Monday, March 30, 2009

Pocko Times by Pocko Editions.






Pocko Times. Numerous contributors. Pocko Editions, 2009. 64pp., numerous illustrations, 420×297mm. Loose bound, printed on uncoated recycled paper.

"Pocko Times is a feast of illustration and photography all loosely connected with a short story by South African writer, Stacey Hardy. The large newspaper format creates mini posters for each image."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Gathering Storms






Gathering Storms. Photographs by me.

Friday, March 27, 2009

photography from a writer's perspective



"#45 Under the surface.
This image has nothing to do with the Swedish mindset this time of the year. Nothing. The fact that it is heavy, dark, threatening, cold, wet and gloomy is purely coincidence. Purely."

I found this really exceptional photo blog fairly recently via niotillfem and this image, entry #45, very much describes today (and the Swedish mindset in winter time).

A really wonderfully poetic photo blog from the beautiful starting point of taking photographs from a writer's perspective.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Today's inspiration






Images from here (not clearly credited).

Today's inspiration - via niotillfem.

This is part of the collection of homes/houses/rooms/gardens in which the wonderful Sandra would like to live.

Monday, March 23, 2009

NEWWORK magazine - issue no 3




Images cut from NEWWORK magazine issue no 3. 100pp., illustrations, 32x23".

"NEWWORK magazine is a large-format arts publication for conneusiers of fresh ideas. Designed and published biannually by studio newwork, each issue features new work from a wide range of artists and creators in the worlds of fine art, design, high fashion, culture, and politics. From art directors to business leaders, design students to curators, NEWWORK's contributors are united in their passion to push the boundaries of their disciplines. Among the magazine's special features are bold, custom-designed typefaces and a twist on the traditional newspaper format, offering a stimulating juxtaposition of striking design and everyday simplicity. Since pages can be separated, each layout can be hing on the walls as an individual art piece.

The second issue of NEWWORK delved into the role of imagination in creative life: changing styles, changing minds, changing the worlds. In issue number 3 we come face to face with... faces. In both the literal and abstract sense we explore how different designers and artists invoke the nothion of the face in their work."

I have written about NEWWORK magazine before and I'm still very very excited about them!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Mikhail Karasik: Self-Portrait (exhibition catalogue).


Self-Portrait (exhibition catalogue). By Mikhail Karasik. M.K. Publishers, 2003. 95pp., numerous illustrations, 13.25" x 8.5". Limited edition of 300 numbered copies.

"Mikhail Karasik is one of the most active and committed followers of the genre of artist’s books in Russia.

[He] was born in Leningrad in 1953 [and] lives and works in St. Petersburg. His media are easel and book graphics, posters and objects.
[...]
Mikhail Karasik has displayed his art at numerous national and international exhibitions since 1978, but has fully dedicated himself to artist’s books since 1987. Having provided an interface between early 20th century futurist publications and experimental publishing projects in the 1980s, Mikhail Karasik’s books are sought after by both private collectors and museums.
[...]
Karasik’s favorite technique is lithography, but he also employs photography, collage and serigraphy. His main subjects are Russian literary avant-garde from the 1910s through the 1920s, episodes from the Bible, oriental and, specifically, Central Asian motifs, and modern Russian poetry. The artist frequently uses his own textual material which is, in fact, highly appropriate for the genre of artist’s books, where everything – the text, lithographic printing, binding and covers – is usually the author’s creation."

What gives an extra layer to his work is that "private publishing had been banned in Russia since the late 1920s, resulting in many decades of hiatus in artist’s book publishing and all experimentation in book form."

"To date Mikhail Karasik has published more than 50 books, albums and book objects."
(UPDATE: some modifications to the original text done by me for clarification.)

Go here for M.K. Publishers (they no longer have any available copies of this book as far as I can understand), here for Mikhail Karasik and here (or here) to search for a copy to buy.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

L'officiel









Cover images of 1920's L'officiel from Les archives de l'officiel de la mode from Jalou Gallery (found via Dear Nike at Rodeo.net).

The layout, the typography, the shapes, the clothes, the colour combinations, the graphic design - just pure wonderful!

And the best thing: click on the year and issue and you can flick through the entire magazine.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Spring tears.


Paper cut by Rob Ryan.

"The first morning of spring in the park. The smell in the air is fresh and full of promise + new beginnings. You feel as if you could start your life all over again and it would all be ok. Do you know that feeling? The bright sun. After all those dark winter dull days. In your face makes you feel good.
Somehow I was blessed (or cursed perhaps) to feel this way all the time all the year round. On grey days. Wet days. Damp and black and windy days. And I cried to think who was I to be so blessed?!"

On Friday it's the first day of spring.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Jon Stewart and CNBC Gives Financial Advice

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: CNBC Gives Financial Advice.

Also read this article from the Guardian (excellent minus the last three paragraphs). See more of the Daily Show <-> CNBC showdown here.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Awesome Tapes from Africa.



I agree with Milberg - Awesome Tapes from Africa is a site that should be repeatedly recommended.

Friday, March 13, 2009

hell yeah blue sky


hell yeah blue sky. Photograph by me.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

on no winter morning


oh no winter morning. Photograph by me.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

White papercut and White Ribbon Alliance


Papercut by Rob Ryan for the White Ribbon Alliance Charity (in Elle UK April 2009).

The White Ribbon Alliance is "an international coalition bound together by a common goal: to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are safe for all women and newborns in every country around the world."

Rob Ryan's work is always magical! Every minute of every day a woman dies due to complications of her pregnancy, this can often be prevented, so this cause is very important indeed.

Don't miss visiting Rob Ryan's shop on Columbia Road in London.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Miri says


Image from book of miri.

This text Miri wrote yesterday is very important I feel.

The trend today for Swedish "humor programs" seems to be cowards who trample all over other people's integrity and personal sphere, bullying and abuse that you're suppose to accept because "we're all just joking around here", meanness and contempt disguised as palling around, taking away someone else's dignity and sense of self and worth, and pushing things far far further than what any acceptable behaviour can possibly be.

It makes me ashamed of my country.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Beauty




Images by Solve Sundsbo? (not clearly credited / uncredited) from coffre à trésors.

I found this beautiful photo blog called coffre à trésors quite recently and it's just absolutely lovely and inspiring. It's striking how wonderful every image is and how coherent and thought-through the layout and pages are. Beauty and well done indeed.

UPDATE: My time-delayed entry about coffre à trésors (= this one) managed to choose an entry that is no longer there. As coffre à trésors is filled of the same kind of loveliness don't be remiss in not clicking here to go to its starting page.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

I would love Autumn




Double exposures taken with a Polaroid Spectra by Kyle O. From DBL_PLRD.
(DBL_PLRD found via
circumlocution).

I would love Autumn with all I have if Winter didn't have to follow.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Miroslav Tichy.




Miroslav Tichy. Photographs by Miroslav Tichy. Text by Clint Burnham, Roman Buxbaum, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Harald Szeemann. Walther Konig, 2008. 222 pp., Illustrated throughout., 6¼x8¾".

"After studying at the Academy of Arts in Prague, Miroslav Tichy, born in 1926 in the former Czechoslovakia, withdrew to a life of isolation in his hometown of Kyjov. In the late 1950s, he stopped painting and, during his daily walks, began to take photographs of women with cameras he made by hand. He mounted his prints on handmade frames and added finishing touches in pencil, shifting from photography to drawing. Disregarding the rules of photography, for four decades Tichy created a large oeuvre of poetic, dreamlike views of female beauty.

A former neighbor, Roman Buxbaum, discovered Tichy's hidden work in the 1980s and has been documenting and collecting it ever since. In 2004, the esteemed international curator Harald Szeemann mounted the first solo exhibition of the nearly 80-year-old artist. That same year, Tichy was given the Rencontres d'Arles Photographie Discovery Award and the Kunsthaus Zurich organized a large retrospective. Solo exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art (MMK) Frankfurt followed in 2008."

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Fun is Learning.






Images from Fun is Learning.

"Funislearning is a resource for everything concerning graphic design students and young professionals. We originally started the site as a companion for the classes we teach at Pratt and as an archive of our students works."

This is a great site for resources. Also have a look out for their book Never Sleep out in March (found via Book By Its Cover).

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Positivity - Comforting


Cover (x4) of Elle UK March 2009.

From one type of cover to another... Do we all just need some positivity right now? It feels a bit like smiling is the new black - especially on a black and white cover wearing something black and directional.

In my mind I link this comforting together with the recycling or extending of previous seasons or copying oneself (both pointed out by Karolina) that seems to be going on in fashion.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The Book Cover Archive



Images cut from The Book Cover Archive.

Book Cover Archive - I could spend days and weeks and months there!

PS. Don't forget to scroll down - it's really easy to miss the great links and information that resides under the wonderful cover images.