Art is War

So my friends started a website called Artiswar - it's a user-based site for the discussion of design. As they (and I) see it, design has come to mean something sleek and commercial...but that's only a part of what it can be. They are hoping to engage people in a conversation about design's diverse impact. Art criticism is welcome too, as we all feel the line between design and art is best when left blurry. Come on over to the website and join up. Or just click around on their lovely layout.

Bo Young Choi

My friend Bo came over today and showed me some of her recent work, including this awesome piece on her website. She told me about the process of making it - how she waited around for another grad student to help her with the photography, and then how she decided to do it on her own with the camera's timer. She said a crowd of people came to watch, and they asked her questions and took their own photos. She even brought them down to her campus studio to see her other work. In a way, her whole piece changed. It became more than the still photographs of her in midair...it was also a nice hyggelig moment, a connection with the outside world. Grad studies can get tricky - you get all tied up in your work, in your studio space, and sometimes you need an afternoon of jumping around to make you remember what lies outside.

Baggage Claim

Yes, I'll take them all.

Valextra.

My sister is in town for a few weeks, and she's on the hunt for luggage. I started snooping around on the internet for timeless, durable pieces, but was quickly discouraged. I guess I like the trunks in the Samsonite Black collection, but on the whole, the market is geared towards someone else. I like the Valextra brand, but it's a little (okay, waaaaay) out of my price range. The briefcase above brings out this weird, covetous side of me...possibly similar to people who dream of fancy cars or fur coats. But dude - it's a briefcase. What's my problem?

Maybe the problem is my frustration with a market that has veered away from aesthetics in favor of perceived durability. I understand that we travel more frequently and that there is more machine assistance in the airports, but I feel like there must be a more handsome solution to our changing needs...ideally, one that looks more like a clever accessory than an oversized piece of coal with zippers.

Look at these handsome leather cases! I got this photo from the Arts and Crafts home, which features a nice history of the suitcase.

I know, I know - they don't have wheels...but I'm in the process of making a prototype solution. It may end up looking like those old-time rollerskates that you strap onto shoes, though hopefully more tasteful.

And yeah, I 'm aware they smell like mothballs inside. It's a problem. But look at the way the leather ages! It may get a little scuffed over time, but that can all be teased out with a little shoe polish.

So industrial designers and students, I beg you: reinvent the handsome travel case. Make it durable but simple, because in the end, it's just a box with wheels. It shouldn't cost a grand.

Blog of Note: things to look at

Things to Look At is one of my favorite blogs. I'm always excited to see what they post - the images they find are so inspirational. While I'm not sure what this inspires me to do, I am going to keep looking at it in the hope of figuring it out.

Gunvor Olin

I scanned these images of Gunvor Olin's work from an old design annual at the library. I looked Gunvor up online, but found a lot of heavy 1970s clayware instead of these charming animal dishes. Kind of disappointing. They seem like characters from a storybook - some forest animals searching for a lost friend, or a missing berry pie. I'm fairly sure the pig is a police chief and the fox plays the wry P.I.

Visual Arts Data Service

(images courtesy of the Material Collection, Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles at Goldsmiths College, University of London)

I can't believe I just stumbled upon this site! I'm really excited about finding the Visual Arts Data Service - it's a website with links to some very nice online image collections, mostly from university and museum collections. I like the site because you can get close-up shots of historical textiles, and the overall documentation for textiles is very detailed.

So if you don't see me for a couple of weeks, I'm probably just at home, glued to the computer.

Juice of the Prune

This bottle kind of looks like it should hold perfume or liquor, but I'm impressed with the shape and the glamorous label. I also like how in the past they didn't beat around the bush and call it dried plum juice. It's "juice of the prune" in a very fancy container. Prunes: 1, POM tea: 0.

Shoes.

I saw these shoes (from Hong Kong) on this blog. Look at the checkerboard linings! So awesome.

I used to think there were some things I couldn't make on my own, but the more I look into it, the more I disagree with that thought. I mean, I've been reading this book by Mary Wales Loomis about how to make your own shoes, and it doesn't seem impossible. When I see shoes like this - which are most likely made by a single craftsperson rather than a whole factory - it eggs me on to try something that seemed way outside my bounds.

I watched "Bonnie and Clyde" last night; that movie also eggs me on...not to rob banks, but to jump right in and try something new.

The Comfort of Autumn

Today, I came across these beautiful mini-wreaths on a blog called "i live on a farm." I feel like I've been waiting for autumn to get here for a while...maybe I've been inside and haven't smelled the crisp air enough, or maybe I miss crunching through leaves in quiet streets. But this weekend, it really felt like the right time of year. Family, friends, and plans for Thanksgiving - plus a trip to Article Pract, a sweet little yarn shop in Oakland.

Joana Vasconcelos

Clementine, 2007, ceramic and cotton (hand-crocheted)

We got a postcard for Joana Vasconcelos' show at the Rena Bransten Gallery several months ago; this striking piece was on the front. I like so many elements of this piece - the contrasting colors and textures, the symbolism of wrapping and adorning, the shapes and patterns. This crocheted doily pattern is insane - she has some serious engineering skills.

Specific Things

Melissa forwarded me a link to Service Works, a grant program that artist Josh Greene founded, and this website called Specific Things was one of the grantees. It is a site full of odd groups of photographs (men eating sushi alone, young women holding koalas) and touching anecdotes (finding money, coincidentally seeing someone after a long time). It reminds me of the Found magazines/books, but a little different. Perhaps my favorite part is the wish list in the "contacts and submissions" section.

hyggelig toys at MUJI

I've been thinking about toys a lot lately - about the ones I enjoyed the most, the ones that my parents had, and what I see on TV these days. I feel like things are getting kind of complicated with all of the batteries, computer chips, toxic plastic. My dad had some really cool wooden toys - there was this construction set with gears and long screw dowels and nuts that stands out in my mind. I would play with it sometimes, building little towers, my own little Tinguely machines.

So I found these toys when I was on the MUJI website, and I thought about how much fun they'd be. I mean, I'd kind of like the bowling set right now. Super hyggelig!

Beautiful Bucks

circa 1882

circa 1890

I was looking for images of bald eagles for a project, and I came across the rag and bone blog. I've read a couple of posts before, but this one about the history of the American dollar was especially interesting. I didn't know the patterns had varied so greatly; I just know how sad I was when they issued the new $20 bill. Yuck. So here are some gems from the past. The post also shows a couple of bills with Martha Washington on the front. Check it out!

Salesmanship

Tobias Wong, dreams

Holger Beisitzer, balloons

I'm slowly setting up an etsy site, but I keep getting stuck. Why do I make things? Should I be adding to the consumer haze? Sure, my stuff is mostly made from recycled and repurposed materials, but does that make it better? I guess I should stop worrying about it. I make things because I like to; it makes me feel calm. But I thought I'd share some salesmen with a little more panache than myself.

Tobias Wong has done a number of interesting projects, and this one is especially nice. I would totally buy a dream from him. Would it be one of my dreams inside that bag, or one of his?

The second image is Holger Beisitzer; I think this piece is called "What Set You Free (Rebel Yell)." I came across it while doing a bit of research about recycling and rethinking materials. I think it's funny because even though we all know these are bags (not so glamorous), we can accept them as balloons (magical!). And everyone knows that balloons are worth a buck.

Olle Eksell

I saw this book on Olle Eksell at Rare Device last weekend, and I've been thinking about it for days. I like the way he uses color to define space; he seems like a good-humored person, someone I'd want to hang out with. Maybe it's because he did a lot of work for children's books, or maybe it's his use of ochres and pinks, or his scribbly handwriting, but there's something totally comforting about his illustrations. Something unmistakeably hyggelig. So I'm going back tomorrow to get the book. It'll be on my coffee table next time you come over.

Caves and Caverns

I've been meaning to write more about Slovenia...just a little short on time lately. These pics are from the caves in Postojna. The tour takes you into the cave on a rattling mini-train that's kind of like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Two kilometers into the mountain, you're dropped off at a pathway that winds up, down, and around a series of caverns filled with stalactites and stalagmites. So yeah, I took a lot of blurry pictures of minerals. It was magical to be there, though.

Heineken World Bottles

I just saw this article at Inhabitat, and I thought it was kind of awesome. In 1963, the owner of Heineken conceptualized this World Bottle (WOBO) - a beer bottle in its first use, and a building material in its second. He worked with architect John Habraken to design the shape; they made some plans for structures, but I'm not sure they ever built them.

The more I learn about the recycling process, the more I believe we should just consume less. Yeah, recycling plastic and paper is great, but you'd save a lot of time and energy if you just used less packaging in the first place or made stuff people want to reuse. I keep thinking of those old tea and cookie tins my mom collected - they're beautiful reminders of history, vintage graphic styles, and the ease of life before blister packaging.

Hyggelig Places: Slovenia

Kranj

Piran

Last week, we spent a few days in Slovenia. It was probably the best part of the trip - relaxing, scenic, and hyggelig. We wandered through narrow medieval city streets and breathed in the fresh autumn air, sat out by the seaside and ate dinner in cozy cafes. It felt strangely perfect in Slovenia - kind of like Swiss and German towns, but without the crowds. After the craziness of Istanbul, it felt like we were absolutely alone in this beautiful nation. In Ljubljana, I saw a restaurant with all of its tables set with glittery glass and tablecloths...but the place was empty. It could've been sad, but I thought it was magical - like maybe if we ate there we'd be doted on, or like all of the tables were just set for us to enjoy as we passed by the big windows.

We went to a flea market in Ljubljana on Sunday - people set up their tables along the bridge and the outer edge of the Old Town - and most of the junk there was AMAZING. We saw:

an old fashioned deep-sea diving helmet (the brass and glass kind)
rusty tins from the Eastern Bloc
funny 19th century mantle sets - clocks with candlesticks
soviet army uniforms and pins
skeleton keys and big padlock keys from the late 1800s
big apple baskets
old leather suitcases with destination labels
midcentury brooches and earrings
fox pelts
navigational tools
footed metal jewelery boxes with tiny keys

Not exactly the kind of stuff you want to lug through the airport, but fun to look at.

Survival Tips

"Figure 185: Improvised Sunglasses"

"Figure 29: Extracting Water From Vines"

I found these images in a book entitled "FM 21 - 76/ Survival," which was distributed as a field manual to U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. There is a lot of good information about edible and medicinal jungle plants, how to keep your feet protected, and how to devise traps. And then there are these bizarre pictures. I liked the sunglasses because I keep breaking the ones I buy - this seems like a perfect solution...except that it wouldn't block out the sun and I'd look like catwoman wandering around in San Francisco.

I like the second image for obvious reasons. Even better when turned 90 degrees. I love ephemera.

The Prelinger Library

I heard about the Prelinger archives a couple of years ago - it's a collection of video/film spanning several decades. You can view and download them for free at archive.org.

I didn't realize there was a library too - this guy, Rick, has amassed a dazzling selection of books ranging from graphic design to philosophy to outer space. You can browse the titles online at the Prelinger Library website. But really, if you can, go down to visit it - these books are crammed into a dimly lit storage space, piled high all around. It feels like a place you'd find something special.

Junk Pirate

I picked up this zine called Junk Pirate at Rock Paper Scissors this week. This guy, Pete Glover, collects interesting images - here are some playing cards from the color images section of his website. My favorite is the "awkward/pretty" one. It reminded me of this article on vintage playing cards I snipped from Martha Stewart's Living Magazine (dude, like i care. i know you read it too). Here are some images:

Changing Viewpoints

Last night I had a dream about turkeys that were all rainbow-colored. It was magical. Here's another magical image, courtesy of artist Mark Jenkins. I wish more of these existed.

It makes me think of how I tend to look at life just one way, kind of forgetting that there's always another way to take it.

There's Nothing Dorky About Rock Collections

Mottramite. The color of the Incredible Hulk!

Cinnabar. I like this one because it reminds me of those cupcakes with jam in the middle, or a baked potato with cranberry sauce instead of butter.

Cavansite and Stilbite.

Yesterday I went to Roy's house and he showed me some of his mineral collection. He mentioned the mindat website as a source for amazing photos of minerals like the ones we viewed under his microscope. I like the variety of images in the database - it reminds me that magic is everywhere. These thing exist!

y'know...it's, like, a long time.

so my mom keeps using the phrase "donkey's years" and i laugh at her because it's something i've never heard before and, until now, didn't believe was an actual phrase. i especially like how she defines it: "y'know...it's, like, a LONG TIME."

she admits it could be "donkey's ears," but again, this doesn't seem to have much to do with time.

i googled it and she was totally right. ma, i'm sorry i laughed at you. i guess you're not crazy.

Lyndie Dourthe

I saw Lyndie Dourthe's website a while back on somebody else's blog. These paper flowers are amazing. My sister and I made paper flowers last Xmas out of printer paper - they did not look this nice.

Writing Machines

I saw this typewriter on the classic typewriter page. I liked seeing the whole collection in the "typewriter spotlights" section - it gives you an idea of how different people approach a similar goal.

Velveteen Pincushions

I saw a really weird/almost cool piece of art at an estate sale this weekend - a big gold branch with big leaves and sequined velveteen pears hanging on it. It reminded me of these pincushions, which I found on a vintage goodies website last year. I'm thinking of making a couple for myself, maybe with some old candlesticks or wooden bits.

The Meaning of Hygge

I spent some months in Copenhagen a few years back, and the Danish concept of "hygge" stuck with me - it encompassed so many things that I enjoy. Hence the name of this new journal, which will attempt to gather more of the things that I like, things that I find hyggelig.

As I understand it, hygge is about warmth, coziness, a good mood or spirit, friends and family, and (often booze-fueled) good experiences. I'm all for that.

Candles, blankets, couches, dimly lit spaces, small homes, hot meals, coffee, glogg (which, for the record is nasty. why are there raisins and nuts in my wine?) - these are quintessentially hyggelig things. Whole cities can be hyggelig if they give you that good feeling, and being in Copenhagen, I came to know what that meant.