From Utilitarian to Art – by Joan Grady
Designer Lens Cloths L.a. Eyeworks pose the question: “Who said that cleaning your lenses has to be a mundane task?” The California based brand is celebrating their 35th anniversary this year, and in addition to original frames and cases, they have been creating fun and amusing cleaning cloths. The company commissions innovators – illustrators, artists, and graphic designers – to explore the lens cleaning cloth as a blank canvas for art. Since 2009, the programme has featured works by world-renowned figures from the visual arts, including among others: Jim Isermann; Kori Newkirk; Susan Stilton; Barbara Keruger; Remy Charlip; and contemporary artist Jeffrey Vallance (dog lens cloth above), whose artworks infiltrate the everyday and the overlooked, infusing them with fantasy and spirituality. www.laeyeworks.com
Cleaning cloths from Mondelliani in Rome incorporate film and real -life characters, plus beautiful fantasy images of the Four Seasons – perhaps taking a cue from Vivaldi’s musical masterpiece.
Created by Mondelliani graphic designer Felipe Colasanti, the cloth colourations are vibrant and lively. www.mondelliani.it
Nature is the force and inspiration behind S.A.L.T. Optics, and they carry this theme through to their cleaning cloths, which feature elegant expressions of the sky, sea and mountains. This utilitarian item is not only useful, but is entertaining and stylish! www.saltoptics.com JG