SATURDAY

An image by San Francisco and New York based artist Paul Wackers.

JOSEPH HART

With a very slight tinge of Cy Twombly (minus the calligraphy) come these paintings by American artist Joseph Hart. One of these would go nicely next to a Martin Kippenberger poster.

DIY CHANDELIER

Inspiring artwork as well as inspiring selflessness: lighting designers Jeanne Pelle (top) and Lindsey Adelman (bottom) each make seriously fantastic fixtures while also including internet tutorials on how to make one yourself at a fraction of the cost. Both chandeliers are so gorgeous I have no idea which one to make first.


(Jeanne Pelle's tutorial is found on Ready Made's site, Adelman's on her own page, link above.)

WE LOVE WOOD

Wooden Nasomatto (top) and Anicka Yi & Maggie Peng (middle, found at Ooga Booga) perfume packaging reminds me of Sunshine Spa's perfume oils I used to wear when I was in high school, back in the 90s. Drawn to Sunshine Spa because I loved the wooden caps (though clearly not the labels), these new wooden packages are sophisticated additions. Actually, the old Sunshine Spa label, with it's red fan motif, was not half as bad as their recent yellow redesign.

AN EVENING WITH DUKE PRESS

Last night at Cafe Oto in Dalston, the Duke Press launch party/exhibition. Great little collection of what sort of blurs the line between book and zine. Handbound, very nice. Photo from Duke Press' flickr page.

MARTIN KIPPENBERGER

Prolific German artist Martin Kippenberger made his own exhibition posters, which are perhaps more beautiful than the rest of his work. I could easily fill a wall with these. On looking for a collection of the posters in book form, I found Martin Kippenberger: The Complete Posters, but it was published in 1998 and is therefore annoyingly out of print. In 2007 Dickinson Gallery published a book of Kippenberger's exhibition posters and invitations but that seems to be unavailable as well. Posters aside, a wall of his other, and very eclectic, work resembles a wall of strange and bad artwork in a cafe, but that is most certainly part of it's charm. All of it is currently filed under WANT.

THE RADDEST KID

Probably one of the best things in the Tate bookshop on Sunday: the kid with a million stickers on his face.

MORE SONGS

More songs thanks to Audiotool. Check them out and let me know what you think. Next is trying to figure out how to incorporate singing... thinking about buying some actual equipment to help out this new hobby o' mine.

SONG 2: TRAILS

SONG 3: BELLS

A COUPLE OF THINGS

Cruising around the internet this evening I found a couple things I thought I'd post. Found the bottom work on graphic designer Fraser Muggeridge's website. I love painting detail and also this particular work's Fauvist palette. Overall I appreciate Muggeridge's retro aesthetic -- this work doesn't really highlight it but you will quickly see such work on his site. Recently, his studio created the poster for Art on the Underground's recent Knut Hendrik Hendriksen acquisition. When I looked online for the work featured in the poster, I instead found something I like a bit better: "Settings" on Contemporary Art Daily.

PAN AM

Recently posted over at Eye Magazine's Blog, the story of Pan Am's Helvetica posters, designed by Chermayeff & Geismar in 1971/72. I'm a big fan of photo and type, so these, of course, in combination with the 70s slight desaturation, are completely gorgeous. Find more on the Eye's flickr page.

YEAH BOYEE

Recently was turned onto Hobnox Audiotool by a friend. I've never felt particularly musical, but have had the itch to make something lately ... though not sure what. I made my first song this morning, and was able to turn it into an mp3 via this little program I discovered online called Audacity.


My first song sounds like a geeky, tropical nature show, but that's ok by me. I'm just excited to have made something and figured out how to share it with everyone. Enjoy. x


song 1: DOTS

DECODE AT THE V&A

Checked out the Decode exhibition at this V&A this morning. Among the offerings were mostly interactive works that relied on new technology -- for instance, wave your hand in front of a screen and it would change color, or walk in front of a tree projected on the wall and it would begin to sway. With a room full of different interactive installations, it was easy to spend the entire morning in discovery.

"MAYBE THE SECRET IS LESS BUT BETTER"

Dieter Rams in conversation with Deyan Sudjic at London's Design Museum.
"Not as much design as possible on it -- it is as few design. And that make it timeless."

A LITTLE GEM FROM SOL LEWITT

We all love him.

TOXEL

TOXEL, an innovation and design blog, showcases projects featuring unusual materials or contrasting ideas. Top: Camouflage yourself with a poster. Middle: Brown bear sleeping bag. Bottom: bread shoes.

HAW-LIN.COM

Probably one of the best websites I have seen all year.

HELLO

WEDNESDAY

Photo by photographer Julia Galdo

TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

Having come from San Francisco where a good downpour can be scarce, the ongoing rain in London feels like quite a luxury. It reminds me of time spent in Washington State, part of the Pacific boasting beautiful temperate rainforest. Hopefully at some point I will get out of London to experience England's wooded areas -- for now, I'll have to be satisfied with imagined forest during a cloudburst.

From top: WA State's Olympic Peninsula, British Columbia, and Alaska; found at Steven Schnoor, Drew Brayshaw, and Alaska in Pictures, respectively.

MORE FRIENDS OF TYPE

More type from one of my favorite blogs, Friends of Type.

SUMMER WISH

With the days absolutely short (was dark by 4pm this afternoon) one can't help but ache for the summer garden. Here are some photos to help along your imagination. To me, these photographs all seem to convey summer afternoon, when 4pm can be the best, most languid time of the day.


Top two photos from Arabella Lennox Boyd's website, bottom two from that of Miranda Brooks. Both women are British landscape designers. Who does the lush, romantic, enchanted garden best but the British? Time to make some money and buy that country cottage. Don't forget the swimming pool.

A HAPPY TYPE

I love the blog Friends of Type. They seem to be especially into upbeat, hand-drawn or unique script and display faces, all of which they've made themselves. 

EVERYONE LOVES A LITTLE LUBALIN

Not that Lubalin ever fell off, but his 70s style is definitely in rotation again. Check out this online HERB LUBALIN GALLERY.

Thanks, Mr. Wittgenstein

BROOK SCHNEIDER

More lovely photos today, this time from Brook Schneider.