Experimenta
2006, No. 54 (p.107-109)
The Netherlands: Top Dutch Design
Young guns (...) To some students, the Royal Academy’s view on typography was too limiting. Catelijne van Middelkoop was confused by the school’s focus on functionality; having a natural penchant for ornament and decoration; she envied her colleagues at the art department who were allowed to make things that were simply beautiful. Following the advice of a teacher, she enrolled at the Cranbrook Academy, where she found her soul-mate, the American Ryan Pescatore Frisk. Together they founded Strange Attractors, exploring a very personal, exuberant vocabulary by mixing a multitude of letterforms and ornaments. Five years into their collaboration, Strange Attractors has been extremely successful, winning several prizes at the TDC Competitions and Red Dot Awards and having been invited to the Brno Biennial.