Will Bryant invades Portland
Will Bryant is still in the city as I write this, but soon he’ll head back south to his lair in Austin, TX, and the gents over at Public School. During his visit he was kind enough to share some of his work in real-life with Portland up at Land Gallery on Mississippi Avenue. Walking into a room full of work I’d seen on the internet over the past few years was surreal! Chuck Norris, girls holding their breath, Bulls, all of the work that... Read More
Just a little candor
Seventeen years ago Jurassic Park was released to the world in video form (don’t worry, this is not a fan post about Jurassic Park). Easily the most made fun-of/irksome character was Dr. Ian Malcolm. No one wanted to talk about chaos theory, they just wanted to see some dinosaurs, twisted steel, and screaming tweens. I don’t want to talk about chaos theory either, but let me pull something totally out of context that he says and put in... Read More
Vignelli gets on it
This spot is like sitting down in a comfy $15,000 leather Vignelli couch. You may want to stretch out on it, and you will most certainly be left wanting more of it in your life. Obviously well-timed for the opening of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT, the spot (below) is full to the brim of quotable quips from the modern master, which is expected from a man with as many years of experience in any field. He has mentioned a few things... Read More
Color.
Well these two little videos will just make you want to give Kate Bingaman-Burt a sloppy wet kiss and or a bear hug. Especially when in the first video some serious textile drawers are opened. Aaron Britt at Dwell Magazine is knee-deep in a series on color called Full Spectrum which is being shot by Gary Nadeau. One part of this awesome little series takes place at the Albers foundation in Connecticut, where lovely anecdotes can be viewed in regards... Read More
Jeff Swartz, Honor is in the source
The yellow Timberland boot. The American boot, as hard working as Carharts, shearling, and blue jeans. Almost an artifact, the archetype that has not wavered or changed in style since the current CEO Jeff Swartz’ grandfather began the company. In 1960, the family company introduced innovative injection-molding technology which allowed for nearly 100% waterproof boots by attaching the soles to the leather tops without any stitching. This is... Read More
MATH!
I’ve seen Nikki Graziano‘s Found Function project here and there for quite a while now, and every time I run across it, it stops me in my tracks. The images alone are striking and the mathematic observations she makes are both surprising, playful, and precise. I like the way she looks for order in apparent chaos, and her presentation is spot on. While not exactly math these images also fall under the “order from chaos”... Read More
Perttu Saksa
Perttu Saksa is a Finnish photographer working from his base in Helsinki. He’s got an impressive list of exhibitions under his belt and has worked for clients like Greenpeace, Nokia, Sony BMG, Universal Music, Waterhouse & Coopers, and a litany of editorial publications. I love seeing these out-of-context, especially since the majority of these seem to be editorial works. I like to imagine what their context became when they were sent... Read More
Canadian luggage tags & decals
Grabbing some fresh mountain air and incredible landscapes is usually enough. Coming home with luggage tags and decals only makes it more incredible. These socialists know how to make a take-away! Most people are familiar with the Chateau at Lake Louise, it’s such a huge icon of the Northwest. On this side of the country, however, most people have never seen or heard of Chateau Frontenac. It’s the worlds most photographed hotel and is... Read More
“When you have more clowns…” says Frank Chimero
Frank Chimero at Land Gallery If you are in Portland and you know what is good for you, march yourself right on down to Land Gallery and experience Frank Chimero’s show “If Someone Asks This is Where I’ll Be.” It is impossible to imagine this much work crammed into such a tight space. It makes Land feel 10x larger than it actually is, and unless you seriously pace yourself you may miss something. Frank has pieced together... Read More
Hvass & Hannibal
Hvass&Hannibal is a multi-disciplinary arts and design studio based in Copenhagen. I found these guys via Baubauhaus and am swooning over their work. It looks like they work with musicians quite a bit—but I really appreciate the craft they put into their work. Check out that folded piece up there! I have a paper-gangster friend who would just squeal over such a thing. It looks SO GREAT once they photographed it! Putting that much human touch... Read More