art department rules

what a day

yes we can, yes we did, and yes there's more can-do where that came from.
bring it.

the president addresses the youth ball

"I've been looking forward to this ball for quite some time because, when you look at the history of this campaign, what started out as an improbable journey when nobody gave us a chance was carried forward, was inspired by, was energized by young people all across America. I can't tell you how many people have come up to us and said, 'I was kind of skeptical, but then my daughter ... she wouldn't budge. She told me I needed to vote for Obama;’ 'Suddenly, I saw my son and he was out volunteering and getting involved like never before.' And so a new generation inspired a previous generation and that's how change happens in America. It doesn't just happen in the election and campaign. It's happened in service all across America. As this is broadcast all around the world we know that young people everywhere are in process of imagining something different than what has come before us: Where there is war they imagine peace. Where there is hunger they imagine people being able to feed themselves. Where they imagine bigotry they imagine togetherness. The futures will be in your hands if you are able to sustain the kind of energy and focus you showed on this campaign. I promise you, America will get stronger and more united. You are going to make it happen, and we thank you from the bottom our hearts."

at last indeed

benediction

This was my favorite part of the inauguration. Rev Lowery giving the benediction. What a classy guy. What a blessing.

hail to the chief

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." ~ Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, in his inaugural speech. January 20th, 2009.

only a few hours to go now...

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for.
We are the change that we seek. "
~ Barack Obama

paying my respect

With only five days to go until the inauguration of President-Elect Obama, I have been thinking about this very powerful photograph, and the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Martin Luther King was arrested twenty times during his life while protesting for equality. During his imprisonment in April of 1963 he wrote Letter From A Birmingham Jail, a text which should be re-read and re-visited regularly. Here is the passage that stays with me always: "I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds." We're still on this journey, and I hope and believe that the 44th President of these United States will further our commitment to celebrating this inter-connectedness and our continued strive for equality for all of our citizens.

tomas gabzdil

This bee-made vessel by Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny of Studio Libertiny made its debut at last year's Milan Design Week. The vase was made by 40,000 bees over the course of one week. Studio Libertiny constructed a vase-shaped hive that the bees then colonized, building a hexagonal comb to encompass the existing form. And it was their very last companion. The piece reminds me of something written by Antonio Machado: "I dreamt - my marvellous error! - that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures."

marian bantjes

Marian Bantjes is ridiculous. She's just way too talented, and makes me want to do nothing but create things - and at the same time also makes me want to lay down all of my tools and never make anything ever again. This glitter calligraphy appeared in the 15th Anniversary issue of VIBE, for an article on JayZ.

grammy type

The new Grammy campaign has appropriated various artists - including Stevie Wonder, Thom Yorke, Kanye and Rhianna (detail above) - mentioning their memorable musical influences. The advertising spots are running on television, and the print posters can be seen here.

su blackwell

Su Blackwell is a British artist who alters books and creates magical pieces of paper art. Her own artist's statement speaks for itself: "Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions. It is the delicacy, the slight feeling of claustrophobia, as if these characters, the landscape have been trapped inside the book all this time and are now suddenly released. A number of the compositions have an urgency about them, the choices made for the cut-out people from the illustrations seem to lean towards people on their way somewhere, about to discover something, or perhaps escaping from something. And the landscapes speak of a bleak mystery, a rising, an awareness of the air."

ain't that the truth

I am seriously coveting this limited edition silkscreen print by Seb Lester. So limited it's sold out, in fact. Seb is one of the UK's most successful type designers - he studied Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins and now works in London as a type designer and typographic illustrator. His typefaces are used by Intel, Dell, GQ Magazine, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and many other companies - but won't be adorning any of my walls any time soon. Here's hoping he's tempted to make a second pressing.

let there be light

Happy New Year by Electrabel
Uploaded by Noemixx

Incredible stop-motion light capture advertisement for Electrabel. Watch the making of here.

field of light

Light installation artist Bruce Munro has taken over the Eden Project. Field of Light can be seen at the Eden Project in Cornwall from 1st November 2008 - 31st March 2009. Bruce and five assistants worked over three days to install it on the grass roof of the visitor’s centre, between the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes. It is made of 6,000 acrylic stems, through which fibre optic cables run, each crowned with a clear glass sphere. There are 11 external projectors; the stems themselves hold no electric power at all. The installation covers an area of 60 x 20 meters, using 24, 000 meters of fibre optic cable. Goes without saying that it’s best viewed after dark.

the shirt off yer back

A few years ago Zoltan Csaki (no, I've no idea if that's his real name) and Dave Black started up their own t-shirt label in the east end of London, called the-affair. Their graphic tees are influenced by "subjects that delve a little deeper than your standard pop-references. Too high-brow? Actually, we’ve just got a little more faith in our customers." Pretentious? Endearing? I've not yet made up my mind. Have to admit to liking their inside neck print tees though. I'm easily swung by anything with a literary reference.

nojoqui falls

I have driven the 101 from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara or Paso Robles a million times, but only recently did I notice a sign for the turn off to Nojoqui Park. Upon further investigation, it's apparently one of the best-kept secrets around. The next time I drive north, I'll be making a pit-stop to hike the trail to Nojoqui Falls.

paris papers

I have always wanted to visit several of the luxury stationers of Paris but have yet to make a trip to the city specifically for that purpose. Vendel Shakespeare, Stern Graveur, Marie Papier, Cassegrain, Benneton and Armorial are all highlighted here, along with a map and information about each elite paper house. One day I will wander into Stern (located in the 2nd Arrondissement) and sit down with Madame Stern. Apparently, she commands you to write your name on a blank sheet of paper and she will then tell you what your stationery will be. Bon. I can live with that.

tara donovan

Tara Donovan is an incredible artist whose recent exhibition at The Institute for Contemporary Art reflected some beautiful metemorphesis of everyday manufactured materials - such as Scotch tape, Styrofoam cups, and drinking straws - that adopt a kind of biomorphic quality. The images above are of her work with styrofoam cups (top) and fishing wire (bottom). I love her work, and am inspired by the fact that after waiting tables for six years and only quit when she got her first show. There's hope for us all yet.

a world of books

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

james nicholl

Artist James Nicholl is a member of the Tiptoe Collective, a London based Illustration Collective, which he formed with Mark Whittle and Ian Caulkett last year. For Christmas, James was commissioned to transform the reception area of advertising company AMV BBDO, with the aim to transform the windows and doors into a winter wonder fairground from yesteryear, taking on board the joy and simplicity of the season, with toys, presents and music. I really love the concept and the beautiful work he did on the project.

days gone by...

Now I'm not saying that it's going to be anywhere near as cool as reaching for your Polaroid camera and your old case of Polaroid film and capturing and developing an instant moment... and trust me, I am still in serious mourning over the passing of Polaroid film... but at the very least, the Pogo - which is the new, digital version of the Polaroid camera - looks like... well... fun. I've placed it on my ever-evolving wish list (along with my future flip video, of course). But man, does talking about this bring up painful memories of the now defunct Polaroid past. I had to go and spend a few moments on the photographer Nitsa's incredible Polaroid blog. Please check it out, she's incredible.

vineland

Maybe it's because I spent Christmas in the wine country of Paso Robles, but I have a bit of a thing for vines at the moment, and I think they're going to make it big in '09. The letterpress notebook is by Lisa Dejohn; The Vines are one of my favourite bands to sing badly to; the cache pot is from John Derian; the wallpaper is by Jocelyn Warner, and my favourite candy in the world is Red Vines, or pictured here rather... green vines.

mexico

This year I would very much like to travel south. I have heard about a beach called Playa Coralito, on the Isla Espiritu Santo, by the Sea of Cortez, which I would like to see for myself. Also, if I'm going to learn how to make tamales, then perhaps I should do that in Mexico. I have always wanted to drive a VW bus down to baja, and visit churches, and wander streets, and sit around a campfire while someone strums a guitar... sigh... Hopefully the summer will be here before too long and we can embark on some small but wondrous journeys. I am intrigued by the idea of the flying mobulas that leap from the water. Check out Hope & Jeremy's blog about taking a year out to travel around Mexico and other places. It's inspiring.

"I love to travel, But hate to arrive." - Hernando Cortez

resolutions

I've been thinking about a few resolutions at the beginning of this new year. I would really like to learn how to make tamales. I would like to read The Grapes Of Wrath. I plan on keeping in touch with my nephews and with more of my friends by writing letters, rather than facebook messages. I also want to volunteer to visit with some older folk and adopt some surrogate grandparents, but this is motivated mainly by the desire to learn more card games and have wise old play mates whose experiences I can learn from. Or not. I will continue to write, even if I can't find the words that I want. I would also like to learn how to take photographs properly, and have the confidence to have my own photograph taken without cringing or balking at the thought of the end result. As with every year, my eternal resolution remains, which is to talk less and listen more and enjoy the moment.

marina strocchi

Marina is an Australian artist - half landscape, half abstract painter - whose work depicts the experience of living in the Northern Territory of the Central Australian Desert. My favourite piece of hers is East of Papunya (top right).

matthew woodson

I'm coveting a Matthew Woodson print called A Tree With Roots (left), that's on sale at Thumbtack Press for a mere $19.99. I don't know why I love it so much, I just do. Matthew was born and raised in rural southern Indiana and graduated from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in early 2006. I like the fact that my tastes come cheap. Sometimes.

helen friel

If you haven't experienced the wonder of Helen Friel's paper art yet, then feast your eyes on her cut paper pigeons. Helen is a freelance Illustrator and Paper Engineer based in London. She studied at Central Saint Martins and her work has also been showcased on Design Sponge, and rightly so.

from welly boots to beach combing

I've just moved back to California after four years in London, and I'm adjusting to the change in time zones, attitudes and lifestyle. I loved living in England; bundling up in woolly sweaters and wellies to go out walking, before taking shelter in a pub for the obligatory pint of cider in front of a warm fire. But there's nothing like being home. And the past few weeks have felt like one long exhale of breath. Every time I look at the ocean, I am reassured by its presence and my connection to it. I'm excited to rediscover some of the things I haven't seen or done in a while. I'm excited to be here again.

stina persson

I am obsessed with Stina Persson. Have been a fan for a long time, and then noticed that The Weinstein Co. had her design their slate material at Cannes this past year, and she collaborated with the photographers Bohman & Sjöstrand for the Interflora campaign. Stina works in a few different mediums, but it's her cut paper work that gives a girl like me faith that we can all make a living from cutting and pasting and making things pretty.

pears

May have been all the talk of a partridge in a pear tree recently, but i've been thinking about them - pears, that is - and have been inspired by Sarah King's inscribed fruit. The pear photo diptych is by Thorsten Kraska. The seckel pear and hazelnut frangipane tart is from canelle et vanille, the other pear photo is by Richard Wanderman, and the prosciutto, st maure and pear tartines by Beatrice Peltre of La Tartine Gourmande. The painting of the pear tree is by muralist Jean Bradbury, the chair was designed by Orla Kiely for Anthropologie, and the small brass curiosity is a vintage pear bell. The beautiful pastel pear-shaped bathers are by Edgar Degas.