Friday Finds 02.24.12

Kelsey: Doug Johnston

Brooklyn designer Caitlin Mociun introduced me to the work of Doug Johnston at Terrific magazine's Deck The Halls holiday pop-up shop this past December. I was so enamored I bought one of his coiled cord baskets for my mother! The process is the same whether it results in an amorphous, sculptural vessel or something more practical, like a shallow basket with handles. Johnston uses braided cotton cord and sews it in coils with colored thread on an industrial zig-zag sewing machine, free-verse style with no molds. He's starting to get a bit more attention these days, so I'd advise hitting his webshop while the price tags are still mostly under $100.

Diana: Eat the Block

I love nothing more than long Sunday brunches. A few Sundays ago, we had quite the epic bacon-fueled feast consisting of stops at local favorites Pop's, Dynamo Donuts, and St. Francis fountain. This was all in the name of research (very delicious, but essential research) for friend and former Dwell staffer @kushkush's "Eat the Block" story for the Bold Italic, which just went live this morning. Give it a read and you're sure to find a few new spots to add to your must-visit restaurant list.

Aaron: Coriolanus



Now in fairly wide release, Ralph Fiennes's adaptation of the rather hard-to-love Coriolanus is truly awesome. Not only is Shakespeare's language cleverly adapted by screenwriter John Logan—who filters this bloody version of Rome through a mob of senators, the nightly news, and a surging, disgruntled crowd—but Fiennes's direction cribs equally from the action flick and Globe Theatre playbooks. Vanessa Redgrave is as steely a Shakespearean matron as you'll find, Gerard Butler wraps his brogue around his few speeches, and Fiennes (whose capacity for embodied rage was undermined by the essentially incorporeal Voldemort) is sheer pitiless vengeance in glowering iambic pentameter. See this movie.

Jaime: Tricycle Calligraphy

I discovered this yesterday on The Fox Is Black blog and find it super delightful—Nicholas Hanna rigged up a tricycle with a computer and some water jets to create a modern-day equivalent of water calligraphy. Click here to see more images and a video of the contraption in action.

Tammy: Sketching Stickmen

It's Friday, and even though it was a short week for most of us, you're probably counting down the seconds until you can give your brain a break for the weekend. Take a couple of minutes, or 30, and have some mindless fun with your new best friend: your own interactive stickman.

Leah: Monaco Cork Envelope Clutch

A vibrant downtown Oakland concept shop,Show and Tell, has created a fashion-forward apparel and accessories destination. Show and Tell focuses on sustainable fashion and ethically sourced goods made in the USA. Their products range from artwork, housewares, apparel and accessories. My favorite item from the stroll through the hip candy shop was the renewable cork and recycled microsuede envelope clutch. Made to carry your iPad but stylish enough to wear on a night out on the town.