City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948

I found these evocative images from the book City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948 by Peter Doyle at the Satorialist.

"The extensive collection of police forensic negatives casts a fascinating light on the shadowy underworld of Sydney between the wars."

The Satorialist's description "like Paolo Roversi crossed with Weegee" seems very apt!

Buried

Buried. Photographs by Stephen Gill. Nobody, London, 2006. 32 pp., 29 color illustrations, 5½x7¾".

I really like the idea of and behind this book (even though the execution could've perhaps been something else somehow):

Publisher's Description
"The photographs in this book were taken in Hackney Wick [London, UK] and later buried there. The amount of time the images were left undergournd varied depending on the amount of rainfall. The depths that pictures were buried at also varied, as did their positioning. Sometimes they were facing each other, sometimes back to back or sometimes buried singly. Not knowing what an image would look like once it was dug up introduced an element of chance and surprise that I found appealing. This feeling of letting go and collaborating with place - allowing it also to work on putting the finishing touches to a picture - felt fair. Maybe the spirit of the place can also make its mark."

Online exhibitions at MoMA

A lot of people might not be aware that the Museum of Modern Art in New York has a lot of different online projects and web-based exhibitions (flash required to view).

Artists of Brücke: Themes in German Expressionist Prints is the first MoMA exhibition created exclusively for the web and is made up of MoMA's vast and unparallelled collection of expressionist prints. A very small amount of these can be seen above, but very definitely do visit their site for the complete exhibition!

They also have a great online project called What Is a Print? - for those who are not so familiar with printmaking techniques - giving you an understanding of printmaking and its' history and demonstrating the main printmaking processes.

Vintage Ceramics at Bloesem and Stig Lindberg

I missed the wonderful Bloesem weekend read showcasing vintage ceramics last week.

Seeing it now reminded me that I still haven't visited the Stig Lindberg exhibition at Nationalmuseum (it finishes tomorrow) - hope I'll make it... Below is a small selection of Stig Lindberg's quite varied work.

Definitely don't miss Bloesem's beautiful and well-written weekend read for some more Stig Lindberg / Gustavsberg and a range of other beautiful ceramics! (When we get our things out of storage I'll show some of our lovely Rörstrand and Gustavsberg ceramics.)

By Stig Lindberg (photo from Bloesem weekend read)

Krakel Spektakel (children's book). Illustrated by Stig Lindberg

Ceramics by Stig Lindberg / Gustavsberg (photo from Bloesem weekend read)

Ceramics by Stig Lindberg / Gustavsberg

Dark Rainbow Shop - conceptual museum shop

Photo: Jenny Källman / Tensta Konsthall.

This is what my perfect imaginary rainbow imagery would look like - ethereal and substantial at the same time (and not a hint of cartoonishness).

"Dark Rainbow Shop is a new, conceptual museum shop in Tensta Konsthall. In four new collections each year Dark Rainbow Shop will present design, fashion and handicraft by Swedish and international designers together with the publications and other products made by Konst2/Tensta Konsthall."

Collection 1 2007:
Zandra Ahl, Altoum Alimoardi, Ann-Sofie Back, Bless, John Lindholm, Margit Lindholm, Tuija Markonsalo, Zobida Nadi Sharegh, Alice Shulman, Nina Sparr, Per B Sundberg and Tensta Möbler (Tensta Furniture).

Curator: Jelena Rundqvist

Dark Rainbow Shop at Tensta Konsthall in Stockholm, Sweden found via Karin Eriksson's blog.

Sculptural jewellery from Day C

From collection 'Best Before'. Necklace in 24 carat gold-plated silver & silver half egg-shaped component with pearl/small gold egg. 100cm long silver chain and pearls.

From collection 'Stone Magic'

From collection 'Best Before'. Necklace: 5cm half egg-shaped white porcelain with Letter imprints & CZ/ 140cm long oxidised silver chain/ Pearls and black tourmaline chai

From collection 'Pearl Wonder'

From collection 'Diamond Temptation'. Emerald cut diamond-shaped silver rings.

Wonderful sculptural jewellery from the lovely, lovely Daisy at Day C.

Her jewellery studio is based at the Clerkenwell Green Association workshops in London, England. You can see her work there as well as in a number of independent galleries and shops in the UK and New York. For more info, commission work, etc go to Day C's website.

"Daisy's work has attracted the interest of Elle Magazine New York and it has been featured on WGSN (Worth Global Style Network). Daisy's work has been exhibited at Harrods, London, Chelsea Crafts Fair 2005, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham and The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds. Her work will be shown in 'Inhorgenta Europe' in Munich in February 2007."

North (from North South)

North South. Photographs by Axel Hutte. Text by Hanne Holm-Johnsen. Schirmer/Mosel, Munich, 2006. 84 pp., 39 color illustrations, 13¾x10¾".

Above is some more inspiration for Project Spectrum.

"As the title suggests, North/South presents two groupings of work, one focusing on barren, gray northern climates [selection shown above] and one on lush, wet southern locations. Both groups focus exclusively on the natural world, not evincing a trace of human presence."

As this is the lovely blue light we get here in the north (often as now when it's snowing the light reflects on the snow giving the blue-white effect as above) it would be easy for me to just grab my camera and I'd had the project sorted.

As I've written before though regardless how pretty it is (and I find it) on picture, being faced with it in reality after many years abroad is just depressing me. For you not here enjoy the imagery!

Josef Frank and creating

Svenskt Tenn is almost an old institution in Sweden, a lifestyle company founded in 1924, started by Estrid Ericson and the fantastic fabric designer Josef Frank.

This quote from the magazine "Form" perfectly sums up my feelings and approach to how I make my home, how I dress and how I approach work and creating:

"There’s nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colours and patterns. Anything that is in your taste will automatically fuse to form an entire relaxing environment. A home does not need to be planned down to the smallest detail or contrived.; it should be an amalgamation of the things that its owner loves and feels at home with.”
(Josef Frank, from an article in the design magazine Form in 1958).

Below is a selection of textiles designed by Josef Frank.
As I'm taking part in Project Spectrum I've chosen blue or grey or white combinations (these are the colours for February and March) as a kinda inspiration for myself (and for the project).
For a wider selection of Josef Frank's designs, a selection of fabrics by other designers, and furniture and rugs go to Svenskt Tenn's website.

"Loops". Design: Josef Frank. Material: Cotton or linen. Width: 130 cm, Report: 52 cm.

"La Plata". Design: Josef Frank. Material: Cotton or linen. Width: 130 cm, Report: 77 cm.

"Notturno". Design: Josef Frank. Material: Linen. Width: 130 cm, Report: 63 cm.

photo-eye booklist

The spring issue of the photo-eye booklist is out now. Don't miss it!

The photo-eye booklist is published four times per year and profiles a pick of photography books from all around the world . It's the only magazine in existence dealing solely with photography books.

For further description, order or subscription info press here.

Thinking about colour

I've wanted to think about colours in a structured way for a while now, so was delighted to find Project Spectrum.

"Colors inspire. Colors elicit deep emotions and memories. Colors symbolize life events and the changing of the seasons. We surround ourselves with color - in our homes, in our gardens, and even on our dinner plate.The idea of Project Spectrum is simply a celebration of the colors around us, and taking the time to notice them. Participants can dye, crochet, weave, decoupage, spin, build, stitch, knit, paint, scrapbook, construct, sew, quilt, cook, grow, collage, photograph, bake, or bead items in that color group (of course all arts and crafts that I missed are totally welcome as well!).

It is really about expressing yourself creatively - making something beautiful, and creating something unique with your hands. It is also about thinking outside of the box - perhaps taking up a new hobby, or a long neglected one, or finally dabbling in design.

You can choose to make one thing out of the designated color(s) in the two-month span - or twenty things! This is a no-pressure project. You can simply make a photo essay - you carry around your camera with you and post pictures of the color objects you see throughout your daily travels.

Projects can be big or small - whether you plan to tile your kitchen or photograph a blooming tree in your backyard - it is not a race, it is just about sharing your creative work to inspire others and express your spirit!

You do not have to have a blog to participate. If you would like to share your work with others, think about joining the Project Spectrum Flickr Group! You simply have to have a passion for creating and expressing yourself through your work, and encouraging others to do the same. This is a create-along! It can easily work with any crafty obligations you may have - whether they are swaps, planned gifts, etc.

Project Spectrum is about expression and creating beauty with all of the colors of the rainbow - and there are millions of ways to do that! Let's discover them together!"


For February and March the colours are grey, white and blue. I suppose for a lot of people they represent winter. As I'm finding winter really depressing it feels like it could be kinda nice to try to think about those colour in a warmer, (for me) positive light.

Click here for more info and last years project and here for the flickr group.

More updates and thoughts from me to follow!

Wonderful, wonderful prints from Ana Ventura

Screenprint #3 and Screenprint #2
Signed and numbered 100 edition, 35cm x 42cm [13,78 x 16,54 inches], 400gr pitura paper

Postcard set (of 4). 15cm x 10cm [4 x 6 inches]

Sweet detail from package it all came in

The content of the package (screenprint #3, screenprint #2; lovely extras: printed paper and postcards from exhibition depicting screenprint #5 and screenprint #6; postcard set).

The package from Ana Ventura arrived and as incredible as it all felt (we've been excited for days and days now) it was so much better than we could've imagined!

The colour and depth of the two screenprints are fantastic and blends perfectly together with the just so lovely illustrations.

The postcard set is wonderful (as you probably know I think from my previous post) with the four cards individuality mixing together to create a perfect harmony.

As a bonus we also got two postcards from a recent exhibition depicting two other screenprints, which of course also is going up on the wall in frames!

Thank you Ana!

Vinterek by Johan Carpner for Svenskt Tenn

This wonderful textile from Svenskt Tenn (designed by Johan Carpner) is made of cotton/linen material and measures 150 x 175cm giving the feeling that the tree is growing endlessly (and as one piece of fabric seamlessly fit into the next the tree can continue growing as high as you'd wish it to).

I just absolutely love it! Especially as it's reminiscent of the wonderful tree growing outside our bedroom window and balcony.
(Even more so now in winter times -- for those who don't speak Swedish vinterek means Winter Oak).

Ed Ruscha and Photography

Ed Ruscha and Photography. Photographs by Ed Ruscha. Edited and with an essay by Sylvia Wolf. Steidl/Whitney Museum, New York, 2004. 256 pp., 80 color and 210 duotone illustrations, 8x11".

This book was published together with the Ed Ruscha exhibition at the Whitney museum in New York.

Ed Rusha is normally associated with pop art, but has also done work within film making, print making and photography for example.

Many of the photographs in this book are previously unseen and unpublished, and "his earlier, unknown photographs (mainly from a 1961 tour of Europe) provide the soul of the book."

To get further description of this book or the process behind it you can click here or here for example.

Witness No. 1

Witness No. 1. Photographs by Stephen Shore. Joy of Giving Something, New York, 2006. 72 pp., 77 four-color illustrations, 9½x12".

I really do like the idea behind this book and the on-following series of small, limited edition books which "will serve as 'visual time capsules'."

The idea is that "an artist was not only the primary focus of each issue in this biannual series, but as 'guest editor' was also responsible for the design of its cover and much of its contents as well." Thus getting away from the often pre-conceived ideas and/or agendas of magazine/book editors or publishing houses.

The first book is edited by and focuses on renowned photographer Stephen Shore. The series is distributed internationally by Nazraeli Press, who's website is well worth visiting for all its' other great titles.

Fabric from Kristen Doran design

The wonderful, wonderful fabric from Kristen Doran design has arrived! I'm so happy and pleased with myself that I managed to grab some before it sold out! Now I just have to decide on the project that'd be worthy of it's use!

Photofile series (from Thames & Hudson)

Above a selection of covers from the series Photofile published by Thames & Hudson.

"Publisher's description:
The classic Photofile series brings together the best work of the world’s greatest photographers in an attractive format and at a reasonable price. Handsome and collectible, the books are produced to the highest standards. Each volume contains some sixty full-page reproductions printed in superb duotone, together with a critical introduction and a full bibliography. Now back in print, the series was awarded the first annual prize for distinguished photographic books by the International Center of Photography."


To be honest I feel a bit disappointed in the covers, but I have hope of the content and hopefully that will bear out as soon as I'd had a peek through.