Some time ago the number of visitors to my site exploded temporarily. It was
because of a post I wrote about a developing scandal regarding to Marimekko,
the iconic Finnish fashion/design house who were caught plagiarising
an illustration of a Ukrainian folk artist by one of their most senior designers
Kristina Isola (the post can be found here). Well, she's actually a free lancer,
and not employed by Marimekko as such - but very much involved in the
futures of the company being the rights holder of her mother Maija Isola's
classic Marimekko designs of the 50's, 60's and the 70's.
YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, a few days ago reported on
a speculation about a new controversy regarding to Marimekko (here
in Finnish): Their designer Teresa Moorhouse is being questioned about
her 'Isoisän Puutarha' and 'Sadonkorjuu' textile designs that Marimekko have
just released, which have been noted to resemble the drawings of Pat Hutchins
in her 60's book 'Rosie's Walk'.
I would say Ms Moorhouse used the Hutchins illustrations as a starting point
(which she and Marimekko unfortunately - probably advised by lawyers - deny),
and took it from there. Which I think is OK, considering we are dealing with
design here, not art (although the 80's and 90's post modern appropriation
of art of the past was perhaps guilty of the very same charge).
This is besides the point, I guess, but I do feel I also need to complain about
Marimekko's current website www.marimekko.fi: It is so uncool, and messy...
Even allowing for a temporary error of judgement, I do think they lost it,
when taken over by a financier a few years ago, as opposed to a visionary.
Anyway, here are images of 'granddad's garden' for your consideration:
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| . Hutchins . |
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| . Hutchins . |
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| . Moorhouse . |
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| . Hutchins . |
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| . Moorhouse Granddad's Garden . |
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