Friday Finds 05.31.13
Okolo is a rather busy Czech design collective—they generate new projects almost every week, which you can see on their blog. We had a chance to see new Okolo work in person at Ventura Lambrate in Milan this April, as well as in New York, during the Here & There travel objects exhibition put on by Field at Various Projects gallery. The cutout prints explore two themes: architects and travel. And while we like architects any time of the year, wanderlust seems like an especially summer-y pastime, no?
Dieter Rams's "Less but Better" mantra has yielded some of the 20th century's most iconic objects, particularly in his work for Braun. Core 77 has a great series posts detailing the history of the manufacturer's products, from audio products to kitchen gadgets to timepieces. I especially liked the timeline of electric shavers since it shows the gradual tweaks over time to a single object, but the whole series is a fun read for Braun junkies. And if you can't get enough of Rams's designs, check out Kelsey's recent post on Vitsœ's reissue of the 620 Chair Program.
The San Francisco MoMA is shutting its doors this Sunday, June 2, for a two-year-long expansion. The good news? Admission is free through the weekend for those who want to take a lingering glance at works by Mark Rothko, Marcel Duchamp, Jasper Johns, Frida Kahlo, Paul Klee, and other modern heavy hitters (Don’t forget your slice of Mondrian cake)!
We all know that cords cause a mess, designers from 45 Kilo have successfully designed a solution for your desired work space. Made of teak and bent steel, the brilliant standing extension station is perfect for just about anyone.
Since I'm heading back home to Phoenix for my summer vacation, thought I'd bring some fun for the sun! Yes, I could pickup the usual inner tube or flat pink floatie to lounge around in or I could relax on a giant pretzel. That's right…a crispy, vinyl pretzel that will never get soggy. Urban Outfitters (online only) has some of the best designs in pool floatation this summer. Baseball fan? Float in your own gigantic catcher's mitt. There's also sunflowers and smiley faces available. My favorite has to be what I like to call the Homer Simpson: an enormous pink glazed donut with rainbow sprinkles…complete with gigantic bite taken out of it.
Megan: Unwoven Light Installation
Soo Sunny Park’s installation Unwoven Light animates Rice Gallery’s expansive space, transforming it into a shimmering world of light, shadow, and brilliant color. Suspended from the walls and ceiling, thirty-seven individually sculpted units are arranged as a graceful, twisting flow of abstract form. On view April 11 - August 30, 2013. Watch this video of the artist at work.
My dear pal Barbara recommended me this dapper looking restaurant inside the Palais de Tokyo for my trip to Paris next week. Local architect Joseph Dirand designed the space while fashion designer Alexis Mabille decked out the waiters' with bowties and white frocks.
At only 14 years old, Zev who goes by the nickname Fiddle Oak, has put together a stunning self-portrait photo series called "Little Folk". The images are creative and unique, and I am excited to see how this promising young talent continues to develop his work.
Super talented letterer and Illustrator Jessica Hische has created this fantastic presentation about all you need to know about type today. This great piece goes beyond educational and inspirational, it is also a fantastic resource to find type studios and designers you may not know about.A must read for any designer.
"Though the [original] poster contained no painted imagery, it did introduce a new logo to the campaign, one that had been designed originally for the cover of a Fox brochure sent to theater owners…Suzy Rice, who had just been hired as an art director, remembers the job well. She recalls that the design directive given by Lucas was that the logo should look 'very fascist'.
''I’d been reading a book the night before the meeting with George Lucas,' she says, 'a book about German type design and the historical origins of some of the popular typefaces used today—how they developed into what we see and use in the present.' After Lucas described the kind of visual element he was seeking, 'I returned to the office and used what I reckoned to be the most ‘fascist’ typeface I could think of: Helvetica Black.'
Inspired by the typeface, Rice developed a hand-drawn logo that translated well to the poster campaign, and ultimately to the movie itself. 'I did have the screen in mind when I drew the logo originally,' explains Rice, who "stacked and squared" the words to better fit the brochure cover. It was an aesthetic choice that has lasted nearly three decades."
A new project by Miranda July in collaboration with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dahn Vo, Lena Dunham, Kirstin Dunst, Lee Smolin, Sheila Heti, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Etgar Keret & Catherine Opie. The only-in-your-inbox exhibit is a themed compendium of ten carefully selected emails in response to July's list of genres. Today is the first day to sign up and the first email will be sent on July 1, 2013.
What a sweet and lovely idea—Child's Own Studio takes children's drawings and turns them into soft toys. They are real works of art. The Vancouver-based artist, Wendy Tsao, already has a long waitlist (she received 200 requests in her first three hours in business, after her concept went viral online!), but she refers people to other "softiemakers" here.
To see last week's finds, click here!
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