Prescription: Literary Relief - Page 2

Weinstein paints a word picture of a different kind of community in 'Architecture of Dreams,' his bubbly profile of French illustrator Marie-Laure Cruschi, who, besides having developed a great affection for and influence from mid-century modern, has gained quite a following—from colleagues in the Parisian art world where she lives to advertising directors of companies with products like Johnny Walker whiskey and Wired magazine.

"I find Cruschi's work unique because it is very demanding without being demonstrative, because there is an alchemy between something that comes from graphic design and illustration work," says fellow French designer and illustrator Mike Stefanini. Among her peers, he says, "Marie-Laure is a calm, positive person, always with a laughing eye, and her slight accent from the south of France does not go unnoticed."

"Marie-Laure's work is very popular in France, and she is admired and appreciated by many people within the French illustration community, I included," agrees artist Jérémie Claeys, who featured Cruschi on his popular podcast 'Sens Créatif.'

Among her influences, Cruschi cites the architectural photography of Julius Shulman, of whom she says, "I was fascinated by the aesthetic, from the lines of force, the play of composition, the contrasts between full and fast, shadow and light, as well as the dialog offered between architecture and nature. From that was born my interest in design and architecture."

Those who share Cruschi and Shulman's admiration for modern architecture may likewise be intrigued by Dave's fascinating other feature in the Winter issue, 'It Starts with a Spark,' in which he examines participation by Eichler architects Bob Anshen and A. Quincy Jones in a 1950s psychology study. Quite revealing—and a must read.

Then again, if you're looking for less challenging relief from the world's pressing issues, maybe the new issue's other features are more up your early-2021 alley.

These other stories include 'Dirty Rotten Beams,' a home-improvement story about how to maintain a crucial component of your post-and-beam home; Adriene Biondo's recommendations for stylish hanging mobiles, titled 'Hypnotic Wonders' (click for a PDF version); and another installment in our 'Unsung Masters of the Mid-Century' series (click for a PDF version), this time covering trumpet players in the 'West Coast Cool' school of jazz.

And isn't cool a temperament we all hope to cultivate in the coming year? So…stay cool, won't you, by perusing the new Winter issue of CA-Modern—now en route to our NorCal homeowners' mailboxes, or by clicking here for a flip-book version of the issue.