gnomes by rien poortvliet and wil huygen

Gnomes live in cozy little homes under trees and are wise and loving caretakers of the natural world. Like the 1977 book Gnomes, by Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet, a detailed and lovingly illustrated account of the life and habits of gnomes.

Post-lockdown, however, the appeal of living in a home that is meant to look like an AirBNB has worn thin post–supply chain woes, buying whatever seems least offensive to buy because other people are buying it has its downsides. Much of the recent aesthetic of the past few years, on the other hand - the mid-century modern-esque furniture, the bland neutrals of our interiors, the shapeless clothes that nonetheless rely on their wearers being very thin, the smooth and egg-like look of technology - is built around the idea that we’re all rolling stones these days and it doesn’t do to invest in developing anything like personal taste when there are brands to say that for us. This isn’t going to happen, because phone cameras are too sharp and cannot bestow upon their subjects the alluring but vague haze that this aesthetic requires. It’s bad to be a trend chaser and also bad to be passé, which means that you can skewer anybody for any reason and you’ll always be right.Ī certain hopeful contingent is currently waiting for the golden era of “indie sleaze” and American Apparel photoshoots of naked women bending over in thigh high socks to return. Why we like trend pieces is fairly easy to discern: it gives us information with which to judge others, either for not keeping up or for keeping up depending on our mood. Trend pieces have given us “normcore,” “ treat culture,” the return of smoking, and infamously, the “ vibe shift,” a piece not so much about a trend as the idea of trends. Trends come and go, but trend pieces are forever.

Gnomes by rien poortvliet and wil huygen