Back in Berlin by Rilla Back in Berlin
26 January 2010My sunburn is still peeling under layers and layers of warm clothes.
Back in Berlin by Rilla
Location
Berlin
 
Australia by Rilla I love a sunburnt country
26 January 2010It is purely a co-incidence that I am posting these images from our trip back home on Australia Day.

To be honest, the reason I have to post these now is that I have to put them behind me (lest I start packing and book the next available flight back).
Australia by Rilla Gold Coast, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Australia by Rilla Aireys Inlet, Victoria
Australia by Rilla Montville, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Townsville, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Brisbane, Queensland
Australia by Rilla Cedar Creek, Queensland
Visiting
Australia
 
About Zauberring by Rilla Der Zauberring
03 December 2009The Magic Ring is a Russian fairytale and although this book has been translated into English, my copy is in German (and lovingly dedicated "von deinen Bruder Frank").

It is filled with vibrant watercolour illustrations - their graphic style and composition furthered by the geometric elements throughout. They come into their own on the black "pixelated" end pages.
About Der Zauberring by Rilla
About Der Zauberring by Rilla
About Der Zauberring by Rilla
About Der Zauberring by Rilla
Pictures by
Michael Romberg
Published by
Artia, Prague
1972
Found in
Berlin
 
Berliner Dom by Rilla Paper Lanterns in Berlin
11 November 2009

There isn't anything I can say about the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the wall, that hasn't been said more eloquently by many others.

But tonight I was walking along Unter den Linden towards the Berliner Dom, amongst a procession of children holding paper lanterns...and the cold air and the warm glow made me fall in love with Berlin all over again.
Paper Lanterns by Rilla
Paper Lanterns by Rilla
Paper Lanterns by Rilla
Seen at
The St. Martin Day
procession and performance
of Martin's Cloak
Location
Berlin
 
Mr Tom turns two by Rilla Puppies, Parties and Pretending
30 October 2009Today Mr Tom turned two. He demolished his two birthday cakes and then opened his present – which he promptly destroyed.

We were relieved. It squeaked.

As Mr Tom curls up exhausted on my lap, I remember David Attenborough's utter disgust at pet owner's who anthropomorphise their animals.

Since anthropomorphising animals is pretty much what I do, I think I can be safe to assume he won't be visiting my website any time soon.
Mr Tom turns two by Rilla
Mr Tom turns two by Rilla
Seen at
Home
Location
Berlin
 
Obsessed by Dogs by Rilla Dogs
26 October 2009I used to be a cat person. But you wouldn't know it now.

Today I'm admiring a well dressed chap on a Japanese new year card celebrating the arrival of the year of the dog, 1910. (Japanese Antique Post Cards for Greetings, Published by Graphic-Sha, 2003)

Obsessed by Dogs by Rilla My Czech favourites join us in a drunk conversation (by Jiří Trnka from Slunecni Prsten, Albatros, 1976)
Obsessed by Dogs by Rilla And share their healthy love of bones (by Adolf Born from Bilderbuch der Verführungskunst, Eulenspiegel Verlag Berlin, 1979).
Obsessed by Dogs by Rilla Despite my switch in allegiance, I still am not a fan of poodles. Though, this trouble-making Russian is a start. (by Vladimir Konashevich in Look how Absent Minded! 1931 from Russian Children's Picture Books in the 1920s and 1930s, Tankosha Publishing, 2004)
Pictures by
Various Artists
Published by
Graphic-Sha
Albatros
Eulenspiegel
Tankosha
Found in
Tokyo and Prague
 
Hands of God Art of the People: Hands of God
19 October 2009

We returned from our 2007 journey to Mexico with suitcases overflowing with Folk Art – embroidery, wood carvings and beadwork. But cradled in my arms, and too large and heavy for the suitcase, was the catalogue of the Museo de Arte Popular.

This impressive tome is as great as the museum's collection itself – a feast of skeletons in their very best finery, monsters, masks and delicately painted grasshoppers.

The fact that the text was in Spanish was irrelevant with 600 pages of spectacular folk art at stake.

But, as of last night, I can read the book.

No, I did not learn Spanish. Nor did I buy an English edition.

No. Our Argentinean friends Laura and Christian carted their English edition of the book all the way from Buenos Aires to Berlin. And we swapped.

And now they're on their way back home – hauling the Spanish version back across the ocean.

Trust me. This book is worth it. But maybe you can get hold of it without so much heavy lifting.
Hands of God
Hands of God
Hands of God
Hands of God
Hands of God
Hands of God
Published by
Landucci/Oceano
Mexico City, 2007
ISBN 978-968-5893-69-5
Exhibition
Museo de Arte Popular
Found in
Mexico City
 
The giants arrive in Berlin The Giants Arrive in Berlin
05 October 2009
It's been a rainy few days in Berlin – the skies have been white and my giant hunting was often obscured by umbrellas.

It was lucky then that the Little Giantess was wearing her raincoat.

She greeted the Mayor and journeyed around the Rathaus in her boat, before precariously squatting by the side of the road and peeing.

Another day we watched her Giant Uncle get hoisted out of the water in front of the Hauptbahnhof to a soundtrack of submarines and swishing water. Still in his deep sea diving gear he set off in search of the Little Giantess.

In celebration of 20 years since the fall of the wall, the two were reunited in front of the Brandenburger Tor (but not before she peed in excitement once more).
The giants arrive in Berlin
The giants arrive in Berlin
Seen at
Die Riesen Kommen
Location
Berlin
 
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
1 October 2009When I was little my favourite brand of Orange Juice had a photograph of an orange on the front with a drawn on face. I loved him so much that I always drew faces on my oranges.

If I had read this book when I was that age I would have immediately started making a Vegetable Man in a Vegetable Land (which is what the title of this book translates as).

In fact, I still plan to.

I love how lo-fi these photographs are. You can see the fishing line holding things in place and the glue holding everything together. It has creases and crustiness, the vegetables aren't perfect and the colours aren't adjusted. There really was something lovely about a pre-photoshop world.

This book is by the same publisher who brought us Min Katte abc and Min Hunde abc and was found at the same bookstore in Copenhagen.
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
En Grønsagsmand fra Grønsagsland
Pictures by
Birgit Erup
Published by
Lademann,
Copenhagen, 1970
Found in
Copenhagen
 
Abenteuer run ums schachbrett Abenteuer rund ums schachbrett
24 September 2009This book was originally published in 1980 in Romanian as Aventurile Sahului (Chessboard Adventures) and it's heavy uncoated pages are filled with vibrant watercolour illustrations by Val Munteanu.

He is cited as an influence by many Romanian artists, designed the grand curtain of the theatre "Maria Filotti" in Brăila, and seems best loved for his Pinocchio illustrations.

I hope he passes my way again soon.
Abenteuer run ums schachbrett
Abenteuer run ums schachbrett
Abenteuer run ums schachbrett
Abenteuer run ums schachbrett
Written by
Mihail Sadoveanu
Pictures by
Val Munteanu
Published by
Ion Crenga Verlag,
Bukarest, 1984
Found in
Berlin
 

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