Interiors

May 19, 2010 3:26 PM

Roma/Gypsy Interiors and African Interiors by photographer Carlo Gianferro + a collection of imaginary interiors from artist Anne Hardy.
posted by puny human (17 comments total)

Here is a non-flash site featuring the Roma series, please ignore the offensive/moronic text.
posted by puny human at 3:31 PM on May 19, 2010

Coolest kitchen cabinets ever.
posted by doctor_negative at 3:51 PM on May 19, 2010

Roma/Gypsy Interiors

These are my people. But their rooms appear to have been designed in Frida Kahlo's subconscious.
posted by Faze at 4:01 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love, but am mystified by, the Gypsy interiors. Many (the ones with ultramodern lines) look like they were designed by the same person. And I've never seen any stark, bare Gypsy living quarters of any size. Yet these places seem enormous! Thanks for this intriguing peek--I want to know more about where these were shot now.
posted by lphoenix at 4:07 PM on May 19, 2010

The Roma have nice kitchens, and aside from the tiger motif that one picture looks disturbingly like every house my aunty ever lived in. Needs more fairy lights though.
posted by shinybaum at 4:12 PM on May 19, 2010

holy shit, what a kitchen!
posted by GuyZero at 4:25 PM on May 19, 2010

I wanted to wait a respectful period of time before saying: "MetaFilter: please ignore the offensive/moronic text." Now, back to cool kitchens.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:19 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Is not having a permanent dwelling not one of the fundamental features of being a gypsy? Aren't these just people with garish houses.
posted by Damienmce at 5:37 PM on May 19, 2010

Not to shit on the artist, but can we kind of agree that it's problematic to juxtapose 'African' against something as specific as 'Roma'?
posted by threeants at 5:42 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

More info here and here Damienmce.
posted by puny human at 5:43 PM on May 19, 2010

Damienmce: Capital-G Gypsy is an ethnicity. Lowercase-g gypsy is a lifestyle. Most ethnically Gypsy people prefer the word "Roma" or "Romany." In southeastern Europe, particularly Romania -- a word that is etymologically unrelated to "Roma" -- there are enclaves of ethnic Gypsydom who do not travel about in caravans or tell fortunes.
posted by Etrigan at 5:56 PM on May 19, 2010

wow - the roma interiors have such a creative, funhouse aesthetic - I love love love them
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:42 PM on May 19, 2010

Interesting post puny human, thanks.

lphoenix - I want to know more about where these were shot now

Soroca’s Gypsy quarter is an emerging international sight-seeing destination overlooking Moldova’s isolated northeastern Dniester River borderland with Ukraine.

Damienmce - Is not having a permanent dwelling not one of the fundamental features of being a gypsy?

The important primary role of these Roma domestic architectures interpreted as prestige items “on display” to impress and intimidate others (mainly other Roma) might also help explain why many of the mansions, though furnished, are not even inhabited by their owners, who nevertheless may live on or near the premises. Calzi (p. 12) proposes while waxing poetically that “They still live anchored to a past in the open air that finds it difficult to transform itself and confine itself to the closed rhythms of a room ….” She adds that “most of the time they live outside, in the street ...

Both of these quotes are from a review by David Nemeth [PDF].

Related: whilst looking further into this, I came across this amazing looking gypsy grave.
posted by unliteral at 7:50 PM on May 19, 2010

The Roma interiors really crashed with my Scandinavian sensibilites. The first couple are intriguing, though, even tough I'm more of a white-with-pine-accents type of guy.
posted by Harald74 at 11:58 PM on May 19, 2010

I want a Roma kitchen, those are awesome.
posted by fshgrl at 12:04 AM on May 20, 2010

I LOVE the Roma interiors. Not totally my style, but why can't the McMansions in my town look like that?

I only knew a tiny bit about Roma people from shows like The Riches and photos I'd seen of their (incredibly giant and vibrant) weddings, but a lot of the portrayals I'd seen or read involved them being, again, transient and lower-class. Seeing wealthier members of the group is a great juxtaposition...

...compared again with the African ones. Dang. Could the Roma folks lend the African folks some paint? How about sharing a guest bedroom?
posted by Madamina at 7:19 AM on May 20, 2010

Not to shit on the artist, but can we kind of agree that it's problematic to juxtapose 'African' against something as specific as 'Roma'?

Though I hear what you're saying, but after finally seeing the photos I think it may be accurate, and that they are shots in different places. The one with the woman and the large map is almost certainly in or near Somalia (judging by the small map); the one with the TV at the end of a room with lots of chairs lined up along it looks like what we had in Ghana (but maybe that arrangement is common in East Africa too); the clothing, especially of the women, varies widely; and lastly, the people just all look very different. Didn't find any additional explanations/captions/bio on the project.

Nonetheless, I would rather live in the Roma house. Yow!
posted by whatzit at 1:55 PM on May 26, 2010