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Posts Tagged ‘found’
Fictive Reality by Gregory Crewdson
While in Danmark over the holidays I visited the National Library in Copenhagen to see a photography exhibit by Gregory Crewdson. The library is nicknamed “The Black Diamond” after its 1999 addition of black marble that juts over the water. Split up the center of the coal structure are undulating balconies that connect the inside of the library to the outside harbor seamlessly. Moving back through the library is like peeling back the skin of an onion, as the more historic section of the library is fully intact and like stepping through a time warp to a century ago.
Photos of the library by Jan Lykke.
Outside view of the library at night.
Looking into the library and up the channel that connects the new addition to the old building.
I was vaguely familiar with Crewdson’s work beforehand, knowing that his signature was to create elaborately produced photos. The exhibit was a great mix of showing the process he uses to set up his scenes (much like filming a movie with constructed sets, fake snow and fog machines) and a wide range of his work (from photos of Americana to ghost towns to fireflies). While I personally subscribe more closely to a “keep it real” policy, Crewdson’s ability to finely tune the details of a scene to the nth degree is exquisite. While these hyper-realistic scenes are entirely staged fiction, the talent to envision these photos is nothing but real. Here are a few photos from the exhibit that made me shiver, aptly named “In A Lonely Place”.
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Favorites from ARoS
Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the ARoS art museum in Århus, Denmark. It’s a great little museum with a nice diversity of exhibits, just enough that you feel like you’ve seen enough but not too much that you are tired of museums at the end.
Ung Dame i Lyseblåt by Harald Giersing, 1918
Little Sister by Fredrik Raddum, 2010
The most recent grand addition to the museum was also very nice, the Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson. A circular pathway built atop the museum, you can see all of Århus from it thru it’s ever-shifting hues.
Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson, 2011
Inside the museum were additional parts of the exhibit, my favorite of which was a room filled with fog and that immersed you completely within seconds of entering the room. Sight was limited to three feet in front of you and as you moved around the room the color of light continuously changed, resulting in a very sensory experience.
A room filled with fog and lights. Pretty spectacular.
Sweet Pickles
This is my new favorite exclamation / fake curse word / catchphrase.
Try it for yourself – it works every time.
On the Road with Moveable Type
Back in May I helped my letterpress friend Kyle Durrie with her project Moveable Type. She was getting ready to take her custom built van on the road and teach letterpress classes out of it, so I made her a logo and website. Now, I and many others are enjoying the fruits of her travels as she criss crosses this big country. Check out her blog for some great road trip pictures…one of my favorites being this pig statue.
The Phoenix is Closer than it Appears
One of the exhibits I saw this summer at Ålborg’s art museum, Kunsten, is a piece by Thilo Frank called “The Phoenix is Closer than it Appears”. Frank focuses on creating collaboration between the artist’s work and the public.
This piece is a giant glass cube with a swing inside. One person is allowed inside at a time, creating a strange feeling of isolation while being surrounded by a gajillion mirror images of yourself.
What you see on the outside...
What you see on the inside...
The Domestic Transformer
This is a video about Gary Chang, a Hong Kong architect who transformed his 330-square foot apartment into a super-efficient “24-room” domicile. What an incredible use of space that shows the versatility of what a home can be, and what can be achieved even with such strict parameters. Design solved this nicely.
Lego Logo Wall
While in Copenhagen this summer I stopped into a Lego store to browse, and was rewarded with a little designer treat – a giant wall of Lego’s logo history, surrounded by an even more giant lego dragon hovering ominously over a replica of the fuzzy-hatted Danish soldiers that guard the royal palace.
Things Are Afoot, Wieners Too
I don’t often blog about things before they happen. I prefer to let things run their course, gather my thoughts, and then let it all out. But recently I made an agreement with one Jelly Helm to work together for a bit and see how it goes. Kind of like a reallly long date; one with a full 3-course meal and several desserts. I hope one of them is strawberry shortcake.
I am writing about it now because it is exciting! Also, this is a longer engagement than usual for me, and I will probably be blogging the intermittent results along the way. I’ve been freelancing for year and a half now, and for the most part it agrees with me. But part of what I miss is the collaboration you get from being part of a group. While I am happy drawing pioneer rabbit adventures, I also like to have my brain poked from the outside.
As for the Bureau of Betterment, I will still be accepting other projects, but for a while I will have to be a bit choosier because of my time commitment to this new endeavor. Does that super cool gig come with a YEAR’S SUPPLY OF PICKLED HERRING? Let’s talk.
A mule by another name…
I received three figurines in the mail from my friend Sarah, who wrote that she knew I liked horses and thought I might do something fun with these half-inch tall toys. I opened the tissue paper wrapping she sent them in to find two horses…and a baby calf?
I was pretty sure that Sarah knew the difference between a calf and a foal…but what WAS the relationship of my three new charges, and did THEY know that something was off kilter? I have a feeling an uncomfortable confrontation between the baby calf and the Parental Horse Units will be happening soon.
Son, there is something we need to tell you...
A Ligature
Only a few letters go together well enough to create a ligature, but when they find each other it’s beautiful. Thanks to Wikipedia for this fi letterpress ligature (or as Michael accurately commented below, an si ligature).
Conan O’ Brien As Seen By John Kascht
Two of my favorite things to watch on the television, together at last! Caricature artist John Kascht gives an insightful and in-depth glimpse into his process, both in understanding his subject and drawing it, while working on portraits of one of my favorite TV funny men: Conan O’Brien. JUST WATCH IT!!!
Vintage Danish Postcards
Another one of my finds from my trip to the Webfooters Annual Postcard show was this set of Danish postcards from the 1920s. I went with my fellow adventurers Jen and Melissa, who respectively picked up a postcard with a bulldog crying because it was paws reach away from a sausage link and a postcard delivered by the Pony Express.
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Vintage Airmail Envelopes
The other weekend I went to the Webfooters Annual Postcard show with my fellow adventurers Jen and Melissa. Beforehand, we weren’t sure if it was going to be a total bust or totally awesome. Turns out, it was awesome+. One of my finds was this series of airmail envelopes with sculpted embossed stamps.
After the jump, click to zoom and flip through...
The Fun Theory
When I was younger, my dad used to cut out newspaper articles and highlight the important parts for me or his students to read. Now that he’s fully emerged in the digital world, I get short, unpunctuated, uncapitalized emails telling me what to read.
His most recent recommendation was this video from The Fun Theory, a “site that is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better”. I’m all for that!
The Fun Theory is an initiative of Volkswagon. Normally I would be the first paranoid Gen-X denouncer of a big company trying to convince me to “like” something on Facebook, but for some reason this just makes me like Volkswagon more. Good job marketing team!
Watching the Fun Theory videos solidified some thoughts I had been having about my blog and its purpose. My blog is a way for me to 1) explore ideas, 2) get better at making things, and 3) bring people enjoyment or encourage thinking about things a bit differently.
Number 3 is the important one, because I believe that people are at their best when they are happy or inspired. Whatever we can do to poke at each others brains to spur positive action, the better. And if it turns out that my blog is “just fun”, well that’s not so bad either.
Sunshine Farts
When I saw this page in the recent Urban Outfitters catalog, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. I imagine the photographer shouting directions at this young impressionable model…”Pretend like you’re eating the sunglasses and farting sunshine!”. We’ll probably never know what really happened, so let’s go with it.
I've been told that people like fart jokes, so...
Brian Dettmer’s Book Sculptures (alternately titled “Holy Mother of Bibliography”)
Wow, wow, wow. Check out these book sculptures by artist Brian Dettmer.
My Modern Met writes:
Using knives, tweezers and surgical tools, Brian Dettmer carves one page at a time. Nothing inside the out-of-date encyclopedias, medical journals, illustration books, or dictionaries is relocated or implanted, only removed. Dettmer manipulates the pages and spines to form the shape of his sculptures. He also folds, bends, rolls, and stacks multiple books to create completely original sculptural forms.There is an interview with the artist here, or see more images of his amazing work after the jump.
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Amsterdam in Black & White
While in Amsterdam this past summer I went into a little shop that sold black and white sketches of the city. What with it being fleet week and all, I had no time to go about drawing everything I saw. Luckily, Hermen Jan Jansen does it for a living, so I got a 6 for 10euro deal on some postcards that, unlike my personal photos, have no hordes of tourists or sailors in them.
Every time I travel I am reminded about how small our world can be – Hermen had hitchhiked through Portland in his youth. Maybe someday he’ll come back and draw some of our landmarks. (Images from the artist’s site: www.hjdrawings.com)
The three X marks on the posts are Amsterdam's coat of arms.
The guard rails next to the canals are about 6" tall. Fine for locals, but more of a tripping hazard for tourists.
The beams at the top of each roof peak are for moving furniture into the house since everything is very narrow, including winding stairs.
We actually got to see the moving in process using the outside roof beams and pulleys being used by two moving workers. They moved some chairs, a dresser, and a couch in about 10 minutes.
Year of the Rabbit Video
I think my pioneer rabbit would be proud of his brethren. This cute short animation was created by Benji Davies & Jim Field of Frater Films with sound design by Zhe Wu and music by Stefan Panczak.
Man About Town
This is a great video to start a Saturday morning with. Thanks to Ada Mayer and Tom O’Toole for pointing out this video on their blog Leisure Package.
The Soda Pop Man
Some people’s joy is effervescent, and John Nese is one of those people. He owns a soda shop that carries over 500 varieties, including cucumber. Boy would I like to try that. This man is soda incarnate, spreading the gospel of REAL soda (not Pepsi or Coke and the like)! Amen.
Gulden Draak Vintage Bottle
This summer in Danmark my uncle uncharacteristically pulled out a non-pilsner while we were having happy hour. The moment my eyes spied the bottle the part in my brain devoted to cool design lit up. The whole bottle except for the lip is coated in white and the label has a strange seal/pig/submarine animal wildly catching snowflakes on its tongue.
Catching snowflakes with vigor. Deadly vigor.
My dear old dad saw the halo of design joy surrounding this bottle, and took the bottle home with him so that this Christmas, what was waiting for me under the tree? Gulden Draak Vintage! If any a bottle were to get me to drink beer, this would be it. As the Danes would say: skål!
Up and Over It Hand Dancing
This just makes me smile. Check out more of their stuff at www.upandoverit.com.
Performed and choreographed by Suzanne Cleary & Peter Harding / Film by Jonny Reed / Music: Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup ft. Cleary & HardinAnaco Pears Placard
I went to California recently, and although I visited the area canvassed with strip malls and big box stores, I was able to find a small town general store that had some fun vintage fruit placards. I love pears, so I took this one home with me (and totally got through border control with it!).
Detecto Scales
I like to measure things so when I found this old scale I just had to get it. It has a neat font for the face and tells me exactly how much my lunch weighs. If my lunch weighs under 10 pounds, that is. If it weighs more than 10 pounds, I guess I have bigger problems than inaccurately weighing my lunch. Mmmm, lunch. Want a Danish sandwich?
The Printing Press is Your Friend
![[image of a campbell newspaper letterpress machine] THE PRESS: The printing press is one of the best friends we have. By its use, we are in easy possession of a great deal of useful knowledge, that we could not otherwise obtain without great labor and expense. It makes good books and newspapers so numerous and cheap, that every body who wishes can have them. Have you ever seen a printing press? If you never have, ask your parents to please take you to a printing office to see one. It is a very curious machine.](http://bureauofbetterment.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/the-printing-press-is-our-friend.jpg "the-printing-press-is-our-friend")
Found Via Keegan Wenkman at Serial Machinist, from Kyle Van Horn’s collection.
Finest, Beach-Ready Men
With the chilly winter weather upon us, I decided it was time to take a look back at what was, and what will be again. I took a few liberties altering the copywriting for this vintage Catalina Island ad. Who doesn’t need a fine beach-ready man?
How Globes Are Made
My Dad was a geography, history and politics teacher, so I’ve always been surrounded by maps, atlases, and globes. My sister and I would rise early on school mornings to compete on the local radio quiz show, the Geo Bee. There were only two other families in our small town that also competed regularly in the Geo Bee, so we quickly amassed a stockpile of geography related items: map placemaps, globe-topped pencils, keychains, you name it.
When I started my studio and moved into the Povey Perch, one of the first decorations I bought was a vintage globe on a stand, featuring Czech and Slovakia united as one. So when I saw this video on how globes are made, I had to share it…
Arhus – Byen Ved Havet
This summer I spent some time visiting my family in Arhus, Danmark. While there I went to see the poster exhibit “Genkendelsens Glæde”, and bought a few oversize postcard replicas. With advertising like this, I’m surprised more people aren’t flocking to Arhus. It’s pretty nice, I have to agree.
Poster by Henrik Hansen, undated.
Strammer Max and Warrior Cats
In Northern Europe there is a constant movement of spendthrifts who go to other countries to buy goods with lower taxes applied. The Swedes sail to Danmark for the “cheap” beer, while the Danes go to Germany for the “cheaper” beer. It’s pretty much a family tradition once or twice a year to pile into the car and drive to Germany to buy inexpensive things.
This year was no exception, and we all made an outing to Flensborg for some shopping and strammer max, which after reading the wikipedia description, clears up why my cousins thought it was so funny that my grandfather kept declaring he wanted his strammer max.
My cousin bought a leopard print shirt for $1, my dad bought some tennis balls, my grandpa bought some alcohol and my uncle Henrik calculated the savings made on each item in his head. I didn’t buy anything, but I did see this book series entitled Warrior Cats. Uh, awesome?
More proof that I really don't understand German taste.
Western Spaghetti by PES
Check out more of their work at www.eatpes.com.
Hamburger Kunsthalle
While in Hamburg this summer I went to the art museum there. It was GIANT, and the only reason I made it through the whole thing in one day was because there were no English captions to increase viewing time, and I stopped for lunch during the middle of the visit. Here are a few of my favorite close-ups.
Fish Bonanza, Now We’re Talking
When I saw this painting at the Hamburg Art Museum, I felt like I had met a kindred spirit. After seeing about 200 paintings about crucifixion, I was finally among artists who understood my obsessions. A two-month long binge on tuna melt sandwiches – YES! Mackerel in tomato sauce – YES! Pickled herring by the pound – YES! Fried and breaded fish – YES! Octopus rings – YES! (Well, technically there aren’t any octopus in the picture, but a girl can dream).
Large Still Life with Fish, 1927, by Max Beckmann.
Denmark, Country of Smiles and Peace
While visiting Denmark this summer I went to Den Gamle By in Arhus where there was a travel poster display. “Genkendelsens Glæde” is a collection of classic Danish posters from the 20s-90s. When we walked unknowingly into the exhibition hall I heard my sister say “Uh, oh, we’re going to be here forever…”. I only wish. Below is one of the better pictures I could take, and also a good summation of my childhood memories of this tiny country.
The Danish Poster Museum has a partial digital archive of the collection, as well as some reproductions of various posters in large format postcards that are for sale.
Potato Contraption. It’s Art.
I guess I’ll chalk this one up to modern art where the amusement factor overshadowed everything else. Seen in the Hamburg Art Museum.
Device which allows one potato to revolve around another potato, 1969, by Sigmar Polke. The signs were very emphatic that you should not touch this display. So I took a picture from afar.
Saturday Morning Cartoons for Designers
Check out this amazing animated short, Logorama, directed by the French animation collective H5 with sound by Human Music and Sound Design. I especially enjoyed the bit players, the animals in the zoo, when the waitress spills her coffee, all of the background scenery and of course the social commentary. For adults, designers, and consumers alike…
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. Attack of the Giant Styrofoam Robot.
I stopped by my old friend Ziba the other day and as I entered the lobby was greeted by their newest “employee”, a giant styrofoam robot. Also known as a styrobot, it was commissioned for the space and created by Michael Salter (check out his work online). Welcome styrobot!
This is a styrobot on display in San Jose. Ziba is under pretty tight wraps so I couldn't get a personal photo of their robot.
How to Eat Lunch Like a Dane
I have a love love relationship with food. I love it, period. Even when I eat too much, I hold no grudges. The ability to eat a lot comes in particularly handy in Danmark, whether it’s at a Julefrokost or just your typical Danish lunch. Because Danes like to eat, and they take it very seriously, as you can see by this poster of different Danish sandwich combinations.
Mmmm, nothing like a banana and ryebread sandwich.
This summer I visited my family in Danmark and checked off a good number of Harald’s suggestions. My Danish sandwich eating habits have drawn strange looks and complaints of fishy smells from my American friends and co-workers, but finally I was in the motherland where I could eat pickled herring with wild abandon and nobody complained about the wafting scent of mackerel.
In case you’d like more insight into eating Danish sandwiches, you can follow my personal guide for a typical Saturday lunch.
First, fish.
- one or two pickled herring sandwiches on ryebread with white onion garnish
- a mackerel in tomato sauce sandwich
- if you’re lucky to have it, a breaded fish filet sandwich with remoulade
- or a fried bit of torsk with lemon
Then, more stuff, sans fish.
- liverpaste, perhaps with some bacon or crispy onions on top
- various salami on ryebread combinations
- my favorite: roast beef on rye bread with both remoulade and crispy onions
- assorted pålæg like cold mixed salad toppings, and other kinds of pressed meats
- cucumber slices, tomatoes, and hard boiled egg
And don’t forget you can add a round of cheese on white bread and crackers at the end! By now you should be full, and starting to plan your next meal. Tak for mad!
Stop Time With A Penfelt Watch
On the first real day of summer in Portland you just want to stop time, because before you know it summer will have flown by and you’ll be stuck again with the rain and your bottle of vitamin D chewables. Luckily, Portland maker LeBrie Rich feels the same, and made this felt watch for just such occasions. See more of her stuff on Etsy at Penfelt.
A Unicycle Family
It’s not often that you find something that surprises you (in a good way) while searching for stock photos. So when I came across this picture of a family unicycling together, I couldn’t keep it to myself.
Getty Images #tlp918722
Noilly Prat and Isabel Branco
You might have seen the vintage liqueur bottles my neighbors brought me a while back; here are a few more that didn’t seem to fit in with the first batch.
Noilly Prat and Isabel Branco: two mean mofos in the miniature alcohol bottle world.
Noilly Prat and Isabel Branco seem like the alcohol version of Bonnie and Clyde in comparison to the Crema Liqueur series. If they met in dark alley, I have no doubt Noilly would off the Sabor de Platano without a second thought. Upon further scrutiny it turns out Noilly Prat is a French company that uses floofy flourishes all over their website. I’m guessing that means the “t” in Prat is silent, which negates most of the badass connotations. That ALSO means that Noilly PraT (emphasis on the “T) is up for grabs (just like the URL www.discountbordello.com).
Therefore, let it be known that I claim Noilly Prat as a pen name for times when I need go undercover to tell tales like Turkey: 1, Mormon Boyfriend: 0. Like all legendary duos, Noilly needs a comrade, so I am hereby seeking an Isabel Blanco to be my partner in crime. The position is currently undefined (I’m imagining we can have cheese eating contests, watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the Musical, and see what a turtle on roller skates can accomplish if they set their mind to it) and will stay open until filled.
Noilly Prat, quick draw, seeks partner in crime.
Be my Isabel Branco.
My New Old Paymaster
Trolling the thrift stores on Hawthorne can be a laborious way to spend an afternoon, but every once in a while you find something that you just can’t leave behind. That is how I came home one day with a Paymaster (original price: $278.50, my price: $40). So far I’ve only punched a few fake invoices with the highest number possible, but in the future I’d like to learn more about the “repeat” lever and what happens if you disregard the WARNING: BEWARE OF UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL label on the front.
Behold my Paymaster!
Dollars and cents, dollars and cents.
Vintage Liqueur Bottles
My neighbors were recently cleaning out their basement and found these cool vintage liqueur bottles (if you want to be fancy, say it with a French accent). Since they know I like to collect things, they gave them to me (score!). Since I also like to share things, here are a few photos:
