i've attended a couple of book events featuring ms. kalman. unguarded and humble, she left a surprising impression as a soul with a deep sad streak. yet her stories and her work inspire a thoughtful dreaminess, a reminder that beautiful, interesting work can come from the observation and appreciation of everyday things.
"his first thought on getting out of bed—if he had any thought at all–was to get back in again." via mairakalman.com
my favorite illustrated "rule"from this volume: "the approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity."
i seem to be having a bit of trouble with this lately. but it's good to remember.
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among ms. kalman's recent projects is a mural for the newly renovated library at ps 47 in the bronx, as part of the library initiative of the robin hood foundation. the library initiative, a public-private partnership, seeks to reverse low literacy rates and underachievement in nyc schools by building state of the art libraries that serve as a hub for learning and inspiration.
here's a link to an article about the program from the nytimes last month, and a slideshow of the murals by maira kalman, christoph niemann, stefan sagmeister and yuko shimizu.
