Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

I’ve had fun building some bird houses this summer, using recycled pallet wood combined with found objects. The “urban aviary” shown here is designed for 8 pairs of Tree Swallows, (desirable in this region thanks to their prolific diet of mosquitoes) and features an “ethnic enclave” (intentional irony), copper-clad roofs (one with a sculptural rooftop garden replete with copper trees), and various brass findings. Perches are made of brass rifle shells… yes, more irony.

Havana, Cuba

The international exhibition “Posters for Cultural Diversity” will be on display at La Habana’s National Museum of Fine Arts during the dates of the Design/Culture: Icograda World Design Congress from 20-26 October 2007. The events are presented in collaboration with El Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plasticas (CNAP) and Prografica. Robert L. Peters was one of 100 designers from around the world invited to submit a poster.

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Design → Culture

Peters’ metaphorical poster draws on classical narratives as expressed by 16th century mannerism (Allesandro Allori, 1535-1607: details from Cupid and Venus; Susanna and the Elders). Allegorically, it communicates on two levels. In the first, culture is framed as a beauty inspired by the design it has engendered (culture generates design, design moves culture) but also as a beauty brutalized by force (design domineers culture). Seen through another lens, we could view Cupid armed with vernacular charms, versus the naturally beautiful Culture molested by domineering outside forces (such as the imposed dogma of Modernism or pervasive Globalization).