Left: With her new poster collection Go Baby, designer Dorthe Mathiesen aims to visualise a feeling of dreamy nostalgia, serenity and freedom.
Visual dreaming Remembering a distant holiday or finding the inspiration to take one – with its dreamy and nostalgic motifs, ViSSEVASSE’s new collection of poster art encourages the viewer to think about, and take time out for, the things that make them happy.
thought it might be fun to have a stall of my own,” explains the 45-year-old, who has a career in fashion and design as well as graphic illustration.
By Signe Hansen | Photos: ViSSEVASSE
Inspired by the characteristic poster art of the 1930s, the soft colours and clean lines of ViSSEVASSE are easily recognisable. But, even though the graphic drawings created by ViSSEVASSE’s designer and founder Dorthe Mathiesen add both style and warmth to their surroundings, it is Mathiesen’s ability to capture a special feeling that sets them apart. “Our lives are full of work, digital input and a constant online presence, and I think it is important to create a counterweight to that. The art is about unplugging and disappearing into another world, an offline world. That’s what dreaming is and what I hope to visualise with my posters. I hope they will bring back memories of a spe10 | Issue 86 | March 2016
cial moment or make people remember to take a break and find that something which makes them happy,” explains the designer.
Places, feelings and dreams From the very first poster Mathiesen created it was obvious that her designs struck a chord with many people. Though the poster that depicts Langebro, one of Copenhagen’s iconic central bridges, was created without that intention, it became the first in a string of many equally striking motifs. “My first poster was created in connection with a market for upcoming designers, which I was responsible for organising. On a bit of a whim I
Experiencing great feedback with her posters, Mathiesen began developing a series of other location-based motifs and, in March 2013, the mother of three created her own brand, ViSSEVASSE. Featured in numerous design and lifestyle magazines, ViSSEVASSE’s posters have become popular with an unusually broad spectrum of people, including young and design-savvy women as well as men and elderly people. Although the designer continuously extends her range of themes, the soft colours and clean lines from her first poster still very much characterise her work. They make the perfect match for the dreamy nostalgia inherent in her new collection, Go Baby.