Celebrating Freckles
From 'Middlesex' a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides published in 2002: Part of my interest was scientific, zoological. I'd never seen a creature with so many freckles before. A Big Bang had occurred, originating at the bridge of her nose, and the force of this explosion had sent galaxies of freckles hurtling and drifting to every end of her curved, warm-blooded universe. There were clusters of freckles on her forearms and wrists, an entire Milky Way spreading across her forehead, even a few sputtering quasars flung into the wormholes of her ears. I am, in my 43rd year, still peppered with ...
The 2012 Conqueror Typographic Games
Conqueror, the premium paper brand from Arjowiggins Creative Papers, announces its "Typographic Games",a creative challenge on the theme of sport. There is Gold, Silver and Bronze glory for the world’s fittest designers and a coveted ticket to the 2012 Olympics in London for the top medalist. The graphic design and typographic poster competition is open to creatives around the world and runs from November 2011 to April 2012. Entry is free and the only requirement is that their graphics incorporate the phrase "It’s not what you win, but how you conquer it". Full competition details are available to download at: www.conqueror.com/typographicgames Typographer Jean François Porchez will head the international jury of leading typographers ...
Tim Smith – The Hutterites of Western Canada
[caption id="attachment_2444" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun"][/caption] Brandon, Manitoba based Tim Smith is a photojournalist with a distinguished career for one so young. He's bagged an impressive list of national and international awards for his photography. His tear sheets include some big names, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian (UK), The Independent (UK), and The Globe and Mail. I first became aware of him through his magnetic contributions to Canadian Geographic magazine. A seminal moment in Tim's career came when he started as a freelancer for the Edmonton Sun, working alongside highly experienced, award-winning photographers. Under ...
Andrey and Lili – Russian Fashion Photographers Series
I've decided to herald the works of new breed Russian fashion photographers, beginning with the bewitching visual artistry of Andrey Yakolev and Lili Aleeva. Andrey is the photographer half of the Moscow based team, while Lili is responsible for the inspired art direction. To date, I haven't been successful at learning more about the dynamic duo, so for the time being, they'll continue in their guise as the enigmatic talent behind this stunning set of glamour photos, handpicked from an extensive portfolio of works. If Andrey or Lili do happen upon this page, then I'd love to chat more about your work.
The Fender Stratocaster
Today's trite aphorism is courtesy of Dieter Rams: Good design is long-lasting. I would add to that : Good design is widely copied. The Fender Stratocaster exemplifies both. In 1954, Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares created one of the most enduring and recognizable examples of industrial design the music has ever seen. The "Strat" is still in production today, testimony to the qualities that made it such a groundbreaking instrument back in the Fabulous Fifties. Even Leo Fender was surprised at how the Stratocaster surpassed his expectations. The shape, immediately familiar to us now as the quintessential solid body guitar, ...
James Dyson Award 2011
Over the last 30 years, the flow of our brightest engineering graduates was sucked into the bloated and profligate financial-services sector, seduced by lucrative compensation packages. Meanwhile, manufacturing was allowed to wither on the vine, seen as an unfashionable anachronism in the charge to a predominantly services based economic model. In countries like Australia, manufacturing shrunk from a peak of approximately 25% of GDP in the 1960s, to something like 13% today. It's simply easier to dig it up, grow it, or peddle intangibles. The absence of an export oriented manufacturing sector is an area of concern, especially as the ...
Poler Duffaluffagus Duffel
I've been a long time skater, though I don't usually travel with my board. If I did, and I know plenty of people do, then this bag from Poler would tick all the boxes. Included are stowable backpack straps, leather accents to lend it a little understated style, enough capacity to carry a week's worth of gear, and best of all, an additional strap to secure your skateboard, converting the Duffaluffagus (love the name) into a wheeled case. All for USD8o. Perfect.
Hublot’s replica Antikythera mechanism
The story of the Antikythera mechanism could be drawn directly from science fiction. Discovered in 1900, along with a treasure trove of ancient artefacts from a Roman shipwreck resting at the bottom of the Aegean, it was eventually revealed to be a complicated analogue computer, conceived to predict the motion of celestial objects decades into the future. So advanced was the clockwork genius of the mechanism, nothing would rival it's complexity and precision for at least 14 centuries. I have visited the Louvre, the British Museum, and many other equally distinguised institutions during my 20 years abroad. I've often marveled at ...
Maximilian Büsser: extreme haute horlogerie.
Haute horlogerie is a micro-technological artform that taunts me cruelly, a siren call to avarice, only to dash my dreams on the sawtooth rocks of economic reality. I'd have to be rolling the readies like Abramovich, because the price of admission is equivalent to a small apartment, or a tad more than an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Alas, the trinkets of extreme affluence can only be light-years-distant objects of desire for the likes of me. So kids, here's another glass ceiling to lick covetously, while above, oligarchs, arms dealers, and Google founders stride indifferently across it's mirror polished expanses. When they ...
Fashionista.com update
The original super models, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Helena Christensen, and Yasmin Le Bon are channeling Duran Duran. Drop on over to Fashionista.com and discover why. Plus features and beauty editor Cheryl Wischover has a few things to say about the dubious emerging trend of fashion companies capitalising on the Occupy Wall Street phenomena. This ought to be a headline : CHERYL TOUCHES TOM FORD. CW continues to live the dream, and meeting the famous designer was a true highlight.
Ralph Lauren and the City of Shadows
I happened to be looking over the Autumn-Winter collection at Double RL (or RRL, named after the man Ralph Lauren's ranch in Colorado) when I noticed they'd created a near facsimile of more than one photo from the 'City of Shadows' Sydney police mugshot collection. The image below was taken directly from the RRL site, and clearly a pastiche; the similarities are undeniable. The intention is to evoke an antique brand of Americana, from the 20s and 30s, back to the days of the old West. When trawling the planet for inspiration, it's clear the RRL creative team were influenced ...
Jerry Kobalenko – One happy man.
Last night my wife and I attended a presentation by writer, photographer and Arctic trekker Jerry Kobalenko, titled 'SEARCHING FOR ARCTIC EDEN', part of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Speaker Series. People like Jerry never fail to inspire me, while also stirring up feelings of deep envy. During the talk, he cycled through a slide show of photographs from his travels north of 75° latitude, each one a breathtaking example of the sublimely beautiful landscapes he enjoys hiking, skiing, sledding and kayaking through. He reminded his audience that there are still places on this planet that you can escape from the ...
Design
The Fender StratocasterToday’s trite aphorism is courtesy of Dieter Rams: Good design is long-lasting....
James Dyson Award 2011
Over the last 30 years, the flow of our brightest engineering graduates was...
Poler Duffaluffagus Duffel
I’ve been a long time skater, though I don’t usually travel with my...
Hublot’s replica Antikythera mechanism
The story of the Antikythera mechanism could be drawn directly from science...
Read more posts from Design
Fashion
Fashionista.com updateThe original super models, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Helena...
Ralph Lauren and the City of Shadows
I happened to be looking over the Autumn-Winter collection at Double RL (or RRL,...
GANT by Michael Bastian – Spring 2011
Inspired by the husbands of Marilyn Monroe, specifically Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio,...
Vibram FiveFingers
This blog writer’s sexy foot + Vibram FiveFingers. Steering away from...
Read more posts from Fashion
Music
The Fender StratocasterToday’s trite aphorism is courtesy of Dieter Rams: Good design is long-lasting. I would add to that : Good design is widely copied. The Fender Stratocaster exemplifies both. In 1954, Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares created one of the most enduring and recognizable examples of industrial design the music has ever seen. The “Strat”... [Read more of this review]
Scott Walker – Oort Man
In the eccentric cosmology of entertainment, those who succeed early usually embark on one of three trajectories. Many take a rocket ride into the stratosphere for a quick sub-orbital jaunt, only to come crashing back down to obscurity, bankruptcy or premature death. Some achieve orbit, then inhabit our heavens in the form of a slowly decaying satellite,... [Read more of this review]
Dogs In Space
Don’t think less of me for quoting Nietzsche: “The advantage of having a bad memory is that you can enjoy the same good things for the first time several times.” As such, I’m looking forward to the next chance I have to see Richard Lowenstein’s 1986 movie, ‘Dogs in Space’. The rare-as-hen’s-teeth soundtrack... [Read more of this review]
Neil Hannon – The Divine Comedy.
I can’t reliably recall when it was that I first listened to The Divine Comedy. Sometime back in the 90′s for sure, and likely to have been during one of my Saturday shopping trips into Shibuya or Shinjuku (Tokyo). Many enjoyable solo hours were spent wandering the floors of HMV or Tower Records, hopping from one listening station to... [Read more of this review]
John Cale
John Cale left the experimental rock band he co-founded with Lou Reed – ‘The Velvet Underground‘ in the same year I was born. From that time, he’s released around 30 albums. This prolific and hugely talented Welsh composer, musician and singer-songwriter is one of my all-time favourites. I’m rather partial to this cover... [Read more of this review]
Read more posts from Music