Check out Barneys New York windows on Madison and 61st between May 11th and June 1st for a real treat. A collection of iconic Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chairs, as re-imagined by some of today’s most celebrated street artists will be on display. These one of a kind chairs will be auctioned off online to benefit Operation Design.

Operation Design organizes architects, graphic designers, construction and related professionals to work with schools and inspire students. I don’t know about you, but I think this is an absolutely wonderful cause. The online auction starts May 11th when you can start the bidding at the Operation Design site.

Check out some of the fabulous artist who are participating!

Aakash Nihalani

Billi Kid

Blanco

Cern

Damon Ginandes

Darkcloud

James and Karla Murray

Joe Iurato

Matt Siren

NohJColey

Skewville

Sofia Maldonado

UR®New York

Veng RWK

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair

George Nelson Coconut Chair

Ray & Charles Eames LCW Moulded Plywood Chair

Ray & Charles Eames Lounger

Ray & Charles Eames LaChaise Lounger

Eero Saarinen Womb Chair

Ikea has teamed up with 30 Australian artists to celebrate 30 years of its most iconic sofa, KIPPLAN. Each artist has been given a sofa to use as a canvas for their art. The finished project will be exhibited for a short time, then auctioned off online. Proceeds will go to help the Victorian Bush Fire Relief. Here are a few of our favourites. All of the sofas can be seen here at the Ikea Home Project.

Sarah Contos, Untitled (Sitting on the couch with Vince Noir) 2009

Vintage woolen jumpers, polystyrene balls, canvas and KLIPPAN
Sarah Contos has created Untitled (Sitting on the couch with Vince Noir) in which sensual forms ooze out of a canvas and cascade onto a couch. Made from vintage jumpers, the couch offers the occupant a flooding of cuddles, drippings of soft phalli and a forest blanket of woolly rainbows for all those nights spent alone on the sofa.

Agatha Gothe-Snape, Local Knowledge (For Beverly Gothe & Margo Snape) 2009

Woolen blankets and shawl
For this work, Agatha Gothe-Snape sourced hand-made, pure wool blankets from op shops; these blankets have undergone a similar processes of energy investment. Through wrapping the KLIPPAN in this way she is doubly investing it with energy which it will hold, carry and emanate in its new home.

Naomi Troski, Sprouting Easy 2009

Plastic and sisal rope
Sprouting Easy brings together contrasting, accessible industrial materials. The grid of bright orange plastic netting has become the supporting weft to the interwoven sisal rope and it is through the binding, tying, cutting and knotting of these materials that the form of the sofa has been activated.

Kate Rohde, Untitled

Paint and faux fur
Inspired by the human inclination to control and document nature. Kate Rohde creates opulent investigations into faux-taxidermy and Rococo styled vitrines.

Ever since I discovered B.C. Binning’s mosaic work I’ve been a fan of large scale abstract tile work. Binning was an artist and architect, and his work is prevalent along Canada’s West Coast. There’s a particularly amazing example of his mosaic mural work downtown in what used to be the CIBC Building on the corner of Granville and Dunsmuir in Vancouver, and is now a drug store. Other great examples of his mosaic work can be seen on the base of the Electra Building, and at the University of British Columbia.

The latest issue of Modernism magazine has introduced me to another great mosaic artist, Paulo Werneck. Self-taught, inquisitive and experimental in his design, Brazilian Werneck started his career as an architectural draftsman and illustrator, but in his 30s he became heavily involved in mural making.

“This material, which was completely new to me, was no disappointment. Once the initial hurdles were overcome–which were not significant–I had the joy of seeing my intentions take shape. Thus, the development of the artwork, from the first sketches; the basic project; assembling the panel, when each ceramic piece put in place on the wall and the work that finally emerges as a definitive feature of the building; the certainty that the colours meet our eyes are unchanging and will withstand sun and rain, heat and cold, weathering and the movement of the medium, whether it be masonry or concrete: all this lifts the spirit of the artist and more than makes up for the hard work involved; because, I must say, it is very hard to work with mosaic.”

Many of his motifs were of abstract geometric forms influenced by sports, fauna and nature, and appreciated by numerous high-profile architects such as Oscar Niemeyer.

This beautiful poster would complement any modern home or office. Created by Blue Art Studio, you can buy this hand signed and dated 11 x 17 digital art print for $35 (shipped within the US) or $50 shipped internationally. To purchase, you can email Blue Art and they’ll send you a PayPal link.

They’ve got some other great posters for sale as well so check out their link above.