watercolors by artists of the 19^th & 20^th centuries who were captivated by the scenery and culture of the American West. Two of the photographs chosen for this exhibition were taken out of storage for the first time since their acquisition in 1988. They were listed in the museum’s database as works by Edward Sheriff Curtis and identified as “orotones.”

Edward Sheriff Curtis, “Three Chiefs Piegan,” 1900. Gift of Mrs. Charles E. Rogers. 1988.65

It is one of my responsibilities to inspect every artwork prior to display in our galleries to make sure that there are no compelling condition problems that would require treatment before the installation. The orotones were stored with the oil paintings, hanging high on massive wire mesh storage racks suspended from the ceiling. I had to climb a ladder to reach them, and at the top I leaned forward to remove the archival foamboard light shields that were fitted around their frames to protect them from unnecessary light exposure. What I uncovered were two gleaming images, casting a quiet golden glow that seemed slightly miraculous given the cold illumination provided by the overhead fluorescent lights. The orotones shone as if lit by internal church candles, and I was immediately intrigued by the beauty and presence achieved by this esoteric photographic process.

Edward Sheriff Curtis, “The Vanishing Race,” 1904. Gift of Mrs. Charles E. Rogers. 1988.66.

Edward Sheriff Curtis was both prominent and prolific in the history of orotone images. His most famous endeavor involved amassing a documentary record of Native American cultures through staged scenes and portraiture, and the use of this particular technique enhanced the romantic appeal of this body of work. The IMA photographs are entitled Three Chiefs, Piegan and The Vanishing Race. They were in identical frames of gilded wood with decorative corner elements, and I came to learn that these were a common type of frame associated with Curtis’s work, personally selected to properly enhance and dignify his images.

Detail: lower left corner of the frame belonging to “Three Chiefs Piegan.”

What are orotones? This turned out to be a much more complicated question than anticipated. Other names for them include Goldtones and Curt-tones, the latter term coined by Curtis himself. The Latin word for gold is aurum, approximated by the prefix ‘oro’ which seems an obvious reference to the golden appearance of the images. This has lead to the misunderstanding that all orotones utilize actual metallic gold within the process. In truth, Curtis’s orotones were created by projecting a photographic negative onto a glass plate that had been pre-coated with a silver-gelatin emulsion, thereby creating a ‘positive’ image. The image was developed and fixed, and the emulsion was then coated with a layer of ‘bronzing powders mixed with banana oil’ to produce a backing color that enabled the highlights and shadows to be discernible, thus rendering the image readable. The ‘bronzing powders’ (metallic powders in a liquid carrier) were probably variable mixtures, but in Curtis’s work, they have been found to contain copper and zinc (note: bronze is technically defined as an alloy of copper and tin; copper and zinc are the components of brass). This metal combination was confirmed at the IMA through a brief scan using a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The ‘banana oil’ is amyl acetate in acetone and benzene, with the addition of a small amount of proxylin, which is a cellulose nitrate lacquer. The amyl acetate solvent is produced synthetically, but it has the distinct smell and taste of bananas, which explains the persistent use of the term ‘banana oil.’ It takes a great deal of skill to lay this coating over the emulsion flawlessly, which may help to explain the relative rarity of this process and Curtis’ justifiable pride in his mastery of the technique. He is even thought to have modified the materials to gain the precise aesthetic that he wanted, although this speculation has not been well documented.

Now that we understood what orotones were, we knew that we needed to re-examine our stewardship practices surrounding them to make sure that we were giving them the care they needed in order to survive into the distant future. It is very fortunate that we have the advice of visiting photograph conservator Paul Messier (which I wrote about here), contracted by the IMA for a condition survey of all collection photographs through a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The following information is excerpted from Paul’s survey of The Three Chiefs, Piegan:

About Orotones

The object is properly described as an “orotone.” The photographic image is rendered as a positive transparency on the glass plate. The image is silver-based, bound to the glass with a gelatin emulsion. The unprocessed / unexposed gelatin glass plate would have been commercially prepared. Once the positive image was exposed onto the plate and then developed, fixed and dried, the emulsion surface was coated with bronze powders evenly dispersed in a binder [this would be the ‘banana oil’ so often mentioned in the literature; however, Paul suspects that other substances were sometimes used]. The binder medium varies and, at times, it can remain somewhat tacky. Quite often the plates are backed with a lightweight paperboard sometimes affixed to the plate with a paper tape. The Art Nouveau/Arts and Crafts frame is typical for Curtis orotones and is original and intrinsic to the piece.

What Can Go Wrong

Typical problems with orotones are separations or flaking of the bronze powder layer from the reverse. Attempts at consolidating such defects can be disastrous and should be avoided at all costs (the consolidating medium penetrates into the gelatin and between the layers, altering the refractive index of all layers and causing a dark, irreversible, stain). Careful handling and leaving any backing board found on the reverse undisturbed are crucial for avoiding such separations.

Cleaning the Glass Surface

An important and often neglected fact is that the glass surface is the primary support for the photograph. To the extent possible, the glass surface should be cleaned using dry methods, as liquids can seep around the edge of the plate and disturb the adhesion between the various layers.

Transporting Orotones

The object is extremely fragile. The glass is intrinsically delicate and the adhesion between the bronze powder layer and the gelatin emulsion is easily disturbed. Orotones should not travel unless it is absolutely necessary [due to the dangers of travel-induced vibration]

Storage

Rack storage with required light shields. [Note: temperature and humidity extremes should be avoided]

Display

5-7 FC (footcandles, about 50 LUX) with limited duration. Light intensity and duration of exposure should be recorded [as light-induced damage is cumulative].

I am personally delighted to have discovered the world of orotones. They have a beauty that is unique and captivating, and a look at several photographic forums online reveal that contemporary photographers are beginning to stride into the challenges of this process. I would like to give Edward S. Curtis the last word in this blog: he described the wonder of orotones [here called Curt-tones] in this famous passage that he penned for a brochure advertising his studio in 1903:

“The ordinary photographic print, however good, lacks depth and transparency, or more strictly speaking, translucency. We all know how beautiful are the stones and pebbles in the limpid brook of the forest where water absorbs the blue of the sky and the green of the foliage, yet when we take the same iridescent pebbles from the water and dry them they are dull and lifeless, so it is with the ordinary photographic print, but in the Curt-tones all the translucency is retained and they are as full of life and sparkle as an opal.”

What unspoken messages do First Ladies send with fashion? And how did the unforgettable Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy break the mold to present her husband’s candidacy and presidency as progressive and modern?

On September 13, 2012 the IMA’s Fashion Arts Society hosted design historian Sandy McLendon, former contributor and senior editor at Modernism Magazine, for a lecture on the influential “Jackie Look.” McLendon took attendees through a visual tour of Jackie’s strategic choices: hiring Hollywood costume designer Oleg Cassini; embracing the slim sheath dress and fuss-free pillbox hat; and selecting—down to the detail—trim, elegant gowns suitable for superpower diplomacy.

FAS members turned out in their fabulous finery for the event, wearing hats, gloves and fur to celebrate mod sixties fashion.

Even if you couldn’t make it to the event, you can still watch it on ArtBabble or YouTube. I won’t judge you if you break out your pillbox hat for viewing, either.

Sometimes great movies can spring forth from a well of tainted motives.

Alien is a watershed, a lodestone, often called one of the most influential (and copied) films of the last half-century. What it is not, though, is the act of pure cinematic creation that most people consider it to be.

Director Ridley Scott, making just his second feature film, planned to do a period costume drama, perhaps an adaptation of Tristan and Isolde. Then he saw Star Wars and realized that space adventures would be the new big thing. He quickly jumped aboard pop culture’s sci-fi bandwagon.

The other movie genre that was going gangbusters in 1979 was horror films, particularly the slasher variety in which young, comely females are stalked by a seemingly unkillable killer whose gruesome, thrusting slayings have a not-terribly-subtle undertone of sexual penetration.

Scott and screenwriter Dan O’Bannon simply took the two hottest things going in Hollywood and melded them together. (O’Bannon would go on to underscore his horror movie bona fides by penning the zombie flicks Dead & Buried, The Return of the Living Dead and Lifeforce over the next six years.)

As if to leave no doubt, the tagline for the movie’s poster (above) seemed tailor-made to appeal to Star Wars fans who were old enough to buy tickets to an R-rated horror flick.

None of this, however, detracts from the boldness and artistry of what was created.

If Alien is just a slasher film in space, then it’s one executed with flawless craftsmanship. In Scott’s hands, the commercial space barge Nostromo becomes a vast, haunted landscape filled with inky pools of shadow and dilapidated equipment. Despite a lack of character development, each of the actors managed to create a distinct, memorable presence.

Sigourney Weaver, practically a movie novice, calmly embodied the role of the level-headed warrant officer Ripley (we didn’t even learn her first name until the 1986 sequel). Ripley was also one of the first action-movie female leads … though she’s something of a stealth protagonist. Up until the point where Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) perishes at the talons of the alien, most audiences members assumed he was the main guy.

And how can we fail to mention the unforgettable alien — or should we say, trio of aliens: the insectoid “facehugger,” the phallic “chestburster” and the full-grown creature, which (to quote myself) “is so black and spider-like, it seems less like an organism than null space brought to life.”

Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger, who created the alien designs, is as much responsible for the success of the Alien franchise as anyone. Though it must be pointed out that the series became more and more mercenary — finally pairing up with the Predator flicks for a profit-pursuing crossover.

And of course, this summer has brought us Prometheus, Scott’s breathlessly awaited prequel to Alien, which has left audiences as baffled as the original left them terrified. (My own take: narratively, Prometheus is a mess, but still a worthy cinematic experience.)

Whatever the highs and lows of its offspring, Alien was truly the mother of invention — or, at least, inspired amalgamation.

Come see Alien at this evening’s screening of Summer Nights.

Project IMA: Fashion Unbound, 2010. Winner: Jeremy B. Hunt.

The first IMA organized fashion show, Project IMA, debuted in 2008 on an idea and a shoestring. The idea was simple: engage our community through fashion in order to promote the traveling exhibition, Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It seemed therefore fitting to draw from the community for participants. Having only moved to Indianapolis six months prior, I scoured the web and attended multiple fashion events to quickly discover, much to my delight, a strong assembly of designers, wearable artists and stylists within the city. As a result, we asked 16 designers to participate in the fashion show. They had four months to visit the exhibition, study the accompanying catalogue and devise a plan for one to two ensembles that “featured outrageous, beautiful, irreverent and glamorous designs.”

Not only were the pieces created interesting, varied, and thought-provoking, but the public’s response was overwhelming. So many people attended the show we had to schedule an impromptu second show for all those who couldn’t make it in the first round. There are even rumors that the amount of traffic flowing into the parking lot actually (temporarily) shut down 38^th Street. Not bad, eh?

Project IMA: Fashion Unbound, 2010. Designs by Francis Stallings

So, in 2010, we decided to try it again. Only this time, we used our own exhibition, Body Unbound: Contemporary Couture from the IMA’s Permanent Collection, as the stimulus and opened the call for entries internationally. The response was exuberant.  We had over 50 people submit proposals for inclusion. Of those 50, we selected 40 participants who met the guidelines and, just like that, Project IMA: Fashion Unbound was in full swing.  Two back-to-back shows (having learned from experience) took place in The Toby to enthusiastic crowds. The concepts employed and the quality designs, almost 80 in total, were impressive. There were pieces made from paper, plastic bags and rubber bands while others, confronted, amused and referenced history. After much deliberation, the judges selected a piece by Jeremy B. Hunt as the best of show and awarded him the Elizabeth Kraft-Meek fashion design award. Afterwards, guests, designers, models and crew attended the official Behind the Seams after party, hosted by the newly formed affiliate group, FAS. Here audience members viewed garments up close, lined up for photos by Got Shot, and listened to the music of local pop sweethearts, Beta Male.  All in all, the event was a success.

So, here we go, again…

Project IMA: Fashion Unbound, 2010. Designs by Nancy Todd.

The IMA is currently inviting artists and fashion designers to submit original work for inclusion in a spectacular, one-night only fashion event, titled Project IMA, IN:spired which will take place in The Toby on Thursday, October 11, 2012.

The theme for this year’s show is based on works included in the IMA’s latest fashion exhibition, An American Legacy; Norell, Blass, Halston & Sprouse. Entries must be the exclusive work of the submitter (or submitting team) and be wearable objects that exhibit unique, innovative, inspirational and creative artistry.  The works must be based on the gowns, outfits and dresses designed by legendary Indiana fashion designers, Norman Norell, Bill Blass, Halston and Stephen Sprouse currently on view in the IMA’s  free exhibition.

Do you live outside of Indianapolis? Not to worry. We encourage submissions from people all over the country, and will be updating the exhibition webpage regularly so you can view all of the pieces from afar. Just check in periodically for updates.

Does this sound like you? Please review the guidelines, fill out the application form, and submit all your materials to ProjectIMA@imamuseum.org by Monday August 20, 2012.

I’ve been playing the piano at the IMA for over 30 years in several different capacities. I recently came across some old programs from several chamber music concerts in the 1980s and a solo recital I played there in 1982. Through the years, I’ve played for several openings, including an exhibition of work by Félix Vallotton (an artist currently featured in the exhibition Snapshot), and in the galleries. For 20 years I was the pianist for the Cameo Trio, which gave many concerts at the IMA and became Piano Trio in Residence there a few years before it was disbanded in 2003. In addition, I played the harpsichord for “Christmas at Lilly” for six years.

When Ellen Lee invited me to play for the exhibition Snapshot, she mentioned the name Misia Natanson. This was a great clue for me to follow when selecting music to play for this exhibition. While Misia – a pianist who hosted an artistic salon in Paris – was a muse to visual artists (she’s featured throughout the exhibition in works by Édouard Vuillard, among others), she served as inspiration for composers, as well. Misia’s piano teacher, Gabriel Fauré, introduced her to Maurice Ravel, who was a student of his at the time. Ravel later dedicated a composition, Le Cygne, to Misia and his work Sonatine is dedicated to Misia’s brother and his wife. Also present was Claude Debussy, whose works Misia loved. Ravel and Debussy were friends of Erik Satie, who later dedicated his ballet, Parade, to Misia. I selected music by these composers to play at the opening event and in the galleries, and it was a treat for me to add to the ambience of this wonderful exhibition.  If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating woman, a good resource is the publication Misia by Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale.

For more information on performances inspired by Snapshot, visit the IMA’s events page.

Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’) is a great option for getting a little bit of chartreuse into the landscape without going overboard.  It is a grass-like perennial, similar to a Siberian iris, which prefers a bit of moisture, even having the ability to grow in boggy conditions. If you site this in sun to part shade and in consistently moist soil, it will be a fairly low-maintenance perennial that will spread slowly.  The flowers are pretty insignificant, so grow this one for the lovely, tufted, gold-variegated foliage that will reach about a foot tall and provide a fine-textured accent for bold-leafed perennials.  It could also be quite effective as a groundcover for a smaller area, such as next to a water feature, or used as an accent in a container.  In any garden, Acorus ‘Ogon’ is a very graceful, versatile plant.

Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ (in front)

There are many bugelweeds to choose from; all have that great blue flower in the spring and are effective and quick-growing groundcovers.  The one that I’ve been the most impressed with for looking great even after it has finished blooming is Ajuga ’Chocolate Chip,’ and I’m going to be sure to nab a few of these for my own home garden this year!  ‘Chocolate Chip’ is shorter than other bugleweeds at only 2” tall (3-4” with the flower spike), with lovely bronze to deep green foliage that retains its healthy vigor throughout the growing season.  Some of the other Ajugas have flowers that tend to look a bit weedy after blooming, but it has been my observation that ‘Chocolate Chip’ maintains its neat appearance throughout the growing season.  Site this little guy in a sunny or fairly shaded location between stepping stones or as a border edge; it won’t let you down!

Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’, photo courtesy of Classy Groundcovers

Dwarf goat’s beard, Aruncus aethusifolius, is another lovely, compact perennial only reaching about 12” tall.  It has an overall appearance similar to that of Astilbe, but its ferny foliage will not shrivel up and turn crispy brown in the drier spells of summer, allowing the opportunity for a nice yellow-orange leaf color to develop in the fall.  It has white flower plumes in early to mid-summer, and would be a great, underused alternative in shady conditions for those who are looking for a good companion with Hosta, Epimedium or Brunnera.

Aruncus aethusifolius, photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Tired of cute little dwarf-sized plants?  Definitely consider tall, handsome Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Apollo.’  This Culver’s root is an exciting cultivar of a native prairie plant that can fit in well in many different styles of gardens, from formal borders to cottage gardens to rain gardens.  It does best in full sun, reaching a good 3-5’ in height when in bloom.  If the foliage starts to look a little tired in late summer, chop it back and let it flush back out with fresh basal growth.  V. ‘Apollo’ has bold, lavender flower spikes that resemble speedwell flowers (Veronica) atop whorled stems in early to mid-summer, a nice alternative to the white spikes of the straight species.  As icing on the cake, it received top ratings from the Chicago Botanical Garden Veronicastrum trials in 2004.  This would be a good plant to use as a unique accent amidst mounding plants where those great flower spikes can be appreciated, or used en masse to great effect to look like a giant candelabra.

Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Apollo’, photo courtesy of Avant Gardens

Hmmm…beginning to wonder how many of these I could squeeze into what little space I have left in my garden!

Don’t let the name fool you into thinking there will only be perennials at Perennial Premiere!  There will also be a number of great shrubs for sale, and I’m excited to share that there will be a couple of Fothergillas available.  While they may not be the most show-stopping choice for color in the garden, I am truly beginning to appreciate their quiet beauty and grace.  I love the white, bottle-brush blooms in the spring that turn the shrubs into fluffy white clouds, but their interest extends into three solid seasons of show, with heavily-textured, scalloped leaves in the summer that evolve into brilliant balls of fire in the fall.  Reaching 3-5’ and happy in sun or part shade, they are easy-care shrubs that have just about everything going for them.  Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’ and ‘Red Licorice’ will be available for sale, both of which had solid reviews from the Longwood Gardens Fothergilla trials in 2008.  It will be difficult to choose between them, with ‘Mount Airy’ having top ratings for fall color and ‘Red Licorice’ rated as having the most outstanding summer foliage…I think it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong in either case.  Eeny-meeny-miny-moe!

Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’

Goodness…there is so much more, but you’re just going to have to come see for yourself.  And don’t forget that there will be new things coming to the Greenhouse for the next couple of weeks, so you just might have to schedule another visit so you don’t miss anything.  Like the Geranium ‘Dragon Heart’ that will be coming in a couple weeks, a boisterous, hardy Geranium that is supposed to have magenta flowers with a black center.  Yum.  Really?  Magenta?  I can’t wait to find out!

Here’s a sneak peek into the galleries, where Aziz + Cucher have been fine-tuning their work:

Sammy Cucher, in front of "By Aporia, Pure and Simple"

Anthony Aziz, in front of "By Aporia, Pure and Simple"

Anthony Aziz and Sammy Cucher of Aziz + Cucher

courtesy of Pantone.

It is a deep shade of orange but here’s a more detailed description.

Yes, tango and tangerine all in one color.

The tango – filled with sensuality, barely repressed animal sexuality and total control of staccato yet fluid movement.

Tangerine – filled with aromatic oils, sticky sweet yet tart juice, and so round and firm in the hand.

What a combination!

I’m a big fan of orange and the many shades of orange. Here are a few things I found about my house last night.

This does not include clothing, my yoga mat, or my fabulous piece of carry-on luggage.

In my designs, orange has played a role for years. I was unaware of people’s resistance to orange when I started using it. A good many have come around to my point of view. In truth, it goes with about any other color. You do have to watch with lavender (BIG mistake as a rule). And you must choose your pinks carefully. But a hot pink with a hot orange is, well…… HOT. And the right magenta with the right orange is true paradise.

We have several perennials to choose from for orange. So many new Echinaceas I lose track at times.

‘Tiki Torch’ from Terra Nova has been a favorite since I grew it a few years back. I know they have newer ones but the color on this one is so good.

Photo(s) courtesy of Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc.

Of course their ‘Tangerine Dream’ looks good too.

Photo(s) courtesy of Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc.

‘Hot Papaya’ is a favorite for certain. Plants Nouveau has introduced many great double echinaceas.

Photo courtesy of Plants Nouveau.

They also have ‘Marmalade.’ Love this one too.

Photo courtesy of Plants Nouveau.

Big Sky^TM Sundown (‘Evan Saul’) from Itsaul Plants has been reliable workhorse  for us for years. Saul’s were some of the very first with good Echinaceas in the new colors.

Photo courtesy of ItSaul Plants.

Geums are coming on strong these days with many new colors but my favorite is still the oranges. ‘Fireball,’ also from Terra Nova, has been great in my garden at home.

Photo(s) courtesy of Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc.

Of course in annuals and tropicals we have always had a large selection to choose from. Remember marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias? You can still find heirloom cultivars of these at the same time new varieties are coming on the market every year. And let’s not forget cockscomb.

I remain in full love-lust with the plumed variety ‘Fresh Look Orange.’

This has stayed in my top list since it was introduced several years ago. It blooms like crazy, gives great color and texture in the garden, and makes a superb cut flower.

Lantana is a blooming machine in many shades of orange from the nearly red ‘Dallas Red’ to the multi-colored ‘Miss Huff.’ Of course there is ‘Radiation’ (think that one is bright?), ‘Landmark Citrus’, and ‘Tangerine’ (not my first choice but willing to try again). I love the fact ‘Miss Huff’ can reach 4-5 feet tall in a season here in Indiana. I get tired of small plants.

Most of my favorite cannas have orange flowers too – ‘Pretoria,’ Tropicana,’ and ‘Orange Punch.’

‘Orange Sparkler’ is a new one with a lot of potential as well.

Photo courtesy of Plants Nouveau.

It was bred by Brian Williams from down in Louisville and also being marketed by Plants Nouveau.

Orange is not restricted to summer color.

There are early spring pansies.

photo courtesy of BallHort.

Fall foliage is certainly always considered in selecting woody plants (Fothergilla).

And let’s not forget the winter blooming witchhazels (‘Jelena’).

Just because ‘Tango Tangerine’ is the official color of the year, remember you don’t have to use just that shade of orange. There are a lot of crayons in the box.

Design is generally a pretty subjective endeavor, so when starting a new project I like to do a little research into the subject in order to guide the generation of formal elements. Fortunately Technicolor offers a wealth of visual elements to play with, but the methods and appearance of color film varies a lot depending on the time. The earliest versions of color motion pictures involved three separate rolls of film—black, cyan, and magenta—that were layered together in order to produce the color projection. It’s a very distinctive look, and is wholly different from the colors you see in The Godfather: Part II, the last American film made using Technicolor’s dye transfer process. The early three-strip technique provided inspiration for the initial Winter Nights designs, involving a large and somewhat abstract W made from shaded cubes to reference a frigid, icy winter.

While working on this abstract and wintry version, we also pursued a more literal direction using film as the starting point. Keeping the W, this solution retains the grainy texture that characterizes many of those older movies. While each had its merits, ultimately we decided to go with the film-centric version for this year’s series, and a final version was created that made very clear the series’ relationship with film, as well as including the Technicolor theme in the graphic.

Using film stills in a campaign for Technicolor movies is a no-brainer, but this was not as straightforward as one might think. In the 1940s, Technicolor threw out a large volume of color negatives after the studios didn’t reclaim them, and unless they’ve been re-mastered those movies are now only available in black and white. Fortunately, we were able to find some great color images from Charade and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The beauty of these movies speak for themselves when you see them, and in order to try imparting some of that drama and motion in print pieces, I relied on careful crops.

One particularly seductive image of Marilyn Monroe offers plenty of details to highlight—Marilyn’s face, her eyes lightly closed, could be mistaken for being asleep when viewed alone. The diamond bracelet and thick gray fur are a glimpse of luxury, sensuality, and elegant excess. The full image, my favorite among Marilyn’s publicity shots for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, shows the actress dressed in red, wrapped in fur, and draped in diamonds. Her open mouth, even more red than her dress, completes a frozen moment of ecstasy, and was the perfect image to use for our Winter Nights banner.